• THE GROOM LAKE DESERT RAT

    From Ricky Sutphin@RICKSBBS to All on Tue Dec 10 11:39:00 2024
    THE GROOM LAKE DESERT RAT ISSUE #1 IS UPLOADED HERE WITH THE PERMISSION OF
    THE AUTHOR.

    THE GROOM LAKE DESERT RAT. An On-Line Newsletter.
    Issue #1. Jan. 18, 1994.
    -----> "The Naked Truth from Open Sources." <-----
    AREA 51/NELLIS RANGE/TTR/NTS/S-4?/WEIRD STUFF/DESERT LORE
    Written, published, copyrighted and totally disavowed by
    psychospy@aol.com. See bottom for subscription/copyright info.

    In this issue...
    FREEDOM RIDGE STATUS
    SOME VIEWPOINTS REMAIN UNTOUCHED
    FIELD TRIP A SUCCESS
    MEN IN BLACK VISIT RACHEL
    TRESPASSERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY

    [Note: This file ends with "#####". Check for truncation.]

    ----- FREEDOM RIDGE STATUS -----

    The popular public viewpoints into the unacknowledged Groom Lake
    base remain open at present. Although the Air Force has applied
    to BLM to seize this land, approval is no longer a certainty.
    "You can't fight the government," some people may say, and we
    would have concurred a few months ago, but substantial political
    opposition has begun to materialize recently from many different
    quarters. Aside from the environmental, UFO and anti-secrecy
    groups one would expect to be involved, opponents have found
    unexpected support in some Nevada state agencies and the brewing
    "Sagebrush Rebellion," a movement of local counties to take
    control of public lands. At the least, the AF will be forced to
    overcome significant hurdles before it gets the land. At best,
    some people hope to rout the Federal government altogether from
    lands previously controlled by BLM.

    From the Freedom Ridge and White Sides viewpoints you see what
    appears to be a large Air Force base beside a dry lake bed, with
    a very long runway, many large hangers and a virtual city of
    support facilities. Ten to twelve roundtrip 737 flights each
    weekday bring workers here from Las Vegas. No one seems to have
    any confirmable information about what is actually going on at
    Groom. The interesting aspect of this facility to most visitors
    is that the government in no way acknowledges its existence.
    Further satisfaction can be drawn from the intensive monitoring
    of nearby public lands by anonymous, heavily-armed security
    forces who watch all visitors closely. If you approach these
    dudes, they'll run away, but they always remain close enough to
    keep track of you.

    A public hearing on the land withdrawal is scheduled for Monday,
    Jan. 31, in Caliente, Nevada (about 2-1/2 hours north of Las
    Vegas), at 7pm in the VFW hall. In spite of the remote location,
    this event is already becoming a hot ticket among local Nevada
    land use advocates. Opponents have also requested a second
    hearing in Las Vegas so more people can attend. Although this
    request has not yet been granted, a Las Vegas hearing is looking
    increasingly likely and would probably take place in late Feb. or
    early March. Sparks will fly at both events: Caliente will
    probably be more of an in-state protest focusing on land use
    issues, while Las Vegas would probably focus on the Groom Lake
    base itself, including the alleged environmental abuses there and
    the justification for its continued "nonexistence."

    Even if things were to go amazingly well for the AF (which they
    are not), the viewpoints cannot legally be closed before the
    hearings take place. The land remains public until the seizure
    is formally approved, so anyone can come here until then to view
    the secret base. If you choose, you can even camp here for up to
    14 days without permission from anyone. The hike to Freedom
    Ridge takes 50 minutes, while four wheel drive owners can push
    all the way to the top on the newly marked "Freedom Ridge
    Expressway," a rugged cross-country track. You can park at the
    top with a bucket of popcorn and your special sweetie just like a
    drive-in movie. Nothing significant ever seems to happen at the
    secret base when people are watching, but if you and your sweetie
    are feeling cozy that shouldn't matter. (Please note, however,
    that making out within sight of the secret base is strictly
    against Federal law and is punishable by a fine of $5,000 and up
    to a year in prison.) Of course, you must be careful not cross
    the nearby military boundary, which is well-marked with signs and
    orange posts. (The maximum theoretical punishment for that
    offense is the same as for making out, although first time
    offenders are usually fined only $300 to $600.)

    ----- SOME VIEWPOINTS REMAIN UNTOUCHED -----

    The underlying reason for the proposed land withdrawal is that
    the AF botched its survey work for the huge Groom Range
    withdrawal of the 1980s. That action was also intended to hide
    the Groom base from public view by seizing a whole mountain
    range. Alas, they overlooked the more obscure hills now in
    question, effectively rendering the entire withdrawal useless.

    Could it be possible that, even with the current proposed
    withdrawal, the AF has botched the job once again? Reports
    continue to reach us of public viewpoints into '"51" that remain
    untouched by the current action. We won't publicize all of them,
    but it is sufficient to say that the AF cannot neutralize these
    locations without bursting the 5000 acre limit beyond which
    Congressional approval would be required. (The military would
    rather face a dozen Saddams than tangle with Capitol Hill.)

