One Night Under The Bridge…

 

When I sit down and get ready to write a story here at the Bridge this scene from the movie Barton Fink comes to mind.

Charlie:

Take a look around…
You’re just a tourist with a typewriter,
Barton.  I live here.  Don’t you understand
that . . .

That scene pops into my head when I start to write a story because as a writer who sits by a campfire under a Bridge between the worlds and tells stories to strangers who happen to be passing by I can identify with Barton (the visitor) being raged at by Charlie, the man inhabiting a world that other people can only catch a glimpse of.

A world that they haven’t been invited into.

I started to go back to that scene in ‘Barton Fink’  several times a day ( what can I say, I write a lot) and I began to wonder –What was it REALLY like down there?

So I asked Regan Vacknitz to stop by and tell me what it’s like to reside, to be an invited guest to end of The Bridge.  I asked Regan because she’s the best guide in town-

Regan, you see, is a real life Paranormal Investigator.

 So let’s make some room for her round the campfire tonight. She has  an interesting story to tell:

My husband, David aka Vinnie, and I started this group roughly two
years ago. However, we have been doing investigations for about four years. Our very first investigation was Thornewood Castle. Thornewood is m known for being the creepy mansion in Stephen King’s “Rose Red.”

Since then A.P.A.R.T  has really taken off.

We have investigated known places like Bair Restaurant in Steilacoom, Old Western State Ruins in Steilacoom, as well as a plethora of private residences and historical societies.

 It was through the investigations at the Historical Societies that
really got us thinking about our direction.

A lot of paranormal groups just want to investigate the larger known locations. We do, don’t get us wrong, but we also like the smaller unknowns as well.

 We love working with the historical societies, because they keep us going. Our support of them keeps them going. We really assist each other.On the private residency side, we discovered that we are the only team, so far, that actually has a follow up “Post investigation family welfare check” form that we use.

We have found through experiences with other teams, that those teams usually do the investigations and turn over the findings in a report form.If you have a family that is calling you for help, usually you’re their resort to ending  their fear and chaos.

It seems a bit one sided if you go in, investigate, turn over findings and never contact them again. Who benefits? Only the paranormal teams do.

We have essentially taken on the role of Sociologist and community service providers. Our team prides itself on the follow up we do. We have shared our form with other teams, who have said, “Wow this is really a great idea!”

On the community service side, we have recently adopted a stretch of
highway for litter control. The stretch is about 1.75 miles, and along
side a cemetery. Can’t beat that!! You can find us on Highway 99, next
to Gethsemane Catholic Cemetery near Fife, WA.

We are also in the process of trying to adopt an older cemetery for documentation and photography, as well as beautification.

We are very into the community that provides us with an avenue to
pursue our macabre, bizarre, and unique hobbies. 

 I’d like to thank Regan for sharing her story. I hope you’ll drop by A.P.A.R.T and check out their site- here. Following ( in part ) is their mission statement as well as their contact information.

amm

We are A.P.A.R.T. of Washington

A.P.A.R.T. stands for Auburn Paranormal Activities Research Team.

We are a non charging, professional, light hearted but serious, fun loving team. We try to prove things scientifically, before ever declaring anything possibly haunted. We are honest if we do not get any viable evidence. We do not, NOR WILL WE EVER, CHARGE for our evidence, investigations, etc. We do, however, accept donations.

Look for us on the web at HERE
or email us at  info@apartofwa.com