Winter Window Cleaning Tips & Other News

Here is Tony Evans, alias Mister Squeegee - a Professional Window Cleaner from Iowa who will giving us hints & tips about working in the cold weather. Its going to be a long cold winter and Tony has a full list of winter window cleaning topics for us under the title "Weather or Not." Stay warm everybody.

Boston: Retailers are hoping that the combination of cold and snow will put people into the shopping spirit. NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that retailers need shoppers in the holiday spirit because sales have been slow so far this year. "The snow puts people into the Christmas mood," vendor Juan Tavares said. But whether you are a window washer or a window decorator, the bitter air doesn't make it easier for anyone who is working outdoors."Three sweatpants, three sweaters, the super gloves, three hats," vendor Jimmy Milliken said. After Monday, the weather should warm up, but there is a chance of snow.

Flintshire gas blast survivor says "I owe my life to God." A window cleaner who was seriously burnt in a terrifying gas explosion at his Flintshire home has spoken for the first time about his brush with death. David Roberts says he is lucky to be alive, following the blast in Stanley Street, Mold, Flintshire, last week. In an exclusive interview with the Evening Leader, the 41-year-old recounted the moment he was engulfed in flames as the blast ripped through the house, which he shares with his parents, Derek and Margaret, blowing out the windows and doors and leaving it gutted. He said: "The whole of Stanley Street could quite easily not be here today, the explosion was that huge. "It just goes to show that no-one knows when their time is up. I owe my life to God. " have a belief that it was God that saved me and my family that day."
The drama unfolded at around 9am on Monday, December 1, when David, a self-employed window cleaner, lit a cigarette. The next thing I knew I was on fire and shouting for help," he said."I didn't even hear the explosion because I was in it. I couldn't hear or see anything."I was surrounded by rubble and I didn't have a clue what was happening."David and his parents thanked neighbours who rushed to his rescue, tending to him until paramedics arrived. They also praised Flintshire Council's emergency response team, emergency services and local councillor Haydn Bateman. More than 30 residents were evacuated following the blast, with surrounding streets being closed off for days. The family also thanked the Dolphin Inn, where they stayed on the night of the blast, and the Beaufort Park Hotel, New Brighton, where they have been staying ever since. Mum Margaret said: "We lost everything in an instant but everyone has been fantastic, and so helpful." The family do not know where they will be spending Christmas, and have been told the house will take 18 months to repair. The cause of the explosion is still being investigated.
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White collar workers are increasingly dodging paying tax, MPs reveal: Builders and decorators might be the tradesmen that you most associate with tax dodging. But a new MPs' report shows that white collar professionals - including lawyers, surgeons and property developers - are increasingly fiddling their figures. The report reveals that Revenue and Customs has caught 57 barristers evading hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax. Of these, 36 agreed to return a total of £605,000 in unpaid taxes and fines. Another 21 barristers are still being investigated while the department states it is trying to trace the owners of luxury yachts and cars. However the majority of middle class tax evaders have not been prosecuted. It is all part of Britain's cash in hand culture which is costing the Treasury more than £2billion in lost revenue every year.
Around two million tax cheats operate in the black economy and their chances of being caught are 'very slight', the report says. Self-employed builders and decorators are singled out as amongst the worst offenders for failing to declare their full earnings by the Commons public accounts committee. It found that around 80 per cent of those working in the hidden economy owed relatively small amounts in tax, but that the total potential loss was 'significant'. Cash payments to workers such as a handyman, childminder or window cleaner are a feature of the UK economy. However, it makes earnings easier to hide from the taxman. A growing area of concern is individuals trading on the internet through auction sites such as ebay. The report reveals that 30,000 cases a year have been uncovered since 2003-04 - a detection rate of just 1.5 per cent. But another 11,900 cases resulting from tip offs to the Tax Evasion hotline last year are still awaiting investigation.

Boxing Window Cleaner: Allston, Boston: Tommy Duquette starts at the base of the Windsor Village apartment and townhouse complex in Waltham. Then he charges up the first 60 steps. Fast. Then he does it again, and again. Then there's a big hill. He charges up that as well. ``That's Round 1,'' he said. He does three more rounds without a rest. He does the whole thing in about 30 minutes.``It's a really intense 30 minutes,'' he verifies.
It's a workout he usually does on his own. He's tried to bring along fellow boxers from the Boston Boxing & Fitness Club of Allston in the past. They usually don't stick around. ``They don't last long,'' he admitted. ``They do it a couple of times and they say it's fine. Then that's it. They don't come back.'' But Duquette keeps coming back. Just like he keeps going back to the boxing gym where he has his own key and is its most celebrated competitor. Nearly a decade after he first laced up the gloves, the Waltham resident is still at it. He had his first sparring match at age 16. He had his big breakthrough in a tournament in Kansas City when he was 20. Now, at age 23, he is the New England amateur junior welterweight champion after winning the open 141-pound weight class in Portland, Me. two weeks ago. Next month, he will travel to Lake Placid, N.Y. for the regionals, then perhaps on to Colorado Springs, Colo. for the national championships. The ultimate destination is London in 2012. ``The Olympics have always been kind of a dream,'' he allowed. ``But you could only whisper it before. You don't really want to talk about it out loud. He had his boxing, sure, but how long would that last? To support himself, he was washing windows on three- and four-story houses in Weston. ``You know, all the mansions,'' he dismissed. He was doing it one very cold day shortly before the company he worked for closed up shop for the season when he looked around, and looked deep within himself. ``I remember the day,'' he recalled. ``It was freezing cold, and I'm out there in the winter, with this vision of all my friends I went to high school with sitting at a nice warm desk.''

