Look Up..Look Down: The view must be nice up there. We have several highrise buildings in the Sault, some require window cleaning from the outside. For sure, you can't be afraid of heights in this job.
Just don't look down: Thrill-seeking photography craze brings stunning results from the top of the world: Anyone scared of heights need not apply. It is one of the most gut-wrenching experiences imaginable, but 'Rooftopping', a new heart-stopping photography craze is sweeping across the globe. Those brave enough to give it a try must go to the tops of the world's tallest buildings, shimmy to the side and then hang off the edge in a bid to capture the perfect picture. Travel photographer Tom Ryaboi has spent his life dangling from buildings trying to achieve what he calls the ultimate rush. He said: 'When you climb to the top of a skyscraper and open its hatch for the first time, a pure rush of adrenaline hits you as you overlook the city from above.
Worker dies in fall as roof fails: A 27-year-old Garrett man fell to his death Tuesday after the roof he was working on collapsed and his safety cable snapped. David W. Gingery was cleaning the roof of a building in the Iron Dynamics building at Steel Dynamics in Butler at the time of the accident. He was working for the contract company Power Clean. About 9 a.m., Gingery walked onto a portion of the roof and the roof structure failed, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department Detective Adam Friedel said. Gingery was wearing a harness and lanyard that was attached to a safety cable, but the safety cable snapped under his weight and he fell 100 feet to his death, Friedel said. Other people were working in the vicinity, but no one else was injured in the accident, Friedel said. Company spokesman Fred Warner said SDI is investigating the death. The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it was informed of the death and sent an investigator to the plant. The investigation is ongoing, an official with the agency said.
UK-wide search for missing Newport man: The family of a missing Newport man have vowed to travel the length and breadth of the UK, putting up posters and not resting until he is found. It is nearly a month since John 'Baz' Barrington, 42, of Worcester Crescent, St Julians, disappeared and while there have been no concrete sightings, family and friends have already travelled around Wales, London, Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare putting up posters. They will continue their search and are prepared to go as far north as Scotland, to Cornwall in the south and even abroad if any leads come up. Mr Barrington's sister Andrea said "we're not giving up", her resolve strengthened by an awareness event at the Glebelands on Saturday, which attracted hundreds of people and raised £1,500 for the search.
She said: "It shows the support for John that an event we arranged in six days attracted so many people. We sold hundreds of yellow wristbands and the money will help the search and be kept in a special fund for us to react if there is a sighting. "We've already put thousands of posters around the country on buses, taxis, cars and shops. Friends have been to Cheltenham this weekend and are planning to go to Northampton next week, we'll go all over the UK and even abroad." Mr Barrington was last seen on April 30 when he was supposed to meet up with a friend for a day trip to Weston-Super-Mare. But, the part-time window cleaner didn't didn't show up at the meeting point on Morden Road- something totally out of character- and there's been no news from him since. Previous blog here.
The maniac who beheaded a British gran once picked up a knife and warned his girlfriend either her or their baby was about to die. Deyan Deyanov, who is in prison for murdering Jennifer Mills-Westley, 60, in Tenerife, also threatened to throw Nadia Milanova off a balcony. Nadia, who has a six-year-old child with him, has been living in fear ever since. Her mother, 64, who helps look after the youngster in Deyanov's home town of Ruse in Bulgaria, revealed he thrust the knife at her daughter and snarled: "You choose who dies - you or the baby." She added: "He took the drugs then the drugs took him."
Cruise ship worker Nadia, 28, said: "The drugs turned him into a different person to the one I met. I pity the poor woman who died but it could have been me or my mother."
Deyanov, 28, stabbed and decapitated Mrs Mills-Westley, 60, in the Los Cristianos resort n May 13. His brother Elin, 34, said the killer had left his family in ruins years ago after stealing everything they had to pay for drugs. Elin, a window cleaner from Ruse, said: "Our dad couldn't pay his bills and was declared bankrupt. He just got up and left one day and I never heard from him again. "After that my mother became so crazy she had to be sent to a mental hospital, and while she was there everything else we had was sold off by Deyan - who wasted the cash on drugs and gambling. "I last saw my mother begging on the streets. "There isn't a day when I don't curse my brother's name. It's a terrible thing this woman is dead but I can't help feeling glad that he will be locked up for the rest of his life."
