Last month the question was asked: “Is the Mounds Theater haunted?”
   Here is my answer: No.
   Let me explain.  First of all, I have nothing against ghosts.  I believe that a spirit world exists, I just don’t think it interacts much with our world, especially at the Mounds Theater.  Second, I’ll even admit that the Mounds Theater has been haunting me for years. I’ve had many dreams about it reopening. But that’s just wishful thinking, not ghosts. Third, the claim that one or more ghosts live, or rather, inhabit the theater is pretty extraordinary and extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.  I haven’t seen anything that can’t be explained away by perfectly natural means.
   So what are my qualifications for being such a wet blanket?   I’ve spent a lot of time researching the paranormal.   I’ve spent even more time reading ghost stories and watching spooky movies.  I’ve spent a tremendous amount of time in the theater, especially in the so-called haunted projection booth and balcony.  I’ve got a background in science and engineering. And last but not least, “I ain’t ‘fraid of no ghosts”.
   Last month’s article only scratched the surface in relating the supposedly haunted happenings that take place in the theater. Let’s look at some of these ghostly occurrences and consider some perfectly natural explanations for each one.
   1) A general feeling that the place is haunted.  It’s a big, old theater building with poor air circulation, bad lighting, odd acoustics, a lot of strange items piled all over and it’s been empty for over thirty years.  It’s only natural to feel a little spooked in a place like that.  Who wouldn’t? I’ve felt it myself. If a place were going to be haunted, this building would be perfect for it.  But feelings don’t prove anything.  Just because you feel like you’re going to win the lottery doesn’t mean it’s true.
   2) Strange sounds.  The building, especially the balcony, seems to amplify outside sounds.  With the freeway across the street and a bar and its patrons a few doors down, there are always odd sounds coming from outside.  It’s an old building where the wind blows through the doors and the radiators make noises. There are plenty of noise sources.  Once you identify them they become insignificant.
   3) At tape recorder doesn’t record what humans hear.  A voice-activated recorder needs a certain level of sound to turn on.  The human ear is much more sensitive than the recorder.
   4) Strange lights racing through the left side of the theater.  There is a large open mail slot in the outer door on that side. Headlights from Hudson Road pass through the slot, into the lobby, through the open inner theater door and into the theater itself. Your imagination supplies the rest of the details.
   5) Sensations of hot and cold.  It is a concrete building with poorly sealed doors and lots of internal openings. The temperature changes that occur after sunset can set up air currents for hours as different parts of the building cool at varying rates. 
   6) Ghosts in photographs.  This is rather amusing because I took most of the pictures. The “ghosts” are reflections on the camera lens due to bare light bulbs, dust particles and raindrops.  Others are just splotches from the film being underexposed due to the flash not providing enough light.
   7) A feeling of pressure on your chest when going upstairs and also feelings of anxiety.   The steps are steep, the air is musty and dusty and a lot of us aren’t in perfect physical shape. Taking the steps too fast and breathing deeply will produce those feelings in anyone.
   8) Electrical problems such as a fuse blowing when some people were discussing chasing the ghost out and outlets that don’t always work.  A 15 amp fuse in a 30 Amp circuit finally gave out.  It was bound to blow eventually. The timing was just a coincidence. The outlets work if you jiggle the plugs.  They’re old and need replacing.
   9) Women feel the presence of the ghost much more than men do. I plead the fifth on this one.  Anything I say will be held against me.
   10) A psychic senses that the spirits of Native Americans who once inhabited the area are still around.  This one requires a whole article by itself. First prove that psychics exist and then we’ll talk. 
   So is the Mounds Theater haunted?   Obviously it is more fun to believe that ghosts inhabit the building than not.  But other explanations for the alleged ghostly shenanigans should also be considered. Usually the simplest explanation of an event is the correct one.  What is simpler, a ghost or just an overactive imagination? You decide. 

