MEETING `SNOWMAN' WOULD BE A TRIP BONUS

Thursday, March 29, 1990 Akron Beacon Journal

Section: NATION

Page: A6


Seattle Times

Four veteran climbers flew from Seattle this week to test their skills against one of the last unclimbed Himalayan peaks -- and just maybe to solve the mystery of the Abominable Snowman. `Our purpose is to climb the mountain,' said Jim Wickwire, 49, a Seattle attorney who left on the trip Monday. If they run into the legendary `yeti,' as the Abominable Snowman is called, it will be a bonus to the trip, he added. The four-member team will assault 23,500-foot Mount Menlungtse, just inside Tibet on the Nepal border and about 30 miles west of the world's tallest peak, 29,028-foot Mount Everest. ``This is the area where in 1951 Eric Shipton, the British climber, found and photographed the most vivid footprints attributed to a yeti,' Wickwire said.

British expeditions to the Menlung Valley in 1987 and 1988 produced other evidence, but no yeti sightings or photographs. The 1988 expedition, sponsored by the British Broadcasting Corp., resulted in a documentary seen in the United States on public television, Search for
the Yeti. If the yeti exist, Wickwire doesn't think they are human or subhuman. It's more likely some kind of primate, perhaps a species of bear, he said. Wickwire doesn't think the yeti and the legendary Pacific Northwest Sasquatch, or Bigfoot, are related. 

The Express, Lock Haven, PA, Friday, July 19,1991

Sasquatch sighting occurred near here in June

Paul G. Johnson, director of the Pennsylvania center for UFO and Bigfoot research out in North Versailles, Westmoreland County, initially reminds TnT that his organization of the past quarter century offers a free telephone call on the Bigfoot Hotline number l-800-322-8360 - for reports of sightings... So, without incurring any charge, area people can speed information to the Center for UFO Research on sightings of unusual creatures and unidentified flying objects... Johnson wrote July 9. 1991, to TnT "to let you know that someone who read your article (about Johnson and his UFO research center) had recently encountered Bigfoot not far from Lock Haven. I have enclosed a brief summary of the encounter. The two young men requested that their names remain confidential for fear of ridicule from friends and relatives. In fact, the young man who called to report the incident has yet to even tell his parents about the encounter." The date of the sighting was 7 June 1991, and the location, Bald Eagle State Forest (TnT established to his own satisfaction this must be in the large hinterland area southeast of Lock Haven, east of State College and northeast of Lewistown on and near the boundaries of Centre, Union, Mifflin and Snyder meet. )

5:01 a.m. and humid Johnson says the time of the sighting (exact) was 5:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time as the witnesses looked at the digital clock in their vehicle... The environment was a highly wooded, mountainous area, the temperature about 70, and the humidity rather high just around dawn... In Johnson’s own words we quote excerpts from his report from the two young men from our own region of the Keystone State: "The men were standing beside their vehicle when they heard loud noises in the woods. There is a creek that runs through the area, but is at a lower level than the road. They looked up and saw a deer climb the embankment from the creek and cross the road about 40 feet ahead of them. However, the noises continued and it was then that they saw a ’tall jogger’ trot diagonally up the same embankment to the road. They suddenly realized the figure was not human. It was a tall, hairy creature walking perfectly erect on two legs. They could hear its heavy breathing as it stopped at the edge (of the) road about 30 feet away from the astonished witnesses. They estimated that it weighed around 450 pounds. The creature put its hand on its hip "as it were going to strike a pose" but instead, it ran its hand down the hip to the thigh. Its arm came to about inches above the knee. The creature appeared to have a human-like, five-fingered hand.

Nearly 8 feet tall "The creature stood about 7.5 to 8 feet in height and was completely covered with long, stringy, brown hair the color of muddy creek water." The hair was the same all over except for a patch on the belly which appeared to be darker in color The hair on the face was not as thick and long which enabled them to see the eyes. They were large and black with no white part or glow to them. The nose did not protrude to a large degree. They were unable to see any ears. At first they detected no odor, but within a few seconds or so a "sour sweaty" aroma permeated the air. The animal was "breathing hard" and stopped to look at the witnesses who stared back in awe. "The figure stood there and glare at them for about a minute. As it did so, the creature seemed to move it thin lips around as if it wanted to say something." But it never opened it mouth to show any teeth. "After about a minute, the creature took a step toward the witnesses so they hastily climbed back into their vehicle. When they peered out the windshield again, the creature had turned and was starting down the road away from them. It ultimately broke into a trot and disappeared into the woods. "They examined the area for footprints. It was too dry for indentations; however, in a dusty area they saw a 5-toed imprint about 16 inches long." Johnson includes in his interesting data a map that ranges from Johnstown to Latrobe and Greensburg, and south to Uniontown and Confluence, and he has additional data on sightings which TnT will bring to our readers anon... But we think people in our area who have reported UFO sightings to TnT over the past 25 year and others who have been witness to "thunderbirds" and other flying creatures of astonishing dimensions during the same period, ought to mark down the UFO-Bigfoot hotline number we gave above and learn, if they haven’t already, about the well- coordinated operation of Johnson out in Westmoreland County.

Formed in 1966 Johnson’s explanatory brochure from his "PCUFOR" center lets us know that the Center was formed in 1966 as the Westmoreland County UFO Study Group and then in 1973 changed its name to the Pennsylvania Center for UFO Research. It became a statewide organization to provide a place where people might report UFO sightings without fear of ridicule or unwanted publicity; all phone calls and locations are kept in strict confidence... Johnson says the Center works closely with state and local police units throughout the state and provides a CB and Amateur radio network for the reporting and investigations of sightings.

