A ghost walk will wind through city streets following the presentation.

Sudden temperature changes, nervous house pets, lights flickering and water turning on and off all could be signs that a house is haunted.

Ghost stories pervade this time of year as preparations for Halloween go into full swing.

The Northwest Neighborhood Association and Main-Street Delaware have put together a program called "Haunted Delaware: A Ghost Walk" for all of those who want to know about hauntings in the city.

The eerie evening will begin at 7:15 p.m., Oct. 25 at the Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St. where visitors will hear about the theatre's own haunted history from the Vaudeville Ghost that lurks in the upper section of the theatre to a mysterious orb of light that floats around.

Marion resident Joe Howard will make the trip south to tell of his own amateur experiences in paranormal investigation.

Howard, a registered nurse by occupation, has studied the history and folklore of Central Ohio for 30 years and for the past 10 years, began looking at paranormal sites in the area.

Having traveled the country in pursuit of ghosts, Howard said experiencing the paranormal is just like fishing - sometimes you catch something, sometimes you don't.

"We use more scientific tools and don't get much into the occult of things," Howard said.

Those tools include electromagnetic field readers, thermal imaging devices and digital cameras.

Once while in Gettysburg, Howard and group witnessed a vapor descend down a hill. When the digital picture of the vapor was developed, Howard said it looked just like a soldier on a horse.

The vapor appeared at the spot where a Union commander on horse was killed in battle.

Howard will show the picture as well as others from his travels during the presentation.

Afterward, guides will take participants on a 35-minute walking tour through the streets of Delaware's nearby northwest neighborhood, sharing local history and mysteries.

Hillary Kline, of the Northwest Neighborhood, said some homes in the area are rumored to be haunted.

In one home, the ghost of an older woman who used to live there plagues the new residents by turning the thermostat up to 90 degrees when they leave the home.

Neighbors said the woman always liked to have the house warm, Kline said.

Another ghost apparently enjoys Charlotte Church CDs and turns them on at random.

One Delaware family has experienced missing scissors on a regular basis. When a family member yelled out into the house "Please, give us back our scissors," she found an antique pair she had never seen before the next day, Kline said.

"It's so cool because there is so much history here," Kline said.

Once the walking tour is complete, participants can head back to the Strand for a movie beginning at 9:15 p.m.

A limited number of tickets are available for the event and can be purchased at the Strand for $10 in advance or $12 at the door.

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