R.I.P. Brian Cullen

Brian Cullen, window cleaner known affectionately as “Tubby” to his friends.

Window cleaner Brian Cullen died in ‘12ft’ fall: Neighbours have spoken of their disbelief after a popular window cleaner died after falling 12ft off his ladder yesterday. Brian Cullen, known affectionately as “Tubby” to his friends, had been on a regular round on West Granton Road when he came off his ladder. One witness said he landed on metal railings after falling the short distance. The 56-year-old was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but later died from head injuries.

Peter and Margaret McQueen, who live a few doors down from his home on Ferry Gait Walk, said he was “a lovely man” who everyone knew. They said he ran TCs Window Cleaning Services with his son, Mark, and must have climbed his ladder thousands of times in his career.

Retired Margaret, 70, who had her windows cleaned by “Tubby” since she moved in seven years ago, described him as “such a nice person” and the Cullens as a “lovely” family. “Mark will be devastated. He was around here every day at 7am. They would go out together in the morning cleaning windows.

“When I saw the van outside their house I thought it was strange. “It’s such a tragedy. He said he was only doing low windows because it was getting him a row. It’s terrible that this has happened.”

Husband Peter, 76, added: “He will certainly be missed by a lot of people. Tubby was liked by everyone.” Emergency services were called to the two-storey flat at 10.10am after a client saw him fall. Rachael Napier, 68, who called the emergency services after finding Brian trapped, said: “I ran out and he was hanging on the fence. “He must have hit his chest as he was coming down. It’s a tragedy. Everybody knew him. He was a lovely guy.”

But the dad-of-two suffered massive head injuries and doctors failed to save him. Student Ammar Ibrahim, 17, who lives in the neighbouring flat, said: “The police were knocking on doors asking if anyone had seen anything. It’s so sad to think that he’s died.”

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said he had been washing windows on that street “for years”. She said: “When you looked at the ladder and the height he’s fallen, you just wouldn’t expect it. The poor man. Everyone knew him, it’s such a shame.” His death is at least the second in the city this year from window-related falls.

In March window fitter Mark Paterson, 32, fell 70ft from the top floor of a tenement on Inverleith Row, while window cleaner Martin Greig survived a 40ft plunge last month. A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Police in Edinburgh responded to an address in West Granton Road following reports that a male fell from a ladder while working in the street. “He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburghfor treatment after sustaining a serious head injury. However, he died within the hospital. “Inquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing and officers are liaising with the Health and Safety Executive.”

Hospital: Brian Cullen died after falling from his ladder.

Window cleaner who died after falling from ladder named locally: A window cleaner who died after falling from a ladder in Edinburgh has been named locally. Brian Cullen was working at flats on West Granton Road in the city when he fell at around 10.30am on Tuesday. The 56-year-old was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary but later died from serious head injuries. An investigation has been launched by Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive.

A spokesman for the force said: "Police in Edinburgh responded to an address in West Granton Road at around 10.35am on Tuesday 5th November following reports that a male fell from a ladder while working in the street. "He was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for treatment after sustaining a serious head injury. However, he died within the hospital. "Enquiries into the full circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing and officers are liaising with the Health and Safety Executive."

Window Cleaners Rattled By Canadian Earthquake - R.I.P. Jose Herrera

Quake in Ottawa, Canada — Books and bottles rattled off shelves; bricks came loose from some buildings; downtown highrises were evacuated; and several Ottawa schools were examined for structural concerns. But other than some limited property damage — and a few minor injuries — Ottawa escaped relatively unscathed Wednesday from what scientists describe as a “moderate” earthquake, centred in nearby Val-des-Bois, Que. The quake did unnerve the nation’s capital and could be felt across much of eastern North America, from Montreal to Chicago, Illinois. The quake struck at 1:41 p.m. with a magnitude of 5.0 and lasted between 20 and 30 seconds, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It was centred an estimated 20 kilometres underground. Dan Galipeau, who owns a window cleaning company in Ottawa, said his workers were on a scaffold at the Lester B. Pearson Building on Sussex Drive when the quake hit. “My guys, they freaked,” Galipeau said. “They stopped cleaning immediately, went down, and called me.”
Window washers Steve Moore and Jon Martin were hanging outside an office building in downtown Kitchener, but somehow didn’t feel a thing when the ground shook 10 storeys below their suspended platform. “We’re on cables, so we’re always moving up there anyway,” Moore said after obliviously finishing the job and getting his feet back on firm ground about half an hour later. “If I felt an earthquake, I would have been the first person down,” Martin said. “Those are grounds for going home, right?” The partners had a birds-eye view as area buildings emptied out, but figured there must have been a fire or some other mishap.
Once here on Prince of Wales Drive, the 27-floor Château Royale was swaying from side to side and many people were seen carrying elderly people down the stairs. Once outside, we realized that the whole city was being affected as we could hear sirens everywhere. An interesting sight to see was the window-washing crew suspended in the air holding on for dear life 15 storeys in the air across the street.
John Carone was in his home office, on Courtland Drive. He could feel a shudder under his desk. Then his chair moved. "I got up, and I thought, 'I'm nuts,'" said Carone, an accountant. He looked outside. His wife, Robin, was standing on a chair, washing a window. "I'm watching her, and I'm still feeling this shake," he said. "I thought, 'Wow, she's pretty strong.'" The tremors probably wobbled off a fault line that runs under Lake Erie, said Scott McKenzie, a geology instructor at Mercyhurst College. He felt them at his home in Millcreek Township.

