THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016
COMMUNITY
1B
CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?
MIND YOUR MANNERS
GLAMOUR GHOUL
I
T
he Ear came across a 2009 blog post, with lots of photos, by
Joanne Kennedy, after a trip to Astoria. She ponders the ques-
tion: “Are there ghosts in the Flavel house?” (http://tinyurl.com/
haunt-flavel). The mansion is pictured in an old photo.
Capt. George Flavel’s daughter, Katie, who never married,
slept in his bedroom after he died, and then died there herself. Vol-
unteers at the house told Ms. Kennedy that when they close the cur-
tains in that room, and leave, then come back in, the curtains are
open again. No one’s around, but Katie did like those curtains open
during the day.
The music room has its own quirks. A volunteer explained to
Ms. Kennedy that the music box in the room, which had a heavy lid
that had to be lifted to start it, would suddenly start playing when
no one else was in the house. When that volunteer let it slip to other
volunteers, it turned out they’d had the same experience.
In the main bathroom, Ms. Kennedy herself had a run-in. She
was taking a few photos, when she felt someone tap on her shoulder
and say, “Look again.” When she turned around, no one was there.
Yet another volunteer related a story about some of her family
members coming to visit the house, and taking numerous photos.
When they got home, two different cameras had the same shot of
shadow figures in “old fashioned clothes” showing in one of the
windows.
The tower stairs, now closed, are another hot spot for ghosties,
apparently, and one volunteer was warned by a ghostly voice, “not
to go any further.”
Ms. Kennedy also heard the story of a man who came running
out of the house and wouldn’t go back in. It seems he saw Capt.
Flavel in his bedroom, and when he called for his wife, who was
nearby, the captain disappeared “as if sinking into the floor.”
Volunteer tales aside, glowing orbs showed up on some of Ms.
Kennedy’s photos, which are not easily explained. The orbs appear
randomly, and were not caused by a camera flash, as she wasn’t
using one.
So is the place haunted? While you think about it, hum the “Twi-
light Zone” theme song …
H
alloween must not pass without mention of Astoria’s
very own home-grown glamour ghoul with a 17-inch
waist, Vampira (pictured), aka Astoria High School grad
Maila Nurmi.
In 1954, in Los Angeles, Vampira was the first late night
horror movie mistress on Saturday nights with “The Vam-
pira Show,” introducing painfully bad movies while wear-
ing talon-length fingernails, long black hair, a skin-tight
black dress and ghoulish makeup.
She would start the show by walking straight up to the
camera and belting out a glass-shattering scream. Then,
smiling coyly, she would say, “Screaming relaxes me so.”
Hear it here: http://tinyurl.com/vampscream
While she achieved fame with her TV show, she found
infamy starring with Bela Lugosi (the Hungarian actor
famous for his portrayal of Dracula in 1931) in what many
consider to be the worst film ever made, 1959’s “Plan 9
from Outer Space.”
Ironically, the stinker would have been a perfect fit for
her TV show. Don’t believe the movie could possibly be that
bad? Doubters can make themselves wretched by watching
it at http://tinyurl.com/bad-worst-ever.
t is widely believed that Astoria is loaded with spirits. If so, the
chances of bumping into a ghost would seem to be pretty high.
So, what is the proper etiquette on such an occasion? An arti-
cle was printed in 1921 to address this thorny issue of good form
(http://tinyurl.com/manners-please), and below are some of the
hints offered for your edification.
“Always speak to a ghost when it calls,” the writer admonishes.
“Never permit it to stand willy-nilly on the doorsill for any length
of time. This little courtesy is only its due. The oldest traditions of
the spirit world demand it.
“Make your salutation perfectly natural. Otherwise your visitor
may feel gauche and ill at ease. Act as if you had an appointment
and the ghost had kept it to the minute. Say carelessly and sort of
offhand: ‘Hello, old man! What can I do for you?’ Or, if the spec-
tre is a lady: ‘So sweet of you, dear, to come.’ This will start things
off pleasantly and open the way for confidences. You will soon find
out what the call is all about, anyway.
“… If you begin correctly, the ghost will follow your lead, usu-
ally, and make its wishes known. Particularly this is true when it
is of the tearful or helpful variety. If the message is of importance,
you must conduct yourself accordingly and listen with an absorbed
expression.
“… Never turn your back on a ghost while it is in the room. If
it calls at midnight, after you have retired, never under any circum-
stances push an electric switch. Your experience will be valueless
if you do.”