    Viewpoints we can talk about now are Badger Mountain and Tikaboo
    Peak. These are in the high cluster of peaks about 15 miles east
    of Freedom Ridge and just south of Hancock Summit. The climb is
    longer and more strenuous, but a recent visitor to Tikaboo Peak
    reports that you can see most of the Groom base from there.
    Distance is a problem: 25 miles vs. about 10 miles from Freedom
    Ridge, but having a high-quality telescope could help. The
    important thing proven here is that the AF is once again engaged
    in "government work," an incompetent, weak-kneed effort that does
    only half the job. If they are going to take any land at all,
    they should be required also to take Tikaboo and Badger peaks.
    This, in turn, would burst the 5000 acre limit and force the
    issue to be debated in Congress, where the voice of the people
    can be heard.

    ----- FIELD TRIP A SUCCESS -----

    About 25 people showed up on Freedom Ridge for the Jan. 15
    aviation field trip. Given that the plans came together only
    about 10 days before the event, this was a strong turnout. A
    wide array of civilian optical devices were turned on the base,
    allowing participants to see "the hairs on a gnat's ass," so to
    speak. Sweetman, Goodall, psychospy, Dr. Brown, Agent X, Rocket
    Scientist, The Cops and other fanatics and riff-raff speculated
    wildly about what was inside each of those big hangers and
    factory buildings, but no consensus was reached.

    The field trip coincided with the opening of the new "Freedom
    Ridge Expressway." In a scene reminiscent of a television
    commercial for Coors or Toyota, four sport-utility vehicles
    traversed the desert sagebrush to this remote hilltop location,
    where the occupants broke out their lawn chairs and would have
    drank beer if anyone had thought to bring any.

    Also in attendance, but trying desperately not to be noticed,
    were at least a dozen of the anonymous, camouflage-clad security
    dudes lurking behind rocks and Joshua trees at various locations
    on public and military land at least a mile away. The word on
    the street now says these folks work for the government
    contractor EG&G, not Wackenhut as once surmised. There were
    plenty of distant appearances by the ubiquitous white Jeep
    Cherokees, sticking out like beacons against the beige-and-brown
    landscape. Less obvious was a big beige van partially covered
    with cammo netting on public land about two miles from the get-
    together. On top of the van was a tower of some kind, about 5
    feet high. Our speculation is that it was a high powered range
    tracking video camera pointed our way. We waved and turned our
    own telescopes in that direction, and eventually the occupants
    packed up and slinked back across the border.

    Road sensors were also a popular tourist attraction for visitors.
    The organizers had labeled some of the secret roadside detectors
    with big fluorescent orange signs that said "SENSOR" so they
    wouldn't be missed. We hope the heavy traffic and close
    inspection of these paint-can size transmitters didn't damage
    them any, because they have come to seem like old friends to us.
    They are usually found in reliable locations and are easy to
    disable should the need arise.

    After yaking and milling about on Freedom Ridge for a few hours,
    the group made its way to the Little A-Le-Inn where we warmed up
    a big pot of Dr. Brown's famous "Fartless Chili" (scientifically
    designed to avoid the obvious aftereffects) which all in
    attendance were required to consume. From there, the caravan
    proceeded westward to the Tonopah Test Range (TTR) where we gave
    out Area 51 patches to the guards. Unlike the anonymous Groom
    dudes, these guys have name tags and were happy to converse with
    us. There sure were a lot of them, however. They said they knew
    we were coming because the Dept. of Energy sent them a copy of
    our flyer. (Gosh, that was clever of them. Maybe we should take
    DOE off our mailing list.)

    A pleasant time was had by all, and great satisfaction was
    derived from our observation that no more than 25 of us law-
    abiding citizens resulted in canceled vacations and untold
    overtime for what appeared to be about 50 security dudes total.
    We think of it as defending the job security of our friends in
    beige.

    ----- MEN IN BLACK VISIT RACHEL -----

    As part of the group was making its way from Freedom Ridge toward
    the Little A-Le-Inn, we stopped briefly at the mysterious Black
    Mailbox, site of many UFO tales. There, the word reached us from
    a departing visitor that two men in business suits were seen
    lurking around the Campbell residence in Rachel, still 20 miles
    away. This reporter nearly shat in his proverbial pants as he
    contemplated the implications of that intelligence. WHO WEARS
    BUSINESS SUITS IN THE DESERT? At best, these must be FBI agents
    waiting to arrest or serve a warrant on Mr. Campbell, the chief
    irritant to the military along the '51 border. At worst, they
    could be the mysterious Men In Black, perhaps employed by a
    shadowy government agency that knows no rules or even, if you
    choose to believe the stories, actual aliens disguised as humans
    and engaged in some sinister mind game.

