The Ventura College Community Service Department is offering a class on the ghosts of Hollywood being presented by Richard Senate. The class will start at 7:00 PM on June 11^th.

"I am very excited about this class," reports Mr. Senate. "I believe it will open a great many eyes not only about haunted places in Hollywood but how ghosts have been portrayed in film." Few know that Mr. Senate’s Family were involved in the movie industry since the days of Silent Hollywood. The class will also feature a second independent part that will include a tour of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. If the students find anything it will be reported in the July Issue of the Newsletter.

The historic Glen Tavern Inn is the subject of a short YouTube feature about to be placed on the net. It highlights some of the many ghosts encountered at the 1911 Inn over the years. This exciting feature has been a great deal of fun to make and Mr. Senate has gotten a great deal of help in bringing this idea to fruition.

Under the historic, and very haunted inn, is the remains of a mine that once operated excavating minerals used in the making of explosives. The many raps and taps reported at the Inn may well be settling from the tunnels under the hotel. Many have heard these mysterious raps and rumblings over the years from Actor Joe Estevez to Richard Senate himself. This might explain some of the events at the place but not the sightings of apparitions. Perhaps some of the ghosts may well be caused by some as yet unknown accident in the mine that saw deaths of the workers. The entrance to the shaft, accounting to research made by a former manager, was under the restaurant. More research is needed to solve the riddle
of this most haunted hostel.

On May 28th, a small team investigated rumors of ghosts at the 1928 Ventura Theater. Long rumored to be haunted the old Spanish-Moorish movie palace gave up some of her haunted secrets in the two hour search. Cold spots were detected and a bevy of psychic impressions collected. The woman in the white robe did not make herself known nor did the man with the pencil mustache, nick named "Charlie," show up. Still, enough evidence was collected to confirm the place, now a popular concert house, is haunted. The data collected is still being analyzed. This site may well be filled with residual energy, also know as afterimages. More data needs to be collected and the site may well be investigated again in the future.

The Magazine formatted program is progressing along with the outline of a pilot now formed. The show will feature the strange and the bizarre in Ventura with a special focus on the paranormal. The feature titles have been selected and if anyone has had an experience in this places please contact Mr. Senate or if you would like to volunteer.

Features:

1. The Lost Gold of the Olivas Adobe and its deadly curse.

Projected:

2. The Billywack Monster of Santa Paula

3. The many Ghosts of Ojai’s Creek Road

4. The phantom of Lucas Garcia and El Caballo

5. The Ghosts of the Historic Dudley House

6. The ghosts of Oxnard’s Heritage Square.

Extra Features: 126 ghost lady and Char Man ghost of the Ojai Valley.

One of Mr. Senate’s first writers, like many writers from Ray Bradbury to Carl Segan, was Edgar Rice Burroughs best known for his many books about Tarzan. Mr. Senate was not a fan of Tarzan but the lesser known Mars Books that featured the exploits of John Carter on the Red Planet, called by Burroughs; Barsoom. "My first stories were copies of the Mars Books. Just as painters copy the works of the masters before they strike out on their own, so did I write what is today called "Fan Fics." My First was a long short story called "The Blood Seas of Mars" followed by the "Time Masters of Mars". These were naturally, never published. But, from these grew other science fiction works with me taking the idea of Barsoom and changing it to my own world. I used the planet Mercury as the home of my adventures with the first story "The Assassin of Mercury". They were very adolescent works and never were published. I have a whole trunk full of stories from that part of my life and only a select handful was ever read by friends." These primitive works were the start of Mr. Senate’s writing career. He honors the memory of Burroughs and traveled down to Tarzana, a town founded by the writer, to meet with members of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Company. They gave him a tour of the building with is many art works and statues that date back to the beginnings of ERB career. They were very pleased to show Mr. Senate and his friends around. He visited the burial site of Mr. Burroughs and learned that a US stamp, honoring the writer, is now in the works to celebrate the 100 year birth of Burroughs in 2010. There is also a planned movie to focus on the Mars Stories set to be released in 2011. Untilled, it may well be called "John Carter of Mars." When it comes out you can bet that Mr. Senate will be the first in line to buy a ticket. There are rumors of Burroughs haunting Tarzana but if that is the case his ghost hasn’t been seen at his old offices.

Most Americans do not know that Mexico is a very haunted land. There are some active ghost hunting groups down there doing great work. Sadly, because they are all in Spanish, their efforts are largely unknown in the USA. Perhaps one of the most haunted houses in all of Mexico is now open as a museum in Monterey where tours are offered in hopes of encountering the phantom woman. The story dates back to 1933 when the old turn of the century home was the scene of a terrible murder, two women were killed in the house. The only witness was the family parrot who mimicked the last pitiful cries of the victim. When the police came the bird was screeching out the name of the murderer. The house gained a reputation as being haunted and young people came to seek the ghost. Several saw a woman’s face looking out the window, and many odd stories are told of the place. It has been deemed the most haunted house in all Mexico.

It would make a good episode for a ghost hunting TV show. If you know of any ghosts in Mexico or if you would like to translate the works done by Mexican Ghost Hunters feel free to submit them to this newsletter. Maybe an expedition to Mexico could be formed to further investigate Mexican haunted sites. Many are located in Baja California with perhaps the best being the old Hotel at Rosario Beach just south of Ensenada.

Mr. Senate is now on Twitter and facebook for all those who would like to know what he’s up to him on a daily basis. Do sign up and keep in touch with all he is up to each day.

PHANTOM FEEDBACK.

Question: "Are Ouija Boards tools of investigation or tools of evil to be avoided?"

The controversy of the talking board has filled many pages of the blogs on the subject of paranormal research. The humble Ouija Board has its foes and well as its fans. What do you think about this controversial question. Should people avoid using them or are they just a children’s game? Has anyone had a positive experience with the board? Or Negative one?

Mr. Senate has helped his friend start a new magazine on the web with a focus on literature and strange things in the book world. It is a haunted place indeed. Do check on Mr. Senate’s predictions made last October. Some have come to pass. This interactive e-zine will give readers a chance to respond and perhaps even en a story or two. It’s well worth a read. Mr. Senate reviews the classic book "Edge of the Unknown" by Doyle –one of the first books on the study of ghosts and haunted houses. The author got a few things wrong but he did score a few things right as well. It’s a classic every ghost hunter worth his salt should read.

"Ghosts fear men more than men fear ghosts." Old Chinese saying.