On Jun 10, 2009, at 9:15 PM, Michael Dean Goodman wrote:
Dear Fairfield Lifers,
I lived in Fairfield for 19 years between 1979 and 2004. I was one
of the
first people to move off campus and buy a house in town after we all
came
to Fairfield from the big Amherst course. I bought a dilapidated
old junker
that had been subdivided into 3 cheap apartments, and totally
transformed
it into a really nice single family home.
In 2004, when my father passed away, I moved to Florida to care for my
very sick, blind mother, as he had asked me to. They had been
together for
over 60 years. My mother died recently, finally ending years of
suffering -
great pain and very little quality of life - so my loving service to
her is over,
and I am free to travel again.
Next week, I'm returning to Fairfield by car, and I'll stay for the
rest of June
and all of July, at least. I'm primarily coming to repair my house
there that's
not gotten proper attention for these 5 years (and I don't want to
live in it
while I'm repairing it). I'm also coming to reconnect.
Since I haven't been in Fairfield for a long time, I'm relying on
those of you
who live there to help me find some resources that I'll be needing:
1. HOUSE OR APARTMENT
I need a small house or apartment to rent on a month-to-month basis,
in
town or out. Preferably somewhat furnished (at least a bed, desk,
DR table,
kitchen appliances, etc.). But I'm open even to unfurnished. I am
quiet and
neat. I could use anything from an efficiency to a 1 or 2 bedroom
situation.
I'd be happy to put down a security deposit as needed and provide
referenc-
es. It could even be a place that's on the market and I'd give them
some
income while they're waiting for it to sell.
2. WORKMEN/CONTRACTORS
I need workmen of various kinds to repair my house. Please send me
refer-
als to people who can do:
a. Carpentry
b. Plumbing
c. HVAC (furnace & a/c)
d. Electrical
e. Grading (earth-moving)
f. Roofing
g. General labor
I will be acting as my own general contractor, since I once owned
and ran
a contracting company in Chicago and Fairfield.
3. LAWN MOWING
I need someone to reliably mow the lawn every 2 weeks all through the
mowing season. It's a small yard, and took about 30 minutes max. when
I used to do it.
4. DUMPSTER
Who should I use to place a dumpster on the property for trash from
the
renovations?
5. CONTAINER MOVING COMPANY
I need to find a 'container moving company' who parks a container on
your
property, you load it with your stuff, and then they come pick it up
and trans-
port it to your destination on a truck or train.
6. INTERNET PROVIDERS
I need to know what the fast internet options are in Fairfield -
DSL, cable,
wireless, etc. (not dial-up).
7. CELL PHONE COMPANIES
I need reliable cell phone service in Fairfield - who should I
trust? U.S.
Cellular, Sprint, ATT?
8. DANCING OPPORTUNITIES
What partner dances are regularly held? (Ballroom, Latin, tango,
swing,
etc.)
9. DRUM CIRCLES
Are there regular drum circles in Fairfield these days? I'm
bringing my
djembe.
Please answer by writing to me off-list or calling me. Any leads
are deeply
appreciated!
I look forward to reconnecting to many of my friends while I'm back.
Namaste,
My condolences on your parents, Michael.
But you know the reality of your house situation
as well as anyone, or soon will.
It's beyond repair, it's even too dangerous to
safely walk into, so dangerous in fact that even
the few animals that were living there all moved out.
There's no need for a dumpster, only a wrecking
ball at this point. Its life as any kind of a livable
dwelling has been over for years.
You told the city you had 10G to fix it up, supposedly
that's only a small fraction of what would be needed,
if someone could even be found to do the work on a
condemned building. A contractor looked at it,
said it was unsalvageable and wouldn't do it for any
amount because it was too dangerous. In all the years
you spent caring for your parents, did you ever give
any thought to the children who live near there,
and their parents, who have had to look at that eyesore
every day for years now, and to avoid the possible
pests that it might attract?
Not that it matters at this point, but I'm wondering
why you ignored the many letters the city sent
you. You're wasting your time now...let the city do its work and give
them the 10G to pay for the job of getting rid of
an unsightly, dangerous building that was once a proud
old home.
Sal
