Looking for Ghosts in a Ghost Town

Are Ghosts Towns haunted? Well, some definitely are - I've visited them personally. But just because an abandoned community from days gone by has a few buildings standing doesn't mean that it has any ghosts. I ran across a USA Today article, though, that has some from around the country that just might be worth visiting. You can read it at:

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/10great/2005-10-20-ghost-towns_x.htm

Poll Results!

The last poll question was an interesting one for me. After all, we're all interested in the subject of the paranormal. But who would want to get right on the front lines? With that in mind, the last poll question was, "Would you spend the night in a haunted house?"

Here are the results:
In a heartbeat! 39%
With several other people there for support. 39%
Maybe, but I don't think I'd make the entire night. 3%
Are you crazy? I'd never even consider it! 18%

This surprised me - I figured that everyone would jump at the chance. It was tied, though, between a firm yes, and a cautious yes if more people were there. Only 3% would go in knowing that they might not make the entire night, and 18% of the people participating in the poll said "no way!"

I love these polls, just to see where everyone's head is at - and this one surprised me a little!

Ghost researcher's home a real haunt

From the Mon Valley View
By Kristina Kregiel, Staff Writer
Linda Davis' quaint California home is typical of that of any wife's, mother's or grandmother's.

Childrens' toys lie in a corner of one room and family photos decorate the walls.

But muffled by the background noise of the living room television set and resting beneath those toys and knickknacks lives a presence of energy rarely visible to the naked eye.

Linda's neighborhood has a past -- that includes tragedy.

As a little girl, Linda knew many of the area's residents -- including the couple she affectionately knew as "Mom" and "Pop" -- from her visits to her grandmother's house.

Today, she now knows the couple on a more personal level.

She claims they, and 26 other spirits, coexist with the Davis family in their ranch-style abode -- Mom and Pop's old home.

Pop and his daughter both died on the property -- the daughter from a brain tumor and Pop after falling off a riding lawnmower and breaking his neck.

Linda says the ghosts of all three former residents frequently are seen.

"When I'd go downstairs to wash clothes, Mom would come down."

Pop prefers to lie on the couch and watch television rather than helping with the household chores, she says.
Their daughter usually remains behind closet doors, but has been known to come out when Linda's grandchildren stop for a visit.

Though spirits have been known to run some homeowners out of their homes, the opposite is true for Linda. Instead, the house considered to be the most spiritually active in California attracted her.

Linda says she has been able to see things since she was young.

Though not as receptive to the spirits as Linda, her father, Edgar Harris, shares his daughter's excitement and interest in the paranormal.

Both belong to the Mon Valley Ghost Research Society, a group of ghost hunters who investigate places where there have been reported sightings.

Linda's house being one of them.

Before the Davis family moved in, they were given permission to investigate the home.

Under the fine eye of a Sony Night-shot camera, strange orbs of light were seen in the basement.

Linda says they heard the sound of footsteps and furniture sliding across hardwood floors --despite the home's wall-to-wall carpeting -- and one ghost even had to be chased out of a window for acting up.

That particular ghost has been the only one that has given the neighborhood any kind of grief.

According to Edgar, the spirit is believed to be that of woman who thought her husband was cheating on her.

Emotionally upset -- and driving recklessly -- the woman died in an accident after wrecking her car along a lonely stretch of road.

A series of unexplained suicides within a quarter-mile radius of the accident scene -- just over the hill from the Davis home -- followed her death.

It's said her spirit invaded the weak-minded, convincing them to take their own lives.

Those who were more strong-willed complained only of sleeping difficulties.

"If you have tendencies, they can amplify them for you," says Edgar. "She was mentally disturbed... troubled in life and in death."

The haunts alone would be enough to cause most people to run for the hills, but what about those who live it on a daily basis?

Linda, whose house appeared on ABC's "World Scariest Ghosts Caught on Tape," says she rarely gets spook-ed.
"The guardian angels keep watch."

Edgar, however, sometimes feels differently.

"Maybe a little bit," he says, though his mild uneasiness hasn't stopped him from accompanying ghost re-searchers on investigations.

Over the past seven years, Linda and her father have been actively involved with the society in investigating haunts such as Nemacolin Castle, Conneaut Lake Hotel and Dixmont.

