Notizie UFO - No 32

Magazine Overview

Title: NOTIZIE UFO
Issue: 32
Date: November 1990
Publisher: Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (C.I.S.U.)
Country: Italy
Language: Italian

This issue of "Notizie UFO" serves as an informative circular from the Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU), providing updates on the organization's activities, recent case reports, and news from the ufological community.

Dalla Segreteria (From the Secretariat)

Materiale Ricevuto (Received Material)

The secretariat reports on investigation files received in July, August, and September. These include:

• Giorgio Pattera (PR): Reported a peculiar case in Medesano (PR) where an "entity" observed by two children turned out to be a scarecrow. He also reported a more serious case of a "daytime disc" sighted in Parma on December 18, 1988.
• Paolo Fiorino (Torino): Investigated alleged anomalous traces found in Copparo, Tamara (FE) during the previous summer.
• Riccardo Ciabattoni (Castel di Lama): Submitted a testimony about observing a luminous object in the night sky in Castel di Lama (AP) during July or August.
• Siro Menicucci (Prato - FI): A long-time ufologist, reported an old case of a low-altitude light observed in Poggiorro (GR) in September 1975.

The secretariat also thanks numerous collaborators for sending in clippings, information, and various materials to the Central Archives, including Fabio Anzelini, Roberto Balbi, Mauro Barducco, Leo Cattagni, Guido Tanen, Guido Carione, Matteo Chinellato, Fulvio Colombo, Umberto Cordier, Marcello Crino', Giampiero Donati, Bruno Ferrari, Giorgio Ferrari, Angelo Ferlicca, Edio Gada-Barenco, Stefano Innocenti, Giorgio Ippolito, Vera Kupfer, Bruno Mancusi, Emiliano Molino, Raffaella Nattero, Ermenegildo Persone, Marcello Pupilli, Antonio Rampulla, Luigi Rummolo, Giorgio Russolillo, Nico Sgarlato, Michele Sisti, and Paolo Toselli. Special thanks are given to Alessandro Cortellazzi, Renzo Cabassi, Paolo Fiorino, and Giuseppe Stilo for their continuous supply of material for specific documentation dossiers.

In Breve (In Brief)

• New CISU Fax Number: As of October 1st, CISU has a new fax number: 011 - 54.50.33, provided by Edoardo Russo, which operates automatically from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM.
• New Telephone Secretary: Antonio Cuccu has installed a telephone secretary at his usual number, 079 - 31.91.61. This initiative aims to provide a reference point for potential witnesses and will be advertised locally.

Notizie C.I.S.U. (CISU News)

Assemblea (Assembly)

The ordinary assembly of CISU members was held in Bologna on October 14th. The 1989 financial statement was approved, and the current situation of CISU was reviewed, showing a positive economic and financial status, as well as a healthy membership campaign. The new board of directors was elected, consisting of Alessandro Cortellazzi, Roberto Farabone, Angelo Ferlicca, Gian Paolo Grassino, and Paolo Toselli. Several proposals concerning publications, public information, work projects, the Book Service, and the 1991 membership campaign were discussed. Renato Fedele was tasked with forming and coordinating a commission of members with technical-scientific backgrounds or professions, as well as external consultants, to address potential areas of relevance for ufological study. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Renato Fedele.

Pubblicazioni (Publications)

• Issue number 9 of the magazine "UFO" is in print, featuring an extensive article on the wave of sightings in Belgium, considerations on the press and UFOs, an update on the abduction phenomenon, a critique of the ISPES report on "ufological sects," and an examination of the potential ufological relevance of the "invisible aircraft" Stealth. The cover art is by subscriber Giorgio Giorgi.
• Issues 7 and 8 of "Rassegna Casistica" are also in print. The "Notiziario Archivio Stampa" has largely caught up, with issues 50, 51, 52, and 53 already sent to all subscribers and supporting members.

