New England UFO Newsletter - No 04 - Vol 01 No 04 - 1977 04

Magazine Overview

This document is the April 1977 issue of the 'new england UFO study group NEWSLETTER', Volume I, No. 4. It was founded in 1959 and focuses on reporting and investigating UFO sightings in the New England region.

Recent Sightings

The newsletter prominently features a section on 'RECENT SIGHTINGS' with detailed accounts from various locations.

Chelmsford, Mass. Sighting

On October 11, 1976, two witnesses from New Hampshire traveling north on Rt. 3 in Chelmsford reported seeing a UFO. The object appeared to move away, then return, turning off its lights for approximately 15 seconds before reappearing. Many other people stopped to observe it, and police reportedly received 'a couple hundred reports.' A description of the craft, labeled 'FIGURE II,' details a portion above line A and below line B, with a continuous row of windows encircling the craft. The inside showed a steady white light, and the rotation of the window posts gave a flickering appearance at a fairly slow RPM.

Phillipston, Mass. Sighting

On December 18, 1976, a mysterious 'fireball' lit up a swampy, wooded area near Phillipston, Massachusetts. Fire Chief Gordon Tallman and other firemen observed the object for over an hour. A helicopter search failed to find any sign of a fire. Some witnesses reported seeing a glow like the sun rising in the west. The object was described as an airplane or something that had gone down, but Federal Aviation Administration checks revealed no missing flights. State police received reports of a fireball on the ground shooting flames and embers. MUFUN investigator Jules Vaillancourt investigated, finding that subsequent reports of airplanes, stars, and the moon as UFOs in the area were likely due to heightened interest rather than an increase in actual UFO activity.

Norton, Mass. Sighting

On Friday, December 17, 1976, at approximately 3:15 P.M., a UFO sighting was reported on Dean Street in Norton. Witness #1, James T., reported seeing an object rising from a field across from his house. He described it as not being a regular object and estimated its height at 500 feet or more. He retrieved a Polaroid camera and took a picture as the object disappeared towards Attleboro. He described the object as metallic gray, estimated its size to be 200 to 300 feet in diameter, round, with no noise or lights. Witness #II, Dick ., reported his experience via CB radio, leading his wife to call the police.

Further Sightings and Investigations

The newsletter continues with more detailed accounts and mentions ongoing investigations.

Wrentham, Mass. Sighting

At a meeting, Joe Nyman and Ed Fogg presented their findings on a UFO sighting in Wrentham, Mass., which occurred in October 1976.

Norton, Mass. Sighting (Continued)

James T.'s account details his experience, including his initial lack of emotion before the sighting and nervousness afterward. He contacted WARA radio and Monitor East. The police and fire department searched the area without finding anything. The object was described as metallic gray, round, and approximately 200-300 feet in diameter, with no unusual features other than its movement. He lost sight of it briefly when taking the picture and saw it heading towards Attleboro upon looking back.

Dick .'s experience involved his wife calling the police. The newsletter notes that the two witnesses were not friends and had not known of each other's sighting until after the fact. The investigator, likely Dave Downe, described the photograph as 'not that impressive.' An attempt to search the swampy, wooded area where the object was thought to have risen was made with Ethel Rogere, but ice conditions and darkness prevented a thorough search.

Attleboro Area UFO Wave

An article from The Attleboro Sun reported on a 'mini UFO wave' with five articles published over three weeks. One article, 'IT WASN'T SANTA THIS TIME...', details a sighting by Mark Beauchaine and two friends on December 23, 1976. They described a disc-shaped object with circling white lights and a red light, pursued it towards Providence, and saw it again later. Another article, 'RECENT AREA UFO SIGHTINGS SEEN AS PART OF 'PEAK IN ACTIVITY'', included nine recent sightings, most of which were identified as planes, stars, or misinformation. A third article, 'AERIAL TRAFFIC SPURS UFO TALK', on December 31, 1976, explained that strange lights reported in the Attleboro area were due to circling aircraft from a traffic jam at Logan Airport.

Local UFO Sightings Have UFO Expert 'Flying'

This article discusses Mr. Dick St. Germain and his group, Monitor East. It mentions a new sighting on January 2, 1977, which Ethel Rogers provided a firsthand account of.

Speaking of UFOs...