But for these two ghost-lovers, there really is no place like home.

Ghost Group Denied Access To Cemetery

I figured that it would happen one of these days, and here it is from Ellensburg, WA. The Ellensburg Daily Record has the story online here:

http://www.kvnews.com/articles/2005/10/26/news/news01.txt

Since online articles disappear with passing days, here's the text of the article, which is copyright by the Ellensburg Daily Record:

Roslyn says no to ghost chasers
Group can study cemetery during the day, but won’t be allowed at night
By LIZ BRYSON
ROSLYN — The Roslyn City Council voted Tuesday against a West Side paranormal investigator group’s request to study the City Cemetery at night, but agreed they must be permitted access to it in the daytime because it is a public place.In September, the Washington State Paranormal Investigations and Research group (WSPIR) asked the council for permission to study the cemetery at night, which is estimated to have 5,000 people buried there. The cemetery commission was against the idea and recommended the council vote against it.Jim Barich, the commission’s chairman, told council that he and other members gave WSPIR an “emphatic no” on nighttime paranormal study and said the entire concept was disrespectful to the dead.

“Some of the stones are very fragile and easily dislodged,” he said. The commission also asked that the council bar the group from studying the cemetery during the day and asked that no information about Roslyn be allowed on the group’s Web site, www.wspir.com.The council agreed to no nighttime investigations by a five to two margin. Milly Radonovich and Steve Dreier voted no, in favor of nighttime study. “I don’t see what’s wrong with it,” Radonovich said.The council later discussed daytime visits and said WSPIR would be permitted during regular hours — something the council said they must permit, according to law. “This borders on hysteria,” councilman David Porter said. “I apologize to WSPIR. They’re not going up there with picks and shovels.” Council member Larry Susich expressed strong opposition to the group and said, “Let’s not be the council that says OK to the ghost hunters.” The council also said it had no authority to tell WSPIR what it can and can not put on its Web site.WSPIR member Darren Thompson said he was disappointed by the decision, but added the group plans to come to the Roslyn cemetery again during the day to study paranormal activity, and that they plan to extend an invitation to the cemetery commission. “We wish we could have gotten to say ‘come with us and see what we do,’” he said. Thompson said paranormal activity heightens in the evening, and that from 2 to 3 a.m. activity is usually at its highest. Many paranormal groups have found that to be true, including his own, he said.

Landlord Sues Restaurateurs Who Say Building Is Haunted

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The owners of a Japanese restaurant who claim their newly renovated Florida building is haunted are being sued by their landlord for refusing to move in. The $2.6 million state lawsuit asks a judge to decide whether the building is haunted and, if it is, whether the ghosts would interfere with the restaurant's business. The suit by the owners of the Church Street Station entertainment complex in Orlando also said an offer to hold an exorcism was refused.

An attorney said Christopher and Yoko Chung had planned to move in last October but balked after subcontractors gave several documented reports of having seen ghosts or apparitions at night. The attorney also said Christopher Chung's religious beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness require him to "avoid encountering or having any association with spirits or demons."

A Ghost in the Fort Worth Stockyards

A B&B located in the stockyards of Fort Worth, Texas, is the location of quite a bit of supernatural activity.

Miss Molly's Hotel Bed and Breakfast, 109 1/2 W. Exchange Ave., Fort Worth, TX 76106

Miss Molly's is an historic, 8-room hotel operating in the bed-and-breakfast tradition. It's in the Stockyards section of Fort Worth, on the second floor of a building originally constructed in 1910. The inn features shutters, lace curtains, iron beds, antique quilts and oak furniture in every room.The building, which transformed from a boarding house into a bordello in its pre-B&B days, is alleged to host a few ghosts.

As befits a former bordello, the supposed spirit visitors at Miss Molly's are often reported to be attractive young women who materialize at the foot of guests' beds. The Cowboy's and Cattlemen's rooms are alleged to be the places to stay to have the best chance of encountering something supernatural.

