So a week or two ago, when we heard (via the Damned Connecticut Facebook page) that there was a new oddities shop in Wallingford, we were excited. We’ve been saying that the state needed a place—or two—like this. To paraphrase Field of Dreams, “Open it and they will come.”

You can now count “us” along with “they.”

Shadowland opened on North Colony Road in Wallingford last September, the realized vision of owner Eric Morton, a lifelong collector of the odd, weird and rare. When we arrived, Eric was behind the counter, happy to chat. We quickly learned all about the store and how passionate he is about “damned”-type subjects, and how much he loves to support the local Wallingford community, from other businesses to arts organizations (he’s the lead singer of The Curse of Her Flesh) to charities, such as the nearby Trail of Terror. He also supports Connecticut artists and other groups, you know, like us.

As you can see in the gallery below, the shop definitely has the vibe you’d expect for a place that sells oddities and curiosities—weird tchotchkes and offbeat works of art hang on the walls, while the shelves are stocked with everything from voodoo doll keychains and animal skulls to demon statues and preserved bugs—heck, there’s even a totem pole on one table. Books, DVDs and CDs are also available, covering everything from Aleister Crowley to UFOs, as well as local damned-type subjects. A number of vintage games and collectibles are also on display, as are animal-bone sculptures and mobiles that Eric makes himself.

The store’s stock rotates pretty regularly—I was outright bummed when Eric told us that he had just sold a Feejee mermaid a few hours before we arrived. He’s plugged into the antiquities market, and goes to estate sales a few times each week in quest of new items.

As you can also see, if you visit, don’t plan on staying the day as Shadowland isn’t the biggest store in the world—although it’s certainly bigger than the famed Obscura in New York City … for now. (Obscura is moving into a new building soon.) Like many object dealers, Eric has items that he doesn’t have on display and plenty of connections, so if you’re looking for something, just ask.

Eric has plans to expand, but like any small business owner, he’s trying to do in economically viable phases—i.e., like most of us, he’s not a secret billionaire with unlimited funds to do whatever he wants. Although if he was, Shadowland would be an amazing place—he mentioned how he’d love the place to look like a cave filled with everything from full-sized coffins to tanks with flesh-eating beetles.

As Eric said, “I wanted to open a store that I’d want to walk into.” We’d say, “Mission accomplished.”

We’ll be back.

[View with PicLens]

Steve recently forwarded me this story about how a few lakes in Texas have receded so far due to extended drought conditions that old ghost towns are now being exposed. Other interesting items have been discovered, including “a prehistoric skull, ancient tools, fossils and a small cemetery that appears to contain the graves of freed slaves.”

Of course, Connecticut has a history of lakes with interesting items belong them. One of our favorites is Gardner Lake in Salem where an entire house sits on the bottom, the result of an ill-timed transport across a pond that wasn’t quite frozen all the way through.

Image courtesy of NASA

Although thousands enjoy the beauty of that state’s largest lake, Candlewood Lake, very few realize that it’s one of the largest man-made lakes in the state. Even fewer realize that when it was created, a lot of interesting things were left in place, and today still sit on the bottom of the lake.

In the mid 1920s, Connecticut Light & Power Co. decided that it wanted to build a hydro-electric, and settled on the over 5,000 acres of narrow valleys in Brookfield, New Milford, Sherman, Danbury and New Fairfield. Plans were approved in 1926, and for the next two years, the massive engineering feat was undertaken by 1,400 laborers. According to historian and scuba diver Ray Crawford in this story at the Housatonic Times online, thousands of acres of woodland was cleared, the Rocky River was dammed and water was pumped over from the nearby Housatonic River to help flood the area. By 1928, the lake had been created.

Apparently, in the zeal to get the project done, people who lived in the projected flood area were often forced to leave large possessions behind.

From CandlewoodLake.org:

“When Candlewood Lake was created in the 1920s inhabitants were relocated elsewhere, but many of the buildings in the valley were left standing and a considerable amount of personal property, including a great deal of farm equipment, was left behind. The roads that connected modern day Brookfield and New Milford with New Fairfield were not torn up before the valley was flooded and Scuba Divers, with the aid of either of the two local dive shops in Brookfield, can investigate remnants of the pre-lake era, even following the roads underwater. Divers have noted highlights that include Model T Fords, plane wreckage from craft that have hit the lake since its creation, and covered bridges from the pre-lake era.”

A small village by the name of Jerusalem was also buried under the waters; it included a grist mill, a school and a few homes. Many homes were burned down to the foundations before the water came, although the foundations themselves were left.

In short, there’s a treasure trove of forgotten history sitting under the waters of Candlewood Lake. Keep that in mind next time you’re floating along on its surface.