Attività (Activities)

Cataloghi di Casistica (Case Catalogs)

A new provincial archive has been established in Rieti, initiated by Fabio Anzellini. Stefano Innocenti (Rome) has completed the first list of 345 cases for the Abruzzo-Molise regional catalog. Innocenti has also compiled a catalog of 162 Italian cases involving "electromagnetic effects" of UFOs, which will be published as a monograph in the "Documenti UFO" series.

Rete Computerizzata (Computerized Network)

Several initiatives have been launched:

• Marco Bottani (Pescia) is transferring the Tuscan regional catalog to Hyperstudio on Apple IIgs, a multimedia software that allows for the storage of full case documentation texts, photos, and drawings.
• Within the "Solaris" group, Giovanni Ascione and Pasquale Russo (Napoli) have advanced the development of S.I.U. (Sistema Informativo Ufologico), a system that will eventually comprise around 200 programs for MS-DOS, managing approximately fifty archives across various sections (documents, codifications, management, etc.). A 11-page presentation can be requested from the Regional Coordinator for Campania, Giorgio Russolillo.
• Maurizio Verga (Cermenate) has started a project to archive all UFO photos taken in Italy using a high-resolution scanner for magnetic storage and analysis. He is seeking first-generation copies or negatives of any UFO photographs.

Bibliografia Ufologica (Ufological Bibliography)

Marcello Pupilli (Falconara Marittima AN) is finalizing the revision of his monumental Italian ufological bibliography, originally published in 1989. He has cataloged an additional 200 Italian books and references related to ufology. Pupilli requests subscribers to check encyclopedias and dictionaries for entries on "UFO" and "flying saucer" and to provide photocopies of relevant pages, including bibliographic details. He also welcomes other book references.

Bollettini Regionali (Regional Bulletins)

To facilitate coordination and information dissemination on a regional level, some CISU Regional Coordinators publish bulletins or newsletters. While some have been suspended due to low response, others continue their function. The latest is "Puntidivista" from Rome, with its first issue in October 1990, curated by Stefano Innocenti and Claudio Zacchia, aiming to stimulate activity in the Lazio ufological community.

Interviste e Divulgazione (Interviews and Public Information)

Several CISU members have been featured in interviews and articles in various newspapers:

• Edoardo Russo (Press Officer) was interviewed by "Tempo Donna" (August 6), "Esperienza" (June), and "La Stampa" (September 19).
• Antonio Cuccu's activities were featured in "La Nuova Sardegna" (June 17).
• Paolo Toselli was interviewed by "Il Piccolo" of Alessandria (July 7).
• Alberto Loiacono had a letter published in "Il Piccolo" of Trieste (August 15).
• A letter by Cuccu on sightings in Belgium was published in "Visto" (August 16).

CISU contact details were publicized in "Tutto" and "Martin Mystere" (August), leading to an increase in reports and information requests. Giorgio Russolillo (Naples) has begun a ufological column in the bimonthly "Astronautica."

Astronomer Mario Rigutti, in an article in "Il Mattino" of Naples (September 5) about "crop circles," favorably cited "Notizie UFO," describing its contributors as ufologists who avoid "fantastic speculations" and focus on the "uncontrollable possible."

Le "Voci" (The "Voices")

Although not strictly ufological, the establishment of a Center for the Collection of "Voci" and Contemporary Legends is reported. This phenomenon involves the uncontrolled spread of false news and information, sometimes bordering on the Fortean (e.g., phantom hitchhikers) or dealing with topics like "LSD stickers," impending natural disasters, viper repopulation, and lists of carcinogenic colorants. These themes share parallels with the circulation of information in ufology, as illustrated by Giuseppe Stilo's articles in "Il Giornale dei Misteri." Stilo and other CISU members are founders of this new association, with Paolo Toselli as secretary and journalist Teresa Carbone as president. Anyone with information on such "voices" is invited to contact Ce.Ra.Vo.L.C. in Alessandria.

