MUFON Massachusetts - Newsletter - 42 - 1987 05

Magazine Overview

This is the May 1987 issue of the MUFON (Mutual UFO Network) Newsletter, specifically the Massachusetts chapter, identified as Issue #42. The editor and State Director is James Melesciuc. The newsletter covers a range of topics related to UFO phenomena, including media coverage, personal accounts, research updates, and discussions on the nature of evidence and public perception.

UFO Programs

The newsletter reports on upcoming media segments concerning UFOs. '60 Minutes' was rumored to be airing a segment on the phenomenon, potentially focusing on a government cover-up. '20/20' was also scheduled to air a program on May 14. The newsletter notes that 'People Are Talking' on WBZ-TV had contacted them regarding a segment on government involvement, tentatively scheduled for May 14.

Video Available

A segment titled 'The E.T. Hypothesis' from the 'Man Alive' show, featuring Budd Hopkins as a guest, aired on April 1, 1987. Copies of this video could be obtained from CBC Enterprises Department in Toronto, Ontario, for $29.95.

Pens Donated

Joe Santangelo, the Eastern regional director, donated over 100 red, blue, and white pens with the Mass. MUFON P.O. Box number and hotline number. These pens were intended as a form of advertisement.

Radio-TV Log

Budd Hopkins was featured on WBCN-radio on April 26 and on the 'Good Day' show on WCVB-TV on April 27. Whitley Streiber appeared on Lifetime network on May 1. P.M. Magazine also carried a UFO segment on Gary Kinder's 'Light Years' on WBZ-TV on May 1.

UFO Reports

A call was received from Andy D., a reporter for the Stanford Advocate, inquiring about a sighting on April 19 in Norwalk, CT. Approximately eight witnesses, including a police officer, reported an egg-shaped object with blue and green lights on the outside and red and orange lights inside. The sighting lasted one hour, and the object shot up and away.

Next Meeting Date

The next MUFON meeting was scheduled for July 25th, due to the July 4th holiday and the editor's vacation.

Articles Invited

The editor invited MUFON members and readers to submit written articles, newsclippings, and reports. Special thanks were given to Steve Firmani, Rick Giordano, Jules Vallaincourt, Marge Christensen, and Barry Greenwood for their contributions to the newsletter.

Classifieds

There was a search for a hardcover copy of 'UFO Controversy in America' by Dr. David Jacobs. Information could be relayed to (617) 944-0686.

The UFO Intelligence Summary

This monthly publication provided updates on UFO activity in the United States for the previous 18 months, including a simple code sheet. The annual subscription rate was $6.00, and it could be ordered from UFO Filter Center in Mt. Vernon, IN.

Time-Life UFO Segment Underway

Several MUFON members, including Barry Greenwood and Dr. Richard Haines, were contacted by a representative of Time-Life for an article being written for their series on the UFO subject. Paul Cerny, MUFON's Western Regional Director, was also contacted for materials.

Symposium Update

The upcoming International Symposium on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena was scheduled to be held at American University in Washington, D.C., on June 26-28. Registrations were being received steadily, with anticipated large attendance. Speakers were expected from Australia, England, Sweden, Canada, Zimbabwe, India, Spain, France, Argentina, Italy, and Japan, among others. Featured speakers would present papers on various aspects of the UFO subject, including U.S. government involvement and research into abduction cases.

Time Capsule

This section provided historical context for UFO events:

• Five years ago (1982): The movie 'E.T.' was released. A rumor about Gen. Westmoreland being 'whisked away' by aliens prompted bulletins in the N.Y. Times, Boston Globe, and Boston Herald.
• Ten years ago (January 1977): A report on a survey of the American Astronomical Society membership concerning the UFO problem by Peter Sturrock indicated that 1,356 respondents reported 62 UFO observations, with 53 percent favoring more scientific study.
• Thirteen years ago: Following the late 1973 sighting wave, new UFO books were published, including 'Beyond Earth: Man's Contact with UFOs' by Ralph and Judy Blum, and 'UFOs, Past, Present and Future' by Robert Emenegger.
• Twenty years ago (November 1967): The Russian UFO Commission, with a 200-member observer network, was announced, headed by Major General Anatoly Stolyerov.
• Thirty years ago (November 15, 1957): After publicized UFO sightings, the USAF issued a news release debunking cases. NICAP noted that the time factor cast doubt on the thoroughness of investigation and validity of explanations.

