Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

With the Halloween season fast approaching, many people turn their attention to things that go bump in the night. A Hollywood producer is apparently one of them. The A&E-produced seroes, “My Ghost Story” wants to local residents’ stories.

The show is based on eyewitness accounts of ghost stories and the producer has confirmed they are scouting Silver City for one of the upcoming shows, reported J. Corlew, owner, curator-director of the site. The premise of the popular series is simple; eyewitnesses offer their accounts of ghostly events. Video or film stills are used from either the eyewitness or provided by others who may have found evidence supporting the claims. 

According to the producer, Corlew said, they do not use paranormal groups or professional ghost hunters in interviews. They would consider footage, or other evidence provided by the same to illustrate the eyewitness accounts.

Corlew said he has confirmed that the A&E's Biography Channel is scouting the location the first week of November.  Lead story producer Victoria Gross will be in the Kern Valley and wants to speak with people who believe they have witnessed alleged ghost or poltergeist activity at Silver City.

“We have had dozens of individuals and families over the years, report paranormal events here,” Corlew said. “Unfortunately, we do not have current contact information for many of these witnesses; however, we are in the process of compiling a history of these reported events for a future publication.”

According to Corlew, that project will deal with alleged activity at Silver City but paranormal events including UFO sightings throughout the Valley. If anyone has first person accounts or information regarding these type of alleged occurrences he would like to hear from them.

Coincidentally, Corlew said he met with a contact in Hollywood last weekend regarding the possibility of filming an episode of a paranormal reality series locally. The series is based upon eyewitness accounts of true ghost stories and according to his contact the producer is considering using Silver City in one of the shows. “I am not at liberty to divulge information on the producer or the show at this time as it is all very preliminary,” said Corlew.

“For that project we are seeking first hand accounts of alleged ghost sightings and poltergeist activity here at Silver City,” he said. “My late wife Cindy was present in the Apalatea-Burlando house in the 1990s during our final Safe Halloween event where dozens of people including her, allegedly saw bottles floating in the air, spirits walking through the building and a manikin raise its arm while wildly rocking in the rocking chair,” said Corlew.

According to Corlew many Explorer Scouts who were helping out on the final “Safe Halloween” that year reportedly had haunting experiences. “We would like to hear from them as well as other eye witnesses to the events that took place that same night in the Apalatea-Burlando house,” Corlew said. “I am sure they have not forgotten. I just wish I had seen it myself.”

This is the same building where Bakersfield television reporter Kurt Rivera and a seasoned television news crew reported hearing strange knocks and other sounds during their overnight stay for a Halloween week news special in 2002. In addition the crew caught what Rivera described as “very unusual” phenomena on video which could not be explained. One video sequence they captured shows what looks like an apparition or mist forming and moving out a window in the house. They also experienced battery drains on their freshly charged video equipment. When Corlew spoke with him recently via email Rivera said, “That was one of the most memorable nights I’ve ever had.”

Rivera is a well respected and nationally known journalist and is the anchor at Channel 29’s Eyewitness News and is the recipient of several awards, including a 2006 National & Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Best News Series, a 2005 Regional Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting, seven Emmy nominations including a winner for breaking news coverage in Detroit. He was awarded an Associated Press award for “Best Individual Reporting” in Michigan.

If readers have experienced these type events at Silver City or anywhere in the Kern Valley they are encouraged to call or email Corlew for consideration in these projects. He can be contacted at 760-379-5146 or via email at ghosttown@verizon.net

Silver City is open daily (including Halloween day and weekend) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., for self-guided tours of the site.