TO OUR READERS IN 2009
This is the time of year reserved for saying dumb things like -- Hey, I never thought we'd still be doing this web site 13 years later! Google wasn't even born when SeacoastNH.com hit the airwaves on January 1, 1997 after a year of preparation. In 2009 we will sharpen our focus to topics on local history. It's what we do best. Our core content now contains thousands of pages and pictures and we hope to keep downloading more fascinating history content about "America's Smallest Seacoast" (sm). We've barely scratched the surface and -- with your help and support -- we'll keep at it. Yup, that was pretty scmatlzty. Must be the champagne talking. Happy anniversary to us and Happy New (aka Obama) Year to you.  If we can survive GW Bush, we can survive anything.

TYPO WARS 2009
Dear Site Administrator: I have noticed that in the beginning of several of your paragraphs you have a "B>" that I assumed this was supposed to make the first few words bold, but somehow it was incorrect. This occurred on the fifth and the eleventh paragraphs of one page. I thought you might wish to be informed of this error so that you could correct it.
M Collins

EDITOR’S REPLY: Hey, can you come and work for us? Pay stinks, but you get the benefit of knowing we may yet wipe out typos in our time. Thanks, and we always appreciate such corrections.

NEEDS RESEARCH ON ANCESTOR
I am up to my "eye balls" in family history; a person with a degree in History, retired, with a family who arrived on the Mass., NH, and Maine shores in the second Mayflower, and the Great Migration, with the last, George Gray arriving in the early 1700's -- all eventually arriving on the shores of Penobscot Bay-Castine and the Blue Hill Peninsular before the Revolution--Except my Farnham line which stayed in Mass. until 1790.

I have met several stonewalls, but the one I am working on just now is big. Peletiah Freeman born abt 1710? and I do not know if he was born on the Isle (or in the Barnstable, Mass. area), but I do know that he married Hannah Talpey (or is it Tapley?) the daughter of Richard Talpey/Topley and Elizabeth Carter. DO YOU HAVE anything about Peletiah ? And who were the parents of Elizabeth? By the way, since I have salt water in my veins -- a family of mariners and looking out at a working lighthouse as a child, I am the Head Docent at the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Beverly Farnham Henry, FLA

FLORIDIAN LEARNS ABOUT KITTERY
I'm a former Kittery, ME resident who's been living in Florida for 24 yrs. I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading about Portsmouth and surrounding areas. I've learned more about history from your paper than I ever learned when I was there. Keep up your wonderful historical articles....and I'll keep enjoying them.
Mrs. Lynn Lait, Orlando, FL

RESTORING 1941 FIRE TRUCK
I am currently restoring a 1941 Ford/Howe fire truck that served the US Army at Camp Landgon in New Casle during WWII (1941-1946) designation " USA 501020". I am looking for any & all information, photos, ephemera, & memorabilia regarding this fire truck, Camp Langdon, and fire fighting in the seacoast during WWII (mutual aid responses, military recruitment of firefighters, oral histories of those that served at Camp Langdon/22nd Coat Artillery). Any information or contact leads would be appreciated. I hope to have this vehicle on the road in parades and local military celebrations this coming spring!
Jason Cleary

EDITOR’S REPLY: Not much on Camp Langdon easily available that I know. Besides the usual materials available at the Portsmouth Athenaeum and PPL, there are only three key sources I know. First, type "Seacoast Forts of Portsmouth Harbor" into Google to locate the detailed web site by Peter Payette. He is a wealth of info about the local coastal defense systems. The first and most detailed of two key books is Jack Wysong’s "The World, Portsmouth, & the 22^nd Coast Artillery" and the Arcadia photo book by three authors entitled "Portsmouth Harbor’s Military and Naval Heritage", plus perhaps Richard Winslow’s history of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for background. Of course, the best and most tedious project would be scour the local newspapers on microfilm for the war years to see if the truck responded to any military or civilian calls. And you might check with the Seacoast Science Center to see if Wendy Lull’s research on Fort Dearborn has turned up any info since that site was close by.

FROM JOHN SMITH’S HOME TOWN
Hello, My name is Jay Buxton, and i live in the village of Willoughby in the County of Lincolnshire UK the birthplace and childhood home of Captain John Smith, i have been sufing the net some time trying to get a counterpart in the States who would like exchange e-mails with me from time to time. But I can understand the reluctance because of the risk of dubious connections on the net. I would be nice to have a link with like minded person, to exchange information. I am a middle aged working, married female, with two grandchildren.. The e-mail address i have used is my vacation cottage address, with is build on what would have been John's land. I look foward to any information, with thanks
Jay Buxton

PILOT’S THOUGHTS ON PORTSMOUTH CRASH
Thanks for the opportunity to read more about the FB-111A crash into Seacrest Village on January, 1981 by J. Dennis Robinson with Jack Goterch. I served with the aviators involved and observed the crash site the day after. My comments follow:

For the authors consideration, it was probably unfair to say "to ditch a $10.5 million bomber into the heart of a crowded city." To me, ditching would require at least some aircraft control and I wouldn't characterize the Seacrest Village area, back then, as the heart of Portsmouth (not a major city.) I knew and flew with both crew members and have nothing but high performance memories from these fine officers and aviators.

From reading this news article, I wouldn't have expected to see smoke flying out the back end of the aircraft, as reported, nor a "sooty area" which I would assume was forward of the afterburners. That two new engines were installed on the crashed FB-111A just one day before the accident receives almost no mention in the mishap report is troubling. Fires in places like the wheel wells raise havoc with flight control components and sensor wires. Regarding "analysts admitted, might indicate a possible inflight fire," why do the authors, in the last sentence, rule out the possibility of engine problems?

Don't you usually have to stall to spin? F/FB-111s give you plenty of hard to miss warnings that you are approaching a stall for most configurations -- well before you stall and depart. This crash was a long time ago. I'm grateful that Pete, Ron and the residents survived without serious injury.

I'd agree with 2/3 of the author’s analysis: "I'd bet my last dollar the problem was in the controls, not the engine – or the pilot." I'd add back to their list engine and/or wheel well fire for consideration now, not the pilot.
Cheers, Bill Kirkman
Former F-111A, D, E and FB-111A pilot

ANCIENT HOUSE FADING IN NEWINGTON
Dodge, Roy & Adams of Strawberry Bank did an inspection and evaluation of the old Fabyan House on Fabyan Point Road, Newington, N.H. in 1982 and determined the approximate age of the structure as late 1600s to early 1700s. The house is need of restoration soon if it is to be saved for benefit of the Town of Newington and Seacoast Area. The house has not been modernized except for heat and plumbing. It would be a shame to let this old house be destroyed but as the owner I can't afford to do the restoration work. I'm looking for ideas and contacts who may be able to offer some useful advice. Is it possible this could be made a University Restoration Project and qualify for a grant? Thank you for helping.
peter drinkwater

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