These Curious Times - February 2020 Edition

The World’s Trusted Source for Paranormal News

Lucifer Morningstar is a real estate agent in Los Angeles County.

February 2020

Lucifer Morningstar is a Los Angeles Native

TCT News happened upon Lucifer Morningstar himself, a real estate agent residing in Los Angeles County. It turns out

one can make a deal with Lucifer, but mainly in the real estate market.

A Ghost Named Carl

Andrew Perry

When Scott Manning of Hilliard,

Ohio was 16 years old, a spirit followed

him home from a friend’s house. Scott is

now 24, and that ghost still haunts the

Manning family to this day.

When he was 16, he visited a classmate

named Kayla Mae Pinks’ home , to prepare

for a winter dance. “[Kayla] asked me if I

could see the ghost in her room, and I said

that I couldn’t,” said Scott.

“That night,” Scott recounted, “I woke

up and there was a man in a long beige

trench coat and a floppy hat, like a fishing

hat. That was the only time I’ve really seen

him, though he continues to make his

presence known.”

The Manning family named the

ghost “Carl.”

“We eventually named him that

because we got tired of calling him

‘Ghost’,” said Scott’s mother, Robin Barber

Manning.

Carl can be aggressive at times. For

instance, Scott recalled a time shortly

after Carl followed him home when Carl

pushed Scott onto a bed, and even held his

head against the headboard.

Sometimes Carl plays tricks. “My

most recent experience was on [October

26, 2019],” said Scott. “He mimicked my

mom’s voice. I was watching Netflix, and I

heard my mom call out … but she wasn’t

even home.”

But apparently, it’s Robin who gets

the bulk of the hauntings. For instance,

“He’s made the bed move like someone

was underneath, but no person can fit

under there,” said Robin.

An interesting thing about Carl is

that he might be much older than the

Manning family thought.

A Ghost Named Edgar?

“I asked him what his name was, and

he said ‘Edgar’,” said Kayla Mae Pinks, who

hasn’t seen the Manning family in five or

six years. And yes, that Kayla Mae Pinks: the

girl from the high school dance. “I’m not

sure if we’re talking about the same spirit,

but it sounds similar because of the long

coat and hat. It’s been a long time.”

“That’s the spirit that was attached

to my grandma. She’s had him since she

was a senior in high school,” said Kayla.

According to Kayla, Edgar (aka Carl) seems

to only show his appearance (an older

man in a trench coat and a brimmed hat)

while waking from dreams.

‘Carl’ Continued Page 6

Tammye McDuff‘

Lucifer’ is an American television

series developed by Tom Kapinos that

premiered on FOX in 2016. The series

revolved around Lucifer Morningstar

played by the oh-so-dreamy Tom Ellis

who abandons Hell for Los Angeles

where he runs his own nightclub. After

four successful seasons Netflix picked

up the series for the fifth and final

season of 16 episodes this past June.

This month These Curious Times

News actually met, quite by accident,

this very charismatic light bringer.

It was not the dashing actor who

portrayed the rebellious son of God,

rather it was a quiet and equally

charming young man whose birth

name is just that: Lucifer.

As it turns out he is a Realtor for

Keller Williams and hails from their

Los Feliz office. TCTN brings you, which

no one else has ever done before, an

Ethics and the

Media: Who to

Believe?

Deedee Mason

interview with Lucifer Morningstar.

“This is my given name. I don’t

really know much about my family. I

grew up jumping from couch to couch,”

began Morningstar, “I want to preface

this interview by saying that my

childhood was kind of dysfunctional

and unorthodox.”

Born and raised in California, he

spent a lot of time in Moreno Valley

and Hemet, a very rural area. “My best

friend had been pulled out of school,

for reasons I would rather not divulge

and I wanted to be home schooled

with him. My situation being what

it was, his mother took me under her

wing. I began living with them.”

“It was my father who named me, I

think…” said Morningstar, “for a while

I tried to dwell on where I came from,

but it led to a dead end. I knew from an

early age that I didn’t have any family,

‘Lucifer’ Continued Page 3

This is always a good debate

subject isn’t it?

The many global news content

producers from the broadsheets

across their printed & online

editions to the many social media

platforms accessible by millions

across the world, feed you your

daily dose of news. Some people

don’t even think to question if

what it is you are reading might

not be the truth.

