Stockholms UFO-Nytt - 2005 No 3

Magazine Overview

Title: STOCKHOLMS UFO-NYTT
Issue: 3/2005
Date: 2005
Publisher: Stockholms UFO-förening
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish

This issue of Stockholms UFO-Nytt, the information bulletin for the Stockholm UFO Association (STUFO), covers the end of 2005 and looks forward to 2006. The cover features a "Gott Nytt År" (Happy New Year) banner and a collage of photos from a recent event. The issue includes updates on the association's activities, UFO investigations, and a press clipping about a sighting.

Stockholms UFO-förening byter inriktning (Stockholm UFO Association Changes Direction)

This article details a significant strategic shift for the Stockholm UFO Association. After years of operation, the association is undergoing a renewal. The primary change involves a planned merger with the "Stockholms undersökningsgrupp" (Stockholm Investigation Group), which will result in the combined entity being known as "Stockholms UFO-förenings undersökningsgrupp. STUFU." This decision is set to be formally made at the association's annual meeting in February 2006.

The rationale behind this change is that many local UFO organizations have transitioned to solely being investigation groups. The association aims to concentrate its efforts on investigating UFO reports from the Stockholm region, rather than holding general meetings and lectures. The focus will be on UFO case investigations, as this is what observers and the media demand. The association will continue to publish an information bulletin, though the frequency is not yet determined.

Membership numbers will be unified with UFO-Sverige, and membership cards will be issued by UFO-Sverige's membership manager. The annual meeting for 2006 will take place before the end of February, with further details to follow. The article expresses hope that this change will lead to a more hopeful and robust future for the association.

Andreas Ohlsson, who has been involved with the association since 1990 in various roles, is positive about taking over the chairmanship after the merger.

Lyckad årsavslutning (Successful Year-End Celebration)

This section reports on the Stockholm UFO Association's year-end celebration, which was attended by 33 people despite poor weather. The event included a presentation by Clas Svahn, chairman of UFO-Sverige, who showed digital images of "strange figures" and explained that they were likely small flying insects, not UFOs. The attendees enjoyed food, including meatballs, Christmas ham, and small sausages. Monika, Inga-Lill Wallin's daughter, baked a flying saucer-shaped gingerbread cookie. The evening concluded with a lottery, and participants looked forward to the next meeting. Photos from the event are expected to be posted on www.ufo.se/stufo.

UFO-Sveriges planeringskonferens (UFO-Sweden Planning Conference)

The UFO-Sweden planning conference was held on November 19-20 in Blekinge, with about fifteen participants. Key topics discussed included future strategies for both local and national organizations. Per-Åke Ejermark presented his ambition to become the central contact for UFO-Sweden's international relations, aiming to coordinate and expand the network of foreign ufologists and organizations, primarily through the internet.

The conference also aimed to increase the visibility of the UFO-Sweden Archive and UFO-Sweden internationally, as well as to enhance the exchange of journals with other UFO organizations. Mikael Sjöberg, UFO-Sweden's webmaster, discussed website updates designed to improve report handling. A common login page for field investigators and the report center is planned, which will streamline the reporting process and provide greater insight into case investigations.

During the conference, two individuals shared accounts of strange light phenomena observed near Ronneby. Ingvar Andersson reported seeing a strong light in the forest near Stensjön in February 1999, which disappeared as quickly as it appeared and remains unidentified. The event was considered successful, largely due to the arrangements made by Richard Svensson, UFO-Sweden's cartoonist, and his mother, Gerd.

Ufot i Carbondale (UFOs in Carbondale)

This is the third part of a report by ufologist Matt Graeber investigating an incident in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, on November 9, 1974, which has been compared to the Kecksburg incident. The report examines witness accounts and the subsequent media frenzy.

Graeber initially dismissed the accounts as hearsay but later came to value Ms. Schmitt's efforts in documenting the rapid spread of rumors and sensationalism surrounding the event. A seemingly mundane incident at a lake was transformed into American folklore.

Witnesses, including 19-year-old Bill Brady and Peggy Mendez, reported seeing a strange flying object near a lake. Police had cordoned off the main road, but Brady found an alternative route. They observed a round object, about half a meter wide and a meter high, floating on the water, emitting a blue light and humming like a generator. Several individuals, not in uniform, were present. After being asked to leave, Brady and Mendez returned later and observed the object until the cold drove them away.

