Our area is not alone when it comes to reports of unidentified flying objects.
We may never know if the objects are alien-driven.
A recent meeting with members of the Mutual UFO Network, Inc., also known as MUFON, drew in a crowd of nearly 60 recently to the Wilmington library. MUFON investigates UFO sightings and is always hoping to recruit dedicated members.
MUFON field investigators Sam Maranto and Vic O'Connor lead the discussions.
"We have all heard the stories of strange animal behaviors before a sighting," O'Connor said. "There have been cars that suddenly die and animal mutilations."
Crop circles, the findings of hundreds of people who say they have found implants on their bodies and the thousands who claim they have been abducted, were part of the discussions.
Our government, unlike governments in Chile and China, does not have a UFO department.
"We have discussed the fact that our world could be like a zoo to them," Maranto said.
Two recent mass sightings have prompted MUFON to try to attract new members as well as field inspectors to take reports.
Two of the events took place Aug. 21 and Oct. 31 and were reportedly seen by hundreds of people in Frankfort, Mokena, New Lenox, Tinley Park, Oak Forest, Orland Park, Orland Hills, Matteson and possibly as far away as Hazel Crest.
Maranto said this is one of the most massive sightings in recent history.
One business owner said he was sitting outside with some friends after the Chicago Bears football game when a neighbor yelled at them to look up. They watched the three lights change formations as they went from a northwest direction to the southeast in about 20 minutes, he said. There reportedly was no sound.
He said the bright red lights turned white before disappearing. Around 45 minutes later, a single red light appeared. He was able to capture the light with his video camera.
The witness, who lives in Tinley Park, also viewed the return of the lights on Halloween night. There were three of them again that disappeared after turning colors, he said. Again a single light appeared about 45 minutes later.
There is a video of the sightings available at the National UFO Reporting Center Web site,
www.nuforc.org."You have to have a passion for this stuff, it is a job that does not pay," Maranto said. "I have probably spent about $3,000 out of my pocket to do this kind of work."
The group recommends reading certain books on the subject, but MUFON does not sell any of them. MUFON is a not-for-profit organization.
On the list are "The Missing Times" by Terry Hanson and "Alien Agenda" by Jim Marris. In addition, there are countless books and movies on the subject of UFO's.
Maranto said the UFO incidents are investigated by individuals certified in aviation, meteorology, physics, astronomy and other scientific fields. Eyewitness testimonies, photos and videotapes are analyzed.
The Halloween sighting happened around 8 p.m. and was viewed by hundreds of trick-or-treaters, according to a preliminary Mutual UFO Network report. On two streets alone, nearly 50 trick-or-treaters were stopped with their eyes on the sky.
The group said the object was shaped like a triangle and was more than 5,000 feet long. At the longest dimension, it reportedly covered eight north and south blocks. Depending on how it rotated, the object reportedly was 1,500 feet to 6,500 feet off the ground and hovered about 4,000 feet above the ground.
This is not the first time there have been UFO sightings in the Joliet area. A fiery pinkish-orange flash of light reportedly was seen near Parker Road by drivers on Interstate 80 as well as a New Lenox man parked in his driveway Nov. 30, 1997 near Cedar Road in New Lenox. A rash of sightings were reported in the fall of 1988.
At the meeting, sightings were reported from Elwood, Wilmington and Braceville.
While there might be more sightings reported by more people, Maranto said there is no reason to panic. While he has heard the tales of possible abductions, most of the stories he has heard have had happy endings.
"I heard about a guy who had trouble getting around due to severe multiple sclerosis who was abducted and came back. He lost 30 pounds in one week and now moves like an antelope," Maranto said. "Another man in Indiana who had a hole in his heart woke up to find a V-shape cut. He went to the doctor and found he had been cured."
An older woman at the meeting said she would welcome an alien abduction.
"Generally, they seem to happen to people under the age of 40 and over many generations," Maranto said.
Maranto is looking for more people who have seen UFOs. He can be e-mailed at
sammaranto@sbcglobal.net.Reporter Kim Smith can be reached at (815) 729-6067 or via e-mail at
ksmith@scn1.com 
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