Over the past 20 years the need Zak Bagans’ Tweet after Ranker.com

for daily news has changed to the and Graveyard Shift removed an article

point where some people don’t even containing false information.

Screenshot by Deedee Mason

realise that they’re getting their fix

through a drip feed of: who did what

INSIDE

and who said what about who? But again

how do you know if that DRIP FEED is real

Editorial ... 2-3

or not?

Recently there’s been the perfect

example of why online and in print news

Our Writers ... 4

platforms should NOT choose to take

‘Media’ Continued Page 3

News ... 5-7

WWW.THESECURIOUSTIMES.NET

---

TCT NEWS

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Managing Editors

Tammye McDuff

Andrew Perry

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story, and then find out later it’s not

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We hate that, too!

We know that people experience

these things. We know that there’s

more to our existence and to reality,

that people see things along with

witnesses. If the supernatural exists

in such a way that people can observe

it with any of their five senses, that

means this phenomena has an effect

on the natural world, and therefore

can be observed, even scientifically

observed.

But we are not scientists, we are

journalists. That’s why we created

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stories up to the values of journalistic

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Thank you for your support, and

as always: Stay Curious!

Editorial

There Are No Coincidences

Carolyn Ncube

Putting It to the Test

Melinda Young

Growing up in a Christian home, I am

a Pastor’s daughter; I was challenged by

verses like: “As a man thinks in his heart, so

is he.” Proverbs 23:7 And “Truly, I say to you,

whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken

up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not

doubt in his heart, but believes that what

he says will come to pass, it will be done

for him.” Mark 11:23

Since I have been looking into the

mind and how we can “think things into

being,” I have decided to read and review

books about the power of our thoughtlife,

both conscious and unconscious.

After reading, I will pick one or more of

Ten years ago, I lived with my best

friend, Jae, in a duplex-style apartment

at Hidden Valley Estates, which is on

the grounds of the former Hopper

Family Estate in the heavily forested

hills of Wahiawa.

We had a very niele and kolohe

Rhodesian Ridgeback/Pit-bull mixed

puppy named Sam, who loved making

sport of chasing the hundreds of

chickens that thrived in the area.

One day when we were on a late

afternoon hike with Sam through the

neighborhood, a large and colorful

rooster caught his eye, terrified for its

life, ran through a breach in the chain

link fence surrounding the property.

The rooster soon disappeared in

the overgrown foliage, and Sam

eagerly followed. Jae and I groaned

in annoyance as we realized that our

loud calls to Sam were falling on deaf

ears. We knew that we’d have to surely

follow our puppy into what we were

told by local residents was a forest

haunted by primordial spirits.

I was completely unprepared for

such a mission. Wearing sweats and

slippers, the ground beneath us was

practically liquid...the mud being so

viscous that it sucked my slippers into

its fold every time I lifted up my foot to

take a step. Jae, who is an avid surfer,

had no trouble finding his balance in

the treacherous terrain and slightly

frustrated by my hobbling, shouted

back that he would go on ahead to try

and find Sam.

Jae disappeared into the forest

leaving me to deliberate whether or

not I should try to scale down the

steep hill leading down into a rushing

stream bed. Knowing that I would

surely break my neck if I attempted

to walk upright on such a decline, I

decided to sit on my okole and Jack Ass

Ginger the situation sliding all the way

down to the water’s edge.

As I got up to brush off the

hundreds of leaves plastered with

mud all over my lower body, I heard an

unmistakable sound that stopped me

in my tracks chilling me to the bone. In

the stillness of the forest, this sound

was disturbingly loud, close, and wild,

and I knew it well for I spent nearly my

entire childhood hiking with my Dad

through tropical rainforests both on

Guam and in the Philippines.

It was the squeal of a wild boar,

but where was it??? Had I stumbled

the “takeaways” from the book and test

it for one month (or the recommended

amount of time). At the end of 30 days I

will record the results and let you know

how or if it helped me in any way.

The first book to be reviewed is

the granddaddy of them all, The Power

of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent

Peale. The Power of Positive Thinking seeks

to show that the roots of success lie in

the mind and teach you how to believe

in yourself, break the habit of worrying,

and take control of your life by taking

control of your thoughts and changing

your attitude. It was written in 1950 and

you can tell, it is dated, but the truths are

there and it is a very inspiring book.