Books Cont'd

• 'UFOs: Interplanetary Visitors' by Raymond Fowler.
• 'The Utah UFO Display' by Frank Salisbury.
• '1973-Year of the Humanoids' by David Webb.

Jumping on the Media Bandwagon

This article by James Melesciuc discussed how hoaxes have been used to create excitement around UFO sightings since the Kenneth Arnold sighting in 1947. It detailed two specific hoaxes:

1. Westgate, Iowa (April 1971): High school students created a fake UFO landing site by burning a circular area in a field and adding depressions. They notified a local radio program, leading to nationwide publicity and demonstrating how easily the media could mislead the public. Five hundred people visited the site.
2. Alec Birch Photo (February 1962): A fourteen-year-old boy took a photograph of what he claimed were five UFOs. The photo was published in UFO publications for over ten years. In June 1973, Birch confessed he had painted the flying saucers onto a window pane himself. He expressed difficulty in admitting the hoax once it gained traction.

The Paul Knight Photo

Another infamous hoax discussed was the Paul Knight photo from April 1976 in St. Catherines, Ontario. Canadian investigators initially released the photo to magazines. A year later, Knight admitted on a radio talk show that he had faked the photograph using a Volkswagen hubcap. However, some ufologists still considered it genuine because Knight could not definitively prove it a hoax.

UFO Investigators' Role

The article emphasized that UFO investigators are not professionally paid and rely on experience. They must be skilled at separating signal from noise and be aware of potential pranksters, fanatics, and debunkers. Photographs were described as the weakest type of independent evidence due to their susceptibility to hoaxes.

Uncle Confesses To UFO Prank

A news clipping from the Worcester Telegram/Gazette reported that David Olson confessed to rigging a UFO landing site in a cornfield in Lake City, Minnesota, as a practical joke in 1979. He used a butane torch and a posthole tamper. His nephew, Curtis Olson, expressed disbelief, citing expert conclusions that the event involved significant force.

Gallup Poll

A Gallup poll from March 12, 1987, indicated that 50% of American adults believed there were people living on other planets, and 49% thought UFOs were real. Belief was higher among those with college education and in Western states. Men were more likely than women to believe in extraterrestrial life.

Jeanne Sicard's Encounter

This article detailed Jeanne Sicard's experience in Barton, Vermont, on February 19, 1987, where she and her daughter Laurel reported seeing a low, slanting ball of light. Sicard found a brownish mass in the snow, which she believed to be a meteorite. After initial confirmation from the Fairbanks Museum, further investigation by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory concluded it was ordinary sand and gravel. The article highlighted Sicard's frustration with inaccurate media reports and the dismissive attitude of some experts, leading her to wish the event had never happened.

Alaska UFO Sparks Hunt in Space

This article discussed the paradox within the scientific community: skepticism towards UFO sightings versus support for projects like SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Reports of a large flying saucer over Alaska in November 1986, allegedly detected by Japan Air Lines pilot Kenji Terauchi and FAA radar, were largely dismissed by space experts. Despite skepticism, NASA was expanding its SETI efforts with new technology to scan millions of frequencies and probe nearby stars. The article also touched upon the philosophical implications of finding extraterrestrial life and the warnings from some scientists about the potential risks of revealing Earth's existence.

Cautionary Note About Intruder

A note from Howard Kaminsky, Publisher at Random House, addressed the book 'INTRUDERS' by Budd Hopkins. Kaminsky initially had reservations about publishing what he perceived as a 'kook-book' but was compelled by the manuscript's objective presentation of medical, physical, and psychiatric evidence. He acknowledged that the events described would strain credulity but stated that the book made even the skeptical consider the possibility of extraterrestrial visitations.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently highlights the challenges of investigating UFO phenomena, particularly the prevalence of hoaxes and the often sensationalized or misleading coverage by the media. There's an emphasis on the need for careful, critical investigation and a recognition of the difficulties in separating genuine evidence from fabricated accounts. The publication also reflects a public interest in UFOs and extraterrestrial life, as evidenced by media segments and Gallup polls, while simultaneously presenting scientific skepticism and the ongoing efforts of organizations like MUFON and NASA's SETI program. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry, encouraging the submission of reports and articles, while also cautioning against jumping to conclusions and acknowledging the complexities of the subject matter.