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It certainly wasn't a scene out of Ghostbusters, but the paranormal investigators did bring a lot of high-tech equipment and a willingness to explore dark corners of Mariner's Moon on a quiet spring evening.

Mariner's Moon, formerly the Dinnerbel and then Dinnerbel Bay, was the site of a ghost-hunting of sorts on the most superstitious of all days - Friday the 13th (of June).

Owner Karl Achilles, who works as a magician, called in the "team" of investigators to put to rest rumors of strange happenings at the bar and restaurant in Lindstrom.

The investigators - Deb Anderson, Theresa Hughes, Jane Bradley, Barb and Steve Herreid and Nate Standish - are a group of local residents who all have day jobs. Paranormal work is simply a fascinating hobby for the five-member team, known as Moondance Paranormal Investigations.

They insist that they aren't "ghostbusters," but investigate to help attain scientific explanations for unusual occurrences.

Before that night, the investigators visited Mariner's Moon to tour and learn of some of the seemingly unexplainable things that some employees had noticed, particularly in the kitchen and basement.

At that time, meters measuring electronic currents "went through the roof," according to Achilles.

On this night, the team assembled around 10:30 p.m. to establish "base camp" in the restaurant area, a room where no unusual occurrences had been reported.

Meters, digital cameras, temperature gauges, surveillance cameras, walkie-talkies and motion sensors were set up and tested. The team recorded room measurements, temps and other observations.

As the last bar patrons cleared out, all the building lights were turned off, except for in the dining room. The first team of two investigators set out to explore the building around 11:45 p.m.

They spent about 20 minutes slowly moving through the kitchen and large basement, using recording equipment and a digital camera to capture any unusual sights and sounds.

Returning to the dining room, they reported that one of the motion sensor lights was tripped, although they were nowhere near the light.

The next group from the team then took a turn, recording changes in temperature and spikes in the electronic field as they moved about the building.

Achilles isn't sure what to believe, but he does have an openness to the possibility of spirits inhabiting his establishment.

Even his own experience with something unusual isn't enough to convince Achilles. He recalls being in the kitchen, talking with an employee, when a metal creamer container came off a shelf and hit the employee in the shoulder. It didn't fall by act of gravity, but had velocity to bypass the counter directly below and hit a person instead, Achilles insists.

"I believe there's a little truth in everything, but there's a lot that we're not able to understand or explain," Achilles said.

As the investigators moved through the intensely silent building, a weird red static appeared on a security camera screen. The static was in the same spot in the kitchen where the incident with the metal creamer container occurred. The investigators had already moved through the kitchen, on their way to the basement at the time.

After about five minutes, the static disappeared.

Achilles, who said he calls himself a "sensitive" because he has felt the presence of spirits before, then took a turn through the dark halls of the basement. During his tour, he said he felt goosebumps as the hair rose on the back of his neck. He was convinced it was some sort of presence - his first time feeling that a spirit may be in the basement.

After their final run-throughs, the investigators completed written reports and left to review their recordings and pictures for a final report.

In October, the paranormal investigators will return to do another investigation. This time, they will focus on two of the apartments on the second floor, above the restaurant, and one small locked storage area in the basement.

Achilles purposely omitted the storage area from the first investigation, to see if they might get stronger readings from a small, enclosed space that typically isn't entered by employees or himself.

Moondance does not charge for investigating a home or business. They hope to establish a web site soon where they can share stories of supposed paranormal activity.

The business received assistance - and continues to receive guidance - from a group of paranormal investigators in Hastings. Moondance accepts new members, but they must fill out an application.

"We have a good dynamic between members now, so we'd want to be sure they are a good fit for us," founder and lead investigator Deb Anderson said.

When the web site is up and running, applications will be available online. For more information, send an email to: [email protected].

Achilles isn't too concerned that he and his employees may have to share their space with spirits, although at least one employee refuses to set foot in the basement because of the unexplainable noises she's heard.

He said he is "still trying to figure out the restaurant business," which he admits is a whole lot tougher than being a magician.

Achilles explains he didn't want to rush into the name change from Dinnerbel to Mariner's Moon, out of respect for the history of the Dinnerbel. So he tried a similar name - Dinnerbel Bay - after purchasing the business two years ago, although he had the name Mariner's Moon in mind from the beginning.

"We felt the timing was right to make the change to Mariner's Moon now," Achilles said.

Along with the new name, Achilles is focusing on cosmetic changes to the exterior and interior of the building.

He has already immersed the business in the mysterious allure of pirates and nautical life by using some of his own vast collection of props and movie-themed items to decorate the bar and restaurant areas. There is also a small pirate-themed gift shop that Achilles would like to expand.

He wants Mariner's Moon to be a destination for families, and is going to add things that set it apart as a unique dining spot. Things like his own "mingle magic" act, where he walks through the dining room performing magic tricks, and strolling characters who interact with patrons will add to the mystique of the Mariner's Moon experience.

Achilles said they will make a few menu changes, such as a "Mushroom Moon" burger, adding buffets and maybe even pizza. But he isn't interested in moving completely away from the Dinnerbel tradition of doing business for more than 50 years.

"We're just going to keep trying to improve on things," he said.

Achilles is focused on keeping the restaurant's reputation as a family-oriented establishment, and has enjoyed meeting "a lot of nice people" at Mariner's Moon.

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