Not advocacy unit The Center, says Johnson, does not advocate any political, religious or philosophical causes, nor does it support or become involved in unfounded theory or rumors "The functions of the Center are to investigate UFO sightings, to analyze these reports, to share this data with other organizations, to promote public education and awareness of the phenomena and to provide evidence for scientific research with in and outside the Pennsylvania Center." The Center also maintains files of sighting reports and has access to a computer data bank (UFOCAT), which is compiled of sightings throughout the world. We will learn more fascinating things about the UFO and Bigfoot research organization under such titles as Phenomenon, and "The Categories," and an area familiar to many of us since the film some years ago, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - and the First Kind, Second Kind and Fourth Kind - and the "Kinds of Evidence" which people can use to implement the scientific method in this very intriguing area of slightly off-the-beaten-track American life, and a subject of growing interest and concern to a wider population. And (a delayed reference to the Bigfoot sighting in Bald Eagle Forest above it seems to TnT that a report of a UFO or "Sasquatch" sighting, should never be met with ridicule.

Akron Beacon Journal 09-02-91

Unknown animal rips up Tuscarawas residence 

Authorities discover fur, footprints and blood in house south of Canton

NEW PHILADEPHIA: A State wildlife officer thinks pieces of fur and blood left at the scene of a ransacked house will help officials identify the unknown animal that forced its way into the residence. "Whatever the animal is, it is big and powerful," said Jim Duggan of the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Its footprints measured almost 3 by 4 inches, and it destroyed the lower floor of a residence on County Road 4 in Tuscarawas County's Oxford Township, about 30 miles south of Canton before the animal disappeared, he said. Sheriff’s deputies were notified by the homeowner's brother Saturday night that the house had been ransacked.

Deputies were preparing to treat the scene as a break-in but changed their minds when they found large animal footprints throughout the house. The animal entered the house by breaking out part of a kitchen window and apparently cut itself then, Duggan said. Curtains at all the windows were torn down, and there were large bite and scratch marks throughout the home. The animal also ate food it found in the house, and there was evidence it slept in one of the beds, Duggan said.

The residents were away on vacation. Investigators photographed the prints and damage, Duggan said. They sent samples of the animal's blood and hair to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for analysis. Duggan said he thinks the animal will be identified through the samples. But he said he will take other samples to a veterinarian in Akron to get additional help.

EX-AREA MAN ENDURES 22-YEAR BIGFOOT SEARCH
RESEARCHER SAYS 2 AREA SASQUATCH SPOTTINGS HAVE ABOVE-AVERAGE
MERIT

Sunday, November 3, 1991, Akron Beacon Journal

Section: TMC

Page: A1


BY CAROLINE TOTTEN, Special to the Beacon Journal

Robert W. Morgan says he has seen Bigfoot three times. During 22 years of researching Bigfoot, the former Canton resident has trekked the Pacific Northwest, the Florida Everglades and the remote areas of Arizona -- sometimes with a team of experts, sometimes alone. `I don't want to capture or kill Bigfoot,' Morgan said. `I just want to slow him down with a stun gun long enough to get a hair and blood sample firsthand.'

Morgan details some of his experiences in the audio cassette The Ultimate Legend Quest. He also wrote and directed the film documentary The Search for Bigfoot, which is still in broadcast syndication. In 1989 he received an award of excellence for his work from the Soviet film industry. He has appeared on the Larry King and Tom Snyder shows, and various periodicals, including the New York Times, have written about his quest.

He is planning a 1992 joint American/Soviet Yeti expedition to the Pamirs, a high plateau of Central Asia along the border of Russia, China and Afghanistan. Soviet reports claim the Yeti inhabits the region. Two recent Bigfoot sightings in Stark County brought a quick response from Morgan.

`I consider a sighting or tracks only as flags to be evaluated in conjunction with other factors,' Morgan said, emphasizing that he does not
scoff at eyewitness reports. His experience guides him in separating pranks from authentic sightings.

One area sighting took place in mid-July. A Kensington woman, reported that at 12:45 a.m. she was driving a rural road in Osnaburg Township when she spotted a large, hairy creature standing in the road. A similar sighting occurred Oct. 23 between 9:30 and 10 p.m on a rural road south of Alliance. Friends of the eyewitness contacted Morgan. He has examined the site, but evaluation of the evidence is not yet complete.

`Most Ohio sightings have originated in a geographic triangle formed by Alliance, Coshocton and Cambridge,' said Morgan, who rated the Stark County reports as having above-average merit. 

FISHING ITEMS ON DISPLAY IN STOW
EDUCATION SEMINARS SET AT NATIONAL GUARD SITE

Friday, January 24, 1992, Akron Beacon Jounal

Section: SPORTS

Page: B6

Compiled by Tom Melody, Beacon Journal outdoor editor

Seminars and a preview of new fishing products will be featured during the Earlybird Outdoors Sportshow scheduled SaturDAY, and SunDAY, at the National Guard Armory, 4360 Allen Road, Stow. `The focus is on education and information,' said Jack Kiser, a key organizer of this first Earlybird show. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on SaturDAY, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, with seminars set 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on SaturDAY, and 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $2 for those 16 and older and $1 for those 15 and younger.

