Ghost Hunting Boot camp

NOTICE: This is not a GHOULA event. This is just a local ghost-themed event that we feel our members should know about.

Ghost Hunting Boot Camp

Slated June 15 at Pioneer Cemetery, Sylmar

A unique fundraising event called “VIP Ghost Hunting Boot Camp” will be held from 6 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, June 15, 2013 at the historic San Fernando Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in Sylmar, 14451 Bledsoe St. at Foothill.

Expert ghost hunters from Valley Investigators of the Paranormal (VIP) will discuss their first-hand experiences in ghost hunting, explain what type of equipment is used to sense ghost activity, demonstrate the techniques they use while on investigations, and provide pointers on how to conduct independent investigations.

Special guest Erik Vanlier of VIP will also discuss the activity he witnessed at Pioneer Cemetery during filming of the pilot for Ghost Girls, an upcoming reality television show. Based on that documented activity, Pioneer Cemetery was featured in A&E/Biography Channel’s popular cable television show “My Ghost Story: Caught on Camera, #49” which aired last November to an audience of 5 million worldwide.

After Erik’s presentation, the gathering will be separated into smaller more personalized groups to tour the graveyard with a VIP guide. These small groups will conduct actual investigations throughout the old cemetery’s 3.8 acres. The six-hour event will include an intermission for conversation and complimentary refreshments.

Pioneer Cemetery, established in 1874, is the second oldest graveyard in the San Fernando Valley and is operated by the San Fernando Valley Historical Society, a 501(c)(3) corporation. Proceeds from the ghost hunting fundraiser will be used for cemetery projects and restoration.

Admission to the fundraiser is $50 for adults (over 21) and $25 for sub-adults (13-20). Please note that children under age 13 will not be admitted to this event. Tickets are available online through www.showclix.com (search ghosthunting) and www.sfvhs.com, or may be purchased at the door. For more information, call 818-970-1286.

May's SPIRITS with SPIRITS!

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

May 13th will be GHOULA's 60th SPIRITS with SPIRITS, and as such, it will mark 5 years of our humble group meeting once a month to explore this great city, and to tell ghost stories over cocktails. Help us celebrate this milestone at one of the most enchanted places in Los Angeles.

RSVP REQUIRED: This meet-up will be in the Oviatt Penthosue, with a full-service (no host) bar set up just for us. The good people at Truly Yours Catering have arranged for GHOULA to get special access into this famously haunted building's inner sanctum (not normally open to the public), so come out for this rare opportunity to see one of the great hidden gems of Downtown. Since there are occupancy limitations... Please RSVP here.

THE DATE: May 13th, 2013 (Monday)
THE PLACE:The Oviatt Penthouse (at the top of the Oviatt Building)
617 S Olive St, Downtown, (map)
(Instructions on how to enter penthouse will come later.)
THE TIME: 8:00pm - ?
ADMISSION: FREE (with RSVP)

THE GHOST(S):

"We're at Nineteen Moonbeam Terrace
Overlooking Starlight Square
We're the couple in the castle
Way up high in the air!
On the corner there's a cloud bank
and we bank our millions there
We're the couple in the castle in the air."
---from the song "We're the Couple in the Castle" (1941)

No one knows for sure if this song, written by Los Angeles-based songwriters, "Hoagy" Carmichael and Frank Loesser, for the animated feature, MR. BUG GOES TO TOWN, about an art-deco "castle" on the top of a skyscraper in the middle of a city, was inspired by the Oviatt Penthouse, but it seems likely.

In 1928, the Los Angeles Times called this Romantic penthouse the "Castle in the Air," and it is every bit as magical today as it was back when James Oviatt, his wife, and their son lived there (even if the rooftop beach with imported sand from the French Riviera no longer exists). It is thought to be the first Art Deco residence in Los Angeles. Also, the penthouse is 13 stories up, and has a tower with three neon clock faces that are 13 feet in diameter each. Coincidence?

James Oviatt opened his haberdashery (men's apparel) at this address in May of 1928 (exactly 85 years ago), and occupied the first three floors of this building until 1966. When his business ended, he continued to live in the penthouse until his death, a few years later. Although haberdasheries have largely disappeared from Los Angeles' landscape, some believe that one haberdasher lingers on...