Further accounts suggest the object was part of a Russian rocket, or that it was transported away by a truck or armored vehicle. Another story claimed a lantern was thrown into the water to distract attention. Ms. Schmitt investigated whether the object had submerged, but the lake was not drained.

Detective Inspector Francis "Mitch" Dottle was involved in the retrieval of the object. Despite the chaos and stress, Dottle's actions are portrayed as professional and calm. The retrieved object was identified as a train lantern manufactured by Conger Lantern & Co. The incident was later revealed to be a prank by three boys, including Bobby Gilette, who admitted to throwing the lantern into the lake as a joke in 1998. This confession was largely ignored by ufologists who preferred to believe in a more significant event.

Graeber conducted an experiment with a flashlight and water to simulate the visual effects of light refraction and diffusion, suggesting how the lantern's light might have appeared. He also theorizes that the pulsing and flickering of the light could have been caused by aquatic life, such as fish and insects, passing in front of it. The lantern itself had a black rubber handle and showed signs of battery leakage and rust on its contacts.

The article criticizes some ufologists, like Ron Hannivig, for their insistence on a UFO explanation despite evidence to the contrary, labeling them as "dysfunctional."

NICAP

This section briefly mentions Mike Mery, a 20-year-old student from NICAP (The National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena), who approached Detective Inspector Dottle. Mery's inquiry about the incident was met with skepticism by Dottle, who initially dismissed it as a mere flashlight. The article notes Dottle's frustration with UFO experts and the media circus surrounding the event. It also highlights Dottle's past compassionate actions, such as his handling of a child abuse case.

The article contrasts the public perception of Dottle as an antagonist in UFO literature with his actual professional and fair conduct during the Carbondale incident, emphasizing that his actions prevented further harm.

Väder-krysset (Weather Crossword)

This page presents the solution to a UFO-themed crossword puzzle from a previous issue (nr 2 2005). It also includes a quote: "Vår tids tjuvar finns inte i skogarna, utan på kontoren." (Our time's thieves are not in the forests, but in the offices.)

Pressklipp (Press Clipping)

This section includes a press clipping from Expressen.se, dated November 11, 2005, titled "'Oidentifierat objekt' flög över Bohuslän" ('Unidentified object' flew over Bohuslän).

The article reports on a sighting by Kjell Lundgren near Killingholmen in Strömstad. Lundgren observed and photographed a silent, silver-colored, cylindrical object with a dark band around its front. He described it as moving about a hundred meters above the ground, without wings or an exhaust trail, and behaving as if pulled by a wire. He estimated its length to be between 20 and 40 meters and its diameter to be five meters. Checks with military authorities and civil aviation yielded no explanation. The object's movement was described as completely silent.

Clas Svahns blogg (Clas Svahn's Blog)

This is a blog post by Clas Svahn, dated December 6, 2005, recounting his attendance at the Stockholm UFO Association's year-end party. He describes the event as enjoyable, with Christmas food and a lottery. He mentions giving a presentation on digital UFO images and some cases that UFO-Sweden has not yet solved. He also notes interactions with other attendees, including Kerstin, Lennart (who offered 1970s US UFO magazines), Agneta (who promised to write for UFO-Aktuellt), Gunilla (who survived a serious traffic accident), Tony, Eva, John (with a peculiar photo), Bruno, Stefan, Mattias (for a future meeting), and Anders (a field investigator). He also mentions gifting a VHS film titled "UFO - The Unsolved Mystery" to Björn and acknowledges the presence of Sven, an 82-year-old member, along with his wife Anneli, Lillemor, Berndt, and other attendees.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue revolve around the operational changes and future direction of UFO organizations, particularly the Stockholm UFO Association and UFO-Sweden. There's a strong emphasis on the importance of rigorous investigation and documentation of UFO phenomena, as exemplified by the detailed analysis of the Carbondale incident. The magazine also highlights recent sightings and conferences, aiming to keep its members informed. The editorial stance appears to be one of promoting serious investigation while debunking sensationalism and misinformation, as seen in the Carbondale case analysis and the Strömstad sighting report. The inclusion of a press clipping from a mainstream newspaper suggests an effort to bridge the gap between ufology and broader public awareness.