Even Without Ice, Winds, Cold Temps Cause Trouble: San Antonio - It could have been much worse: Ice that was expected to coat elevated roads and bridges throughout the greater San Antonio area Wednesday morning never really materialized. However, strong winds and frosty temperatures took its place, leaving some people out in the cold and putting the freeze on work for others. While the weather was an uncomfortable inconvenience, it was more of a pain in the pocket for others, including Keith Witt, owner of Winco of South Texas. Witt's company - which specializes in washing the windows of some prominent downtown high-rise buildings, including the Tower of the America's - had to keep all of its workers' feet on the ground. "The wind's about, probably, 10 miles an hour faster (about 10 stories off the ground)," Witt said. "It can be very dangerous."
Witt said the conditions could cause a window washer's scaffolding to blow out about 20 to 30 feet away from the side of a building. Although his company holds a number of Guinness world records for window washing, Witt didn't want to chance taking on the local winds. While professionals remained down to earth, tourists were still given an opportunity to have their heads in the clouds. According to workers at the Tower of the Americas, the elevated attraction remained open to visitors throughout the day.
Burgling window cleaner who wore victim’s knickers walks free: A window cleaner who was found wearing a young mother’s knickers when police arrested him for burgling her home has walked free from court. Alan Sayer sneaked into his 19-year-old customer’s home in Newton-le-Willows through an open window. He then snatched a bra and two pairs of knickers from her bedroom. But he was caught out after sending his victim a handwritten note asking for a date. And when the 36-year-old was taken into police custody at St Helens officers found him wearing the victim’s pink and black knickers. The crime is said to have left her “sickened and frightened”.
Sayer, who has a string of previous convictions, had served 80 days in custody since pleading guilty to the offence at St Helens Magistrates’ Court. Sentencing Sayer at Liverpool Crown Court, the judge, Recorder Nicholas Fewtrell described the break-in as “a major breach of trust”. He added: “Members of the public expect those who do work in their houses should have standards of uppermost decency.” But, acknowledging Sayer’s time served on remand and early guilty plea, he issued a suspended nine-month prison term. Prosecuting, Mandy Nepal explained how the mother had been stopped in the street by the window cleaner on the morning of November 10 last year. She said: “She told him she was going to her mother’s house that day. “(But) at about 1pm that day the defendant came to her mother’s house and said someone had broken into her property, explaining the back window was open and the blinds were up.”
The woman “panicked” and went to the house with her father but nothing appeared to have been taken from the house. Ms Nepal added: “Later in the evening she noticed her underwear drawer was open and three items of underwear were missing, which were a pair of pink and black knickers, a polka dot bra, bra straps and laced French knickers.” The woman was reassured by her family but contacted officers after being spooked by a letter Sayer delivered through her door the next day. Ms Nepal continued: “She received a note through the door which read: ‘Do you want to go for a date’. It was from the window cleaner – that frightened her and she contacted police.” After his arrest, bra straps belonging to the victim were found in his bedroom and he was found wearing her underwear at St Helens police station.
He tried to claim the knickers belonged to his ex-girlfriend but his story unravelled and he confessed to his crime at St Helens Magistrates’ Court. Making reference to the St Helens Star’s presence in court and the embarrassing publicity that would follow for Sayer, Robert Wyn Jones, defending, said: “It’s not illegal to wear women’s underwear – even in St Helens. “No doubt on release life in St Helens will be uncomfortable enough and windowing cleaning difficult.” Mr Wyn Jones offered little explanation for why Sayer had committed the crime but suggested the use of amphetamine drugs had given him the urge to go into her house. Sayer, of Sankey Street, Newton, has seven previous convictions for 17 offences since 2003. However, none of those offences related to other underwear thefts and a psychiatric report came back clear. He was also sentenced to carry out 250 hours unpaid work and handed a restraining order, which states he must not contact the victim. Previous blog on this story here.
LONDON, ONTARIO- College Pro Painters and Window Cleaning gathered in Las Vegas, Nevada last month for their first leadership conference to meet, mingle and plan for a phenomenal 2011. What appeared to be a seemingly normal conference started off with an unusual bang. This was not your standard leadership conference to discuss advanced skill training and professional painting and window cleaning, but instead a chance for employees to learn and incorporate social media into their business practices, an essential skill in today's marketplace.
Upon arrival, employees and franchise owners were split into groups and given 45 minutes to create a "viral social media video." The goal was to create a video that would appeal to audiences on social spaces like YouTube and Facebook and spread organically. Not only was this an ice-breaker for the leadership conference, but also a hands-on social media tutorial. The videos were an instant hit and the exercise helped demonstrate the power of social media in the business world. Whether being used for training, team building, customer service, or lead generation, social media is a tool that College Pro values. College Pro believes that students looking to maximize their success in their painting or window cleaning businesses should look to the tools they are most familiar with and take advantage of the opportunities they present. Mitch Seiffert, General Manager of College Pro Window Cleaning, described the ice breaker as "a great idea! It really allowed everyone to have some fun and I was amazed at the end results from just 45 minutes of work from a group of people."
