MUFON Arizona - 2001 02 - Vol 10 No 02

Magazine Overview

This issue of the MUFON Mutual UFO Network Arizona Chapter newsletter, dated February 2001, features a cover story on Dr. Steven Greer's upcoming appearance and highlights numerous UFO sighting reports from January 2001. The newsletter also includes updates on MUFON activities, radio and television programming, and articles on scientific investigations into UFO phenomena and related myths.

Newsletter Changes, Please Read!

The newsletter announces significant changes, including doubling its page count from 7 to 14 to accommodate Maricopa County Meetings. Consequently, the newsletter will now be published every other month. The editor, Jim Kelly, expresses excitement about being able to include more current sighting reports from around the world and provides contact information for questions or submissions.

Dr. Steven Greer Lands at MUFON AZ!

Dr. Steven Greer, International Director and Founder of CSETI, is announced as the special guest speaker for the next MUFON meeting on Sunday, March 4th, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library Auditorium. This marks the first meeting at this new venue. Directions to the auditorium are provided.

MUFON AZ Meeting Information

• Details are provided for various MUFON Arizona chapter meetings:
• Pima County Chapter: Meetings held at Wilmot Library, Tucson. Contact George Parks.
• Pinal County Chapter: Contact Ken Kerber.
• Yuma County Chapter: Quarterly meetings. Contact Richard King.
• Maricopa County Chapter: Meetings held every other month. See enclosed flyer.
• Experiencer's Meeting: Contact Dr. Ruth Hover.

MUFON Meeting Video Tapes Now Available

Video tapes of past MUFON meetings are available for purchase through Chris at Argo Productions. Featured speakers include Dr. Nick Begich, Don Ecker, and Stanton Friedman, with prices listed for each meeting.

Classified Ads

Classified ads are available in the newsletter for $5.00 for up to three lines, with business card-sized ads costing $10.00. Larger ad prices can be obtained by contacting Jim Kelly. Ads and payment are due by the first of the month.

Article Submission

Articles or letters for the newsletter can be submitted by calling Teri Acton or e-mailing [email protected].

MUFON Membership Badges

MUFON Membership Badges, measuring 1-3" x 3" with white print on a blue background, are available for $5.00 each. They list the member's name, "Arizona MUFON," and a chosen title or phrase. Orders can be placed via a sign-up sheet at meetings, fax, or mail to Ruth and Harry Hover.

Radio and Television Listings

• Programming schedules for UFO-related shows on radio and television are provided:
• Radio: Coast to Coast with Art Bell, Dreamland with Whitley Strieber, and Mysteries Around Us with Frank Baranowski are listed with their respective stations and times.
• Television: Roswell and The X-Files are listed with their broadcast channels and times.

Of Saucers and Pipes in the Sky

This article by Bonnie Henry from the Arizona Daily Star recounts several UFO sightings. George Parks describes an incident from 20 years prior involving a hovering object near Oracle Junction. June Scherrer shares her experiences, including seeing a giant silver disk and a dome on a saucer, and claims to have been abducted multiple times. The article notes that Scherrer belongs to MUFON and a group for abductees. MUFON's Arizona presence is detailed, with George Parks serving as state section director for Pima and Cochise counties. The Tucson chapter has about 50 members and holds monthly meetings. Patricia Hill shares a photograph she took near Picture Rocks petroglyphs, which appears to show a hovering flying saucer. Bill Morris, MUFON assistant state director, emphasizes the investigative process, which includes gathering reports, contacting authorities, and visiting scenes, while acknowledging that not all sightings are extraterrestrial but believing "something is out there."

Current UFO Cases and Sightings

• This section, courtesy of the National UFO Reporting Center, details several recent sightings:
• Bouse, Arizona (1/4/01): Witnesses reported flashing blue lights rising from the desert floor, followed by amber lights. The NUFORC notes the reliability of these witnesses.
• Bouse, Arizona (1/4/01): Another report from Bouse describes unusual lights, including two blue lights appearing "seemingly from nowhere" and a bright amber light. The blue lights moved at supersonic speed.
• Gilbert, Arizona (1/5/01): A red light was observed floating high in the sky, pulsing and moving downward.
• Tempe, Arizona (1/8/01): A slow-moving, vibrant red light blinked and accelerated before disappearing. An amateur astronomer described it as a brilliant red light, possibly mistaken for Jupiter, that changed direction and vanished.
• Gilbert, Arizona (1/8/01): An eight-year-old eyewitness reported seeing a large, quiet, sombrero-shaped saucer with bright lights on the bottom.

