Visitors 6

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IN THIS ISSUEDirector’s View: Out of This World UFO Conference. . . p. 2

Old Shoes and New Paradigms. . . p. 3

In Support of Eyewitness Cases. . . p. 8

Men in Black. . . p. 10

Upcoming Events. . . p. 17



Director’s View

is the quarterly journal of Illinois MUFONNFP,Incorporated and is solely responsible for itscontent. Illinois MUFONNFP, Inc. is a statechapter of MUFON, the Mutual UFO Network(an international organization), dedicated tothe scientific investigation of alien visitation.All of the views expressed in this publicationbelong to Illinois MUFONNFP, Inc. and are not necessarily the views of MUFON. All rightsreserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted in any formor by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording, taping,or any other storage and retrieval system,

without obtaining permission from the directorby email at [email protected]

Illinois MUFONNFP,Inc.

Samuel Maranto, Director Larry Chambers, Treasurer Bill Murphy, Staff Writer John B. Ringer, Staff Writer Scott Waldyn, Staff Writer Guy Richards, Contributing Writer

A one year subscription and membership toIllinois MUFONNFP is available by sending$20 to:

Illinois MUFONNFP

P.O. Box 2105Orland Park, IL 60462

or by calling: 708 460-7606

Design and format by JackRabbit Pix

visitorsby Sam Maranto, State Director

2

A Brief Summary of the “Out of

This World” UFO Conference

We were on Illinois Route 20 heading to Dubuque when a call came in on thecell phone. It was Richard Dolan assuring us that he had made it to O’Hare

OK and was boarding for Dubuque. We were on the threshold of what promisedto be one dynamic conference. With months of planning, tons of time, and a goodamount of money invested what could go wrong? As Julie and I know, count onnothing and expect anything. We had been plagued with a dilemma every twenty-four hours so when Richard Dolan walked off the plane we were more than relievedto see him in one piece.

It was Wednesday, the 27th of May, as we had planned for Rich to do some ra-dio interviews and book signings to bolster the visibility for the “Out of This World”UFO Conference at Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Illinois.

That late afternoon we stopped at a legendary Timmerman’s Supper Clubperched atop a cliff in East Dubuque well know for its second-to-none vista as well

as its savory fare. Owner, manager, and staff gathered to ask questions and engageus in conversation about none other than UFOs. What a time!

Phone calls regarding the event were also pouring in on my cell phone. Whenwe finally got to the resort Richard was taken a back by the splendor of both thearea and the resort itself. Not to add, gladly surprised by the fine accommodations(Continued on page 14)



3

Patterns & Connections

W

hy is an old idea like an old shoThe answer—both are comfortab

Old shoes slip on easily and wear well. Oideas are somewhat the same—we are qucomfortable keeping them, and they dochallenge us to rethink anything. The prolem is, we tend to keep both old shoes aold ideas around too long. With shoes, eventually have to discard them, but wold ideas, we often defend them with olast breath.

As an avid reader, I seek out books fro

those I call ‘mainstream’ academic thinkas well as from (my term again) the ‘speclative’ writers. It doesn’t take long to dcover there is often tension between thecamps. The speculative writers want tmainstream folks to be open to ‘off-centdiscoveries and ideas, while the mainstreusually defends the existing view of thinThe academics tend to ignore the workthe speculative (often commercially scessful) researchers, thus virtually assur

those data won’t gain wide recognitionfact, academics can and do ignore the woof fellow mainstreamers, if it conflicts wtheir pet theories. Readers of the MUFO Journal and Visitors can probably remeber investigators who ran into these kinof problems. What’s going on here? Cawe all just get along?

by John B. Ringer, Historical Anomalist



4

Patterns & Connections continued

When the Old World View Doesn’t FitTo help make sense of this long-standing conflict, I’d like to explorethe dynamics of something called a ‘paradigm shift’. Paradigm isa very useful word that has recently come into the common lexi-con. It means “generally accepted perspective”, or “thought pat-tern”, or “basic assumptions”, or “conceptual framework’—youcan pick your favorite. You might say it’s how we, as individuals,as a group, or as a society, see the world.

One paradigm we all share, in our own unique way, has todo with the human maturation process. About thirty-five yearsago, social scientist Morris Massey told us that, at about age 13,we sort of wake up, take a look at the world around us, and sayto ourselves, “So this is what the world is like.” That conceptual

awakening stays with us the rest of our lives. Of course we changein many ways as we age, and we change mental frameworks, but it’s that initial snapshot of the world, that personal paradigm, wealways start from. We can’t help it.1

In The New Story of Science, Robert Augros and George Stan-ciu talk about the overarching importance of a paradigm, or what they call a Story. Every culture has a cosmic world view—a Story,according to which all else is understood and evaluated. The pre-

vailing Story shapes a culture’s attitudes, inte- grates its knowledge, dictates its methodology,and directs its education. The Story acts as the

context and the measure of further knowledge. A world view is so fundamental that we only real-ize we have one when confronted by an alterna-tive—either through traveling to another culture,by reading of past ages, or when our own culture’sworld view is in transition.1

Molecular biophysicist Harold Morowitz tells us that, “Readeep concepts seem to take about 50 years to sink into the clective conscience of the thinking community. So it is only n(ca 1980) that most of us are beginning to sense the full impaof certain ideas that have been brewing since the first quarter

the 20th century.”2

Thomas Kuhn, in his 1962 book, The Struc-ture of Scientific Revolutions, believed that during periods of ‘normal science’ scientistswork within the same paradigm or conceptualframework. Everything goes along smoothlyuntil some anomalies (love that word) occur, oruntil a new theory or model is proposed which



5

requires understanding in new ways. Over time, more and moreobservations which can not be explained by the old paradigmcome to light, and at some point, that particular discipline isthrown into a state of crisis.3

A paradigm ‘shift’ occurs when the mainstream moves from

an old paradigm or world view to a new and better one. Para-digm shifts are the most dramatic or obvious when a stable ormature discipline is involved. For example, at the end of the 18thcentury, physics seemed largely to be wrapped up with a neat bow. In 1900, Lord Kelvin announced to the world that, “Thereis nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remainsis more and more precise measurement.” Five years later, Albert Einstein published his work on special relativity. The fairly simplerules of Newtonian mechanics could not accommodate Einstein’snew theory. What occurred, not without anxiety, pain, and lots of time, was a paradigm shift.

Ervin Laszlo points out that there are stringent requirementsfor any new paradigm. For instance, a theory based on it must enable scientists to explain all the findings covered by the previ-ous theory, and must also explain the newer, anomalous observa-tions. It must integrate all the relevant facts in a simpler yet moreencompassing and powerful concept.4

It’s important to point out that, while Thomas Kuhn has hadhis detractors, the concept of paradigms and paradigm shifts hassurvived and is now used far beyond the confines of science. Writ-ers talk about paradigm shifts in business, social settings, politics,

and so on. It’s also important to realize that, when a new para-digm or thought pattern emerges, those involved don’t throwthe old paradigm on the scrap heap. What is good and valid in theold is carried over into the new. Only those parts that no longer ex-plain adequately are discarded. Newtonian physics is still aroundand proving quite useful. After all, science (the paradigm we aremost interested in here) is not a particular set of facts or theories,it is a process. Strange how that gets turned around!

So far, so good. We have a world view of some important aspect of life or study, and when that view no longer works, wechange to one that does. Sounds quite logical and, well, scien-

tific. Why all the stress? Why are some people so reluctant tochange?

Habits of the Mind Howard Margolis, in his book Paradigms and Barriers, talks about habits of mind. He believes these habits are limits to our ability to‘see’ solutions or truths which are, often, not all that difficult or

obscure. Habits of the mind, like personal habits,are mostly advantageous and work as facilitators.However, when an important new idea is difficult to grasp, it is (usually) not because some barrierblocks our reaching it. Rather, it’s because some

odd or bold move is required to reach it, and sothe process is not comfortable! And, there is no‘habit’ in the repertoire that makes the move easily available.5

An outstanding example of delayed integration is the devopment of ‘probability’. When a calculus of probability finally peared, the concrete problem that ultimately proved fruitful hbeen discussed for more that a century before Pascal, Fermat, aHuygens were finally able to deal with it. Today, even a perswith no training in probability theory should have little trouseeing how the solution works, but in the seventeenth centurwas extremely challenging for the best minds of the time.5

Cats and Scientists And then, we have the comfort factor. I’m convinced that oreason cats are such popular pets is that both humans and care comfort-seeking creatures. We understand each other (acats are wonderfully low-maintenance). Scientists, like the restus, seek comfort. And, what could be more comfortable than tconceptual framework which was in place during one’s yearsschooling and which one has built a career around? I’m surewas this comfort-seeking tendency which prompted Max Plan

to observe, “A new scientific truth does not triumph by convining its opponents and making them see the light, but rather bcause its opponents eventually die, and a new generation group that is familiar with it.”

When scientists don’t respond in the open-minded way want them to, it’s helpful to understand why. Frankly, it is aska lot to expect someone to embrace a new paradigm that is sfar from developed. Then, even if one scientist is willing to phis or her toe in strange waters, there is always the reactionother scientists to deal with. Wayward members of the academfraternity are usually punished harshly. Remember the editorthe Smithsonian’s magazine who was drummed out of his jfor publishing a peer-reviewed article that didn’t suit the mastream thinking (it wasn’t politically correct)? We no longer buheretics at the stake, but we do deny them jobs or tenure, awe block publication of their work. If all else fails, we shun thein the hallways, and we find dozens of ways to make their livhell. All because they don’t toe the line and adhere to orthodoHow sad is that?