Informazioni (Information)

Avvistamenti Recenti (Recent Sightings)

• June 9: A farmer in Capaccio (SA) observed seven lights moving in formation at slow speed with a blue trail.
• July 14: White lights with rapid evolutions were observed from Alessandria. Paolo Toselli confirmed the phenomenon as reflections on clouds from projectors.
• July 21 & 24: Two sightings in San Pietro di Castello (VE) involved an object with multicolored lights and an oval object with a dome, respectively. These are considered part of a larger series of third-type encounters being investigated by Paolo Fiorino.
• Late July or late August: A young man in Castel di Lama (AP) saw an intense light perform zig-zag movements.
• August 15 (late evening): Numerous reports from Rome and surrounding areas described white lights rotating, merging, and dividing, attributed to projectors from a water park.
• August 24 (evening): Three amateur astronomers in Ferentino (FR) observed a strong light that moved towards them, appearing as a triangular object with bright white lights.
• Mid-September: Two students in Peschiera Borromeo (MI) reported seeing a cigar-shaped object with three luminous points moving quickly.

Foto di "UFO"? (Photos of "UFO"?)

On July 14th in Genoa, a photographer from Quarto reported an urge to go to his terrace. After a few minutes, he saw a metallic dome-shaped object that stopped, allowing him to take three slides. Twelve days later, at 4 AM on July 26th, he again felt compelled to go outside and photographed a luminous oval object. The story was published in a Genoese newspaper on August 7th. Our colleague Roberto Balbi investigated, but was unable to obtain copies of the images, which the photographer reportedly tried to "place" with a magazine.

Tre Casi di Tracce (Three Cases of Traces)

• July 30: In Gherba, Ferrere (AT), residents observed four white lights performing rapid evolutions. The next day, three circular traces, about six meters in diameter, were found in the field below, with the grass appearing "burnt" (yellowed). Investigations by Riccardo De Flora, Fabrizio Dividi, Paolo Fiorino, and Gian Paolo Grassino suggest the lights were from a mobile disco, and the traces are typical "fairy rings."
• August 26: A large beam of light reportedly hit pear trees in a restaurant courtyard in Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN) around 10:30 PM. The following morning, one of the trees, already laden with fruit, had re-bloomed with new shoots.
• Late August: In Tamara (FE), a rectangular patch was found where beet leaves were drier. The U.S.A.C. group of Ferrara suggests this might be due to a former manure deposit on the site.

Ministero Difesa: Aggiornamento Casistica (Ministry of Defense: Case Update)

The Ministry of Defense provided the fourth update fascicle on UFO case statistics, covering January 1989 to June 1990. The Italian Air Force's II Reparto dello Stato Maggiore Aeronautica lists only 13 reported sightings during this 18-month period: two from civilian pilots, ten from private citizens (reported via Carabinieri or local Air Force Command), and one from military personnel. Interested parties can request a photocopy of the 12-page fascicle for 2,500 Lire.

Esobiologia Non-Ufologica (Non-Ufological Exobiology)

A well-attended exobiology conference was held in Montecorvino Rovella (SA) on July 21-22, organized by the local astronomical observatory. The event featured speakers from Italy, France, and the United States, including astronomers Paolo Maffei, Cesare Barbieri, and Ezio Bussoletti, and journalists Piero Bianucci and Corrado Lamberti. Despite some newspapers sensationalizing the event as a "UFO conference," the topic of UFOs was not directly addressed. The conference focused on the possibility of extraterrestrial life, a subject often mistakenly linked to ufology. A CISU delegation attended to maintain contact with speakers for potential consultation and information exchange.

Libri (Books)

Several books with tangential relevance to ufology are noted:

• "Magia ed esoterismo in Italia" by Cecilia Gatto-Trocchi (Mondadori) references UFO-religious groups and ufological study associations.
• "Il cappello del mago" by Massimo Introvigne (Sugarco) is a more culturally significant work that distinguishes between ufological groups and pseudo-religious extraterrestrial sects.
• Whitley Strieber's "Transformation" (translated as "Contatto con l'infinito - Il mistero delle Entità Biologiche Extraterrestri" by Rizzoli) is the sequel to "Communion." The review criticizes Rizzoli as the most active yet worst ufological publisher in Italy.
• "SETI - La ricerca della vita intelligente nell'universo" by Edward A. Shpole (GEO) is primarily about exobiology but includes a negative chapter on UFOs.
• The "ISPES" investigation into religious sects in Italy has been published as a book.

Estero (Abroad)

Gulf Breeze: La Fine di un Bluff? (Gulf Breeze: The End of a Bluff?)

Developments continue in the multi-photographic Gulf Breeze sighting case, which began in November 1987. Sightings are still being reported by Ed Walters and other residents. A book by Ed and Frances Walters, "The Gulf Breeze Sightings: the Most Astounding Multiple Sightings of UFOs in U.S. History," was published, featuring color reproductions of the photos authenticated by optical physicist and ufologist Bruce Maccabee. The book quickly became a bestseller, with the publisher Morrow paying the Walters a substantial advance.

However, the case faces significant challenges. The J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies published a study suggesting Ed Walters' "ghost" photos were intentional double exposures, a technique similar to what some suspect he used for his UFO photos. More damagingly, a journalist from the Pensacola News Journal, Craig Myers, investigated and discovered the new tenant of the Walters' former home found a model of a "flying saucer" (22 cm diameter) hidden in the attic, containing handwritten notes matching the UFO in some of Ed's photos. Walters and MUFON initially claimed it was a conspiracy. Subsequently, a former schoolmate of Walters' son came forward, claiming he helped Ed Walters create some of the false UFO photos in 1987 using the model, a black plastic tube, a flashlight, and a flash. The boy's father, a lawyer and town councilor, confirmed the story and stated he prevented his son from being involved in what he believed was a scam. The boy provided police with photos (identical to others) and explained the double exposure technique. Journalists reportedly replicated Walters' photos using this method. Ed Walters dismissed the accusations as religiously motivated, a claim denied by the boy's father, whose credibility was supported by the mayor and police chief. Further investigation revealed Ed Walters' prior criminal record (for fraud and car theft), leading MUFON to announce it would "reopen investigations" into what it had previously hailed as the most sensational case of modern ufology.

URSS: Ancora Voronezh (USSR: Voronezh Again)

The "Voronezh Committee for the Investigation of Anomalous Phenomena" is preparing to publish its awaited report on the investigations of sightings in the city in late 1989. Yuri Lozotsev, a committee member, stated that UFO activity in the area continues, and the reported landings (at least five) in the previous autumn were authentic.

Francia: UFO e Aerei (France: UFO and Aircraft)

• August 31: An Air France Airbus flying between Roissy and Nice encountered a multicolored object at approximately 30,000 feet near Montelimar. The radar did not confirm the sighting.
• September 1: A Boeing airliner flying from Strasbourg to Algiers observed a UFO for about 3 minutes over the "Punto Balena" area, at an altitude of about 11,000 feet. The object was moving at extremely high speed, estimated at 60 miles per minute (6,700 km/h). No radar contact was made.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently reports on UFO sightings and investigations, emphasizing the importance of rigorous documentation and analysis. There's a clear stance against sensationalism and unsubstantiated claims, as seen in the critical examination of the Gulf Breeze case and the praise for ufologists who avoid "fantastic speculations." The publication also highlights the organizational efforts of CISU, including its regional networks, publications, and the growing use of technology for case management. The issue also touches upon related topics like exobiology and the study of urban legends, indicating a broad interest in anomalous phenomena while maintaining a focus on ufology. The editorial stance appears to be one of cautious investigation, seeking credible evidence and promoting scientific understanding within the field of ufology.