Seminars are scheduled to be presented by Lake Erie charter boat captains Jeff Dzuro, Dennis Zuckowski and Jerry Strayer, Mike Dudek of Muskies Inc., writers Paul Liikala and Bill Kiel and Bigfoot expert Robert Morgan. Radio personality Steve Jones (WNIR) is slated to do his outdoors program from the show on Saturday, 5-6 p.m.

For additional information, call 929-9977, 928-3415.

FINALS AT PORT CLINTON

The Cabela's/In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail Championship will be decided on Lake Erie out of Port Clinton Oct. 1-3 this year. The top 42 anglers from tournaments throughout the season will compete for $100,000 in cash prizes. Daily weigh-ins will be in downtown Port Clinton, according to Karen Culp, executive director of the Ottawa County Visitors Bureau. A regular-season tournament is set for April 29-May 1 out of Put-in Bay.

HUNTERS FINED

Two hunters from Massillon were fined $250 plus court costs each and had their hunting privileges suspended through next year by Canton Municipal Court Judge Loren Souers Jr. The men were arrested during the primitive weapons deer season by Wildlife Officer Tim Jordan, who cited one for attempting to illegally take a second deer and the other for carrying a deer permit belonging to another person.

NRA DEER CLINICS

The National Rifle Association has decided to expand the number of Whitetail Deer Superclinics from one to four this year. The dates and sites
are: Aug. 8-9, St. Louis; Aug. 15-16, Raleigh, N.C.; Aug. 22-23, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Aug. 29-30, Kiamesha Lake, N.Y. Cost is $95 for the sessions, excluding meals and lodging. Early registration is recommended, and additional information is available by calling (202) 828-6240.

The NRA also is joining forces with author and lecturer Dick Idol in offering 15 free deer-hunting clinics in the East and Midwest. Programs within reasonable driving distance of Northeast Ohio will be Feb. 7 at the Ohio Exhibition Center in Columbus and Feb. 8 at the Grand Island HoliDAY, Inn in Buffalo. Clinic hours will be 6:45-9:45 p.m., and the Legendary Whitetail Collection will be shown at all clinics. To register, call 1-800-538-DEER.

CLOSE, VERY CLOSE

Fishing tournaments just don't get much closer than the Yamaha Marine National Elite Fish-Off on Lake Sam Rayburn in Texas. When the scales quit bouncing, Bo Boren of Green Cove Springs, Fla., had defeated Walter Owens of Elizabethtown, Ky., by 1/100th of a pound, 11.41 pounds to 11.40 pounds. The winner received a $2,000 tournament pro package, his choice of either a Pro V outboard or equivalent Yamaha Marine power, Lowrance fishing electronics, a championship ring and a 1-year position on the Yamaha pro staff. The runner-up received a Yamaha 4-wheeler,a Pentax camera, Shimano fishing tackle and Lowrance fishing electronics.

VET PUBLISHES MILITARY BOOKS
DENNIS BARTOW TURNED HIS SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE INTO A CAREER PRINTING
BOOKS

Sunday, January 5, 1992, Akron Beacon Jounal

Section: TMC

Page: A1


BY KRISTINE KURIAN, Special to the Beacon Journal

There's no doubt that Dennis Bartow knows his subject. A six-year Army veteran now serving in the Reserves, Bartow has used his background to turn Daring Publishing Group at 913 Tuscarawas St. W. into a nationally respected small publisher of military history, adventure and biography. Bartow is proud of the distinction. ``I've been interviewed twice by Publisher's Weekly and even now, whenever they need to know what's going on in that field, they ask me,' he said. Daring's military titles range from Marine Sniper, an account of a sharpshooter's battlefield experiences in Vietnam, to Ruffles & Flourishes, a compendium of Army customs and courtesies for wives of officers and non- commissioned officers. Bartow said his biggest sellers are two volumes of The Jody Call Book, collections of marching and running chants. The book is in its 15th printing and sales recently topped 300,000 copies. However, most of Daring's titles receive a more modest press run, usually between 1,000 and 1,500 copies.

In 1978, Bartow established Daring Press to print books for Life Enrichment Publishers, a line of Christian books published by his father, Pastor Don Bartow. Eventually, the younger Bartow began printing his own selection of manuscripts, and printing gave way to publishing. `It mostly started by word of mouth,' Bartow said. `Somebody would hear about my military background and send me a manuscript.' Today, Bartow receives 100 to 150 manuscripts every year from around the world.

Along with military topics, Daring publishes books about Ohio history, famous landmarks, hobbies, travel and some fiction. Then there are the stories of area noteworthies, such as The Fences Between, an autobiography by Dr. Norma Marcere, the first tenured black teacher and guidance counselor in Massillon schools. While all the manuscripts he receives are different, Bartow said some are downright bizarre. `There was one from a guy who had completely rewritten the Bible. It wasn't just another translation; it was how he thought the Bible should have been written in the first place.'

Bartow said that if he has one failing as a businessman, it's that he's been known to take on a manuscript because he felt it was a good or important story instead of judging it on its commercial potential. A lot of a book's success depends on the author. `Some writers think their part of the book process ends with a publishable manuscript,' Bartow said. ' But unlike some big name publishing houses with lots of resources, small houses like Daring rely on the author to promote his or her own book.' An author's public relations efforts can include sending out review copies, making up press releases and getting spots on radio and television shows, Bartow said. Recent economic downturns will force Daring to cut back from its 10 to 12 titles a year. Among those slated for press are Alan and David Dutka's The Cleveland Palace Theatre; Lynn Hampton's biography, Combat Nurse; and The Ultimate Legend Quest, Robert Morgan's collection of Native American legends about Bigfoot. 

