Free Flyer Creator (Today Only) + Window Cleaning News

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 Winter weather: Will Scott of Capital Window Cleaning washes off the glass canopy of the TD Tower building on Westmorland Street in Fredericton on Friday afternoon. Friday's storm, which dropped between 20 and 30 centimetres of snow on the Fredericton area, left many people as they woke up this morning facing a task that's become all too familiar this winter - cleaning out plugged driveways.

Consett man sets up Scott's Access Training: A former oil rig worker has started his own business to train people how to safely climb rigs and skyscrapers. Andy Scott from Consett, County Durham, set up Scott’s Access Training to teach people how to use a rope and harness to manoeuvre around the outside of high buildings. Andy, who worked on the oil rigs for 14 years, said: “Rope access training is for any person or business where the work would be made easier by being able to get up and down the side of a building using a rope and harness. “I mostly train people who want to work on the oil rigs because it is a highly desirable skill for that industry. But we also train people like window cleaners who need better access to large buildings.” He has received Government accreditation for the training he provides, alongside other members of his family. Wife Rose runs the office and two of their children have also taken the training for their jobs in the offshore industry. “The certificate we provide gives people the chance to earn much higher salaries on the oil rigs and, for those onshore, it can really widen the scope for their business.”

Few people can say they have gone from window cleaner to mayor. But Rex Griffin has done just that. Cr Griffin was the late Brian Naylor’s window cleaner in the 1980s when he owned Griffin’s Window Cleaning business. He cleaned windows and drove taxies before and after his 9-5 job in the Australian Public Service. It was the only way he could afford to send his children to his school of choice. “It wasn’t so uncommon to work two or three jobs in those days,” Cr Griffin said. “The window cleaning and my football umpiring was how a lot of people up here got to know me.” His position as Whittlesea Mayor entitles him to an annual salary of almost $89,000, which includes the use of a council vehicle.

For 33 years, Cr Griffin worked in various federal government departments. In the 1980s, he was a medical fraud investigator, and a social security undercover investigator during the ‘90s. “I’d be sitting out the front of cafes looking a real sight, in thongs and T-shirt, with an earpiece in my ear,” he said. The extra money helped pay his $30,000 home loan, which, he said, “was like a noose around my neck”.

He and wife Hazel bought their Epping family home in 1980 and have lived there since. They raised two sons and two daughters and mourned the death of their eldest son, Matthew, in 2009. Cr Griffin is a life member of the Wye River Surf Life Saving Club and was its president from 1992 until 1996. In 1990, he was elected to Whittlesea Council. “Every time I’ve been voted back in, I’ve always had the most votes,” Cr Griffin said.

The Excuse is Gone - Healthy exercise by doing simple chores around the house: "Next time you dread the thought of window cleaning time, remember it's another way to burn calories and work your upper body." According to the American Institute of Reboundology, 2 of the top 10 reasons people don't exercise are exercise boredom and perception that exercise is too difficult. But, in reality, both of these objections really are just myths based on bad information or previous bad experiences - perceptions. 3. Cleaning windows. Raise your hand if your windows are less than "clear"! Sure, cleaning windows is not the most fun activity but one that almost all of us need to do a few times a year. Next time you dread the thought of window cleaning time, remember it's another way to burn calories and work your upper body.

Support for self-employed and small firms vital to drive recovery: The recent Finance Act imposed the highest marginal tax rate on Ireland's self- employed and small companies, and these are the people who must be supported if the economy is to grow again, the president of the Irish Taxation Institute, Andrew Cullen, told its annual dinner last night. "The marginal rate of tax for self-employed individuals is 3pc higher than an employee on an equivalent salary. Tax policies must encourage, not punish, entrepreneurship," Mr Cullen said. Mr Cullen challenged the remarks of German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Ireland's low corporate tax is in some way linked to the property crisis. "It only serves to bring additional pressures on Ireland at a time when we need certainty and confidence in order to keep inward investment and encourage growth," he said. "The issue of the corporate tax rates and a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base will be under the spotlight yet again next month as EU leaders prepare for two major EU summits. Click the picture if you're Irish!