How to save your skin from winter damage: While North Texas typically isn't subjected to subzero temperatures and biting winter winds, the cold months can wreak havoc on skin. From a little itch to cracked skin that hurts and bleeds, cool weather can magnify many dermatological conditions. Fortunately, a number of techniques can help keep skin supple and healthy. "For face or for body, ointments deliver the most moisture, followed by creams, then lotions, which have the highest water content of moisturizers and therefore are not as rich or effective," says Dr. Mary Hurley, a dermatologist at North Dallas Dermatology at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas. "The ones that smell good aren't necessarily the best moisturizers. And anything with a strong fragrance can be irritating."
Healthy skin on your face and body is more than a cosmetic issue. "Severely dry skin can decrease the natural skin barrier, which is our defense against infection," says Dr. Max Adler of Park Cities Dermatology. Dr. Hurley recommends waiting no more than three minutes after a bath or shower to moisturize. "This is one of the best ways to seal in moisture," she says. Skin cancer doesn't take a winter break Hands often dry out fastest because there are fewer oil glands on the hands and feet than elsewhere on the body. Plus, with hands, whatever oil is there can be stripped by repeated washing.
Eczema, characterized by extreme dry patches, can split the skin on fingers and palms. Dr. Adler tells patients who have eczema on their hands "to skip antibacterial soaps and sanitizers." If you'll be travelling on a plane, carry a travel-size tube of hand and facial moisturizer. Humidity levels on jets are notoriously low. "And the soap in the plane bathrooms is always so harsh," says Curran Dandurand, co-founder of Jack Black, a men's skin-care company in Carrollton. "Reapply whenever you think about it." In the car, Dr. Adler recommends using the floorboard setting on the heater rather than having hot air blow directly onto your face. And don't forget sunscreen. "It's a little-known fact that 90 percent of the sun we get is through the car window, so wear sunscreen every day year-round," he says. Hydrate your skin from the inside out by drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. "Drinking plenty of water is just a good practice regardless," Dr. Hurley says.
SOURCE: National Institutes of Health
PROTECTING YOUR SKIN
The American Academy of Dermatology offers these tips for making skin feel comfortable during winter or when the air is dry: Use a humidifier. With the heat on and windows closed, the air indoors can become very dry in winter, worsening the dryness and itching of eczema. A humidifier adds moisture to the air. Switch to an oil-based moisturizer and use it frequently. The more oil a moisturizer contains, the more effectively it protects against moisture loss. Ointment moisturizers have a high oil content because, by definition, an ointment consists of 80 percent oil and 20 percent water. This water-in-oil emulsion forms a protective layer on the skin and is more “moisturizing” than creams and lotions. Apply a heavy layer of moisturizing, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Use on the face, hands and other exposed skin. This acts as a barrier against the elements and is especially important if you will be outdoors. Dress in layers. The most common triggers of the scratch-itch cycle are sweating and overheating. Layering allows you to remove clothing as needed to prevent overheating. Wear loose-fitting cotton fabrics next to your skin. Shed wet clothes and shoes immediately. These can irritate the skin.
SOURCE: American Academy of Dermatology

THE SIN BIN: -

Fake window cleaner conned woman, 89: A FAKE window cleaner who stole money from an 89-year-old woman has been jailed for four years. A judge told Ian Cornell (43), of Chesterfield Road, Mansfield, that he was 'disgusted' by his behaviour in targeting an elderly woman. The victim was asleep in a chair in her living room in the afternoon on 15th October when she was woken by Cornell, Nottingham Crown Court was told on Friday. Prosecutor Paul Stimson said Cornell told the woman he had come to clean the windows on behalf of her regular cleaner, giving the other man's correct first name. "He then asked if he could come in for a cup of tea because he was cold," said Mr Stimson. Without being invited he followed her in and stole £20 from her purse while she made the tea. It was his 10th conviction for house burglary and although most were derelict properties, the last two, for which he received 28 months in prison, were lived in.Cornell, who admitted the offence, had never had help with his drugs problem and was sorry for what he had done, according to his barrister Sarah Munro. Judge Dudley Bennett told him: "You are a persistent criminal, you conned your way in with your lying pretence that you were a window cleaner."

Window cleaning yob handed CRASBO: A teenager from St Helens who carried out a window cleaning scam has been hit with a criminal ASBO. Lee James Stuart appeared at St Helens Magistrates Court last week where he was given the order after pleading guilty to criminal damage. The 19-year-old was sentenced earlier this year for fraud after taking money from a number of homeowners, promising to clean their windows but then failing to do so. Many of the targets in the unsophisticated scam lived just a few hundreds yards from Stuart's home address. He was given a 12 months conditional discharge, ordered to pay £65 court cost and pay £3 compensation. Stuart, of Brookland Lane, St Helens, admitted the criminal damage charge, which police and council chiefs to apply for the CRASBO, in August. Under the terms of the two-year CRASBO, Stuart is banned from:* Entering the front or rear paths/gardens of any residential property unless he has the authority of the tenant or owner of the property anywhere within the borough of St. Helens* Causing harassment, alarm or distress to any person.Chief Inspector Mike Constantine said: "The court recognised that Mr Stuart had been causing a great deal of distress to vulnerable residents within St Helens by demanding money for the services of cleaning windows and gutters which he had not provided."