2

unknowingly upon a territorial

and protective mama boar and

her piglets? Being disadvantaged

and out of my element without

any weapon to protect me, I knew

that if I didn’t figure out where the

animal was, I could be maimed or

killed.

In the distance, I could hear

Jae persistently and angrily

calling for Sam, while our puppy

responded with jubilant barking

that led them deeper into the

forest and farther away from

me. I called out to Jae, but I knew

my efforts were futile...I knew he

couldn’t hear me.

Suddenly, my eyes locked onto

movement in the thick bushes

across the stream from where I

stood. There it was...a wild boar

Image Credit: Dietrich Varez

like I thought, but it wasn’t a

mama sow, it was a male - an enough for me to reach. I felt like I was

incredibly large one. Its huge, yellowing stranded on a sinking raft in the open

tusks betrayed its presence before its ocean, surrounded by water I couldn’t

body did, and when I saw the rest of drink yet dying of thirst. Suddenly, my

the beast, I prayed that I could unsee it. eye landed on a viable option: a large

I’ve seen plenty of boar in my life. stump that was flanking the trunk

I’ve even seen them hunted down, of another tree. If I could get to it and

hog tied, and eventually dressed for ramble up onto its surface, the vantage

roasting. I had never seen this species, point would get me above the level of

so large and intimidating. Its body was the ground and away from the boar.

the color of obsidian...the blackest of The beast saw this plan in my

black and covered with forearm-sized, eyes and rushed across the stream

razor-sharp bristles that glistened in at me as I dashed for my sanctuary.

the waning sunlight.

Climbing onto the stump just before

Under this impressive armor were the boar got to it, I turned around and

sinew that shifted menacingly with plastered my back against the tree

every subtle movement the beast trunk wishing that I could melt right

made. If I had to guess, this boar was into it and disappear. The beast, trying

easily close to 800 pounds, and while desperately to reach me, was thwarted

it wasn’t particularly long, it was by the angle of the incline and the

wider than a wild pig should ever be. slipperiness of the ground below. Just

Disturbed by its enormous size, what before it gave up its passionate pursuit,

really tripped me out was the human the beast looked straight into my soul

quality of its eyes. It looked straight at transmitting a message to my mind

me like it knew things about the past, that I’ll not soon forget: “This forest is

present, and future of both the world my house. You’re leaving with your life

we were presently occupying together because I am letting you.”

in that moment and the world beyond To punctuate its point, the beast

the veil. I was haunted by its steady snorted its wet snot all over me

gaze, and this beast knew it. Kamapua’a, turning brusquely away to run back

the demigod, I thought.

across the stream and evaporate into

If wild boars could smile, I swear the bushes.

this one was doing so with my Minutes later, Sam’s barking grew

recognition. The boar began scratching louder until I could see him approach

its hooves on the ground as if to ready with an exhausted and muddy Jae in

itself for a charge across the stream tow, who, upon looking at my muddy,

to where I was sitting, vulnerable to disheveled appearance, asked me if I

its attack. I looked desperately around had been wrestling with a wild pig. Jae

me for a tree to climb, and while had no idea how nearly spot on he was.

there was a forest of trees around me, There are no coincidences....only

cruelly, none of the branches were low synchronicities.

Although the book was wildly

popular when it was written, Dr. Peale

received a lot of criticism. His book was too

progressive for his Christian colleagues

and too Christian for the psychologists

of the day. Another criticism was that he

uses examples throughout the book of

people who he doesn’t name or document

in any way and I certainly agree that it

would have been a better book if some

facts were included. If you read the book,

just take it at face value, understand

that it represents a different time, and

concentrate on the basic information.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes, but not the

audio!

Was it easy to read and clear to

understand? Yes.

Would I recommend it? Probably.

Did I learn anything new? Not

really, but I did learn Dr. Peale was way

ahead of his time and his ideas sparked

revolutionary thinking.

What is the one thing that I will try

from the book? Dr. Peale gave a lot of

instruction in the book but the thing

that I picked is for the next seven days, I

am going to only think and talk hopefully.

When a negative or depressing thought

comes to mind, I will consciously replace

it with positive, hope-filled thoughts or

words. I picked seven days because that

is what the book suggests as a starter... I

wonder if my husband will notice.

---

Editorial

Altadena’s Haunted Forest - More Than Meets the Eye

A postcard from Mt. Lowe Railway.

