MUFON Arizona Chapter Newsletter

Magazine Overview

This document is the March 1995 issue (Volume 4, Issue 3) of the MUFON Arizona Chapter Newsletter, titled 'ARIZONA CHAPTER' with the subtitle 'The Truth is Out There'. It is published by MUFON Mutual UFO Network and includes contact information for their UFO Hotline. The issue is dated Monday, March 20, 1995, with the meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. sharp at 8227 E. Orange Blossom, Scottsdale, AZ, featuring Richard Seifried of Oklahoma MUFON as the program.

Director's Message

State Director Tom Taylor reports on the success of the recent MUFON-AZ meeting, thanking Jim Dilettoso and Gene Nieri for their contributions. He notes the attendance of members from various towns across Arizona and expresses plans for future statewide meetings. Taylor recounts an incident where he was approached by a man whose friend, a professional photographer, had taken pictures of a UFO sighted in Gila Bend. This sighting was also discussed on Art Bell's radio program. Taylor also shares an experience of seeing an object remarkably similar to one he had previously reported, which was photographed by Bland Pugh of the Florida MUFON chapter. He mentions an upcoming interview with an eyewitness to the 1947 Paradise Valley UFO crash and a recent interview with Ray Maurer, Jim Dilettoso, and himself for a Channel 10 segment.

Media Watch

Tom Taylor's 'Media Watch' column lists recent television, radio, and newspaper programs related to the UFO topic. He mentions a 2.5-hour interview on KTAR Radio with Lee Elders about the Mexico City UFO flap and Randolph Winters discussing the Billy Miers case on Art Bell's 'Dreamland' program. Peter Davenport, the new nationwide UFO reporting hotline operator, was also featured on 'Dreamland'. Taylor highlights two specific calls received by Davenport: one from Tennessee about UFOs striking the earth with a resulting explosion, and another from Boulder, Colorado, about disappearing helicopters. The column also notes the opening of the Imax Theater's 'Destiny in Space' film, which was filmed by NASA astronauts. Information is provided on how to obtain videotapes of the February 18th State MUFON meeting. It also lists current UFO-related programs like 'UFO Update AZ', 'Sightings', 'X Files', and 'Unsolved Mysteries'.

Winslow Sighting

MUFON-AZ member Michael Haggard reports a UFO sighting in Winslow, Arizona, involving a blue/white fireball falling into the desert. Local police indicated it was not a meteor and that witnesses saw it stop and land vertically. He also describes seeing 'throbbing' lights at high altitude being chased by Air Force jets in the Navajo Reservation area, suggesting it could be related to test flights from Nellis AFB.

Calendar

The calendar section lists upcoming events, including the Seventh Annual Ozark UFO conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, and the MUFON 1995 International UFO Symposium in Seattle, Washington. It also notes the cancellation of the First International Crop Circle Convention.

Williams Sighting

Field Investigator Marv Mason reports a UFO sighting in Williams, Arizona, on February 1, 1995, witnessed by approximately 12 people. The object, described as a rainbow of pulsating lights, was observed for 2 to 2.5 hours and estimated to be 65-150 miles away. Two other witnesses in Garland Prairie also observed the same object.

Animal Mutilation Case

Submitted through Doris Barley, this case details an animal mutilation that occurred over approximately 24 months in Fremont County, Idaho. A young heifer was found to have undergone a complete hysterectomy and removal of the rectum and vaginal area, with no blood or struggle evident. The Sheriff's department collected blood samples, but they were lost in transit. The incident is noted as being unusual because the mutilations typically occurred in settled areas near houses and were not found on BLM ground or forest land. The cattle in the pasture became terrified after the incident, and it took two months to round them up. The mutilations stopped with the first snowfall.

News of the Weird

This section includes two brief reports: one about a cow falling off a cliff and crashing through a house roof in Cameroon, and another about high winds in Arkansas carrying cattle into treetops.

Scientists Videotape Unexplained Light Flashes

An Associated Press report from Washington states that scientists Davis Sentman and Eugene Wescott have videotaped 19 unexplained flashes of light high above thunderstorms. These flashes, lasting a fraction of a second, are associated with intense thunderstorms and are estimated to be 50 to 60 miles in height and up to 30 miles wide. Sentman suggests electrical energy might be involved, but they differ from typical lightning.

Moon-Mars Special Edition Card Set

This section promotes a special edition card set featuring the Apollo Program's Lunar Astronauts and Martian images, including the 'FACE' in the Cydonia region on Mars. The set includes 36 cards with laser shard printing and 3-D sculpting.

ASU geologist goes 'Mars roving' by remote control in NASA trial

By Guy Webster of The Arizona Republic, this article details an experiment where ASU geologist Ron Greeley and other researchers are controlling a Russian-made rover on a Hawaiian volcano by remote control from a NASA laboratory in California. The experiment aims to simulate the challenges of controlling a rover on Mars, noting the significant time delay in communication. The terrain in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park was chosen for its resemblance to the Martian surface. The article mentions that lessons learned will be applied to the Mars Pathfinder mission and future Mars rovers. Greeley discusses the search for environments that could have harbored life and the possibility of finding fossils or chemical signatures of life.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently focuses on UFO sightings, investigations, and related phenomena, reflecting a strong interest in the unexplained. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry and reporting of witness accounts, media coverage, and scientific research related to UFOs and extraterrestrial possibilities. There is a clear effort to keep members informed about local MUFON activities, national UFO news, and relevant media appearances. The inclusion of 'News of the Weird' and the 'Moon-Mars' card set suggests a broader interest in unusual events and space exploration, but the core focus remains on UFOs and potential extraterrestrial contact.