The things that go 'scrape' in the night

The things that go 'scrape' in the night
9/16/04
By LAUREN DONOVAN
SIMS -- She's a cool ghost, but can she remove old wallpaper? Instead of thumps in the night, people preserving the old church and parsonage at Sims would like to hear "scrape, scrape, scrape," no matter how shivery the sound. So far, the Gray Lady hasn't picked up a tool. On the other hand, she hasn't done any mischief either, so she must approve of work being done to preserve the oldest church west of the Missouri River. The Gray Lady story dates back to between 1916 and 1918. She was the wife of Rev. L.D. Dordal, but her name has not survived in anyone's memory, or in records. She died sometime in those few years Dordal served the church and was quickly replaced by her sister. It's said she lingers, moving up the stairs and playing the organ. Stories of her presence persisted -- a young woman who boarded there in later years felt an extra blanket laid on her while she slept, but no one else in the house had come up the stairs that night. In 1938, the church board minutes -- translated from Norwegian in recent years -- noted the secretary was to ask the district president to investigate the supernatural happenings in and around the parsonage. If the district president ever got to the bottom of it, it wasn't recorded anywhere in church minutes. Sims is a ghost town, now, and the Gray Lady has endless nights to meander down memory lane, in and out of buildings no longer there. What once was in Sims is far more substantial than what remains, but the pretty white church at the dirt road corner lives on. It's opened up every other Sunday, and some 50 people come from the countryside and Almont to worship. They gather in the "new" church, with tinwork ceilings that was built in the 1890s to replace the original church and parsonage. The preservation work is being done on the original church just next door, which was built in 1884. That's 120 years ago, before statehood was even established. In an unusual arrangement, living quarters for the pastor were on the main floor. Worshippers, in their long heavy dresses and sturdy wool plants, traipsed up a curved, wide-planked set of stairs to pray and sing hymns under the rafters until a real church could be built. It's to the second floor that the Gray Lady ascends to play an organ that's long since gone. The original building was a plain, sturdy structure, made of locally produced brick and covered with rough stucco. The last pastor left the Sims church parsonage in the '40s, but it remained occupied until 1984.Other than for the ghost, it's been empty for 20 years now. Empty, but not forgotten. Some church members got interested in preserving the building. They wanted to preserve it before time did to the historic building what time has already done to so much of Sims, obliterate it with all the finality of an erasure. "We don't want to forget these churches that were so important to our ancestors," said Joel Johnson. He and his wife, Donna, live three miles away and keep the old church records at their home. The church members applied for a grant from Preservation North Dakota and received $5,000 in the group's Prairie Churches project. They also got some hands-on help from preservation members. Dale Bentley, director, and two board members camped behind the old parsonage last week and pitched in, scraping nine layers of old paper off the walls, carrying out plumbing and electrical fixtures that were added in later years and restoring the old style wavy glass in the windows. The work was festive in the September sunlight, hard but productive, with a break for chili and warmed up apple pie served in the cool church basement. The campers said their rest was mostly uninterrupted, although SIMS -- She's a cool ghost, but can she remove old wallpaper? Instead of thumps in the night, people preserving the old church and parsonage at Sims would like to hear "scrape, scrape, scrape," no matter how shivery the sound. So far, the Gray Lady hasn't picked up a tool. On the other hand, she hasn't done any mischief either, so she must approve of work being done to preserve the oldest church west of the Missouri River. The Gray Lady story dates back to between 1916 and 1918. She was the wife of Rev. L.D. Dordal, but her name has not survived in anyone's memory, or in records. She died sometime in those few years Dordal served the church and was quickly replaced by her sister. It's said she lingers, moving up the stairs and playing the organ. Stories of her presence persisted -- a young woman who boarded there in later years felt an extra blanket laid on her while she slept, but no one else in the house had come up the stairs that night. In 1938, the church board minutes -- translated from Norwegian in recent years -- noted the secretary was to ask the district president to investigate the supernatural happenings in and around the parsonage. If the district president ever got to the bottom of it, it wasn't recorded anywhere in church minutes. Sims is a ghost town, now, and the Gray Lady has endless nights to meander down memory lane, in and out of buildings no longer there. What once was in Sims is far more substantial than what remains, but the pretty white church at the dirt road corner lives on. It's opened up every other Sunday, and some 50 people come from the countryside and Almont to worship. They gather in the "new" church, with tinwork ceilings that was built in the 1890s to replace the original church and parsonage. The preservation work is being done on the original church just next door, which was built in 1884. That's 120 years ago, before statehood was even established. In an unusual arrangement, living quarters for the pastor were on the main floor. Worshippers, in their long heavy dresses and sturdy wool plants, traipsed up a curved, wide-planked set of stairs to pray and sing hymns under the rafters until a real church could be built. It's to the second floor that the Gray Lady ascends to play an organ that's long since gone. The original building was a plain, sturdy structure, made of locally produced brick and covered with rough stucco. The last pastor left the Sims church parsonage in the '40s, but it remained occupied until 1984.Other than for the ghost, it's been empty for 20 years now. Empty, but not forgotten. Some church members got interested in preserving the building. They wanted to preserve it before time did to the historic building what time has already done to so much of Sims, obliterate it with all the finality of an erasure. "We don't want to forget these churches that were so important to our ancestors," said Joel Johnson. He and his wife, Donna, live three miles away and keep the old church records at their home. The church members applied for a grant from Preservation North Dakota and received $5,000 in the group's Prairie Churches project. They also got some hands-on help from preservation members. Dale Bentley, director, and two board members camped behind the old parsonage last week and pitched in, scraping nine layers of old paper off the walls, carrying out plumbing and electrical fixtures that were added in later years and restoring the old style wavy glass in the windows. The work was festive in the September sunlight, hard but productive, with a break for chili and warmed up apple pie served in the cool church basement. The campers said their rest was mostly uninterrupted, although they did hear some interesting noises coming from the house one night, a kind of repetitive thumping. "It sounded like someone walking and then like a clock ticking," Bentley said. "There was something very distinct coming out of the building." The Gray Lady only adds mystery to a compelling historical story that could stand on its own without her. Construction of the church marked the advance of Christianity into the far reaches Dakota Territory, across the wide Missouri River, when the river was still a significant dividing line. At Sims, the settlers called out ministers who could preach in Norwegian and English and they named their church Sims Scandinavian Lutheran Church. It stood in a bustling village, occupied by 1,000 souls when the church was built. The town was briefly the biggest in Morton County, mainly because of coal mining activity. By 1940, only 98 people remained, and the population trickled off to virtually nothing when the Northern Pacific Railroad rerouted its mainline north of Sims later in that decade. Still, it's possible to imagine Sims, with houses sprinkled up and down the small green valley of Sims Creek. The once fabulous banker's house still stands past the church, a decaying monument to a bygone era of fancy brick work and gingerbread trim. At the old parsonage, church members will continue their work to preserve a building that 120 years ago gave Sims spiritual sustenance and, it seems, a spirit. "It's a neat story," Bentley said. Johnson said church members hope to have one room completed by Oct. 3,when a 120th celebration will be held starting at 10 a.m., with services, a noon meal and time for visiting afterward. The building, restored to its essential 1880s simplicity, will serve as a museum of the church's history. Its story and the story of the Gray Lady will be part of what visitors can learn. How the preservation proceeds depends on how quickly the work can be done. At Sims, there aren't many hands left. "We're few," said Donna Johnson.