    Not knowing what to expect, we decided that the best option was
    to descend on the Campbell residence en masse. There were only
    two of them, our intel said, versus a dozen of us, so maybe we
    could stand up to them as a group. We motored as a convoy down
    Highway 375 to Rachel, then took up a position on the opposite
    side of the road from Mr. Campbell's mobile home. Peering
    through binoculars, we saw at first no sign of the Men In Black.
    There were no unidentified cars parked in the vicinity and no
    obvious indications that the front door had been tampered with.
    However, closer inspection of the door with our most powerful
    optical devices revealed undeniable evidence that the MIBs had
    indeed been there and were on the prowl for our very souls.
    Wedged between the doorknob and the doorframe was a rolled up
    copy of The Watchtower.

    Jehovah's Witnesses!

    ----- TRESPASSERS PLEAD NOT GUILTY -----

    Seven people accused of trespassing on military land near the
    Groom base were arraigned in Justice Court in Alamo on Jan. 12.
    Three pleaded "No Contest" and accepted their fines of about $300
    each. Four pleaded Not Guilty, and their trial is scheduled for
    Mar. 2. The four contend that although they did cross the line,
    it was entirely accidental, the result of confusing signals and a
    misread map.

    On Jan. 2, these seven traveling in three vehicles drove beyond
    the Keep Out signs on the well-maintained Groom Lake Road and up
    to the guard shack about a half mile beyond. This was their
    first visit to the area, and they obviously had not read this
    reporter's "Area 51 Viewer's Guide," which advises against
    crossing the line. Trying to follow a crude map to the Freedom
    Ridge trailhead, the group whizzed past the often photographed
    sign forest forbidding trespass (and photography) and containing
    such memorable but evidently unread phrases as "Use of Deadly
    Force Authorized."

    There was no place to turn around at the signs, the intruders
    claim, and as they passed a white Jeep Cherokee, they said a
    guard inside waved to them, as though saying "Come on in!"
    Naturally, upon arrival at the guard house, they were descended
    upon by a gaggle of excessively armed cammo dudes who were not
    prepared to give helpful directions and certainly were not versed
    on any of the social graces. The immediate arrest of the
    offenders, no matter how old, young, naive or harmless, was
    apparently the only option available in their very limited
    emotional repetoir.

    This reporter and two other hikers happened to witness the
    incident while climbing Freedom Ridge ourselves. As soon as we
    understood what was happening, we aborted our ascent and broke
    out the telescopes to watch the festivities. The ratio of armed
    cammo dudes to naive intruders was easily two to one. We watched
    as the trespassers--four men and two woman of varying ages--stood
    around their cars for over an hour looking frustrated and
    confused while tough men with big assault weapons milled about
    looking equally bored and a bit embarrassed. A state trooper
    arrived first, followed by Sgt. Lamoreaux of the Lincoln County
    Sheriff's Dept. Forms were signed, and the prisoners were turned
    over to the Sheriff for more advanced forms of humiliation.

    The intruders were thoughtfully provided with handcuffs and leg-
    irons (for their own safety, no doubt) and were taken in an Air
    Force van to the palatial, brand-spanking-new Lincoln County
    Detention Center in Pioche. This nearly empty, high-tech
    hoosegow, otherwise known as the Jail That Ate Lincoln County,
    was built with the intent to house other people's prisoners for
    profit. That was before the bottom fell out of the captive
    housing market, and the county now has to scrape for any
    prisoners it can get.

    In this case it graciously accommodated Connie Ruiz, her daughter
    Sissy and son David, Connie's neighbor Bill Fitzgerald, his sons
    Kevin and Tim, and a friend Gilbert Narvaiz. Hardened criminals,
    all. They claim that at the Detention Center they were forced to
    stand facing a blank wall for over an hour and a half, even one
    man who had an injured ankle, and were denied the use of the
    bathroom for many hours after their arrest. They said they were
    strip searched (because, presumably, you never can know in which
    body cavity those devious trespassers might be hiding drugs or
    weapons) and were given stylish orange jumpsuits to wear (as
    you've seen rakishly modeled by Charlie Manson). The seven
    wasted away in jail for about eight hours while Bill's wife and
    Connie's husband three hours away in Las Vegas tried to hunt up
    $4200 in cash on a Sunday night to bail out their loved ones.
    $200 more to tow each of the three vehicles brought the total bar
    tab to $4800 for this very engrossing weekend experience. The
    adventure was all the more educational for several of the
    participants had never before seen the inside of a jail cell.

    Some hysterical activists might cry "overkill" and "law
    enforcement run amok." Well, maybe just a tad.

    In the meantime, after witnessing the arrest but still not
    knowing who these people were, this reporter got on the horn to
    his contacts to tell them about the event. ("Seven People
    Arrested in Groom Lake Incident," the Las Vegas Review-Journal
    reported on Jan. 5.) He then headed down the highway to Pioche,
    arriving at the Detention Center sometime after the prisoners
    did. The duty officer behind a seamless expanse of bullet-proof
    glass refused to give any information about the prisoners, even
    whether they were being held at the detention center at all, so
    this reporter was forced to wait outside in the sub-freezing
    night for an uncertain release. And wait. And wait. In his
    delirium and creeping hypothermia, the reporter was transformed,
    in a metaphysical sense, from a mild-mannered Bill Bixby into a
    raging green Incredible Hulk. Alas, when the prisoners were
    finally bailed out around 4 am, the Hulk was sound asleep in the
    back of his car and did not get a chance to meet them. He
    learned who they were only when one of the seven called him a few
    days later, and the story they told further enraged the Hulk's
    already green condition.