No point in getting shirty: I’m not against it in principle and were I a man of means I’d be all in favour of it in practice. However kind as my employers are, their kindness does not let me stretch to liveried staff or staff of any kind, come to that. In fact we occasionally have to lock the side gate to stop the window cleaner from getting round the whole house, thus reducing the bill.
Controversial Tesco Express Has Re-Opened In Bristol: The shop was initially closed less than a week after it first opened when there were riots on the Thursday night before Good Friday. Some people were upset that the company had decided to open the shop because they say it didn't fit into the ethos of the Stoke's Croft area. Exactly a week later there was a second riot.
It had been a controversial idea ever since Tesco announced their plans in February 2010. Despite protests that closed the street, sit-ins and various community meetings, because the shop unit had previously been a grocery store, it was allowed to open mid April 2011. Today, the staff at the Tesco Express store we've spoken to say it's business as usual since the shop opened at 7am. The shop certainly looks smart with the smell of fresh paint greeting you as you walk in and window cleaners were still working first thing this morning. The staff say they're happy to be at the shop but the company have employed 2 security staff there just in case.
‘I’ll never buy a condo again’: Apathy leads to condo in crisis. Nothing seems to function as it should at 40 Panorama Court. Not the concrete, which has been falling off balconies and threatening to break loose in the underground garage. Not the elevators, which are prone to breaking down and trapping residents inside. And certainly not the roof anchors, which have been unable to support the weight of window washers for three years now. But perhaps the most dysfunctional element is the community inside the 32-year-old building’s dirty windows. The relationship between residents and building management is broken as well, with residents making accusations of corruption, whisper campaigns circulating the hallways and condo meetings so heated that the police have gotten involved.
York Condominium Corporation 506, located near Finch and Kipling Aves., is in crisis. The 202-unit condo building needs millions of dollars in urgent repairs — but at the same time, it has an operating deficit of $670,000, a depleted reserve fund and a community that can’t agree on a fix. In August, a desperate board of directors took drastic action and hauled the building’s unit owners to court.
A woman is furious at being left in darkness for nearly a year – after her window fell out and was not replaced. Georgina Bell was cleaning the lounge window of her second-floor flat in Bulwell when the glass fell out because damp had rotted the frame. Nottingham City Homes, which is responsible for maintaining council houses, boarded up the window and told Ms Bell a replacement would take about a month. Despite a number of telephone calls, the 54-year-old is still waiting for a window 11 months later. After being contacted by the Nottingham Post, City Homes has promised it will be fitted today. "It's been really upsetting because we've been living in darkness while we've been waiting," said Ms Bell.
Job is a window into threats to urban birds: The job title alone made me want to shadow Renate Witt. She's a bird collision monitor. Renate is among a dozen volunteers who walk downtown streets early in the morning to look for birds that have flown into glassy buildings during the spring and fall migration seasons. Think bird watchers who look down instead of up. It's a situation when you'd rather not find what you're looking for. This duty makes her sad. But here's the way she looks at it. These birds find themselves in a tricky man-made environment, "and I'm doing my little part as a member of the human race to try to counteract the negative impact on their lives."
She volunteers for the Wisconsin Humane Society's WINGS program, which stands for Wisconsin Night Guardians for Songbirds. The carcasses she collects are carefully cataloged. This is from the program's website: "Our efforts include inviting corporate building managers to make their tall buildings bird-safe and encouraging everyone to do their part at work and at home to help protect birds from the hazards of window collisions." It's best if the lights in these buildings are turned off at night during migrations. And putting decals on home windows helps steer birds away. That's the ideal, of course.
"The Milwaukee business community has not responded as we had hoped to our WINGS program," said Scott Diehl, manager of the Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. That's where Renate and other monitors drop off the birds they find. Some of them are found alive but injured. Renate carries a net in her backpack to help ease them into a paper bag for the trip. Some can be saved; many cannot. A 25-gram bird doesn't have much of a chance when hitting a solid object at high speed.