Hey, it’s our TV debut! We didn’t embarrass ourselves too badly, although Ray never shuts up! (Damned Connecticut’s Ray Bendici, not Ray Sawyer of Dark Angel Paranormal Investigations, who, for the record, got his own half-hour spot with Len.)

Thanks again to Len Fasano, Fletch and the entire “Forum” crew for having us on the show to chat about Connecticut Curiosities as well as haunted places around the state. We had a great time!

Some of the subjects discussed:

• Gillette Castle
• The Glass House
• Holy Land USA (not designed by Granderson)
• The Frog Bridge
• Dunnellen Hall
• Skull and Bones
• The State Capitol
• Mansfield Training School

Thanks again to Len, Fletch and everyone for inviting us down, taking the time to talk with us!

Recently, the episode “The Haunting of Mansfield Mansion” of SyFy’s show “Paranormal Witness” focused on reported paranormal activity at the supervisor’s house at Mansfield Training School (MTS) in Mansfield. Our article about Mansfield Training School became ground zero for the debate regarding the show and that particular episode after it aired.

In the comments for that article, the paranormal investigation group P.R.O.O.F. were at the center of controversy regarding their investigation of the house in question, as well as for the evidence that was gathered and what was presented on the show. The comments got a little chaotic and heated, so P.R.O.O.F. politely asked us if they could try to sort it out here and try to answer all the questions coming at them in one place, and in more detail than a comments section would allow.

For the record, Damned Connecticut is in no way affiliated with P.R.O.O.F., SyFy, Raw TV, the Moore family or anyone involved with this case. We’ve never met any of those parties, and have only come into contact with P.R.O.O.F. via e-mail. We also have never been out on a formal paranormal investigation at MTS (although we have visited the part of the former campus that now belongs to UConn). We just felt that since our readers were so interested in this subject, we should pursue this opportunity to learn more about what happened, both at MTS and with the production of the show.

In short, we have tried to give P.R.O.O.F. the best chance to explain their experiences since there were so many questions regarding the situation. P.R.O.O.F.’s founder Joseph Gallant took the time to answer our questions, and we have presented it all here.

After reading this, if you have more questions, please feel free to contact P.R.O.O.F. at their website. If you want to comment here—and of course, we always welcome that—we ask that you be respectful and refrain from personal attacks.

So how did PROOF get involved with the Mansfield Training School (MTS) and Mansfield Mansion?

In the early wintery months of 1994 the Moore family purchased what they initially thought would be a great starting point for their growing family. The historic seven bedroom colonial mansion which sat on ten acres of wooded land sold for an astonishing hundred thousand dollars. The Moore family pondered the question; why so cheap, could something have taken place in the home or on the property that perhaps could have decreased the selling price value? The county real estate agent informed the Moore family that there was very little information about the property’s history in their documents. Mrs. Moore and family decided to forget the past and move forward with the future, buying the historic home in late 1994.

In January of 2002, the Moore family began renovating the home’s interior, as it was out of date and ridged inside. Following two months into renovations, the Moore family began experiencing strange occurrences throughout their home. The homeowner and her two children expressed being woken up at all hours of the night due to night terrors, such violent and vivid dreams that prevented the family from sleeping for two or three days at a time. The more work that was done to the home’s interior, the more frequent and disturbing the night terrors became. The Moore family explains an incident wherein, they were awoken at 2:22am and witnessed what appeared to be a tall dark man standing at the foot of their bed than vanishing.

Out of pure fear the Moore family sought out answers to what, if anything is haunting their home. Mrs. Moore’s curiosity sent her digging through local newspapers to see if there was anything that would provide her with answers. After weeks of researching and coming up with nothing, Mrs. Moore came across an article, an article written five years before her purchase that explained everything. The article read that 1308 was the home of the superintendent of the Mansfield Training School, a hospital for the feeble minded and insane. Mrs. Moore read article after article that talked about the abuse of patients at the facility and from within her now-home. Mrs. Moore and family stopped the renovating and let things calm down for a while until a resolution could be devised.

Nearly four years had passed with very little incident. This was until December of 2008, when John Hevic, an electrician was phoned to 1308 Stafford Road, in order to fix the Moore family’s broken furnace. The electrician was in the basement for not more than 10 minutes before running out and taking off. Leaving all of his equipment behind, Mr. Hevic complains that he was pushed to the floor by something that couldn’t be seen or heard. Evidently, whatever was here is back, said Mrs. Moore. The house began to feel dreadful again and the activity became increasingly productive. Mrs. Moore states an incident where she was asleep and awoken by the feeling of someone holding her hand, followed by a deep growl in her right ear.

“This of course was the end of what I was willing to withstand. There is something evil here and there’s very little I can do to protect my family. Enough is enough,” said Mrs. Moore. The Moore Family began their search for someone out there that could provide them with the protection and guidance they so desperately needed.

