Kent neighbors hold annual ‘burning saucer’ celebration

Hosted in Des Moines at the Woodmont Country Club – less than 3 miles from Kent’s westernmost city limits – the Maury Island Incident Historical Society’s Annual 2018 Meeting was highlighted recently with a solstice-sunset bonfire and “burning of the saucer,” accompanied by Tinkham Road’s live performance of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”

The Maury Island Incident refers to the incredible and forgotten story of Harold Dahl, who on June 21, 1947, alleged a UFO sighting over Puget Sound (read more about it here).

The celebratory event, known as “Burning Saucer, LXXI” also marked the return of Society members (and Pacific Northweird founders) Vince Ynzuna and Alexandra Sullivan from an expedition to Roswell, New Mexico. The journey was commissioned by the Society and was intended to confront Roswell directly over claims that the Maury Island Incident, as well as other prominent Northwest UFO sightings from 1947, were in fact the first UFO sightings in the modern UFO era, contained the first reports of the so-called ‘Men in Black,’ involved several tragic deaths as well as scrutiny from J. Edgar Hoover, and should not be forgotten to history or dismissed as a hoax. Ynzunza and Sullivan picketed the Roswell Chamber of Commerce and posted copies of the Washington State Senate’s 2017 Resolution, acknowledging the Maury Island Incident’s contribution to Washington’s history and popular culture, throughout the city (included in the video below).

A record crowd also enjoyed custom Maury Island Incident cocktails from the Area 51 Bar in Port Townsend, Alien Pale Ale from the Yelm UFO Festival and Fish Brewing Company, a Q&A session with a real rocket scientist, a fervent plea from Des Moines City Councilmember Matt Mahoney to expand the event into a public setting within the City of Des Moines, the annual “telling of the tale” from host Steve Edmiston, and the burning of a small replica of the ‘Icarus’ spaceship from the 1968 film “Planet of the Apes” built by Co-Founder Terry Donahue:

Here’s a 30-minute video of highlights from the 2-hour event, as shot and edited by Scott Schaefer:

Since 2012, “Burning Saucer” has inspired an award-winning film (The Maury Island Incident, Directed/Produced by Scott Schaefer & Written/Produced by Steve Edmiston), a web series on Hulu, a book, a UFO festival, a film festival, a Washington State Senate Resolution, presentations for historical societies, an exhibition at the Washington State Historical Museum, and apparel from hats to custom shoes.

Below are photos from the event courtesy Melody Edmiston (click images to view larger images/slideshow):

More about the Maury Island Incident Historical Society:

More about the film at: http://www.mauryislandincident.com/

View the film online here: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/mauryislandincident

“Like” the band Tinkham Road here: https://www.facebook.com/TINKHAM.RD/

Scott Schaefer

Founder/Publisher/Editor. Three-time National Emmy Award winning Writer (“Bill Nye the Science Guy”), Director, Producer, Journalist and more...