UFO Newsclipping Service - 1978 04 - no 105

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Newsclipping Service, dated April 1978, with issue number 105, focuses heavily on a wave of UFO sightings in Onondaga County, New York, which the article dubs 'UFObia.' The main cover story, 'What's a cure for UFObia?' by Tim Carroll, details the experiences of Sgt. M.J. Tuohey of the Sheriff's Department, who was tasked with handling the influx of reports. The magazine also compiles numerous other UFO sightings from various locations across the United States, providing witness accounts, descriptions of the objects, and details of the encounters.

Onondaga County's 'UFObia'

Sgt. M.J. Tuohey, a 16-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department, found himself unexpectedly investigating UFO reports. The phenomenon began with the Dennis Kiteveles family in Baldwinsville reporting an oval-shaped object with red, blue, yellow, and green lights, coinciding with a brief power outage in the area. Hancock Field radar watchers also allegedly reported a mysterious blip. This sparked a wave of calls to the police, with approximately 50 reported sightings over two days.

Tuohey noted that the reported objects varied in shape, from traditional flying saucers to boat-shaped craft, rectangular ships, and cut-diamond-like objects. Some moved fast, others slowly, and one was reported to have made a "whooshing, suction" sound as it vanished. Tuohey mentioned that 90 percent of the sightings were concentrated in the Route 48, Sorrell Hill Road area near Baldwinsville. He approached the mania with an open mind, having served as a flight engineer in the Naval Air Force and retaining an interest in aviation.

Regarding the reliability of witnesses, Tuohey stated that while some spotters are "unreliable," most are married, sober, and have children, including a professor from SU who reported a sighting. Tuohey has been piecing together reports and photos, though he found "nothing concrete." He attempted to contact the Center for UFO Studies in Illinois for assistance. Tuohey also noted the government's disengagement from UFO studies, citing the Air Force's discontinuation of Operation Blue Book in 1969. He cautioned callers about the difficulty of judging height and distance at night and suggested that geese in Cross Lake might explain some radar blips, though he questioned if geese carry blinking lights. He also proposed weather balloons and distant airplanes, especially with their landing lights on, as possible explanations, noting that atmospheric conditions can alter the appearance of lights.

Other UFO Sightings Across the US

The issue features several other reports from different regions:

