UFO RESEARCH NEWSLETTER

Magazine Overview

This issue of the UFO Research Newsletter, Vol. V, No. 3, published by UFO Research Associates (UFOR) for December 1976 - January 1977, covers a range of UFO sightings and related phenomena. The cover story details a significant electrical blackout in Colusa, California, attributed to a UFO sighting by Bill Pecha and others.

Key Articles and Reports

Witnesses Observe UFO Electrical Blackout (Colusa, California)

The lead article recounts the experience of Bill Pecha, a 39-year-old mechanic, who witnessed a large UFO on September 10, around 12:45 a.m., outside his home in Colusa, California. The event began with his television and air conditioner suddenly going dead, suggesting a circuit breaker trip. Upon investigating, Pecha experienced a static electricity effect on his body, with the hair on his head, arms, and chest standing up and crackling. He described the UFO as a massive object, approximately 140 feet in diameter, with a gray dome featuring vertical ribbed sections and concave areas resembling a glass lemon juice squeezer. It had a 'slag' appearance and a stainless steel edge. A smaller section around a large bottom light rotated counterclockwise. Six narrow appendages, 3-4 inches in diameter, hung from the bottom, appearing like flexible conduit with frayed ends. The object also featured a large red light in front and a bright white cone-shaped beam from its bottom center that stopped in mid-air.

Pecha observed two additional similar objects, about 70 feet in diameter, hovering over 500,000-volt power lines near the Davis airfield. These objects emitted a brilliant white light, causing the power lines to glow red. This was followed by a power blackout in the surrounding area. The UFOs then moved over Davis' home, illuminating the area like daylight. The Pechas watched as the objects suddenly shot off toward the foothills at high speed, covering 18-20 miles in 2-3 seconds, and then returned to hover over Davis' home. The objects eventually shot upwards and out of sight. Following the event, the TV and air conditioner resumed functioning. Pecha, concerned for his family, drove away with his lights off, noting that backup lights might have attracted the UFO.

Paul C. Cerny, MUFON Western States Director, investigated the incident. He noted that leaves on trees in the area were turning brown, as if heated or scorched, and a pear tree and lilac bush showed unusual blooming and scorching. The dogs at the Davis home reacted unusually, howling and barking.

UFO Pacing a Truck

Later, Bill Pecha floored his truck's accelerator, reaching speeds up to 90 m.p.h., with a UFO pacing him, crossing from one side of the truck to the other. He stopped in front of a friend's house, where Les and Gayle Arant also witnessed the UFO, which then rapidly climbed at an angle and disappeared toward Sacramento. Elaine McGowen and her son Fred also reportedly saw the object.

Pacific Gas and Electric officials described the nine-minute blackout as being 'of undetermined nature,' affecting Colusa County and surrounding areas.

Other Sightings and Incidents

Several other sightings are reported:

• April: Linda Sehr, near Gitchie Manitou State Park, encountered a large, glowing white object with flashing lights that appeared to be landing in front of her car. The UFO moved erratically and seemed to follow her.
• July 5: Four brothers (Chris, Tom, Andy, and Joel Rygh) in Gitchie Manitou State Park heard strange noises and saw a seven-foot tall creature with a shiny blue leg. They then saw a glowing object emitting a humming sound rise above the trees, described as being about the size and shape of a haystack.
• August 15, 1976: Mrs. Linda Roozenboom observed a pulsating, oblong, bluish-white object near Gitchie Manitou State Park that dimmed and faded.
• Jack Wright investigated the Rygh boys' sighting and found damaged leaves on trees, some splotched and curled, with upper leaves dropping off later.
• August 6: Rick Shoultz heard a loud buzzing noise and saw a 'big red ball of fire' UFO shoot up from behind a hill near Hartford.
• July 31: Debbie Focken saw an oblong UFO with 'windows and lights' hovering over Eldon's Standard Service Station near Council Bluffs, Iowa. The station later experienced a burnout, with officials attributing it to lightning, though no lightning was reported.
• Ralph De Graw, an investigator for Dr. J. Allen Hynek's Center for UFO Studies, interviewed attendants Mark Holtz and Dan Stone, who reported 'lightning' hitting the area in front of the station, knocking out lights and causing equipment like the cash register, burglar alarm, and CB radio to cease functioning. They noted that it rained only at their station during that time.
• July 20: Deputy Sheriff Scott Eustice and night watchman Jeff Banks saw a lighted disc near Carlos State Park.
• August 17: Policemen in Clawson-Pontiac-Troy, Michigan, saw a hovering, flashing red, green, and blue object.
• August 19: Mrs. Beth Hamblin spotted a UFO in Pontiac.
• August 19: A witness in Royal Oak, Michigan, described a large metallic object hovering over her car hood, 30 feet wide and 25 feet high, with bright lights. It then moved off, showing a red flashing taillight.
• July 28: Camp Counselor Ira Leifer and 13 hikers near Camp Delaware, Blueberry Mountain, heard a 'whining noise' and saw a silver, rotating saucer with a red light on top.
• August 17: Police officers Thomas Dacosta and Angelo Mascato in New Haven observed a brilliant, metallic UFO flying in a tight zig-zag pattern, causing animals in the area to growl and bark.
• August 11: Gary Bennett and others observed a rotating disc over a drive-in theater in Lynn, Massachusetts, described as the size of two large houses, which hovered, ascended, descended, and moved away.
• July 8: Three school officials and about 90 children at Treleigh CP School in Redruth, England, saw a UFO resembling 'two dinner plates face to face,' described as white, spinning, and having an aura or halo.
• July 15: Sam Hawkins saw 'silver and yellow flashes' at 90 degrees to an object's direction.
• July 15: Seven staff members of the National Police Agency observed a UFO over the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. The object was about 10 meters in diameter and changed shape from round to square to 'an amoeba.'