Man injured in Orinda electrical accident dies: SAN JOSE — One of the two men severely injured in an electrical accident in Orinda this month has died, Santa Clara County officials said. Jose Herrera, 51, died early Wednesday morning at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, according to Santa Clara County Public Health Department spokeswoman Joy Alexiou. Information regarding the cause of death was not released because of privacy reasons. Members of Herrera's family have declined interview requests. The condition of the other man injured in the accident, Eduardo Guerra, 30, has improved from critical to serious, Alexiou said. Herrera and Guerra suffered second- and third-degree burns over most of their bodies when their cherry picker came into contact with high-voltage electrical lines the morning of June 5. An employee of Santa Clara-based Delta Window Cleaning, for which the two men worked, said Herrera had been employed there for 25 years. Window Cleaners Electrocuted in California.

Aqua-Dapter: Water Fed Pole Control - Following on from the previous blog on Steve Jones's "Aqua-Dapter." Please check out the new website that has been greatly improved from the old one including a 3D view of the new producct & mechanism. The "Aqua-dapter" is fitted to the top section of your pole, and connected to your brush. The control mechanism is operated from the handle, by pulling the hose to switch the water flow on and off. The tap can also be turned manually if you are working on ground level windows.

Take Your Dog to Work Day: Take Your Dog to Work Day simple Dos and Don’ts:
DO: - Bring a leash, a pillow, a water dish, food and all other amenities your dog may need throughout the day. Walk him often. No one scores big office points for a dog that pees, or worse, on corporate carpet. Make sure your job is OK with it in advance. Some coworkers may be allergic, highly fearful or the company, if it’s incredibly draconian, may not even allow dogs in the workplace at all. These are the same types of companies that may not allow your own bathroom breaks or maternity leave. Clean up any messes immediately, preferably not using your coworker’s favorite scarf.
DON’T: - Make everyone pet your dog. Yes, we know, he’s rightly the center of your world, but, alas, not everyone in that world out there happens to be an animal lover. Leave him unattended. This is a tough one, but a necessary one. Even the sweetest of pooches can act up when the proverbial mouse is away. Bring him to a job that is just dumb to bring a dog to. This includes window washing, restaurant kitchen work and along for the ride if you happen to specialize in roadkill pickup. Also know your dog and warn others of some of your pooch’s quirky behavior.

New lead paint rules cut risks - at a cost. Houses built before 1978 could contain the toxic metal - The Foxcroft two-story home looks like a scene from a sci-fi thriller: Yellow tape blocks the entryway, onlookers are warned away by a big "CAUTION" sign at the walk, and worker wearing what looks like a white hazmat suit plus mask pushes through two layers of plastic screening to get inside. Alien germs? A crime scene? Try replacement windows.
The plastic-swathed south Charlotte house is a glimpse into the future of some renovations to older homes. Workers who renovate homes built before 1978 now must be certified in how to contain the paint containing lead, a toxic metal. For the Foxcroft renovation, Dgien estimates the new rules added about 15 percent, to cover materials, labor and cleanup. On smaller jobs, the extra steps may not add as much. John Marino, owner of Window World and Siding and Carolina Cabinet Refacing, said the new rules are adding maybe $100 to $150 to his jobs for extra time. Responsible contractors, he said, are going to talk to customers in older homes and not give in to pressure to cut corners. "If they say 'Listen, I don't care about the lead test, we're going to look the other way,' we're going to test anyway," he said.
Rick Bainbridge, CEO of Bainbridge Crew in Charlotte, said the rules will likely add 10 to 15 percent to the cost of the home renovations his company does. Customers may balk, he acknowledged. "They have to realize the costs are part of the law," Bainbridge said. Homeowners need to avoid the temptation to go cheap, he said. "Right now you've got everybody in the remodeling business that's jumped in it, from custom builders to commercial contractors.... Every consumer, when they're having work done, should look to see if that contractor is a certified lead renovator. If not, run for the hills." See previous content here.


You can’t be afraid of heights if you’re part of San Diego fire’s Heavy Rescue 4. Sometimes nicknamed the SWAT team of firefighters, this is the crew that is called when window washers are stranded on the side of skyscrapers. While that has happened only four times in the past two years, the unit trains much more frequently, as members did Tuesday alongside a crew of Chula Vista firefighters. With a “Good luck, buddy!” shouted his way, San Diego firefighter Oscar Rodriguez rappelled down the side of downtown’s 480-foot Vantage Pointe condominium tower to a window-washer box.

