In memory of my step-brother Patrick Powers

I was eleven years old and I remember it like it was yesterday. Bill Powers was having dinner at our house in Watertown, Mass. when he received a phone call that his house was on fire.  We learned that his son Paul who was 4 years old had taken a lit candle into a closet and burned the house down.

The following year Bill’s ex-wife had taken ill and was now unable to take care of their three boys, Peter, Paul and Patrick. Peter moved in with my cousins and lived with them. Paul went to Canada and lived with his mother’s relatives and Patrick moved in with us. Two years later my mother and Bill married and now Patrick was part of our family.

Patrick had the most gorgeous curly hair as a kid and was your typical three year old. But, one thing he had that most kids didn’t have was Hemophilia. Every time Patrick fell down he would bruise very easily and have continuous internal bleeding until we could inject him with a blood factor that would stop the bleeding. As a little kid this was quite often and very painful for my mother who took care of Patrick.

Patrick would never be able to play the sports that we could all play as kids and take for granted. He couldn’t play football, baseball, basketball, hockey or even dodge ball because any physical contact would mean internal bleeding and a black and blue body.

Patrick led more of a normal life than most would think, but as he got older all the bruising and falling down had taken a toll on his knees and he had a hard time walking. His leg was extremely hard to bend and he always walked with a limp.

One thing Patrick had to have a lot of was blood clotting factor concentrates that helped stopped the internal bleeding. These were little bottles that we got from the hospital and Patrick would get injected with this blood clotting factor to help stop the bleeding and save his life.

The early eighties brought us the scare of HIV/Aids and due to Patrick’s Hemophilia he would be very accessible to contracting the HIV virus from blood transfusions. Sure enough our fears came true around 1985. Patrick needed a blood transfusion and contracted the HIV virus from tainted blood. I never found out for a few years as the family kept it hush hush.

As the years rolled on Patrick led as normal a life as he could and became quite ill in 1999.  One of his goals was to live to see the ball drop in 2000, the new millennium. As the Christmas season neared in 1999 Patrick became extremely ill and fell into a coma. The doctors told us to gather the family as Patrick was slowly slipping away and may never regain consciousness again.

We were able to contact his brother Paul, who was living in Seattle at the time and had not seen Patrick for many many years and I had never met Paul as well. Paul was able to fly in right away.

We all were in Patrick’s  hospital room when Paul and his wife walked in and Paul walked up to Patrick’s bed to say his goodbye’s when all of a sudden Patrick woke up and sat right up to say hello to Paul.  This was a miracle and shocked us all as well as the doctors. I know it is hard to believe but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I probably wouldn’t have believed it as well, but I did.

Patrick stayed awake and celebrated Christmas with us and in the next few days he started to slip away again and on January 1st, 2000 at 4:00 pm Patrick passed away.

Patrick was able to see the new millennium as he so wished.

May you rest in peace Patrick we all miss you.

Happy New Year 2010 so long 2009

Hampstead NH Christmas Parade 2009

My wife Monika attended the Hampstead, NH Christmas Parade for 2009 it was an overcast day with temperatures falling during the day along with a little bit of snow. Here is the video she shot of the parade.

Asbestos and Mesothelioma

I was asked by Paul James from the Mesothelioma Center to post this article on my blog.

My Grandfather Jeremiah Joseph McGillicuddy worked most of his life as a steam fitter and ended up passing away with Lung Cancer caused by asbestos. Below is Mr. James’ article in it’s entirety.

Located in the Northeastern part of the United States, Maine is known for its extravagant scenery, mountains, rocky coastline and of course its appetizing seafood cuisine. The road to owning a home is a wonderful experience, but one that requires new responsibilities.

Gaining assistance from real estate adviser can help in dealing with making that all important decision. Many properties will also require repairs or remodeling. Asbestos is a natural fibrous mineral used in millions of homes throughout the twentieth century as a form of insulation, piping, roofing and flooring.

Potential Maine home buyers, re modelers or those looking to lease or purchase a commercial property built before 1980 should be aware that the potential for asbestos materials to be present exists. This does not mean you should jump out of your seat because asbestos exposure is easily prevented by taking simple precautions.

If any suspected asbestos is in good shape, it’s posing no apparent risk. If it’s in bad shape, it could be a problem. If a home inspector suggests removal is necessary, it must be performed by a licensed abatement contractor who is trained in handling hazardous materials. They can perform the removal in public facilities, homes and work places. At the present time, there is a growing list of green insulation alternatives which replace the need for asbestos.

The inhalation of its fibers can cause a rare lung-ailment known as malignant mesothelioma, which accounts for three percent of cancer diagnoses in the United States. Mesothelioma survival rate varies from patient to patient for many reasons. These include age of diagnosis, latency period and cigarette smoking.

Maine Going Green

Recently, congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Included in this act were extensions to the tax incentives placed for energy efficiency in 2005, as well as new credits for

Homeowners who remodel or build using Eco-sustainable methods. Some of the measures that are eligible for tax credits include added insulation to walls, ceilings, or other part of the building envelope that meets the 2009 IECC specifications, sealing cracks in the building shell and ducts to reduce heat loss. Storm doors paired with U-factored rated wood doors are also eligible.

Recycled building materials that are healthy alternatives to asbestos include the use of cotton fiber, lcynene foam and cellulose. With an increase in technology and public awareness, the United Nations Environmental Program states that the use of recycled building materials such as cotton fiber insulation can reduce energy use by 25 percent.

Of interest to those involved in real estate, a citizen based environmental advocacy group called Environment Maine, is combining independent research and a tough minded strategy to overcome the opposition of special interests who seek to undermine pro environment approaches. Focusing to rid Michigan of asbestos use and other harmful materials, they also focus to protect the water and open spaces. Environment Michigan is working hard to give the state the healthy environment that the people deserve.

Atkinson Home Sales in January 2009 vs January 2008

Home sales in Atkinson, New Hampshire for January 2009 vs January 2008.

Well Atkinson, NH  has stayed the same in volume but doubled it’s sales from last year and I am sure there will be a couple more sales posted Monday or Tuesday as firms have 48 hours to post their sales from the time the property closes.

If your home is priced to sell it will sell quickly.

Prices on average are down as well along with price per square foot.

January			Price		$/SqFt		DOM
2008		Total	Average	Median	Average	Median	Average	Median
Recently	Sold	2	$380,500	$380,500	$228	$228	51	51
2009		Total	Average	Median	Average	Median	Average	Median
Recently	Sold	2	$346200	$346200	$180	179	0		0

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