Book Reviews

• Project Blue Book: The Top Secret UFO Findings Revealed, edited by Brad Steiger, is reviewed. The book is said to provide a glimpse into declassified Air Force UFO reports. It suggests Project Blue Book may have done more thorough investigations than suspected and highlights classic cases like Kenneth Arnold, Mantell, Lt. George F. Gorman, Lubbock Lights, Washington D.C. sightings, and the Socorro incident involving Officer Lonnie Zamora. Dr. J. Allen Hynek is quoted regarding the Socorro case, expressing his inability to dismiss it as a hoax and noting Zamora's good character. The review mentions Hynek's interviews with astronomers, finding that a higher percentage of professional astronomers reported unexplainable sightings.
• Age of Aquarius; UFOs and the Transformation of Man by Brad Steiger is also reviewed. Steiger proposes UFOs are 'multidimensional mechanisms or psychic constructs' from 'higher intelligences' rather than vehicles from other planets, suggesting they are 'paraphysical, multidimensional gods' preparing humanity for a transition.

ET Colonization Theory Expounded by Prominent Financier

Zecharia Sitchin's forthcoming book, *The Twelfth Planet*, is discussed. Sitchin, head of Intercontinental Trailsea Corporation, proposes that 'god-like spacemen' (nefilim) landed on Earth 450,000 years ago, created and bred homo sapiens as slaves in gold mines, and later left due to corruption, warning of a great flood. His work is based on translations of ancient clay tablets and uses the Hebrew Old Testament as an anchor. Sitchin argues that the sudden appearance of Cro-Magnon man cannot be explained scientifically and that life did not evolve naturally on Earth but was brought from elsewhere.

Cronkite and Graham: UFOs Exist

Walter Cronkite and Billy Graham are reported to firmly believe UFOs are real. Senator Barry Goldwater also believes the Earth is visited and under observation by extraterrestrial intelligence. Cronkite indicated the government has been 'hushing up' UFO reports and cited the Andros Island sighting as an example: a radar operator observed a green sky, a huge cylindrical craft, and a dog that was hit by a shaft of green light, paralyzed, and then dropped. The film was seized, and the incident was classified. Other radar operators reported screens blacked out for eight minutes.

Billy Graham stated his belief in intelligent life in outer space with developed space vehicles capable of reaching Earth, citing conversations with leading U.S. space experts.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently presents evidence for the reality of UFO phenomena, often highlighting witness testimony and the physical effects or traces left by objects. There is a recurring theme of potential government secrecy or cover-ups regarding UFO incidents. The editorial stance appears to favor the extraterrestrial hypothesis, as indicated by the concluding remarks on Brad Steiger's work and the emphasis on the overwhelming evidence for ETs over other theories. The publication also expresses a belief in the significance of UFO encounters as potentially leading to major breakthroughs in human understanding.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently presents evidence for the reality of UFO phenomena, often highlighting witness testimony and the physical effects or traces left by objects. There is a recurring theme of potential government secrecy or cover-ups regarding UFO incidents. The editorial stance appears to favor the extraterrestrial hypothesis, as indicated by the concluding remarks on Brad Steiger's work and the emphasis on the overwhelming evidence for ETs over other theories. The publication also expresses a belief in the significance of UFO encounters as potentially leading to major breakthroughs in human understanding.