Anthony Almaraz

You may not have heard of “The

Haunted Forest” near Echo Mountain

in Altadena, but you probably know it

better by its more historical name, The

Cobb Estate. A sign near the entrance

says ‘A quiet refuge for people and wild

life forever’. This sign’s designation may

extend into the afterlife, given the stories

of spectral sightings and weird noises

from the vacant estate.

Echo Mountain is one of the

most popular hikes in the San Gabriel

mountains. It is located at the end of Lake

Avenue, one of Pasadena’s main streets,

the trail provides access to both great

hiking and LA County history.

You may not know, but Echo

Mountain once housed a beautiful hotel

and a full railway system to shuttle people

‘Media’ From Front

things into their own control and write

blatant lies.

Zak Bagans, Executive Producer of

Ghost Adventures, Travel Channel’s #1

paranormal show and owner of The

Haunted Museum, was the victim of such

slanderous fake news and had to take

to Twitter to shame those who tried to

shame him.

In response to the guilty parties, the

Graveyard Shift & Ranker.com, he said “I

hope this sends a message that it is NOT

ok for anyone including online companies

to post negative inaccurate articles

that attempt to tarnish an individual’s

reputation & image.”

Due to his busy schedule, he was not

available for further comment.

Of course it’s not only social media that

allow people to put untruths out there

for all to see. David McGrory, historian,

author & former journalist for the Coventry

Evening Telegraph said, “The news today has

seriously changed for the worse with a

virtually unnoticed imbalance in opinion,

from Pasadena to the Echo Mountain

House. Today there are only remnants

of this structure that crumbled over a

century ago.

Atop Echo Mountain stood the

magnificent 70-room Victorian hotel,

the Echo Mountain House. Only a few

hundred feet away stood the 40-room

Echo Chalet. The complement of

buildings on Echo Mountain included

an astronomical observatory, car barns,

dormitories and repair facilities, a casino

and dance hall.

Passengers could then transfer to

another trolley line, the Alpine Division,

which took them to the upper terminus

at Crystal Springs and Ye Alpine Tavern,

a 22-room Swiss Chalet hospice with a

complement of amenities from tennis

courts, to wading pools, to mule rides.

A series of natural disasters ate

away at the facilities, the first of which

which sadly seams to be secretly fueled

by a left wing political feel that creates a

bullying tactic throughout its readers and

viewers. This promotes a ganglike mindset

whereby people are expected to agree and

go with the flow or suffer ridicule just for

having their own view point.”

How very different things are now

in the 21st century where everything is

digitally accessible, allowing the world to

see a snapshot of anybody’s life within

seconds of picking up a phone. This is very

different when compared to Paul Julius

Reuter’s founding of Reuters news service

in 1851.

Reuters quickly became known for

it’s accurate coverage of worldwide events

such as global conflicts. It was created

to supply nothing but truthful news,

financial reports, and nothing more.

Given that, there are some

similarities that can be seen between

the media of yesteryear and now in how

Reuters evolved with the times as the

technology of its day modernised from

was a kitchen fire that destroyed the

Echo Mountain House in 1900. A 1905

fire destroyed the rest of the Echo

buildings except for the observatory

and the astronomer’s cabin. In 1909 a

flash flood tore out the Rubio Pavilion.

In 1928 a gale force wind toppled the

observatory, and in 1936 an electrical fire

wiped out the Tavern. The Mount Lowe

Railway was officially abandoned in 1938

after a horrendous rain washed most

everything off the mountain sides.

Mt. Lowe Railway is a very historic

railway full of myths and legends, from

hauntings to mysterious glowing lights

to the sounds of an unseen train. The

railways were built in 1893, so Pasadena

residents could have a way to access

Echo Mountain’s beautiful views, and the

magnificent hotel that was built on top of

Echo Mountain. There are many dangers

you may encounter on your hike up Echo

Mountain, depending on what time of

year you decide to hike.

The frequent reports of nighttime

paranormal activity make it a popular

hotspot for the curious and those looking

for a thrill. There have been unofficial

reports of unexplained screams, laughter,

and strange lights. One investigation

crew received an EVP saying ‘Get Out!’

I have experienced mud slides during

the rainy season that take out the trail,

mountain lions, snakes and extreme

heat. Be cautious if you decide to take on

this courageous six mile hike, it has an

elevation gain of 1,500ft.

carrier pigeon to telegraph to telephone.