• Hughesville, USA: Tracy King reported seeing a "strange orange glow" and hearing "something like thunder" on January 13th. She initially thought her chimney was on fire but later considered the possibility of a crashed spacecraft.
• Kenton County, USA: A middle-aged couple, who requested anonymity, reported a "strange bright object" following the wife's car on January 21st. The object was orange-yellow and not perfectly round. A peculiar side-effect of the encounter was that their car's brakes almost completely failed, described as "practically welded together." The husband also reported temporary impotency for 10 days following the incident.
• Vineland, USA: Three separate sightings were reported in Vineland. Six local youths saw a triangular object with lights in each corner. Cheryl DeSanctis reported a red and white blinking light. Pat Martinelli saw a triangle with red and white lights. Police Chief Joseph Cassisi stated that all reports are checked out and that the department investigates possible explanations like airplanes with strobe lights.
• Pike County, USA: Six people, including a deputy sheriff, reported seeing an object with red and green flashing lights in the Goody neighborhood. Rudy Compton captured about 20 feet of movie film of the lights. Joe Slone, a former airplane mechanic, identified the lights as different from standard aircraft lights. The object was described as a large disc with lights, hovering and moving erratically.
• Livingston County, USA: Residents in Green Oak and Brighton Townships reported seeing a "huge" lighted oval object hovering over their homes. Tom Beauchamp, a former Air Force aircraft mechanic, provided diagrams and described the craft as "at least the size of three 747 jets" with a boomerang shape and intense lights. Evan Peelle described a huge oval craft with yellow-gold lights in a v-shape. Some reports suggested a smaller craft approached the larger one before it disappeared.
• Madison County, USA: Jake Sullivan reported seeing a blue triangular-shaped object glowing and changing colors. He described it as larger than a helicopter and moving downward. Another Madison County resident reported seeing a glowing gray object hanging over their house.
• Sparta, USA: Mr. and Mrs. Steve Patton reported seeing an unidentified flying object emitting a huge orange light visible for miles. The object remained in the area for about an hour and a half, with neighbors also witnessing it.
• Estill County, USA: Kentucky State Trooper Jim Whitaker reported seeing a very bright object shifting in colors of white, red, and green. He described it as triangular, silent, and without exhaust. Sally Durbin also reported a bright light that dimmed in stages. Whitaker believes UFO sightings are possible due to the number of reports.
• Waseca, USA: Janet Roeglin and her daughter saw an oblong object hovering near the airport, described as silver, oblong, with a red-orange light from its tail and a light on the front. It moved east at an angle and hovered before disappearing quickly.
• Yuba City, USA: Two unidentified flying objects were seen, one described as black with three red lights, triangular in body, and the other shaped like a balloon. The second object emitted smoke.
• Placer Area, USA: Brian Metcalfe, an FAA air traffic controller, reported seeing two bright lights, possibly over Foresthill, described as "delta shaped" with no noise. Another air traffic controller and Terry Carr-Hall also reported sightings. Ted Smith, Chief Placer County Probation Officer, saw a triangular object with two lights on the base.
• Boca Raton, USA: Edgar Norman, a security guard, reported seeing a circle of bright lights, approximately eight to 10 lights on the outside edge, which blacked out the stars.
• Fillmore, USA: Three high school girls reported seeing a "flaming red light" and a cigar-shaped object with an exhaust of "sparkley red things" landing in the mountains.
• Monterey, USA: Air traffic controllers at Salinas Airport reported seeing a large green ball, described as "very, very large" green lights, descend to the ground in a field.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the sheer volume and variety of UFO sightings reported across different regions of the US in early 1978. There is a consistent emphasis on the visual descriptions of the objects, including their shapes, colors, and lights. Several reports highlight unusual behaviors such as hovering, rapid acceleration, and sudden disappearances. The issue also touches upon the skepticism and potential ridicule faced by witnesses, as well as the official responses, which often involve attempts to explain the phenomena as conventional aircraft or natural occurrences. The editorial stance, as represented by the inclusion of various reports and the commentary from individuals like Sgt. Tuohey, appears to be one of documenting these events and encouraging an open, albeit cautious, consideration of the possibility of unidentified flying objects, while also acknowledging the challenges in obtaining concrete proof or official confirmation.

This issue of the Watauga Democrat, dated March 6, 1978, features a prominent cover story titled "Did Flying Saucers Visit Watauga Last Week?" by David Hoyle. The magazine also includes articles from other publications, covering UFO sightings and related phenomena in various locations, as well as reports on cattle mutilations and Bigfoot.

Did Flying Saucers Visit Watauga Last Week?

This article by David Hoyle details a series of alleged flying saucer sightings in Watauga, North Carolina, starting with two truckers from Tennessee who reported seeing "something" land on U.S. 421 North around midnight on Wednesday. They described the object as having a "round bottom, extended sides and a top that looked like a church steeple." The truckers were reportedly very frightened, with one describing their eyeballs as "big as 50-cent pieces."

Lt. Zane Tester, a Boone policeman, was approached by the truckers. He noted they did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The report mentions that Boone Radio Station WATA received several calls concerning flying saucer sightings, including three from the Rutherwood section.

A Wilkes County woman also called the Watauga Sheriff's Department, claiming a saucer sighting was responsible for cutting off half the power in her home. A Vilas carpenter reported seeing "some sort of white illumination" while walking with a friend late Wednesday night, which made their shadows visible. He noted the coincidence in timing with the truckers' sighting.

Checking with local stores, the article mentions a customer who claimed to have seen "reddish pink lights" near Mast Gap Road on Sunday night. This individual, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed a fear of not being taken seriously.

UFO Sited Locally: Hovering Craft Stops Vehicle

This article by Mary Noe, from VISTA, Bentonville, AR, dated April 6, 1978, reports on an encounter by Lawrence McCool of Pineville, Missouri. McCool, a school bus driver, was driving home when his CB radio malfunctioned, and his vehicle was involuntarily brought to a halt. The radio, windshield wipers, heater, and lights all went off, and the engine died. He reported seeing a hovering object about 200 feet in front of him and 40 feet above the ground. The object glowed with a "brilliant pink orange halo" and ascended into the clouds before disappearing. The electronics on his vehicle returned to normal immediately after the object left.