A Haunting in Boston

From about.com
(http://hotels.about.com/od/hauntedhotels/p/hau_omniparker.htm):

The Story: The third floor is the paranormal hotspot at this historic Boston hotel. Charlotte Cushman, a renowned 19th century stage actress who played both male and female roles (Lady Macbeth as well as Hamlet), died in 1876 in her room on the third floor. Now, one of the elevators often travels on its own to the third floor, even when no buttons are pushed.

More Haunting: Charlotte isn't the only ghost suspected to haunt the third floor of the Omni Parker House. A businessman died in room 303. Guests and staff have reported the smell of whiskey and raucous laughter. After a large number of guest complaints, the room was converted into a closet.

Spooky Visits: Some surprised guests have reported seeing Harvey Parker, the hotel's founder, in their rooms asking about their stay. Mr. Parker died in 1884.

History and Legend: The Omni Parker House was the gathering place for "The Saturday Club," a group which included Longfellow, Thoreau, Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Since Longfellow's favorite room was on the third floor, many suspect the elevator is returning him upstairs after a club meeting.

A Haunting in the U.K.

From The Coventry Evening Telegraph:
Haunted Hotel's Secrets Revealed
Nov 1, 2005
By Barbara Goulden

STRANGE things don't exactly go bump in the night at the 17th-century hotel and restaurant run by Jules Culver House and her partner Tony Murphy.

