When I expressed my thoughts about the Heidelberg Project to an off-duty bartender, she grew displeased and defensive, the awkward elephant slowing creeping into the room and settling down next to us. We were sitting at a round hightop capping off the evening with a few brews, and the infamous street had been beating around my brain all day. My friends said little, allowing me to dig my own hole with the local patrons.

Let me get this out of the way: I highly suggest you go check it out/take a tour when you’re passing through or visiting Detroit. It is a world-wide known site that carries immense political importance in addition to artistic expression. It can be looked upon as an outdoor art museum, if nothing more. With that said, let’s go a little deeper into the controversy swirling amongst the people of Detroit.

I wasn't trying to offend anyone that night at Tommy’s Bar – nor is that my purpose now – but I do want to talk it out, throw out some ideas. In a world of love/hate political standpoints, wouldn’t informed neutrality be an interesting mindset? I think it’s all right to be down the middle on some things – to understand both sides – and I’ll be honest: While my first impression was that Heidelberg is certainly creative, I’m having a hard time deciding whether I find that creativity cool or callous.

The cool: According to their website, the mission of the Heidelberg Project is to inspire people to use artistic expression to enrich their lives and improve the social/economic health of the greater community. They are engaged in art education, working to be sure it is an everyday aspect of students’ curriculum throughout Michigan.

The Project began with the decorating of houses, and it successfully transformed a neighborhood. To a place where people were once afraid to walk, visitors flocked. Founding artist Tyree Guyton included children in his daily work, with the main goal of developing the city’s first indoor/outdoor museum.

Those are good things, there’s no denying that – the intention is certainly there. And I think people should be able to express themselves any way they want. Art is a matter of opinion – just because pop music draws more ears (and more money) does not mean that underground styles are less valid.

However, the best intentions don’t always brew the best results.

The callous: The Heidelberg Project is indeed a political protest, if not entirely then certainly partially (it is meant to draw attention to forgotten neighborhoods).

There’s nothing wrong with standing up for yourself – I’ve got no problem with that – but I do think one needs to be measured in their methods. Looking down on the issue from a distance, I find their approach a bit hypocritical – you can’t put unity and compromise in one hand and wave the middle finger with the other. I think sometimes interest groups forget that abrasiveness does not breed brotherhood (and many citizens as well as the government have expressed their opposition to Guyton's art).

The bartender said to me that perhaps the government should consider the same. I agreed, completely – it takes two to tango. But, at some point, I think you need to consider what the main goal of the project is. The bartender said it was to rebuild the neighborhood.

Twenty-five-plus years after the project’s launch, the neighborhoods still sits vacant, tourists aside. When another writer in our group asked Executive Director Jenenne Whitfield (who is married to HP’s founding artist Tyree Guyton) what the others living the neighborhood thought of the street’s project, she answered, “What people?”

The government has twice destroyed parts of the project citing public safety, and no one has moved back into the neighborhood. I found myself wondering what has been accomplished. I understand the process is part of the purpose, however at some point you would think some positive results would be required to validate the path and distribution of finances.

Just to play devil’s advocate: What if the time, energy, and land went towards building parks and playgrounds? A pile of shoes with a lawnmower on top is full of symbolism and beauty, but would it not be better suited for a museum?

The Heidelberg Project seems to be thinking on those terms of late – it plans to open a House that Makes Sense Center as part of what they refer to as their Cultural Village, a headquarters made from found and recycled materials (which will include an exhibition space, artist-in-residence space, a children’s workshop, and a library).

There’s some interesting stuff going on, for sure, and I’ll be following along to see how it plays out in the next few years. Make a point to head over at some point and shoot me a note with your thoughts. Is it trash or treasure, or both?

Photos:

On a recent ghost tour, a woman from the Howard County Board of Tourism joked that the more spirits you consume, the more you see.

