Maryland Gazette Article

Here's the link. http://www.hometownglenburnie.com/news/Entertainment/2009/10/31-27/Paranormal+activity%0A.html


Paranormal activity
Ghost hunting spikes around Halloween
By MARC SHAPIRO Staff Writer
Published 10/31/09

Orange juice glasses don't just shatter without a reason.

And chandeliers don't turn themselves off and on without electric malfunctions.

But at The Inn at Mitchell House outside of Chestertown they do.

"Strange things have happened over the years," said Tracy Stone, who operates the bed and breakfast with her husband, Jim. "Nothing that's frightened me to leave, but definitely things you can't explain."

Word about The Inn reached the Millersville-based Maryland Society of Ghost Hunters, whose members went to the site to investigate another case of paranormal activity.

Interest in the group peaks around Halloween, when "seasonal ghost hunters," as founder Rodney Whittaker likes to call them, ask about group membership and the number of investigations goes up. His group has been conducting paranormal investigations since its 2004 founding, and is one of several similar organizations in the area.

Using KII meters, which measure electromagnetic activity, infrared thermometers, digital audio and video recorders and digital cameras, the group looks for signs of paranormal activity. Indicators include increased electromagnetic activity, a temperature drop and mist in photographs.

"If it's paranormal it'll show and then it'll dissipate," Whittaker, a Millersville resident, said about electromagnetic activity. "At that point you want to take a photograph or audio."

The ghost hunters often use the KII meters to ask the spirits yes or no questions, using spikes in activity to mean "yes."

Whittaker, who said he's been physically touched by paranormal beings, claims paranormal activity can also be indicated by a temperature drop of 8 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

"The entity needs energy to manifest, and when it draws energy the temperature drops," he said.

Whittaker had good reason to believe he and his fellow hunters would find something paranormal at The Inn at Mitchell House, built around 1743 and expanded in 1825.

In addition to the legend that Sir Peter Parker, a British navy captain who died at the nearby Battle of Caulk's Field in 1814, haunts the house, guests have experience some weird things.

One morning, when guests were discussing a rumored dog ghost at breakfast, an orange juice glass, just sitting at the table, shattered.

"We always thought that we had a dog ghost because the animals would act very strange in one particular room," Stone said.

In another incident, Stone was talking with two guests in the front of the house and a chandelier turned off while all the other lights in the house stayed on. As Stone went to check the circuit, which was fine, it turned back on.

"I can't say that I do or I don't (believe)," Stone said. "I just feel as though there is always a possibility."

The group also captured audio of a girl and a man speaking, separately, on digital recorders. They claim voices like this are often inaudible when they are in the room.

Like Stone, Whittaker used to be very skeptical. But once he caught something on camera he couldn't explain, he started to believe.

It all started when he went to an investigation conducted by the West Virginia Society of Ghost Hunters thinking he was going on a haunted forest walk.

"I caught these light anomalies draped over tombstones, some floating," he said. "I went back the next day and couldn't find anything. I was hooked."

After doing an investigation about every three months with the group for two years, he looked for an active Maryland group to no avail.

"I wanted one scheduled investigation a month," he said. "I not only wanted experience investigators, but a group willing to train new members."

What started as a Yahoo! group with only one member has grown to about 74 active members that hail from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. To try to cover its territory, the group is split into Central Maryland and Eastern Shore chapters.

Members of the group work in a variety of fields. Whittaker, a service representative for a tool distributor, hunts ghosts with a Navy scientist, an information technology consultant, a member of the Air Force, an attorney, a photographer and many others.

"The ones that are the most skeptic tend to be our more skilled investigators in the end," Whittaker said.

Gayle Tiqui, a Glen Burnie resident who joined the group a year ago, found herself hooked as quickly as Whittaker did.

"I was interested in finding out if there's something out there," she said. "Once you go and do an investigation or two and you experience something you can't explain, you say 'wow, there is something.' "

The group recently started using spirit mediums to communicate with ghosts. They've found success by verifying things like clothing and facial features with homeowners who claim to know the spirits.