Medford - The owner of a Washington Township window cleaning service has been charged with stealing jewelry from his customers' homes. Mark Tonelli, owner of Magic Window Cleaning Company, was arrested Thursday morning and charged with stealing about $7,500 worth of jewelry from a Medford home on Dec. 6, 2010, police said. Tonelli had been hired by the homeowner to clean the house's windows. Tonelli also faces on similar charges of theft out of Haddonfield and Harrison Township, police said.

Gnome-lover locks up gnomes: Gnome-lover Ron Broomfield has been on high alert, fearing for the safety of 1,700 little friends since the hit animated movie Gnomeo And Juliet came out. The 76-year-old, who answers the phone ‘Ron the gnome’, has locked hundreds of his diminutive buddies inside. ‘I’ve got the ones in the front garden set in concrete and the smaller ones have been brought into the house,’ said Ron, of Alford, Lincolnshire. He said the odd one or two had ‘gone for a walk’ before and he was taking no chances with the success of the 3D film voiced by James McAvoy and Emily Blunt. Broomfield, a retired window cleaner, is said to dress up as a gnome at least twice a week. 'I've always loved them and had the beard since I was in my 20s when I started my gnome collection back then,' said Broomfield.

Recipe for an empty storefront: The corner windows of the Placer Market and Bakery are big enough to reveal the spacious emptiness inside — the bare shelves and unused oven and fliers advertising now-irrelevant baked good prices. As for recent business, Hanson said the bakery had been making it, despite the cold winter weather, and was gearing up for heavy traffic in the summer.  On Jan. 12, the Placer Downtown, LLC, locked the bakery out of its premises after terminating its lease. According to the complaint the bakery owners filed two days later, this action was “intended to cause the bakery to fail, or to gain leverage to force unpermitted ease modifications upon the Bakery.” The shop was not without its financial problems, however. Kleen King, Inc., filed a complaint in October stating that it was never paid for more than $1,000 of window cleaning and floor maintenance services it completed at the shop in June. Van’s Thriftway has “Placer Market” on the list of entities from which it doesn’t accept checks. Williams admitted in an interview that with the bakery closed, the business itself doesn’t have money to spend. But with inquiring calls coming in on a regular basis, the couple wants to make one thing clear. “People are assuming the bakery failed and it did not,” Hanson said.

ACCIDENT, CHAGRIN BOULEVARD: A Columbus man, 29, was not seriously injured on Feb. 14 just before 3 p.m. when the 2003 Ford van he was driving, owned by a window cleaning company, hit an icy patch in the roadway and slid off the north side of the roadway, striking a large rock in a yard and then coming to rest on top of the rock.

Pembrokeshire tradesmen warned about parking on double yellow lines: Pembrokeshire's new parking regime means an end to the days when tradesmen parked on double yellow lines with a note on their windscreen. Now they will have to pay at least £25 if their work means that their vehicles have to be left in ‘no parking’ areas – or risk a fine. Builders, window cleaners, removal men†and glaziers are among the trades who may be granted parking waivers or dispensations by Pembrokeshire County Council. They will need to apply three days in advance, paying a £15, non-refundable fee. If the application is allowed, they will then be charged £10 for each space required.

Knowing how council spends your money - priceless: Every time more than £500 is spent, information about the purchase must be made available for public scrutiny. And items for October and November 2010 can now be viewed online here. Meanwhile, £755 was spent on window cleaning at the Think Tank, in Ruston Way, Lincoln. A further £2,469 was spent on internal cleaning. Communications manager at the City of Lincoln Council Chris Dunbar said the authority would continue to publish monthly data as part of its commitment to greater transparency. "The data list also does not list our income, which often offsets costs, particularly in relation to running our buildings and other facilities. "Our aim is to provide value for money and to obtain the best value on everything we purchase and our annual published accounts show that we consistently achieve this." Unison's regional head of local government Andy Belfield said: "The simple fact is that for every £1 councils spend, 60p goes into the local economy, which is one of the reasons we are so concerned about rushing through council cuts.

