[texhax] LaTeX programming question

[Joshua Harold Shrader]

I've searched extensively for some package / class that performs this, but have not found anything, and would greatly appreciate some help.  Here's the problem:
 
I would like to be able to type a document where I can flag certain paragraphs to be treated specially.  For example:
 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 
This paragraph is normal
 
\begin{special1}
  I would like this paragraph, when typeset, to appear with a "(P1)" at the very beginning of the paragraph.  If this paragraph is broken across pages, I would like the "(P1)" to appear as the first couple characters on the second page where the paragraph is broken.  Also, on any page that contains a portion of this paragraph, I would like the header and footer to say "Paragraph Type 1".
\end{special1}
 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 
I'm not very familiar with programming with LaTeX.  I am currently reading through The LaTeX Companion.  I do have significant programming background, but the TeX/LaTeX syntax is not like anything I've ever seen before.  I'm not even sure if something like this is possible.  
 
Do you know of anything out there that performs something similar to what I'm looking for.  If not, is LaTeX at least capable of doing something like this.  
 
Thank you so much for your help.
 
Josh Shrader
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