6

Patterns & Connections continued

Summing Up · A world view or paradigm is the framework into which we

‘fit’ new observations.

· When an existing paradigm fails to explain a significant num-

ber of observations, it is said to be ‘under stress’.· New theories are developed to explain what the old para-

digm cannot.

· Those heavily invested in the old paradigm tend to resist new theories and even, at times, troublesome observationsand data.

· Over time, and with the passing of the old guard, new theo-ries are more readily accepted.

· That which is valid from the old world view is kept, whilethat which no longer explains the new observations isrejected. The new paradigm is then used to explain newobservations, and it will prevail until it is no longer useful.

What can UFO researchers expect in the coming decade, asthey seek help from the various scientific disciplines? Based uponthe life-cycle of paradigms detailed above, it’s reasonable to pre-dict their job will get somewhat easier. In the 1940s, the scientificcommunity was still firmly in the grip of the old story or old para-digm of physics. True, ‘quantum’ physics had been around for awhile, but it had not been well integrated into other disciplines,and it certainly was not a part of the public’s awareness. So, whenstories of UFOs began to circulate, their performance capabilitiesmade no sense at all—not within the context of the old, Newto-nian paradigm. Hence, most such reports were ignored by scien-tists—a very common strategy for handling odd data.

And why, you ask, would a newparadigm be any better than theold? Well, I’m out on a limb here,(and over my head) but my stronghunch is that objects which appearand disappear, that speed up dra-

matically only to make sharp, spine-twisting turns, that remain motion-less and silent in the sky, and that travel in space, atmosphere, andwater with equal ease, will be moreeasily explained by the still-develop-ing ‘rules’ of quantum physics thanby the old rules of Newton’s gravity.

The old, mechanistic paradigm also fails to explain such odities as ESP, healing at a distance, remote viewing (as practicedthe government), near-death and out of body experiences, athe like.

I also believe that scientists, just like the rest of us, are beco

ing a tad comfortable with the idea that the universe is more ththe play of celestial mechanics, and they seem even more soened up to the possibility of life, even intelligent life, beyond EarOf course they want proof, that’s their job, but they can not hbut be carried along by the same tide that lifts all our boats.

In the entertaining and informative book, What the BlDo We Know!?, William Tiller, a scientist considered at the leaing edge of things, explains one important reason why the current paradigm of scientificreality needs to change. “There is no place in...our present paradigm for any form of con-

sciousness, intention, emotion, mind, or spirit to enter. And because our work shows that consciousness can have a very robust effect on physical reality, that means that ultimatelythere must be a paradigm shift; a shift that would allow cosciousness to be incorporated; the structure of the universe to be expanded beyond what it presently is in order to allow(consciousness) to enter.”6

The fact is, almost sixty years later, we can not nail dowan explanation for Kenneth Arnold’s ‘skipping saucers’, desp

enormous effort. That is eloquent testimony that somethnew is needed. Can a paradigm shift be far away? Do you shopeful signs?

What Do I Know For Sure? Has the world ever seen their equal? Here we are still speculatabout the most basic aspects of UFOs. How do they, whatevthey are, do it? How do they zip around our skies, abduct larnumbers of humans, hover over sensitive military installatioand not make some major miscalculation that blows their covCould humans pull off the same incredible performance?

It’s this kind of puzzlement that got me thinking; what dknow about UFOs that I can label rock-solid, no-doubt-aboit, for-sure fact? The answer was, after some heavy-duty refltion—not a single thing. However, here are the few things I thI know:

1. Large numbers of people have seen unknown objects in skies. Frequently, the flight performance of these obje

...the universe has

to be expanded

beyond what it

presently is inorder to allow it

(consciousness)

to enter.





8

Investigator’s Insights

by Guy Richards, IL MUFON Field Investigator



9

’m still new as a MUFON field investigator but I find that I amfascinated by eyewitness cases. It’s because there are only a few

possibilities regarding an eyewitness’ story:

1 They are crazy,

2 They are lying for their own purposes,

3 They really saw something.

Now it’s not always obvious where a witness falls in the threecategories but statistically if you have a large number of total caseswhere a witness’ credibility and background can be verified youwill have a number of category 3 cases that then can be separatedinto various categories of natural phenomenon, unknown naturalphenomenon, military and extraterrestrial.

Our focus is of course the extraterrestrial and by way of example let’ssay that in the mid-sixties several air controllers saw a football field sizedspiked disc enter their traffic pattern , circle around a bit and then exit

at high speed. This is an obvious category 3 non-natural, non-military.It’s most likely explanation is extraterrestrial. If our MUFON database has just ten of these kinds of events the statistical probability of the existence of extraterrestrials being real heads into the 90% range.Higher numbers lead to a dead certainty.

In the absence of any undisputed credible physical evidence of extraterrestrials eyewitness’ are the next best thing.

However we need to keep in mind that 95% of all reports can be

reasonably explained and of those 5% unexplained at a guess 95% of those are military or unknown natural phenomenon. If your data basehas 10,000 reported sightings that leaves 25 cases where a crediblewitness has seen extraterrestrial technology.

ge on opposite page is an artist conception and not an actual UFO photograph



10

By John B. Ringer, Historical Anom



11

Isn’t it interesting how the UFO phenomenon has so many‘offshoots’? To the uninitiated, some of those branches might

seems a bit of a stretch (like Bigfoot), but other appendages are soclearly linked that we all get it. The mysterious Men In Black (MIB)are one of the undeniable links, although no one can say just how.These strange individuals show up after some (by no means all)UFO sightings to question and perhaps threaten witnesses. And,typical of so much regarding UFOs, their very nature is elusive. Dothese spooky guys have a clear-cut agenda, or are they just onemore enigma designed to puzzle or redirect attention? And, thereally big question—who are they working for? Let’s take a look at several cases that involve these black-garbed men.

Visit from a Strange ManOne of the very first MIB cases involved Kenneth Arnold, the manwho spotted nine flying discs on June 24, 1947 and famously trig-gered the term ‘flying saucers’. Shortly after his own sighting, Ar-

nold was investigating an-other incident on behalf of Ray Palmer, publisherof Amazing Stories andFate. Arnold had flown

to Tacoma, Washingtonand soon found himself surrounded by ‘strange-ness’. He located a mannamed Dahl, a harborpatrol officer who had

reported a sighting threedays before Arnold’s. Dahl had been on patrol near Maury Islandwhen he saw six “doughnut-shaped” objects aloft. One craft seemed to be in distress, and the other five were circling aroundit. The troubled craft then ejected what looked like thin sheets of

aluminum and, a bit later, hot, slag-like chunks of rock. Part of thislast debris hit Dahl’s son in the arm, killed their dog, and dam-aged their boat.1

The following day, at 7:00 a.m., a man arrived at the Dahlhouse and invited the patrolman out for breakfast. The strang-er was dressed in black and drove a dark sedan. After ordering,the man proceeded to tell the astonished Dahl all about Dahl’s

adventure of the day before. The stranger had so much detit seemed as though he had been in the boat with Dahl and crew—except that he had not. With more than a hint of threat, tman suggested that Dahl keep the sighting to himself. The min black also told Dahl the event, “Should not have happened.”

This ‘Maury Island Incident’, as it came to be known, wsurrounded by strangeness from beginning to end. Two militofficers investigating the incident died in the crash of their B-(which has its own strangeness), Arnold’s own plane then crashdue to a switched off fuel line, and Dahl, the man who startedall, soon disappeared forever. Not surprisingly, there were inditions of a government cover-up, but many if not most peo

concluded it was all a hoax. A few even speculated that it was a grand performance to discredit Arnold, the world’s most famoUFO witness. But, like so much that was to follow in the decadahead, little could be pinned down with certainty.1

More MIB ActivityPatricia Hyde worked for the FBI in 1972 when she witnesse‘bat-like’ object flying over Arcadia, Florida. Intrigued, she begto research UFOs (I assume this was on her own time). Shorafter, she was confronted at her home by an unusual-look

man who seemed Oriental. He was dressed in dark clothiHe warned her, “Miss Hyde, you will stop investigating flysaucers.” She reported that he made additional threats. PatrHyde eventually resigned from the FBI.2

In 1967, a car with two Ohio men struck a brilliant, blue-whobject, which was blocking the road. Both men closed their eyupon impact, and when they opened them, the object was goThe men reported the accident to the police, but all they fouat the scene was a lump of metal. Three nights later, two youmen, who did not identify themselves, came to the house of oof the witnesses to question him about the incident. Later, wh

police checked the license plate of the visitor’s car, they foundwas a number that had not yet been issued. A week later, twforeign-looking, dark-complected men in black suits visited tsame man and tried to make him believe he had not had tcollision. They made vague threats against his wife, in an effto induce the witness to give them the lump of metal from taccident site.3

Kenneth Arnold



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There are hundreds of equally strange stories about thesemysterious characters, but the above are more or less typical.