P.R.O.O.F was initially contacted by Amy Moore in early February of 2009. In our initial visit, P.R.O.O.F spent 48 hours on site, investigating the property. The interior and exterior of the home was covered from top to bottom. In addition to our full scaled investigations, we also spent a considerable amount of time and energy researching the background and history behind the Mansfield training school and hospital.

How did P.R.O.O.F get involved with Raw TV and how involved were you?

Following an exclusive radio interview with Paranormal-Underground concerning events recorded at the Mansfield residence, I [Joseph Gallant] received a telephone call from Mark Lewis, a producer with Raw TV, an independent film company based out of the U.K. Mr. Lewis informed me that Raw was in the preliminary stages of developing a reality TV series that would be focusing on the paranormal and the unexplained. Mr. Lewis was interested in learning more about the “Mansfield Haunting” and excited of the possibility of telling the Moore families story. I do want to mention however, that the phrase “Mansfield Mansion” was coined by the television network. P.R.O.O.F, the Moore family and the community refer to this house as the Greenlawn Mansion.

Following repeated phone conversations and back and forth emails, P.R.O.O.F founder myself [Joseph Gallant] and Amy Moore were cordially invited to Massachusetts wherein, we would be introduced to the filming crew and prepped for interviews. The filming was set to last no longer than two hours and would entail nothing but the discussion of accounts at the Greenlawn Home. During the interview process I [Joseph Gallant] was informed by the Line-Producer that I should throw a few tears out there for the dramatization effect as well as a few minor white lies, thus, providing viewers with a “good show” I declined the producers “acting” recommendations and preceded to tell my side of the story as it was, versus what the production company requested. With this being said, we feel that this could have played a significant role in why our piece was cut out of the episode.

Did you personally experience anything that you felt was odd?

Each and every P.R.O.O.F member who partook in the case had a personal experience. The house is extremely active. It would take forever to go through each individual experience but we’ll highlight some of the most significant occurrences.

On night one, while in the process of setting up our survallience feeds and pre-placing investigators in their posts, Amanda DeVivo radioed base and reported having seen an apparition or shadow person walking from the attic storage room into the unfinished bathroom. She explained that although this account took her by surprise she did not feel as though that the entity was that of a malevolent or diabolical nature. She stated that the entity simply was passing by and then vanished as if he were never there.

Ruben Velazquez our tech coordinator, recorded the image of the same apparition, described previously by Amanda, pacing from one room to another and in doing so, making his presence known by slamming the door behind him before vanishing. Velazquez and our lead investigator Patricia Fedorshak, were in the bird room, when they heard a women humming. Ruben and Pat stated in their reports that the humming was in harmony and sounded as if it traveled through the walls and within, a matter of minutes just stopped.

All of these experiences did not occur during our initial 48 hour investigation. We have been actively investigating the house since mid 2009 so we have been to the site on several different occasions with many different incidences.

Have you personally witnessed any demonic hauntings? How do you determine if a haunting is demonic or not?

Yes, P.R.O.O.F has conducted numerous in-home demonic hauntings with the Mansfield mansion falling forth on our list. I do, however, want to point out that during our preliminary investigations of the Greenlawn home, P.R.O.O.F did not consider the residence to fall within, the “diabolical-Category.” Upon conducting our investigations of the site, there were absolutely no configurative or confirming indications that what was haunting the Moore family was in fact demonic. The phrase Demonic (ancient Greek) refers to a non-human entity with whom carries a rash of symptomatic and malevolent characteristics, this term is also referred to as a diabolical spirit with prime intention of attaching to tragedy and causing grave havoc for its host or person(s) of interest. Generally when speaking in terms of a classic case of demonic haunting such characteristics as;

• increasingly strong odors often resembling sulfur or decaying caucus
• an overwhelming sense or feeling of dread and fear are present
• high EMF readings are present throughout the house with no mechanical explanation
• occupants of the residence often come down with sudden mysterious illnesses that seem to defy diagnosis or medical treatment
• occupants generally complain of being physically attacked and/or sexually stimulated/penetrated by unseen and violent forces
• nocturnal attacks and night terrors

These just mentioning a few are the classic symptomatic signs of their being a demonic presence in the dwelling, nevertheless as stated previously, in our initial investigative assumption of the haunting, none of the above had been experienced . This was of course until and following the banishing ritual and demonic attack.

How much liberty did “Paranormal Witness” take with the case as you investigated it?

“Paranormal Witness” was given testimonies of paranormal phenomena inside the Greenlawn home by the Moore family, their friends and P.R.O.O.F Paranormal. They took what was given to them and they simply ran with it. During filming, as stated above, I [Joseph Gallant] was asked to tell minor white lies and to act as sad and scared as possible. We can’t say for sure, if those requests were asked of the Moore family as well but our assumption is that they were.