But salt cellars swop tables in the night, candles go walkabout and a cavalier-like gentleman has been seen in the conference room.

The hotel, in Coventry Road, Baginton, and the Phantom Coach pub, in Coventry, are two places featured in a new book, Haunted Places of Warwickshire, out in time for the spookiest time of the year.

Miss Culver House, aged 25, has only been deputy manager of the Old Mill for the past 18 months but has already become aware of the fact that mysterious things do happen.

She said: "We had a young waitress once who kept being struck on the back of the head and thought it was one of us having a laugh.

"Candles move and though we leave all the tables in order before going to bed, we can come down to find wine bottles all over the place."

The hotel was originally a house next to the River Sowe which is now linked to the original 11th century working mill.

Members of the Midland Ghost Reseach group recently spent a night there and estimated the building was "home" to 11 spirits, including the cavalier and a sad young lady regularly seen on a spiral staircase.

The book's author, Rupert Matthews, has also included the Phantom Coach in Canley which is named after an incident when a stagecoach failed to arrive at its destination.

Mr Matthews, aged 43, of Surrey, records that two centuries ago the ground was marshy around what is now the A45.

But for years afterwards there were reports of a coach driving up the lonely road at speed, the coachman lashing the horses and the passengers screaming in fear.

He said one of his favourite stories about hauntings came from Polesworth, in north Warwickshire, and the antics of St Edith, the daughter of King Egbert who was buried in the ninth century.

"After taking to the religious life she was forever reminding the nobles and warriors about the sin of gluttony just as they were about to tuck into a feast or (literally) banging on about vanity when a lady had a new dress."

The 96-page book also mentions spooks said to haunt Guy's Cliffe at Warwick, Kenilworth, Long Lawford, Edgehill and Coombe Abbey. lHaunted Places of Warwick-shire costs £7.99 and is published by Countryside Books of Newbury, Berkshire.

Poll Results!

Last week's poll was "Ghosts are open to mental communication...", and here are the answers and the results:

"Definitely" - 73%

"No, only the spoken word" - 18%

"I'm not quite sure" - 9%

The overwhelming majority of the folks on the blog feel that spirits are definitely open to mental communication, although almost one-fifth said that ghosts are only open to the spoken word. About a tenth weren't sure - which is just as valid an answer.

I keep stressing that there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to the supernatural. None of us know for sure, but one day we all will... when we've made that crossing ourselves!

Personally, I fall into that "I'm not sure" crowd. I don't know what our level of communication with entities from the other side are, but it's certainly interesting to speculate!

Visiting the Winchester House

When my book "A Ghost In My Suitcase" came out in 2005, I immediately started hearing from people who work (or have worked) at The Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California. My wife and I have been there several times, taking various tours, and enjoying every one. In the book, I wrote about some of the stories that the staff told me, but even more surprising to me were the emails that I received over the past year. Apparently several of the people there have experienced some very interesting supernatural phenomena.

If you watch the History Channel or TBS, then you have probably seen one or more programs on the Winchester Mystery House. To be honest, though, you won't see how impressive it truly is until you stop by for a visit. The place is fascinating - Sarah Winchester had staircases built to no where, doors that opened into walls, and other doors that opened into a several story fall. There are trap doors, small staircases, and mysteries that will amaze you. She built all these to confuse the spirits of those who had died by the Winchester Repeating Rifle.

There's no way to begin to tell her story in a blog, so do yourself a favor - do a little research on the place, then put it in your vacation itinerary. You'll love it, and you may just run into one of the spirits there!

A new film on the way...

When principle photography wrapped last year, I wasn't sure what to expect from the production and film crew that visited my home in Jefferson, Texas. I recently received a trailer for the show, which blew me away.

I can hardly wait to see it on the Travel Channel or TLC... it looks like the show is going to be fascinating.
To see it, go to The Grove's website at www.thegrove-jefferson.com, and scroll down 'til you see the green banner that says "Watch the Trailer".

I think that you're going to be excited about "City of Spirits: The Hauntings of Jefferson, Texas" - check out the trailer and see for yourself!

A Far West Texas Ghost

Here's a story from the El Paso Times about a local ghost in far West Texas...

