The Scotia independent OCTOBER 25, 2013 WWW.TOWNOFSCOTIA.COM VOLUME I, ISSUE XVI A VERY SCOTIA GHOST STORY by Lisa Baney around, knock this thing out gas. Frank I should say at the get- in an afternoon. I try again and search Talk go here that I don’t believe Just don’t expect me to “Scotia Inn ghost”—and get in ghosts. It’s not that I actually believe this stuff. 317,000 hits. After weeding with Frank! don’t think there are unex- * out the 275,000 hits for ho- plained things in the So I start with Google tels in Nova Scotia, I’m left world—I do. But the notion and search “Frank the with a handful of different Happy Halloween every- that the dearly departed ghost.” Disappointingly, websites with the exact one! There is a chill in the don’t have anything better nothing comes up about the same paragraph’s worth of air, the days are shorter to do than to hang out and Scotia Inn Frank, but I’m information, complete with and the shadows are length- harass, scare half to death fascinated to learn that awkward syntax and mis- ening. We are days away or otherwise annoy those of Frank Sinatra is haunting spellings: from All Hallows Eve, the us still fortunate enough to the Riviera Hotel in Las Ve- Continued to “Ghosts,” page 2 yearly celebration derived have actual bod- from Celtic harvest festivals ies just doesn’t and dedicated to remember- work for me. I ing the dead, including mean, what’s in saints, sinners, martyrs, it for them? monsters and all the faithful So when the edi- tor of this news- departed. letter emailed Typical Halloween fes- me a few weeks tivities include trick-or- ago and asked, treating, attending costume “How about a parties, decorating, carving seasonal piece pumpkins into jack-o’- on Frank, the lanterns, apple bobbing, vis- ghost at the Sco- iting haunted attractions, tia Inn?” I telling scary stories or thought, OK, watching horror films. Be sure, this would sure to check out this edi- be an easy one. tion’s story about our own I’d go online for haunted attraction from our some spooky guest author and contribu- facts, drop into tor Lisa Baney. the Inn and grab My Halloween often some quotes off seems to involve a bonfire, some laminated campfire or maybe just an information open fire in the fireplace. sheets they proba- A view of the mysterious 3rd floor at the Scotia Inn bly have lying Continued to “Frank,” page 2 LOOK WHAT THEY Principal Collver B ROUGHT FOR Gets a New Hair-do SHOW AND TELL Pro baseball pitching coach Randy Niemann recently visited Scotia Ele- Scotia Superintendent/Principal Ronan Collver has been sporting a new mentary to talk about his long career in Major League Baseball as both a look courtesy of Amy Gossien's 7th grade class at Stanwood School. This player and a coach. Randy was born in Scotia and grew up in Fortuna. He hardworking group of students won a school-wide reading contest that currently works for the St. Louis Cardinals. earned them the honor of cutting Mr. Collver's hair into a style of their choice. Six million words later, they gave him a mohawk. Randy is pictured with his great-nephews, Scotia Elementary students Christopher Rexford, R.J. Rexford, and Dustin Rexford. Looking good, Mr. Collver! -1- Continued from “ghost,” page 1 talk to a reporter about ceiver and a few minutes Continued from “Frank,” page 1 having seen ghosts. later a young man is in front “[In a] small town in Cal- Could I have been any of me. For some reason I always ifornia named Scotia, there more wrong? “I’ve seen a lot of relate Halloween to fire. are a lot of hauntings. Particu- * stuff,” he says. He tells me A fitting substitute for a larly in the Scotia Inn. There I decide I might as well about a chair that tipped bonfire is a jack-o’-lantern, are many sightings of many start at the Scotia Inn. over in the dining room or two or three. Did you ghosts, but ask the front desk Bright afternoon sunlight when no one was around it know that jack-o’-lanterns person for the most famous of streams through the win- at the time; a water glass were originally carved them all, and you will get the dows and into the elegant that on its own hopped out from turnips? In ancient answer . ‘Frank.’ Frank is lobby as I approach the of a secured dishwashing Ireland, where the practice on the top story in one room. front desk and ask the crate; disembodied foot- originated, they didn’t There are many sounds, feet young woman there, “Do steps running in a darkened have pumpkins, which are scraps [sic], voices, ect. [sic] you have any information hallway of locked doors; the native to North America. Frank is a friendly ghost, and printed somewhere about top of a martini shaker in Try carving a turnip some- some times [sic] will bounce a Frank the ghost? You know, the bar that popped off time. Trust me, the native basket ball [sic] to you, if you like a laminated sheet or without any human inter- pumpkin is a vast improve- bounce it to him. Another sto- something?” vention. Good ghostly stuff. ment upon the ancient tra- ry is of a woman, and her chil- She looks at me blankly This guy’s a goldmine. dition. a moment before saying, I check to make sure dren. A little child was playing In addition to jack-o’- “No,” in a doubtful tone. the recorder’s getting all with her ball one bright day lanterns, modern imagery I purse my lips. “OK,” I this. “This is great,” I say. when her ball fell off the bal- of Halloween includes say. “Do you know anything “What’s your name?” He cony, as did the child. It is characters from works of about Frank?” tells me. “And it’s OK for said the mother and girl haunt gothic and horror litera- “Frank?” she echoes. us to print your name, the room the little girl fell off ture, such as the novels “Forget that,” I say. right?” of. [sic] There is yet another Frankenstein and Dracula. “Have you ever seen or A beat. “Uh, maybe story of a baby crying. There As a boy I loved monsters heard anything, you know, not,” he says. We discuss are many other ghosts in the -- monster novels, monster weird or mysterious or this for a bit, the front desk Inn . just as [sic] the peo- movies, monster models ghostly around here?” woman listening intently, ple that work there.” (From and all things scary, and so Her face clears. “Oh, and then settle for using his theshadowlands.net. See also Halloween has always been the ghost. Is his name first initial—M. legendsofamerica.com, green- one of my favorite holi- Frank?” I nod hopefully. M’s stories are good webmonkey.com, hauntedplac- days. Bela Lugosi in the “Yah, people ask me about stuff, but I need more. “Is esfusa.blogspot, among oth- original 1931 black and him all the time. I tell them there anyone else here I can ers.) white film Dracula can still all kinds of stuff.” talk to?” I ask the front I keep searching, but I I perk up and fumble for desk woman, who informs curdle my blood. do so with the growing re- my little recorder. “Really? me that I can use her first One of the earliest alization that there’s noth- Like what?” initial as well, which is S. works of literature on the ing else online to help me “Oh, you know, I just S tells me that the night subject of Halloween is with this story. Which make stuff up,” she says, bartender might know from the Scottish poet, means that somehow I’m waving a breezy hand. “They something, and will be in John Mayne, who in 1780 going to have to find people like it.” momentarily; and right then, made note of the pranks of in town who have stories to I switch off the record- as if conjured up by witch- Halloween; “what fearful tell about a ghost—or er. “Well, is there anyone es, the bartender comes pranks ensue!” Growing ghosts—at the Scotia Inn around here who’s actually walking through the front up in Detroit, pranks the and then convince them to seen stuff?” door. I introduce myself and night before and during let me interview them. I She thinks a moment bring her up to speed. She Halloween were indeed can’t help feeling skeptical, and then makes a call back thinks for a moment and frightful. Many people got though, that anyone in their to the kitchen. She explains then asks S, “Did you tell carried away, and for a pe- right mind would want to what’s going on into the re- Continued to “Ghosts,” page 3 Continued from “Frank,” page 5 Who needs a watchdog? The Grim Reaper is keeping his evil eye on this Scotia home. -2- Continued from “ghost,” page 2 speakers came the sound of “You wanna see the in his sleep of old age he her about that guy the oth- a single voice talking, the haunted jukebox?” she says. didn’t want to leave. Either er day who came into the volume too low to discern “It’s playing now.