Pretty much, what I’m trying to say is that “Paranormal Witness” is simply out for ratings and viewer reaction. We feel they took as much liberty as they could in making the show as dramatic and scary as possible. P.R.O.O.F does not believe all the re-enactment scenes to have been portrayed correctly.

Another thing P.R.O.O.F read was a “follow-up interview” with Casey Moore. (It’s a written interview on SyFy’s website.) It quotes her as saying “Supposedly one of the guys had a pentagram burned into his leg when he was in the basement.” That simply never happened. P.R.O.O.F believes Mrs. Moore to have never said that. Never once, in any of our meetings with the family, did the discussion of a pentagram ever come up as it’s something P.R.O.O.F doesn’t use. But, a body burn of a pentagram sounds pretty dramatic and entertaining, huh?

What kind of evidence did you have?

Upon signing the contract with Raw Television, we were advised that any and all evidence obtained at the Greenlawn home and during our investigation was under strict release. What this means is that our rights to material gathered at the Greenlawn home (i.e. photos, video, audio, written) was under the rights of the production company and we would have no access to its release. Nevertheless, the contract is no longer in effect, so with this being said P.R.O.O.F will be releasing everything in the next couple of weeks.

Why do you think SyFy didn’t share the evidence that you gathered?

I am truthfully uncertain as to why exactly the SyFy network and Raw Television Productions excluded P.R.O.O.F’s involvement in the “Haunting of Mansfield Mansion”. Although I do have my assumptions, there isn’t enough space or time for me to validate suspicion or speculate on the networks poorly chosen production decisions. From what I have been told however, SyFy made the cut due to the vulgar nature of the E.V.P’s. As for the photos and video evidence, SyFy reported that their just simply was not enough time in the episode to add anything in addition to what testimony they had already collected. If the production company would have provided viewers with evidence, backing up the Moore’s testimony, I feel as though her story would have generated a better response and even more so, with validity to what claims she had presented.

There also seems to be a question of actual history versus what was portrayed on the show—MTS was definitely a facility used to treat the mentally challenged, but was there an actual murder in the superintendent’s house?

The Mansfield Training School and hospital was a secure residential institution for individuals with dual diagnoses “Mental Retardation and developmental disabilities”. The grounds were comprised of several different buildings or units that were “guided” in providing a stable environment with cognitive behavioral treatment for both children and adults of all ages.

In a provisions report provided by the state of CT and the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) the facility was under constant investigation for the excessive use and misuse of physical and chemical restraint and seclusion. This report also included provisions behind the hundreds of abuse and neglect allegations made against facility staff. There is not however, any such report or evidence thereof, that would suggest or implicate that a murder or “murder-cover-up” was committed at MTS or from within, the previous Superintendent’s residence.

Now, when speaking in terms of what “paranormal Evidence was gathered throughout our initial investigations, there was mention via a franks-box session of a girl that represented herself as a murdered child from MTS. The girl whom identified herself as “Jessica” repeatedly broke through the static and omitted that she had been murdered while a patient at the former facility. There were several different entities that brought the subject of murder to discussion; nevertheless, paranormal evidence and criminal evidence are two entirely different spectrums.

Unfortunately at this time, there are very few things that I can say about the public’s assumption of murder at MTS, I can only comment on what information I do have which does not include the discussion of murder. Making false or unsubstantiated accusations of something as serious as accusing the State of Connecticut of murder or covering-up violent crimes is a serious liability for the person(s) delivering such information. In this case SyFy is the responsible party and P.R.O.O.F is working on recovering this issue and clearing MTS’s name.

Are you still in contact with the Moore family? Have you talked with them since the show aired, and if so, what was their take on it? Are they still having unusual experiences?

P.R.O.O.F remains in frequent contact with the Moore family and besides our quarterly re-evaluation of the Greenlawn home; we have maintained a respectable and personal friendship. Amy Moore has stated that she is disappointed in the outcome of the airing “The Haunting of Mansfield Mansion.” She complains that SyFy and the production company took her story out of context and turned it into a 3rd-rate horror flick verses a story of a family that simply wanted to be understood.

What do you say to those who claim that no one who lived in the house before the Moore family reported any sort of paranormal experiences?

I would say that these statements are incorrect.

Former resident Brett McNamara lived in the house from 1974 to 1985, when his father, Roger McNamara, was superintendent of Mansfield Training School . In a 2010 press meeting, Brett McNamara released this statement to a reporter for the Reminder News; “I remember growing up here. I felt a presence. I would close a door and find it open again, hear strange creaks and knocks. I had odd feelings, particularly when I was home alone. This was the original institution. Patients lived here, some died here. Maybe their spirits were trapped,” he said. Although Brett McNamara has recently denied having any sort of unexplained or paranormal experience in the Greenlawn home, the facts speak for themselves.

Please follow this link for the full article and for verification of its authenticity.

