October 30, 2009
I’m featured in a couple of new newspaper articles this month, and will also appear on Rockford’s WTVO Channel 17 (digital channel 16) tonight at 10pm central time. Click the links below to read the newspaper articles, or simply go to the “press” tab to read those and past articles. Hopefully a video clip of the Channel 17 piece will be available on their website soon.
Charleston is Haunted
Neil Schneider
Daily Eastern News
October 30, 2009
…As the legend goes, two men passing by the bridge in the morning noticed what they thought was the body of a nude woman about 50 feet from the bridge. As the men approached they realized that the woman had had her head, hands and feet severed from her body.
The men quickly called the local sheriff’s office and from there the investigation began.
Michael Kleen, an Illinois paranormal researcher and author, said that the case is shrouded in mystery.
Read the entire article…
The Science of Spirit-Sleuthing Part III: Local Lore
Stuart R. Wahlin
Rock River Times
October 28-Nov. 3, 2009
Twin Sisters Park is a popular wintertime destination on Rockford’s southeast side. Boasting sizeable twin hills, there’s little question where the park got its name. It is rumored, however, the park is not only popular with those who sled, but with those who are dead.
“Some people claim that this park has attracted more sinister guests,” local writer and historian Michael Kleen said of the legend during a recent talk at the Rockford Public Library. “The woods have been the scene of several murders, hangings and even a drowning. People say that they experience feelings of dread. They see things moving in the shadows. They feel like they’re being followed in the woods.”
Read the entire article…
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Uncategorized | Tagged: Channel 17, Daily Eastern News, ghost stories, ghosts, haunted, Rock River Times, Rockford, WTVO | 
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Posted by makleen
October 15, 2009
When FEARnet contacted me about doing an episode of Streets of Fear on Blood’s Point Road, I was looking forward to working with them, but the schedule was very tight. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find anyone else to be in the video on such short notice, but luckily Kathi Kresol and Forest City Paranormal were more than happy to help out. Nothing usually comes together so harmoniously, but we made it happen and I think the episode really reflects that. You can watch the video below, or click here to go to the FEARnet website.
The Rockford Register Star also ran an article about FEARnet’s visit: “Bloods Point residents mystified by myths“
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Uncategorized | Tagged: Blood's Point Road, FEARnet, Michael Kleen, Paranormal, Streets of Fear | 
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Posted by makleen
October 1, 2009
Since the 1950s, a story has been told to every generation of girls who reside in Eastern Illinois University’s legendary Pemberton Hall, the first all-female dormitory in the state of Illinois.
This story involves an infamous dorm mother named Mary Hawkins and the ghost of a girl who was allegedly murdered in the fourth floor piano room over ninety years ago. Pemberton Hall’s fourth floor has been closed for generations, adding fuel to the legend. Students wonder:
- Who was Mary Hawkins?
- What did she really look like?
- How did she die?
- How long has this story been told?
Now peer behind the locked doors and find out what really happened on that dark and stormy night at Eastern Illinois University. The answers to all your questions about this famous story are just a click away! This is the most comprehensive account of the legend ever written.
Click the link below to download it for free! Also, feel free to share this .pdf with your friends!
The Legend of Pemberton Hall by Michael Kleen
The Legend of Pemberton Hall by Michael Kleen
Citations: if you wish to use any of this in a paper or presentation, cite it in the following way (Chicago style):
Michael Kleen, The Legend of Pemberton Hall (Charleston: Black Oak Press, Illinois, 2008), page#.
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Uncategorized | Tagged: Charleston, Eastern Illinois University, Folklore, Ghost, Ghost Hunters, ghost stories, Illinois, Livingston C. Lord, Mary Hawkins, Pemberton Hall, The Roommate's Death | 
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Posted by makleen
September 24, 2009
My latest column has been posted at Strike-the-Root:
“The libertarian response to arguments in favor of encroaching government control over our personal choices should be that culture, not law, is the proper vehicle for social change, and that the very notion that debate should be cut short by force of law, especially when it comes to mundane personal choices, ought to be morally repugnant.”
Read the entire column…
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: ban, culture, freedom, government, law, libertarian, Nanny state | Permalink
Posted by makleen
September 19, 2009
Today I had the pleasure of being interviewed by two aspiring young filmmakers from Chicago for an upcoming webisode of FEARnet’s “Streets of Fear” series. The new episodes of “Streets of Fear” will be featured on FEARnet’s website throughout October. This particular webisode will be about Boone County’s Blood’s Point Road. I met Josh and his assistant at the bridge overlooking the railroad tracks where legend has it several people were hanged, committed suicide, or have died in tragic accidents.