What Do We Know About the MIB?It would be convenient if all MIB reports described the same typeof individuals, but as with so much of the UFO literature (perhaps

I should say all), this sub-genre refuses to be convenient. In the‘classic’ MIB report, the men are described as rather short andthin, with slightly Asian features. They dress in black suits, black hats, black ties, and white shirts. Witnesses report these men

drive black cars, oftena Cadillac, and that thecar seems new evenif it’s an older model.They also seem to havea tenuous grasp of Eng-lish, and some speak in a monotone. Often,the MIB display a lack of knowledge about common items or cus-toms.2 Oddly, thesevisitors often seem tohave trouble breathing.

Witnesses have also commented that the MIB seen to wear verythick soles on their shoes, while other witnesses have noticed theMIB’s clothing styles are years out of date. At times, the MIB use

language that is stilted or dated.3

One telling aspect of the MIB mystery is that these oddballsoften show up the day following a sighting and before the wit-nesses have had a chance to tell anyone about it. And, since theMIB always seem quite knowledgeable about the sighting, thissuggests an unconventional source for their information. MIBmasquerade as government agents, military or air force person-nel, or as representatives of insurance companies, and they usu-ally ask lots of questions (even when they clearly know what hashappened). Sometimes they just leave after questioning, andsometimes they warn of dire consequences if the witness does

not keep quiet about his or her sighting.4 (Readers will no doubt understand that some of these ‘visits’

could, in reality, have been made by legitimate government agentswho just weren’t very smooth while dealing with people.)

The MIB threaten, but they don’t seem to follow throughon their threats. However, some writers have suggested that thedeaths of several UFO investigators might be linked to the MIB.(There are always other causes to suspect, including some that

are very mundane.) It seems that most folks so involved take tMIB threats somewhat seriously.

Even as they depart from a shaken UFO witness, the Maren’t conventional. Their cars have been seen to drive offnight without headlights, or the MIB and their cars seem to vaish. Some have even claimed to see MIB drive directly to a waing craft or ship. As awkward as the MIB often are, as physicauncomfortable as they occasionally seem to be, and as outplace as they always look, the MIB don’t give much away. Phaps it’s their rather simple script, but they play their cards cloto the vest.

A Famous but Unfortunate MIB CaseNo telling of MIB stories would be complete with relating tsaga of Albert K. Bender. In 1952, Bender founded the Interntional Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB). Though small, it grew quicand gathered an impressive network of inves-tigators. Then just one year later, Bend-er disbanded the organization. Heclaimed, without details, that threemen in black had visited him andhad shared the truth behind thesaucers. They asked him to remainsilent —which he did for about ten years. In 1962, he wrote Flying Sau-cers and the Three Men, which hasbeen described as bizarre and full

of weirdness. It was largely ignoredby the UFO community, but it is in-teresting that, while Bender’s book was off-putting at the time, the themes he brought up (secUFO bases in Antarctica, demonology, the occult, spiritualishave been written about by many others since then.2

Back in the 1950s and 60s, I was only interested in a ‘nuts abolts’ approach to the investigations of UFOs. I was more thalittle embarrassed when the first contactees came forth, and tkind of stuff Bender wrote about was just too far-out to considMy friends and family already thought I was a little odd for f

lowing the UFO mystery, and this ‘fringe’ stuff just made it wor Apparently most folks felt the same way, but the high stranness was not obliging enough to go away.

Many Suspect the Government Americans have a wide range of opinions about our governmebut we rarely ignore it. It was inevitable that some would blam

Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones star in the

comedy Men In Black. How close to the

truth is fiction?

Bender’s sketch of his MIB

Men In Black continued



13

the MIB and their tactics of intimidation on the Feds. After all,it’s pretty clear (now) that the government leaned hard on thefolks around Roswell, and we know of other cases where theyplayed with a heavy hand. Why not blame them for intimidat-ing those who witness UFOs and demanding their silence? Thismakes even more sense if you believe our government and otherfriendly governments are fully or partly responsible for the UFOswe see.

MIB often represent themselves as agents of the govern-ment; however, they typically flash some kind of ID very quickly,and follow-up investigations as to their authenticity usually comeup blank. As for the bizarre behavior, researcher Bill Moore has ananswer. He tells us the Air Force has an ‘oddball’ group called the

Air Force Special Activities Center.This outfit got itsstart by recruiting

men who were,shall we say, not mainstream. Theirbackgrounds in-cluded con artists,safe crackers, cat-burglars, imper-sonators and thelike. A major part of the assignment was to get people

to talk.2 If the gov-ernment wanted

to confuse the issue,then the very strange

behaviors of the MIBwould make sense. But,

like most such conspiracy theo-ries, this one is as difficult to believe as the alien hypotheses. Onbalance, I’m betting on an alien origin for the MIB; their oddnessseems too real to be faked.