    Doctor, help me. Ever since spending the night in the parking
    lot of the Lincoln County Detention Center, I have been afflicted
    by the uncontrollable urge to do violent damage to both the
    anonymous cammo dudes and the Lincoln County Sheriff's Dept. I
    don't mean to bomb, shoot, dismember or otherwise physically harm
    these noble defenders of the law; I want to utterly destroy them
    at the very core of their being. I WANT TO CUT THEIR FUNDING. I
    know this is an irrational impulse. Each of these people, as
    individuals, are probably nice folks, but when you throw together
    a lot of decent people "just following orders" what you sometimes
    get, on the whole, is a sadistic monster with no collective
    conscience or critical judgment.

    The case of the seven trespassers has become, for this reporter,
    a timely symbolic example that dovetails naturally with the fight
    to save the viewpoints and expose the nonexistent base at Groom
    Lake. The four who pleaded Not Guilty must continue to make
    their own decisions, but I encourage them not to go down quietly.
    At the trial on Mar. 2, they will be accorded all the protections
    of any other defendant, including the right to subpoena
    witnesses. The first witness I would call, and that any good
    lawyer would also want to haul into court, is that cammo dude in
    the white Cherokee who waved at the visitors as they passed.
    "What was your intent?" Perry Mason would ask. "Were you giving
    them an implied consent to enter your area?"

    If this well-armed paramilitary force patrolling public land
    refuses to officially exist, then this is a good opportunity to
    bring them out into the open. "Could you please state for the
    court your name and who you work for?" Mason would ask. The Las
    Vegas press will be present at this promising trial, and even a
    few in the national corps might be interested in meeting a
    genuine cammo dude face to face. They are, after all, so hard to
    pin down in the field, always running away as they do. With a
    bloody land seizure hearing (or two) expected in the meantime,
    everyone should be whipped into a glorious frenzy by the time
    Mar. 2 rolls along. What if the cammo dudes don't honor the
    subpoena? Then the case falls apart. Implied consent is a
    critical issue here, and if the government fails to supply this
    one essential witness, it would be obstructing a legitimate
    defense.

    These four have been crudely treated and are not guilty of the
    charges against them. Although they did cross the line, they
    followed each other like lemmings, in clouds of dust and under
    conditions of limited warning where there was inadequate
    opportunity to read the signs. The only person who might be seen
    as having control over the situation was the driver of the first
    vehicle, who has already pleaded No Contest. The others either
    were passengers in other people's cars--and who thus had no
    control at all over the situation--or were drivers of following
    vehicles who made a legitimate error that any law-biding citizen
    could easily have fallen victim to. ("The guy in front must know
    where he is going, and that nice fellow in the Cherokee is waving
    us along.") The authorities, if they are smart, will drop the
    case to avoid their ultimate and totally publicized humiliation.
    If they are not smart (as is common among authorities), then they
    should be ready to fight a high-profile battle, not to mention
    the seething greenness of this reporter.

    Hulk wants blood.

    ----- LATE BREAKING NEWS -----

    1/25/94: Official notice has just been received that a hearing
    WILL be held in Las Vegas. It will take place Weds., Mar. 2, 5-
    8pm, in the Cashman Field Center, Rooms 203-204. More details
    will follow in Desert Rat #2, due sometime after Feb. 1.

    The Las Vegas hearing is in addition to the Caliente hearing
    scheduled for Jan. 31. The Caliente hearing is already shaping
    up to be a big event for land use advocates. For those who plan
    to attend, you may like to know that opponents will be gathering
    for dinner at the Knotty Pine Restaurant at about 5 or 5:30, just
    before the 7pm hearing.

    ----- SUBSCRIPTION AND COPYWRITE INFO -----

    (c) by Glenn Campbell, 1994.

    The entire contents of this on-line newsletter are copyrighted
    and may not be reproduced in any form without permission, EXCEPT
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    The snail mail address for psychospy, Glenn Campbell, Secrecy
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    HCR Box 38
    Rachel, NV 89001

    Final wisdom: If it says, "Restricted Area," "No Trespassing,"
    "Keep Out," and "Use of Deadly Force Authorized," then keep
    going, don't worry about it, God will
    protect you.

    #####

    ---
    ■ Synchronet ■ Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 IBBS Games
  • From Ricky Sutphin@RICKSBBS to All on Tue Dec 10 11:40:00 2024
    THE GROOM LAKE DESERT RAT #2 IS UPLOADED HERE WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE
    AUTHOR GLENN CAMPBELL.