Giant Green Fireball Lights Up Western U.S.

On January 11, 2001, a gigantic green fireball was witnessed across the western United States, reported by hundreds in North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Reports were inconsistent on the flight path, with some suggesting multiple objects. Witnesses in Boulder described the fireball's diameter as approximately twice that of the full moon, while a Kansas witness described it as the size of his thumb held at arm's length. It descended vertically without a sonic boom. Separately, residents of Rockford, Illinois, reported witnessing three to 23 lights moving in formation for 20 to 30 minutes on the same evening.

Triangular UFO Sighted in Southeastern Ohio

On January 10, 2001, a witness in Wilmington, Ohio, heard a loud boom. The following day, January 11, a bright light, described as triangle-shaped and flashing red, was seen hovering over a tree near Steubenville before vanishing with a rumbling sound.

Slow Moving Triangular UFO Spotted in Kentucky

On January 6, 2001, in Cliftyu, Kentucky, a dark, V-shaped UFO estimated to be 12 feet high and 20 feet long was observed moving silently from the northeast. The witness felt a vibration as it passed overhead.

Dark Disc-shaped UFO Seen in Saginaw, Texas

On January 4, 2001, two workers in Saginaw, Texas, observed a round black object, about half the size of a thumbtack at arm's length, floating slowly. It moved northeast, shining like a star, and appeared to shrink and grow before disappearing.

Triangular UFO Does a Fast Flyby in California

On December 31, 2000, Allan Ferguson of Capitol, California, reported seeing a triangle-shaped UFO with lights on the edges approaching from the north. It was very high, seemed to be among the stars, and then took off to the south at "lightning speed."

Large, Luminous UFO Taped in Trout Lake, Washington

The Self-Mastery Earth Institute in Trout Lake, Washington, reported the taping of a large, luminous object near Mount Adams on January 7, 2001. Ranch owner James A. Gilliland described the object as pulsing and moving from side to side, even moving into the rocks of Mount Adams. He filmed the event with his camcorder, and the object then took off rapidly. ABC, FOX, and Seattle's Evening Magazine reportedly covered the event, with the latter suggesting the lights were street lights, which the institute denies.

Hovering UFO Sighted in Solon, Maine

On January 10, 2001, Andy Wendell reported observing a bright shimmering object in the sky near Solon, Maine. The object appeared stationary and was too large to be a star or Venus. It resembled the brightest stars but was much larger and shimmered with red, blue, and white lights. The phenomenon was observed for about four minutes before disappearing.

Incredible UFO Sighting Account From Chile

This account, extracted from the files of former Carabineros officer Raul Gajardo Leopold, details an event from late June 1997. Agricultural technician Jesus Martin Contreras and his friend Israel Luengo were driving near Trintre, Chile, when they observed a luminous object with a bright yellow color and a powerful red light source in the center. The object, nearly a kilometer in diameter, approached their car and maintained a distance of about 20 meters. It moved with the car, bathing it in its glow. Contreras noted that his friend Luengo became a dark spot in the seat, and his own beard grew significantly during the event, which lasted about 300 meters. The car's windows and doors became inoperable, causing fear, but the object eventually pulled away. The occupants experienced no physical or psychological aftereffects, and the object made no noise.

The Inexplicable

This section continues the Chilean sighting, detailing the occupants' fear and the inoperability of the car's doors and windows. The object eventually vanished, and the travelers resumed their journey. The driver noted his beard had grown, which he found inexplicable. They experienced no loss of consciousness or aftereffects, and the object made no noise. The second protagonist in this story died in 1998, with doubts surrounding the cause of death.

Still No Sense in Signal

This article by Dr. David Whitehouse from BBC News Online discusses the "Wow" event, a potential extraterrestrial signal detected in August 1977. Recent observations using the Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico have provided more sensitive data but have revealed nothing unusual at the signal's source location. The "Wow" signal was a narrow-band burst lasting 72 seconds, and despite numerous subsequent searches, it has never been detected again. While some suggest man-made interference, others point to the signal's characteristics as evidence of an extraterrestrial origin. The mystery of this one-off event remains.