Here's a view of Trump International Hotel & Tower that I bet you've never seen--unless you happen to be a helicopter pilot. Nevertheless, this aerial perspective nicely shows off the skyscraper's taut, elegantly-detailed curtain wall. And it's fun to peer down on Trump's outdoor terraces and their tiny swaths of shrubbrery. Oh yes-we also see the racetrack-like circuit for the skyscraper's clunky-looking, window-washing contraption. Reminds me of an oil well-except, of course, it's more than 1,000 feet above the sidewalks of Chicago.

“My best assignments are when no one can get in somewhere and the public needs to know,” says longtime photographer George Gongora, who is pictured rooftop at the Caller-Times this week and in a 1968 portrait at left. Gongora retires today after four decades with the newspaper. George Gongora climbed trees, crossed police lines and even dangled from the top of a high-rise building to capture images. It was all part of a relentless commitment to tell the story of his community. Gongora retires Thursday after nearly 44 years as a Caller-Times staff photographer. One Saturday when the two were working Gongora was sent to find a candid photograph around town for the next day’s paper. Hours later Gongora returned. He went straight to the dark room, developed a print and then handed it to Jimenez for review. The photo was of a window washer working on the side of a tall building. It was not taken from the ground. Jimenez asked Gongora how he got it. Gongora told him he took the elevator to the top where he convinced a maintenance worker to tie a rope around his waist and lower him two stories so he could get a photo. “I told him whatever you do, don’t do that again,” Jimenez said. “I was just astounded.”

Manitoba, Canada - Culex Tarsalis mosquitos are hatching across the Central Plains but the question is how many, and do they carry the West Nile virus. Dr. Tim Hilderman, Medical Officer with Manitoba Health, says no one knows for sure. He does note there's been a variation in numbers since 2003, when the first case of West Nile was diagnosed in Manitoba. Although precipitation plays a role, Hilderman says it's temperature that's the big determinant. He notes where there's heat, there's most likely Culex Tarsalis Mosquitoes. Every Manitoban can reduce their risk of infection by limiting time spent outdoors during the peak biting hours of dusk and dawn, using repellent, wearing light coloured loose fitting clothing, and making sure door and window screens fit properly, and are free of holes. Apart from decreasing your risk of being bitten, you can also make it less hospitable for mosquitoes in and around your home. This includes reducing standing water, cleaning eaves troughs, emptying bird baths, pool covers, barbeque pits, and covering rain barrels, and old tires. So far, Hilderman says only a small amount of Culex Tarsalis mosquitoes have emerged in the province. Most importantly, he adds none of the mosquito pools collected have tested positive for West Nile.

Water Fed Polers be aware: The North West of England faces a possible hosepipe ban to conserve water supplies in the face of a drought. Water company United Utilities will seek permission from the Environment Agency on Friday to draw more water from lakes and rivers. Following the driest start to the year in the region since 1929, many reservoirs have fallen to below half their capacity. A radio and newspaper campaign to use water wisely has been running throughout the region since last week. "It's been an unprecedented period of dry weather since December 2009, and we need to take action now so we can tap into available water resources if the dry weather continues," said John Sanders, United Utilities' Water Regulation and Strategy Manager. "We're monitoring the situation day by day but if we don't have any significant rainfall by the end of this month we will need a hosepipe ban to help conserve essential supplies," he added.
Last month, rainfall was just 38 percent of the long term average for the region. Haweswater reservoir in Cumbria has fallen to 61 percent capacity, nearly 20 percent below normal for this time of year. The firm will ask to increase the amount of water taken from Ennerdale reservoir in the Lake District to supply the Whitehaven area of West Cumbria. The possibility of more applications to take more water from both the Windermere and Longdendale Valley reservoirs is being discussed. Trevor Bishop, Head of Water Resources at the Environment Agency, said: "We are working closely with United Utilities to make sure they are doing everything they can to secure water supplies, manage customer demand and tackle leakage."

Southwall Technologies Inc., the worldwide innovator of high performance, energy-saving films and glass products, has been awarded a $1.43 million stimulus grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop advanced technologies aimed at making homes and buildings more energy efficient. Southwall will use the funding to accelerate development of higher performance and lower cost Heat Mirror low-emissivity and solar-reflective films and multi-cavity, suspended-film insulating glass technology to enable the broad commercialization of "super-insulating" R-10 windows.
According to DOE, the nation's 114 million homes and 74 million square feet of commercial floor space account for 40 percent of US total energy consumption and 39 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions. Because windows are the energy-efficiency weak link in homes and buildings, DOE is focusing grant funding on the development of innovative technologies that can create energy-saving windows that insulate like walls.
"The designation of Southwall as a DOE grant recipient recognizes our leadership in developing lightweight, multi-cavity insulating glass technology that promises to drive the performance of a new generation of cost-effective and energy-efficient windows," said Dennis Capovilla, Southwall chief executive officer. "We are pleased that DOE is working closely with industry to accelerate disruptive technology innovation that can dramatically reduce our nation's energy use." Southwall is one of seven California-based companies, including National Semiconductor and Applied Materials, to receive a coveted DOE grant for advanced energy-efficient building technology projects.

Day in Pictures, June 23: A reflection of a highrise is cast under a window washer Wednesday, June 23, 2010, in downtown Cleveland.

