Long Island UFO Update - Vol 2 No 8

Magazine Overview

Title: LONG ISLAND U.F.O. UPDATE
Issue: VIII
Volume: II
Date: August 1991
Publisher: THE LONG ISLAND U.F.O. NETWORK INC.
Price: $2.00

This issue of the "Long Island U.F.O. Update" is a newsletter from The Long Island U.F.O. Network Inc., dated August 1991. It details recent UFO sightings and investigations conducted by the organization across Long Island. The cover prominently features a sketch of an object reported in East Patchogue, sighted on August 12th, 1991. The issue includes a feature article on this incident, as well as other recent sightings, chairman's corner, membership news, and an expanded "Long Island Scene" covering recent sightings with drawings.

August Activities and News

The month of August was described as extremely busy for LIUFON. The "Suffolk Times" published an article about sightings near Southold, featuring LIUFON as the leading investigating organization. Chairman John Ford was interviewed on multiple talk shows, including Seattle's KUBE and Iowa's WOC, discussing the Moriches Bay Incident. These interviews generated significant interest and inquiries from the Midwest. LIUFON is planning a major series of library talks, with one scheduled for October 5th at the Shelter Island Public Library, featuring a presentation on their first two years of investigations.

LIUFON is also developing two new slide lecture series: one on the "History of U.F.O.'s" and another on "strange and abnormal" topics, with the first expected for the November meeting. The organization plans to hold mini-conferences and a major conference in 1992. Membership meetings are also planned for libraries around the county. The October membership meeting will feature the new Moriches Bay Incident Presentation, aiming to attract a large audience to distribute form letters calling for a Congressional Investigation through Congressman Hockbruckner's office. This request is based on the belief that an alien UFO was shot down by the U.S. Government and retrieved from the Bay's waters. Members are urged to send the attached form letter to the Congressman.

Membership Corner and Upcoming Events

The next scheduled membership meeting was set for September 27th, 1991, at the South Country Library in Bellport Village. The feature presentation was a replay of Bill Cooper's address to the 1989 MUFON Nevada State Conference, which had made him a controversial figure in ufology due to his claims about secret governments, technology exchanges with aliens, human abductions, and alien bases on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. Cooper claimed to have seen this information while in Naval Intelligence. The meeting was open to the public.

Future membership meeting schedules were to be published in the September issue. Upcoming events included the Moriches Bay Incident Presentation in October, a new slide show titled "The History of the U.F.O. Phenomenon" in November, and a year-end report on 1991 investigations in December. Future presentations were also planned to include a two-part video on Bill Cooper, a report on the "Face On Mars," and guest speakers.

Apologies and Operations

LIUFON issued sincere apologies for the late delivery of their August and July issues and the late publication of their Journal due to equipment problems with their photocopier and the loss of data from their word processor. Their electronic typewriter also required repairs. Sears lent LIUFON a typewriter to help print the newsletter and July's issue. The "Operation Long Island Skywatch" continues, with efforts to track UFO activity each weekend, and sighting teams deployed. Information on areas being covered is available via a hotline.

Special Note: Dick Ruhl was recovering at home and sent his best wishes to the members, thanking those who sent cards.

Chairman's Corner: A Big Mystery to Solve!

Chairman John Ford's column discusses a perceived increase in UFO activity on Long Island in the spring of 1991, following a mild winter. He recounts several sightings:

• June 9th: A teenage son of a member reported an oval or cigar-shaped object in Kings Park that dipped down, displayed sparks, and a bright red light before disappearing.
• June 11th: A large oval object was seen over Hicksville by retired telephone workers and hospital staff, described as silent with blinking white and red lights, moving northwest.
• Late June: A young woman in West Islip reported a large, bright cigar-shaped object that changed shape and illuminated the sky southwest.
• July 5th: A large, self-illuminated, silent cigar-shaped object was seen moving eastward over the water near the Bayside Marina.
• July 14th: A large, silent, illuminated cigar-shaped object was seen hovering over the Meadow Brook Parkway, visible to hundreds.
• August 2nd: A nighttime incident near the Pindar Wineries in Southold.
• August 9th: A large circular object was seen near Jamesport along Herricks Road.
• August 11th: Diamond-shaped objects were reported in Hauppauge.
• August 1st: A strange formation of red lights was reported over Southold by a retired naval officer and his wife.

