Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
Voices to Visions
A Dust and Shadows Magazine
February 2011 1 Cover Photo by Alice Mary Herden
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ ABOUT US MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Alice Mary Herden Founder of Dust and Shadows, a Paranormal Investigation and Research Group Editor of Voices to Visions Alice is a freelance photographer and sports photographer for Hernando Today. Her experiences with the Paranormal go back to where she resided with her family in Largo. Encounters with the paranormal have been from breathing to a full black mass apparition.
Cheryl Smeed Workshop Articles “Cheryl is a certified parapsychologist with over 30 years’ experience and has taught classes and facilitated workshops on parapsychology throughout the years. I met Cheryl during our investigation of the West Pasco Historical Society and was completely drawn to her. She was like a magnet of happy energy. We bonded so fast, our friendship bloomed. I am so happy that she can squeeze time in to be in our Dust and Shadows group and write the workshop articles for our magazine.”
" The black mass was the craziest thing me and my little sister have seen, We were watching TV and I looked to the right and saw this black mass just floating towards the hallway, I turned to my little sister and asked her if she saw that and she said yes. Then we continued to watch TV like nothing happened. The breathing in my ear still to this day affects me. If I close my eyes and think back, I can still hear it." For this magazine, I wanted to share as much information about the paranormal without all the adversity. Showing ghost as creeped out artwork, like they are from some horror film, really upsets me. Don't get me wrong, I love dark gothic art, but reality for the paranormal that just doesn't fit. I do hope the readers learn as much as we do with each month we put this magazine together.
Karen Bashak Article writer for Famous places Karen and I work together at the same retail establishment for over 5 years. She is talented, smart, beautiful and just a joy to be around. I am so happy that she has time to write some for our magazine.
Jesselee Lang Concept Art for Paranormal Folklore
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Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Jesselee Lang is a superb 3D fantasy-based artist that tells astounding stories through digital art. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he provides design,
Interviews are conducted via e-mail. If possible some interviews are conducted in person and recorded.
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A special thanks to my husband, Don.
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You have been the light of my life and I love you will all my soul. Thank you for being a huge supporter in all my goals. I could have never lived without you.
Issue Contents
Don Capone is a voice over actor, very talented and very funny. Thank you for all your advice and help with the radio ad.
All material and information gathered within this magazine are researched and/or solely opinions stated by the writer. You choose your opinions and beliefs upon your own conclusion with each expressed view or article written.
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Interviews
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His Website: http://doncapone.com/ Our Print Magazine is a non-profit magazine, you are only charged for printing and shipping.
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ The Cover On the way to work I saw these two old rusted out cars for sale on the side of the road, which I fell in love with. I took my camera the next day and after work to snapped some shots. Most of the photos, a friend and I used to create photoshop brushes. Didn’t really think anything else about it.. Then thinking of Feb. Issue Cover.. Really haven’t seen anything on haunted cars, so I thought one photo would be great for the cover. So I did some editing, black and white, remove color cast, midnight glow and black and white again. I shook my head and said what? no.. I didn’t see that in the original photo, then I looked again and you can make it out.. I laugh and said, how perfect can this be, how precise the smudge on the windshield from all the dust, grime and age form the head of a man. And how perfect, because it’s the actual size of what it would look like if I was sitting in the front passenger side. Until I called the owner, I remembered that I took a photo of the sign in the window.. I went down the street and called him on my cell, I saw the cars and I was in front of his gated property. He comes out wearing a white long coat, like what a pediatrician would wear. We talked about the cars and found very little information of the original owner. He had gotten the 1937 Ford Slap Back as a down payment for his duplex he sold. He was going to restore it to its best Originality, but he had gotten in a car horrible car accident that took most of his memory. He had to learn to read and write all over again. So the past of the 1937 Ford Slap Back is only a lost memory, but the most beautiful sight. Photos by Alice Mary Herden
IN THIS ISSUE
• Famous Places
• Editors Views
Antietam Battlefield
Just Saying" Rules • Interview Interview with Rick McCallum
• PTM
• Evidence
The Grim Society
Photographs
• Dust and Shadows Location
• Encounters
Capital Theatre
Did you hear that? • 101 Photography 101
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Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
EDITORS VIEWS Rules There are the basic rules every paranormal investigation team/investigator should follow.. The most important rule is respect.. Respect is a very important aspect before during and after your investigations. Before.. Respect the location. During.. Respect the spirits After.. Respect the clients Respect the location Treat the location as if you own it. Finding out as much historic information as you can, will increase your respect for that location as well as the people that own it. But don’t do any digging unless you have authorization to do so.. Something’s are better left unstirred, maybe for a reason that we are not supposed to know.
able to find out who really is there. Help them. Remember, as a paranormal investigator, you are responsible for you actions and what actions you bring on from that time and forth coming. If you stirred something up, be prepared to
Photo by Alice Mary Herden Respect the Spirits I can’t say enough how much provoking upsets me and how much it hurts everyone in full. As I stated time and time again, you REALLY do not know who you are talking to. Finding out who is really residing in that location is up to you the more you show concern and respect the better off everyone around will be. Do you think after you threaten them with words makes them feel better? Do you think after yelling at them will help them in the long run? Do you think stating go ahead and hit, touch, scratch me is going to make them open up? When you do your investigations, you are there to find out who is residing there. Take the time to communicate. They may say its Mary, but is it really Mary? Asking the appropriate questions is important. Those questions would be based on the history of that location. If all possible to conduct a second investigation, which you can have a base from reviewing your recordings from the first. You just might be
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take the consequences for your actions, you might just make it worst then it should be. Respect the clients Always listen, work and help. They are taking their time out to let you investigate, so appreciation is a huge factor. Always keep in contact, your building a friendship that goes beyond any friendship you or they will ever experience. The understanding and compassion your team and clients build is bonding. Do something other than just doing an investigation.. Volunteer your services.. Do a clean-up.. Have a bake sale.. Etc.. When you build that friendship, you gain so much more for the future of your group and for the community.