Again, Damned Connecticut wants to thank Joseph Gallant and P.R.O.O.F. for taking the time to answer these questions and hopefully clear up some of the issues resolving this situation.

Along with her daughter Dinah, author (and Weston resident) Carol J. Mack has written A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits, the most recent edition of which was released last month. Of course, it’s available from Amazon.com and other fine online retailers.

To help promote the book, Carol graciously took the time to answer some questions from us via e-mail about her book and demons in general.

What was the inspiration to originally write this book?
My daughter and I had completed our M.A. degrees, mine in Religious Studies, hers in Cultural Anthropology, and to celebrate we planned a camping trip. Our plan ended with a terrible heat wave and all forests closed and so we decided to go to the coldest places in NYC. Our first stop was the Morgan Library. Freezing. And they had an exhibit of the 7 Deadly Sins which inspired a huge conversation about global concepts of “evil” and curiosity about how various cultures imagined demons and the heat wave subsided as our exploration began.

What’s new in this edition?
We’ve added vampires and a zombie and an afterword and tweaked/edited a few wings here and there.

Why is there such a fascination with demons (and angels)?
Well it takes our mind off the headlines! At least we know these are only stories and when we close the book or leave the movie theatre, it’s really over and we can walk away.

Many demons seem to be manifestations of our own fears and evils—what is the nature of that relationship?
Yes, we think that common human traits such as greed, envy, etc. are universal and then by looking at them as creatures with powers in tales, we get a good idea of the damage they can do.

Why are there so many different kinds of subversive spirits?
Humankind has a wonderful imagination. And the spirits were here long before us, according to lore, and guarded sacred portals of nature before humans entered the territory. That irritated the demonic guardians

What should people know about dealing with demons?
Our book has a disarming and dispelling section for EACH demon so that people will know what to bring along should they travel in various parts of the world and encounter various demons. Also laughter and compassion melts all of them.

So here in Connecticut, for what kinds of demons should we be on the lookout?
Hmmmm. Well we do have Domiciles, a great section in the book, and we also have water and forest quite nearby. There may be quite a variety of spirits about!

In the guide, demons are broken down by category (water, mountain, forest, desert, domicile, psyche)—is there much crossover? As entities that live on the edge of reality, how hard are they to define?
Their habitats have a great deal to do with their behavior. All quite different! The fairies for example, all live in a parallel universe and won’t bother you unless you mistakenly eat their food, or join their dance, and the house demons can be helpful or not depending on how one treats them. Their habits are closely related to their habitats…

How do you define a demon?
They are shape-shifters, bestial by habit, powerful and enchanting (at first) and can transform themselves into neighbors, shimmering lights, animals, attractive strangers, who knows?

Do you have a “favorite” demon?
I do like the Kappa from Japan and Madame White from China, also Lilith, and the Russian Leshii and I think the fairies rock.

In the Information Age, what roles do demons play? Is there still room for them?
There should be a LOT of room for the global creatures now that we can share ideas and stories and are so interconnected that it is very important for us to recognize the universal themes of good and evil and how much we have in common. It is also a good time to enjoy our imagination.

With so many demons included from various cultures and geographic areas, what was the research process for this book like?
Fascinating! Many libraries and wonderful folktales sent by friends from around the world.

Did you have any unusual experiences while researching and writing this book?
Not that I remember.

Have you personally ever encountered any demons?
Not that I know of.

Thanks again to Carol for taking the time to answer our questions. Now let’s hope we don’t run into any computer demons from posting this!

Again, A Field Guide to Demons, Vampires, Fallen Angels and Other Subversive Spirits is available from Amazon.com and other online retailers. A fun addition to any damned book shelf.

I happened to be going through some old issues of Connecticut Circle, a now-defunct publication, when I came across an article in the March 1938 about the (then) recently opened Seaside Sanatorium.

Of course, a lot of use are familiar with Seaside in its current state — an abandoned and dilapidated mental hospital right on the shore of Long Island Sound — but when it was first built, it was a shining medical facility dedicated to children with tuberculosis. From the pictures (which I scanned from the magazine) and the text below, you will see that modern medicine has come a long way in the past 70 years.

This is the main Maher Infirmary, when it was first opened.

So shiny and bright!

Some excerpts from the article –

Nestled before a background of woods is a rambling, four-story structure with ells coming forward at either end, gables topping the ells and a moderate steeple extending up from the very center of the long, horizontal part of the building. The structure stands almost on the beach, facing the vast stretch of blue water. But neither the architecture nor the beautiful setting will warm you up.

Along the entire front of the building are handsomely designed galleries. On each ell, as it protrudes toward the water is a gallery, all protected by high railings. And upon these galleries are cots. And upon these cots, exposed completely to the howling winds and zero temperature are children. They are lying there or playing on the beds, or walking about the galleries—with no other clothing than loin cloths. That’s when you begin to forget how could you are.