R.I.P. Anthony Acevedo + Other Window Cleaning News

Anthony Acevedo | Window cleaner, 43: Anthony Acevedo, 43, a window cleaner at some of Philadelphia's most lofty buildings, died in his sleep Monday from heart failure. Mr. Acevedo was responsible for cleaning the windows at One and Two Liberty Place, Mellon Tower, the Independence Blue Cross building, and Commerce Square. Mr. Acevedo tackled dirty windows on high-rise buildings built in the 1980s, and more recently at the Comcast Tower and Kimmel Center. In 1999, he joined Jenkintown Building Services Inc. and branched out to training novice cleaners. He was a master rigger, able to design and set up rigging to place cleaners outside the toughest buildings, friends said. "Big Ant," as friends called him, learned his trade from his father, Augustine.
"I remember seeing him on his father's shoulders as his father walked down the street, pole and bucket in hand, yelling 'Window Man,' as he solicited new accounts," said friend Paul Stringer. By his late teens, Mr. Acevedo was working with the cleaning crews. In recent years, his focus shifted to managing projects and setting rigging. Born and raised in Kensington and Northeast Philadelphia, he graduated from Lincoln High School in 1984. In 1991, he moved with his family to Jim Thorpe, Pa. In 2006, he moved back to the Northeast. Window cleaning, sports, and friends were his passions, said friend Butch Chapman. He is survived by his father; stepmother Nancy; two sisters; and nine brothers. His mother and another brother predeceased him. Funeral services will be from 9 to 11 a.m. today at Edward Melber Funeral Home, 524 Center St., Jim Thorpe. Donations may be made to the Anthony Acevedo Sports Scholarship Fund, c/o Jenkintown Building Services Inc., 101 Greenwood Ave., Jenkintown, Pa. 19046.

Dad's anger as son's killer freed: A devastated dad today called for tougher sentences for drink and drug drivers after his son's killer was set free after serving less than half his sentence. Mark Anderson was jailed for seven years in April 2007 after he knocked Anthony Shepherd from his Yamaha motorbike in Gainsborough Avenue, Whiteleas, leaving him to die by the roadside. Anderson, who was high on drink and drugs when he was behind the wheel of the stolen Vauxhall Astra, later had his sentence reduced to six years on appeal. He admitted causing death by careless driving through consumption of drink or drugs, perverting the course of justice, driving while disqualified and failing to stop or report an accident.
Now Mr Shepherd's dad (pictured), also called Anthony – has received a letter from Northumbria Probation Service saying Anderson is now out after serving less than three years. And although he is banned from entering South Tyneside, the news has still come as a bitter blow to Mr Shepherd who today called for tougher sentences to get the dangers of drink and drug driving message across. Window cleaner Mr Shepherd, 55, said: "I think about our Anthony every day and it just makes you mad this guy – this piece of scum – is now out walking the streets. Is three years all our Anthony's life is worth?
"They need to be kept behind bars for their full sentence. If people know they will spend years in jail if they kill someone by drink driving, it might make them think. "But until it happens, I think you're always going to get people taking chances and not thinking anything's going to happen to them. I just want anyone who has had a drink to stop and think before they get in their cars. "I know nothing is ever going to bring our Anthony back but I have to do what I can to try to persuade people not to drink and drive. "I don't ever want another family to go through what we are going through. It's hell. These people who drink and drive or take drugs and drive; they have no idea the devastation they leave behind – it never leaves you." His call comes as Northumbria Police launched its annual drink and drug campaign aimed at warning motorists not to take risks behind the wheel of their cars this Christmas.

Cheques out, but what does it mean for everyday payments? Cheques will be abolished in 2018. So how will you pay the milkman? Or buy school lunches? And how will small businesses cope? Money writers investigate..

I'm a sole trader who runs a window cleaning business, and many of my customers pay me by cheque. What am I going to do?
This group is expected to see the biggest impact when cheques disappear in 2018, not least because many won't be able to invest in the technology the industry is relying on taking over from cheques. Sole traders tend to take cheques from individuals they may not see from one year to the next, and while their younger customers will probably be happy to adopt alternative forms of payment, their older clients will struggle after 2018. Credit card company Visa Europe says it is working on a mobile-to-mobile payment system. Users could either pre-load their phones with a cash balance, or pre-register it to their debit or credit card. If you need to pay a window cleaner after he has finished doing the house, simply send him a text, and the money instantly moves from your account and into his. Great for those who have mobiles, but not so good for those who don't, who will have to pay in cash, or ring up their bank to make money transfer.
It's a similar story with the internet. PayPal already lets individuals move money via the email system. A PayPal customer sending a friend (or window cleaner) the money simply logs on the PayPal site, and, two clicks of a mouse later, the money arrives in his account. Movements from a PayPal account linked to a bank account incur no charge, while those registered to a credit card face a 3.4% charge, plus 20p. If the window cleaner wanted to set up a PayPal business account, he would pick up the transaction charges, which fall in size, as the number of transactions grows.
However, it will probably cost less than operating a business bank account, which charge businesses to deposit cheques. For example, HSBC's fee-free business direct account lets holders pay in up to 20 cheques a month, after that they cost 75p each. Other business accounts charge anywhere between 30p and 60p, but these incur monthly charges.