The ads say you either love Marmite or you hate it - and now it seems dastardly Denmark has taken a dislike to our favourite savoury spread. Danish officials say Marmite's recipe breaks food safety laws restricting foods fortified with extra vitamins or minerals. So yesterday The Sun hit back by holding a proMarmite protest outside the Danish embassy in London. But when we spoke to ambassador Birger Riis-Jørgensen it was clear he is unlikely to spread the word. He said: "I have tried Marmite - but I'm more of a fine-cut English marmalade man." Fortunately there were plenty of Brits toasting the breakfast favourite at the protest. Businesswoman Sarah Palmer, 34, from Desborough, Northants, said: "How could anyone restrict sales of Marmite? It's ludicrous." And window cleaner Melvin Hennessy, 55, of Rotherhithe, south London, said: "Marmite's a staple part of the UK diet. Pity help us if they try to do the same thing here."
So much am I in the grip of Twitter, that I was tempted to write this piece in one hundred and forty characters or fewer. And it’s not all trivia. As someone who occasionally performs stand-up, I’ve watched as people write gags that would grace any stage, a whole new generation of comedians are on the rise learning a craft while sitting in work, for instance: @dullardcostner wrote the other day: “My window cleaner knocked on my door the other day effing and blinding. I thought, 'fuck me he's lost his rag!'” Bang, pure and simple a belting one liner that any comic would be proud of, and as far as I can tell, the writer sells insurance for a living.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. The "living wage" could be a killer for the Staten Island economy, and has split the borough's City Council delegation. A pending Council bill would require developers who get taxpayer subsidies to pay workers $11.50 per hour, or $10 if health benefits are included. Advocates say the bill would provide economic justice and would spur economic activity by boosting wages for the working class. Opponents say the legislation would cut jobs, discourage employers from expanding or moving into the city, and damage the city's manufacturing sector and affordable housing industry. "Simply put, this bill is bad for the Staten Island economy," said Linda Baran, chair and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. The proposal would affect most firms that receive public dollars for job creation and economic development, as well as their tenants, condo owners, contractors or subcontractors. Those covered would include building service workers, landscapers, doormen and window washers, whether they be full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal employees, independent contractors or contingent or contracted workers.
The California Chamber of Commerce today released its annual list of proposed legislation that threatens to hurt California's job climate and hamper economic recovery. "The first step in an economic recovery program is to do no more harm to the economy," said Allan Zaremberg, President and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce. "Proponents of anti-business legislation who think California's economy can withstand additional pressure from new regulatory and legislative burdens are simply unwilling to accept the unfortunate reality that California has the second highest unemployment rate in the country."
This year's list of "job killers" includes 28 proposed laws which threaten California employers with new costly workplace and employee benefit mandates, economic development barriers, regulatory burdens and inflated liability costs.
Economic Development Barriers - AB 350 (Solorio; D-Anaheim) Costly Employee Retention Mandate: Inappropriately alters the employment relationship by requiring any successor contractor for "property services," defined as licensed security, landscape, window cleaning or food cafeteria services, to retain employees of the former contractor for 90 days and thereafter offer continued employment unless the employees' performance during the 90-day period was unsatisfactory.
COOL NEWS: Window-washing mogul/civic leader/founder of Corporate Cleaning Services, Neal Zucker, received the global leadership award presented by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan at the BuildOn breakfast at the Hilton on Wednesday. The co-host for the event was Channel 5’s Rob Elgas and Zoraida Sambolin.
Business Profile: Inside-Out Windows offers home, commercial cleaning - Name of business: Inside-Out Window Cleaning. Location: Anderson; 610-7787
Owners: Jeremy and Bridget Simmons. Opened: March
Hours: by appointment, Monday through Saturday. Employees: Two owners
Services: Inside-Out Window Cleaning does residential and commercial full-service window cleaning services throughout Madison County. The window cleaning service includes inside and outside window cleaning, screen and storm window cleaning, casings and sill cleaning and specialty window cleaning.Inside-Out does free estimates.
Jeremy Simmons said they also offer other services like storing and changing screen and storm windows, preparing windows to be installed and cleaning new windows after home construction. Inside-Out also does graffiti removal. Jeremy Simmons has created his own window cleaning formula after struggling to find something that worked well but left no streaks. The owners stressed the importance of supporting local business. The couple is local and said investing in other Madison County businesses ensures local dollars stay local.
