DATE: Saturday, June 14, 1997               TAG: 9706140278

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JENNIFER LANGSTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: HERTFORD                          LENGTH:   53 lines

CROP CIRCLE MYSTERY APPEARS OF HUMAN DOING FARMER FINDS DISCARDED BOARD THAT JUST FITS.

A farmer who discovered what appeared to be crop circles in his wheat field three days ago thinks the mystery has been solved.

Despite light-hearted speculation that aliens might have touched down in Perquimans County, the apparent answer is terrestrial rather than celestial.

``We found a board on the side of the ditch'' Friday morning, said Nick Nixon, 30, who discovered six circles of flattened wheat in his field on Wednesday.

Crop circles are unexplained patterns that have appeared around the world in fields of wheat, barley, grass and other grains. Those who believe in unidentified flying objects contend they may be the work of aliens touching down in spaceships or sending messages.

Armed with the board, Nixon discovered drawing designs in wheat doesn't require rocket science skills.

``I just went out there and made my own circle,'' Nixon said.

The two-by-four had cables and wire coat hangers attached to each end, making the perfect tool for somebody to flatten the yellow wheat stalks and create the elaborate design.

When Nixon measured the board, it turned out to be exactly the same width as the four-foot swaths that connect the circles. Aerial photos also revealed paths that look distinctly like initials - a D, T, A and perhaps an S - carved into the thigh-high wheat.

Although Nixon still has no idea who might have visited the remote field or why they made the circles, the design clearly took a lot of effort.

``I would say it probably took whoever did it all night or three or four days out there,'' Nixon said. ``As far as we know, somebody had a good time and did a pretty good job.''

Although part of the mystery seems to be solved, Nixon and his father, Ed, still have lingering questions.

``We still want to know why they did it, why they picked our field, what they were trying to say,'' Nick said.

The solution to the circles doesn't surprise skeptics. In recent years, several crop circles in England have been discovered to be hoaxes - not the work of flying saucers but of pranksters taking the public for a ride.

Nixon said he was almost disappointed that he wasn't visited by little green men. Although he is confident the designs were made by humans, he's still holding out a sliver of hope.

``We were all kind of hoping that there was going to be something extraterrestrial involved,'' Nixon said. ``But we still don't know who put that board there.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot

These are some of the indentations left in Nick Nixon's wheat field.

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