Here 142 children, who have learned to deny the heat and the cold for a common cause—health. They are allowing the sun and the wind and the heat and the cold to mend their bones, which have been violated by tuberculosis. The structure, with its other buildings and beautifully laid out grounds, is Connecticut’s Seaside Sanatorium …

 

 … There is no “grind” at Seaside. Everything is accomplished in the spirit of play. Everyone is laughing. The rooms are painted to illustrate children’s stories. It is a place where snow men are builded by near-naked children in the winter and where houses are erected of pure white sand on the beach in summer. Dr. O’Brien is out there playing with them most of the time. It is a question of good food, air and sunshine, and “let nature take its course.”

One of the marvelous features of the institution is he school system where children lose no time from their studies. They are taught in the snappiest classrooms in the State, with excellent desks, handsomely decorated school rooms, with their walls about all glass and their windows generally thrown open …

… All in all it is an ideal institution, headed by an ideal man, in an ideal location. The results of treatment have proven beyond all expectations. It is said there is only one other institution like it in the country. There couldn’t be a better one—and that is why Connecticut points with pride to her accomplishment in the cure of bone and glandular tuberculosis.

A trip to the institution will have a sobering effect upon a thoughtful person. He is very liable to throw his windows open quite a bit wider on zero nights. He may park his automobile a little farther away from his office the next day and hike the remaining difference. He may visit night clubs less often and leave earlier. He might take his son’s Boy Scout activities or his daughter’s Campfire program more seriously. A visit to the institution is said to be especially good for those 40-year-old waist lines.

Again, modern medicine has come a loooooooong way in a relatively short time. Thank goodness.

Although they don’t seem to garner headlines as much any more, UFOs — or UAPs (unexplained aerial phenomena) as they are now increasingly being classified — are still being reported in Connecticut on a fairly regular basis.

Of course, just because something unidentified is spotted flying through the sky, that doesn’t automatically make it a ship full of aliens joyriding our friendly atmosphere and probing our populations at will: Many times, what is being witnessed is something of man-made origin (anything from experimental aircraft to satellites to paper lanterns) or an unusual natural phenomenon, such as earth lights or ball lightning.

Anyway, I thought it might be fun to see what’s being seen in the skies above us, so I checked out the MUFON case files for Connecticut. I recommend checking out the full range of reports in the state as there are some really weird things being seen.

Here’s a sampling of the most recent MUFON reports from 2011 — you can read more about each case when you click the links. For some cases, there are even photos and videos.

• July 23, 2011, no location given – Amazing bright orange light in the sky. Hovered before flying off.
  From the full description of event: “Out for a walk through suburban neighborhood with five friends. Someone pointed to the sky at an orange glowing circle. It was brighter than any stars. There were air planes in the sky too for reference …“
• June 30, 2011, Farmington – Cylindrical Fuselage with strip and two small fins seen over Farmington during Winding Trails celebration.
  From the full description of event: “… I then noticed to my upper right (North / North West), a shinny silver cylindrical fuselage “bullet shaped craft”. As the sky was a perfectly clear, this thing was traveling from the north side of my house towards the west approaching the cloud. At first I asked myself, “Is this a plane? I felt it was something different …”
• May 28, 2011, New Milford – Lavender horizontal line of lights in sky.
  From the full description of event: “I was driving home from work, and was stopped at a stop sign. The area is very rural on top of a mountain. I noticed out of the left field of my vision a set of 3-4 lavender colored lights set in a horizontal row move towards the middle of my field of vision …”
• April 25, 2011, no location given – Saw object at approx. 15-20K ft. metallic and flashing like reflected light of sunset.
  From the full description of event – “Object flew from SE to NNW about the speed of a fast airplane. I first thought I was seeing a bird flapping its wings, but the speed and trajectory clearly were too straight and the light that at first seemed like the underside of a bird’s wing clearly became more of a metallic glint …”
  
• March 30, 2011, Southington – 6 Bright white lights surrounded by one large red light
  From the full description of event: “… thought it was a planet at first but the object quickly appeared to be very large because it came towards us at amazing speed as we continued down the road and he began to slow the car down. The object did not make a sound, and was defiantly not a plane or a helicopter or anything else that could of been explained away …”
• February 22, 2011, Weston/Redding – Strange light display and manuvers – several hundred feet above tree tops.
  From the full description of event – “… After observing this thru the binoculars for several minutes the red and white lights separated into two distinct larger objects. One red and one white. These two objects flew around each other doing what seemed to be impossible maneuvering at an extremely high rate of speed over a very small area …”

Obviously, we can’t vouch for the veracity of any of these reports, but MUFON‘s site really is fun to check out, even if you don’t believe there are odd things in our atmosphere. Keep your eyes to the skies, and don’t forget to let us know if you see anything unusual!

