Brighton Library Offers Spooky Teen Programs for Summer Reading Theme

With around 245 participants, the Brighton District Library's Teen 'Own the Night' is doing well, according to Anne Cnockaert, the library's Teen Services Librarian.

Keeping with this year's theme, Cnockaert invited the Portal Paranormal Society to speak with teens about paranormal investigations on Wednesday night.

"I wanted to offer spooky programs for my patrons to fit with the Own the Night theme," Cnockaert said. "I talked with my Teen Advisory Board about programs they'd like me to offer that complimented this theme. They initially suggested going on a cemetery tour/ghost hunt, which I was a little leery of doing, so this seemed like a reasonable compromise."

Brighton resident Ken Suminski, the founder of the Portal Paranormal Society, used to work with one of Cnockaert's co-workers.

"I was particularly excited because I had no idea such an organization existed in Brighton," Cnockaert said. "The group had even just completed an investigation at the Howell Opera House, which I could imagine a lot of patrons here finding interesting. I'm really excited to see what the group has to say, but I hope it doesn't freak me out too badly!"

Suminski explained to adults, teens and kids who attended the program all about paranormal investigations and the tools he used from night vision cameras to digital voice recorders to whiffle balls. The tools are used to collect evidents of movement on camera or electromagnetic voice phenomenon on tape.

Suminski said that he has investigated many different places - included residential homes.

"Most people just want the validation that they're not crazy," he said.

Most notably, were the Howell Opera House and very recently, Prospect Place in Trinway, Ohio, which was a stop on the underground railroad.

Suminksi then went on to share some of his best age appropriate videos and voice recordings with his audience.

Suminski said he would love to get his team in places like the Brighton Bar & Grill because of the rumors of a young woman's death inside the building at the turn of the century, but it is hard when dealing with businesses when they are open until 2 a.m.

"I think people get worried because they see these ghost hunting shows and all of the equipment they bring in, but we travel very light," he said.

Typically the Portal Paranormal Society investigates one case a month, according to Suminski. For more information on the group and their investigations, visit them at www.portalparanormalsociety.com.

The library's summer spooky teen programming will continue next week with Nightmares Up Close on July 23 at 7 p.m. which will teach teens about eight spooky events from the real world including Jack the Ripper murders and the sinking of Titanic. Murder at the Deadwood Saloon will be held on July 27 at 6 p.m. and will allow teens and adults to play characters and solve a murder mystery at a poker tournament.

For more information on library events, visit www.brightonlibary.info.