In life, James Oviatt was an avid pipe smoker, and there are claims that the strong smell of pipe tobacco will inexplicably waft through the rooms of his former home as well as the areas in the building where he used to work, especially the ground floor (now the smoke-free Cicada Restaurant). By all accounts, Oviatt was a perfectionist, and obsessed with keeping a tidy workplace, so is it any surprise that those who work at Cicada and the Penthouse feel that the shadowy figure that watches over them, or the disembodied footsteps that follow them, is just the former owner keeping an eye on things, in an attempt to maintain the standards of excellence he originally set.

Additionally, there seems to a secondary spirit that acts as the "yang" to the orderly Oviatt's "yin," a mischievous "prankster," who playfully creates disorder, moving objects, throwing up papers, and tugging/pushing the staff. Since some have seen (or heard) the ghost of a small boy, who disappears into the walls, these unruly phenomena are generally blamed on Oviatt's son, Jimmy, who in life, used to raise hell, and try to scare the staff by jumping out from behind display cases. Does his energy still engage in such childish thrills? It is said that one former security guard got so spooked in the penthouse, he ran down thirteen flights of stairs to avoid waiting for the elevator ("Feet don't fail me now!")

Although the ground floor (Cicada Restaurant) and the Penthouse are the real hot spots for activity, it seems that this spooky duo, do not apparently limit themselves to those two locations. Just about every tenant within this office building have had their spectral brushes with Oviatt and his son.

Perhaps the old song's lyric should be updated to..
"We're the couple (of ghosts) in the castle in the air"

So, come out to Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #195, have a cocktail under Downtown's only weather vane, and celebrate 5 years of toasting ghosts... if you dare.

The Oviatt Penthouse
(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )

April's SPIRITS with SPIRITS

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

THE DATE: April 13th, 2013 (Saturday)
THE PLACE: Chimney Sweep Lounge
4354 Woodman Ave, Sherman Oaks (Map)
THE TIME: 8:00pm to the witching hour

THE GHOSTS:

"There's the whole world at your feet.
And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars, and the chimney sweeps."
--Bert the Chimney Sweep (from "Mary Poppins")

Although not as common today as they were in an earlier era, the profession of "Chimney Sweep" (one who cleans chimneys) still exists. In earlier times, these duties were carried out by poor (mostly orphaned) children, who could climb up the tiny openings. It was a dangerous job, and many children died as a result, prompting Britain to create a holiday to honor these kids on May 1st (in a couple of weeks). As a further reward for their important talents (preventing houses from being set ablaze as a result of creosote build-up) these beloved figures were elevated to folk hero status, and became symbols of good luck.

That aside, no one today is sure why in 1960, the then owner of "The Chimney Sweep Lounge" chose this quirky profession as the establishment's theme. One theory is that its a reference to the fireplace with the exposed flue in the middle of the bar room. The kitschy chimney sweep portraits that decorate the wood-paneled walls came shortly after the theme was set, and according to legend were painted by a regular patron, who wanted to immortalize the other regulars. Even though the Mary Poppins books (which celebrated chimney sweeps) had been around since the 1930's, the Walt Disney film adaptation that really brought these original "men in black" into the 20th century pop-culture was released four years after the bar opened. The bar even pre-dates the production of this feature film developed on the other side of the valley by a couple of years. So, why chimney sweeps?

Perhaps this traditional European figure with his top hat and brush was chosen because it appealed to the World War II veterans, who had settled into the San Fernando Valley in large numbers (in the same way that those returning from the Pacific Rim where attracted to the "Tiki" bars.) If that is the case, it would explain the "The Sweep's" resident ghosts...

According to employees ( as well as an article in the Los Angeles Times), a group of four ghostly men in military uniforms sit around a table drinking in the far (North-East) corner of the bar room. Witnesses to these apparitions are definite about the uniforms, but are unsure about what era (or war) they may be from. Nothing else is really known about these four drinking buddies from the after-life, or their relationship to this site.

Could they be connected to this neighbor tavern's only tragedy, the seemingly senseless murder of a man, who was followed by an unknown assailant when he left the bar, and shot in the head a block away? Probably not, but who knows...

It should also be noted that despite there being many haunted bars in Los Angeles (with many different ghosts), there are very few bars that have a ghost that actually engages in the act of drinking. As strange and ironic as that may seem, not only does this bar have one if these spirit-drinkng spirits, it seems to four of them. Now, that deserves a toast!

So, come out to an old valley landmark that prides itself as being your "living room away from home" and enjoy a round of what the phantom patrons are drinking... if you dare.

(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )

SPIRITS with SPIRITS 5th Anniversary Bash!