    THE GROOM LAKE DESERT RAT. An On-Line Newsletter.
    Issue #2. Feb. 2, 1994.
    -----> "The Naked Truth from Open Sources." <-----
    AREA 51/NELLIS RANGE/TTR/NTS/S-4?/WEIRD STUFF/DESERT LORE
    Written, published, copyrighted and totally disavowed by
    psychospy, direct from the "UFO Capital," Rachel, Nevada.
    See bottom for subscription/copyright info.

    In this issue...
    CALIENTE LAND GRAB HEARING
    THROW THE BUMS OUT
    LAS VEGAS HEARING DATE SET
    TRESPASSERS' TRIAL RESCHEDULED
    AN AMBASSADORIAL VISIT
    RECENT ARTICLES
    "PARANOID NEWS" LAUNCHED

    [Note: This file ends with "####". Check for truncation.]

    ----- CALIENTE LAND GRAB HEARING -----

    About forty-five people packed the tiny VFW Hall in Caliente on
    Feb. 1 for the first of two public hearings on the Groom land
    grab. As expected, the event was attended primarily by Lincoln
    County residents and Nevada land-use advocates with a variety of
    objections, mostly unrelated to the Groom Lake base itself.
    Curtis Tucker, Caliente Area Manager for the Bureau of Land
    Management (BLM), presided over the hearing with admirable
    restraint and professionalism. Nine civilians spoke at the
    podium, all opposing the withdrawal, and many others asked
    questions, which Mr. Tucker did his best to answer.

    Representing the Air Force were two Nellis public relations
    staffers and a stone jawed Colonel, who did most of what little
    talking there was. Even the staffers didn't seem to know much
    about the Colonel; when we asked one of them for the Colonel's
    first name, he didn't know and had to ask. The officer was
    finally identified as Col. Bud Bennett, Range Squadron Commander,
    and his appearance and bearing reminded us vaguely of General
    Jack D. Ripper in the movie "Dr. Strangelove."

    For most of the meeting, Colonel Bennett sat silently at the
    front taking copious notes. He spoke at length only at the
    beginning, reading from index cards in a practiced monotone and
    offering precious little information beyond the one-liner given
    in the withdrawal application: "to ensure the public safety and
    the safe and secure operation of activities in the Nellis Air
    Force Range Complex." The Colonel said from the outset that
    there would be many questions that he could not answer, and he
    skillfully avoided most. Here are some of his more lively
    comments...

    "The military lands withdrawal act of 1986, with an amendment in
    1988, withdrew the land currently in the Nellis Range Complex.
    Certain elevations on the east side of the range were not
    included in the withdrawn area. Due to the increasing visits by
    people to this area, the Air Force determined that something had
    to be done to ensure public safety and the safety and security of
    operations in the Nellis Range Complex.

    "When someone is on White Sides and other nearby areas, altitude
    and route changes have to be made by aircraft to avoid harming
    people and to prevent disclosure of operational matters. Some
    missions have to be delayed or canceled. This impacts the
    effective use of the Nellis Range Complex.

    "The area proposed to be withdrawn was looked at very carefully
    and, in discussions with BLM, we were told to keep the amount to
    be withdrawn to an absolute minimum. We eventually did so,
    selecting several thousand acres less than originally was roughed
    out."

    That was it for informational content. The only other data the
    Colonel leaked out was in response to a question at the end of
    the meeting. When did he first learn about the current
    withdrawal? He said he was first informed of it around August.
    How long before that had the withdrawal been in the works? He
    said he did not know exactly, but that it was at least a year.
    (It is unclear now whether he meant a year before now or a year
    before August.)

    Citizens were allowed five minutes each to voice their concerns,
    a restriction that some chose to flaunt in a show of civil
    disobedience heartily supported by the audience. Most of the
    expected angles were covered: A representative of the Shoshone
    Nation pointed out that this land and most of the Nellis Range
    was deeded to the tribe by treaty in the 1800s and that the
    government had taken it without permission. Sadly, we suspect
    that this argument won't go any further now than it has in the
    past. Other speakers were concerned that the AF had not kept the
    promises it made for the earlier Groom Range withdrawal, such as
    paving the road from Rachel into the Test Site. Mr. Tucker
    countered that most of the promises he knew about had indeed been
    met. He noted that although the road from Rachel was not paved,
    it had been considerably improved at AF expense.

    This reporter exercised his five minutes standing in front of a
    big map of the area. He protested the vague reason the AF was
    giving for the withdrawal and said that the application could
    only be evaluated if the AF gave the real reason, which wasn't a
    national security issue in itself. He read a list of the major
    newspapers and defense publications [See below.] that had already
    reported on this land grab and described the Groom base as one of
    the best publicized defense installations in the world. Although
    acknowledging that some of the secrecy at Groom may be justified,
    he described the continued non-existence of the base as an
    absurdity.

