From: Subject: Roswell Daily Record News Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 00:13:12 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.roswell-record.com/archives/030507/news08.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 Roswell Daily Record News Seek the truth, says UFO expert

Richard = Jacques
Record=20 Staff Writer

In the not so direct = world of=20 ufology, Dennis Balthaser is about as straight forward as they come. =

From the = back den of=20 his Roswell home, filled with books, awards, pictures and memorabilia = from a=20 life about as diverse the universe, Balthaser calls it like he sees=20 it.

=93Always = telling the=20 truth means you never have to remember anything,=94 says the well-known = UFO=20 investigator. But for a guy who prides himself on getting to the truth, = he sure=20 remembers a lot.

A certified = UFO=20 investigator with the Mutual UFO Network, an editorial writer for 22 Web = sites=20 and magazines, and recently appointed to the advisory board for the = Great=20 Pyramid of Giza Research Association, he said he doesn=92t try to = convince anybody=20 about his research, =93I show them and let people = decide.=94

Literally = starting=20 from scratch, the former Texas Department of Transportation worker of 33 = years=20 turned a one-time UFO hobby into a full-time passion.

He said his = fascination with UFOs began after reading a book written by Jacques = Vallet about=20 20 years ago. =93I would lay in the backyard and wonder what was out = there.=94=20

Now a = full-time=20 researcher of 11 years, Balthaser has done over 350 radio and television = interviews and his award-winning Web site, www.truthseekeratroswell.com = has had=20 over one million visitors since 1998.

He said one = of the=20 hardest things about his ongoing research is sifting through the growing = number=20 of untruths to get to the facts.

=93There = are a lot of=20 woo woo=92s in the field of ufology,=94 he said, again, to the point.=20

When not = battling=20 Internet fraud, Balthaser remains extremely busy and continues to gain = respect=20 along the way.

Featured in = dozens of=20 documentaries, including such projects as the Sci-Fi Channel=92s Roswell = excavation, a guest internationally on a number of radio and television = talk=20 shows, and a frequent lecturer on UFOs, he said he believes that finding = the=20 truth is important.

Also = important is his=20 determination to return the International UFO Festival to its former = glory.=20 Recently appointed by Roswell Mayor Sam LaGrone to the event=92s = planning=20 committee, the UFO expert said emphasis on community involvement will be = stressed this year.

Remaining = firm in his=20 conviction that the government isn=92t telling all about the incident = that put=20 Roswell on the map in 1947, Balthaser said he continues to document the = living=20 histories of Roswell incident witnesses before they are all gone.=20

Actively = involved in=20 the First Baptist Church in Roswell, he said people sometimes question = how such=20 a person with strong religious conviction could believe in the existence = of=20 UFOs.

For the=20 straight-talking Balthaser, it=92s easy to explain.

=93They = respect what I=20 do and how I do it. I was a Christian before I started my research, and = I=92ll be=20 a Christian after I=92m finished.=94

An who=92s = to argue.=20 Some of his largest crowds can be found at his UFO lectures at the=20 church.