Belen’s ‘Miracle Window’ is still a mystery: Ramon Baca y Chavez and his family were well known and well respected in Belen in the 1920s. Don Ramon had served as the community's justice of the peace and police judge for many years. Always eager to improve their well kept home on Gilbert Avenue off South Main Street, the Bacas had bought a new windowpane from the Becker Dalies store in December 1926. Measuring 20 inches by 32 inches, the window had cost only $1.15, or roughly $13.50 in today's money. Sixty three-year-old Ramon and 59-year-old Eulalia had not noticed anything unusual when they had installed their new window. But that had all changed on June 1, 1927.
On that Friday morning, Eulalia had returned from attending daily mass and was cleaning her backyard when she glanced up at her east-facing attic window. To her surprise, an image of Christ ascending into heaven was clearly evident in the window in colors of soft blue, green, red and brown. Eulalia called Don Ramon to come see the breathtaking vision. Devout Catholics, the couple was sure they were witnessing a miracle, especially because the image of Christ had appeared in their window shortly after the Lenten season had ended.
Word of the miracle window soon spread through Belen and beyond. Men, women and children flocked to the Bacas' home to see the image for themselves. By June 27, the Belen News reported, "Thousands of people from different parts of the state have motored to Belen to see the strange apparition." Many more visitors came by the Bacas' house during the Belen fiestas later that summer. Believers prayed at the window, asking for special blessings for all those who had traveled from far and wide to attend the famous fiestas.
The Bacas' window became so well known that the Southwestern Indian Detours Co. made it a special destination by 1928. The Detours offered Santa Fe Railway passengers opportunities to interrupt their train travel to take excursions by car to local attractions, including Indian pueblos and Spanish mission ruins. The Southwestern Indian Detours may have profited from the miracle window, but the Baca family never did. Many people offered to buy the window, and a showman promised the Bacas thousands of dollars if they would allow him to build a fence around the family's property and sell tickets for the chance to see the image.
But the Bacas never considered selling tickets, souvenirs or refreshments, although these commercial ventures may well have made them rich. Instead, the Bacas graciously displayed their window at all hours of the day. Like custodians of a sacred shrine, they believed that it was their religious duty to share their miracle and their faith with others. Many priests and nuns had joined the crowds of reverent visitors. In fact, so many visitors arrived to see the image that the Bacas began to board up the window at night, for fear that someone might hurl a stone or otherwise damage the miracle left in their care.
Visitors soon realized that the image of Christ could only be seen in daylight, and could not be seen from the attic's interior. Located about 12 feet above ground level, the image could be viewed from any angle in the yard below. Some said that if they gazed long enough, they could see the Christ figure's arms move. Observers saw as many as three images in the Bacas' window. Visiting the site on July 1, 1927, Jim Whittington of Santa Fe reported that when he stood below the window he could see "a figure of the Christ child seated in a chair with a basket of roses nearby. Standing further from the window the figure of Christ, the man, could be seen. Standing still further away the figure of Christ's mother is clearly outlined."
Of course there were skeptics among those who came to see the window. Doubting Thomases wanted to examine the window from inside the house to see if the strange phenomenon was caused by light reflecting off an image on the attic's wall. No such image was found in the vacant attic. In fact, a black cloth was placed over the window's interior surface, but rather than eliminating the image, the dark background just made it clearer. Others wondered if the image was a reflection of an object in the surrounding area. After careful scrutiny, no such object was discovered.
Despite Eulalia Baca's objections, glass experts arrived from Albuquerque to test the window, cleaning it inside and out with various chemicals, acids and even gasoline. But nothing altered or affected the image. According to another theory, advanced by a Santa Fe newspaper, "pictures may have been put in the glass by some process similar to that used in making stained glass windows and through an error this picture glass was sent to Belen." Countless visitors attempted to photograph the apparition from the Bacas' yard or roof. A movie company even tried to film the scene for a newsreel to be shown in movie theatres. But not even the most sophisticated cameras could capture the image. Once developed, pictures and movies always came out blurred.
Over the years, only one person ever photographed the window successfully. Using a simple, low-cost camera, Fernando Gabaldon of Albuquerque had accomplished what all others had failed to do. A poor invalid, Gabaldon made his unique photograph into postcards, and asked Judge Baca to sell them to visitors for 25 cents each. The judge agreed, giving all the proceeds to the image's only successful photographer. Like many others, Fernando Gabaldon had come to see the Bacas' window in hopes that a miracle might cure his illness. Some visitors were cured, although others, including Gabaldon, were not. The window was never known as a healing site like the legendary Santuario in Chimayó or other holy sites in New Mexico or the world. With time, the image was said to have faded, and the number of visitors declined. The Great Depression of the 1930s limited travel for many would-be pilgrims from beyond Belen.
The Bacas brought the miracle window with them when they moved to a house on Dalies Avenue. Tragically, the window cracked in the move, but the pane was not shattered and the image of Christ was untouched. Many considered the window's survival a miracle in itself. The Bacas installed the glass in the second floor window of their new home so that visitors could still see it from the street below. When Don Ramon and Eulalia died in 1950 and 1951, respectively, their daughters, Ana Maria and Beatrice, continued to live in the house and display the famous image of Christ.
Meanwhile, the house on Gilbert Avenue was sold to Bob Garley in 1967. After water damaged the property in the terrible flood of 1969, the Garleys remodeled the building and have lived there ever since. Until a local historian came by on a recent Saturday morning, no one had ever asked them about the miracle window. The only unusual phenomena the family has experienced are when Bob's daughter, Lydia Pino, and other relatives sometimes hear strange knocking on doors and inexplicable footsteps on the staircase. Many Belen residents still remember seeing the miracle window at its Dalies Avenue location. Some recall uttering prayers of devotion as they passed by, especially if they had loved ones in the military during times of war. Some prayed as they walked to class in the old high school several blocks away, especially when they faced final exams or other personal challenges.
The miracle window was moved for a third time when Ana Maria and Beatrice moved to Albuquerque, and put the glass into storage in the early 1970s. In the mid-1980s Phil Baca, Ramon and Eulalia's grandson, brought the window to his home in Longmont, Colo., for safekeeping. Leaders of the Valencia Country Historical Society learned of the window's long history, discovered its location in Colorado and helped negotiate its return to the Rio Abajo in 1999. As generous as ever, the Baca family lent the window to the historical society, which kept the priceless item in a vault in the local Wells Fargo bank until its recent move to an equally safe place in town. The Valencia County Historical Society displayed the miracle window at a large reception in the Wells Fargo bank building on February 27, 2000. Anthony Baca presented a brief history of his grandparents' window and led the singing of "De Colores," a song he called a "reflection of the colors and visions that have been seen in this window" for more than 70 years.
For many, Belen's greatest mystery remains a mystery. What a New Mexico Magazine author wrote in June 1941 remains true today: "To date, no one has given a satisfactory (scientific) explanation concerning the vision." For others, Belen's greatest miracle remains a miracle. The image may have faded with time, but the faith it inspired in thousands remains as strong and as lasting as ever. (The Valencia County Historical Society will display the Miracle Window at the Harvey House Museum through the month of December during regular museum hours, starting on Sunday, Dec. 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.) Other related blogs here.