OSHA fines company $70,000 for Hollywood water tower accident: Federal safety officials have imposed a $70,000 fine on the company that was refurbishing the city's water tower in October, when two workers were seriously hurt. Investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration noted that the St. Augustine-based M Brothers Paintings Inc. had 15 safety violations when a scaffold collapsed and sent the two men tumbling into the empty tower. The workers, Meliso Valderrabano, 22, of Jacksonville, and Carlos Bustamante, 43, of Houston, were hospitalized for a few weeks after a dramatic, six-hour rescue operation. They have since left South Florida and could not be reached for comment Tuesday, when the fine imposed on Feb. 17 was announced. The two were performing scheduled maintenance at the tower on Sheridan Street near Interstate 95. They were standing on a swinging scaffold like the ones window cleaners use when one of the sides gave way inside the tower, sending the men to the bottom of the tank, officials said.

Home Improvement Projects You Should Never DIY: The anemic housing market and weak economy has forced many homeowners to take on home improvement projects on their own. But even if you’re handy around the house, there are some things better left to the professionals. We checked in with contracting experts nationwide to find the home improvement or renovation projects you should not attempt without the help of an experienced contractor. Cleaning the Gutters - “First of all you should never be on a ladder without someone standing there in case you fall,” advises Kavovit. “When things are uneven, like the turf in your front yard, that can throw the ladder off.” Many homeowners aren’t proactive when it comes to cleaning the gutters and wait until leaks form. Having it done two or three times a year should prevent any major last minute catastrophes during a rainstorm “Don’t wait until you notice leaks occurring in your basement or you look outside and see your gutters filled with water and leaves,” Kavovit said. “It’s dangerous getting out there and fixing things during bad weather.”

An odd-job man stabbed and battered an 88-year-old great-grandmother (pictured) to death and stripped the jewellery from her fingers, the Old Bailey has heard. Daniel Franklin, of Felixstowe Road, Abbey Wood, is accused of murdering Irene Barrett, who he had known since his childhood, in a “vicious and prolonged” attack at her home. Jurors heard she either caught him stealing her money or refused to give him any when he visited her 15th floor flat in Valiant House, Charlton.Mrs Barrett’s son told the jury that he had warned her to stay away from Franklin. David Barrett said: “I was told we had this problem with missing money and she said she had concerns about the window cleaner. “I only knew him as Danny. I said I would clean her windows and she should tell him she didn't need his services anymore.” He added: 'She expressed surprise at the number of occasions he visited, not just to clean the windows.' Mr Barrett described his mother as a “very friendly, welcoming person”. Mrs Barrett has also mentioned the missing money and her concerns about Franklin to her granddaughters Lisa Reid and Karen Burgess, the court heard. Mrs Reid told jurors: “She said something like ‘I'm fine but I think Danny, the one that cleans my windows, he's been nicking my money’. “She said he must have been doing it for years and people had told her not to accuse him of it.

Beware the carpet cleaning hard sell: New Forest residents are being alerted to a carpet cleaning ‘promotion’ which could leave them out of pocket. Hampshire County Council’s Trading Standards service has investigated complaints from householders about the hard-sell tactics used by a Dorset cleaning company. A low-cost promotion is offered, but depending on what services are carried out, the final price can greatly increase. Many home owners feel pressurised into accepting a higher price after the carpet cleaning technician demonstrates different services in the home. The Safer New Forest Partnership advises householders and business owners to be wary of carpet cleaning offers after a number of cases recently involving local people. It advises against dealing with cold callers at the door or by telephone. Anybody considering having work done can use Hampshire County Council’s Buy with Confidence Scheme, which recommends approved local traders. Cold calling puts unwanted pressure on householders – just say no to this sales approach.” The Safer New Forest Partnership has free No Cold Calling window stickers available.

