Window Cleaning News

A window cleaner, (click picture to enlarge) lower right, works on an office tower in the capital of Manama, Bahrain, Monday Oct. 3, 2011, that bears images of Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, center, Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, left, and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, right. A Bahraini lawyer said Monday that 14 people have been sentenced to life in prison by a security court in the Gulf island kingdom for the killing of a Pakistani man during anti-government unrest.

Fatal fall from a substantial height, DANBURY - Phil Esposito set out to find a certain kind of hockey player upon his appointment as the Danbury Whalers' new head coach and president of hockey operations at the start of summer. Aaron Alto fit the mold. Sadly, the Danbury faithful will never see what Esposito saw in Alto when the Anchorage, Alaska, native was inked to a contract last month following an impressive showing at the Whalers' two-day free agent camp. Alto died September 24 as a result of injuries sustained two days prior in what Esposito described as a fall from a substantial height at the window-washing business Alto owned and operated out of his hometown. Alto was 22. "It makes you think about what it is you're doing every day. You're here and you're doing a job and you're trying to win hockey games, but something like this makes you really take a step back and (put things in perspective)," Esposito said. "You realize how precious life is."

Rappellers on Washington Monument find celebrity and some distractions - Erik Sohn, 33, said people usually didn't line up to watch him work as he and colleagues moved up and down, examining the outside walls of big buildings. "They think we're window washers, and they just walk on and they don't really stare at us," he said. "So this is a new experience." Then again, usually the buildings aren't major tourist attractions. Sohn, of Fairfax, Va., has been entertaining gawkers on the National Mall since Wednesday, one of four engineers and architects on a daredevil "difficult-access team" that's rappelling the 555-foot Washington Monument to check for small cracks caused by the 5.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the region Aug. 23. It may be the coolest job in all of Washington, at least in the eyes of Sohn's 3-year-old son, Schaffer, who got to watch his dad for four hours on Thursday. "He keeps referring to Spiderman," Sohn said. Sohn, who called the job "awe-inspiring," said a big challenge had been the acrobatics required to get out of the small windows atop the monument to begin his daily work. "It's a tight squeeze as you get out there with all the ropes and all the weight behind you and everything else," he said. "So it's just trying not to make a fool out of yourself as you slide out in front of all the cameras and the people watching you."

Fish Window Cleaning has an opening for a manager. Job title: Manager. Description: Fish Window Cleaning in Loganville has an opening for a manager. The operations manager is responsible for staff, sales and window cleaning. Qualifications: Qualified applicants for this position should have their own, dependable and respectable vehicle with proper insurance, have a valid driver’s license, be able to work independently and have a respectable appearance.

Alan Duckworth dressed as a baby, to raise cash for Baby Beat Appeal with window cleaner Stephen Neatis preparing to walk from Ewood Park to Deepdale.

Hey baby, have you gone the rung way? Have you heard the one about the window cleaner and the man dressed as a baby? If not, look out, they may soon be striding towards you on a fundraising mission. Window cleaner Stephen Neatis, 41, of Malvern Close, Lostock Hall, is set to walk from Ewood Park, Blackburn, to Preston North End’s Deepdale ground, to raise cash to help a child who is battling cancer. He will be joined in the 11.1 mile jaunt on Saturday, by friend Alan Duckworth, 41, also of Lostock Hall, who will be raising cash for Baby Beat Appeal. Stephen, a dad-of-six, whose five-year-old son Cody Joe has Down’s Syndrome, and Dexter, three, who suffers from autism. Through Facebook he got to know the parents of Harvey Hext, three, who has Down’s Syndrome and neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer, and decided to help the Bristol-based family raise cash for specialist treatment. He said: “I did not want to throw myself out a plane or of the top of a tall building. “Because we have disabled children we have got to know people all over the world.” To sponsor Stephen or Alan visit the Lostock Hall Conservative Club, in Brownedge Road, or contact Stephen on Facebook.

Bratislava, Slovakia: A Czech friend, who has achieved considerable success in life since then, reminded me that for several years he was a window-washer under the Communist regime. The government of the proletariat believed that the worst thing it could do to people who had dissented was to send them into the proletariat. During that period, he was very active in the democratic opposition. Since he spoke good English, he was often asked by his comrades (probably not the right word) in the anti-Communist struggle for freedom to be the guide for visiting Western sympathizers. Often, he recounts, these were Western leftists eager to explain to those Czechs engaged in the battle for liberty that Marxian socialism was really a great idea, they just needed to make a few adjustments.

DPW employee gets “taxpayer advocate” award: The Bergen County Freeholders recently honored Department of Public Works employee Marty Murtagh with their first-ever “Taxpayer Advocate” award. Murtagh was presented with the award at the Sept. 21st Freeholders meeting. County officials credited him with saving the department over $137,000 by combining janitorial contracts, eliminating unnecessary cell phones and land line phones and cutting a window-washing contract by making it once-a-year instead of twice-a-year.