The comparison with today is that

just a few years ago in the 20th century

the world was fed it’s drip feed via

broadsheets, radio news and television

brought to homes by the BBC. The world

is still fed the news today but no longer

question the source, which gives anyone

in the developed world the ability to post

whatever they want with no regard for

how it might affect those who see it.

The ever-evolving ways in which the

world can access it’s media news feed has

enabled anybody to become an individual

media content producer bound only by

the rules and guidelines of the many sites

they upload to such as Facebook,Twitter,

Instagram and YouTube, where anyone

can say what they feel about any subject

matter whether it’s truthful or not.

In conclusion, the ethics of the matter

are that if you wouldn’t say it to someone

face to face, then think about not saying

it at all.

‘Lucifer’ From Front

no grandparents, or close relatives to

take me in.” Morningstar alludes to

an incident that happened when he

three or four years old that wiped out

any family. He remained vague about

any details. “My mother was never in

the picture, so it had to have been my

father who named me.” He says that

many of his younger years are a bit

blurry and recalls spending most of his

time as a kid outside or in the library.

At a tender age he was kidnapped,

although at the time he did not realize

what was going on. As the story goes,’

a friend of a friend took Morningstar

to Las Vegas for several months.

This man told his own children that

Morningstar was their new brother. “I

eventually ran away and made my way

back to Moreno Valley, that’s when my

foster family moved to Los Angeles.”

“I have always had distaste for

organized religion,” he says,” I would

always quarrel with those people

that would come to your door to try

and convert you. I was somewhat

blasphemous and disrespectful. I just

needed to argue with them.”

The Los Feliz branch of Keller

Williams used to hold career nights.

Morningstar would attend these

seminars and finally summoned the

courage to go for his real estate license.

He studied for the exam, passed with

flying colors and received his license.

“Keller Williams usually assigns a

mentor to beginning realtors. Most

people don’t get a property for several

years. My first deal was a million dollar

deal. I have been lucky … and the name

helps out!” he smirked.

Morningstar says he can’t

attribute his early success to one

thing, saying he does believe in destiny.

He enjoys the fact that people respond

to his name as they do. “Everything is

happening so fast. I am focusing on

where I want to go in life, centering on

my own reality.”

As a millennial, Morningstar

does not have much of a social media

presence, save his Keller Williams

FaceBook page. His plans for the

future include building a real estate

team, growing into luxury real estate

and perhaps one day running for city

council.

If you are interested in buying,

selling or making a deal with

Lucifer you may contact him at

lucifermorningstar@kw.com

---

Feature

The Writers of TCT News

Melinda Young - A Fascination for the Unseen World

Melinda Young has worked in

churches and religious organizations

for over 30 years. Currently she works

for Montgomery United Methodist

Church, a church that has been in

existence since 1838.

Melinda has helped churches

communicate clearly and concisely with

members and the local community. In

addition, she has served as Children’s

Director, Outreach and Activities

Coordinator, and in Music Ministry.

Growing up as a Pastor’s kid prepared

her to be a jack-of-all-trades for church

ministry. She has written for several

publications, the Roving Reporter, and a

Anthony Almaraz -

An Incident With

a Ouija Board Left

Him With a Life

Long Obsession

Tony Almaraz grew up in Venice

California in the 70’s. He lived in an old

house that had been built in 1937; it

was located within walking distance

to Venice Beach. He lived there with

his father, mother, older sister and

little brother. Around ten years old,

he began to hear noises in the house,

which progressed to seeing shadows

and objects moving freely on their own.

One day his cousin brought over

a Ouija Board and talked him and his

sister into playing with it, in one of the

scariest rooms in the house. The one

question they asked stuck with him all

these years: “If anybody is here, please

let us know.”

The planchette flew out beneath

their hands and the door to the room

slammed shut. They tried to get out

of the room but the door was stuck.

The room grew cold and they heard

growling, the curtains started to move

like a large fan was blowing them. They

all screamed. Finally, without warning,

the big heavy wooden door slowly

opened. That was when everything

began to escalate.

Since then, Almaraz has been

fascinated by the paranormal. “It’s been

29 years and I have more questions,

than answers,” said Almaraz.

Almaraz regularly conducts

paranormal investigations and writes

about his experiences through the Los

Angeles Paranormal Research Society.

