Editor's note: "Gimme 5" is a five-question interview on topics of local interest.

How did you become interested in paranormal activity?

I really got interested in the question of why some people believe in the paranormal while others do not. This curiosity led to me study psychology in college, and the interest in the bizarre just blossomed from there.

Does the Chippewa Valley have a particularly strange history compared to other areas?

I think the Chippewa Valley has more than its fair share of compelling characters, legends and places. With a past filled with explorers, lumbermen and pioneers, it is hard not to find weird and fun stories littered throughout our past.

In your opinion, what is the weirdest event in Chippewa Valley's history?

There are so many amazing stories from our past that it is really hard to pick one. With that being said I really enjoy the story of the unknown wild beast causing terror in Eau Claire from 1908. The reason I love this mysterious creature prowling the streets and killing farmers' livestock is that every year I continue to receive reports of this unknown creature, and no one seems to know what it is.

Have you ever found something in the Chippewa Valley that really scared you?

Many cases from the Chippewa Valley have both scared and intrigued me. For example there is a haunted dam right outside of Eau Claire where a woman was murdered. The problem is that in order to get down to the water you have to pass through a wooded area that provides the perfect eerie backdrop to the haunted location where many people are too afraid to venture.

What do you say to skeptics who dismiss your work?

I would suggest that skeptics and believers come to a presentation and then make up their own mind. I think that part of the fun and excitement of this presentation is deciding whether or not you believe that these things take place, all the while showing you that strange things may lurk in your own backyard.