I'm unfortunately not finding that advice to be true - and I've certainly put it to the test. Two weeks ago in Savannah I took advantage of the city's drinking tolerance (no open-container law) while cruising around on a trolley with Old Savannah Tours, and last night I bar hopped in historic Ellicott City as part of their Dare to Taste the Spirits Tour (just outside ofBaltimore in Maryland).

Nothing - not one sighting or feeling or sound (although there was this one moment in Savannah that interested me, read below). And, to be frank, I'm starting to take it personally. I mean, does Casper have a problem with me or something?

On these tours I've heard stories: Tables being flipped over, pennies found all over the house, dogs freaking out, the sounds of high heels on hardwood in a carpeted office, figures standing over people when they awake at night, impressions in bed sheets, doors opening and slamming, the feeling of being "passed through," hearing voices.

Yada yada yada - it's kind of starting to annoy me that I haven't experienced something myself.

I'm working on a short story called The Promised Land that explores the idea of spirits and ghosts - who/what they are and why we see them as we do - so perhaps its completion will entice some visitors to my bedroom after dark.

Hopefully you will have better luck (or at least avoid the bitterness I'm feeling). Here's the scoop on two ghost tours I recently checked out, let me know if you capture any proof.

Old Savannah Tours: Trolly Tales of Historic Haunts

I was standing in the spot where she landed on her head, the concrete crushing her face and the blood spilling out of her nose, mouth, and eyes. She had jumped from the second-story balcony, diving into the pavement below. It is said she killed herself when she found out her husband was having an affair with one of the slaves. She was the wife of Francis Sorrel, and according to the stories, she still haunts the house.

Today, it's known as the Sorrel-Weed House and is widely accepted as being the most-haunted property in Savannah (it's the final stop on the Old Savannah Tour). A guide will lead you through the house, sharing the history beyond the walls. It was here that I had the moment I referenced earlier - probably my closest call when it comes to interacting with a spirit.

Our guide pulled out an electromagnetic field detector and she held it above the table in the dining room, locating a spot where the device began to beep. I didn't think much of it until the sensitive area began to move, both up and down and left to right (it wasn't staying in one place, reducing the chances that the energy was coming from an eletricity source).

When she could no longer find it in the lower half of the room, she handed the detector to me (I'm taller). I was holding it up above my head, the device going off. I could trace an outline of the area - a few feet by a few feet - but soon it shifted again and I found it down near the table, literally right in front of me. I felt and saw nothing, although something was definitely putting out a moving electromagnetic field. A ghost? Who knows, but at least I finally had a hands-on experience to consider.

Later, down in the basement, we were able to view the feed from infrared motion detectors. I saw "orbs" on the television screens, floating and swirling randomly throughout the room. Some say they're nothing more than dust, but the concentration of them changed based on who was in the room, which seems to debunk that theory.

When we sent a pregnant woman into the room, more "orbs" appeared on the monitors (according to our guide, ghosts are especially attracted to pregnant women and children).

The other stop on the tour is the Pirates House Rum Cellar, where pirates used to prey on locals, turning them into slaves to work on their ships. For more information, visit Old Savannah Tours.

Howard County, Maryland: Taste the Spirits of Ellicott City

Although Washington D.C. and Baltimore are the main attractions in the region, historicEllicott City is considered one of the most haunted small towns on the East Coast. The combination of granite, flowing water, antiques, and electricity are said to attract and retain spiritual energy.

It is a cute town, lots of shops and restaurants along a hilly street with many granite stone buildings. I found a good, interesting way to explore the different restaurants/bars was theDare to Taste the Spirits Tour - you will not only get yourself a bit of the history, but you'll take in the spirits of the town, in both the literal and paranormal sense.

We tasted wine at the Wine Bin and beer at the Diamondback Tavern, two of the six possible stops. As you drink and enjoy the vibe, your guide will fill you in on the tales associated with each place - the events that occurred right where you're sitting.

More information and a coupon are available on the Howard County website.