So, Who You Gonna Call?Unfortunately, not Ghostbusters. While that crew is highly enter-taining and quite enterprising, they are fictional. Too bad; I think we could use them. There are lots of questions about MIB, but few if any answers. The first questions that came to mind duringthis research were:

1. Why don’t the MIB visit more witnesses than they do?

2. What is special about the folks they do visit?

If there is an answer to these questions, I haven’t foundThen too, if these guys are as informed as they seem, why arethey aware of how bizarre they appear? And, why not mix-the costumes so that a clear pattern doesn’t emerge? Fina

why threaten if you don’t intend to follow through? There jdoesn’t seem to be a logical answer to these (and other) qutions. Any one of us could set up and run a far more efficient pcess. All in all, if I were giving their operation a grade, I’d havepeg it at about a “C-minus”. Not that impressive.

Perhaps the proper mindset regarding MIB is to grant the‘others’ a significant advantage in technology, mind-contand overall awareness of the worldaround us, but to assume they havea lot to learn about human emo-tions, behaviors, and social interac-tions. That at least makes sense. After all, we homo-sapiens have afew million years of social behaviorbehind us. That may not make ussuperior, but it certainly makes usunique and, perhaps, hard to copy.

A favorite saying of some TVcharacters is, “You can’t make thisstuff up!” Well, if I were making thewhole UFO saga up, I can promise

you it would make a lot more sensethan it does. Of course, to the beings on the other side of tenigma, it may all be perfectly logical. It’s painfully obvious don’t have all the fact. But we do have some patterns, like tMIB, and, occasionally, some connections. .



14

(Continued from page 2)

we had for him and staff. A private home tucked into the one of the wavering wooded ridge lines in the Galena Territories.

Thursday morning came quicker than expected so off to thehistorical town of Galena for a book signing at “Chocolat,” a spe-

cialty shop endowed with some of the worlds finest sampling of none other than its name sake. Another specialty is the generoushearts and welcoming smiles of owner/purveyor, Bonnie, andmanager, Lisa.

Friday was met with a mix of anxiety and anticipation aswe soon found out that Stanton Friedman’s plane was delayed,resulting in a chain of calamities. That caused not just him, but Kathleen Marden and three others, Victor, Tony and Al Curtis toarrive nearly a day later at 4:15 AM Saturday morning.

Beyond that, things went off without a glitch. Donald Schmitt and Kevin Randle delivered dynamic presentations as we coordi-nated two radio remotes and multiple speaker interviews. Deniseand Karen from WRMN-1410AM not only did a remote but do-nated a volume of gifts for the Sunday drawing. This dynamicduo has been instrumental in our success from the get go.

Video Recordings of some of the interviews will be available

thanks to Dan and John from Benchmark Investigative Group.Friday was the reception and dinner. The desert was heav-

enly; conversations raged while our good friend Stanton Fried-man was still in transit. By now, some five hours past his antici-pated arrival time, the airlines wouldn’t tell us much more thanthere was a flight delay. Weather was the culprit as we eventuallyfound out.

Richard Dolan took Saturday morning by storm with his pre-

Director’s View continued

sentation on the UFO cover-up and Dr. Jesse Marcel, Jr. becamvery handy helping a gentleman who passed out due to a lomagnesium condition.

A wedding was underway just a few yards from the pale mnow on a stretcher and being carried off by paramedics to t

awaiting ambulance. This rather ornate occasion, with the grooatop a gallant steed, had the accompaniment of the flashing ligfrom the ambulance to punctuate their memorable momeEven I couldn’t have made this one up. As a side note, the mrecovered and came back for the next session and attended tentire next day without incident.

Ted Phillips with Adam Johnson and Tom Ferrario took cter stage covering their adventures at the very unusual MarWoods. The hair raising, new revelation on encounters with“mysterious 400 lb. creature” kept everyone on the edge of thseat. Nothing like trace evidence to make the case and no o

does it better than Ted and the SIU Team.In our mist was a living legend, retired USAF colonel, Dr. Je

Marcel, Jr. Steve Anthony, a big band instructor turned UFO ethusiast, gave an introduction for the good doctor and may I adone he’ll never forget. As he took the podium there was a staning ovation. Dr. Jesse Marcel, Jr. stood before cameras rollingmembers of the press made best of this opportunity. What occasion this truly was. To meet this man who made it clear in uncertain terms that he stood witness to an abandoned piecehistory and not some unusual weather balloon.

Saturday was our Speakers Dinner at “Spikes” overlookthe Galena Territory—what a spectacular view. The interior lanscape was as equally impressive with radio celebrities, world-nowned ufologists, a comedian, two colonels, a surgeon andvariety of talents and experience.

They may seem to live worlds apart on any other day but non that day. Drawn together by one common thread, that gobeyond UFOs— it’s the passion for the truth and a lust for life.