We are excited to see the work that

Mr. Almaraz will bring to the TCT table.

personal blog called Journeys with my

Father.

Recently, Melinda has studied

branding and marketing using the

Storybrand framework by Donald Miller.

She and her husband Brent own Saphes

Marketing Group.

Carolyn Ncube -

Spirits Like Tropical

Paradise Too

Contributing writer Carolyn Ncube

was born and raised in the Philippines,

spent a few years as a U.S. Navy dependent

on Guam, moving to O’ahu, Hawai’i when

she was 12 years old. Having lived in

the islands for over 30 years, through

many inexplicable personal experiences,

Carolyn has cultivated an appreciation

and understanding of how thin the veil

between the natural and supernatural

really is.

An English and history teacher of

over 15 years, she currently manages a

boutique hotel in Waikiki, and regularly

writes and shares her paranormal

experiences on the popular FB group,

Hawaiian Hauntings, founded by Joe

Punohu. Carolyn is a moderator with

a team of intrepid storytellers, field

investigators, and light workers for the

almost 15k members.

Hawaiian Hauntings is a safe space

to share stories, knowledge, and wisdom

about the paranormal relating to

Hawai’i and beyond.

4

Melinda will use her unique insight

to share a Christian perspective of the

spiritual world around us with These

Curious Times. She is fascinated by the

history and liturgy of the church, but also

understands how the spiritual world can

change the physical world. This interest

in the unseen world around us will be the

foundation of her contribution to TCTN.

That rich inner life now expresses

itself t-hrough story, whether writing for

a church newsletter, a blog or an online

magazine. Melinda and Brent have been

married for 30 years and live in Texas. They

have two grown children, Brytie and Cole,

a dog named Abu and a cat named KitCat.

Betty Amaro -

Bringing White

Magic to TCT

Betty Amaro was born in

Los Angeles, in 1971. She grew up

in a family of five. Amaro was

introduced to magic early in her

childhood.

“The study of ‘white magic’

impassioned me, I learned many

things,” said Amaro.

“I have very strong beliefs

in the afterlife,” she continued,

“because I have had many

paranormal incidents occur

throughout the years.”

Amaro describes herself as

a seeker of truth who wants to

discover answers about the other

side.

“Understanding that there

is more to this world seen and

unseen, I strive to help others

understand what they may be

going through,” she said.

Amaro is a member of

the Los Angeles Paranormal

Research society and has been

investigating with LAPRS for a

little over a year.

Deedee Mason - UK

Journalist With a

Passion for History

Dee Mason is CEO and Executive

Producer at Mason; Gant Multimedia

Services Ltd. She has been a member

of the BECTU entertainment union for

many years recently began to write as

an international contributor for These

Curious Times News, Los Angeles.

Dee began her career in TV, Film and

Theatre at the age of eight, as she followed

her actor and musician father into the

industry. Surrounded by numerous family

members who were theater professionals,,

she quickly found her footing. By ten, she

played the role of ‘Annie’ for two consecutive

seasons at the Liverpool Empire Theatre

followed by numerous principle and

supporting roles. By the early 90’s, she had

a professional interest in film production

and journalism. Dee studied broadcast

media at the University of Alicante and

graduated with a a B.A Hons in 1996.

With a keen interest in all things

historic and three years as a docent

behind her at the medieval Guildhall,

she has improved her knowledge and

curiosity of the paranormal.

In tricky situations she relies on

the advice of her late ather. In her

strong Lancashire accent she says,

“When life throws you lemons, pick em

up n’ chuck ‘em back!”

Mike Chirco -

a Media Mogul

With a Passion For

the Mysterious

Mike Chirco has lived in Downey,

Calif. for many years.

He is the owner / operator of a

media company with multiple outlets

across the country focusing on music,

night life and entertainment. Locally,

he contributes to several organizations

such as South of Downey; Where’s The

Party Downey?; Where’s The Party LA?

and Downeywood, all of which are on

on Instagram.

He was born and raised in Downey,

and has lived in Michigan and Sicily.

“I’m engaged to be married to my best

friend Monique Ramos and we are

living large, “ said Chirco.