GHOULA meets for cocktails in haunted places on the 13th of each month. “SPIRITS with SPIRITS” is a casual social gathering of regional ghost hunters and those that just like ghost stories. Open to all, from the curious skeptic to the passionate phantom pursuer. Make friends, and toast a ghost! Let's put the “Boo!” back into “booze.”

All those who attend will receive a free (square) G.H.O.U.L.A. button. If you already have one, please wear it so others can find you, without asking the staff about our group.

May 13th will be GHOULA's 60th SPIRITS with SPIRITS, and as such, it will mark 5 years of our humble group meeting once a month to explore this great city, and to tell ghost stories over cocktails. Help us celebrate this milestone at one of the most enchanted places in Los Angeles.

RSVP REQUIRED: This meet-up will be in the Oviatt Penthosue, with a full-service (no host) bar set up just for us. The good people at Truly Yours Catering have arranged for GHOULA to get special access into this famously haunted building's inner sanctum (not normally open to the public), so come out for this rare opportunity to see one of the great hidden gems of Downtown. Since there are occupancy limitations... Please RSVP here.

THE DATE: May 13th, 2013 (Monday)
THE PLACE:The Oviatt Penthouse (at the top of the Oviatt Building)
617 S Olive St, Downtown, (map)
(Instructions on how to enter penthouse will come later.)
THE TIME: 8:00pm - ?
ADMISSION: FREE (with RSVP)

THE GHOST(S):

"We're at Nineteen Moonbeam Terrace
Overlooking Starlight Square
We're the couple in the castle
Way up high in the air!
On the corner there's a cloud bank
and we bank our millions there
We're the couple in the castle in the air."
---from the song "We're the Couple in the Castle" (1941)

No one knows for sure if this song, written by Los Angeles-based songwriters, "Hoagy" Carmichael and Frank Loesser, for the animated feature, MR. BUG GOES TO TOWN, about an art-deco "castle" on the top of a skyscraper in the middle of a city, was inspired by the Oviatt Penthouse, but it seems likely.

In 1928, the Los Angeles Times called this Romantic penthouse the "Castle in the Air," and it is every bit as magical today as it was back when James Oviatt, his wife, and their son lived there (even if the rooftop beach with imported sand from the French Riviera no longer exists). It is thought to be the first Art Deco residence in Los Angeles. Also, the penthouse is 13 stories up, and has a tower with three neon clock faces that are 13 feet in diameter each. Coincidence?

James Oviatt opened his haberdashery (men's apparel) at this address in May of 1928 (exactly 85 years ago), and occupied the first three floors of this building until 1966. When his business ended, he continued to live in the penthouse until his death, a few years later. Although haberdasheries have largely disappeared from Los Angeles' landscape, some believe that one haberdasher lingers on...

In life, James Oviatt was an avid pipe smoker, and there are claims that the strong smell of pipe tobacco will inexplicably waft through the rooms of his former home as well as the areas in the building where he used to work, especially the ground floor (now the smoke-free Cicada Restaurant). By all accounts, Oviatt was a perfectionist, and obsessed with keeping a tidy workplace, so is it any surprise that those who work at Cicada and the Penthouse feel that the shadowy figure that watches over them, or the disembodied footsteps that follow them, is just the former owner keeping an eye on things, in an attempt to maintain the standards of excellence he originally set.

Additionally, there seems to a secondary spirit that acts as the "yang" to the orderly Oviatt's "yin," a mischievous "prankster," who playfully creates disorder, moving objects, throwing up papers, and tugging/pushing the staff. Since some have seen (or heard) the ghost of a small boy, who disappears into the walls, these unruly phenomena are generally blamed on Oviatt's son, Jimmy, who in life, used to raise hell, and try to scare the staff by jumping out from behind display cases. Does his energy still engage in such childish thrills? It is said that one former security guard got so spooked in the penthouse, he ran down thirteen flights of stairs to avoid waiting for the elevator ("Feet don't fail me now!")

Although the ground floor (Cicada Restaurant) and the Penthouse are the real hot spots for activity, it seems that this spooky duo, do not apparently limit themselves to those two locations. Just about every tenant within this office building have had their spectral brushes with Oviatt and his son.

Perhaps the old song's lyric should be updated to..
"We're the couple (of ghosts) in the castle in the air"

So, come out to Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #195, have a cocktail under Downtown's only weather vane, and celebrate 5 years of toasting ghosts... if you dare.

The Oviatt Penthouse
(to read about last month's haunted location... )
(to see a map of previous SPIRITS with SPIRITS locations... )