The cameraman, Josh Tallo, and I
We were plagued by mosquitoes for the entire interview
Kathi Kresol of the Haunted Rockford tour was interviewed at Blood's Point Cemetery
Paranormal enthusiasts from Rockford College watch the filming.
I think the interview turned out great and I am looking forward to seeing the final results. In the meantime, here is a link to a webisode from last year’s series: Streets of Fear: Shades of Death Road
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Tagged: Blood's Point, Boone County, Cry Baby Bridge, FEARnet, haunted, October, Streets of Fear | Permalink
Posted by makleen
September 16, 2009
A new column at Strike-the-Root:
There is a crisis of confidence in America’s political leadership, from the smallest municipality all the way to Washington DC. At bottom, this crisis means that trust between elected representatives and their constituency has almost completely broken down. Being from Illinois, where government has taken on the character of predator and the people its prey, I see this breakdown first hand. I happen to live in a county with one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, and while people suffer for lack of jobs, their so-called representatives continue to demand more and more of their income.
Read the entire column…
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Barack Obama, Bernard Stone, corruption, government, Hilda Solis, Tax fraud, Timothy Geithner, Todd Stroger, Washington DC | Permalink
Posted by makleen
August 17, 2009
A new column at Strike-the-Root:
It is not the role of the state to pick and choose which forms of economic interaction to recognize, or to shield people from their personal failings. There is no logical reason why it should be legal to bet on a horse race and not on a poker game, or to play the slot machines on a boat and not on land. Does buoyancy make a difference? The distinction is ludicrous. Government has no right to ban the voluntary, mutual exchange of money between consenting adults, or to then turn around and “allow” it as long as the state gets to keep a chunk of the winnings. All forms of gambling, as long as they are honest and voluntary, should be decriminalized and their taxation eased. Let us spin the roulette wheel, and let fate—not the government—decide whether we win or lose.
Read the entire column…
3 Comments | Uncategorized | Tagged: casino, economic liberty, freedom, Gambling, horse racing, Illinois, riverboats, wager | Permalink
Posted by makleen
August 10, 2009
Why So Serious?
By Michael Kleen
Strike-the-Root.com
Recently, Washington Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli canceled the web-series “Mouthpiece Theater” after its hosts made a joke about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Bowing to pressure from an obscure organization called Action in the Media, the Washington Post reinforced the notion that any potentially offensive humor must result in a swift apology, perhaps even in resignation or firing. But since when is it criminal behavior to tell a joke, let alone offend someone? In a country that cherishes freedom of speech, when did it become a requirement to prescreen jokes to meet the approval of every available demographic?
Read on…
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Hillary Clinton, jokes, Mouthpiece Theater, politically correct, Seriously, Washington Post | Permalink
Posted by makleen
July 10, 2009
Click here to order by check.
This long-awaited paperback edition of Michael Kleen’s One Voice contains fresh, compelling content from over three years of columns and editorials devoted to the problems and issues that plague society today.
We all love freedom, but what does that word mean for the average American? Should we put our faith in the government to define who we are and how we live our lives? Michael Kleen says, “No!” Only by returning to our roots and embracing the time-tested values of hard work and self denial can we avert disaster.
When corporate power and government colludes, we the people lose out. How can we take responsibility for our own lives and tune out the garbage in the mainstream media?
One Voice has the answer!
Order the book by check, credit card, Paypal, or Amazon.com. Click on the “Order” tab to learn more, or click the links below.
By Check (Pay to the Order of Black Oak Media):
Note: You receive a shipping discount on multiple orders when you pay by check.
Download our order form, print it and fill it out, and mail it along with your check to:
Black Oak Media
PO Box 138
Cherry Valley, IL 61016
Paypal or Credit Card:
Click here to order using Paypal or a Credit Card.
Note, we have added a $0.25 transaction fee to Paypal and credit card orders.
Amazon.com:
Click here to order from Amazon.com.
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Britney Spears Culture, buy local, Consumerism, free market, freedom, liberty, Michael Kleen, One Voice | Permalink
Posted by makleen
June 10, 2009
A new column of mine has just been posted at Strike the Root, check it out:
http://www.strike-the-root.com/91/kleen/kleen4.html
“As John Brown’s raid on Harper’s Ferry was an ominous portent to Antebellum America, so should the killing of infamous abortionist George Tiller be considered a warning for contemporary times. With one shot, Tiller’s assassin confirmed the fears of the radical Left and reignited America ’s culture war, bringing us, once again, dangerously close to the precipice of violence.”
Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Tagged: Conservative, Culture War, George Tiller, John Brown, Left, Liberal, Right | Permalink
Posted by makleen
