“I don’t sense anything malevolent in this house,” says Regina Bahny, co-director of the Western Pennsylvania Paranormal Society, as she takes her first step to the Century Inn out in Scenery Hill.  “the place is rather inviting.  There is a lot of positive energy here.”  One wouldn’t expect paranormal investigators to lead normal lives, but Regina does just that.  She may spend her free time investigating supernatural phenomena, but she also routines a job, as well as having a husband and a daughter, Amanda, 15, who participates in the investigations as well. 
      Regina admits to being new at paranormal investigations, but has always had a psychical sense, although she claims it has been undeveloped her entire life.  “I wish when I was young, I could have been part of a group...to teach me how to use this sense that I have.  I’m just now beginning to develop and trust it,” Regina is sure that she isn’t the only one who has untapped abilities, considering we live in a world of science and technology.  However, the WPA isn’t psychic dependent.  Using modern technology such as digital thermometers, motion detectors, cameras, audio recorders, video cameras and EMF detectors, the WPA is quite prepared for any spooks it might come across.
      “We try to stay well-rounded, to be true to ourselves,” explains Regina.  “We don’t want to walk in to a house that people claim is haunted and find every little creak and moan to be a spirit.  We try to stay neutral at all times.”  And that’s exactly what the WPA looks for in its members.  The WPA doesn’t base judgment on religion or beliefs, in fact it welcomes a diverse group.  Even rational skeptics are welcome; as Regina claims, they would or a diverse group keeps them honest.

THE CASE

       “According to testimonies, people have seen specters of some sort,” Regina tells us over dinner before the hunt.  Century Inn was built in the 1790’s, and remains in good shape despite heavy vandalism by local teenagers who claim to be in the occult.  Megan Herrington, who lives on the third story, owns the Inn.
      Upon arriving, we looked around to find a beautiful, colonial setting.  A chandelier hung in the entrance room.  We found Ms. Herrington in the Inn’s classy bar (on the right).  She was dressed in robes and wore her jet black hair behind her shoulders.  She had a warm smile to go along with her personality.  After looking around, it was hard to believe such a place could be haunted.
       Ms. Herrington was remarkably friendly and had a great sense of humor.  When I asked her if she knew where the bathroom was she exclaimed, “Well, of course I know where the bathroom is.  Oh!  I feel my third eye kicking in!”
      We began to set up base on two tables at the corner of the bar, getting odd looks from local customers who whispered between themselves, “Ghostbusters!”  We interviewed Ms. Herrington for a good half an hour, as well as her bartender on duty, Michael, who had a few experiences of his own to share.
      “A lot of times when I’m bartending I keep seeing from the side of my eye, people walking in from the doorway in to print of all the people who have walked in here over the years.”  According to Ms. Herrington, a young honeymoon couple stormed out in the middle of the night because they saw an older lady appear to them in their bedroom.  Other incidences have occurred as well, such as objects lifting from the ground and falling on someone.  Pictures regularly are found off the walls, and the waitresses in the restaurant section of the Inn refuse to go in to the basement because of the feeling of being watched.
      After a brief tour of the first floor, the basement, and the upstairs where the bedrooms were, we decided to begin.  Amanda, who was in charge of temperature readings, began to go room from room to record any changes or drops of temperature.  Regina walked in room to room, and with the use of her tarot cards and other psychical aids, she began to feel little presence in the house.  I, being the technical wiz, headed down in the basement alone to hook up the sound equipment, which I left alone in there for half an hour, along with a motion detector.  Upstairs, I set up a video camera, which I would take from room to room and leave alone for a while to give any spirits a chance to make them known.
       After getting familiar with the area, Regina found it was time to perform a séance in one of the most haunted rooms, the Keeping room.  “I didn’t believe in ghosts,” says one waitress who was kind enough to share her encounters.  “And when I was in that room some of the workers were telling me about what they’ve seen and I said they were full of s***, and as I said that, the candles on the chandelier began to tip upside down.”
      We placed a Ouija Board on a table an began to concentrate, in the darkly candle-lit room, as instructed.  Soon, the Eye began to move to the fro, but not making much sense.  Regina began to ask questions aloud, in to which we finally started getting replies.