Eastern Sasquatch Researcher Meeting, 1999

The founder of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, Steve Anderson and the founder of the Ohio/Pennsylvania Bigfoot Research Group, BR, who was once a member of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society as well, organized The Eastern Sasquatch Researcher Meeting held on September 18, 1999 in Kittanning, Pennsylvania. Steve reserved a conference room for meeting. The primary purpose of the meeting was to get Bigfoot researchers in the general Pennsylvania/Ohio area together for discussions and to share information. This may have been the first meeting of its kind in the state. The attendance, of around 20, represented a lot of talent and experience from many different fields. Unfortunately, Steve Anderson was unable to attend due to family business out of town, and put faith in us to run the meeting in his absence. We have received positive feedback from many of those who attended, and most were interested in continuing the meetings. There was a lot of interaction between the speakers and attendees. We seemed to achieve the goal of everyone leaving the meeting with an increased understanding of the subject and an improved working relationship with each other.

Minutes:

3:10PM-3:18PM Brief introduction by JR of the OH/PA Group.

3:19PM-3:35PM Speaker: Eric Altman. Eric spoke about his interest in Bigfoot, the background of the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, some of his recent research in Pennsylvania with Steve Anderson, and about his recent trip to Ohio.

3:40PM-5:10PM Speaker: George Clappision. George, of the Ohio Bigfoot Research and Study Group, said he started out in UFO research and then started Bigfoot research in 1994. He spoke about his investigations into 4 areas in Ohio during the mid '90s, and also presented a large map of Ohio sightings. A 40-minute videotape and a stack of photos were presented detailing many interesting arrangements of branches that may indicate the presence of the creature. The video also included some footprints and witness interviews. George then related some of the incidents, which occurred while his group was conducting field research. They heard something running nearby them, smelled terrible odors, and tracked something in the dark with a hand-held heat detector. They did not use a light or night vision to verify what they experienced, but they were convinced that it was genuine. The area also had a history of Bigfoot activity.

5:11PM-5:33PM Break

5:34PM- 6:30PM Speaker: Dr. Paul Johnson. Paul is the state director of MUFON, and has been interested in Bigfoot since he was 12 years old. His main interest is in UFO's, but he obtains many Bigfoot reports through his contacts with police organizations as well. From his statistical studies into the two subjects, he finds no direct correlation between UFO's and Bigfoot. Of his 352 reports in Pennsylvania, he has found that sightings occur in flaps every few years, peak near the end of the week in July and August, and the majority occur in darkness or near darkness. Paul also talked about how to obtain reports and the problems associated with some of the methods. He also related some witness interview techniques and other interesting information.

6:31PM-7:49PM Dinner Break

7:50PM-8:43PM Speaker: JR with the OH/PA Bigfoot Research Group spoke about equipment and techniques useful in field research.

8:44PM-9:45PM JR and BR, of the OH/PA Bigfoot Research Group, presented an outline of a Bigfoot Research Network. The Network is being designed to organize serious researchers into a team to accomplish everyone's combined goals and find the truth about Bigfoot. An important part of the Network is to promote the exchange of information, offer team assistance, and insist on feedback to properly verify any findings, while retaining each group's individualism. The Network outline was well received by those who attended, and everyone was interested in continuing its development. Information about the Bigfoot Research Network will be publicized when it is finished.

9:47PM-10:15PM A requested anonymous researcher, from around Warren, PA, presented a video tape of possible evidence obtained near Kinzua Dam in Pennsylvania. This researcher claims that some kind of UFO/Bigfoot/Government activity has been occurring in the area. Some of his evidence appeared to be exaggerated. He claims to have seen a Bigfoot, but he also related strange stories of tapped phone lines, possible militia groups, UFO sightings, UFO abductions, psychic links, vortices, and odd-looking animals in the area. Despite some of these claims, he did have some potential genuine activity as well. A few researchers are planning to check the area out.

Our thanks to Steve Anderson, the speakers, and all those who attended for a successful meeting.

Since 2002: