Manatee UFO enthusiasts want to believe

The stories sound like plot lines for TV shows like "The X-Files" or "Star Trek": Two white egg-shaped objects fly silently at astonishing speeds; a flying ring descends from a cigar-shaped cloud; a strange light hovers over a car for miles.

Those descriptions of UFO sightings, however, came from respectable folks from Southwest Florida: a retired teacher, a decorator and a construction company manager.

All are members of a local UFO organization, the UFO Group of Manatee, that attracts believers from Tampa to Port Charlotte.

The group has about 20 members, mostly retirees. They meet once a month at the Rocky Bluff Library in Ellenton to share stories, discuss UFO theories and watch documentaries.

During refreshments of soda and cookies, members make small talk about crop circles, Area 51 and alien colonization the way others talk about the weather.

They joke about government cover-ups and who in the group might be a government plant. There is much nodding of heads at the idea that military pilots see UFOs frequently but don't report them for fear of being relieved of duty.

Ufology -- the study of UFOs -- has come a long way since 1950s images of saucer-shaped metallic objects. Enthusiasts fashion theories that draw from a number of different scientific fields and different corners of the world.

Theorists point to structures as diverse as Stonehenge, the Nazca lines and Mayan and Egyptian pyramids as proof that higher beings helped early human civilizations.

Ellenton resident Harold Nils Pelta has never seen a UFO. But the former university administrator scans books and Web sites devoted to UFOs and other unexplained mysteries.

"I really want to know what's going on," Pelta said. "I don't think any government group is going about this the right way. A group like this, at least they're looking for an answer."

Science fiction may be widely accepted in film and on TV, but admitting to having seen a UFO is still a big step, said Jackie Miller, a retired teacher who said she saw a UFO near Bradenton Beach.

It's partly why she, along with her husband, Tom Miller, formed the group in October. At the meeting she encourages members to tell their stories, a moment she describes as coming out of the closet.

"It may be a little traumatic for someone to share their story for the first time," Miller said. "People want to share their weird experiences but they don't know who they can trust without being judged."

Finding a group of like-minded people -- especially on a topic that breeds skepticism and criticism like believing in UFOs -- is not easy.

Some learn of the group by word of mouth. A few come from Miller's dowsing group, a group that believe people can find underground water using a divining rod.

The group also advertises in magazines like Natural Awakenings magazine and on Web sites like Meetup.com that allow specialist groups to post meeting dates.

Many at the meeting say retirement has given them the opportunity to explore a long-held interest.

The Millers are optimistic that once word gets out, the group will grow.

"We knew there were a lot of people in this area that were interested," said Tom Miller. "There used to be a big group in Clearwater that met 10 or 12 years ago."