Residents feel exposed by city's order: Yan, a government employee in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, says his wife paid more than 700 yuan ($100) this week to get a protruding balcony cage outside the window of their bedroom removed. The worker, who declined to give his full name, said the couple feared the metal bars over their window, fitted to keep their home safe from burglars, might put his government job at risk. As a result, "we have to hang our clothes to dry in the room because our apartment doesn't have a real balcony," he said. Starting in late November, the local government began handing out an order to its employees, telling them to remove protruding window cages from their homes before Dec 20. The order also warned leaders of government departments in Kunming that they would face serious consequences - believed to include firings - if they failed to accomplish assignments. The order was issued as the city pushed to win the title of National Sanitary City, awarded by the central government. The order from Kunming has drawn widespread opposition from those affected, who complain about the inconvenience and loss of property. They also worry about the risk of their homes being ransacked by burglars.
At a press conference on Dec 13, Chen Yong, deputy mayor of Kunming, said protruding window cages were damaging the look of the city, encroaching on public space and disrupting the work of the city's sewerage department, local media reported. Chen said some people had even attached cages onto the outside of windows and added platforms, using the space for kitchen functions and washing. Such additions are commonly seen on homes built in the 1980s and early 1990s that do not have balconies. The government is also trying to get such additions removed from homes owned by regular citizens - not just government employees. They have until Oct 1 to comply. Local officials acknowledged they had run into resistance from citizens and government employees. More than 150,000 sq m of space attached to more than 8,670 households had been removed as of 6 pm on Thursday, according to a municipal official surnamed Liu who is in charge of carrying out the order. The government will try to prevent a surge of burglaries by helping with anti-theft initiatives and push to keep the renovation cost reasonable, Liu said. Chen, the deputy mayor, has reportedly promised that there will be a compensation plan, aimed at offsetting the cost of the work, in place by Dec 25. "The plan is still under discussion," Liu added.

R.I.P. Bryan Prairie + Window Cleaning News

R.I.P. Bryan Prairie: Man confirms window washer who died was his son: Bryan Prairie took the window-washing job to support his family, his father said. The window washer who fell three stories to his death at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park had taken the job this summer while looking for work as a nurse, his father said Friday. Bryan Prairie, 24, of Plymouth, was dead by the time rescue personnel arrived after he and a co-worker fell from scaffolding along the 40-foot-tall building about 3 p.m. Thursday. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office has not released the man's name, but Bill Prairie confirmed Friday that the dead man was his son.
Prairie was working for Consider It Done Cleaning to support his wife and 5-month-old son, his father said. The young man, who graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., had just passed his nursing boards in July after earning degrees in biology and nursing. The other man who fell was alert and talking soon after the accident, and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
In a statement issued Friday, a co-owner of the New Hope-based window washing company expressed sympathy over Prairie's death. "We were afforded a great opportunity to have him be a part of our little family, and we are heartbroken that he is gone," wrote Chris Bemis, who started the company about 10 years ago when he was in high school. Bemis did not identify the other worker, but said that he was in his 20s and described him as a "dear friend of mine" who has been in the business with him since the start.
The company has a spotless safety record, Bemis said in an interview Friday. "We've never had an incident," he said. "Never had a claim on our general liability. We've never had a broken bone. We've never even had a broken window." Consider It Done has cleaned windows at Park Nicollet for about three years, Bemis said, and "nothing has ever, ever, ever happened." Sign the condolences book here or here.