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
If the location you investigated is a personal residence, send cards, flowers.. Just to let them know you are thinking of them and wishing them happiness. It never going to be about you and your team.. It’s always going to be about the rules you apply when you’re investigating. Regardless if it’s a personal location or a
building, abandon house or so forth, you are not there to just capture paranormal evidence or for shits and giggles, or for that eagerness to experience something, that most likely you will be scared to death if you actually do experience
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something, your there to help. You are there to find out the history of location from the time it was dirt to what is on that dirt now.
You are there to find out who is there, why they are there, what happen and most important is if there is anything YOU can do to help them. Do they need to know something, do they need to find something, send a message, and do they just want to talk, be heard. Whatever they need, it’s the rule to help. Photo by Alice Mary Herden
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ JANUARY INTERVIEW Interview with Rick McCallum
* Hollywood Ghost Hunters *
~ Tell us a little bit about yourself. I have been a professional stuntman and actor since 1981, when I did my first movie..It was Lone Wolf McQuade, starring Chuck Norris, and it is where I met Kane Hodder ~ Experiencing your very first paranormal experience can be very frightening, can you tell us about your first meeting with the paranormal and how that effected your mental state at that time? I was visiting my father in Texas, and had driven all the way from Chicago, so I was very tired and went to sleep in the guest bedroom, while my dad and my friend who came with me went to drop another man off at the club where they had been celebrating his birthday, so I was alone in the house. The bed was the type that had a canopy, and moonlight was coming in the window at the foot of the bed, so there was enough light to be able to make out my surroundings, even thought it was dark. As I lay there, I heard a something that sounded like a very deep exhale of breath. I sat up; thinking there might be a dog under the bed, so I rolled over and looked under it..no dog..I laid back down and the same sound again, this time louder. I got out of bed, and checked the room and the closet..no dog..nothing.. back in the bed, I again heard the loud exhale, and I spotted a grate that was used for the A/C, and thought to myself it might have been the air conditioner turning off, but discounted it because I' heard the exhale several times, and air conditioners turn off only once. Once again, I laid back down, and saw my covers were up around my neck, and thought maybe I was hearing my own breath bounce off the covers, so I sat up, and scanned the room, as I was sitting there, an extremely loud and powerful breath went right into my ear, and I felt
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the hot breath on the side of neck. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my pants, and went out the front door to wait for my dad and my friend. After a few minutes, they came back, and my Dad started laughing. I asked him what was so funny, and he said " he got you, huh"? I asked him what he meant, and he let out a loud, deep exhale, and said he got me too, he get's everybody who stays here. Over the course of the next several months, he proved to be right. The things I experienced in that house in Texas got me started, and that was 30 years ago. ~ As you have been interested in the Paranormal for over 20 years, when did you decide to form your own paranormal group and how did you find your team members? I had casually hunted with friends, but they were too timid, so I usually went alone. Then one day I was working on a movie in Mansfield Prison with my buddy, Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th movies. We were done shooting for the day, and as we walked through the dark cell block, we were all the way in the back when I spotted a shadow man figure in front of us at the end of the cellblock. I turned back to tell Kane and he was gone! I thought to myself " great, even the big scary Jason guy runs away"! As I turned back, I saw Kane running at a full sprint after the shadow! Right then, I knew that Kane had to be my first ghost hunting partner. From there, we added RA Mihailoff, who played Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3, and then added Danielle Harris from Halloween, Chris Carnel, the Miner, from My Bloody Valentine 3D, and others who work in the horror movie business. ~ Forming a paranormal team is not as easy as everyone thinks, it takes free time and expenses and most important the passion and trust from each team member. With the team members you have within your group, can you tell us how each one fits within your criteria of being a paranormal investigator of the Hollywood Ghost Hunters. Kane and I are the most aggressive, RA, and Adam Green,( Director( Hatcet2, Frozen), Richard Friedman ( Director, Darkwolf, Born), Robert Pendergraft ( FX make up, Hatchet 2), as well as the others all really get into the investigations, and are always on the lookout for places to hunt.. ~ Your first investigation, now that you have your team all set, your off on your first paranormal investigation. Can
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ you tell us about where you went, how you conducted your investigation and your final outcome.
would that be, and how would you present that to nonbelievers?
Our first full team investigation was at David Oman's house in Beverly Hills, next to where the Manson family killed Sharon Tate and 4 others. We split into 3 man teams, and we also set a nightvision camera on the floor to shoot down a hallway that many people had activity in.. We set the camera on the floor and not on a tripod, so we can see everything from the floor up, with no chance of anything slipping under the camera itself or its range of field. We use voice recorders, EMF detectors; we use K 2 meters, and night vision cameras.. We caught some very interesting anomalies in the hallway, as well as an extraordinary K 2 session, with RA, Richard Friedman, and Louis Horowitz..You can see all of it by going to hollywoodghosthunters.com, and under evidence, look under hallway 1. hallway 2, and lighting anomaly.. The whole hunt is there also..
I would like to see a 3D full spectrum camera setup, that you could position in each corner of a room, and be able to show all 3 dimensions. Wouldn’t it be cool to see a full form apparition?