Hereward Carrington, noted British-born American inves-
tigator of psychic phenomena and author, offered this advice:
“Some of them (ghosts) prove helpful; others seem to wish to right
a wrong; some even seem to have a sense of humour! So there are
all sorts of ghosts, just as there are all sorts of people, and the vari-
ety is as great in one case as another.”
Whatever you do, and whomever you meet, just remember this:
Maintaining decorum is of the essence.
‘THE TELLTALE HEART’
CAN YOU DIG IT?
LET ME GO!
T
he stuff of nightmares for
most folks: Being embraced
by a 14-pound giant spiny lob-
ster. But Capt. Tristan “Lobs-
terman” Loescher, the Sanctu-
ary Marine Bermuda’s (www.
sanctuary.bm) very own lob-
ster tamer, doesn’t seem to mind
a bit. He is pictured in a photo
from the sanctuary’s Facebook
page, where there’s a also video
of catching the critter.
Not to worry, lobster lovers,
the large male crustacean was
hooked in the leg by accident, and was released almost immedi-
ately — after the hook was removed, and he was weighed and pho-
tographed — to go about his business. No butter was drawn.
OPTICAL ILLUSION?
W
hile we’re on the subject of Vampira’s co-star Bela
Lugosi (pictured), the Ear found a little treat for you
just in time for Halloween: The actor, with his thick accent,
reading “The Telltale Heart” — a chilling tale murder and
madness by Edgar Allan Poe. You can hear the 1946 record-
ing at OpenCulture.com (http://tinyurl.com/telltale-bela).
Here’s a bit of the accompanying text: “The Hungarian
actor, who struggled to find work late in his career, and wres-
tled with a morphine addiction, likely ‘recorded it for his
agent,’ writes Ronald L. Smith, ‘who would have been dep-
utized to make copies and send them out to anyone inter-
ested in booking Bela’s solo stage act (which included an
enactment of the Poe tale).’”
Like Vampira, Lugosi was forever typecast after he was
Dracula. “I am definitely typed,” he fretted, “doomed to be
an exponent of evil.”
T
he photo shown of the trench on the beach in Manzanita, if
it is what it appears to be, is downright creepy. It was taken by
Linda Cobb, who said, “This picture was taken just after the tor-
nado that hit Manzanita … It was not there beforehand, and (there
was) no running water in this location. This canyon runs from the
street down to the ocean. It was approximately 8-10 feet wide and
6 feet deep.”
So did the water spout create furrow in the sand when it came
ashore and became a tornado, as it was heading for the town? No
one knows for sure, but tornadoes have been known to move in a
snake-like fashion, such as this trench does. Additionally, a giant
log nearby, that had never moved for years and years, has simply
vanished (sucked up into the vortex?), and other large logs in the
area have been moved. What do you think?
GRIM GOONIES
PULL UP AND TUNE IN
W
as it a ghost ship? After shooting a music video on the shore
of Michigan’s Lake Superior, videographer Jason Asselin
decided to photograph the sunset, when he saw what appeared to
be the sails of a huge “ghost ship” floating out on the water. Later,
he told CNN that it remained visible for half an hour before dis-
appearing (http://tinyurl.com/mich-ghost). A still shot, courtesy of
Jason Asselin, is shown.
Ghost ships aren’t exactly a novel concept in that neck of the
woods, as the Great Lakes are reputed to have at least 6,000 ship-
wrecks, and more than 200 within 80 miles of where the video was
shot, according to the executive director of the Great Lakes Ship-
wreck Museum.
So what was it that Jason saw? A rather pragmatic local psy-
chologist (a bit of a killjoy) thinks the image is actually the Granite
Island Lighthouse, eight miles out.
But maybe not. “Whatever you believe in your mind, that’s what
it was,” Asselin told CNN. “That’s what life is about — dreaming.”
I
f you haven’t checked this out yet, and your Hallow-
een spirit is clamoring for some fun, try this: Mike and
Teale Adelmann, who own the DK Warren house, 107
N.E. Skipanon Drive in Warrenton, are putting on an amaz-
ing Halloween light and music show every night from 6
to 10 p.m. through Monday. It’s 5,000-plus lights, synchro-
nized to music — just pull up and tune the car radio to 95.7
FM to get the full effect. Boo!
J
ust for Halloween, Mashable’s Trailer Mix feature, which
spoofs famous movie trailers, has included “The Goonies,”
proclaiming their version of the trailer for the 1985 movie “recut
as a thriller, will keep you up at night.” Of course, the Ear was
intrigued, and watched. You can, too, at http://tinyurl.com/goon-
mash. A screen shot of “Chunk” is shown.