THE MOTHER OF BIGFOOT'S KID IS FOUND IN SEATTLE
HEY! WE'RE JUST KIDDING, AND SO WAS SECRETARY IN HER MOMENT OF
FAME.

Wednesday, September 16, 1992, Akron Beacon Jounal

Section: NATION

Page: A1


BY ELOUISE SCHUMACHER, Seattle Times

Seattle secretary reports Bigfoot is daddy of 4-year-old furry son! Family values mean nothing to father, as he is nowhere to be found!

In her `startling confession' in a just-released edition of the tabloid Weekly World News, an alleged 29-year-old Katie Martin of Seattle says she and Bigfoot conceived Kelly Kendall Martin, also known as Littlefoot, while she was on a camping trip to Mount Rainier National Park in July 1987. Although Martin claims she fainted dead away at the first sighting of her 7 1/2-foot suitor, soon the couple were communicating `through some sort of telepathic link.' Bigfoot wooed Martin with flowers, berries and fresh fish, she said. `One thing led to another, but I really don't want to get into that,' she is quoted as telling the Florida-based national tabloid. Cy Hentges, spokesman for Mount Rainier National Park, said MonDAY, it was the first he'd heard of a Bigfoot liaison with a park visitor. `Where did this happen, at Bridal Veil Falls?' he asked. Littlefoot made his entry into the world on April 28, 1988, delivered by an unnamed doctor who `was horrified to see that his face was covered with curly brown hair,' according to his mother. `I could shave his face, but he knows that Bigfoot is his daddy and he's proud of that,' the secretary was quoted as saying. In the article, Martin said she still searches for her summertime love during yearly visits to Mount Rainier, but she `hasn't seen hide nor hair of the boy's father' since their two-week fling. 

The fact the legendary manlike giant ape left Martin to raise their son alone doesn't surprise Grover Krantz, a Washington State University anthropology professor and veteran seeker of Sasquatch, or Bigfoot. `He probably wouldn't make a very good father,' said Krantz. `Like most other primates, he'd be tolerant of kids but he wouldn't do anything to help them economically. `He'd provide protection and minimal entertainment, such as playing with him and tickling him a little bit,' explained Krantz. `But he wouldn't provide food or anything else -- that's the mother's job.'

Martin and son apparently are keeping a low profile. A telephone call to the only Katie Martin in Seattle was answered by a man who denied he was Bigfoot (' I wish I were,' he said) but declined to reveal his identity. He said Katie Martin is `working right now. ... She has to feed that little bigmouth.' When Katie Martin called the Seattle Times, she said she was not `that' Katie Martin but she admitted playing along with the 10 or so press calls she has gotten each day. `This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, I figure, and I'm having lots of fun with it,' said Katie Martin, 27, who's not a secretary and didn't give birth to Littlefoot or Anyfoot, for that matter. She's hoping to parlay her fame into a guest shot on Late Night With David Letterman. Martin said she has never been to Mount Rainier, and she could look like her namesake in the magazine only if she `doubled my weight and put my hair in a ponytail on top of my head.'

But does she believe in Bigfoot's existence? `Heck, I do now,' she said, laughing.

TWO SPORTS SHOWS SET FOR WEEKEND
CHAPEL HILL EVENT CONTINUES, AND EARLY BIRDS VISIT THE ARMORY
IN STOW

Friday, February 18, 1994, Akron Beacon Journal

Section: SPORTS

Page: B9

It's show time, with the Greater Akron Sportsman Show continuing at Chapel Hill Mall and the Early Bird Show getting under way SaturDAY, in Stow. The Greater Akron show, now in its 58th year, is the oldest of its kind in the state. It is sponsored by the Goodyear Hunting and Fishing Club, and proceeds are used for area conservation projects. Highlights will include the appearance this evening, 6:30-8:30, of television personalities Big Chuck and Little John.

Those who attend the show may become eligible to win blimp rides, a set of Goodyear tires, a shotgun and a rod and reel combination. Ohio and Canadian fishing licenses as well as Goodyear Hunting and Fishing Club memberships will be on sale. Show hours are mall hours, the show continues through SunDAY, and there is no admission charge. The Early Bird Show will be at the National Guard Armory, 4360 Allen Road, and hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. SaturDAY, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for adults and $1 for those 12 and younger. Seminars will be featured both days, and those who either purchase a reel at the show or bring their used reel to the show with them will be able to have it spooled free of charge at the Wal-Mart booth.

Steve Jones, outdoors television show host and an expert on Bigfoot, will discuss his findings at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Blaine Denious, tournament bass fisherman and a leading advocate of opportunities for handicapped sportsmen, will present seminars at 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. SaturDAY, and 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Greater Akron Sportsman Show seminars today-Saturday:

6-6:30 p.m. -- Crossbow Techniques, Nathan Craven and Mark Bowers of
Horton Crossbows.

6:30-7 p.m. -- Trolling the Great Lakes for Walleye and Salmon, Charter
Boat Captain Jeff Dzuro.

7-7:30 p.m. -- Wild Turkey Calling and Hunting Techniques, members of the Tusky River Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation.