A window washer dangles, Spider-Man-like, 27 stories above downtown Minneapolis. He pauses in front of the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows in Ron Peltier's office, then drops out of sight. Peltier, chairman and CEO of HomeServices of America, can't watch. But when it comes to the housing market -- the worst in three decades -- the head of the second-largest real estate company in the country isn't the least bit squeamish. Peltier says it's time to make a big leap and expand.
Imdaad expects demand for home maintenance services in the UAE to increase, thanks to the recovering real estate sector. It claims cost-effective annual maintenance charges and integrated home maintenance services are key incentives for property owners to adopt FM solutions and Abu Dhabi will be a major growth area in the residential segment. Building on the company's work in Dubai, Imdaad said it has now beefed up its HomePro Maintenance Services to capitalise on the expected growth in demand for home maintenance services in Abu Dhabi. “Imdaad's strategy has always been to constantly expand the scope of our services and cater to emerging requirements and demands in the facilities management market," said Jamal Abdulla Lootah, CEO, Imdaad. "We have therefore developed a wider range of value-added services and privileges to strengthen our position as a value-oriented solutions provider, and to take advantage of emerging growth opportunities in key markets such as Abu Dhabi." Services include maintenance of air-conditioners, MEP and civil packages, drainage chambers, water tank, pest control, façade and window cleaning.
Not Your Typical Shower Items! More than half of US adults claim to use their showers for more than just washing up. Here are some of the most unusual shower items they admit to bringing into the stall. Do any of these sound familiar? "Everything we do starts with market research and really understanding how consumers use our products," says says Susan Fisher, Director of Brand Management for Delta Faucet. "And this study gives us more insight into that very personal space." But, when you consider that only 34 percent of Americans live in a single-family home, according to the National Multi Housing Council, not everyone has a utility sink or access to a hose. So the shower might just be the best (and only) solution available when you need access to water. Window screens. Cleaning window screens is a big job. You may reach for a hose, but not everyone does. Window screens are being cleaned in the shower.
Solar-Powered Roads Are Idaho Inventor's Dream: An Idaho inventor, Scott Brusaw, CEO of Solar Roadways, has created a solar-powered roadway made of glass. The glass panels contain solar cells that power heating elements, which operate much like the rear window defogger in a car, preventing ice accumulation. They also house LED lights. Replacing existing asphalt with the solar panels will save money and natural resources over time, since asphalt is made with petroleum. The 53-year-old electrical engineer and CEO of Solar Roadways will outfit the area around his Sagle, Idaho, business this spring with a series of structurally engineered glass panels that have the strength of steel and may be driven upon. Inside the glass are solar cells that power the embedded heating elements, which operate much like the rear window defogger in a car, preventing ice accumulation.
The panels also contain LED lights for "painting" the road lines from beneath the surface to ensure safer nighttime driving. Brusaw also included a microprocessor board that spells out messages such as "slow, curve ahead" or blink to indicate wildlife or pedestrians are crossing the roadway. The U.S. Department of Transportation funded the project after officials saw a need "to put an electric blanket over our highways" and find alternatives to petroleum-based asphalt and concrete, he explained. Brusaw estimates that his solar roadways cost $4.4 million a mile, but insists the cleaner, self-sustaining highway would pay for itself over time.
Homegrown terror plots focus of hearings: In Hempstead, Texas, a window washer named Barry Walter Bujol was seen visiting his local library to go online and read the latest postings from Al Qaeda leaders, such as American-born Anwar Awlaki. He allegedly exchanged e-mails with Awlaki, who sent him an attachment called "42 Ways of Supporting Jihad." Bujol often went to the library after prayer services at a nearby mosque. The father of two young children, he had recently become a devout Muslim. Last year, he was indicted for attempting to aid terrorists; he faces 20 years in prison if convicted. In Little Rock, Muhammad is scheduled for trial on Feb. 23, despite wishing to plead guilty. Prosecutors hope he gets what he wants — the death penalty. In one of his letters to the judge, Muhammad wrote, "I await sentencing." Previous blog on this story here & here.
Fond memories of Dad working at the Stampfer's store (Dubuque): My father worked at Stampfer's for many years as a maintenance man. One of his jobs was to wash the windows inside and out. About 1940, while cleaning the outside windows on the second floor, his safety belt broke and he fell to the pavement and broke his ankles. The one was broken in seven pieces. He was hospitalized for a long time, and was laid up at home for months. Mr. Stampfer continued to pay him his wages the entire time he was laid up. After months of recovery, he went back to work for Stampfer's. Many a night after the store was closed, I would go with my father and accompany him on his rounds. He had a special key that he would put in a time clock and turn it. He had to do this in different locations in the store.
