UFO Hoopla

APn 03/04 1224 UFO Hoopla

FYFFE, Ala. (AP) -- The prospect of seeing a UFO lured more than 4,000 people

to the town of Fyffe, greatly outnumbering the town's residents.

"This is unreal," Police Chief Junior Garmany said Friday night while he

watched bumper-to-bumper traffic in the town of 1,300 people in northeastern

Alabama. "We've never had traffic like this."

Municipal Court Clerk Tammy Mitchell said Saturday the previous night's crowd

had been estimated at "4,500 or something like that." She said people were

"riding around, buying T-shirts, going to a bonfire."

But for all the hoopla, no unidentified flying objects were sighted Friday.

Visibility was obscured by clouds and light rain.

"I hope it rains tonight," Ms. Mitchell said Saturday.

Friday night's visitors drove up and down the town's main street while others

stood gaping at the sky. Fire Chief Ricky Dobbins invited some to his house on

the outskirts of the town where he built a bonfire.

Police radio dispatcher Shelia Smith said she has been answering calls from

people wanting directions to Fyffe.

Fyffe got on the UFO circuit Feb. 10 when a woman reported seeing a strange

light in the sky and police later reported seeing a large lighted object

passing silently over them. Numerous other sightings have been reported since

then.

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