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True Ghost Stories

An Encounter with The Beautiful Stranger at Hotel del Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado, on Coronado Island, near San Diego, Calif.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Charles Spratley

One of the best parts of doing tours

is the number of people you meet each

year. Years ago, when I lived in San Diego

I met a wonderful woman who had a

love of history and we engaged in several

business ventures together before I

moved to Orange County. We kept in

touch over the years and she wound up

running the Heritage Department of the

famous Hotel Del Coronado, which is on

Coronado Island near San Diego. She did a

fantastic job working on research of the

hotel and started doing historical tours

and decided they also wanted to do a

ghost tour in the evening.

That is where I come in.

I’ve been doing tours for many years

and very happy to be celebrating ten years

working for Haunted Orange County. I’ve

produced several tours as well as lectured

on the paranormal and occult. After

running ghost tours for some time, my

friend called me and asked if I would come

down and work with her guides and give

them advice on delivering a bone chilling

evening of ghostly stories. Their hospitality

was amazing. Upon my check-in, I found

out my reservations were to be in Kate

Morgan’s room. Supposedly the most

haunted room on the vast property.

For those of you who may not know the

story, Kate Morgan was a young woman

who checked into the hotel Thanksgiving

Day in 1892 and after a few days, committed

‘Hotel’ continued Page 7

5

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6

Matthew Grange (left) and wife Donna are the founding members of

Ghosts Unlimited, a paranormal investigation team including podcasts.

Photo by Matthew Grange

Taking Investigations to a New Level

TCT Staff

Ghosts Unlimited [GU] is the brain

child of Matthew Grange who wanted to

bring the paranormal out of the shadows

and into everyday life. Matthew has been

communicating with the spirit world

since he was seven years old.

The group started out as a very small

company operating from an Old Coal

Shed in Rugby, Warwickshire, UK. The

company offered their first ghost tour in

2017 and in the past two years has grown

to seven walking tours and events with

ten overnight ghost hunting excursions.

Matthew always wanted to be his

own boss, and after receiving a message

from the spirit world, Ghosts Unlimited

formed. The ethos of the company is very

simple: bringing the paranormal to life.

The Ghost Tours are slightly different

than other tours across the country.

GU tours and events are written from

a paranormal point of view, presenting

facts woven into legends, creating

memorable and intriguing stories .

Over the years the team has grown

adding international investigators,

acclaimed mediums and a professional

filming crew. The year 2019 saw the

introduction of a weekly FB podcast called

‘Ghosts Unlimited LIVE!’ where the crew

discusses, equipment, recent tours, and

interacts with international onlookers.

As they move forward into 2020 the aim is

to produce six full feature television tours

and introduce two new events - Haunted

X and TV X.

‘Carl’ from Front

“In my dream, it was me and my

little sister. The man in a trench coat

and hat took my sister by her hand. I

tried to run, but was frozen. The only

thing I could ask was, “What is your

name?” He answered, “Edgar.”

Tania Bryant is Kayla’s mother.

She too remembers the man with

the long coat and hat. “I haven’t seen

him since I was 13,” said Tania. “But

I remember the long coat and old

style fisherman’s hat, not so loose on

the bill.”

Tania corroborated that a few

weeks after she saw the man in the

coat and hat, her mother (Kayla’s

grandmother) also saw him.

Kayla’s grandmother graduated

in 1972 from the Ohio School for

the Deaf. According to Kayla, her

grandmother and some friends were

using a Ouija Board, taunting spirits,

and one day all the candles blew out

Haunted X will offer a unique twist

on ghost hunting. Guests enter an active

location, with just a camera, radio, EMF

and a flashlight, recording their own

adventure into the unknown.

TV X is a new concept; where guests

have the opportunity to visit and explore

an exclusive location, starring in their

own Paranormal TV Show.

It has taken years and many long

hours to get where they are today. Ghosts

Unlimited is a family run company, who

remembers where they started, the fans

that have been loyal and the customers

who have supported the company from

the start.

“I met Matthew when I was 20” said

Donna Grange, “I never really had an

interest in the paranormal,” I grew up in

the small town of March, Cambridgeshire,

UK and nobody talked about such things.”

Donna and Matthew met while

working the retail sector, eventually

getting married and have two children,

who, by the way are fascinated with

the paranormal. The oldest child loves

crystals and has the ability to see and

converse with the unknown.

“It is an exciting place to be” said

Matthew, “And we can’t wait to see what

the future holds!”