NEW YORK CITY – In its second week, the “Occupy Wall Street” protests who say they are marching against banks and corporate greed seems to be gaining momentum as the New York’s Transit Workers Union Local, the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and other unions are pledging their support by planning to march with the protesters. The Transit Workers Union that represents subway and bus workers with approximately 38,000 members will join “Occupy Wall Street” on Oct. 5, to show their support with the protesters who say they are marching in the financial district against corporate profits on Wall Street. The SEIU (Service Employees International Union) that represents security officers, doormen, porters, maintenance, aides, window cleaners and food service workers will also be showing their support by joining protesters on Oct. 12.

Dead at 71, Olson's crimes, narcissism ensure legacy as Canada's worst villain: Neighbours in their apartment building remember Olson as a creepy "candy man" who tried to befriend children by offering them small jobs. Indeed, he lured some of his victims that way, such as 16-year-old Sandra Wolfsteiner, who was hitchhiking when Olson picked her up and offered her work as a window cleaner. The killing spree paralysed Vancouver and its suburbs with fear, as children disappeared who didn't fit the profile of troubled runaways. On Aug. 12, 1981, weeks after police first identified Olson as a suspect, he was finally arrested on Vancouver Island after a surveillance team spotted him picking up two young hitchhikers. His trial on 10 first-degree murder charges began Jan. 14, 1982, but it ended within days when Olson reversed his not-guilty plea. He admitted to 11 killings and was sentenced to life with no parole eligibility for 25 years. The judge recommended he never get out.

Flying chair hits Sydney high rise and shuts street: For a little wicker chair it's causing a lot of fuss. A busy street in the The Rocks remains closed for a second day because of fears a chair hanging precariously off a Sydney high rise building could come unstuck and plummet to the ground, injuring pedestrians and motorists. Strong winds are thwarting attempts to retrieve the outdoor cane piece. Wind blew the chair off a balcony in Harrington Street, near Circular Quay, shortly after 3.30pm (AEST) on Thursday. It became wedged precariously in the window of an opposite building 20 floors above the ground. A hydraulic platform wasn't tall enough to reach it while none of the windows on any of the building's floors open. The only solution left was for firefighters to come down from the roof of the 40 floor building by either abseiling or using the buildings window cleaning gantry. But the use of the gantry is immediately disabled when winds are stronger than five knots and plans to remove it at 5am (AEST) on Friday had to be cancelled. Airborne chair finally comes down.

Banks to Make Customers Pay Fee for Using Debit Cards: Consumers have already begun to react to the changes. Patrick Shields, 48, said he had decided to leave Citibank, where he has held a small-business account for his residential window cleaning business since 1986. He was contemplating opening a personal checking account, but realized he could do better at a credit union. “At the credit union, they opened it free of charges, which Citi could not and would not do,” said Mr. Shields, who noted that a personal checking account would have cost more than the one he uses for his New York business. “Now I have both accounts covered, and I am fee-free.”

Bold Commercials and Flavors Aim to Spice Up Chili’s Brand - In another new spot, three office workers step out of their building and shield their faces with their hands. “What is that?” says one. “It burns!” says another. And another adds, “It’s singeing me!” A window washer nearby deadpans, “It’s the sun.” Then a voice-over says, “Get out of the office more often, with Chili’s $6 Lunch Break combos” and shots of half sandwiches with soup and French fries are shown. Video here.

For window cleaner Michael Mikkelsen, witnessing how dementia has slowly eaten away at his father's mind has been incredibly painful to watch. Like thousands of Queenslanders, Michael has been thrust into a nightmare as he deals with the mental annihilation of a man who was once very alert. For former flight engineer Norm Mikkelsen, 85, experiencing his own demise is the cruellest blow of all. Michael said his father still knew what his life was like before the onset of the disease. Norm was diagnosed about a year ago with suspected Lewy body dementia, which is closely allied to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The once-active man now has trouble walking and feeding himself, and will eventually die as a result of the disease, unable to recognise even those closest to him or remember his past. "It's probably harder on him," Michael said before visiting his father at NoosaCare's Carramar aged-care home on what was World Alzheimer's Day. "He still knows he's not right. So it's pretty hard on both of us." Michael visits Carramar, which he said did a wonderful job, almost every day. He said some days were better than others. "Right now he's not good, but three weeks ago he was really good," he said. NoosaCare group care manager Sandra Gunner described Alzheimer's as a "very cruel disease" which greatly affected families. "The person they once had in their lives, and knew in their lives, isn't there any longer," she said. According to Alzheimer's Australia, dementia affects thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday tasks. Dementia can happen to anybody, but it is more common after the age of 65.

Paul E. Booher (Kittanning) 81, of Kittanning passed Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at ACMH. He was born January 5, 1930 in Kittanning to Emanuel and Bertha (Fails) Booher. Paul lived in Kittanning his entire life and worked for Stull’s Cleaning as a window washer.