Controversial comic Jim Davidson has been widely accused of being racist thanks to some of his early material. So why has he teamed up with fast-rising black comedian Matt Blaize for his latest project? “Back then, I was a 23-year-old rich white guy,” Davidson says, reflectively. “I’d made more money than I ever could have in my old job as a window cleaner and I was going through life like it was a breeze. I mean Chalky… I used to be able to do West Indian accents so that’s why I did that. I got the accent by copying other people I saw, but in actual fact, all my black mates talked [cockney] like me! “In fact, there was one [black] guy I used to play football with in school, we were really good mates. A year after we left school, I saw him and I was like, ‘George, it’s me!’ He looked at me and said, [puts on Jamaican accent] ‘You alright, man. Mi just out wid mi bredrin.’ I pulled him aside, and said, ‘What are you talking like that for?’ He then switched back to his original accent and whispered to me, ‘Shhh, I’m wiv me mates!’
Webster Police Release Details in Murder-Suicide: Webster (N.Y.) police say David Pulos shot and killed his wife Marisa with a 12-gauge shotgun, then turned the gun on himself. They released new details Friday about Wednesday's murder-suicide. Police found the couple dead in their Morning Glory Drive home Wednesday morning. Police say the couple was going through a divorce. They say both David and Marisa were shot once. Police previously were called to the home for an argument, but no charges were filed. David told police that Marisa sprayed him with window cleaner.
Dreghorn bogus caller strikes again: A door-step conman who made off with £450 aftertargeting two Dreghorn pensioners in sheltered housing has struck a further 14 times in the village, police fear. Cops say the bogus caller is using a range of ruses to rob the elderly and believe he was behind a spate of unsuccessful attempts to trick residents last week. This week, they urged people to be on their guard and appealed for more information to catch the serial fraudster. PC Alan McPhail, of Irvine police, said: “This character has presented himself as a council worker, a gardener, a window cleaner, you name it. “He’s even tried chapping people up in the early hours of the morning asking if they’ve seen his mother. It seems he’ll try anything. “Thankfully most people have been wise to him.
Unions and the steel industry have joined forces to fight against the rising number of engineering and fabrication jobs going offshore. The Australian Steel Institute, the Manufacturing Workers Union, Unions W-A and the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers have united to form the Skilled Work Alliance. They have organised television advertisements, community rallies and will march on state parliament next month to call for new laws to keep work in W-A. "The cost to WA manufacturing is enormous, but it's the cost to the whole community that's really frightening," he said. "These West Australian firms are the skills factories of the state. Without these workshops we lose those skills factories in the process, so we diminish our state and we end up just being a bunch of window cleaners."
Here is the true story of a business transaction which took place last Sunday in an Auckland backyard. A six-year-old girl and her four-year-old cousin were playing water fights with an old trigger-topped plastic bottle. After a while, they started squirting the window panes of the ranchslider doors. Their caregiver - a cynical business editor - saw an opportunity (not so much for getting clean windows, but for keeping two children quietly occupied) and handed them each a sponge. The two spent the next half hour happily cleaning the windows. As they neared completion, of their task they started chatting and came to a profound conclusion: they should be getting paid for this work. "We can get pocket money for this, can't we?" declared the financially savvy four-year-old.
Readers familiar with the cold, hard reality of the business world will see where this is going and will already be visualising the two crestfallen little faces as the caregiver explained their problem. Having completed the work without at any stage engaging in discussion about payment- let alone doing a deal on pricing - the pair now had no bargaining power with which to make demands. The disappointment and outrage they felt on realising this probably reflected, in some small way, the kind of hurt and anger that someone might feel when it's revealed that they have unwittingly sold their shares for half their market value.
Could Los Angeles' Funky Watts Towers Be in Danger of Closing? Los Angeles' Watts Towers is off the beaten track, which may be its biggest problem. The endangered folk art installation with the name that sounds like an office building is suffering from lack of maintenance and visitors. Italian artist Simon Rodia made the structures, with the tallest one reaching about 98 feet. The unusual outdoor exhibit is a site to see with 17 towering steel sculptures covered with mortar and decorated with broken glass, sea shells, pottery and ceramic tile and hand-painted Canton ware. Rodia made them without machines, scaffolding, bolts, rivets or welds; he used simple tools: pipe-fitter pliers and a window-washer's belt and buckle.
Mayor Jacobs expresses concerns over arts center in memo to Mayor Dyer: The memo describes the project as “disconcerting,” and having “serious financial concerns.” Mayor Jacobs says the arts center is not feasible the way the deal stands today. We have told you about art center studies on things like wind tunnel studies and window washing consultants. Now, the county says the construction costs are too high, and arts center board members aren’t even fully aware of what’s going on with the project and may have even been misled. The Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center is just one part of the three-pronged "venues vision" for Orlando. The two other projects are the new Amway Center and a major overhaul for the aging Citrus Bowl. But that $1.1 billion plan which was approved in 2007, is showing signs of serious fatigue now. Previous blog on this story here.
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