According to the Pleasantville-Briarcliff Manor Patch, the exhumation of the Old Leather Man‘s grave at Sparta Cemetery in Ossining has come to a conclusion.

“We found the grave and we have the organic remains,” said Norman MacDonald, president of the Ossining Historical Society, the organization that oversaw the process. “The bones were not found. They have disintegrated and became part of the soil upgrade. And we found the coffin nails.”

In short, no remains means no DNA testing, which means that the Old Leather Man’s identity will continue to remain a mystery.

That cheering you hear is undoubtedly from our friend Don Johnson of LeaveTheLeathermanAlone.com. And he says as much on his site:

Whether it was the micro-organisms, acidic soil, an innacurate map, or something else beyond our comprehension, there is no doubt another chapter has been added to this man’s incredible tale.  We now know that what remained of his physical form is truly one with the earth, while his legacy and legend continues to live on.

So although this chapter of the Old Leather Man’s saga appears to be closed, as Johnson so aptly suggests, there’s no doubt his story will continue. Earnest researchers as our other friend, Dan DeLuca, will now continue through archives, libraries and old attics—rather than the ground—seeking more pieces to this story.

The next thing is that what remains were exhumed were re-interred in the cemetery at a “safer” location, away from the bustling traffic of Route 9.

Maybe now, after all his wanderings, The Old Leather Man will truly be left to rest in peace.

Here’s a nice wrap-up of the story from NPR.

The Damned Story: The Atlantic Paranormal Society — better known as TAPS, best known as SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters” — came to Derby in the winter of 2011 to investigate alleged hauntings at the Sterling Opera House. The episode premiered on April 20, 2011, with repeat broadcasts since then.

The episode opens like many “Ghost Hunters” shows, with Jason, Grant and the crew getting the lowdown on the opera house, its storied history and the current reports of ghostly and paranormal activity (more details here). As they head into Derby (via the Shelton-Derby bridge — fun to recognize local landmarks in the background!), they discuss the various apparitions claimed to have been seen here, including a woman in white, shadows in the balcony and a gentleman in a brown suit, believed to be Charles Sterling, who died before the completion of his eponymous opera house.

The famous TAPS black vans pull up in front of the opera house and the team meets with Rich DiCarlo, Derby’s cultural commissioner who has done a nice job of bringing attention to the city’s revitalization efforts. DiCarlo provides a tour, sharing some of the experiences he and others have had at various places in the opera house. He talks about the specter of a little boy and a moving ball being seen in the balcony, and a the full-body apparition of a woman in a teal dress being witnessed in a dressing room. He also mentions how the voices of children have been heard in various locations throughout the opera house, and how feelings of general creepiness commonly permeate visitors.

While in the sub-basement, DiCarlo tells of an “attack” he personally experienced, where he discovered three slashes on his leg while down there; it was summer and he was wearing shorts, but he says he doesn’t remember encountering anything unusual. He also recounts how others have told of being touched there as well as having heard a child’s voice say, “Help me.”

Following the tour, the team gathers outside and starts setting up, noting that there is a lot of dust in the building and no power. They place cameras in various hot spots throughout the opera house, as well as microphones. They then turn off the external lights and the investigation begins.

Grant and Jason start in the dressing room, admiring a wall with the signatures of all the legendary entertainers who have tread the boards of the Sterling’s storied stage. They are looking for EVPs but quickly discover that the building has very high EMF readings, even though there is no power! It’s an unusual finding and would explain a lot of the creepy feelings, sightings and other experiences.

They go up to the balcony and while there, they both claim to hear voices and whispers, possibly female, but are not exactly sure from where they are emanating — from outside possibly? They think they can make out a few words, but nothing definitive.

Meanwhile, Steve and Tango are exploring the sub-basement and they realize that there’s a significant amount of debris and other decaying building material, which might explain the scratches DiCarlo received while down there. They set up a laser grid, but rather than detecting any entities, they hear a few crackling-like noises. (Rats or other vermin?) With the general condition of the rotting debris, it could just be things settling.

Upstairs in the main theater, Amy and Adam are checking for EVPs. They go up to the second floor and set a kids’s ball on the floor and encourage any entities present to move it if they can. It remains still.

Grant and Jason have moved on to the former city hall meeting room, and although there are no significant EMF readings here, they do see how the design of the room, with its high “hospital-like” observation windows, might make people feel like they are being watched. They don’t have any particular experiences here.

Steve and Tango are now on the main stage, and in an effort to appeal to the ghosts of shows past and spirits of former entertainers who have performed here — including Harry Houdini — Tango puts on a little magic show, doing some nifty sleight-of-hand tricks involving a poker chip. Coincidentally (?) they hear some noise in the seats in front of the stage.