GANA to Provide Resources to WIndow Cleaners: Window washers should be prepared for a number of new glass resources that may be coming their way. Greg Carney, technical director of the Glass Association of North America (GANA), noted during the GANA Tempering Division Construction Subcommittee that GANA continues to communicate with the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA). Carney added, “I’d say our discussions today are in a positive light.” This topic was once again under discussion during GANA’s Fall Conference, taking place this week at the Embassy Suites in Kansas City, Mo.
Carney noted that the IWCA has formed a task group for the sole purpose of meeting with GANA to talk about the issues at hand. This spring, Carney met with IWCA representatives and discussed several potential joint activities. Among those activities were: potentially developing a glass information bulletin (GIB) on best practices for fabricating heat strengthened and fully tempered glass; developing requirements for recommended window cleaning program; evaluating alternative cleaning methods jointly; updating the GANA glass cleaning documents to differentiate between using scrapers and using a small razor blade upon glass. I’d like to see us have the first conference call to talk about these issues,” Carney commented to the division members, who seemed to agree on this point. The GANA Fall Conference continues through this afternoon.

Window cleaning uses less water than taking a shower: While the Comox Valley is in Stage 2 water restrictions few residents are aware of how this affects businesses. As stated on the Regional District Website residents cannot wash sidewalks, driveways, parking lots, exterior windows, or exterior building surfaces; however, businesses in the valley are exempt from this bylaw.
Dwayne Robertson, owner of Shine-Eze Window Care, continues to work during this period, but has adjusted his business to restrict his water usage. On average Dwayne's crew of six uses 8 to 10 gallons of water a day - about the same or less than an average shower and far less than what a business such as a restaurant would use in a day. Dwayne also offers siding cleaning as part of his business but suggests customers not to have it cleaned during the summer months when water usage is a concern. In light of the Stage 2 restrictions Dwayne urges you to stick with the professionals when cleaning windows.

Different Angle: Ads are here to stay, like it or not: Sometimes I wonder if the way they advertise on TV bothers anyone else. For example, you’re engrossed in a really good movie and it comes to the most touching part and suddenly a stupid ad comes on. There are a string of ads that seem to last forever, then about five minutes of the movie and then another bunch of ads. What makes it even worse, some channels keep showing the same ones over and over until you want to scream. I’ve started muting the ads and reading the paper or working a crossword puzzle. The worst thing I do is switch over and watch another channel, get interested in that program and miss a crucial part of the movie, or maybe even the end. Even I have to admit they really have variety when it comes to commercials. They have singing ones, dancing ones, talking dogs and cats. There are talking birds for a window cleaning ad and a dog skateboarding for another.

City of Miracles: New Yorkers make comebacks after terrible tragedies -Heavenly recovery: Watching Alcides Moreno's three children gently chase him around his backyard, it's hard to imagine he plunged 47 stories from a Manhattan building less than two years ago.His recovery has been long and painful and might never be complete. But his doctors and family agree: The fact that he has come this far is astonishing. "It can be a lot sometimes, but looking at him, alive with his children, he's still our miracle," said Moreno's wife, Rosario. Moreno and his brother were washing windows along E. 66th St. when their 3-foot platform inexplicably went hurtling 500 feet to the ground.
Edgar Moreno was killed in the accident. But Alcides Moreno, 38, was sitting up and semi-conscious when rescue workers arrived. He suffered injuries to his brain, abdomen and chest, broke both his legs and an arm and fractured his ribs. Doctors at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell performed 16 operations on Moreno during his six weeks there, and many more followed. While he has come so far since the accident, Moreno still struggles.
"He's just trying to live a normal life," said Rosario Moreno, who supports the family with her job as a team leader at Union County Superior Criminal Court. "He has a hard time concentrating. Sometimes, you need to repeat stuff to him and at times he can't say some words."
Moreno takes medication for depression, his wife said, and has temporarily stopped going to physical therapy even though he has more surgeries ahead on his ankle and legs. Still, his wife and kids feel blessed to have him home. "He's not the same person," Rosario Moreno said, "but he has the same determination to keep going."

