Mayor Puts Out a Red Carpet Welcome For Visitors From Outer Space

Palacios, Tex.—Mayor Bill Jackson says he realizes President Nixon is busy, but when things calm down he’d like the Chief Executive to proclaim this Gulf Coast town a Mecca for visitors from outer space.

“It is my belief that every traveler needs a home away from home,” Jackson said Tuesday. “And it is my intention to go one step further to reassure any lonely space traveler is always welcome at our airport.”

A “big red blob” flew over the Palacios football stadium during a high school game last week, disrupting the planned halftime activities.

Another unidentified flickering red object was seen over San Antonio and two commercial airline pilots preparing to land at San Antonio International Airport chased the thing for a few minutes.

“UFOmania” also hit the Texas communities of Fort Worth, Brownwood and Mesquite this week.

Jackson would like to tell any visitors from outer space that they are more than welcome in Palacios and to prove it he hopes Nixon will declare this fishing and farming community of 4,000 persons located between Houston and Corpus Christi the “Interplanetary Capital of the Universe.”

“As soon as he (Nixon) gets his head above the water up there in Washington, we’ll contact him for official sanction,” Jackson said. “He seems to be pretty well occupied at the moment.”

Jackson said the UFO at the football game appeared in the second quarter. “They finished out the quarter, but I’m afraid the thing detracted from some of the halftime activity,” the mayor said. “It was a big red blob. It would travel for a few seconds, stop dead still for 15 to 20 seconds, then move on.”

Another “flickering, moving red light,” was spotted by FAA controllers at the San Antonio airport tower and two pilots who passed within 1, 000 feet of it. The pilots said it moved away from them very quickly when they approached.

Red, green and blue flashing lights were seen close to the ground in Brownwood. The police radio went off the air when the lights appeared but functioned again 90 minutes later, after the lights disappeared.

Police officers in Mesquite, just east of Dallas, saw a red and green object with a silver glow and flashing wings.

The Miami Herald, Miami, Florida, October 25, 1973
 

After all of the excitement over the football “close encounter,” Mayor Jackson proclaimed Wednesday, October 24, 1974 as Palacios’ First Annual UFO Fly-In Day. The welcoming committee awaited arrivals at the Palacios Municipal Airport from 1 – 5 pm on the designated day.

Unfortunately no extraterrestrials accepted Mayor Jackson’s invitation to visit Palacios. . Apparently due to poor participation, Mayor Jackson, was discouraged because there were no visitors that day. The First Annual UFO Fly-In Day was also the last and Palacios was never the “Interplanetary Capital of the Universe.”

President Nixon was unable to make the proclamation due to more pressing matters and his term as president ended before the October 24^th Fly-In Day. President Ford was much too busy with his new duties to participate.

Bill Jackson served as mayor of Palacios until 1977 when he had to resign for health reasons.