“Ghosts Unlimited UK has come a long

way from our humble beginnings, and I

could not be more proud of my husband,

all the hard work, the long hours and late

nights, early mornings and the team we

now have in place will only enhance the

company moving forward,” said Donna.

Robin Barber Manning (left) and

her son Scott inherited a ghost

from Scott’s friend 16 years ago.

and the windows slammed shut.

“A spirit told my grandma that

her mother wasn’t gonna make it

to her graduation. Two weeks later,

her mom unfortunately committed

suicide,” said Kayla. “That incident is

when me and my mom think Edgar

first came about.”

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‘Hotel’ From Page 5

suicide on the steps leading out to the

beach. There have been many reports of

Kate being seen throughout the hotel. The

phenomenon reported in her room over

the years has been astounding to say the

least... Impressions left of the bed… Cold

spots, etc.

I spent two days working with the

hotel tour guides helping them construct a

successful path to their haunted tours. But

the most intriguing part of the adventure

was my last night at the hotel and my

possible encounter with Kate Morgan.

I was doing EVP sessions with a digital

recorder as well as EVP sessions during my

stay with nothing tangible coming from it.

One evening while I typed my final

notes, I decided to do one more EVP session.

I turned on the recorder and started to ask

Kate questions about her life. I was moved

when I asked about her being happy. I

turned off the recorder then slumped in

the chair in my room. I explained to the

supposed spirit that inhabited my room

I simply wanted to tell her story and my

job was to train the guides in telling the

real story of Kate Morgan. I then explained

I knew what it was like to feel alone.

Depressed. Helpless. I then, for no rhyme

or reason, told the empty room around

me the story of how I lost my darling

Sherri, my love and partner, to cancer at

the age of 54. I immediately felt the room

get a tad colder. I looked up and noticed the

fan. It had been on the entire day. The AC

was set at a comfortable climate, yet I felt

a distinct chill in the room. I walked away

from below the fan, yet the air still seemed

chilly. I checked the KII and it read normal.

I chalked it up as my emotions getting the

TCT Staff

Feng shui kits can be used after a

spirit is found, according to Feng Shui

Master Deb Smith.

“To help myself navigate the

waters of the unknown, I create

energetic jewelry that protects,

enhances or helps manifest what

others need. I always have on a bracelet

that is made from black tourmaline

and smoky quartz; these two stones

are a powerhouse of protection.”

best of me though my instincts told me

different. I got ready for bed and crawled

under the blankets to settle in for my last

night in paradise.

The clock said 3:00 am - I woke with

a start. I felt it. I knew I felt it. I turned on

the light and stared at the empty room

before me. I woke to the feeling of fingers

gently gracing the top of my face … from

forehead to cheek. I felt the stroke twice.

That second touch roused me from my

sleep. I was at one time both exhilarated

but also calm. I didn’t dream the sensation.

I was sure of its presence.

Did Kate reach out to me in my sleep?

Was it her hand, telling me everything was

going to be alright?

Some I’ve spoken to have even

ventured to ask if I thought it was Sherri

coming to me, telling me all is okay. No,

Sherri has been too silent to me these past

two years to make herself known at this

juncture. I’d like to think Kate came to me

and we had a moment … compassionate

and otherworldly.

I spent the next morning with the

hotel guides, but did not feel inclined to

share my experience. I wanted to gather

my thoughts and write them down before

I flew off the handle with my story. I called

the manager at the Heritage Department

a few days later and told them my story.

We go back years and all they said is, ”It’s

good to see Kate let’s herself be known

every once in awhile.”

The hotel Del is a beautiful luxury

resort with a historic and scattered dark

past. I strongly recommend a visit … and

if you do, please give my regards to the

Beautiful Stranger.

Clearing Spirits With Feng Shui Kits

As a Feng Shui consultant of over

20 years, Smith claims she can sense

the energy in a home or commercial

environment of her clients. “I

specifically enhance the energy of the

home or business for each individual

client’s needs and wants,” said Smith.

Her current creations are Energy

Clearing Kits, which she makes

compact and portable, in the event

that another person accidently ‘steps

into unknown energy’.

“I construct these kits based on the

personal needs of the client whether it

is for ghost investigations, stabilizing

psychic activity or clearing space,” said

Smith.

These kits include crystals, incense,

herbs and whatever else is needed

along with specific instructions. You

can find these kits at Purrfect Crystals

on Etsy.

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