Two men have been arrested following the death of a man in Co Down. The body of the 60-year-old, named locally as George Bowman, was found at his home in Mountview Drive in Dromore on Tuesday night. The men, aged 34 and 37, are being held at Lurgan police station. DUP councillor Paul Rankin said Mr Bowman was well known within the community and had suffered from health problems in the last few years. He said that he was a long-term resident in the area who had been living at the address for some time. “I would have known the family,” Mr Rankin added. “He had health problems and had taken a stroke or heart attack at some point and hadn’t worked for a while. “You would always have seen him on the street. “Most of the people in the town would have been shocked to hear the news — they were a close family. “He lived with his wife and his children.” Mr Rankin said he had last seen the former window cleaner on Sunday walking around the local area.

Beyond a Joke by Bruce Dessau - Nor did I know much about George Formby. To me, Formby was a cheerful man with a ukulele who sang about being a window cleaner. Actually, as Dessau tells us, he was also a compulsive shagger, a depressive alcoholic and an obsessive collector of cars. He bought his first Rolls in 1937, and then bought 130 more cars over the next 20 years. He "collapsed on stage"; he became addicted to morphine; he was a chain-smoker; he had heart attacks; he became terrified of performing but drove himself on, singing his ditties, seducing women, buying cars, until he died of a heart attack at the age of 56. Dessau shows us that comedians tend to be weird, or compulsive, or obsessive; they veer easily towards depression; and they mostly find themselves, at least for a period, desperately out of fashion. Beyond this, he doesn't over-analyse.

Vincent Flynn 1957-2011,(of Dundalk) died peacefully in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda on September 9th was a member of a well known local family and a popular figure in the lower end of town. Aged 54, Vincent was one of 12 children of Rosaleen and Daniel Flynn, and was predeceased by brothers, Danny, and Tommy. The family who resided in Emer Terrace will be best remembered as newspaper vendors who distributed local, and national newspapers to homes all over town and sold them at the Market Square. The business was started by Vincent's mother and carried on by a number of her sons, including Vincent. Vincent also worked for a time in O'Mahony Plastics on Coe's Road, after which he started he own window cleaning round. He had many loyal customers and had an extensive round in the town. He also worked for a time on FAS schemes in parts of the town.

Having emerged from the tail end of punk rock's ethers in 1978 as lead vocalist with iconic four-piece Bauhaus, Peter Murphy has forged a reputation as one of the most unique, and challenging songwriters of his and every subsequent generation since. "Yeah but I'm half-Irish which makes me slightly mad! My dad was an iron worker who'd work double shifts in the week then have a window cleaning round at the weekend. I guess that whole work ethic is in the blood? It's been much harder work bringing up two children to be honest, but worth it all the same. I think touring actually keeps you physically well, provided you stay away from the drugs and booze of course."

Peter Docker, 47, is an actor, too, with credits ranging from Neighbours to The Circuit, as well as a long list of theatre roles in Melbourne and Perth. More recently, however, Docker has established himself as a writer, with work that probes the intersection of black and white. As a young adult, he worked as a dairy hand, hay carter, wheat bogger, window washer, bank teller, lift driver, barman, concierge, adult product vendor, army reservist and rock singer. When he became an actor, he found his talent but also found he was miserable.

Business champions to inspire Wales: Six inspirational entrepreneurs who have all built up successful companies in Wales have been appointed as Business Entrepreneurship Champions to the Welsh Government. Business Minister Edwina Hart said their role is to promote entrepreneurship and provide guidance on entrepreneurship policy to the Welsh Government. One of the six Champions is: Ben Giles - Ultima Cleaning Ltd, Cardigan – left school at 15 to start a window-cleaning round and has since set up multiple successful and highly innovative businesses, but still retains his original window cleaning business.

The Champions will form a voluntary network, meeting three times a year and speaking at several key events in Wales to promote entrepreneurship and inspire others to consider the entrepreneurship path into business. They were selected through an open procurement process via Sell2Wales and press advertisements that attracted 48 potential candidates. Officials are undertaking additional recruitment to appoint a Welsh-speaking Champion. The positions are voluntary and unpaid although travel and subsistence can be claimed.

EVANSVILLE — Angela Williams learned first-hand that homeless can occur seemingly in the bat of an eye. The sixth of seven children, Williams, the assistant director of alumni and parent relations at the University of Evansville, lived with her parents in a large Philadelphia home. Her mother worked for the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter, and her father owned his own window-washing business. The family was doing just fine. “And then my father died,” Williams said.

Firefighters Rappel Down Hartford Skyscraper For Rescue Training: When the 13 members of the Canton Volunteer Fire Department's technical rescue team spent Sunday afternoon rapelling down the 11-story building at 10 Columbus Boulevard known as the "candy cane" building, they weren't just there for the view. Although Canton's tallest buildings are only four stories, "If we can rappel from the roof of a building, we have another rescue option. It's the same ropes set-up whether you have a 100-foot or a 1,000-foot building," technical rescue team advisor Michael Krupa said.

Sunvalley Window Cleaners will donate a 60-foot Boom Lift in the Ramada Hotel parking lot facing Enterprise Way to hoist a sign in to help promote the drive-thru to passing motorists, thanks to the support of Sunvalley owner Martin McDermott.