Barry man escapes New Zealand earthquake: A Barry man has narrowly escaped being caught up in the devastating earthquake that has left more than 75 people dead in Christchurch, New Zealand. Window cleaner and magistrate John Viney, of Cadoxton, was on a two-week tour and had stopped in the South Island city before returning to Wales. shallow depth of 5km (3.1 miles) on Tuesday lunchtime and has become the country's most deadly natural disaster in 80 years. John, speaking from Sydney Airport in Australia on Tuesday - the day news of the tragedy broke, said: "I had been in Christchurch for the previous four days, staying in a hotel and visiting all these places now damaged. "I left there to fly to Sydney and missed it by 12 hours. "I can't believe the pictures I am watching at Sydney Airport. "The hotel I was in looks bad."

Oscars 2011: Even the Losers Get $75,000-plus in Swag Bag - You don’t have to bring home the gold to win at the Oscars. The losing nominees will get a gift bag worth more than $75,000 (perhaps much more) in a swag bag titled “Everybody Wins at the Oscars.” The bags are delivered the next day so nominees don’t have to carry the booty around at the Academy Awards and parties and will make even losing more bearable to these saddened souls. We are not sure which of the following items are delivered separately, but the basic package contains most of the following:

The losing stars will have no shortage of places to go to drown their sorrows. They will get a $12,000 Belize getaway in Cayo Espanto — a private island, a $5,000 all-inclusive week-long fitness retreat from Live In Fitness Enterprise and a $16,000 all-inclusive getaway to Huvafen Fushi luxury resort in the Maldives compliments of Premier Tours. They can entertain themselves with their new Motorola Zoom Tablet. The winners get a secret bag that is worth twice the price to reportedly include 21 stays, three nights each, at a luxury hotel, according to LA Weekly.  A $151,200 value, though we could not confirm this one. If so, it raises the value of the package to nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

There are a dozen other curious gifts like all-natural dog-cleaning supplies, including “Doggie Slobber Window & Glass Cleaner.” Since many of them have been getting other pricey goodie bags all week, it pays to be a loser. Not bad for being a bridesmaid, not a bride on Oscar night.

Earthpawz products will be Hollywood-bound again, this time to be presented to 27 Oscar nominees in baskets arranged by Present Times on Charing Cross Street. “I never expected to be part of something that is sort of, so Hollywood, especially when you start out with something that’s all about the environment and your dog,” de St. Croix said. “I’m really honoured to be picked to be in the gift bags and just excited to have that kind of exposure and be recognized as a great green product.” Earthpawz environmentally friendly cleaning products have been gaining a following since de St. Croix began formulating them in September 2010. Initially available in 40 pet stores across Canada, the product line is now being sold in 700 stores throughout Canada and the United States. “I think the biggest thing that makes it stand out is that the formulation works so well,” she said. “The first thing I hear back from people who try it is how fantastic it works. The benefit that it is toxic-free is such a big one, but people are actually using something that works better than what they were using before.” Earthpawz products are specific to pets and the messes they leave.

ORANGE PARK, Florida: The case of a toddler who was largely unharmed after falling from a second-story window is closed. A 2-year-old boy fell around 5:30 p.m. Saturday at a home on the 300 block of Sunstone Court in Orange Park, according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. Investigators said the toddler fell out the window but was unharmed. The mother of the boy had been cleaning the home, when she opened the windows to clear fumes from the air. She went to work shortly afterwards and left her husband watching the children.

This one is lost on me - American humor? It was just a normal day in the life of a window washer. He had been cleaning windows for three hours with no near end in sight. As he was looking into the office he was cleaning he saw a man stealing some material from the safe...