    This speaker then noted that if the purpose of the withdrawal was
    to hide the base from public view, then the AF had failed once
    again. He pointed on the map to Tikaboo Peak and Badger Mtn.,
    which he said also offered a direct view of the base. He was
    concerned that, if the AF was allowed to take the current land
    for a vague reason like "the public safety," then it could come
    back later to take the other viewpoints for other vague reasons.
    Thereby, the AF could subvert the Engle Act, which requires
    withdrawals of more than 5000 acres to be reviewed by Congress.
    He concluded by warning the audience, "If we let this withdrawal
    go through for this vague reason, then they'll be able to take
    all of Nevada in little bitty pieces."

    Lincoln County Commissioner Eve Culverwell was mad as hell. (We
    wouldn't want her any other way.) She brought up some important
    points about mitigation and asked for the release of other lands
    in Lincoln County that the AF no longer needs. However, the
    focus of Culverwell's ire, and the principle target of many
    others in attendance, was not the AF but the BLM, which controls
    the vast majority of land in Nevada. Culverwell and other
    activists do not necessarily question the AF's right to take the
    land, but they say the AF should be dealing with the state and
    county, not BLM. They say the federal government has no real
    jurisdiction over public lands, based on statutes at the time of
    statehood. This rather radical approach throws a wild card into
    the land grab fight, and certainly adds some color to the
    proceedings. [More below.]

    In all, the hearing was lively but proceeded pretty much as
    anticipated. No one spoke in favor of the Air Force except for
    their hired representatives, but there was some pessimism among
    attendees as to whether even their near-total opposition made any
    difference. Several people voiced the concern that no matter
    what the citizens of Lincoln County said, their comments would
    simply be filed away and the AF was going to get the land anyway.

    We understand their pessimism but do not share it. The current
    battle is taking place on many different levels: in the media,
    along the border, within the BLM and inside the AF itself. The
    public hearings represent only the most obvious portion of a
    mostly subterranean conflict, but they are vital as a visible
    show of popular opposition and a preliminary step to future legal
    action. Remember that the land grab fight can be a powerful tool
    to achieve much larger goals. Our ultimate purpose is not so
    much to save the land but to expose the base, and that process
    seems to be marching ahead even more inexorably than the White
    Sides withdrawal.

    ----- THROW THE BUMS OUT -----

    Speeches by Nevada "home-rule" activists greatly enlivened the
    Jan. 31 hearing. Seeing this land fight as a test case for their
    new ideas, several speakers drove hundreds of miles from other
    parts of Nevada to be in attendance. When a leader of the
    movement, Dick Carver, finally had his chance to speak, he
    announced that five minutes were not enough, and that he would go
    on as long as necessary. When the five-minute tone was sounded,
    the BLM moderator tried to interrupt but was rebuked by the
    audience, who unanimously demanded that Carver be allowed to
    continue. Carver thus walked away with about 15 minutes of air
    time and gave everyone in the audience the warm satisfaction of
    having beaten BLM into submission at least on that issue.

    Readers who live outside the western U.S. may have never even
    heard of BLM, never mind grasping the boundless animosity it
    often enjoys among locals. The vast majority of land in Lincoln
    County is "public," that is, owned equally by all U.S. citizens,
    and is currently managed as a public trust by the federal
    government. A significant portion of the economic activities in
    the county have to go through the BLM. It leases grazing and
    mineral rights and enforces many despised environmental
    regulations, thus placing it in the role of evil landlord who
    everyone loves to hate. Local sentiments are elegantly expressed
    by one resident's well-trained dog who stays, sits and lies down
    on command. The dog will also "kill" on command, but only on
    special key word. Give him a old shoe, say "BLM," and it's
    rendered to shreds instantly.

    The position of the revolutionaries is that the federal
    government has no right to manage public lands within the state
    and that it does so only by default. The activists cite statutes
    dating back to Nevada's founding which they contend give the
    state the sole authority to manage public lands. BLM, they say,
    has no real delegated authority to do anything, and they are
    trying to prove this by a series of Freedom of Information
    requests. Whenever an interesting legal case comes up in which
    BLM is the enforcer, they demand that BLM turn over documents to
    prove that they indeed have that authority. According to the
    activists, BLM is inherently unable to supply those documents and
    thus can be forced to back down from whatever action they were
    attempting.

    We are pleased that the rebels have adopted the Groom land grab
    as a cause celebre. Without them, there might have been only
    half as many people at the Caliente hearing. At the same time,
    we are a little confused on what the end result of this rebellion
    is supposed to be, and we are mildly skeptical about whether it
    can succeed.

    The current anti-BLM movement reminds us of a number of radical
    females we have known who would just as soon eliminate the male
    gender altogether. On the surface, we can understand the
    sentiments. Males must account for 85% of the violent acts in
    this country and easily 99% of the female grief and pain.
    They're aggressive, suppressive, insensitive and demand too much.
    Give them an inch and they'll take a mile. WHO NEEDS THEM
    ANYWAY? "Just say No," is the best solution. If you excise them
    definitively from your life then all your problems will be
    solved.