The evening sky was most impressive and so was the copany. Making the most out of what is known as being somethe best sky in the Midwest many congregated under the st

for a Night Watch. They weren’t disappointed.We’d like to thank our treasurer, Larry Chambers, for brin

ing his two pairs of generation three night vision goggles to tevent on Friday and Saturday. They opened the heavens in sua way and left many walking away wondering; “What the hewas that?”

Sunday the phone kept ringing as people made an early etry to assure themselves good seats. Stanton Friedman open

Bonnie Bellendier, owner of Chocolat, hosted Richard Dolan for his

book signing.



15

and it looked like a few attendees may have even skipped acrossthe lawn that morning to get there on time.

Refreshed from his less-than-perfect and lengthy journey,Stanton rose to meet the occasion to a loud and crisp applause.His trademarked smile showed no sign of fatigue, the true sign of

a professional.Our luncheon buffet with a captivating view of beautifulLake Galena added to the ambiance. Eye-to-eye, speaker andconference guest spoke candidly over a fine meal. What an op-portunity as well as a pleasure.

After lunch Steve Anthony entertained us with his renditionof a historical Edward R. Morrow broadcast and then introducedour final speaker of conference, Kathleen Marden.

Captivating the crowd with the actual images and record-ings of her aunt and uncle’s regression tapes from the 1960’s.Kathleen presented information many of us have never heard

before. Betty Hill was always known as the sweet heart of ufology. Its good to know she has left her legacy in as able andcharming a professional as there could be, her very own niece.Thank you, Betty.

The Speaker Panel was filled with great information as wellas a good share of laughs along with a bountiful supply of prizes

for our drawings. Thanks to Denise and Karen, our members andradio hosts and celebrities on WRMN-1410AM.

Attendees came from several states. Some drove in fromOhio, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, Iowa and variousparts of Illinois. Each and every one congratulated us on thechoice of venue and speaker line up. Asked if they would do it again, it was an astounding “Yes!”.

Press coverage was great, too, as The Telegraph Herald out

of Dubuque covered the event until Sunday. Doug Collins deered another remote radio broadcast on KIYX -106.1AM SupHits. He admittedly walked away with a greater respect of tsubject and the people doing the research. Julie and I had topportunity to spend a pleasant afternoon at the Galena CeVineyard where we chimed in on a remote broadcast to promthe event, as well as the chance to sample the many fine winand most remarkable personality associated with this area.

The entire event was an eye opener for many. In Retrospone of the many questions asked of me on air was “Why GalenThis area is home to one of the highest literacy rates in the coutry. Some of our best universities lie within this valuable region

Far more is exported from here than the precious minethat the area was known for. A wealth of creativity, brilliance, acourage, the very essence that help bring this country to its fe

and on many an occasion, kept us standing in times of despThis is the Heartland. A place where a broken soul can find hoor an earnest effort can make good.

This seemed a good place to foster our efforts as well as bing a perfect place for relaxation, information, and inspiration. Oa personal note, Eagle Ridge was the last place my family sharthe last happy moments with my father—he loved it. For those you who made it out there, you can see why.

KIYX radio host Doug Collins interviewing the wine tasting master at th

Galena Cellar Vineyard during the conference event.

The Speakers’ Panel answered conference guests’ questions on the final

day of the conference.



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Director’s View continued

Gratitude is the heart’s memory—many thanks to:Richard Dolan for coming in early and helping with so many

things. His good sense and humor saved the day on more thanone occasion.

Stanton Friedman, for enduring the grueling flight that didn’t

damage his dynamic presentation and warm smile.Donald Schmitt, who always finds something new and note-worthy to talk about from his constant research and dedication.

Kevin Randle and Jesse Marcel, who I had met for the veryfirst time at this event and have found an even deeper respect for them both. Kevin, thanks for the sobering look at ufologyand what is needed to bring this field into the light of scientificlegitimacy. Thanks also for the donation of books. It is most wel-comed. Dr. Marcel, what an honor and a treat. You are such a de-lightful soul.

Having come this far in experience as well as the distance to

share a moment with us, Kathleen Marden. What a gem of per-son as well as a high quality and detailed researcher.

Julie and I really enjoyed our ride back to the airport withKathleen and Stanton especially when we stopped to get gas.Stanton got out of the car, walked a few feet, only to have someguy say, “Didn’t I just see you on television?” It was great.

Ted Phillips, Tom, and Adam, of the SIU Team. They lend somuch to this field. It’s a complete pleasure to be in their companyand to learn from each and every one of them.

Al Curtis, who drove till 4:15 AM to deliver, safe and sound,our valued guest and without so much as a complaint or whim-per, just the consumption of mass quantities of coffee on Satur-day. Last I heard, he was still awake.

For their fine video work and ongoing assistance, Dan Lauingand John Leatham from Benchmark Investigative Group. Theseguys have done miracles for us on countless occasions. Can’t wait to see the final cuts on this.

