This blinking ‘UFO’ might come to a Tacoma neighborhood near you
It came in the night as most UFOs do.
But this particular unidentified object wasn’t flying when it landed Tuesday night at the Tacoma intersection of North Stevens and North 39th streets.
The space orb was surrounded by hazmat-suited humans carrying quasi-scientific gear and carefully setting up yellow caution tape. They called themselves the Guild of Independent Tacoma Scientists.
“We don’t know how it travels or what it’s really about,” said member Steve LaBerge. A few feet away a trailer suggested he knew more than he was letting on.
Near the SUV-sized saucer a sign read, “Warning Quarantine,” and stated the site was under investigation.
The events might not seem strange in a month when crop circles showed up in a Tacoma park and flying termites invaded western Washington. But, the three-legged, multi-tentacled, saucer-shaped object that blinked in colored patterns was definitely slowing traffic better than any traffic cop could.
By day, LaBerge is a Tacoma insurance agent. By night, he’s an artist. Some of his other creations — a translucent “slug” which sometimes occupies a North 30th Street front yard and a motorized vehicle, “Crawlrus,” that supports a geodesic sphere — blink and glow in mesmerizing patterns.
The UFO bore a suspiciously similar style.
At first, LaBerge tried to distract a snoopy newspaper reporter Tuesday night with an alleged space alien sighting downtown.
Then, he came clean.
“Obviously, it didn’t get here all on its own,” LaBerge said. “Although, the project does have a life of its own.”
The grassy city-owned triangle the UFO sat on Tuesday evening was just the latest in a tour the orb has been on since late August. It first appeared at Fireman’s Park and then at Puget Park, Old Town Park and a stop on Division Street. It spends about a week in each place.
North End residents were surprised, confused and delighted by the appearance on Tuesday night. Traffic ground to a crawl. Some drivers got out to take pictures.
“I absolutely love it,” said nearby resident Diane Walkup, who came over for a closer look. “I’ve seen it in three locations now, so the whole town’s getting to experience it.”
A comic strip illustrated by Tacoma artist Stan Shaw and published in Grit City Magazine is chronicling the space orb which, according to the story line by LaBerge and Paul Cross Blanchard, is a probe from a planet 45 billion light years from Earth.
“Honestly, we’re just having a lot of fun,” Blanchard said.
This story was originally published September 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