Whittaker, who gives lectures around the state about the paranormal and what his group does, has his goals set high. He wants to set the record straight, once and for all.

"I hope one day to capture a full body apparition on video that would prove the existence of ghosts," he said.
Copyright © 2009 The Maryland Gazette and Capital Gazette Communications, Inc.

Radio Interview with Drake around town! WCEI 96.7

This isn't when they were on this morning but some of the clips that were recorded with their host, Drake around town! This at Easton's WCEI studios 96.7 FM

Drake-102909-Part1-KellyLynnAndDrakeMeetGhosthunters.mp3

Drake-102909-Part2-GhosthuntersLineup.mp3

Drake-102909-Part3-CheckingOutTheStudio.mp3

Drake-102909-Part4-HauntedStudio-ShortVersion.mp3

NEWS NEWS NEWS!

We've been busy little bees!!!

Rodney, our president, did a great interview with someone from the Maryland Gazette and there should be photos too! The article (which Rodney says, from the amount of questions, should be pretty big) It should appear this Saturday- Halloween! I'll scan it once I've got it and post it in case you're not able to find it.

Last night a few of us ran out to a radio station in Easton, Maryland where we met their bubbly morning show host, Kelly, their man around town, Drake, and his wife, Elizabeth. We showed them the basics of an investigations and did some interviews. Rodney, and Lynda will be on the show Friday morning around 8. You can listen live on their site- http://www.wceiradio.com/morningshow.html

We've got a few more pretty interesting things coming up so be on the look out for more info!

Radio Interview

An 22 min interview with Rodney Whittaker, our president, will be aired both Saturday and Sunday on both Frederick Radio Stations WFMD /WFRE Frederick, Maryland.
WFMD AM 930 is Frederick Talk Radio.
WFRE 99.9 FM is a country music station.
Segments will also be played all next week on both stations

Upcoming Lecture Event:

We'll be at the main library of the Wicomico Public Library this Sunday! Come check it out.

From the library's website:
Event Type: adult program
Date: 10/25/2009
Start Time: 1:00 PM
End Time: 3:00 PM
Description:
See photos and hear evidence of their investigations into the supernatural.
Library: Wicomico Public Library -- Main Library
Location: Room 1
Contact: Rodney Whitaker

Movie

Check out this movie- it looks pretty interesting!

Here's the website so you can see if it's playing in your area or to demand it. http://www.paranormalmovie.com/trailer.html

Eastern State Penetentary Investigation

On August 15 about 30 members gathered at the front gate of the Eastern State Penitentiary or ESP as it's nick named. We were able to take a private tour which took us around the property for about an hour. We were able to snap photos and ask questions of our guide.

Upon the conclusion of our tour we were set free to roam around the property taking photos and discovering areas that might offer paranormal activity. With the heat of the day some of us found refuge in the now renovated synagogue which was much cooler. During our cool down we had a chance to discuss what we'd seen through out the day and what we'd hope to find in the afternoon. We had hoped to visit the chapel where there have been many reports of activity. Since the synagogue renovation had just been completed it was the chapels turn for some refreshing.



Upon review of the photos, some of our members discovered orbs. Here's a great example of a bright orb in a photo taken by Punch.







Punch had also accepted the challenge of entering a room with holy water. Another member had seen a show where a priest/pastor entered the room with a K2 meter in 1 hand and when reaching in his pocket for his holy water with his other hand the K2 was violently knocked from his hand. Unfortunately, the room that this occurred in was in Cellblock 12 which is now reserved only for the overnight groups so we didn't get to test it out.

Another member, Tiffany, had some interesting EMF readings and had a personal experience in the punishment block of cells. She mentioned having something brushing over the top of her head - pulling her back which was witnessed by 2 other people in her group who instantly asked what was happening.

Tiffany also caught this orb in the center of all the cell blocks. It's below the 5. You can click on the image to make it larger.
*I've blurred the faces of the people who are not in our group.


While we might not have been able to capture a lot, I think it's safe to conclude all the members had a great time learning about the penitentiary. If we are able to make the trip back sometime I think we will.