7:30-8 p.m. -- Understanding Lake Erie Navigation, Charter Boat Captain
Ken Schoenfeld.

The seminars will be repeated in the same sequence on SunDAY, beginning at 2 p.m.

Additionally, the Northern Ohio Labrador Retriever Club will present
obedience demonstrations SaturDAY, at 2 and 7 p.m. and SunDAY, at 2 p.m.

Saturday's Early Bird seminars:

11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. -- Three Proven Methods for Catching Bass, Walleyes and Panfish in Numbers, tournament fisherman Blaine Denious.

12:30 p.m. -- Muskie Fishing at West Branch and Lake Milton, Channel 29
outdoors television show host Steve Jones.

2:30 p.m. -- Northern Pike Fishing on the Cuyahoga River, free lance
outdoors writers Paul Liikala and Bill Kiel.

6 p.m. -- Tips and Tactics for Walleye and Panfish in Local Waters,
Liikala and Kiel.

On Sunday, Denious will speak at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., while Jones will
speak on fishing at 12:30 and Bigfoot at 2. 

SPORTS SHOW SEASON BEGINS ITS BIG RUN

Friday, February 24, 1995, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: SPORTS
Page: C7


TOM MELODY

The area's outdoor sports show season gets under way tomorrow with the opening of the Wooster Hunting and Fishing Show.

The Greater Akron Sportsman Show runs Thursday through the following Sunday at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron; the Early Bird Outdoor Sports Show will be next Saturday and Sunday at the National Guard Armory in Stow; the American & Canadian Sport, Travel and Outdoor Show is set for March 17-26 at the IX Center alongside Cleveland Hopkins Airport; and the Acme SuperCenter Show is March 31-April 2 at the SuperCenter on Manchester Rd.

Booth space remains for the Akron and Stow shows, and the contacts are Don Palmer (733-2358) and John Kiser (928-3415), respectively.

The Wooster show, in its second year, will be at the OARDC building on Madison Avenue through Sunday. Hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. tomorrow and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for those 13 and older, $1 for those 12 and younger.

First 50 youngsters 12 and younger will receive Bass Pro Shop Classic 500 fishing rods. Persons either purchasing a reel or bringing one to the show will receive free fishing line, professionally spooled, at the Wal-Mart booth.

Wooster seminar schedule:

TOMORROW

11:30 a.m. -- Proper Use of Depth Finders and Other Secrets to Fish Location, inland lakes guide Bob Tomasko.

2 p.m. -- Newest Methods for Lake Erie's Changing Walleye Fishery, Lake Erie charter captain Jeff Dzuro.

3:30 p.m. -- Top Tactics for Fishing Northeast Ohio Inland Lakes, Tomasko.

6 p.m. -- The Worldwide Bigfoot Phenomenon, Robert Morgan and Steve Jones, Bigfoot researchers.

SUNDAY

11 a.m. -- Early Season Panfish Tips, outdoor writers Paul Liikala and Bill Kiel.

12:45 p.m. -- Bigfoot May Be Closer Than You Think, Morgan and Jones.

2:30 p.m. -- Ohio's overlooked Fishing Hotspots, Liikala and Kiel.

4 p.m. -- Lake Erie's Walleye, Steelhead, Perch and Smallmouth Bass Opportunities, Dzuro.

RESEARCHERS USE DNA IN TRY TO VERIFY BIGFOOT

Monday, November 6, 1995, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: OHIO
Page: A1\

Researchers at Ohio State University hope to come within a hair of verifying the existence of Bigfoot.

Scientists are using a new DNA matching process to determine whether there may be more to the sasquatch legend than some blurry film footage and a few giant footprints. The new evidence consists of two tufts of hair recovered in Washington state after a recent sighting.

"This is the first time that I'm aware of that anybody will be able to do any DNA extractions (on Bigfoot)," said Frank Poirier, chairman of Ohio State's department of anthropology.

"I don't expect anything to happen because I'm pretty skeptical about this. But good science requires some wild goose chases from time to time."

BIGFOOT EXPERTS TO BE AT STOW SHOW

Friday, March 3, 1995, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: SPORTS
Page: B7

Bigfoot is expected to be among the big attractions at the 4th annual Early Bird Sports Show tomorrow and Sunday at the National Guard Armory in Stow.

"Two of the area's, in fact the nation's, experts on the subject, Steve Jones of Newton Falls and Robert Morgan of Canton, packed them in at a sports show in Wooster last weekend and we expect them to do the same thing at this show," Jack Kiser, show chairman, said.

Their appearances are set for 1 p.m. tomorrow and 4 p.m Sunday. Show hours are 10 a.m.-8 p.m. tomorrow and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 for those 12 and older and $1 for those 11 and younger.

The first 50 children 12 and younger each day will receive a free Bass Pro Shops Classic 500 fishing rod. Reels either bought at or brought to the show by patrons will be professionally spooled with new line at the Wal-Mart booth.

The armory is located on Allen Road, 1/8 mile east of the Steels Corners exit off Route 8.

Seminar schedule:

TOMORROW

11 a.m.-- Pre-Spring Fishing Tactics, outdoor writers Paul Liikala and Bill Kiel.

1 p.m. -- The Worldwide Bigfoot Phenomenon, Jones and Morgan.

2:30 p.m. -- Fishing the Cuyahoga from Kent to Akron, Liikala and Kiel.