Techno Corner
 By Robert E. Johnstone

Welcome to the Techno Corner! ... Basic Computing for the beginner! In this section each month we will bring to you tips and tricks, basic troubleshooting, plus fun and interesting things to do with your computer and on the Internet, and more. 
Tip of the month: Organize your Files! 
Ever download something from the Internet and not know where it went in your computer? Here's a simple solution for most downloads. Create a new folder and call it Downtoads. Make sure you create the folder in your root directory C Drive and NOT in some program on your computer. Within the folder "Downloads", you will create another new folder (sub-folder), naming it what you are downloading. That is where you will save your file. For example, if you are downloading a program called Real Player, you will name the sub-folder Real Player. After the downloading of the file, all you need to do is open the folder Downloads, look for the sub-folder Real Player, and inside that folder you will find the file you just downloaded. If you do this each time you download a file, it will make your life so much more pleasant and you won't feel like taking a hammer to your computer for losing those files. 
   How do you make a new folder in the root directory C Drive? Simple! From the Start button go to Programs and click on Windows Explorer. There you will see every folder in your computer. Make sure the C is highlighted. Above the tool bar, you will see: File, Edit, View, and so on ... Click on File. Now you will see the word New. Slide your mouse over to the word Folder. Type in the name you want to call the folder and presto-you just created a new folder in your root directory. To create a sub-folder, double click on the primary folder in order to open it. Now do the same steps in creating a new folder. You now have a folder (sub-folder) within a folder. 
   Do the same for all your photos. Create a new folder in the root directory C Drive, calling it Photos. Within the folder, create sub-folders naming them by subject or event. For example: family, summer2000, state fair, and so on. By saving ALL your photos within the folder Photos, you know exactly where they are. A lot of graphics programs have folders within their program to save photos and your work. However, if you have several graphics programs like I have, I would prefer to keep everything in one place for easy reference. 

Web Site of the month: www.buffnet.net/~ambrosia/icq/cybergreets.htm
Annie's Place Cyber Greetings, is a  great place to go on the Internet when you want to send a cyber greeting to someone special in your life. There you will find Greeting Cards, Angels Pages, Holiday Cards, and so much more. Annie's Place is certainly ranking high in my book for unique eyber greetings.

Are you thinking about buying a computer for the first time?  Perhaps wondering if it would be worth it to upgrade your existing computer?  Want to get connected to the Internet? Or perhaps you want to understand how to use your computer and the programs on it.  I can help you!  I even make house calls.  And remember—there is no such thing as a dumb question.

 If you have comments, suggestions or questions, or need help with your computer, feel free to contact me at:
 Robert Johnstone
 Dayton’s Bluff District Forum
 Attn: Techno Corner
 P.O. Box 600511
 St. Paul, MN 55106

 Email:  johnstone@uswest.net
 Phone: 651-772-2075

Swede Hollow Planting

On October 14, 2000 about 200 volunteers planted hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Swede Hollow Park. The planting occurred in the northern part of the park near the old Hamm Brewery. 
   Friends of Swede Hollow received a DNR Conservation Partners grant and funding from the Big River Partnership for this planting. Great River Greening did an excellent job of coordinating the planting and it was a great success. The partners in the project are Great River Greening, Friends of Swede Hollow, and the Upper Swede Hollow Neighborhood Association. 
   Help is needed to maintain the new plants. If you are interested in helping call Karin at 776-0550. 

Dayton's Bluff Take a Hike

On Saturday November 4, 2000 we will meet at 10:30 a.m. in Indian Mounds Park at Earl Street and Mounds Blvd. We will hike from Mounds Park through Swede Hollow Park and then walk the length of the Bruce Vento Recreational Trail (formerly the Phalen Creek Recreational Trail) to its end, near Phalen Park. Along the way we will share stories and learn some local history of the area. The hike is about 6 miles with some moderately rough terrain. Near Johnson Parkway and Maryland, transportation will be available to return to Mounds Park or you may hike back if you wish. 
   Join recreational trail supporters and explore this recreational trail. The paved trail runs from East 7th Street and Payne Avenue through Swede Hollow to Phalen Park. Dayton's Bluff Take a Hike started in December of 1990 and over the years hundreds of people have attended these events. For more information, call 776-0550. 

