Bright Light in distance over mountains moves in very quickly, then moves slowly over suburban commercial district (Kmart).

The object was initially a pinpoint in the distance. Within 20 seconds it moved into our area and slowed down to a low speed. It was dark and we could see only the lights but I estimate it to have been 300 feet in diameter (a perfectly round disk or squat cylinder with slightly domed top) and perhaps 50 feet tall.  
It had a band of lights around the perimeter through which lights pulsated in a teardrop pattern (a band of teardrops moving head to tail around the perimeter of the object).  The faster the ship moved, the faster the light pattern went around the perimeter.  The lights were white.  
The reason I surmise it had a domed top is because there was a blue light on top that moved around in a semi-spherical motion.  The object was utterly silent and incredibly swift.  If you did not look, you would not have known it was there.  
There were other witnesses but no one spoke of it.  The object disappeared over a hill behind us and did not reappear.
I am one of the two people who have reported the disk in Hickory NC in June 1966.  The other reported sighting corroborates exactly what I saw but they reported seeing it about 2 days after I saw it, ...it has been a long time... 
I have also seen a report elsewhere on a very similar craft around the same time in Venice, California.  It could also be the craft of Hingham, Mass., sighting of 4/1/66.  
There was also a similar craft illustrated on a UFO documentary a few years ago (it looked like the craft I saw, with the teardrop shaped lights rotating in a band around the perimeter but was much smaller than the craft I saw). 
My question is, how best can I research this particular craft at that time?  It was quite large, probably 300' diameter and 50' thick.  It had a pattern of large white teardrop shaped lights rotating in a band around the perimeter of the disk.  There was a blue light either above or below.  Other than that there were no visible features, except that it blocked out the! stars as it flew over.
Thanks,
((name deleted))  ph 678-((number deleted))
Dear Mr. ((name deleted)),
Thank you very much for the message, and for the information.
With regard to researching the events, there is probably no better way than going to local newspapers.  If even just a small group of people witnessed the object, newspaper reports might have been generated in the local publications.  Since UFO materials usually get front page coverage in local papers, you can usually scan just the front page of every issue, and that will tell you whether you are looking at the correct edition.
If you have had sightings that you have not submitted to our Online Report Form, I would welcome such reports.  If you could take just a few minutes to generate a description of each sighting and submit it, using that form, that will preserve the sighting, and make it available to others to read.
Also, if you would like to submit an illustration of the objects you have witnessed, we will scan them, and post them with your report in the future.
Thank you very much for sharing the information with our Center!
Cordially,
Peter Davenport
((END JULY 10, 2001, REPLY))
((SECOND CORRESPONDENCE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF REPORT))
This is a correction for a sighting that I posted several years ago. I posted that the sighting was June 8, 1966. That was an approximate date. My mother passed away recently and, going thru her effects I found an entry in her journal for the noted event. The date that she wrote down was June 10, 1966. Ibelieve that her date is more accurate than my date. If you like, please change the date from the 8th to the 10th.
Thank you.
((END ADDENDUM))
The following message is submitted on July 10, 2001, by the individual who submitted the report above.