Paranormal activity investigated at Chilton’s Central House

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Written by Margaret Richman

Friday, 26 February 2010 14:54

When multiple stories of unexplained activity at the Central House in Chilton made there way to the Fox Cities Paranormal Team, FCPT co-founders Tim Maile and Tony Macareo took notice.

Connie Alger, owner of the Central House and self-described nonbeliever in ghosts, has heard plenty of reports from her own stafff and stories from patrons whom once worked in the building under previous ownership. Her daughter Tracy LyBoualong, a bartender at the restaurant, has experienced her own unexplained happenings and encouraged her mother to permit the investigation.

Since acquiring the property nearly two years ago, Alger has heard odd sounds outside of the normal building creaks and noticed the frequent misplacement of objects.

“Stuff is always randomly moved so I think nothing of it,” pointed out Alger. But the most blatant misplacement did draw her attention.

“I was the last person to leave one evening and the first one to return in the morning. When I entered the dinning room, here was the coffee pot sitting upright in the middle of the floor. I know it was not there when I left the night before,” Alger said. “So much stuff happens that the staff tends to ignore it”, she added.

Since FCPT contacted the Central House and began their investigation the staff has been asked to no longer ignore the oddities and to write down their experiences. Waitress Laurie Wautier was finishing up washing dishes in the basement when she heard footsteps coming toward her. Thinking this peculiar since the staff is required to wear nonskid soft soled shoes, she quickly turned to find nothing in her path. Wautier has also experienced audible whispers with no one present. Alger acknowledges that while in the second floor storage area she felt the presence of another person and specifically a hand around her shoulder, the only time she felt frightened.

Kitchen manager, Vicky Evers has had one experience that powerfully stands out in her mind. While leaving the kitchen she glanced at a photo on the bulletin board and thought to herself that it would not be there much longer. The photo belonged to an employee that resigned and was leaving soon. When Evers returned to the kitchen, the photo was on the floor without a tear and the tack still firmly stuck into the bulletin board. In the bar, LyBoualong watched a glass slide forward and fall onto the floor without explanation. More than once she has heard the heavy industrial metal coat hangers in the coat room clang together when no one is present.

Alger has been repeatedly approached by patrons whom worked in the building years earlier under previous ownership. Their stories ring similar to what she and her staff have experienced. The most unnerving being that of a chef’s four-year-old daughter asking, “Why is that man in the brown coat staring at us,” when no one was present.

Fox Cities Paranormal Team began their investigation in the fall. Maile, Macareo and their staff have completed three studies of the building and a fourth visit is scheduled in March. An investigation entails using multiple pieces of equipment over a several hour period of time and an extensive review the next day of 25 to 30 hours each of audio and visual tapes. Their equipment includes infrared night vision cameras connected to computers, digital recorders (to capture electronic voice phenomena), laser thermometers, EMF meters (electro magnetic field meters), and K2 meters (similar to EMF meters but digital with progressing lights).

According to their website, the equipment is used to help support claims of paranormal activity and the findings are given to their clients to provide them with a peace of mind.

Maile and Macareo note that there is no formal training available for paranormal investigation. They have completed their own extensive research on the topic through reading and speaking to other individuals in the field. They often consult their counterparts about their investigations and findings. Ever-striving to improve their skills Maile stated,” I would never be so arrogant as to say that we still can’t learn something.”

They conduct themselves in a highly-professional manner and their website at wi-fcpt.com is well worth viewing.
When questioned about their thoughts on the recent influx of television shows on the subject of paranormal activity, they laugh but Maile admited, “the shows have made the field more mainstream. People seem to accept what we do and are more interested.”

Macareo pointed out the negative, “unlike the television shows, 80% of the time nothing noteworthy occurs.” More importantly they stress that movies have provided bad public relations with the depiction of demons.

Thus far, they describe their investigations at the Central House as interesting and worthy of their return. FCPT has picked up on some activity each time including a recorded voice from a young girl saying “hi” and a long drawn out “yes” from an older man.

Their complete findings will be presented at a dinner meeting at the Central House on Saturday, April 10 at 5:30 pm. The “Ghost Tour Dinner” will include dinner, ghost talk, a question and answer period, and a FCPT-led small group tour of the Central House with an EVP session. The $30 charge covers dinner, aids in the support their equipment costs and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Cancer Society. They also plan to host a 50/50 raffle for the Eastshore Humane Association in Chilton. Reservations may be made thru their website at wi-fcpt.com or calling 920 470-2395.

At present, Central House owner Connie Alger still holds on to her position as a non believer but readily admits “I’m starting to question.”

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