    Okay, so maybe that's a bad example. The point is, although such
    dramatic plans to "Throw the Bums Out" may seem solid in theory,
    they usually get tripped up somewhere in the implementation. We
    march into the battle with high idealistic hopes but a few years
    later usually find ourselves living with the bums anyway. Given
    this typical outcome, one wonders if it would be more productive
    to take a less combative approach that might be more likely to
    succeed in the long term. Instead of expending all our resources
    in an attempt to totally annihilate the enemy, we could take the
    time to understand him, learn his fears and vulnerabilities and
    the kind of leverage we have over him, then take him by the balls
    and turn him into our slave.

    No, wait, never mind. BAD example.

    ----- LAS VEGAS HEARING DATE SET -----

    The Las Vegas hearing on the Groom land grab has been officially
    set for Weds., March 2, 1994 from 5-7 pm at the Cashman Field
    House, rooms 203-204. (Cashman Field House is a stadium complex
    on Las Vegas Blvd. just north of Downtown.)

    This is the BIG ONE. (Caliente was only 4.0.) Everyone's
    invited! More info will be provided in Desert Rat #3, which will
    be issued at least a couple of weeks before then.

    ----- TRESPASSERS' TRIAL DELAYED -----

    In Desert Rat #1, we reported the case of the seven Las Vegans
    who stumbled across the military border while visiting the
    Tikaboo Valley. Due to their lawyer's schedule conflicts, their
    trial, originally scheduled for Mar. 2, has been delayed to a
    later date. (We'll publish the date when we know it.) The
    location will be Alamo Justice Court in the County Annex Building
    in Alamo, 90 miles north of Las Vegas. Come one, come all!

    The change of date is providential because it means that the
    trial will not compete with the Las Vegas hearing.

    ----- AN AMBASSADORIAL VISIT -----

    On Jan. 28 at our psychospy headquarters in Rachel, we were
    pleased to receive a surprise visit from the Ambassador Merlyn
    Merlin II from the planet Draconis. He had taken human form,
    resembling to us a bearded Abe Lincoln or Amish farmer, and was
    driving a 10-year-old brown Monte Carlo. When he first appeared
    at our door, he was holding a small black book in front of him in
    both hands. In an impulsive attempt at humor, we blurted out,
    "Oh, a Bible salesman!" He smiled at that and showed us that it
    was only a notebook. The bible, it seems, was out in the car.
    Later, he went to fetch it and read to us some lengthy passages.

    Three aviation watchers from the Bay Area happened to be visiting
    our headquarters at the time, and we were all quite fascinated
    with the Ambassador. He was a "Being of Light," he said,
    although we touched him and found him to be quite solid. He was
    on a mission to promote the coming "Golden Age," when the aliens
    would be integrated into our society and we humans would evolve
    into a higher form. This transformation, he said, would take
    place within the next five years.

    The Ambassador did not always know that he was a Draconian. He
    had thought he was an ordinary human for most of his time on
    earth until he began to experience some revelations in 1986.
    Even now, he has no direct memories of Draconis, although he is
    certain that that is his origin. He said that another part of
    him was on Draconis even as he was speaking to us. He suspected
    that he was also simultaneously a Venusian and that part of his
    being was currently at home on Venus.

    He was proud of his role as Ambassador to Earth and was
    especially pleased to be officially recognized in that capacity
    by the State of Nevada. He gave us a xeroxed letter to prove his
    status. It was on official state letterhead from the Secretary
    of State in Carson City. The letter was dated March 31, 1993,
    and was signed by the secretary herself. It read:

    Ambassador Merlyn Merlin II
    The Embassy of Christ

    Dear Mr. Ambassador:

    Thank you for your invitation; however, I will not be able
    to be in California. Thank you for your consideration.

    Sincerely,
    Cheryl A. Lau

    We wish the Ambassador the best of luck in his mission and urge
    the Federal government to accord him similar recognition.

    ----- RECENT ARTICLES -----

    Following are recent articles on Groom Lake in the major media.
    Each article is available from psychospy
    for 25c each (to cover
    copying and postage).

