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WEDNESDAY APRIL 8, 2015
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arts & features
HOROSCOPES
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today is an 8
Aries (March 21-April 19)
Today is an 8
Pay attention to dream symbolism. Your routine gets increasingly effortless now that Jupiter's direct (in Leo). Practicing something you enjoy doing gets easier and more fun.
Taurus (April 20-May 20) Today is an 7
Today is an 7
Don't overspend ... not even for a good cause. Let your partner do the pushing. Loved ones are more supportive now that Jupiter's direct. Things that seemed stuck at home now flow with greater ease.
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Today is a 8
Cancer (June 21-July 22)
Today is an 9
Controversy arises. The next two days are good for negotiations and compromise. Grow a partnership. Communications that seemed blocked or stifled flow freely with Jupiter direct.
Time to get busy! No more procrastination. Avoid an obvious error. Finances improve markedly, now that Jupiter's direct. There's more work, and more profitable opportunities.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)
Today is an 7
Take more time for play today and tomorrow. Put on your super suit and fight for what you believe in. Confidently strive forward with a project you love. You've got the power to make things happen.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Today is an 6
Home seems extra cozy today and tomorrow. Handle chores. Your intuition seems heightened, now that Jupiter's direct. Discover amazing insights through introspection.
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Today is a 7
Surprising communications require thoughtful response. Collaborations leap forward now that jupiter is direct, Friendship and community ties bring opportunities and benefits.
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Today is an 9 Fill orders and rake in the pasta. Cash flow improves now. Projects that were delayed begin to gain momentum, now that Jupiter is direct. Step into renewed leadership.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Today is on 9
from english
Focus on personal matters today and tomorrow. Don't respond automatically to unexpected communications. Just listen Travels, adventures and studies take new ground now that Jupiter stations direct.
Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Today is an 6
Conserve resources, but don't worry about the money. Now that Jupiter is direct, it's easier to save money. Grow your family fortunes with close observation and steady contributions.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Today is an 7
Don't let financial constraints stop you.Work together. Resolve a miscommunication between friends. Advance to the next level in a partnership. Sign contracts and agreements. Teamwork comes easier, now that Jupiter's direct.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)
Today is an 7
Investigate a wild claim. Focus on your career today and tomorrow. The workflow falls into a steady, productive rhythm now that Jupiter's direct. Put in structures to manage increased demand for your services. Strive to provide excellence.
A HAUNTED HOTEL
Employees discuss alleged hauntings at Eldridge Hotel
KATE MILLER
@_Kate_Miller_
Attempting to enter Room 506 of the Eldridge Hotel, Marketing Manager Lisa Coble-Krings' key won't unlock the door. She tries multiple times, from different angles and with different strengths, and yet the door stays locked.
This photo taken in the 1970s and contributed by the Eldridge Hotel shows the ghost which appears to be seen in the elevator in the left half of the screen. This was the first time that the alleged ghost appeared in the Eldridge.
"My key does this sometimes," she said. "Or maybe it's just the ghost."
She says it with the offhand ease that many Eldridge staff members have adopted when it comes to the alleged supernatural guest of the hotel. But when a building has so many unexplained instances as the Eldridge, acceptance of the mysterious and strange is the only option.
The Eldridge, established in 1855 as the Free State Hotel, has gone through four major renovations in its history — and a new one is coming up soon. While there are no set plans regarding the timetable of the expansion, Eldridge Assistant General Manager David Longhurst said the hotel plans to add 54 rooms to the vacant lot next to the hotel.
"There have never been any bad ghost stories," he said. "Just unusual, fun kinds of things."
But with so much activity bound to occur during the expansion, what will happen to the ghosts?
Longhurst, the hotel's resident ghost expert, isn't worried. A self-confessed nonbeliever, he admits that while strange things have happened, whatever spirit haunts the Eldridge is an entirely benevolent one.
Many believe the spirit in question is Colonel Shalor Eldridge, a Free-Stater who rebuilt the hotel after it was destroyed both in 1856 and 1863, the second time by Quantrill and his group of raiders. After his second reconstruction, Eldridge gave his name to the hotel — and allegedly his spirit.
His chair remains in an alcove at the hotel to this day, and staff throughout the years have encountered supernatural goings-on surrounding it. Most noticeable? While the piles
of furniture around it show the wear of years of storage, the colonel's chair has never shown a trace of dust, Longhurst said.
"Several years ago we had a new bellman here in the hotel and he said, 'I don't believe that story,'" Longhurst said. "So he took the key and unlocked the door and started up the steps and got a chill. He got partway up [the stairs] and looked up over the edge and somebody was sitting in Colonel Eldridge's chair. It was an older gentleman and he had a pipe. He looked up and said, 'hm' The bellman screamed and came running down the steps into the hallway — never went in there again."