McCool described the UFO as disk-shaped with a bulge, about six to eight feet thick and maybe 20 feet across. He noted it hovered three to four feet above a power line and that he felt vibrations or a field of force from it. He compared the experience to his time in the Air Force.

The article also mentions that two descriptions of "cigar-shaped" UFOs sighted at the same time tallied identically, even though the sighters were unknown to each other. Evelyn Hottinger, who monitors the local "React" (CB emergency group), received over 50 calls about sightings that evening.

A civilian organization from Kansas City investigated UFO reports in the area. The article mentions a young couple north of Pineville who saw a water tower-like object on the ground with two humanlike forms in green coveralls holding balls of light. McCool believes hoaxes are perpetrated by jokers but anticipates that answers to the UFO mystery will be provided within a few years.

'Look, Up In The Sky'

This section compiles reports from the Daily Record, Morristown, NJ, dated March 2, 1978. Mrs. Carol Kaftaniciyan of Victory Gardens reported seeing an object flying noiselessly, very low and fast toward Route 10 around 9:30 p.m. Bill Di Carlo of Madison reported a similar sighting at 9:45 p.m. Mrs. Kaftaniciyan described the object as "not too large and it wasn't too small," covered with flashing lights, including three or four white lights and two or three red lights in the rear.

Ken Roberts of Mt. Fern, Randolph, described seeing a white light "like an incandescent light bulb" traveling parallel to Route 10 near the County College of Morris. He noted it appeared and disappeared very quickly, traveling only about a quarter of a mile.

Di Carlo reported seeing the object traveling at treetop level at 50 mph, almost causing an accident with Mrs. W. Lynch, who was also following the object. Mrs. Lynch described it as "large...with white and red flashing lights."

Man Reports UFO Sighting

This report from the Standard-Star, New Rochelle, NY, dated March 28, 1978, details William Ragone's sighting. Ragone reported seeing a large cylinder surrounded by a halo of light, measuring about 15 feet in diameter, on Villas Avenue. Detectives who interviewed Ragone found him to be rational and seemingly truthful.

Translations: UFO Presence Causes Alarm in Majorca

This section, translated by Jane Thomas, reports on UFO detections at the joint Spanish-American tracking station of Puigmajor in Majorca. Radio sets reportedly suffered serious interferences, and the radar system detected an unusually high number of UFOs flying at supersonic speed. Technicians ruled out meteorites, and the station's range covers a large Mediterranean zone.

Translations: Extraterrestrials (Madrid)

This report from Madrid details Miguel Herrero Sierra's experience on December 18th. While driving, his car's lights and radio went out. He was then invited by a man dressed as a diver to visit a strange craft, described as hat-like with a descending cylinder. Inside a room approximately 14 meters in diameter, Herrero claimed to have telepathically conversed with the crew for about three hours. He reported a small wound on his arm, possibly from blood being taken, though he did not notice it at the time. Authorities considered him a normal man.

Translations: San Luis Police Found Traces of UFO and Its Crew

This report from San Luis, Argentina, details a communiqué from the provincial police regarding an alleged UFO landing. Investigators found strong hints of a being four times heavier than a normal man walking around the landing site, leaving strides 1.60 meters long. The traces were ovoid, with irregular edges, and suggested the use of a blunt, heavy element. The analysis of nearby rocks for radioactive influence was negative, but another test was being made.

Translations: These Extraterrestrials Are Having Lots of Fun

This report from San Justo, Santa Fe province, Argentina, describes an alleged extraterrestrial being encountered by Jorge Daniel Lamazón and Mario Martínez. They reported a strong white light approaching their vehicle, causing the car to stop immediately. A tall, black-clad stranger appeared, stopped three meters from the car, and then walked towards the light and disappeared. The car then started again without any trace of the encounter.

Flying Threads Mystery

This article from the Herald, Gisborne, New Zealand, dated February 11, 1978, reports on "long thin threads," some up to 3.88 meters long, found at the Waitaki Rivermouth. The threads were sticky and clung to objects. The Meteorological Service and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research were mystified. Fisherman Walter Berry described it as "like nylon thread," and a woman called it "really frightening."

