September 30, 2009 – Our Town – Delaware

A Spirited Stroll
Ghost Walk offers a peek into the paranormal

Image courtesy of Delaware’s Northwest Neighborhood Association

“I think people will most enjoy just hearing about how many ghostly experiences there are in our midst,” says Roxanne Amidon, NNA volunteer event co-coordinator. “There are so many paranormal experiences that happen in homes all around you and people don’t know. It’s really interesting.”

Two tour times are available for this year’s walk, 6 p.m. or 8 p.m., with both stepping off from the Delaware Arts Castle, 190 W. Winter St. At the Arts Castle, James Willis, author of “Weird Ohio,” will share spine-tingling details about paranormal experiences reported throughout Ohio. Next, Kevin Greenwood, director of the Arts Castle, will talk about the building’s haunted history.

As part of the walking tour, John Ciochetty, an Ohio Wesleyan Public Safety officer and author of “The Ghosts of Stuyvesant Hall and Beyond,” will share stories about the University’s paranormal past.

Local high school students, acting as tour guides, will lead the spooky strolls through the Northwest Neighborhood while continuing to share details of Delaware’s paranormal sites and experiences. From Winter Street, the tour will venture to Franklin Street and OWU’s Chi Phi Fraternity House. Then walkers will tour the old jail, including its underground cells. Next, participants will be led down Sandusky Street, ending at the Strand Theatre for a viewing of “The Amityville Horror” (Rated R).

Overall, Amidon says, participants will enjoy four hours of scary stories, paranormal photos, and up close and personal tours. No ghosts have been sighted while on a tour … yet. But she still recommends leaving the children at home.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Amidon says the event is draws people from in and out of the area, and tickets are selling fast. “We are looking for a great turnout,” she says. “OWU students will enjoy themselves, and we are hoping to see a lot of students coming in.”

NNA is non-profit organization that also seeks to sponsor social events that address the civic and legislative issues facing the Delaware community. Amidon says that by making people aware of what’s going on in their midst’s, [NNA] will be “giving back to the community and preserving [its] historical heritage.”

All proceeds from the Ghost Walk will benefit a charitable cause. The first Ghost Walk in 2007 raised more than $3,000. Those proceeds were sent to Hurricane Katrina victims.

NNA also hosts a biennial Christmas Home Tour, which gives residents a chance to tour decorated homes. Last year’s home tour raised $3,500 and the proceeds were distributed among different local charities including the Andrews House, Turning Point, and Common Ground Free Store.

– Shade Fakunle ’10