Ghost Hunting At The Weinhard

DAYTON - Goin' on a ghost hunt (Goin' on a ghost hunt), But I'm not afraid (But I'm not afraid). The lyrics to this silly preschool song, altered to suit my situation, ran through my head Halloween night as I roped and tied my sugar-saturated kids in bed after trick-or-treating and hopped in the car to drive six blocks over to the downtown Weinhard Hotel, est. 1889. With over 120 years of history having passed through its heavy doors and played out inside its Victorian-styled rooms, the hotel was the perfect setting for the night's activities. I've participated in many unusual events in my career as a reporter, but I never thought I'd wind up on an all-night paranormal investigation. I don't exactly have the backbone for it. Scary movies I watched at a friend's sleepover party 25 years ago still keep me up at night and make me jumpy in the shower. I'm far too open to the powers of suggestion and hear ghostly whispers at the mere mention of poltergeists. Knowing that I'd be hunting for haunts at the hotel and historic depot Sunday night, I'd felt a sense of dread whenever I had to walk past those seemly mundane buildings all week. So there I was, 10 p.m. on All Hallows Eve, tapping on the lobby door in my Halloween costume and slippers, with a notebook in hand and a camera slung over my shoulder. This was to be my first look inside the hotel. I've lived in the Touchet Valley since June, but I'd never had occasion to visit the hotel. I've had coffee a few times in the Internet cafeacute; downstairs, but I'd never thought to explore. My first impression of the building? Beautiful. Well-kept. But are all the black and white historic photos in each room creepy, or was I imagining things? My first impression of the Eastern Washington Paranormal group? Friendly, well-equipped and excited to get started.

Nick Page, EWP co-founder and director of technologies, let me in. It was Page who'd invited me on the investigation. Page, who lives in Dayton - right across the street from me, in fact - had hoped to get some publicity for his group by contacting the Times. Last week, EWP raffledprizes in Dayton and Walla Walla (where a majority of the group's members live) to raise awareness and money for several pieces of expensive ghost-hunting equipment.

Page told me he'd sold over 200 tickets. The first-place winner received a free night's stay at the Weinhard Hotel and a chance to investigate with the team on Halloween night. Eastern Washington Paranormal is self-supported. All the audio and video equipment, computers, electromagnetic field and temperature gauges, and infrared lights are purchased or provided by the devoted hunters themselves. They do not charge for investigations. "We just want to help people feel more comfortable in their homes," Page said. "We always go in with the intent to finda logical explanation for what they're experiencing.

What we get out of it is the experience and the possibility that we might actually findsomething."

Most members of EWP joined because of an intense interest in the paranormal, as a way to explore religious or personal beliefs or because they believe they've had a run in at some point in their lives with the paranormal. Ghost hunting is something many people are fascinated with, but not many dedicate their tax returns and late nights to it.

I couldn't imagine doing so myself, but I have to admit - Sunday night was a real kick in the pants. With a raffle-ticket winner, myself, two jourBy nalists from the Union-Bulletin, a dozen or so investigators and a real-live guest trying to sleep in one of the downstairs rooms, the Weinhard was abuzz with activity. Video cameras on tripods were set up in several rooms where infrared lights illuminated what my eyes saw as pitch black for the specialized cameras. On the video screen, I could see inside the room as though a bedside light were on. A large room upstairs was established as home base. We synchronized cameras and recorders, and then teams set out to investigate in shifts. I hooked up with photo specialist Lowell Nee and Angel, one of the newest members of the Eastern Washington Paranormal Society.

The organization has grown so large since Page and his girlfriend, Nicole Larson, started it two years ago that membership in the investigation team has been closed. People interested in becoming part of the group are encouraged to become members of the EWP Society instead, according to www.easternwashington­paranormal. com. "Dedication and a strong, lasting interest are two attributes that we look for in our investigators," the group explains on its website. "Because of this, we will be selecting any future 'full Investigating Members' from the Eastern Washington Paranormal Society. If you're interested in someday becoming an investigator with EWP, joining EWPS is the first step." The site also explains that, "There are those who aren't thrilled about the idea of going into buildings late at night that are reported to be haunted but are still intrigued and interested in the paranormal. This option gives them a way to be involved without investigating." Now there's an idea I can get behind. As left the main group to head out into the darkened lobby with my investigative team Sunday night, wondered just what in the world I was doing. Page had told me the stories of unexplained phenomena reported by hotel patrons over the years - a little girl speaking to guests in the lobby, a mist at the bottom of the stairs, a light-hearted presence hiding keys and flipping TV remotes across rooms. Whispering.

I vowed as we moved off into the dark that if I heard any whispering of any kind, I was out of there. All I felt, happily, during the night's investigation were a few chills, probably brought on by too much black coffee, and a growing sense of camaraderie with these inquisitive, unabashed men and women. They made no apologies for introducing themselves to the empty space in a room and inviting, "anyone present," to make him or herself known to us.

And when I got jumpy in the deep, dark and cobweb strewn basement, I felt grateful to my little team for not getting frustrated with me or kicking me out.

One of the other teams, learned later, experienced what may have been otherworldly noises and whispering. The EWP techies will spend hundreds of hours in the coming weeks reviewing all the video and audio footage from Sunday night at the hotel and across the alley at the depot to confirmor deny any findings. Now that it's not 1:30 in the morning, and I'm not sitting in a darkened room waiting for a cold touch on my face or an eerie sigh in my ear, I'm rooting for the ghosts. I think it would be cool if Gary and Shellie McLeod could tell their guests, "According to Eastern Washington Paranormal, you will be staying in a bona fide haunted hotel." Just don't expect me to be a loyal patron.