Mr. I. McDonald of the DSIR suggested it sounded like a "silk thread" but found it unlikely. He speculated it could be a fine fiber from a reed, but acknowledged it was certainly not possible in that area. Mr. J. Hessell, assistant meteorologist, knew of no meteorological phenomena that could explain it.

Cattle Mutilations Are Reported

This article from the News, Nashville, AR, dated March 3, 1978, discusses cattle mutilations. Sheriff Dick Wakefield reported three incidents in the area. The article notes that cattle mutilations were first heard of in the western United States in the early 1960s and were first reported officially in Colorado in 1974. Elbert and Logan counties in Colorado were hardest hit. Investigative teams are organized in western states, and a "hotline" in Paris, Texas, serves these teams. The article mentions that mutilations often involve the removal of reproductive and digestive organs with surgical precision. Some investigators theorize cult activity, while others find the mystery "mind boggling" after more than 15 years.

Sonic Booms May Have Caused Oahu 'Impulses'

This report from Honolulu (UPI) suggests that mysterious "impulses" that shook houses on Oahu may have been caused by sonic booms from F-4 Phantom jets. Air Guard Capt. Gail Warok stated that three jets flew at supersonic speeds around the time of the shocks. While possibly responsible, the jets were 35 miles offshore when they broke the sound barrier.

Is Bigfoot a bigmouth?

This article from the Branding Iron (Univ. of Wyoming), dated March 7, 1978, discusses research by Lynn Kirlin and Lasse Hertel into a tape-recorded Bigfoot voice from 1971. They are using a Fourier Analyzer to statistically show if the recording is typical of human speech. Preliminary findings suggest the pitch frequencies are in the range of a deep-voiced human male, and the vocal tract length appears to be about 30 centimeters, proportionally larger than a human's. The taped speech contains a small amount of articulation. The research aims to determine what kind of animal voiced the sounds, but not to verify Bigfoot's existence. The article also provides a description of Bigfoot based on sightings and footprints, including its ape-like appearance, thick fur, long arms, powerful shoulders, short neck, upright posture, and large footprints.

'Bigfoot' Tracks Near Albany Yet Residents Wondering

This article from the Democrat-Herald, Albany, OR, dated March 13, 1978, reports on muddy tracks found near Freeway Lakes that have stirred speculation about Bigfoot. State police investigated and concluded they were a hoax, possibly made with a wooden device. However, an investigator from the Bigfoot Information Center in Hood River was scheduled to visit the site. The tracks were described as 17-inch by 52-inch, flat, with a squared-off heel and five toes. Plaster casts were made. The article notes that Bigfoot is not usually found in such populated areas.

'Big Foot' Roams

This article from the Petit Jean Country Headlight, Morrilton, AR, dated April 5, 1978, reports on "huge footprints" found in Conway County, Arkansas. The prints, measuring about 18 inches long, were found along a rural road north of Cleveland. Dr. Norman Gray, a veterinarian, theorized that the creature would weigh around 600 to 800 pounds based on the depth of the prints and soil type. The stride was estimated at 30 to 40 inches. Plaster casts indicated a well-done hoax, though the instrument used was not made of wood.

'Bigfoot' Prints Being Mailed to Anthropologist

This report from the Oregon Statesman, Salem, OR, dated March 14, 1978, states that footprints found near Albany will be sent to a North Carolina anthropologist for study. The prints, linked by some to Bigfoot, were found in a ploughed, muddied field. An investigator from the Bigfoot Information Center noted that while the prints were unusual, it would be uncommon for Bigfoot to frequent such a populated area near Interstate 5. An Oregon State Police trooper suggested the tracks were fake, made by a wooden device.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings and the mystery surrounding them, with numerous reports from different locations. There is also a significant focus on Bigfoot sightings and the scientific investigation of alleged Bigfoot vocalizations. Cattle mutilations are presented as an ongoing, unexplained phenomenon. The editorial stance appears to be one of reporting on these unusual events, presenting witness accounts, and noting investigative efforts, while acknowledging the skepticism and the possibility of hoaxes. The articles generally aim to present the facts as reported by witnesses and investigators, leaving the ultimate conclusions open.