The Arkansas Incident

This article, from Citizens Against UFO Secrecy, discusses a purported UFO disc recovery in Arkansas in October/November 1946, predating the Roswell incident. A former U.S. Army Air Force Private described witnessing a disc-shaped object, approximately 15 feet in diameter and 7 feet in width, stored at Wright Patterson A.F.B. The material was seamless and appeared to be brushed aluminum. Scientists were unable to penetrate its "glass" with a diamond drill. The interior contained no control panels or seats, but a cylinder was present. The Private was a Clerk Specialist, and the base Commander was Colonel Nathan Twining.

Researchers Using Lasers to Scope Out Life in Universe

This article from SpaceNews, originally from the Christian Science Monitor, reports on U.S. astronomers building the first telescope specifically for searching for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) using optical laser beams. The 72-inch telescope at the Harvard-Smithsonian Oak Ridge Observatory is part of efforts to detect E.T.'s optical beacon. Astrophysicist Paul Horowitz explains that lasers can pack more information than radio waves and are suitable for regional communication up to 1,000 light years. The article mentions that the Planetary Society is funding $350,000 toward this project. It also touches upon Arthur Shawlow and Charles Townes's 1958 invention of the laser and its potential for SETI, noting that U.S. efforts historically focused on radio telescopes while Russia used optical methods.

First 'Philadelphia Experiment' Crew Reunion - 'It Never Happened'

This article by Lacy McCrary from The Philadelphia Inquirer reports on a reunion of sailors who served on the USS Eldridge. The sailors emphatically state that the alleged "Philadelphia Experiment," where the ship was supposedly made invisible, "never happened." They joke about the myth, which has been perpetuated by movies, books, and websites. Veterans like Ed Wise, Ted Davis, and Bill Van Allen deny any knowledge of such experiments. The Navy has issued a fact sheet addressing the myth, which originated in 1955 with Morris K. Jessup's book and subsequent letters from Carlos Miguel Allende.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of MUFON Arizona include the reporting and investigation of UFO sightings, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and the debunking of popular UFO myths. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation and education, acknowledging the possibility of extraterrestrial life while maintaining a skeptical approach to unsubstantiated claims, as evidenced by the articles on the "Wow" signal and the Philadelphia Experiment. The newsletter actively encourages reader participation through article submissions and classified ads.

Title: MUFON-AZ
Issue: 11
Publisher: MUFON-AZ
Country: USA
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of MUFON-AZ explores a range of topics related to unexplained phenomena, military experiments, and scientific endeavors. It features articles on the legendary Philadelphia Experiment, a detailed account of a UFO sighting by Stephen Michalak, the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), the paranormal aspects of Sedona, Arizona, and the environmental concerns of global warming.

The Philadelphia Experiment

The issue touches upon the "Philadelphia Experiment," an alleged degaussing experiment by the US Navy during World War II, intended to make ships undetectable to magnetic mines. While the Navy denies conducting invisibility experiments, the legend persists. Questions arise about the timeline, with veterans recalling events differently from official records. Some crew members humorously recalled the mental toll of such experiments, with one joking about applying for disability and another using the phrase "Beam me up, Scotty."

Classic UFO Case: UFO at Falcon Lake

A significant portion of the magazine is dedicated to the case of Stephen Michalak, a mechanic from Winnipeg, who encountered a UFO on May 19, 1967, while prospecting in Whiteshell Provincial Park, Manitoba, Canada. Michalak reported seeing two red, glowing cigar-shaped objects that became oval and then disc-shaped. One object landed on a flat rock about 160 feet away. The landed craft turned from red to gray and then to a "hot stainless steel" color with a golden glow. Michalak was protected by welding goggles from a brilliant purple light emanating from the object. He heard hissing and whirring sounds and smelled a sulphurous odor.

After a door opened, revealing a lighted interior, Michalak approached. He heard voices and, despite attempts to communicate in multiple languages, received no response. Upon examining the object's exterior, he found it to be like highly polished colored glass with no seams. When he touched it, his glove melted. The object then moved, and a vent emitted a blast of hot gas that set his shirt on fire, causing severe pain and burns. The area where the object landed appeared swept clean, with a pile of pine needles, dirt, and leaves. Michalak subsequently suffered a severe headache, nausea, and vomited, requiring medical attention.