4 p.m. -- New Tactics for Lake Erie's Clear Water Walleyes, Lake Erie charter captain Jeff Dzuro.

6 p.m. -- Fighting the Good Fight: River Steelhead, pro angler Johnnie Candle.

SUNDAY

11:30 a.m. -- What Fishermen Don't Know About Depth Finders and Finding Fish, inland lakes guide Bob Tomasko.

1 p.m. -- Tips and Tactics for Lake Erie Gamefish, Dzuro.

2:30 p.m. -- Northeast Ohio: A Potential Fishermen's Paradise, Tomasko.

4 p.m. -- Bigfoot Is Closer Than You Think, Jones and Morgan.

NEWCOMERSTOWN HOST FOR BIGFOOT GATHERING

Saturday, March 2, 1996, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: OHIO
Page: A1\

Does Bigfoot exist? Don Keating thinks so. And he wants everyone to believe it. He plans to show films and tell of his own Bigfoot sightings at the eighth annual Bigfoot Conference today in Newcomerstown. The Tri-State Bigfoot Study Group hosts the annual meeting, which is expected to draw about 50 people -- believers and doubters, this year.

SPECIAL MAN WITH SOME SPECIAL IDEAS

TV HOST JONES ISN'T A TYPICAL MEDIA PERSONALITY. HE'S AN OUTDOORS MAN WITH VISION

Friday, April 19, 1996, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: SPORTS
Page: B7\

TOM MELODY

Sometimes, big boys cry because they want to. So it was the day the little girl reached up from her wheelchair, hugged Steve Jones with her tiny arms and said, "I love you." It was to be another day in the life of this host of The Huntin' and Fishin' Show, seen Fridays, 6-7 p.m., on WAOH, Ch. 29, and expanding into the Cleveland market via WAX, Ch. 35, on May 24. He would shoot some film at the Handicapped Fishing Derby sponsored by the Goodyear Hunting and Fishing Club and be on his way. Nothing to it, not until the frail child recognized him, told him how much joy she received from his show -- how he made her laugh, taught her to catch more fish -- and then hugged him. "I felt that I had been touched by an angel," Jones said the other evening. A man of remarkable passion and sensitivity, Steve Jones is 37, although he'd just as soon keep that a secret from his huntin' and fishin' buddies. "When I was younger and the guys were beginning to date, I was more interested in a 10-pound largemouth than a 120-pound loudmouth," he said. That's huntin' and fishin' talk. Guy stuff. Now there is a wife, Michelle, who by the way has caught a 40-inch muskie, larger than any he has caught, and three children. "I do this show for three reasons, and the reasons are Zachary, Brady and Jesse," Jones said. "I want to protect and preserve the outdoors and all it has given me for them." Thus, he preaches the thrill rather than the kill of hunting, and if you go fishing with him you'd better leave the beeper and the hip-pocket phone at home. "You hear people speak of hunting and fishing as sport, but I believe they are far more than that. I believe they are a way of life," Jones said. "I can't understand it, never will, when people say they don't have a good time unless they either kill or catch something." Don't get the wrong impression here. Listen, Jones can strut and spit with the best of the outdoors crowd. He'll have an extra helping of muskrat, thank you, at the wild game dinners -- and if you want to hunker down by a bonfire all night and tell lies while waiting for the catfish to bite, he'll do that, too.

But, as he says, indeed preaches, there is more to the outdoor experience than muddy boots and a can of Skoal. "We should be proud of what we do. I'm fully against this business of sneaking around and trying to hide our love of hunting and fishing," Jones said. Proud enough to stand up to those who would put an end to hunting and fishing. Bring on the soap box, or microphone and camera. "Let's face it, let's be honest, outdoors people are basically lazy when it comes to defending their pursuits," Jones said. "I don't know what it's going to take, but they'd better get off their behinds. They'd better write some letters and make some phone calls."

He spoke of his kinship with Indians over the years and how they have asked him, "Why do your people have to destroy everything that is natural?" Jones does not have a printable answer, but he does have a tear for those who ask him. He does have answers, though, for those who do not believe children should be exposed to guns. "Ignorance is not bliss, no way," Jones said. "Guns are a part of our society and will remain so. It really comes down to either teaching a child about guns or risking the chance they will kill themselves learning on their own."

Jones grew up in Brimfield and now lives in Portage County's Paris Township. He works for the Ohio Department of Transportation as a transportation technician. Once upon a time, back in the largemouth vs. loudmouth days, he was a disc jockey and six years ago began doing a radio show for sportsmen on WNIR with Ben Doepel, the current president of the Goodyear Hunting and Fishing Club. In October '93, he launched the television show at the urging of station owners Bill and Bob Klaus, "who've always been good to me. I'd also like to say that nobody in this business has had better cameramen and producers." Jones has had a wonderful time, he said, and judging from the many phone calls he receives each week, so have his viewers. His guests have included entertainer Ted Nugent, who is tireless in his defense of hunting, but most of the time he features local folks. "I want viewers to have a chance to listen to the views of others, yet I want them to be able to present their views," Jones said. "That's why we always go to the phones during the show." It is a learning as well as a teaching process for him, he emphasized, saying, "Anybody who professes to know it all about the outdoors is a liar."

He mentions his addiction to the mysteries surrounding the Bigfoot creatures and swears he saw them in southern Ohio after being taken to a "research area" by Bigfoot experts. Snicker if you will, Jones said. He knows what he knows, and he knows what others have told him. "The outdoors is a spiritual thing with me, a utopia," Jones said. "My life has been tremendous because of the outdoor experience."