~ I noticed on your website, HollywoodGhostHunters.com, that you have visited the Sloss Furnace.. One of my favorite places to do photography in Alabama. My husband and I did some video and photography there, he did state he did see someone walking but had no legs in one of the buildings, and being in the tunnel really made you feel uneasy. Can you tell us your experience during your investigation at the Sloss Furnace? Sloss is the most haunted place I've been to. As I raised my camera to film in the blower room, I felt something bump into me, and then felt an icy breeze where I felt the bump. It was the first time I had experienced that. When we were in the tunnel, Steve Nappe, who weighs about 275, was shoved from behind into me, and knocked me forward several feet, that's over 500 pounds that got moved, you won't see that often! A girl with the VAPR group felt like her back was on fire, and when her husband lifted her shirt to look, there were 4 fresh, distinct scratches. That hunt is also on our website.. ~ Collecting paranormal evidence with the technology we have now has certainly increased the state of mind for nonbelievers. Although being a paranormal investigator, experiencing personal occurrences with the paranormal is pretty much thrown out due to not having solid proof, as in digital recordings, photos and/or video. If you could create your own technology to capture paranormal evidence, what
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~ Religion has played such a harsh stain on dictating what spirits really are. In your opinion, how would you explain what happens when we pass on, and what you think spirits and/or ghost are? Along with the statements that some are diabolical. I really can't say about the religious aspect, as religions differ on the afterlife, but I can say that we have come across spirits that are ominously evil.. ~ As far as paranormal groups, do you feel we really lost the passion of what paranormal groups are supposed to do? Meaning, do you feel it’s more for just for the experience and getting that great evp.. And walk away did people become desensitized? Did these groups just become reality TV shows? ~ Can you share your views on this? I think the more people are exposed through the TV shows the better, as long as the shows present the evidence, with no embellishment of any kind. I think people are wise to what is real, and what has been embellished. ~ One last question: ~ If you have an evp and the disembodied voice stated help me? What would you do? I am willing to stand toe to toe with whatever is holding it back, and with Kane Hodder, RA Mihailoff and the rest of the group, I've got some of the baddest people on the planet watching my back.. Website: HollywoodGhostHunters.com
Photo provided by Rick McCallum
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ EVIDENCE By Alice Mary Herden Photography Taking photography during an investigation is more of a 50/50 chance of actually catching something paranormal, ya know, so does digital recordings and video. You can’t always guarantee that you are going to collect paranormal evidence when you are there for that day or night conducting an investigation or going on one of those ghost tours.. Which we will discuss in our March Issue.
The man at Hilton Head, knowing that when you are shooting towards the trees, shadow and light really can transform into some fantastic shapes, even human shape. Maybe that is true.. But I just love this photo, regardless if people think it’s not paranormal.
There are so many factors to consider when taking photos, which I have explained in our 101 section in this issue. The most famous ghost photo is THE BROWN LADY, still to this day; it is considered a valid photo of a spirit. ** Shadows in the Trees I take a lot of photos during our investigations and even if we go on day trips. The best photos I own are the one of the little girl at the May Stringer House and The man from the grave yard in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
So, as of now, this is the best evidence of ghost photos I have for you. Keep updated on our blog for any photos of spirits I may have caught. Photos by Alice Mary Herden
The little girl is a photo that I took from my Polaroid camera; you see transparency and form, nothing else to say about that.
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Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ ENCOUNTERS ** Breath There are some times during your investigations that you might occur a breath or someone breathing right beside you. To this day, I can still hear that breath in my ear from our old house.
Did you hear that? By Alice Mary Herden ** Knocks and Grinds During your investigations, regardless of where you are, you will hear something. Doing investigations at night, really leave you limitless to actually finding out where that noise came from. Investigations during the day or if you are investigating at night with the lights on, you have a better chance of finding out where the noise came from. Was it a bug on the window, was it the house or building settling, was it the refrig, inside, outside. Bumps and knocks for me are pretty much thrown out during our evidence review, really could care less if 2 bumps or knocks meant yes or no, it’s not valid in my evidence review. For example, our table settles, it makes noise all the time, which doesn’t mean its paranormal, it’s just an old heavy table that settles with a knock or two, now and then. I asked a question, and requested to reply by knocking twice on the table, and sure enough it did, but knowing that it makes this knocking sound all the time, I just put it as coincidental timing. If you didn’t know about the table, you would consider that to be paranormal. This is important to ask your tour guide about what sounds they hear, and when. You can then validate what is what, that was just a knock, but that was something falling on the floor sound and crashing you can see what actually fell. Take note of sounds during your digital recordings, where you are and what time it is. I know that is a lot of record keeping, but during your evidence review, you will be thankful that you did.
To validate that this is actually paranormal is to have your digital recorder always recording and state where you heard it coming from. I heard breathing to my right. , then if someone was with you state where they were, Don is on my left on the other side of the room..
** Voices Most often in locations that have paranormal activity, there will be voices. Hearing people talk, hearing whispers, moans and even screams. Again, always have your recorder on, even when you take your first step into the location. Why we can actually hear this but not see who is talking. Until we can actually come up with some technology that can photograph or video spirits, we will never know. Blurred, distorted voices are common and pretty much discarded in our evidence review; it has to be a solid audio as well as words being recognized. I hate that when people have evps and you can barely make it out, or they cleaned it up so much that it’s just noise. If it’s not clear, clean and crisp and you have to second guess it then don’t use it in your evidence.
† James Alcock wrote an article back in 2004, you can read it here: Voices of the Dead Remember, if you do hear something.. Track where you heard it, don’t just stand there.. Find it. If you are doing this in the dark, please, be careful ~alice Photo by Alice Mary Herden
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Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ FAMOUS PLACES by Karen Bashak The Battle of Antietam at Bloody Lane Some History, Some Mystery. The place is rural Maryland just outside Sharpsburg,. It is September 1862. It is a pastoral setting where once a small creek meandered through meadows and cornfields with the wind whispering through the trees that dot the landscape. A small stone bridge spans the creek bed which has become a road well traveled by the wagons and carriages of the era. In the distance a steeple and a few scattered homes bask in the warmth of Indian Summer. But also in the distance a malevolent storm approaches. It is a named storm and its name is War. It arrives with ferocity and vengeance on September 17, 1862. It brings with it angry black clouds of gun smoke, a torrential rain of musket rounds and winds howling with horror and pain. The skies will explode and the earth will tremble with each shattering blast of the cannons. There will be no refuge. The Battle of Sharpsburg at Antietam Creek was a conflict between Union Armies commanded by General George C. McClellan versus Confederate troops under the command of General Robert E. Lee. This battle lasting only one day amazingly claimed over 23,000 casualties (an amount more than the total of the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Spanish American War, combined). Several days before the battle General McClellan obtained the complete detailed plans for General Lee’s entire campaign. Inexplicably, McClellan procrastinated in acting on this information. In failing to act, McClellan allowed a golden opportunity, to end or shorten the Civil War, to slip away. The actual battle took place in and around an 800 yard section of the dried Antietam Creek river bed that lay several feet below the level of the ground near its banks. The Union Army was still fairly well equipped unlike their Confederate counterparts. These Rebel troops were starving, crawling with lice, and had not had a change of underwear in over 2 months. The Confederate uniforms were little more than tattered, threadbare, rags, which made it nearly impossible to distinguish an Officer from a mere Private; and only 1 out of every 6 had shoes of any kind. Yet both Armies were steeled with a grim determination to prevail at any cost. At the end of the day what remained were bodies, bodies and more bodies. Some lay injured or dying, while others lay dead having fallen one atop another.
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The Antietam Creek flowed once more, this time with the blood of the fallen, hence the name Bloody Lane. A makeshift Union hospital was set up at the foot of Burnside Bridge, but with few supplies and little treatment available, it became more of a gathering place to die. The bitter irony is that the battle had no clear victor. Sides hastily buried their dead in shallow unmarked graves, often at the very spot where they had fallen General Lee withdrew to the south and General McClellan was shortly thereafter relieved of his command. In the weeks that followed, those soldiers too badly injured to be moved long distances, were treated in temporary hospitals set up in places like St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and some local residences such as Pry House, Otto House, Piper House and Sherrick House. Care of the injured fell to anyone who was available. At the Pry House General Richardson, attended by his wife, Frances languished for weeks and then died. It became an all too familiar scene endured by the mightiest of Generals and the lowliest of Privates alike. As if to add insult to injury, many of the bodies so hurriedly buried in shallow graves on site were found after the War laying out in the open; the victims of wind, rain and scavenging animals. In 1871 Antietam National Cemetery was established for Union soldiers, near the battlefield; and what could be found of the remains of 5032 persons were retrieved and laid to rest there; 1836 of them were never identified. Likewise, in nearby Hagerstown, Maryland, Washington Confederate Cemetery is the new resting place for more than 2000 Confederate troops with only 346 of them being identified. Who knows how many of the dead will never be found and will forever be Known Only to God. Wars have
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ been fought since the dawn of civilization. The methods, tactics, technologies and weapons used to wage these wars have changed with the times and situations. What has not changed is the many reasons man chooses to take up arms and go to war. Some of these reasons include: being drafted into service; personal gain of some sort; or for a desire to protect ones family, property, way of life, or a political/religious ideology (or conversely to steal from a perceived enemy these same things). The other constant of any war is the human cost and collateral damage suffered by loss of life, limb and property. Along with these come the darkest, most raw of all human emotions- hatred, anger, fear and despair, to name but a few. Seared indelibly into the psyche of every soul they touch; they become a virulent seething cauldron of experiences and emotions that transcend differences in the entire spectrum of human conditions. Might it be possible for these intense emotions and experiences to also transcend time? In the case of the Civil Wars Battle of Antietam, we have condensed into only one brief day; the inestimable passion and fervor necessary to pit brother against brother; father against son, and neighbor against neighbor; in a pressure cooker of white hot emotion not only experienced but memorialized in history, legend and lore. In the years since the Battle of Antietam the location has been the stage for many unexplained phenomena. Strange
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black mists appear where once the air was shrouded in gun smoke. Faint blue lights are seen at the foot of Burnside Bridge where once huddled masses kept watch over fallen comrades. Sound and noises are heard with no perceivable source, and ghostly apparitions are seen at the historical landmarks. It is said that from time to time General Richardson’s wife Frances, can be seen gazing out the windows or pacing the halls of Pry House, much as she probably did at the time of her husband’s suffering and death. Some of the questions that occur to me are as follows. Is it possible that because so much anguish, pain and suffering were condensed into such a brief moment in history, was there not enough time and space available for them to reach full expression? Are some of these events and feelings, needing more time and space spilling over into other times. Are the events so powerfully present that they echo through time? After all these years, is it still possible to grieve with the widow; comfort the wounded or share a flickering memory with a confused, hungry, frightened soldier in his most desperate hour. Questions such as these abound and many more are yet to be asked. If they are to be answered it must be done with a discerning eye and an open mind. Photo by: Š Sheri Jackson | Dreamstime.com More information http://www.civilwarhome.com/antietam.htm
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ FAMOUS HAUNTINGS By Alice Mary Herden Ash Manor Ghost Ash Manor In the 1930’s psychical researcher Nandor Fodor said to have solved this haunting. His conclusion was that underlying psychological factors can create or contribute to paranormal activity. The Ash Manor is located in Sussex, England and was built in the 13th Century. Most of the original building was destroyed over the centuries but a small portion of the Manor still existed. A couple purchased the property around the early 1930’s Shortly after they moved in, their daughter and servants reported hearing strange noises in the attic and what had sounded like footsteps walking on the floorboards, even though the attic did not have floorboards. The first awakening came by 3 heavy bangs from his bedroom door, the next night, 2 violent bangs upon his bedroom door. When the husband was away, nothing happen within the house, but when he arrived back home, there was one violent bang upon his bedroom door. He sat up from his bed and saw a figure of, which described as an oldish man dressed in green smock. He questioned him, but got no response and went up to him and grabbed his shoulder but only to have his hand go through him. He ran to his wife’s bedroom and explained to her about what he saw. She went out to get some brandy to help calm down her husband, only to find the oldish man standing in the doorway of her husband’s bedroom. She described him as looking stupidly, face was red and his eyes were that of malevolent and horrid. She thought he was a vagrant and went up to him to strike him, but only to have her fist go right through him. They continued to hear knocks and footsteps. The green man, as they called the spirit, seemed to appear in front of the chimney, when the wife concluded that there was something hidden inside the chimney. She also concluded that she could make the ghost disappear by touching it. Since the ghost appeared in front of the chimney, she suspected that he was murdered and his remains were hidden in the chimney.
As more manifestations occurred, servant quit their jobs. In 1936, Nandor Fodor became involved in this case. When Nandor stayed in the “haunted room” but nothing happen, nor did hear any footsteps or bangs. Nandor invited 2 other guest to join him at the Ash Manor. They performed, so called, connections with the spirits through trances and clairvoyance. All in all, they their findings were that the “green man” wanted vengeances for his death. The green man spoke through one of the guest, through possession, and told his story, but later the findings of these incidents were not authentic. In conclusion of the Ash Manor, The wife admitted that her and her husband did not want the ghost to leave. That the ghost provided distraction for them from the tension between the husband and wife. Nandor concluded that in rare occasions, those who put themselves in a psychological position and a location filled with historical memories, come in contact with another force. Sources: Guiley, Rosemary Ellen, The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits (Facts on File, Inc., 1992) Illustration by © Marek Pilar | Dreamstime.com
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Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ Ghost Stories
Chris Schantz In my childhood, I had a friend who stretched the truth a bit. I was from a small town in upstate NY. He was sort of the town scummy guy. Come to think of it, I think a wider variety of characters come from small towns than big ones. Maybe, more room between living spaces gives way to more individualism, - no idea. His mom was a bit nuts, divorced from her rich doctor husband. She kept her dentures in a dirty glass in the bathroom. Anyway, Cease and I were friends. I spent the night at his house. He told me about their house ghost named Gus. They gave him that name, but he told me their house was built on an Indian burial ground. Sound familiar? It should. Poltergeist was out at that time, same scenario.
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His lawn would grow 3 feet high, their house was falling apart. They didn't collect much or have a lot of material things.
Finding the statue only gave his story a bit more credibility. But I never got scared. Not even when I stayed overnight.
The inground pool turned to a swamp. The house smelled of cats.
I was anxious to meet the ghost if he were to show himself but there wasn't any fear. None.
So when one day we were playing, I found something in the deep grass sticking out of the dirt. Only the base of it. So I pulled it out. It was a very intricate carved statue of solid mahogany of an Indian woman holding a child. I did not make much fuss about it, he let me keep it, I did not even think too much about it, but the more I did, the more it seemed strange but out of place.
His father the doctor, whom I never saw, actually helped my dad with diagnosing his gall stones. His father moved out prior to my hanging out with Ceaser. I thought while his dad was there, he may have acquired the thing I found, but after he was gone, the place obviously went to hell in a handbasket.
There was a great old house we would visit up the hill, that was more creepy and haunted than you could imagine.
Do you remember anything about Gus? What he said about him and what he did?
. .but nothing too creepy other than our own imaginations happened there.
I believe he told me that he was a friendly ghost so they named him Gus.
Can you express more on your feelings.. anything that you felt or seen.
I think too that when he told me about him the first and only time, the ghost had most to do with his sister's boyfriend.
Well since I was only about 8. That makes it about 30 years ago. I was a kid and his big overgrown yard had a bit of magic to it. We were climbing up on the roof of a separated garage when I found the statue. I didn't think too much of his ghost or experience anything. Like I said, he was quite the fibber, exaggerator, and known to lie.
Her boyfriend didn't believe in him and he ended up running out of the house. This is all I remember. I asked questions about what happened to him but he claimed he was sleeping and didn't witness anything. Photo provided by Chris Schantz
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ 101 Photography Now photography is so advanced with digital technology including software that enhances your original photos it's truly amazing. There are so many things you can do to create total different effect and visual insight to your photos. Being a photographer myself, which I consider myself as a pro-am, Amateur Professional photographer. I love grunge, urban photography, and have a deep love for rust and going out of the box. When using a digital camera during investigations, I cannot stress how important it is to know your settings and what does what. The number one rule is to always use a tripod, ALWAYS, and a remote.. That way you are never touching the actual camera itself, which in any case, rules out any shaking or what have you. *** The Shake: This is why the tripod is important.. It really doesn’t matter what type of camera you have, you can even get one of those table top tripods. The less you’re touching your camera the better. When you are shooting without a tripod, you are more likely to have, what I would call a light trail. Now this light trail can be the slightest spec, like a nat, glossy surface, and light, anything that can cause a reflection.
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*** Should you always want to use a flash? No, but this depends on what type of camera you are using and if you are shooting at night with no light. If you are shooting at night, then make sure you have some light source for your camera to focus on. It can be a flashlight, candle, something. Your camera needs to focus on something. Is there anything wrong during your investigations to use a light? I don’t think so.. You will take better photos, and you won’t get hurt by tripping on something you can’t see, and have a better chance of catching a shadow. If you are stuck on not using any source of light, then you can use your video camera as an actual camera when you’re in night vision. You can test out the flash, take one with the flash and then take one without the flash.. Especially if you are in an old building. You will see the difference, and maybe just give your more of an explanation if you think what you took a photo of might not be paranormal. *** Reflective Surfaces Indoor and Outdoor WOW.. This is a huge area to cover. I can give you an example. While shooting at the West Pasco Historical Society, I was looking
through my photos and noticed something really strange about one photo, I am looking at it, going what is that? Baffled, I was trying to figure it out, ohhhhhhhhhhhh, I said.. Looking at the other photos the same thing was still there it happened to be a reflection on the wall from the glossy mat from the books on the shelf. There are so many reflective surfaces that can beam a glare at you without you even noticing with your naked eye. Windows, Mirrors are common, but books, plastic, etc.. can also cause reflective surfaces. Outdoors, you got nats, bugs, piping, and the list goes on.. The most important issue here is to take note of things you might find to have a reflective surface.. So when you are going through your photos you will know what that weird thing floating on the wall is And also, take 3 photos of the same spot.. 1wait- 2 - wait -3 wait -.. Then you have a sequence of photos to compare to. 360 The greatest thing about using a tripod and remote, besides not touching the camera in any way, is 360 photos you can take one shot, turn the camera right or left 40 degrees and take another shot and so forth.. That way you get photos all
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ around you., without having any blur and trails. See our list here of camera equipment:
some light around you. You can have your ISO to auto, and set your camera tightly on your tripod. Take some test shots..
CANON Creating your own Ghost Photography What you need: Tripod, Digital Camera Suggested to do at night, but you can do this during the day.. Your shutter speed has to be super low, which causes your photo to be really WHITE.. I set my camera on TV (Shutter Priority), this way I have control over the shutter speed. Shutter to ¼ to start.. Now you start there and go lower..you can have
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Have your subject stand in front of the camera, make sure you focus (put your camera to manual focus) on that person, do a test shot.. Your camera will snap a photo and take a couple of seconds to expose. Count how many secs it takes for the camera to complete the exposure. So when you put the camera on the timer setting you will know when you need to move out of the camera view. If it’s too quick then lower your shutter speed. Once that is set.. Put your camera on timer, click the photo.. Don’t move.. Then count how many seconds to where you have to move, and then slowly walk away.
You might have to do this more than a couple of times to get a really great shot.. Try holding a candle or flashlight.. That way you can get light trails that flow. Remember; don’t do this for hours.. This will kill your camera.. Do it a couple of times and then let your camera rest. Now by no way am I endorsing you to pass any of this photography as real paranormal. If you do, then shame on you. Have Fun!
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
From insomnia to agitation and aggression, as hospital and nursing home staff and law officers can attest, a full moon is credited (or blamed!) for unusual and often violent activity. There is reportedly more crime during a full moon. Wolves howl, animals fight, and werewolves transform. Rocks and crystals are cleansed and energized in the light of a full moon. It is an age-old belief that the best time to plant and the best time to harvest is during the full moon. There are legends about the moon in every culture; a time of celebration and worship of the gods and goddesses that possess sovereignty over the moon.
PARNORMAL WORKSHOP By Cheryl Smeed Photo by Alice Mary Herden The Wonder and Magic of the Full Moon Our moon in all of its phases has been the subject of superstition and associated with magic, folklore, and rituals in many cultures throughout the ages. From tides to harvests to luck to lunacy to gods and goddesses, it has been heralded for fortune and blamed for misfortune from the beginning of time. But the greatest source of myth and legend is the full moon, the spectacular ball of resplendent brilliance against the night sky.
A full moon is believed to have a powerful influence over the behavior of all living creatures including our animal companions and the tides of Mother Earth. Some people are more affected by the full moons energy than others, but if the moon is powerful enough to effect the tides on Earth, then why not those of us who are made up of as much as 80% water? Studies have coined the phrase, human tidal wave when describing the effects of a full moon.
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But aside from the physical manifestations, there are otherworldly things that happen during a full moon when the veil between the human and spirit worlds is at its thinnest, making it much easier to move freely between these two worlds to see and communicate with our dearly departed. During a full moon we are more sensitive to spiritual communication. It is easier for the disembodied to communicate with us as well. Paranormal investigations are more productive during a full moon. Healing power is heightened. And it is not just the night of the full moon. A full moon actually lasts three and a half days, but its effectiveness can be experienced from several days before to several days after. So the next time you gaze upon a full moon, notice how you feel. Is your energy rising? Do you feel its power? What do you hear with other than your ears? Who do you see with other than your eyes? Breathe deeply, feel wholly. Draw down the power of the moon and harness that energy to heal the world!
Moon lore is so ancient, casting shadows into our sleeping hours, striking fear, awe, and wonderment in nearly all who hear the tales, as the primordial chord it strikes reaches into our very psyches. The archetypal images cut deep as the nocturnal wanderer absorbs all that is good or all that is evil, returning it to us in legend, tale, poem, and song. ~Boris Karloff
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ D & S LOCATION
Capitol Theatre Royalty Theatre: A step back in time by Irene Patino Dust and Shadows, paranormal investigation team, had the honor of visiting the Royalty Theatre, originally known as the Capitol theatre, on October 17, 2010. We met with Jeff Hartzog, a very knowledgeable and charismatic young man, for a tour and background history of the legendary theatre. The theatre opened in 1921 and quickly became known for having the best natural acoustics in the southeastern part of the United States, according to cinematreasures.org. A Wick/Robert Morton Opus 415 Photo Player was installed in 1922, but was removed and never reinstalled after a renovation in 1962. A special double seat was built for patron Donald Roebling. The original seating capacity was 944, but has changed in size more than once going from 944 to as few as 433 seats with different renovations. The stage was extended by 35 feet, which made it necessary to remove several rows of
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seats at the front. However, the current owners and sponsors are in the process of taking the theatre back to its original state. Although most of the seats are the original seats, the renovation will include replicas added to the front of the theatre again once the stage has been taken back to its flat front. The theatre currently boasts six different types of seats. The balcony area will also be enlarged to capacity seating with the addition of several rows. The walls will be stripped and refinished in the popular design of the 1920s. Other additions will be made to comply with current safety laws. The theatre was built by Senatorelect John S. Taylor, in cooperation with John & Ivan Phillopoff, a contractor who also built the Coachman Building in 1916. The architect was a man by the name of Lester Avery who worked for the Dean Alvord Company. His designed exhibited the Mediterranean Revival style popular in that era. Throughout its history the theatre has taken on a variety of venues. It began with vaudeville and has the distinction of being the only opera house in Clearwater, Florida in its early history. It survived the depression of 29, World War II, minor law suits, and talking movies introduced in 1927. It was damaged by storms in 1921 shortly after construction, and again by Hurricane Donna in 1960. It even survived the horrific murder of Bill Neville. His battered body was discovered in the balcony. Mr. Neville and Jerry Strain had taken over the Plitt Southern
contract hoping to keep the theatre alive with film classics such as City Lights. They renamed it the Sunshine State Theatre, but it was a financial failure and closed in 1980. The Royal Theatre Company signed a lease, and changed the name to Royalty Theatre, in 1981 with the John S. Taylor family. Mr. Neville stayed on while renovations took place. Some believe Neville, and one or two others, reside in the theatre still. Mr. Hartzog mention sightings of a Captain and a little girl, however the sightings were questionable. This investigation was conducted by Don Herden, Bobbie and Donald Herden, Cheryl Smeed, Irene Patino, Wade Sabourin, Donna
Sabourin, Lauren DeHaven, Christina Rue. * Personal Experiences Cheryl Smeed (Medium) Back Attic Cheryl confirmed the sighting of the child. Jeff had mentioned the sighting of a 12-yr-old child, but this one seemed younger. She was wearing a blue dress and white pinafore. She was very translucent. I believe I also saw her on the stage when Jeff was giving us the history tour before our investigation began. Basement AC Room
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ lot of impressions. We later compared notes and had almost exactly the same experiences. Front Attic
With Christina and Lauren, I took Lauren’s recorder into the room with the old AC unit because during the tour I had seen an elderly man there in blue denim overalls. He said he took care of the AC equipment. I thought he said his name was Mr. McGregor or McGillivray something like that. Other noises were heard and dismissed. Christina came in to take photos and at first the man was a little shy, but was willing to have his picture taken standing next to me. I think Christina saw an orb next to me in one of those pics. Christina took pics throughout the basement because she thought she saw a face down there during the tour. Bobbie Herden and Irene: asked questions of the man Cheryl said she saw in the basement. We sensed a touch of pride and a feeling of comfort. Neither of us picked up on much of anything else. Balcony When Jeff first took us up there during the tour I felt dizzy, nauseous, my muscles started aching, and my heart started pounding. After we were through in the basement, Lauren, Christina, and I went to the balcony. Irene had been there first and had received a
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I felt there were a number of people up there mostly men maybe workers, stage hands, and there was a room they built up there that was really strange. It was like a little respite with 1921 posters on the walls. I asked some questions and stayed up there with the recorder. When I felt they were finished, I thanked them and then felt a big rush of cold air. At first I thought it was the AC, but cold air does not rise! It felt really nice like a hug or caress. I hope something came through from the front attic because they were very nice, happy spirits up there. Oh, and they knew they were dead. I think they just like to hang out there together as friends at times.
in 1979, closed in 1980, and was murdered in 1981. Mr. Hartzog wouldn’t tell us the exact area the man’s body was found; only that it was in the balcony. Mr. Neville lived an alternate life style, and the murder was reported as a hate crime. It was committed by two men who are currently still incarcerated, hopefully never to be released. Mr. Hartzog stated that he believes the men are coming up for parole soon. We pray that they fail to meet their goals. As Mr. Hartzog ushered us up the stairs, I felt slightly disoriented. My
Attic
heart began to beat a little faster. The feeling is difficult to explain. I wasn’t dizzy, but my body wanted to go to the right and forward. I decided to sit down at the opposite end of the row. I sensed that the nightmare for Mr. Neville had taken place in a specific area of the balcony, which both Bobbie and Cheryl confirmed. Cheryl confirmed this when she stated that, the energy felt pretty much the same between the two rows.
Most of my time was spent in the balcony where Bill Nevilles body was discovered. Bill Neville ran the theatre showing old classic movies. He signed a contract for the theatre
As I sat there, the back of my left hand began to burn. I sensed Neville’s battered body in a fetal position on the floor where he lay dying. The feeling I got was one of
NOTE: The little girl in the back attic did not know she was dead, nor did the man in the AC room in the basement. Irene Patino (Sensitive)
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ resignation. Cheryl felt despair. At that point he wanted to die. As far as the seat where they found his body can’t pinpoint which one. He knew. He whispered in a tired voice, Oh, mom.
For further information on the history of the Royalty/Capitol Theatre go to:
Don was using the camcorder to film us. I heard a voice say I see you, it was directed at Don. Nothing that I know of was picked up on the recorders. The voice had a sing song to it like a parent playing peeka-boo, or hide and seek, with a very young child. That was welcomed after the overwhelming sadness I had felt just moments before.
Food For Thought
Bobbie checked the far side of the balcony for temperature changes and reported that it was decidedly warmer than the section where we felt the strongest pull. She verified a disturbed and uncomfortable feeling in the area that both Cheryl and I believed to be the area where Mr. Neville’s life had been taken with extreme malice.
Photos by Christina Rue, Don Herden and Donna Sabourin, members of Dust and Shadows
Summary: Not wishing to influence other investigations, were withheld specific information on the exact location where Mr. Neville was murdered and the seat on which his body was discovered. All in all, it was a fascinating look back into Clearwater history. Even Mr. Hartzog has admitted to finding certain sections of the Capitol Theatre kinda creepy, but couldn’t identify the source of those feelings. Don and his father heard a board creek as if it had been stepped on while in the attic, Christina and Lauren used flash photography to record orbs or disturbances in the air. Observations and opinions were shared by all team members.
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www.Cinematreasures.org, www.tampabay.com.
Is the Capitol Theatre inhabited by others, or just residual memories? Is it possible, as Cheryl shared, that maybe it’s a peek into a parallel world instead? Some orbs were captured, but we’ll leave it to you to decide if they are connected to the experiences or not.
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
PARNORMAL TEAM
Logo provided by The Grim Society Website: TheGrimSociety.com *: If you could just tell us a little bit about your group. The GRIM Society is a group of family and friends who each have their own unique perspective on the paranormal, as well as their own skills and talents. Jim and I (Tamara) founded the group and he takes the lead on investigations while I handle most of the technology and documentation. While we are both amateur historians, Jim works for an industrial supply warehouse; because of this, he has a vast knowledge of electronics and environmental equipment. I am a writer and the managing editor of a magazine, and spend quite a bit of time doing genealogical researchwhich helps when digging up case history. Other members of our team bring amazing skills into the group. We have someone who works for the police department, a gentleman who spent many years working as a house-mover (giving him countless insights into wiring, plumbing, etc), and even someone with medical training, which has come in handy in a previous case. *: The Grim Society, how did it all begin?
