Eleven people showed up at the Basha Library Tuesday night to hear what Polani had to say about the damaged sorghum stalks and odd patterns he photographed at Gilbert and Ocotillo roads last March 25.
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| ©Michael Polani |
| Crop circle formation in a field on the southeastern corner of Gilbert and Ocotillo Roads March 25, 2007 |
"We're seen by our family and friends as 'a little bit different,' " he told the audience, many who nodded their heads affirmatively. "But I've seen enough to say, yeah, we need to listen to this."
Polani said he regrets not being able to photograph the Chandler phenomenon from the air; the crop was harvested hours after he spotted it.
He was able to walk into the field and capture patterns of downed stalks pointing in different directions among clusters of stiff, erect plants. And he picked up a few of the damaged stalks which appeared to be burned and bent in different places.
"Someone simply stomping on it couldn't do this," he said.
Known as geometric shapes that mysteriously appear in farm fields, crop circles have been a topic of interest by those who tie them to paranormal forces and unidentified flying objects. Polani, who moved to Chandler from San Francisco five years ago, said he has participated in California UFO expositions.
He described most crop circles as having intricate geometric, language or musical significance and speculated that whoever or whatever is creating them is trying to send a message to humans on earth to take care of the environment. Worldwide, the majority occur in Great Britain and most are near sacred ancient sites. The Chandler field's "sacred site" is an irrigation canal once used by prehistoric Hohokam people, Polani said.
If the Chandler patterns appear a little crude, he had an explanation. The forces that created them, "are hoping to make it to the UK (United Kingdom) one day, but until then, they're practicing in Chandler," Polani said.
Ed Hermes, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Agriculture, said no Arizona farmers have ever reported mysterious crop circles in their fields, including the one in Chandler.
A likely explanation for what Polani saw is a common occurrence in heavily fertilized grain crops, Hermes said. When they're exposed to wind, the top-heavy engorged stalks bend and fall. The standing stalks simply hadn't reached the same growth stage, Hermes said.
Property records show the Chandler field is owned by a California partnership. Polani said he unsuccessfully tried to contact the farmer.
The problem with this "likely explanation' is that the Valley area where this occurred does not get wind, with the exception of monsoon season from early July- late September. This was in March.