EP library has ghosts, staff says
Daniel Borunda
El Paso Times

The discovery of a possible Civil War-era skeleton buried next to the main branch of the El Paso Public Library on Thursday was not a surprise, library employees said Friday.

"We figured that's why we have our ghosts," said staffer Charles Apuan while walking down a shadowy row of bookshelves in a sub-basement that is said to be the epicenter of eerie phenomena at the library, 501 N. Oregon.

Several members of the library staff have reported apparitions, strange noises and items moving by themselves.

Workers excavating a site behind the library Thursday discovered a skeleton, thought to be a soldier because in the 1860s the land was a military cemetery, which was later relocated. Skeletal remains were also found in the neighborhood in 1998 by crews replacing water and sewer lines. Library staffers expect other remains to be found as construction continues.

A tall gentleman specter, called "The Captain," and the ghost of a woman, called "The Nurse," have appeared in the sub-basement, situated about 20 feet below ground and used for storage and technical services, library staffers said.

A heavy, old wooden chair, nicknamed "The Captain's chair," was said to move back to its corner overnight if it was moved -- inside a locked section of the sub-basement -- Apuan said. The chair was later moved to the Magoffin Home, built in 1875.

"I was not scared enough to quit," said a 10-year employee, Terri Grant, while telling how "a force" pushed her when she went to investigate the sounds of a commotion in an empty part of the library at closing time a few years ago. Employees said the happenings are just part of the work ambience. The tales are collected in "A Chance of a Ghost," a 2002 book on El Paso-Juárez hauntings.

"You don't believe it until you are down there; (in the sub-basement) you believe it," said Dane Aguilar, who says he once saw a water faucet handle turn by itself.

Fear: A Ghost Hunter's Story

I have to give mad props to my friend Kriss Stephens - you may know her as one of the producer-type folks associated with MTV's "Fear", or as a highly respected ghost-hunter around the country. Her book, "Fear: A Ghost-Hunter's Story" has been out just about a year now, and I just finished reading it again. It's one interesting read, and a must-have for anyone interested in ghost-hunting. If you want to see Kriss' book, and read a sample chapter, just go to:

http://www.atriadpress.com/BookPages/FearBook.htm

BTW, Kriss lived in the New Orleans area, and pretty much lost everything. If you want to help a sister out, just click and order her book... I know that she'll appreciate it!

A Ghost In Wisconsin!

Posted June 24, 2005
Ghosts haunt Manitowoc, expert says
BY sean schultz Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers
www.wisinfo.com/heraldtimes/news/archive/local_21540901.shtml

Ghosts in Manitowoc County? Green Bay? Your own back yard?

You better believe it — at least according to the guy who co-wrote “The Wisconsin Guide to Haunted Locations.”

The area is loaded with things that go bump in the night, said Chad Lewis, who will appear with two other paranormal investigators at the first Unexplained Conference in Green Bay this weekend. Authors Linda Godfrey and Richard Hendricks, who co-authored “Weird Wisconsin: Your Travel Guide to Wisconsin’s Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets” also will tell tales of spooky sightings.
Stories have circulated for years about the mystery surrounding JFK Prep, a former seminary in St. Nazianz.
According to research by Lewis and others, many people believe that the ghosts of former residents still lurk about the now-dilapidated buildings of JFK Prep. Tales of physical and sexual abuse become theories speculating on the origins of the hauntings. Many believe the school was constructed in the early 1900s by a sect of German Catholics who came to the United States to practice pedophilia, incest, and homosexuality.
Wild tales of ghosts, demons, and other strange anomalies persist still today. It is said that numerous people have encountered the ghosts of former children who were abused and whose spirits have chosen to remain on their old school grounds.

Then there is St. Mary’s Home in Manitowoc. Once an orphanage and senior living home, the city at some point in its long history gave St. Mary’s the option to house one or the other. The home chose to keep the seniors, and orphans were transported to another facility.

Since that time, Lewis said, residents have reported hearing the sounds of young children playing and have seen the ghosts of young children running around. Residents report these “children” as being out of place as through they were from another time period.

The other main ghost is that of an old man who has been seen walking his phantom dog down the hall. Many residents have complained to the staff about the loud dog that has been heard throughout the facility.
The Unexplained Conference has drawn audiences of 200 to 300 people at each of its 20 stops around the state, and Lewis expects to see that many Saturday.