The crew wraps up the investigation and heads back to the TAPS headquarters in Rhode Island to go through the recordings and other evidence gathered. Adam thinks he hears an EVP, but other than that, it’s a quiet analysis portion of the show.

Jason and Grant return to Derby for “The Reveal” with Rich DiCarlo. They show him the bang in the theater that Dave and Tango heard after Tango’s magic tricks as well as multiple EVPs: one that sounds like a kid’s voice that Jason and Grant record in the balcony (while the K2 is lit up); a “moan” that Grant and Jason captured in the dressing room; and another “groan” that Amy and Adam record during an EVP session.

The conclusion: They acknowledge that there were a lot of unusual sounds and think that there definitely might be some sort of paranormal activity occurring. The TAPS team wants to return for a follow-up investigation after the renovations are done. Rich DiCarlo seems pleased with the results.

Back in the van, Grant and Jason discuss the case, say that DiCarlo seems “well-balanced” (a compliment, I think) and reiterate their desire for a follow-up investigation. Then, with a fist bump, it’s “on to the next.”

Our Damned Experience: We enjoyed it like most episodes of “Ghost Hunters,” although the show seemed like it was a bit rushed (more commercials?). The analysis portion also seems very short, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Also, maybe we haven’t watched the show as much lately, but it seems like there was less of an emphasis on debunking than in the past.

Still, it was fun to watch the crew investigating a local landmark, and we’ll be looking forward to seeing if they do indeed return for a follow-up once renovations are complete.

On a side note: We were sad that during the episode we didn’t see Ray’s sister Joni, a “Ghost Hunters” groupie who went down to the opera house taping in hopes of a “spiritual encounter” with Jason — no luck, although she did meet the team’s dogs, which she says they said may be used in future investigations.

If You Go: The Sterling Opera House continues to undergo renovations, but still is not open to the public. It is located at 116 Elizabeth Street in Derby.

Save Our Sterling is dedicated to preserving the opera house’s history and legacy, and spearheads the renovation efforts.

When I’m outside shoveling the seemingly never-ending snow, I often think about how nice it is knowing that when I’m done, I’ll be able to retreat to a warm and cozy home, sip a little hot cocoa and take refuge from the winter.

Invariably, my mind drifts to what it would be like if I had to stay outside and endure the elements … eventually, I think about the Old Leather Man, how he would be trudging endlessly through the snow along unplowed roads and byways, making his way slowly across frozen country lanes and fields. No protection from the biting cold aside from his leather garb as he walked, and after completing the day’s miles, only a dank shelter and small fire to enjoy. A few puffs on his pipe, and then to sleep, with a stone for a pillow. Brrrr….

What’s even more interesting is that, as I’ve repeatedly stated, for an anonymous wanderer who has been dead for over 130 years, it’s amazing that the Old Leather Man still commands the headlines. As you can see from the link, the New York Supreme Court has given the Ossining Historical Society permission to exhume the body of the Old Leather Man, a decision that has been met with a lot of debate, even right on this website.

On one side, we have interviewed Dan W. DeLuca, the author of The Old Leather Man, who has spent decades researching the legend, bringing to light an amazing wealth of information. He agrees that the Leather Man’s remains should be moved.

On the other side, we have also interviewed Don Johnson, high school teacher and founder of leavetheleathermanalone.com, who is staunchly opposed to exhuming the remains. As Don says, he’d like to see efforts concentrating on mapping the Leather Man’s footprints, not his DNA.

We’ve been to the grave of Old Leathery at Sparta Cemetery in Scarborough, and can attest to the fact that the grave is very close to Route 9, and have to agree that the safety argument is a legitimate one. Cars whiz past at speeds better than 55 mph less than a few feet away from the head stone, so visitors have to be cognizant or face possibly dire consequences. Moving the Leather Man’s remains to a safer place in the cemetery makes a lot of sense in that regard.

By the same token, I find myself agreeing with the idea that the Old Leather Man was quite intent on keeping mum his identity and the reasons why he did what he did. If I were in a similar position, I’d expect future generations to respect my privacy. Mapping the Leather Man’s DNA wouldn’t reveal his name or the reason why he wandered as he did. Plus, no crime has been committed here, nor are we looking for a paternity test of any kind — this isn’t “Maury,” right? — so there’s no need for a DNA analysis.

So I guess that puts me in the middle — move the body for safety, but don’t “disturb” the remains for DNA purposes. How’s that for sitting on the fence?

Well, we here at Damned Connecticut wi’ll be staying on the fence as the situation continues to unfold, and we will keep you up-to-date.

Of course, there’s a good chance that once the historical society starts digging, they won’t find anything, which would be fitting. One good mystery deserves another, right?

In the meantime, here is a three-part documentary about the Old Leather Man — Dan showed this at his recent lecture, and Don also has it on his site.