BIGFOOT TO BE TOPIC OF SPEECH AT KSU

Friday, August 30, 1996, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: METRO
Page: E6\

Robert W. Morgan, the director of the American Yeti Expeditions, will talk at a conference on Bigfoot, UFOs and human abductions by aliens.

The talk will be given from 1 to 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Kiva Theater at Kent State University.

Also appearing will be Dr. Stuart Kingsley, director of the Optical SETI Project, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence using advanced optical techniques.

Tickets are $10 for students and seniors and $15 for adults. Call 1-330-879-2809 for information.

LECTURE ON BIGFOOT SET FOR GARDNER CENTER

Thursday, October 24, 1996, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: METRO
Page: D6\

A lecture about Bigfoot will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Room of the Gardner Student Center on the University of Akron campus. Speaking will be Robert W. Morgan, director of the American Yeti Expeditions. Tickets are $3 for students and seniors and $5 for the general public. The event is sponsored by the American Anthropological Research Foundation.

SPORT SHOW OPENS IN STOW TOMORROW

Friday, February 28, 1997, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: SPORTS
Page: D8\

Compiled by Tom Melody, Beacon Journal outdoor editor

Chances are there will be something for everyone at the Early Bird Outdoor Sport Show tomorrow and Sunday at the National Guard Armory in Stow, Allen Road off the Route 8 Steels Corners exit. Included will be seminars, a trout fishing pond, BB gun shoot and casting contest for youth and free fishing line for up to three reels per person in addition to reels purchased at the show.

Admission is $3 for those 13 and older and $1 for those 12 and younger. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. both days, and the number for additional information is 330-928-3415.

The BB gun shoot will be noon-3 p.m. on Sunday. This is for children and will be supervised by the Tusky River Chapter National Wild Turkey Federation. The Akron Children's Zoo will offer an exhibit noon-3 p.m. tomorrow.

SEMINAR SCHEDULE:

+ Tomorrow -- 11 a.m., Lake Erie's Changing Walleye and Steelhead Fisheries, charter captain Jeff Dzuro. 12:30 p.m., Spring Turkey Hunting, John Pflueger, Quaker Boy calls. 2 p.m., The Bigfoot Phenomenon, TV show host Steve Jones and researcher Dr. Robert Morgan. 3:30 p.m., Ohio Muskie Fishing, Muskies Inc. members Ray Elkins and Bob Marshall.

+ Sunday -- 11 a.m., Cuyahoga River Northern Pike Fishing, outdoor writers Paul Liikala and Bill Kiel. 12:30 p.m., Lake Erie Smallmouth, Dzuro. 2 p.m., Northern Ohio's Early Spring fishing, Liikala and Kiel. 3:30 p.m., The Bigfoot Phenomenon, Jones and Morgan.

BIGFOOT AFICIONADOS GATHER THIS WEEKEND

Friday, March 6, 1998, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: OHIO
Page: B2\

After 13 years of research, Don Keating still has no proof that a tall, hairy creature known as Bigfoot exists, but that doesn't bother him. "If not now, at one time there was something like that in the Newcomerstown area," he said.

Keating told the Times-Reporter that he has found footprints and hair samples that could be linked to Bigfoot. He has also spoken to more than 100 people who say they have seen Bigfoot in the area, about 80 miles east of Columbus.

In 1988, Keating expanded his research by forming the Tri-State Bigfoot Study Group and starting an annual Ohio Bigfoot Conference. The 10th conference will be tomorrow. Keating acknowledges that the only way to prove the existence of Bigfoot is to find the remains or obtain convincing video footage. He said he has caught something on videotape twice, but he cannot say whether it was Bigfoot.

"A lot of researchers are convinced it is, but I'm not going to stick my neck out for somebody to cut my head off," he told the newspaper.

BIG FOOT BELIEVERS
YOU CAN SCOFF AT THESE FOLKS ALL YOU WANT, BUT THEY KNOW . . .

Wednesday, March 24, 1999, Akron Beacon Journal
Section: LIFE STYLE
Page: D1\

By Chuck Klosterman, Beacon Journal staff writer

In the woods of Ohio and Pennsylvania, there lives a creature. This creature is impossible to photograph and difficult to describe, and it has managed to survive the intrusion of technology. It defies the laws of science and the rules of common sense. And it's a creature that evidently cannot die, no matter how many people try to kill it. It is a creature called Hope.

It's the hope that -- somewhere, perhaps in the deep underbrush of Coshocton County -- there is a Sasquatch. Laymen refer to this species as Bigfoot; "experts" call it the Pennsylvania Creature. But most people simply call it a myth, and those who believe in that myth are politely called insane. It's not easy to have faith in the Sasquatch. Tell your co-workers you've seen a Bigfoot, and they will laugh at you. When you walk the streets of your hometown, local teen-agers will drive by, roll down their car windows and growl at you. Your credibility will constantly be weighed against your espoused belief in a hairy, 7-foot primate that nobody can capture (or even successfully photograph). Everyone will think you're nuts.

But for true believers, the unified sarcasm of a skeptical society simply does not matter.

