UFO ROUNDUP Volume 1 Number 37
Volume 1 Number 37
November 10, 1996
Editor: Joseph Trainor
E-mail: Masinaigan@aol.com
This week's UFO hot spot is Canada, which has not one but two major flaps underway.On Tuesday, November 5, 1996, at 5:30 p.m., several people in Gypsumville, Manitoba spotted "a hexagon-shaped object" flying overhead. The UFO hovered for several minutes 300 feet (95 meters) from the witnesses and then took off in an easterly direction, heading for Lake Winnipeg. Gypsumville (population 65) is a small town in the "Interlake Region" of central Manitoba, located on Highway 513, approximately four miles (6.4 kilometers) east of Route 6.
The current flap began at 2 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 1996 when a family living on the north shore of Lake St. Martin, located five miles (7 kilometers) southeast of Gypsumville, "saw an unusual object with flashing lights apparently hovering motionless over the lake near their home. Grabbing binoculars, they were able to see that it was shaped like an upside-down bowl and had five rectangular windows in a row on the side facing the witnesses." The UFO's windows were "lit up with different coloured lights, like Christmas lights. After phoning their neighbor, the family watched as "a beam of light" stabbed down from one corner of the UFO and illuminated the surface of the lake.
Two days later, on October 27, 1996, the same family again saw "a blinding light" shining down on Lake St. Martin. Using their binoculars, they watched the UFO for several minutes. Then they rushed to their car and drove down the dirt road to their neighbor's house. As they all stood in the yard, sharing their binoculars, "four objects in formation (began) flying over the lake." Two UFOs on the edge of the formation changed direction suddenly and zoomed away. The remaining two "shone their beams of light at the surface of the lake again. After five minutes, they departed at a very high speed.
On Friday, November 1, 1996, Brian Fidler and David Creighton, investigators for Ufology Research of Manitoba (UFOROM) and newspaper reporter Faye Goranson interviewed people living all around Lake St. Martin. They unearthed a number of disturbing stories.
According to Fidler and Creighton, on at least two occasions during the past two weeks, the "hexagon-shaped object" was seen "hovering near the town" of Gypsumville. A similar UFO was also sighted near Fairford Reserve, 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest of Gypsumville.
Last summer several children aged 4 to 7 were playing near some haystacks in a pasture near Lake St. Martin when they were approached by a platoon of UFO occupants. "The entities were described as about 3 feet (0.9 meters) tall with green, oval, slanted eyes. They had pointed ears and dark spikes of hair standing upright on their heads. Their hands were long with 'skinny fingers,' nails like claws and hair on their wrists."
The occupants made no hostile moves at first. Then one alien grabbed the wrist of a little girl. Screaming, she broke free, and, thoroughly frightened, the children all ran home.
Elsewhere in Manitoba, a man living in Oakbank, on the edge of Bird's Hill Provincial Park, nine miles (14 kilometers) east of Winnipeg, reported that he had seen "a saucer hovering over the woods" back in September. (Thanks to Chris Rutkowski and UFOROM for this story)
(Editor's Comment: From the description, the occupants sound like a cross between Mr. Spock and Larry Fine of the Three Stooges. I just thought of a scientific name for this species... Shrimpo Vulcano-Porcupinis.)
UFOs ROAM UP AND DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER
The night of Sunday, October 6, 1996, a motorist driving on Route 417 near Embrun, Quebec saw "a ball of light gleaming in the sky the size of two full moons. The colors were changing from orange to pink." The UFO flew parallel to the highway at an altitude of 300 feet (95 meters). Just after 1 a.m., the UFO crossed Route 417 ahead of the driver and flew away to the south, where it vanished.
On Saturday, October 19, 1996 at 11:45 p.m., Al Martinez, an engineer at Laval University, was at home on Highway 132, on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River, about six miles (8 kilometers) southwest of Quebec City. Suddenly, Martinez noticed "a very strange and unusual flying wing (hovering) over his backyard." A few moments later, a dazzlingly bright beam enveloped his house, and the building began to vibrate.
A few houses away, a neighbor coming home from work saw the UFO hovering over the Martinez home. Hearing the rumbling noise, he and two other neighbors joined the stunned and shaken Martinez in the yard, watching as the UFO flew away.
On Thursday, October 31, 1996, at 3:30 p.m., a man in Canada's capital city of Ottawa looked at the sky and "watched a strange glowing ball dart downwards."
On Friday, November 1, 1996, at 4:45 p.m., eyewitnesses in Metcalfe, Ontario (population 681) saw "a strange object" moving from west to east below the clouds. They described the UFO as "glinting" and said it passed over "far too quickly to be blowing in the wind or a bird flying." Metcalfe is located just east of the intersection of Ontario Highways 6 and 31, about fifteen miles (24 kilometers) south of Ottawa.
On Monday night, November 4, 1996, people in Mississauga, Ontario (population 250,200) saw a glowing UFO fly overhead. Mississauga is a suburb of Toronto.