Room 506 is the other spot within the Eldridge known for supernatural occurrences. Guests in the room have reported doors slamming, faucets turning on and off and, Coble-Krings said, the door locking by itself — from the inside.
Longhurst remembered an instance he had personally experienced where hotel staff had to literally tear the door from its hinges to get into the room.
"We made a new master key; the door wouldn't open," he said. "We replaced the batteries; the door still wouldn't open. Finally we had
He went back down to the front desk and asked if 506 was occupied — and it wasn't. It wasn't the cleaning staff either."
to take the trim completely off from around the door and take the door off its hinges to get it. We discovered that the deadbolt was locked. The only way you can lock that deadbolt is from the inside of the room. It was locked from the inside. There's no way
Both because of and in spite of its reputation as a "haunted" room, 506 is a popular location to stay for guests.
ROOM 506
Marketing Manager Lisa Coble-Krings explained guests in the room have reported doors slamming, faucets turning on and off and the door locking by itself — from the inside.
Assistant General Manager David Longhurst remembered an instance he had personally experienced where hotel staff had to literally tear the door from its hinges to get into the room.
However, unless a guest specifically asks about the history of the room, the Eldridge does not make a point of spreading knowledge of the alleged hauntings, Longhurst said.
that could happen — but it happened."
Coble-Krings said there are several theories regarding why 506 is such a center of activity. The room contains an original cornerstone brick from when the hotel was first built as the Free State Hotel. Some people also believe the room serves as a portal to another dimension.
"We've heard rustlings [in 506]," she said. "One of our valets told us that he just walked down the hall and heard voices in [the room]."
"If guests ask us about [506's] ghost, we won't hide it from them," he said. "But if a guest doesn't know about it
Coble-Krings said certain guests request to stay in 506 because of its reputation; other guests stay in the room without knowledge of its alleged occupant.
we don't tell them unless they ask."
While the hotel has a 160-year history, supernatural happenings are remembered as beginning only in the 1970s. The earliest recorded ghost "sighting" was actually captured on camera in a promotional shoot. The photo shows two people sitting in the lobby of the Eldridge. A mysterious shadowy figure looms in the elevator, what some claim is the Eldridge ghost.
The wealth of alleged haunted occurrences also led to a feature story by A&E Biography Channel's "My Ghost Story." Longhurst served as the hotel's spokesperson for the show's episode.
the ghost stories are always an integral part of the history," Longhurst said. "This building, being part of that history and part of those ghost stories — it all ties together for me. And I think it's just so wonderful."
For him, however, the history of the hotel is much more intriguing than any supernatural incidents.
Edited by Jordan Fox
TRENDING
Mackenzie Clark
@mclark59
'HBO NOW' allows streaming without cable
Yesterday, HBO followed through on a promise to provide a standalone streaming service that does not require a paid cable or satellite subscription.
The service is available through iTunes on most Internet browsers, Apple TV and all Apple iOS platforms. According to its website, more providers are coming soon.
"It's HBO. All you need is the Internet," reads HBO NOW's slogan.
It's also Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and several other instant online video streaming services that provide users with the shows they want without requiring a subscription to a television provider.
As college students replace — or at least subsidize — their drinking binges with Netflix binges, this is a trend that is likely to continue. Apple is already in talks with programmers to create its own television package of about 25 channels, according
to the Wall Street Journal.
"Game of Thrones" fans, including gamers at IGN Entertainment, are rejoicing at this new HBO option. The fifth season of the show premieres Sunday, April 12.
New episodes of HBO shows such as "True Blood," "True Detective" and "Veep" will be available on the service as soon as they air. Older shows, such as "Sex in the City" and "The Sopranos" will also be included in subscriptions.
The network released HBO GO in 2010, which is a similar streaming service available on many different platforms most recently, PlayStation 4. However, that service is only available to those who have a current cable or satellite subscription to the network.
At $14.99, a monthly subscription to HBO NOW costs almost double those of Netflix or Hulu Plus, but the service offers a free 30-day trial. If you're a diehard "Game of Thrones" fan, however, it may be worth it for extra Dothraki practice.
Edited by Garrett Long
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this image released by HBO, Sophie Turner, as Sansa Stark, left, and Aidan Gillen, as Peyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, appear in a scene from the HBO original series, "Game of Thrones," premiering Sunday, April 12, on HBO. For the first time, "Game of Thrones" and AMC's "Mad Men," which premieres April 5, will be available to those without a cable subscription with HBO's new service, "HBO NOW."
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