Long Island UFO Update - Vol 3 No 1

Magazine Overview

Title: LONG ISLAND U.F.O. UPDATE
Issue: I
Volume: III
Date: January 1992
Publisher: THE LONG ISLAND U.F.O. NETWORK INC.
Price: $2.00

This issue of the Long Island U.F.O. Update focuses on a significant disclosure by Soviet Cosmonaut Marina Popovich regarding a photograph of a mysterious object near Mars, taken by the Soviet space probe Phobos 2 in 1989. The magazine also provides updates on the Long Island U.F.O. Network (LIUFON), details upcoming meetings and events, and presents a collection of UFO reports from various locations.

Cover Story: Soviet Photo of a UFO Near Mars

The lead story on the cover and detailed within the issue features Soviet Cosmonaut Marina Popovich. At a San Francisco press conference on December 12th, 1991, she disclosed a photograph of a strange object taken by the Soviet space probe Phobos 2 near the planet Mars in March 1989. The probe itself inexplicably disappeared shortly after taking the photograph. Mrs. Popovich suggested that a radiation flash from the object may have caused the probe's malfunction. The photograph shows an unidentified object, described as a long, faintly aerodynamic shape with rounded ends, appearing beneath an illuminated Martian Moon Phobos. This event is linked to the disappearance of the Russian space craft and remains a mystery to Soviet space scientists. The article references 'The International U.F.O. Review' for further details.

LIUFON News and Activities

The 'LIUFON NEWS' section on page 2 details organizational changes and upcoming activities. Frank Columbo has taken over the Vice Chairmanship, praised for his previous work as Director of Investigations. LIUFON is actively soliciting lecture opportunities within library systems across Suffolk, Nassau, Queens, and Brooklyn. While some inquiries are in preliminary stages, a full schedule will be published once dates are confirmed. The Great Neck Public Library is noted as having scheduling problems, and the Port Washington Library may offer an opening in the spring or summer. LIUFON is scheduled to give a talk at the Cutchogue Indian Museum in Southold on April 19th, 1992. A fall conference is being planned for a hotel in Western Suffolk. LIUFON member George Dickson is organizing lectures featuring Mars Researcher Dr. Robert Hoagland in March and potentially Researcher Bill Cooper in April.

LIUFON will also be featured on the Lee Morehead Cable T.V. Program 'Psychic Channels' on March 19th, discussing the Moriches Bay Incident, with appearances by witnesses and the scientist involved who plans to identify individuals and organizations, including A.I.L. Electronics.

Membership Corner and Meetings

Page 3's 'MEMBERSHIP CORNER' outlines recent and upcoming meetings. The January 29, 1992 meeting featured a video presentation on U.F.O. Abductions and a special slide presentation for members only. Future meetings will include a video on the Bermuda Triangle (February 28th) and a slide lecture on the History of the U.F.O. Phenomenon (March 27th), both held at the South Country Library in Bellport Village.

A 'SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT' clarifies that while LIUFON has historically offered public access to meetings, future functions and presentations will be exclusively for members to acknowledge their support through dues. Publicly conducted functions will still be open to all.

Operation Long Island Skywatch is set to resume in April in several areas, including Moriches Bay, Orient Point, Robert Moses Causeway, Cedar Beach, and the Shoreham Reactor Location. LIUFON is also planning trips to the Pine Bush Area of New York for investigations into UFO-related activity.

The Chairman's Corner: The Human Cost

In 'THE CHAIRMAN'S CORNER' by John Ford, the focus is on the personal toll of the UFO phenomenon. Ford recounts a personal experience from 1989 where a young man shared a story about his father, an Air Force Captain, who died in 1957 while chasing a UFO. The official explanation was oxygen failure, but the family suspects a cover-up and has been trying for ten years to obtain records. Ford emphasizes that while skeptics may dismiss the phenomenon, they should consider the profound human cost borne by families of the missing, abducted, and impaired, arguing that this human factor is often forgotten by debunkers.

National and International UFO Review

This section compiles various UFO reports from different regions:

• San Francisco, USA (December 7, 1991): Marina Popovich's disclosure of the Phobos 2 UFO photo is detailed.
• Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico: Wendell Stevens is assisting in investigating reported abductions and sightings. One case involved a young man abducted and placed in a crop circle. Another report describes 80 eyewitnesses to a large triangular craft that allegedly caused two Navy F-14 jets to crash, with no wreckage found.
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (September 8, 1991): An astronomer reported observing three disc-shaped objects moving at tremendous speed in a triangular formation.
• Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania, USA (Early October 1991): A witness reported a large triangular object with colored lights that hovered and moved, followed by a smaller similar object that rose vertically.
• Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA (November 9, 1991): A local woman reported a large, bright triangular object with rounded edges and red lights hovering near a hillside.
• Pennsylvania/New York Border (December 2, 1991): A large Earth tremor occurred, which was not attributed to an earthquake by the National Weather Service.
• Seattle, Washington, USA (December 1991): Dr. Valery Uvarov from Russia spoke at a UFO conference, noting that UFO activity in Russia is comparable to the US and that Russia is a 'Hot Bed' for UFO activity, including many abduction reports.
• Anchorage, Alaska, USA (November 24, 1991): A bright sphere of light was reported streaking across the sky, described as a huge blue sphere with a long trail. Witnesses included Laura Hefner and Andrew Steiner. Astronomer Patrick Roache suggested it might be a bolide (large meteor).
• Blairsville, Pennsylvania, USA (August 30, 1991): Two women reported seeing a brilliant blinking white light attached to a large, triangular shaped object hovering low to the ground, with solid white light beams and transparent surfaces.

The Long Island Scene

This section reports on local activity on Long Island. In January, a report from the Robert Moses Causeway Area described a blue luminous sphere rising from the water. A young boy reported observing four bright, amber luminous objects near the Freeport Shoreline. The West Islip Abduction case is undergoing further regression sessions after a video-taped session revealed childhood abduction scenarios. The Medford Case is under investigation, involving potential organized crime, government surveillance, and telephone taps. LIUFON has filmed two video interviews related to this case, one of which will be played at the April membership meeting. The investigation has been assisted by independent researcher Preston Nichols.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting of UFO sightings and encounters from diverse geographical locations, the investigation of these phenomena by organizations like LIUFON, and the personal impact of these experiences, particularly the 'human cost.' The editorial stance, as expressed by Chairman John Ford, is one of advocacy for the reality of the phenomenon and empathy for those affected, urging skeptics to consider the human consequences. The magazine also emphasizes its role in disseminating information, particularly on UFO activity in Russia, which it suggests is often overlooked by Western media.