(For the Quebec reports, many thanks to Jean Casault of CEIPI. For the Ontario update, many thanks to Chris Rutkowski.)
NEW SAUCER SIGHTING IN THE OHIO VALLEY
On Sunday afternoon, November 3, 1996, at approximately 1:35 p.m., members of the Williams family were "out watching airplanes" in the yard of their Huntington, West Virginia home. Suddenly, Jason, aged 6, their middle son, pointed out an unusual "bird" to his father. The family watched it zip back and forth across the sky in birdlike fashion. "All of a sudden, it took off at a high rate of speed," heading toward Lesage, W.V. Mrs. Williams described the object as "circular shape, no lights, color is white," estimating its altitude as "30,000 feet (7,575 meters), perhaps higher."
Huntington, W.V. lies on the south bank of the Ohio River and is 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Portsmouth, Ohio, the site of last week's UFO flap. (Email Interview)
BLACK ANGUS BULL MUTILATED IN COLORADO
On Wednesday morning, November 6, 1996, rancher Susan Nottingham discovered the remains of her 1,800-lb. Black Angus bull lying in a snow-covered pasture on her ranch near Burns, Colorado. The bull was lying on its side. Its "genitalia, rear end, eye, ear and left side of its muzzle had already been sliced off. A line of two-inch abrasions were noted on the belly in front of the penile incision."
The case was investigated by Sheriff A.J. Johnson and Deputy James Van Beck of Eagle County, assisted by a local veterinarian. "There were no signs of a struggle." Tracks found at the scene indicated that coyotes had circled the carcass but had no come close enough to disturb it.
Burns is located in the northwest corner of Eagle County, about 255 miles (408 kilometers) west of Denver.
Elsewhere in Colorado, UFO investigator Christopher O'Brien, his brother and Patricia Richmond staked out a ranch near the town of Center (population 1,630) on Tuesday, October 22, 1996. At approximately 7:45 p.m., the trio "spotted a bright orange light" over the San Luis Valley. The UFO was "cigar-shaped and did not appear to be moving." They kept it in view until 8:30 p.m. Ms. Richmond said this was the same UFO she had seen around Center during July and August.
(Many thanks to Chris O'Brien, author of THE MYSTERIOUS VALLEY, Bantam Books 1996, for these reports.)
SPACE BLOBS LAND IN TASMANIA
The evening of Sunday, November 3, 1996, a "glowing green meteor" flashed through the night sky above Kempton, Tasmania, travelling from the northeast to the southwest. Kempton is 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of Hobart, the capital of Tasmania, the island province off the south coast of Australia.
When the sun rose the next morning, Ms. Marlene Smith of Kempton noticed that her cement walkways were littered with "strange slime." She described it as "blobs of white translucent jelly found all over the concrete...queer stuff."
An unnamed farmer also found similar "white blobs" in his paddock on the outskirts of Kempton.
Ross Dowe of Australia's National UFO Reporting Centre said the material "does indeed contain microlife or micro- organisms," adding that it might be "fish eggs or baby jellyfish." Dowe is looking for a laboratory to perform further tests.
(Editor's Note: Gelatinous meteors, also known as the Pwdre Ser phenomenon, are rare but not unknown. On September 26, 1950, Patrolmen John Collins and Joseph Keenan saw one of these things land at the corner of Vare Boulevard and 26th Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The light-emitting blob was also observed by Sgt. Joseph Cook and Patrolman James Cooper and was seen oozing its way up a Phone pole. This incident became the basis for Steve McQueen's 1958 horror movie, "The Blob.")
MYSTERIOUS SKY BOOM ROCKS SCOTTISH ISLAND
On Sunday, October 27, 1996, a mysterious explosion in the sky rocked homes and rattled windows on Lewis Island, off the northern coast of Scotland. Immediately afterward, an RAF Nimrod helicopter showed up and began a search that was later joined by other RAF aircraft and the UK's Coastguards.
According to the November 4 issue of the newspaper, The Scotsman, "No explanation has yet been found for the object, which was seen and heard to explode north of Lewis."
Calum MacDonald, Labour MP (Member of Parliament) for Scotland's islands, sent an official query to Michael Portillo of the Ministry of Defence. Portillo reportedly said the search was being conducted by the Royal Air Force base at Kinloss.
On Monday, November 4, a huge NATO naval task force took up position off Lewis Island. The task force consists of 32 ships, 7 submarines and 80 aircraft. A Royal Navy spokesman said this was "a routine training exercise" and was not related to the explosion.
However, a spokesman at RAF Kinloss "confirmed that there had been reports of three UFOs flying in formation over the Scottish islands and heading north" on October 27.
(See the Eastern Daily Press for October 28, 1996 "UFO Specialist Investigates Island Blast Mystery.")
Another UFO was reportedly seen over RAF Fylingdales the same day.