This section critically examines the belief in UFOs, arguing that 'belief has nothing to do with it' as they simply exist as unidentified flying objects. It debunks the argument that unexplained phenomena must be alien spacecraft, likening it to a logical fallacy. The author uses historical examples, like the magnetic compass being considered devilish, to illustrate how current scientific understanding is often limited and can lead to misinterpretations of the unknown. The piece concludes that while strange objects are seen, they may be natural parts of our environment, and future generations might view current UFO theories similarly to medieval beliefs.

Sightings Reported at October Meeting

Several sightings from August, September, and October 1976 are listed:

• August 11, 1976: A UFO seen from Rt. 9 and Rt. 114 in New Hampshire, described as the size of 3 or 4 football fields with a strobe light.
• September 7, 1976: Ipswich Police saw an object that witnesses felt was a UFO.
• October 1976: Two people in Woburn watched a UFO through binoculars and a telescope, also seen by police.
• October 1976: Members of the study group saw a UFO in the Bellingham area over their parking lot.

Woodstock, Conn. Sighting

Reported in the Worcester Sunday Telegram on February 6th, this sighting involved Susan Nasiatka on November 10, 1976, who saw two perfectly round objects with four blinking lights, moving slowly. One object tilted, revealing a strip of windows. She was scared but later expressed a desire to see something like it again.

Other Sightings

• Attleboro, Mass. Sighting (December 19, 1976): Joe Nyman and Ed Fogg are investigating a report of an object the size of a 50g piece seen by two witnesses.
• Worcester, Mass. Sighting (December 22, 1976): A witness named Micale reported seeing a stream of lights, mostly white with red lights at the ends, moving fast over Worcester. He dismissed the suggestion it was a plane towing an advertisement.
• Marlboro, Mass. Sighting (January 4, 1977): Two silent UFOs, described as red, orange, and with white blinking lights, were sighted by two children and their mother.
• Wakefield, New Hampshire (January 9, 1977): A mysterious and reportedly radioactive object fell into a pond.
• Westwood (and other towns) Sighting (January 24, 1977): Stella Lansing and Amette Strappani saw an amber-colored UFO that appeared to turn inside out.
• Kingston, New Hampshire Sighting (February 3, 1977): An individual saw a maneuvering UFO through his windshield. Larry Rizzo of MUFON is investigating.
• West Springfield, Mass. Sighting (February 9, 1977): A woman saw a cigar-shaped UFO with a smaller satellite object hovering around it. The satellite object emitted a beam of light before both were withdrawn into the cigar-shaped object.
• Scituate, Mass. Sighting (February 9, 1977): Steve Putnam is gathering details on a sighting by a boy and his grandmother.
• Westboro, Mass. Sighting (February 26, 1977): A 15-year-old boy and his parents saw a triangular orange object that changed shape to circular before disappearing.
• Moultonboro, New Hampshire Sighting (March 1, 1977): A 'hall of fire' was reported, described as an object that changed colors, with lights suddenly going out. Others observed objects landing and taking off.
• Other Sightings (March 21, 1977): Diamond-shaped objects trailing blue streams were witnessed by airmen and sheriff's deputies in Southern California. These objects were described as glowing silver with a blue stream and did not show up on radar.

Monitor East also received information about recent sightings in Tiverton, R.I., and Fall River, Mass.

Mr. Brent Raynes, Our Speaker at April Meeting

Brent Raynes, born April 7, 1952, became interested in UFOs in 1967. He published a mimeographed newsletter called 'Sauceritie' from 1969 to 1972. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he spent time investigating eyewitness reports in various states, focusing on close-range UFO encounters and entity aspects.

Dear Members

Dave Downs, President, thanks members for reports and encourages them to send in news articles and book reports. He mentions upcoming newsletters featuring 'MORE FACTS ON THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE' by Andrew Galligan and a 'REPORT ON THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL CONFERENCE' by Joe Nyman. A taped interview with astronaut Gorden Cooper, who believes UFOs are real and is investigating a contactee case, is also planned.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently reports on UFO sightings, providing detailed witness testimonies and investigative efforts by the study group. There's a recurring theme of skepticism towards sensationalism, as seen in the 'Speaking of UFOs...' article, which advocates for a logical approach to understanding unidentified phenomena and cautions against premature conclusions about extraterrestrial visitation. The editorial stance appears to be one of open investigation and critical analysis, encouraging members to submit reports and participate in discussions.