During the first weekend of March, about 150 believers drove though a blizzard to Newcomerstown, Ohio, a town with a population of less than 4,000. They came to Newcomerstown to sit on metal folding chairs in a tiny elementary school gymnasium, where they drank complimentary Coca-Cola and rapped about the Sasquatch lifestyle. For 11 years, Newcomerstown has hosted an annual Bigfoot Conference. Among them are a few especially serious Sasquatch searchers who come to Newcomerstown each month to attend meetings of the Tri-State Bigfoot Study Group, where they analyze recent sightings and discuss the growing body of Bigfoot evidence.

It is a collection of people who don't care what you think.

"Back in 1988, my name appeared in the local newspaper because of my Bigfoot sightings, and some of the younger kids in town made fun of me whenever they saw me out and about," says 33-year-old John Regoli, a Belmont County resident who claims to have seen the creature on four separate occasions. "They would yell stuff at me, and they all seem to think I'm crazy. But once you see it, you immediately become a believer. You just have to be in the right place at the right time -- and I just happen to have been in that position several times. "I think most people disbelieve the wrong things. They are willing to believe anything they see on tabloid TV or in a ewspaper, but they totally discount eyewitness experience from everyday, hard-working people. And I don't know why that is."

For a handful of conference-goers, belief in Bigfoot really isn't a choice -- they merely cannot deny their own optic nerves. It might seem cliche, but seeing is believing. Conference organizer Don Keating says he knows why the world scoffs at the Sasquatch concept, because he used to feel the same way. But in September 1985, he saw a "large, light-colored individual" four miles south of Newcomerstown. That changed everything. "I can understand the public's unwillingness to believe in Bigfoot, because we don't have anything physical," Keating says. "There's not a Bigfoot body laying on a metal table that you can prod with a stick. If I had not seen it myself, I'd still be pretty skeptical. It's a tough sell. But I'm positive of what I saw." It's difficult to argue with a person who says he's seen a Sasquatch; beyond calling him a liar, there's really nothing to debate. All the logic in the world won't convince someone that what he saw wasn't there.

But what about the people who believe without seeing?

Laurie Sasala is a Cleveland investment banker who grew up in Aurora. Actually, Sasala is her birth name; she refuses to use her business name in print, because Sasala is certain she'd be fired if it was widely reported that she spends her free time hunting for Bigfoot. "My name is very well known in the investment community, so I have been reticent to attach myself to this subject," says Sasala, 39. "There are lots of credible people out there who have stories about Bigfoot. Unfortunately, they're usually afraid to come forward." What makes Sasala's interest in Bigfoot particularly fascinating is that she's never even seen one. As a high school senior, she had an "encounter" in the woods near Aurora; she suspects a Sasquatch may have chased her through the brush. But she never actually saw the beast -- and seeing one has become her ultimate goal. Conversationally, Sasala seems completely rational (she has degrees in political science and communications from Hiram College). Her only personality anomaly is an avowed quest for the Sasquatch. She pores over the Internet, looking for people who have Bigfoot stories. She is searching for a lost newspaper clipping about an alleged "dead monkey" discovered in an Aurora swamp in the 1960s. She's even purchased a piece of satellite equipment called a GPS -- a global positioning system that will aid in the Sasquatch tracking process. "Anyone who doesn't speculate in the hope of broadening knowledge is not a very intelligent soul," Sasala said. "Sometimes it seems like we've reached a point in our social evolution where we assume we know everything. But we don't."

Facts vs. fiction

Maybe Sasala's right; maybe society does assume it knows everything. But what society "knows" about Bigfoot could be stored in a shot glass. We have no Sasquatch flesh; we have no Sasquatch bones. There have been more than 700 Bigfoot sightings in the Pacific Northwest, but nobody's ever hit one with a logging truck. Some people swear they've found Sasquatch hair samples, but the DNA evidence is inconclusive. The "proof" of Bigfoot's existence is primarily built on hearsay, a bunch of weird footprints, and 952 frames of 16 millimeter film that were shot by a stuntman named Roger Patterson in 1967. Filmed near Bluff Creek, Calif., it's the grainy footage that just about everyone has seen: A female Sasquatch appears to be fleeing from a stream bed into the forest, momentarily glancing back at the camera. Though the film has never been exposed as an absolute hoax, it has been widely discredited.

Still, the hunt for information continues. The torch is being carried by cryptozoologists such as Loren Coleman, the conference's keynote speaker. (Translated literally, cryptozoology is the study of animals that are secret or hidden.) Coleman lives in Portland, Maine, and teaches college courses in sociology, anthropology and documentary filmmaking. However, he's better-known as the author of The Field Guide to Bigfoot, Yeti, and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide. "In cryptozoology, we are very careful about using the word belief. That word belongs in the providence of religion," Coleman says. "However -- after 40 years of research -- I have come to accept the possibility that some kind of unknown primate is out there." Coleman assumes that at least 80 percent of all Bigfoot sightings are mistakes or hoaxes. He admits that it probably is a little irrational to hunt for Bigfoot, mostly because "a totally rational person is not the kind of guy who's going to go looking for something that can't be easily proven." But he thinks that part of intellect is having an open, creative mind -- and he doesn't care if his peers think otherwise. "There is a thing in academia called the 'ridicule curtain'," Coleman says. "It's used against anyone who is working on a subject that's on-the-edge. As soon as I mention Bigfoot, some people stop listening to everything else I say. There are some people who just call me the 'yeti guy' or 'that guy who writes about Bigfoot.' But I'm so used to being ridiculed, it doesn't even affect me anymore."

Since 2002: