18 Feb 2008
Profit in the paranormal
Paranormal activity lurks in unsuspecting places within the walls and hallways of dark dwellings-in Macomb. A Midwest Haunting begins a new season of tracking down the apparitions that have taken up residence in Macomb's structures, with Tim Weaver and his new crew: Chad Frederick, Matt Smith and Erin Glasnovich.
This year they are adding a new locale.
"We had so many requests for Simpkins," Weaver said, referring to Western Illinois University's Simpkins Hall.
"It was a teaching college first. There used to be kindergarten-aged children there. In room 20 there are removable chalkboards and you can still see the hooks the kids hung their coats on behind the chalkboards," Frederick said.
People who work in the building, mainly janitors, say they have seen children ghosts and can feel their energy, according to the crew. One woman claimed to have seen a little girl who asked her to play. Captured on camera, the children in the picture are continually moving further out of view, they added.
Harold the janitor is a mischievous ghost. Students and workers in Simpkins Hall have reported they have heard keys rattle, seen lights turn off and other general mysterious happenings.
"A grad student was in the writing center and she left for a minute. When she came back in the door was closed and a chair was placed behind it," Frederick said.
"The theater is also haunted," Weaver added. "Things get moved around backstage."
The crew encourages participants to bring flashlights and digital cameras on the tour.
"You can catch more on digital camera," Smith said. "I've seen orbs, apparitions and vortexes. Orbs are circular and colorful, which indicates different things. Vortexes are different shapes and sizes."
The crew is excited about their new "tools" for tracking down whatever may be living in a particular dwelling.
"We're using the same tools that are on TV," Weaver said. "It's all part of the public interest."
The new equipment includes motion and voice detectors and thermometers.
The crew is already preparing for their downtown tour in the fall. In the meantime, the Simpkins Hall tour will begin in March. They are hoping to top last year's downtown tour numbers of 246 people. This year kids 16 years old and younger must be accompanied by a parent.
Frederick will be conducting a cemetery tour after the downtown shift wraps up.
"The cemetery tour will piggyback on the downtown tour. We'll meet at Oakwood Cemetery. A portion of the funds will go to the Friends of Oakwood," he said.
The tour currently visits Lamoine Hotel, the courthouse and Bailey House, but they are in negotiations for new places, Weaver said.
"2008 will be completely different," Frederick said, referring to the additions.
"People come from all areas like St. Louis, Indianapolis, Peoria, Chicago. Only 25 percent are from Macomb. People from Chicago bring their friends down," Weaver added.
A Midwest Haunting tours cost $13 per person. Carl Sandburg, WIU and Spoon River College students receive one dollar off the price. Private tours are also available with 25 people or more. The price for private tours is negotiable.
The Simpkins tour will begin 8 p.m., with a request to arrive no later than 7:45 p.m., March 21. It will continue four consecutive weekends both Fridays and Saturdays, each time meeting at Simpkins Hall.
To set up a tour or for more information, call Tim Weaver at 309-333-4133 or Chad Frederick at 309-333-6627. A Midwest Haunting is also on the Web at www.amidwesthaunting.com and on Facebook and MySpace pages.
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