(Thanks to John Joseph Mercieca of MUFOR for The Scotsman story)
(Editor's Note: RAF Fylingdales is a NATO nuclear weapons storage facility.)
UFO RETURNS TO DERBYSHIRE
At 5 a.m. on October 12, 1996, Robert M., age 58, of Bracken Close, Hollingsworth, Derbyshire, UK decided to take his dog for a walk. As he passed through Longendale going towards Snake Pass (Highway A57 to Sheffield), "he spotted a brilliant light traveling towards him. Three times it came and mysteriously hovered in the dark sky. And each time it hurtled away at (high) speed."
"I know what I saw, and it wasn't a plane or a helicopter," Bob said. "All I know is, nothing in our world can travel that fast." He described the UFO as "a real ball of light similar to a light bulb."
Longendale was the site of two UFO encounters earlier this year. In July, schoolboys Matthew Greaves and David Percival saw "a flying saucer emitting light as it passed over Mouselow Castle."
In April, a local man, John Gwynne, saw "a blue, V-shaped light traveling at terrific speed" over Dinting Vale, near the Longendale reservoir. (Thanks to United Kingdom UFO Network newsletter #65 for this story.)
TWA 800 UPDATE: MISSILE THEORY DRAWS FIRE
Veteran newsman Pierre Salinger touched off a firestorm of controversy Friday, November 8, 1996, when he claimed at a press conference that a stray U.S. Navy missile had shot down TWA Flight 800 off Long Island, New York on July 17, killing the 230 people aboard.
Salinger presented a document that he claimed had been given to him by a French intelligence agent on August 22. The document contained the "missile story" that has circulated for weeks on the Internet.
But Salinger also unveiled the controversial Kabot photo, which was published last week, November 3, 1996, by the British tabloid The Mail on Sunday.
The photo, taken by Ms. Linda Kabot, shows guests at a party at Docker's Restaurant in East Quogue, Long Island, N.Y. on July 17. High in the darkening sky behind the guests is a cylindrical object. The Mail's englargement of the photo shows a long cylindrical tube, perhaps 25 to 30 feet (7 to 9 meters) in length with a rocket-like exhaust coming out of the southwest.
Although the AP photo shows Salinger with the Kabot photo in his left hand, there has been no mention of it in any American print or media broadcast of the past three days.
James Kallstrom, head of the FBI investigation into the loss of TWA Flight 800, said on Saturday, "The document is the same one we have already seen, thoroughly investigated and discounted."
Despite the FBI denials, witnesses continue to come forward claiming they saw an object streaking toward the jetliner. On Friday, November 8, "some witnesses to the explosion still insisted they saw a missile strike the plane. 'I saw something going up from the ground, and I said to people that looks like a firework going up,' said Paul Runyan, 68, a retired Grumman worker. 'It looked like a big skyrocket going up, and it kept going up and up, and the next thing I knew there was an orange ball of fire.'" (See the New York Daily News for November 9, 1996, page 2)
An unnamed couple from Ojai, California who were on vacation on Long Island July 17 claimed that they gave their eyewitness testimony to the FBI. A few days later, they say, FBI agents returned to visit them and "told us to forget all about it." (See the October 1996 issue of California Sun, published in Ojai, California.)
(Editor's Note: According to the New York Post of September 22, 1996, over 150 "credible witnesses" have testified that they saw "something" headed for TWA Flight 800. Their testimony has been completely ignored by the Bureau. But, hey, who needs eyewitness testimony when you've got "profiles?")
PROJECT 1947 DOCUMENTS 4,000 SIGHTINGS
Jan Aldrich of Canterbury, Connecticut is tackling a researcher's nightmare. He's compiling a master file of every UFO sighting that took place on Earth during the summer of 1947, beginning with Kenneth Arnold's "flying disc" encounter of June 24, 1947 and including the Roswell incident.
The project, financed in part by the Fund for UFO Research, has already catalogued 4,000 encounters around the world. Ted Bleecher's earlier work, THE REPORT ON THE UFO WAVE OF 1947, catalogued 850 sightings, with 145 in the United States. Jan's project has unearthed dozens of new cases in the U.S. during "Roswell Summer," plus cases from Mexico and Canada, 150 sightings in South America (dozens from Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Peru), another 100 in Europe and some from Australia, South Africa, China and North Africa.
(Editor's Note: Want to help Jan Aldrich? Here's how--go to your local newspaper or library. Read the microfilmed papers from June 24 to July 31, 1947. If you find a UFO story, make a photocopy of it. On the back of the photocopy, write the name of the newspaper, the date of that particular issue, the city and state where the paper was printed, and mail your photocopies to this address:
Project 1947
P.O. Box 1947
Canterbury, CT
USA 06331
Contributors will get a mention in the project's book when it is completed next year. For more information, contact Mr. Aldrich at this email address...jan@cyberzone.net)
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That's it for this time. See you next Sunday. Best wishes from "the paper that covers the saucers--UFO ROUNDUP."