Loud, ominous music, flashing titles (“How far would you go
to save your family?) and deftly clever editing make the original
movie unrecognizable. It’s a hoot. And scary.
COMMUNITY NOTES
SATURDAY
Sit and Stitch Group — 11 a.m. to 1
p.m., Custom Threads, 1282 Commercial
St. Knitting, crocheting and needle work.
For information, call 503-325-7780.
Columbia Northwestern Model Rail-
roading Club — 1 p.m., in Hammond.
Group runs trains on HO-scale layout. For in-
formation, call Don Carter at 503-325-0757.
9:45 a.m., Astoria Senior Center, 1111 Ex-
change St. For information, call 503-325-
3231.
Scandinavian Workshop — 10 a.m.,
First Lutheran Church, 725 33rd St. Nee-
dlework, hardanger, knitting, crocheting,
embroidery and quilting. All are welcome.
For information, call 503-325-1364 or 503-
325-7960.
noon, Warrenton Community Center, 170
S.W. Third St. Suggested donation of $5 for
seniors and $7 for those younger than 60.
For information, or to volunteer, call 503-
861-3502 Monday or Thursday.
Astoria Rotary Club — noon, second
floor of the Astoria Elks Lodge, 453 11th St.
Guests always welcome. For information,
go to www.AstoriaRotary.org
p.m., Astoria Senior Center, 1111 Exchange
St. Not for beginners. For information, call
503-325-3231.
Astoria Toastmasters — 6:30 p.m.,
Hotel Elliot conference room, 357 12th
St. Visitors welcome. For information, go
to www.toastmasters.org or call Christa
Svensson at 206-790-2869.
TUESDAY
Spinning Circle — 1 to 3 p.m., Astoria
Fiber Arts Academy, 1296 Duane St. Bring
a spinning wheel. For information, call 503-
325-5598 or go to http://astoriafiberarts.com
SUNDAY
Line Dancing — 5:30 to 8 p.m., Sea-
side American Legion, 1315 Broadway. For
information, call 503-738-5111. No cost;
suggested $5 tip to the instructor.
Senior Lunch — 11:30 a.m., Bob
Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue A,
Seaside. Suggested donation $3 for those
older than 60; $6.75 for those younger than
60. For information, call Michelle Lewis at
503-861-4200.
Knochlers Pinochle Group — 1 p.m.,
Bob Chisholm Community Center, 1225
Avenue A, Seaside. Cost is $1 per regular
session per person. Players with highest
and second highest scores split the prize.
Game is designed for players 55 and older,
but all ages are welcome.
Columbia Senior Diners — 11:30 a.m.,
1111 Exchange St. Cost is $6. For informa-
tion, or to have a meal delivered, call 503-
325-9693.
Mahjong for Experienced Players — 1
p.m., Astoria Senior Center, 1111 Exchange
St. For information, call 503-325-3231.
Warrenton Senior Lunch Program —
Line Dancing for Seniors — 3 to 4:30
MONDAY
Chair Exercises for Seniors — 9 to
World War II Warbirds — 8 a.m., Labor
Temple Diner, 934 Duane St.
Stewardship Quilting Group — 9:30
a.m. to 1:30 p.m., First Lutheran Church,
725 33rd St. All are welcome. Donations of
material always appreciated. For informa-
tion, call Janet Kemp at 503-325-4268.
Do Nothing Club — 10 a.m. to noon,
24002 U St., Ocean Park, Wash. Men’s
group. For information, call Jack McBride at
360-665-2721.
Senior Lunch — 11:30 a.m., Bob
Chisholm Senior Center, 1225 Avenue
A, Seaside. Suggested donation of $3 for
those older than 60; $6.75 for those young-
er than 60. For information, call Michelle
Lewis at 503-861-4200.
Columbia Senior Diners — 11:30 a.m.,
1111 Exchange St. The cost is $6. For in-
formation, or to have a meal delivered, call
503-325-9693.
Astoria Lions Club — noon, Astoria
Elks Lodge, 453 11th St. Prospective mem-
bers welcome. For information, contact
Charlene Larsen at 503-325-0590.
Astoria Kiwanis Club — noon, El
Tapatio, 229 W. Marine Drive. For informa-
tion, call Frank Spence at 503-325-2365 or
Susan Brooks at 503-791-3026.
See NOTES, Page 2B