SPIRITS on the GO!
Local and Greater Tampa Bay Area, NON-SPIRITS investigations and simply areas of interest reputed to be haunted.
Hurricane; Holiday Party
Sarasota
Brandy Stark http://starkimages.homestead.com/sarasotaghosts.html
Heritage Villiage
Brandy Stark
Nov. 2006
Fort Brooke Parking Garage
Brandy Stark
Oct. 7, 2007
Britton Plaza
Brandy Stark and Verna Peddi
March 28, 2007
Yummy Mama's: Downtown St. Petersburg
April 23, 2009
SPIRITS of St. Petersburg
Denise's observations
This was my first hunt back with the SPIRITS team after a couple of years. I arrived at the restaurant approximately thirty minutes before the rest of the team. Sitting inside I felt the atmosphere was light, airy and happy. There was a staircase which lead to a closed off second floor. I sensed the spirit of a white female in her early thirties with wavy brown shoulder length hair and wearing a white flowing gown standing on the stair case. She seemed very content. Later during the investigation I was able to stand at the top of the stairs where I sensed the female. She wanted to say hello to someone working in the restaurant. I could not understand the name thoroughly, but knew that it began with a “Eh/Ih” sound like Illiad, Elisha, Eshka. She admired this person and had formed an attachment to them. I was later told that one of the waiters in the restaurant had a name similar and consistent with the name given to me by the spirit. I felt confident that this was whom she was trying to make contact with.
The only other energy, not spirit manifestation, was located in the hallway in the restaurant. The EMF meter did show signs of an unexplained energy being present during the time we walked the hallway. When rechecking the area, I did not sense the energy and there were no EMF fluctuations. This was interesting due to the fact that the EMF meter should have remained consistent if it was a natural cause. Therefore I do not know what this energy was from.
Other than these incidents above, I did not see, sense or retrieve any further evidence of any paranormal activity.
Beth's observations:
Interesting, I felt a female energy age 30-35 (I reported this to Verna and Mary). I felt it most strongly near the television set/ circular table area. It seemed to move closer to the fireplace and through the door covered by a curtain. Upon investigation we found that the door led to the small store. I felt a little uneasy about being in the store (almost like intruding on someone) even though the owners were welcoming and even showing us many of their products. I even felt that the entity wanted us to follow her to that area so I am not sure why I suddenly felt so shy and closed up. I also felt the same energy in the bathroom hallway.
I would love to be able to do an "official" investigation there. It was a little too busy for me yesterday.
Brandy's report:
During the meeting I had the Paranormal Puck going. It recorded very odd EMF flux when our server came by. The first think that I asked is "Is anyone here" and it answered "Door". I then typed in "Is Haddie by the door?" and it said "Indian." I asked "Is the Indian by the door" and got no response.
I asked "What is your name?" and it said "there march" or "march there". Later, when our server asked the same question, the Puck gave THE SAME answer, which is very very rare. (The Puck session was lost when we used the computer for other things that day). Two more questions along the same line produced gibberish. The EMF graph chart was VERY strange that day as it went in huge arching patters, especially when the server was near.
Denise/Verna reported that the hallway had energy; female.
EMF: Charles and Verna observing.
Brandy: Is this Haddie? (Big spike).
Brandy: Can you confirm that this is Haddie? (Had to ask several times; finally it spiked again).
Verna reported that she felt that the front area was a parlor with an older person, 60, rocking or sitting in the window. Verna's hands hurt, and we wondered if this would be related to an ailment such as arthritis. Verna flet that this energy would gaze out of the window with a purpose -- looking for someone.
Denise and Verna report an energy all through the building.
EMF dropped down in the hallway when Denise went to recheck it. The entity's energy also dropped.
Verna reported that there was an energy that went next door; she felt that the entity wanted to show us the house.
Denise or Verna (notes not clear) wondered if there was an issue with the chairs moving.
Denise heard "Say hello to Elliska" (or a name similar to that). It was our server.
Employee reported that she had seen a young woman 30 - 35 years old, in the store next door.
We did conduct an EVP session which needs to be reviewed.