Site investigations were conducted by various agencies, including the RCMP, RCAF, federal and provincial health departments, the University of Colorado Condon Committee, and civilian UFO groups like APRO and CAPRO. Life magazine reporters also covered the case.

Your Guide: Sedona

This section explores Sedona, Arizona, as a location known for its "anomaly zones," often associated with frequent UFO sightings and paranormal events. The area is described as a valley surrounded by red rock formations, with local landmarks having names like Boynton Canyon and Bell Rock. Native Americans considered Sedona sacred. The article details the arrival of white settlers in 1876 and the subsequent conflict. The water problem in Sedona was solved in 1947 by Carl E. Williams, a geologist who believed there was water despite local skepticism.

Sedona's image as a New Age center grew in the 1970s and 1980s, culminating in the "Harmonic Convergence" in August 1987. Recent years have seen frequent UFO sightings, particularly "ball of light" type UFOs. Some residents believe the military has built a secret base in the area, possibly operated by the United Nations. Glenn Campbell noted the "free-wheeling entrepreneurship" in Sedona, comparing it to a busy market, with many businesses selling crystals and psychic services. While the guide hasn't found an exceptional number of "good" UFO sightings (craft piloted by intelligent beings), the phenomena at Sedona warrant further study.

Dead Seas

This article by Peter Hadfield from New Scientist Magazine discusses the potential impact of global warming on ocean life, specifically focusing on the Sea of Japan. Rising temperatures are weakening a crucial circulation process where oxygen-rich surface water sinks, taking oxygen with it. This process supports bacteria that break down organic matter and brings inorganic nutrients from the depths, feeding plankton.

Researchers, like Yoon Jong-Hwan, a South Korean marine physicist, have observed that this convection current is now much weaker, not reaching as deep as it did in the 1930s. The oxygen level at 2500 meters is falling, threatening to choke off life at the bottom of the food chain. Yoon believes global warming is the cause, with average temperatures in the northern Sea of Japan increasing by 1.5 to 3 °C over the past 50 years. This weakening circulation could affect oceans worldwide, leading to a rapid worsening of the problem as fewer nutrients are supplied to plankton, which are vital for the food chain and act as a major carbon dioxide sink. Adrian New of the Southampton Oceanography Center is initiating a major program in Britain to study these effects.

Scientists to Scour Space for Evidence of Alien Life

This article reports on a new initiative to search for alien life using a powerful, purpose-built telescope. Announced on January 22, 2001, this telescope is designed to pick up signals from aliens. Researchers will also be able to generate a laser beam 5,000 times brighter than the Sun for potential communication. Unlike previous Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) efforts that focused on listening for radio signals, this new project will scan for pulsed laser signals. Steven Spielberg funded a previous SETI project with £60,000. The new 1.8m Optical SETI Telescope, under construction at Harvard University, is led by Professor Paul Horowitz. This telescope, combined with a high-intensity pulsed laser, aims to vastly improve the chances of making contact. The project is funded by a £230,000 grant from the Planetary Society in San Jose, California. NASA pursued extraterrestrial searches until the early 1980s when budgetary issues led to the cancellation of a large radio telescope project.

The Planetary Society and the SETI Institute are now leading the hunt for alien life. This telescope is the twelfth SETI project sponsored by the society since 1980. Other SETI projects include radio telescope searches and the SETI@home project, which utilizes public home computers. The new project focuses on narrowband laser pulse SETI signals, an idea first proposed by Nobel laureate Charles Townes.

Remember, the MUFON AZ Newsletter is...

This section is a call for reader engagement, inviting ideas, suggestions, and comments for the MUFON AZ Newsletter. It encourages readers to submit interesting articles they have read or written themselves via email or mail. Contact information for the newsletter is provided.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of MUFON-AZ include the investigation of unexplained phenomena, such as UFOs and alleged military experiments, alongside scientific research into environmental issues and the search for extraterrestrial life. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, presenting detailed accounts of UFO cases and scientific findings, while also acknowledging the speculative nature of some topics like the Philadelphia Experiment and Sedona's paranormal claims. The inclusion of both detailed case studies and broader scientific discussions suggests a commitment to exploring a wide spectrum of unusual and significant events and phenomena.