Sue Murawski, who gave it her all, getting a number of newmembers and drawing tickets sales as well as being our gal Friday.

Dobie Maxwell added a needed degree of levity now andthen, as well as a helping hand on promoting the event on his

own radio show and many others.Bill Leone, who did a great job on security. Bill was the first

person to notice the ailing gentleman in the crowd and diverteda potential disaster.

My brother, Scott, and my mother, who always aids in anyway she can, from admissions to assuring our accommodationsare intact and everything in-between. Accommodating our cam-era crew and friends with the use of their home was none other

than my bother-in-law and sister, Gaylord and Starr.

Steve Anthony, for his remarkable eloquence and humor.“Team Magic” David Stockman, graphic artist extraordinaFrank Coffman, webmaster, and last, but far from least, our stefast tried-and-true secretary, who I am so honored to be marrto, Julie.

Plus all the others who helped make this event a success. Jwell done�. Thank you all from the depths of my heart.

Sam

Some of the coverage of the conference can be seen at TH Online, the Telegraph Herald’s website. Here are the links.

http://www.thonline.com/multimedia/?id=2532

http://www.thonline.com/multimedia/?id=2543

General Grant’s home is one of many historical sites to be found in Gale

that conference guests visited.



17

Upcoming Events

Noted UFO researcher, lecturer and author Rob-ert Hastings will make his second appearance on

CNN’s Larry King Live on July 3, 2009. Hastings will dis-cuss important declassified U.S. government documentswhich confirm a decades-long UFO-Nukes Connection

that began with some 150 reports of UFO activity at theLos Alamos atomic weapons laboratory as early as De-cember 1948. According to one FBI document, datedJanuary 31, 1949, these incidents were “considered topsecret by the army and the air forces.”

Information uncovered by Hastings and other re-searchers reveals that intermittent UFO surveillance of Los Alamos, and other nuclear weapons-related sites,continued throughout and the Cold War era and beyond, occurring as recently as 2006. Hastings will also

present stunning testimony from a few of the 100-plusformer or retired U.S. Air Force personnel he has inter-viewed, who were involved in one or more of UFO in-cidents at nuclear missile sites over the years. Accordingto those sources—which include missile launch officers,targeting officers, and maintenance personnel—missilesmalfunctioned on a number of occasions, at different bases during the 1960s and ‘70s, just as UFOs were sight-ed hovering above their underground silos, or abovetheir launch control facilities.

Hastings has researched the UFO-Nukes Connectionsince 1973 and has been invited to speak about his find-ings at over 500 U.S. colleges and universities since 1981.He has just returned from two international lectures, inStockholm Sweden and Curitiba, Brazil. His book, UFOand Nukes: Extraordinary Encounters at Nuclear Weapons Sites, is available ONLY at www.ufohastings.com

Robert Hastings on CNN’s

Larry King Live Show

Robert Hastings on CNN’s

Larry King Live Show

Don’t miss Hastings

July 3rd

First half of the show includes:James Fox, filmmaker

Fife Symington, governor of

Arizona

General Wilfred De Brouwer,

retired Belgian Air Force general

Edgar Mitchell, former NASA

Apollo astronaut

Second half of the show includes:

Robert Hastings, UFO researcher

James Fox, filmmakerSeth Shostak, SETI astronomer and

UFO debunker

Bill Nye, TV host and UFO

debunker.



Upcoming Events continued

September 19th, Saturday

General State Meeting

July 18th, UFO Daze in Dundee Wisconsin

September 19th, Saturday

General State Meeting

July 18th, UFO Daze in Dundee Wisconsin

Please go to www.illinoismufon.com for more information concerning upcoming events.

FREE! —yes—FREE! For more information, go to http://www.thelightside.org/ufodaze/schedule.html

Sam will be speaking there along with other fine speakers. This is a beautiful placerenowned for UFO sightings. Not far away, and yes—FREE!

Starved Rock State Park Lodge in Utica, IllinoisLaSalle Room, 10:00 AM—till the cows come home or 11:00 PM This room is located by the hotel registration counter. Seating is limited to sixty,so secure your seat today.$5.00 per person please pay online or by mail. Must be received by July 31st.$10.00 per person at the door after that date.

August 6–9th, 40th MUFON SymposiumAugust 6–9th, 40th MUFON Symposium

in Denver, Colorado For details and registration go to: http://www.mufon.com/symposia.htm

NOTE: Regional Illinois MUFON NFP MeetingsMeetings will be back on track starting in September after Labor Day. Each established regionwill have a monthly meeting. We are looking for help on this, so please contact Julie Marantoat [email protected] if you would like to lend a hand and/or talent.This will be covered separately in our next General State Meeting.

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