MUFON Massachusetts - Newsletter - 39 - 1987 02

Magazine Overview

This issue of the MUFON NEWSLETTER, dated February 1987, is the 39th edition from the Mutual UFO Network, Inc., based in Massachusetts, USA. The newsletter covers a range of topics including public outreach through library displays, an upcoming international symposium, UFO case reports, and a significant bibliography of UFO literature.

Library Displays - Positive Results!!

The newsletter highlights the success of MUFON's panel display, "UFO's, A Scientific Enigma," at the Reading Public Library. The exhibit received mention in the Sci-Tech Section of the Boston Globe and other local newspapers, generating calls and interest. The display includes books by prominent UFO researchers and MUFON publications. The Medford Library has expressed interest in hosting the display in April, and public libraries in Salem, MA, and Portsmouth, NH, are scheduled to exhibit it in June and August, respectively.

Symposium Update

An announcement is made for the "International Symposium on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena: 1947-1987," scheduled to take place on June 26-27. The symposium will address UFO government secrecy and abduction cases. Registration fees are $30 if received by June 1, and $35 thereafter. The event includes a special reception, speakers from various countries, presentations on UFO aspects, a banquet with a guest speaker ($20 per person), and a panel discussion on UFO abduction cases. Affordable dormitory-style rooms are available at American University for attendees, with rates of $27 per night for a single room and $25 per night for a double room. Reservations for the symposium, banquet, and rooms should be sent to the Fund for UFO Research, P.O. Box 277, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712, with refunds available if requested by June 7.

Humanoid Files

Mass. MUFON, with the assistance of Joe Nyman and Dave Webb, has received the first shipment of Ted Bloecher's files. These files will be transferred to the archives in Stoneham, MA, for research and safekeeping. Ted Bloecher is noted for his comprehensive study of early UFO cases, the 1947 UFO wave, and his investigation of humanoid reports. He was a founding member of Civilian Saucer Intelligence and his work formed the basis for the book "The Humanoid Catalog" authored by Ted Bloecher and Dave Webb.

Now You Know

This section provides brief, unrelated facts. The largest bat is the Bismarck flying fox with a wingspan of 5 feet 5 inches. Additionally, a severe rainstorm in Cambridge, Ohio, in July 1914, caused air so thick with water that breathing was difficult.

Future UFO Researchers

Joan Nestor brought two 8th-grade students, Christian and Joshua, to a MUFON meeting. Their science exhibit won first prize at a local science fair, impressing judges with its quality.

Report from Virgin Islands

MUFON consultant and physicist Dr. Rogert Santilli visited the Virgin Islands and received reports of unidentified lights from several people, including a radio personality. Dr. Santilli is scheduled to return to the Virgin Islands to follow up on this case.

Radio-TV Log

Walt Andrus discussed the Alaska sighting on WMRE radio on January 17, with the state director promoting library displays. Whitley Strieber appeared on WBCN Radio on February 8 to promote his book "Communion," and also on "People Are Talking" and WRKO radio on February 9.

Massachusetts UFO Reports

A report from February 6 details a sighting of three globe-shaped objects accompanied by a sound similar to a rotor blade. The objects were viewed through binoculars and appeared to be in direct flight path to Logan International Airport, and were identified as a helicopter.

St. Thomas UFO Report

A newspaper clipping from The Daily News in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, dated December 31, 1936 (note: this date appears to be an error in the OCR, likely intended to be 1986 or later given the context of other articles), describes a sighting by radio personality Athniel "Addie" Ottley and others. They reported a strange, stationary, flashing light in the sky with red, green, and white lights. The object was described as "weird, weird-looking" and larger than a star. Despite attempts to identify it as a plane or helicopter, its stationary nature led to further investigation. The FAA reported seeing a star in the general area but stated it would not show up on radar. The object was not detected by radar in Puerto Rico either.

Pilot Reports UFO Sighting For Second Time

This Associated Press report from January 13, 1987, details a second sighting by Japan Air Lines pilot Kenjyu Terauchi. On Sunday morning, while flying from London to Anchorage, Terauchi and his co-pilot reported seeing "irregular lights" resembling a spaceship. The FAA suggested this could be explained by light reflecting off ice crystals in an inversion layer. Terauchi had previously reported a similar encounter on November 17, 1986, when his cargo jet was shadowed by a large, unidentified flying object over Alaska. The November sighting involved two bright lights and an object as wide as two aircraft carriers, which followed the plane for over 300 miles and appeared on the plane's weather radar. The FAA stated that while the Sunday sighting might be explained by atmospheric conditions, the November sighting could not be explained by the same theory, and both cases were under investigation.

New Book Lists All There is to Know About UFOs

This article by Bernard Schoenburg discusses George Eberhart, an editor for an American Library Association magazine who volunteers as librarian for the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies. Eberhart has compiled a massive bibliography, "UFOs and the Extraterrestrial Contact Movement: A Bibliography," containing over 15,600 books and reports on UFOs. He believes there is a phenomenon that behaves at odds with reality, and his work is important for providing evidence of extraterrestrial life and understanding the impact of UFOs on humanity. The bibliography includes a wide range of material, from serious studies to more far-fetched theories, such as one about Nazis escaping to the South Pole and operating flying saucers. It lists books in various languages, magazines, and even a record album. The bibliography also covers topics like UFO abductions, animal mutilations, and historical UFO reports dating back to the Roman Empire. Eberhart notes a decline in reported sightings from 1981 until about a year prior to the article, with a resurgence occurring. He also comments on how new technology, like stealth planes, makes it harder to distinguish genuine UFO reports from conventional aircraft.

Quest - The Journal of UFO Investigation

This section provides information about "Quest," a British UFO publication produced by the Yorkshire UFO Society. Quest aims to provide evidence to negate claims that UFOs are merely misidentifications of natural phenomena or psychological manifestations. It highlights the acquisition of hard evidence, including physical traces and government documents, suggesting UFOs are a subject deserving scientific investigation. The publication questions official government responses and provides data for readers to interpret. The editor, Graham William Birdsall, has over eighteen years of UFO research experience. Quest is described as the biggest selling British UFO publication in America and is distributed in twenty-eight countries. Each issue is fifty pages and contains news and information, with "UFO Update" focusing on the British experience. The journal features photographs, maps, and diagrams. It notes that American researchers have provided clues to the true origin of the UFO phenomenon and that the Freedom of Information Act allows investigators to obtain documents from secret bodies like the CIA and NSA. Quest asserts that UFOs are real and that YUFOS investigations are considered the best in the U.K. Subscription terms are provided for Quest magazine, which is available by subscription only, with six bi-monthly copies issued.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes the reality of the UFO phenomenon and the importance of scientific investigation. There is a strong emphasis on public education through library displays and symposiums. The editorial stance is one of open inquiry, encouraging readers to consider evidence and form their own conclusions, while also presenting a conviction that UFOs are a physical phenomenon. The publication actively seeks and disseminates information from various sources, including government documents and research files, and highlights the work of key researchers in the field.