Ford notes that investigations by Dick Ruhl and LIUFON ruled out blimps (Met Life, Fugi, Virgin Light Ship) as explanations for these sightings, as they were grounded or elsewhere. The mystery was compounded by another incident in East Meadow on September 1st, shortly after the Met Life Blimp landed. Ford questions whether something could mimic a blimp or appear shortly after one operates, confusing witnesses.

The Long Island Scene: Recent Sightings - In Depth Report

Incident in East Patchogue (Case Number: 0047-91, Date: August 12, 1991)

Kathy Scott reported a UFO encounter at 9:40 PM on South Dunton Avenue. Her dogs refused to go outside, and she then observed a loud whooshing sound and hum. She saw three intensely bright white lights above her house, surrounded by a blue mist. The object was described as about thirty feet long and 125 feet above her home. It darted across the street at treetop level and zoomed up above her neighbor's home, moving east. Scott described the lights as the bottom of three domed objects connected by arches, appearing inclined like stairs, and noted fins on the object. She experienced a feeling of time distortion, not remembering going through her door. She was terrified and called her husband. Upon subsequent interviews, investigators noted her stress and anxiety. She did not see any persons or vehicles. The physical evidence suggested exposure to ultra-violet and micro-wave radiation, and the possibility of an abduction was considered. A discernible sun tan across her forehead was photographed.

Hauppauge Sighting (Case Number: 0046-91, Date: August 11, 1991)

Thomas T. reported seeing a black object zoom overhead at low altitude around 1:00 PM on Atlantic Place. He initially thought it was a bird but realized it was much bigger, approximately thirty feet in length. It was a formation of four diamond-shaped objects connected together, with a jet black, smooth surface, no discernible doors, windows, or engines, and made no noise. It came in low from the north and headed south, disappearing instantly. LIUFON, through Dick Ruhl and FAA contacts, found no unusual radar reports or blimp activity in the area. The object was classified as an unknown of unconventional design.

Riverhead/Jamesport Area Sighting (Case Number: 0045-91, Date: August 9, 1991)

Lucy C. reported a very large, circular object, beige or dull metallic grey, with no noise, approaching from Riverhead. It had a half-crescent protrusion with illuminated windows. It remained stationary about two hundred yards from her home, forty feet above a tree farm, for about two minutes. The object then retreated slowly to the south. She described it as always keeping its circular shape, never showing its real dimensions. She later called her husband, who mentioned a salesman saw a cigar-shaped object near Greenport. LIUFON investigators interviewed Lucy and noted that the Met Life Blimp was not in the area. The object's size was estimated between 300 to 600 feet in diameter. While the drawing resembled a blimp from head-on, the description, lack of sound, and size pointed to something unconventional. The case remained open.

The Billy Joel Concert (Case Number: 0048-91, Date: Early August 1991)

Two witnesses reported that a UFO buzzed the Billy Joel Concert at the Indian Head Ranch. The object was described as two inverted soup bowls joined together, observed at high altitude. It was light grey, circular, came from the west, and moved at an extremely high rate of speed to the east. The sighting lasted only a few seconds and was possibly seen by hundreds.

Drawings of Recent Sightings

The issue includes sketches of three objects:

• Object #1: Seen August 11th, 1991, in Hauppauge. Described as jet black, 30 feet in size, at treetop level, course North to South. This is noted as a new type not previously reported to LIUFON.
• Object #2: Seen by hundreds over the Billy Joel Concert in July at Indian Ranch in Montauk. Described as white-grey smooth surface, unknown altitude (reported high), estimated at least 200 feet, course West to East, high speed performance.
• Object #3: Seen August 21st, 1991, in Riverhead/Jamesport area near Herricks Road. Described as bright silver surface, treetop level, 200 feet in size, course South to North.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the prevalence of UFO sightings across Long Island, the detailed investigation efforts by LIUFON, the challenges in identifying objects (often ruling out conventional explanations like blimps), and the potential implications of these encounters, including radiation exposure and time distortion. The editorial stance is one of serious investigation and a belief in the reality of unexplained aerial phenomena, with a strong emphasis on gathering witness testimony and pursuing official inquiries, such as the call for a Congressional Investigation into the Moriches Bay Incident. The organization appears dedicated to documenting and analyzing UFO activity on Long Island.