Before going in, I knew of one story with the former "Blocker Mansion" that referred to a haunting by Haddie Blocker, for whom the mansion was built. The building is from 1901 and was a wedding gift to her from her parents when she married Albert. They raised 2 adopted children there. Albert died and left the Blocker business (which, I believe, is related to the warehouse on 22nd Ave. North that shows the old "Blocker" storage letters) and Haddie to the care of Doyle, the son. Haddie developed dementia and was the center of a court battle over her care. Haddie won the right to stay in the mansion with Doyle.
Later occupants (Mansion By the Bay Catering) reported hearing noises coming from upstairs, though that part of the building was locked. They heard furniture moving and shuffling footsteps.
My tour has gotten unusual images there and from Feb. to May there are often double orb images that appear near the upstairs windows. Other images include a potential shadow figure from the front porch (that appears male) and people claim to see a girl in the windows.
When I was doing a tour last month, a little girl came out and said that not only was Haddie there but there was also a Native American in the building. EVP has nothing on it.
Note: Tour on April 24 had several women who got orbs in the area of the outside windows (where we normally get them). Only two of the five cameras got these orbs.
The Hurricane
SPIRITS Holiday Dinner, 2009
The Internet search:
Word of Mouth: Reports of activity primarily on the second and third floor. Manager reports that he has experienced the candle on the second floor being blown out, leaving, seeing a light from the window as he emerged, returning to find the candle lite. Reports getting calls from the thrid floor staff (?) phone when no one is present. Reports that another manager has more activity when she is present, including the swinging door on the first floor swinging open and closed by itself.
Sensitives: Verna reports feeling a negative male presence. Mary confirms, though while Verna sensed that the man was from the 1970s, Mary sensed the 1940s. Beth got a blonde haired woman, wet (from rain), weeping, dressed in a white or light gown. She may be the one lighting the candle in the window. (Locations of activity: the area of the second floor to the left of the bar [when facing the ocean] -- Verna, Mary. The area of the tables behind the DJ stand [Verna, Mary, Beth]. This area was also pointed out as the place where the manager saw the candle burning.
Equipment: Ovilus's reading of EMF went from 1 to 2 to 40. Ovilus came up with words such as "sister" (three seperate times), "terror", "anger", "nurse", "stomach".
Equipment: Don's camera got some orb images. Brandy's camera got a couple of orb images.
Research:
The Pass-a-Grille Hotel and Casino burned down in Sept 1967 and was totally demolished mid-Sept. (Evening Independent 9/14/67). It originally opened in March, 1915. In August of 1954 it was hit by a waterspout and sustained some damage.(EI August 20, 1954).
Maybe someone with more sense of direction than I can tell me if the Hurricane is on the north or the south corner of 9th Av and Gulf Way......If it is on the south corner, the property was once owned by 2 spinster sisters from Connersville, IN,Cinthiana and Ellen Davis. Their 2 story fame house was set with its back to the north and its front to the south to take advantage of the summer's prevailing breezes. It did not face the Gulf. It is thought to have been the 1st waterfront home and the 3rd home on the then island of Pass-A-Grille.
The house was moved twice....first when a storm undercut the foundation and "left it teetering 10 ft over the water's edge". The sisters had it re-set. In 1911 the new owner moved it 50 ft to 807 Gulf Way where it stayed until July 1968.
(This research is from http://www.rootsweb .ancestry. com/~flpgs/ pdf/Pass- a-Grille. pdf)
There is the "open air" post office on 8th Av in Pass-a-Grille which is allegedly haunted by a former postmistress which I think is Mrs Kenneth (Blanche) Merry. According to the story she was the postmistress there until she retired in 1963. Her spirit is occasionally seen by people as she stands next to the post office boxes sorting mail, etc.
Next door is an art gallery that is supposedly haunted by Joseph Merry, Blanche's father-in-law. Although he has not been seen, this was once the location of his business. Often when the owner comes in, the art near the front of the store is at odd angles on the wall with some even face down on the floor.
These stories are found in the book by Deborah Frethem Ghost Stories from St Petersburg, Clearwater and Pinellas County.