In the owner’s words: The business started as a part-time job for Jeremy Simmons in 2010 after a few of his wife’s customers at the salon she worked. After researching the business, he decided to invest in starting his own business. “I’ve always wanted to have my own business,” Simmons said. “I think it would be nice to build this business up and have a successful business I can pass along to my son.” He detailed cars before and enjoys the reward of seeing something being transformed through a good cleaning. “I really appreciate taking something that is dirty and make it nice,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in my work. I’m very thorough and detail oriented.”
Bridget Simmons said the couple prides themselves on giving customers something extra and have even received thank you cards for the business’ professionalism and quality work. “I still drive by places that I cleaned three weeks ago and look at the windows gleaming,” Jeremy Simmons said. “It is so gratifying."
It happens every spring. As sunlight reawakens tiny buds and fresh breezes dust the fields with lilacs, a strange compulsion kicks us out of our winter stupor. We actually want to clean. Floors suddenly seem grimy and corners cobwebby. The cluttered basement starts to really bug us. Even that previously insurmountable task — window washing — sounds like a good way to spend a Saturday. Our annual spring cleaning frenzy is more than mere tradition: It’s the manifestation of a primal urge for renewal on a deeper level. We have a deep need to mimic the earth’s own rebirthing cycle by cleaning floors, decluttering closets, and airing out rooms. And while a pristine, life-affirming home is a nice by-product of this urge, you shouldn’t stop there. No matter how organized and spotless your physical world may be, it won’t matter if your soul is cluttered with emotional debris. In other words, it’s time to embrace “spring cleaning” for your spirit. Spiritual cleansing and healing can and should be done all year long. But when you’re in a “decluttering” sort of mood already, it just feels easier and more natural to focus on trashing those spiritual bad habits and on making room for new ones that will lead to healing and joy on every level.
The Smog-Cleaning Building: Air pollution in urban environments is becoming a serious problem everywhere from Los Angeles to Beijing, but new materials technology may provide a solution to clearing smog from the world's cityscapes. Industrial materials firm Alcoa recently unveiled the world's first self-cleaning architectural panel, a product with the potential to reduce building maintenance and enable structures to decompose smog and other air pollutants. Known as Reynobond with EcoClean, the technology relies on a titanium dioxide coating that interacts with sunlight to break down organic matter on and floating around the surface of a building panel. Rainwater then washes the particles down to the surface.
"You can imagine the applications of this green building technology: Times Square would glimmer a little brighter," SmartPlanet notes. "Ultra-high skyscrapers wouldn't need to hire daring window cleaners to keep floor-to-ceiling windows transparent. And, at scale, a smog-choked Los Angeles could breathe a bit easier." Alcoa claims that approximately 10,000 square feet of surface using the coated panels has the same air-cleaning capability as 80 trees. The coating is designed solely for aluminum materials, and with 14 billion square feet of aluminum paneling in North America and Europe, replacing a fraction of the total with smog-cleaning panels would equate to planting millions of trees. The new panels will cost 4 percent to 5 percent more than standard materials, but the expense may be offset by maintenance reductions. In addition, many companies may be interested in boosting their brand by adopting the high-tech breakthrough. The technology is currently being tested in pilot programs in North America and Europe.
HAMILTON — Window-washing artists and friends recently took squeegees, buckets, and artwork to some Hamilton business windows along Broad Street, to create a trail of “Art-full Windows!” Area residents can also challenge their knowledge of Hamilton’s art history with the quiz placed in the Town of Hamilton Office window.
With no end to the current Texas drought in sight, the Nassau Bay City Council has updated its Drought Contingency Plan to promote the responsible use of water and conserve the city’s available water supply. Second and final reading of the ordinance is scheduled at the June 13 council meeting. When passed, the ordinance leaves it up to the mayor to monitor the water supply and conditions and determine when conditions warrant initiation or termination of each stage of the plan. It also carries penalties for those who violate the law – both termination of water service and fines up to $5,000 for each violation. Depending on the severity of the drought conditions, residents will be asked to cut back on water usage, limiting usage to mornings and/or evenings with further cutbacks as the drought progresses. Should the drought reach the severe stage, all outdoor use of water, such as lawn and garden watering, car washing and window washing, will be prohibited and a surcharge equal to 200 percent of the applicable rate in excess of 10,000 gallons/month will be imposed on all customers.
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