The presenters will offer information they have on local haunts “and let you look at all sides of the issues, then come to your own conclusions,” Lewis said.

The speakers all have careers outside their paranormal work. Lewis is a grant writer based in Eau Claire but as a psychology student studying why people believe in the paranormal, he got hooked on the subject.

“Ten years later I’m left with more questions than answers,” he said.
Godfrey, a former reporter with a keen interest in werewolves in Wisconsin, is a full-time author in Elkhorn, and Hendricks is a legal researcher at a law firm in Madison.

Lewis said many of us have heard spooky tales about the places around us, and many have had otherworldly experiences. He said he believes that fear tinged with denial is what keeps more people from reporting personal stories involving the supernatural. At the conference, they can feel free to open up.

“My favorite part (of the presentation) is when the people tell their stories. There are more than we could ever, ever investigate,” he said.

HTR staff writer Pat Pankratz contributed to this report.

Poll Results!

Here's the poll - and the results - for last week!

Ghosts or Spirits...
...have not crossed over to the other side. 27%
...are stuck on this plane to resolve some issue. 0%
...are simply back from the other side for a visit. 73%
...have another agenda that we don't understand. 0%

I have to admit, I agree with the majority. As I always say, though, none of us will know for sure - until we make that crossing ourselves.

Info on the Conference

If you live in the TX/LA/OK/AR area at all, then you've probably heard about the upcoming Texas Paranormal Conference in Jefferson, TX on April 22, 2006. I've been getting all kinds of email about it, so let me say that:
1) I'm only a speaker - I don't know that much about the registration packages and such.
2) You can, however, find out everything that you need to know at www.thegrove-jefferson.com/conf - you'll find all sorts of stuff, including a link to the official conference website that has the latest news.
3) Plan on eating a Ghost Burger there at the conference! The local Lions Club is sponsoring it, and they do so much to help underprivilaged kids get eye exams and glasses, handicapped kids go to summer camp, and much, much more. The $6 for lunch not only gets you a tasty burger with all the fixins, but it helps sponsor their charitible activities. Plus, you don't have to leave the conference, so you get to visit with other attendees, eat with the speakers, and browse the vender booths.
4) If you're staying the night, book early and you may be able to get in one of the haunted B&B's or hotel - just call the Jefferson Reservation Service at 877-603-2535. It doesn't cost a penny more to book through them, and they'll have the low-down on all the rooms in town.

Okay, commercial over. I just think that this is going to be one heckuva weekend... come join us!

Secret Supernatural Tales

It never ceases to surprise me how many people come up to me with ghost stories, telling me incredible tales, but then swearing me to secrecy. For example, a lady saw me the other day and said, "You're that fellow that writes about ghosts!"

I just shrugged and said, "Guilty."

She then proceeded to tell me that at her house, they had a lady doing wallpaper upstairs several years ago. The woman had tacked one sheet up just to get the pattern going, then came downstairs for cigarette. When she went back up, the wallpaper was down and was rolled neatly and had been set in the chair. The lady doing the wallpapering quit, and never came back. The couple who owned the house painted the room, instead.

When I was told about this, I was sworn to secrecy, and asked never to reveal the story's place of origin. I'll respect that, but do keep in mind, most places in the town of Jefferson, TX have a ghost story or two!

Surprise, surprise... people believe in the supernatural!

About three in four Americans profess at least one paranormal belief, according to a recent Gallup survey.

The most popular is extrasensory perception (ESP), mentioned by 41%, followed closely by belief in haunted houses (37%). The full list of items includes:

Belief in:
Extrasensory perception, or ESP... %41
That houses can be haunted... %37
Ghosts/that spirits of dead people can come back in certain places/situations... %32
Telepathy/communication between minds without using traditional senses... %31
Clairvoyance/the power of the mind to know the past and predict the future... %26
Astrology, or that the position of the stars and planets can affect people's lives... %25
That people can communicate mentally with someone who has died... %21
Witchcraft is real... %21
Reincarnation, that is, the rebirth of the soul in a new body after death... %20
Channeling/allowing a 'spirit-being' to temporarily assume control of body... %9

A special analysis of the data shows that 73% of Americans believe in at least one of the 10 items listed above, while 27% believe in none of them. A Gallup survey in 2001 provided similar results.