By Frank Warren
The UFO Chronicles12-3-09
Ufologists, Arizonians and eyewitness to the huge crafts that flew over the Arizona skies back in March of 1997 are all too familiar with the name "Frances Emma Barwood." Her name is synonymous with the events; her solitary voice pierced the silence of the restrained politically correct and demanded answers!
Frances Barwood did not duck she did not pass the buck; she did not ignore the situation, nor make light of it (as other government officials would later do) - she did what she was elected to do i.e., represent her constituents and the best interests of the city of Phoenix.
The airspace of her city and state was repeatedly violated by huge unidentified crafts, (and smaller ones) which maneuvered through the skies with impunity; people wanted to know what it was-she was the one to ask!
Born on January 13, 1944 in Ridgewood, Queens, New York, Frances moved from Williston, Vermont to northeast Phoenix in 1980.
Frances was elected to serve her first term on the Phoenix City Council starting January 1992 and was re-elected to a second term January 1994.
As Councilwoman, she represented District 2, which includes most of northeast Phoenix and is the city's largest district. It encompasses over 130 square miles with a population at the time of over 160,000 and is more than 1/4 of the size of Phoenix.
Frances served on the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) Air Quality Advisory Committee, as well as the following Phoenix City Council Subcommittees:
* Environment and Natural Resources Subcommittee - Chair
* Family, Youth and Education Subcommittee - member
* Ethics and Audit Subcommittee - member
In January 1997, her peers elected Frances as the Vice-Mayor. Prior to being elected to the Phoenix City Council, she served as a member of the Greater Paradise Valley Chamber of Commerce and precinct and state committeeman for Legislative District 24 and then District 28. She has also served on the Squaw Peak Extension Advisory Committee, the Transportation Committee for the Community Council, and several other organizations.
Frances helped in acquiring a teen center, which became one of the most used centers by young people in the city. It took 4 years and 5 months to accumulate the funding and had been her pet project. She also worked to get the Phoenix' recycling program expanded to the north area; an advocate for our police and fire services; Frances activated the 'Shop Phoenix' campaign in 1995 to educate Phoenix citizens on where their sales taxes go when they shop in other cities and how important it is for Phoenix residents to 'Shop Phoenix' to support their own emergency services. She has done several successful 'Fightback' areas in her northeast district to clean out the crime and blight.
Before running for office, Frances was an office manager for over 20 years and from 1989 to 1991, the part time satellite office coordinator for City Council District 1.
Today, Frances and her husband, Mike, have 3 adult children and a 26 year old grandson. They permanently reside in a small rural community south of Prescott, where Frances is again active in local organizations.
Although it has been a long time coming, Frances Barwood will finally share her personal experiences with what has become known as The Phoenix Lights and its aftermath in the form of two books: one book is on the objects that passed over Arizona on March 13, 1997 and the other on government cover-ups, which also relates to the first book in many areas.
See Also:
Phoenix Lights:
Vintage Interview with Tim Ley, Mike Fortson, Frances Barwood and Richard Motzer
Phoenix Lights Remain Bright One Year Later
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