    5/93: On-Site Inspection Agency: Fact Sheet on Open Skies
    Treaty [which allows foreign overflights of Groom Lake].
    9/93: Intl. Defense Review: "Groom Lake's secret revealed?"
    [Mothership theories, by Sweetman.]
    10/19/93: L.V. Review-Journal: "State to examine Stealth base
    for toxic fumes." [Hazardous waste dump at Groom base.]
    10/17/93: Salt Lake Tribune: "No peeking from peak: Air force
    wants to seize mountain to protect secret base."
    10/18/93: Federal Register "Notice of proposed withdrawal and
    opportunity for public meeting."
    10/21/93, Aerospace Daily: "Air Force tries to plug 37-year-old
    leak with Groom Lake Land Grab."
    10/23/93, L.V. Review-Journal: "Air Force promises openness" [in
    open-pit burning case].
    10/23/93, Scripps Howard Service: "Mountain 'spying' upsets AF at
    secret Nevada base."
    10/25/93, Defense Week: "Air Force land grab eclipses view of
    'UFOs'."
    10/29/93, Inside the Air Force: "USAF seeks to keep unwanted eyes
    from watching secret Nevada base."
    11/1/83, Newsweek: "The Mystery at Groom Lake."
    11/1/93, Testor Corp.: Announcement to dealers of June 94 release
    of Lazar saucer model.
    11/1/93, Aviation Week: "No more peeks." [one paragraph]
    11/5/93, CBS affiliates: Report on Testors Aurora & Mothership
    models. [transcript]
    12/93, Intercepts Newsletter: "Dispatches from the front." [Road
    sensors found on public land]
    11/6/93, L.V. Review-Journal: "State seeks evidence of burn pits"
    [at Groom base].
    12/5/93, L.V. Review-Journal: "'Spy' turns focus on buffer area."
    [Campbell]
    12/5/93, L.V. Review-Journal: "Budget for hypersonic spy plane
    rivals Nevada Test Site."
    12/7/93: L.V. Review-Journal: Editorial cartoon. [Prospector
    chased by security goons.]
    12/27/93, High Country News: "How military secrecy zones out
    Nevada." [Oct. camp-out]
    11/11/93, CBS Evening News: Report on Testors Aurora model and
    Groom Lake. [transcript]
    12/28/93, Wall Street Journal: "'Earthlings Welcome' in tiny NV
    town where mysterious aircraft often fly overhead."
    1/2/94, Washington Post: "The Pentagon's Secret Garden." [by
    Sweetman]
    1/3/94, Aviation Week: Letter by John Andrews protesting land
    grab.
    1/5/94, L.V. Review-Journal: "Seven people arrested in Groom Lake
    incident." [Trespassers]
    1/29/94, L.V. Review-Journal: Editorial re: Lazar and Knapp
    [dismissive].
    1/30/94, L.V. Review-Journal: "Air Force buffer zone for Groom
    Lake base to be discussed." [Hearings]
    2/94: Wired Magazine: "A Visit to Dreamland." [2-page photo of
    Groom base]

    ----- "PARANOID NEWS" LAUNCHED -----

    Pleased with the instant success of The Groom Lake Desert Rat,
    psychospy has launched yet another free on-line newsletter--this
    one on an unrelated subject. THE PARANOID NEWS will explore
    psychospy's favorite mental disorder, paranoia, and show how it
    effects the thoughts and behavior of all of us.

    Paranoia is a fascinating mechanism by which a person tends to
    bring about the very thing he most fears. If he is terrified
    enough of failure, then he will often create it for himself by
    his own hand. Paranoia is more pervasive than we might suppose,
    and there is not one of us who isn't touched. Paranoia effects
    our every decision, especially our most important ones, so don't
    read this newsletter unless you are prepared to question your
    past choices or the wisdom of your current circumstances. This
    is not a pretty newsletter. There are a lot of icky things
    inside our minds, and THE PARANOID NEWS will delight in exposing
    them.

    Issue #1 will be available within the next few days. Email
    subscriptions are free of charge to internet users. Send your
    request to psychospy@aol.com. Hard copy subscriptions are
    available for $1.50 per issue, mailed anywhere in the world.

    ----- SUBSCRIPTION AND COPYWRITE INFO -----

    (c) Glenn Campbell, 1994. (psychospy@aol.com)

    The entire contents of this on-line newsletter are copyrighted
    and may not be reproduced in any form without permission, EXCEPT
    FOR THE FOLLOWING: For six months following the date of
    publication, you may photocopy this text or send this document
    electronically to anyone who you think might be interested,
    provided you do it without charge. You may only copy or send
    this document in unaltered form and in its entirety, not as
    partial excerpts. After six months, no further reproduction of
    this document is allowed without permission.

    This newsletter is published on an irregular basis whenever
    conditions warrant. Email subscriptions are currently available
    free of charge to any internet user. To subscribe (or
    unsubscribe) to current and future editions of THE GROOM LAKE
    DESERT RAT, send a message to psychospy@aol.com. We will
    acknowledge your request within a few days; if you receive no
    reply it may indicate an addressing problem. In that case, call
    the human at 702-729-2648. Hard copy subscriptions to this
    newsletter are available for $1.50 per issue, ordered from the
    address below. (e.g. $15 for the next 10 issues, mailed anywhere
    in the world.)

    For a free catalog of documents and products relating to Groom
    Lake and government secrecy, send us your US mail address. An
    email version of the catalog is also available (no pictures, size
    13K). Among the documents available is the "Area 51 Viewer's
    Guide," the definitive 110-page visitors and reference guide to
    the border and its lore. (Available for $15 plus $3.50 postage.)
    Also available is the popular Groom Lake cloth patch. ($8, plus
    $1 postage if ordered separately.)

    The US mail address for psychospy, Glenn Campbell, Secrecy
    Oversight Council, Area 51 Research Center, Groom Lake Desert Rat
    and countless other ephemeral entities is:
    HCR Box 38
    Rachel, NV 89001 USA

    ####

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