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The GRIM Society grew out of a life-long interest in the paranormal and a deep love of history paired with personal encounters, something nearly every group member has experienced. *: Building a paranormal team isn’t as easy as it appears to be, what makes you’re thrive to keep your group afloat and what encounters have you had to deal with building a team? The key to our group is the friends and family aspect. One of the most important factors of any group is trust; when you enter someone else's home or business, they are extending trust to your group and you have to have absolute certainty that the members of your team are going to live up to that trust. Thankfully, we know enough people with an interest in the paranormal to be able to have a friends and family group, but because life is fluid, our team is as well. If one member can't make it to an investigation, then we work in someone else. We don't have strict meetings; nobody has to buy gear, etc. We try to be aware of the constraints that 'real life' places on us all and to make accommodations for them. *: As a paranormal investigator, what is the most important issue you stress to your team members? *: Can you share with us your personal beliefs about ghost and spirits. Our group has three words that sum up what we do: Research. Documentation. Experimentation. We don't want to guess or suppose anything. We want documented, irrefutable evidence of whatever is causing the paranormal phenomena we have encountered. In order to
achieve that goal, we continually strive to research both the field itself and our investigation locations, we document and source every collected piece of data and we work to turn that data into theories that can lead to experimentation. In my opinion, personal beliefs have to be suspended in the quest for scientific information, so they are really irrelevant to the cause. Having said that, our personal beliefs vary pretty widely. Some are founded in strong faith, while others are more scientific than spiritual. What we all agree on is that there are people who are having experiences which leave them feeling as if they are going crazy or losing their minds; there are countless incidents reported daily that are highlighted by the same key details. With credible witnesses and even some scientific research, it is impossible to dismiss the paranormal as merely coincidental or psychological. We believe that there is something out there that science cannot explain, and that the possibilities for what that 'something' might be are quite endless. *: What important factor makes you a paranormal investigator, and is there an experience that has or may have changed your decision of being a paranormal investigator? The one underlying trait that everyone on our team has in common, the trait that has sustained us on investigations and spurred us to continue our work is curiosity. We're all very curious about the world around us and even in the face of the unknown that curiosity is so strong it provides us with a shield of sorts, a unique, protected view of the paranormal that propels us into the dark and scary places everyone else would run from.
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________ *: When or If you have, been faced to faced with an apparition what would or has been your reaction to this encounter? This is such a loaded question! When faced with what I believe to be an apparition, I have had a range of emotional and physical reactions. Some have inspired fear, others anger, some pity or frustration. On a recent investigation, I was startled by an apparition. The location had been quiet throughout the investigation, no activity at all. As we wrapped things up on the second floor, we headed past the staircase. I turned and saw a full apparition leaning against the railing, just watching us. I probably jumped about 10 feet; normally, it could have tapped me on the shoulder and gotten very little reaction, but this was so unexpected that my guard was down. Looking back, it was pretty funny- as if the spirits were playing a practical joke on me that night. * What are your feelings about provoking during an investigation? None of our team members care for it, although we have used it on the odd occasion. To us, it just seems disrespectful; at the minimum, to the descendants of whomever that spirit might have been during their corporeal life. As Jim likes to point out, when you go in with the belief that (a) there is a spirit and (b) making it angry will make it more active, you have to remember that at the end of the night you get to go home- and the owner of the property with the now-angry spirit is left to deal with the repercussions. *: Investigations are hard to come across, is a home based or business based investigation, in your opinion,
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which location have you had the best experiences. Our favorite places to investigate are those where we will have repeated access over extended periods of time. It can be very difficult to collect data, develop a theory, design appropriate experiments and conduct those experiments without long-term access to the reportedly haunted location. Because of this, we have had the most data gathered from places that are no longer in use, such as an abandoned home. *: Can you share with us your most valued investigation that you and your group have been requested to investigate? We'd love to spill all on our favorite location, but we have a signed agreement that says we can not reveal much of the information. However, we can tell you that we investigated this location for months, returning to run experiments and refine data that had been recorded- and were never disappointed with the results. Each foray into the location brought new and exciting data, and some of the encounters that occurred forced us to take a long, hard look at what exactly we believe about spirits and the afterlife. It was amazing and humbling at the same time. *: How you ever encountered any uncomfortable situations with other paranormal groups? If so, please tell us what the bases of that encounter was and how you handled that situation. We've never had an uncomfortable or negative encounter with other groups. Quite the opposite, actually. We recently worked with two other local groups to help solve a case and
really enjoyed meeting everyone and seeing their various approaches to the field. *: Do you feel that people who want to join a paranormal group are actually serious about conducting investigations or do you feel that they are more so in it for a thrill? It depends on the person. We've come across both types, as I'm sure every investigation group has. Usually, you can tell fairly quickly if someone has a serious desire to work towards the goals your group has established or if they only want to have a good scare. *: How has the paranormal TV shows effect your paranormal investigating structure? It hasn't. Our investigations are usually conducted in a manner completely different from that portrayed on paranormal television. *: Looking through your sites, there hasn’t been any updates, is there something new over the horizon for The Grim Society? Ah, the never-ending updates! Since we do all our own website work, when I got sick everything went downhill fast. Despite that, we actually have been working behind the scenes. We have an investigation scheduled for January 29th that will be our first chance to access a location we've wanted to visit for years, something we're very excited about. We are also continuing to work on planning our next public event; the Halloween History Tour and Ghost Hunt was such a success; we're working to plan additional tours at various local historic venues. In addition to all of this, we continue to work on our battery drain experiments.
Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
In our next issue • Editors Views Cemeteries • Interview Carolyn West • Evidence Cemeteries • Encounters Spider Webs • Famous Places Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery • Readers Ghost Stories Ghost Stories • 101 Cemeteries Investigations • PTM * Enter your paranormal team to be featured in our magazine • Dust and Shadows Location Micanopy Photo by Alice Mary Herden
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Voices to Visions February 2011 __________________________________________________________________
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