Happy Belated Halloween to all of our "Ask Amber" Readers.
I realize that Halloween will be over when this edition of the Forum reaches your door, but I would like to  answer Jason's question: "Where did Halloween Start?" 

The original Halloween had little to do with fake blood, vampire teeth or trick- or-treating safety patrols.
   Halloween traces its ultimate origins back to the Druids--a Celtic priestly class--who believed that the spirits of the dead would roam the earth at the turn of the new year on November 1. According to this pagan Celtic tradition, the veil between this world and the next was at its thinnest on this "all souls" day, so people would dress up and paint their faces to disguise differences between the two worlds so they could better interact with the souls of the dead. Costumed  villagers would offer up a feast and then parade to the outskirts of town leading the ghosts away. 
   The Christians added to the festival in the seventh century by making November 1 a celebration of all the known and unknown saints and martyrs--hence the name "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day." The night before was known as "All Hallow E'en or Even" (evening). The day after, November 2, became known as All Souls Day. Over the centuries, pranks, bonfires, belief in the return of the ghosts and dead souls, fortune-telling and ritualistic games began to be associated with October 31 and November 1. 
   Trick or treating is a recent 20th century American phenomenon, but it has roots in ancient customs. The Irish originally initiated a custom hundreds of years ago where groups of farmers would go house to house soliciting food for the village. Prosperity was promised for generous givers and threats were made against the stingy villagers. 
   The custom of trick-or-treating is also related to the Gaelic practice of giving cakes to the poor at Samhain or "summer end", a seasonal festival that coincided with All Souls Day. They came to be called "soul cakes" and in return recipients were obligated to pray for a good harvest. 
   The custom of carving jack-o- lanterns is thought to derive from an old Irish custom of creating lanterns out of vegetables. In Ireland and Great Britain, customs included throwing stones, vegetables and nuts into a fire "to keep the spooks away." People would also hollow out turnips and pumpkins and place a lighted candle inside to drive evil spirits away from the home. 
   So Jason, I hope this answers your question and I hope you, as well as everyone else, had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN. 

        Sincerely, Amber 
 

If you have a question that you would like answered, please write to me at: 
Attn: Ask Amber 
798 E. 7" Street 
St. Paul, MN 56106 
Or e-mail your question to: askamber1@hotmail.com

All answers given herein are solely the opinion of the writer and not the Dayton's Bluff District Forum nor the writers or advertisers or the people and businesses included in the column. Amber's answers will be researched in depth and are accurate as opinion, but not necessarily fact.

Thanks for the help!
by Karin DuPaul 

The Dayton's Bluff Neighborhood Clean Up was held on September 16th. Dayton's Bluff Community Council Board members, residents, friends, and Reentry Services Sentence to Service played an important role in the Clean Up this year. 
   The weather was great and all of the volunteers did an excellent job. Al Clausen was the logistics person. Once again he let people know where to take their items. Steve Duerre collected the money; Harvey Dundas, Katie Hoffman, Brad Thompson, and Sharon McCrea checked residency and helped patrons fill out the paper work; Dave Murphy and Bobcat took control of the brush and managed to get a huge amount of brush into one dumpster. Dave had lots of help from others including Donavan Cummings and Greg Cosimini. Mary Benton Hummel, in her usual take-charge manor, was hauling brush with the best of them. Roger Schaefer worked the electronic dumpster and did an excellent job of finding treasures for the Free Stuff area. John Martinez, Daryl Johnson, John Sipe and a number of others, including the Sentence to Service crew, helped with the dumpsters wherever they were needed. If I missed anyone, please let me know! We appreciate everyone that helped. 
   A number of local businesses supported our efforts by supplying food and beverages. We would like to express our appreciation to Subway Sandwiches at East 7th Street and Willius, Holiday Gas Station at East 7th Street and Kittson, M&H on Arcade, and Rainbow Foods on Arcade. 
   Earlier this year we had a number of mini clean ups in targeted neighborhoods in Dayton's Bluff. Throughout the year, Sentence to Service crews have picked up trash and litter from the streets and parks here in Dayton's Bluff. Altogether, a lot of clean up resources have gone into Dayton's Bluff this year. We could not have done it without all of the help!