My journey deep into the heart of Glenn Beck country began when I caught a glimpse of the sobbing commentator on TV while waiting for a plane. I thought he was a televangelist at first, but it seems that he is instead a true patriot who can't suffer the reckless destruction of his beloved country by a racist African American president, among others, without tears.
"Join a Glenn Beck Meetup Group near Los Angeles," said one site, which listed fan clubs and details about tea parties and other gatherings in the name of liberty and freedom. "I'm a hard-working American guy that wants to be able to worship Jesus Christ, go shooting, say what I want and enjoy life," wrote the Santa Clarita group organizer, Jason Hole. "By the way," he added, "our government is preparing for civil unrest right now. I've seen documentation that states people will be considered terrorists if they wear blue jeans and talk excessively about the constitution. You're thinking I'm a kook, right? Look it up and you'll find it to be true."
When I called Hole, who works as a window washer, I could hear his squeegee in the background. "Glenn Beck is expressing what everybody is feeling," he told me. And what is that, exactly? That the country has moved away from the core values of the Founding Fathers. Hole said that he had "studied under" a guy he met at a gym and that this teacher opened his eyes to the abuse of federal authority, which President Obama will only make worse. Hole said Obama has a "socialist, communist, fascist agenda" that must be stopped, because we're headed for tyranny and "fleeing from everything in the Constitution." He also said that when taxes are taken out of his paycheck, "that is stealing."
I pointed out that he had driven to work on roads paid for by those taxes, but he wasn't about to be diverted. He said he opposed a public option as part of healthcare reform, but said he was planning to switch to another private healthcare plan because of disappointment with his current provider, which isn't covering the care he needs. And what about the tears? Does Hole believe Beck is weeping or pandering? "I think you're right about the crying," Hole said. "The guy is an actor." There's another thing Hole doesn't like about Beck, he admitted. "Beck has said that anyone who has questions about 9/11 should be in prison." Beck, he explained, doesn't believe it was an "inside job" involving U.S. agents. And Hole does? "I know it was an inside job," he said.

Arizona: ID theft capital of America - Shawn Dugan, 50, a window washer, ex-convict and methamphetamine addict, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in January for a five-month crime spree, during which he made fake checks using his customers' account information, which he then cashed using false IDs, or simply inflated the amounts of legitimate checks he received.
Dugan, whose plea agreement for fraud included dropping an aggravated ID theft charge, was turned over to police by his employees — whom he paid with fraudulent checks. In Dugan's case, police found false IDs, check stock, checking-making computer software, and other people's bank account information in his home. In the end, Dugan was ordered to pay more than $17,000 in restitution to four individuals, six banks and five businesses. In at least one case, the victim was not only reimbursed for the amount of the fraudulent check, but the $363 in insufficient funds fees the bank charged her.

Window cleaner in insurance claim con: A SCARBOROUGH man made a fraudulent insurance claim for a non-existent burglary at his East Ayton home in a bid to fight the recession, a court heard. Philip Milner, 39, now of Shelton Road, was paid out £3,000 on his insurance policy but police investigations eventually revealed the truth. The self-employed window cleaner, appeared at York Crown Court for sentencing, after he previously admitted a charge of fraud.

9/11: The Twin Towers Friday, BBC Knowledge, 20:30: A powerful two-part documentary about the bombing of the Twin Towers on September 11 2001. The programme, which coincides with the eighth anniversary of this attack, comprises news footage and the stories of the survivors, some of which we have never heard, like the window cleaner who saved people by loading them on his lift. It is compelling stuff, exploring an event that forever altered the way we live.

R.I.P. Tippy Tom? Ex Homeless Window Washer

This is one very and surprising news; the most searched hottest trend on Google today is the keyword “Tippy Tom Died“. The fact that Google trend reflects the most searched online information on a certain topic proves that the news of Tippy tom’s death is a burning issue. Enough in importance to have been placed on the top spot. The question now is, which many are obviously wondering, who is Tippy Tom? He does not sound familiar in any remotely possible way too.
Tippy Tom is a 45 year old homeless New Yorker who has been on the streets for over two decades. He came in to public notice after getting featured on the Opie and Anthony Show. The man is a gay and is also reported to have been tested HIV positive. It is reported that before fate turned her back on him, Tom had been a well settled, successful business man with a family of a wife and a kid. His business of window washing was quite flourishing. However, he had a problem with gambling and that could have been the reason that he had ultimately landed on the streets.

So, this is the sad story of homeless Tippy Tom’s life. Whether he is dead or not is something that still needs verification. As of now, news pouring in from various ends say that Tippy Tom had passed away on the 6th of May. It has been quite sometime that the matter came to be noticed, it seems. Only in days to come will we be sure if Tippy Tom’s death is for real or he is just another victim of ‘internet hoax’ series, that has been sparked off recently.

R.I.P. Tyler Cotter

The employee of Award Window Cleaning Services, a Grand Rapids-based company, died at Saint Mary's Health Care, Grand Rapids Police Capt. Jeff Hertel said. Family members identified the victim as Tyler A. Cotter, 21, of Grand Rapids. A homemade memorial was set up outside the GRAM on Wednesday night. Cotter's family said the light of Tyler's life was his baby daughter, Peyton, born just a month ago. They described Cotter as very involved, going to prenatal checkups with his girlfriend Samantha Goldner, 18. "He wanted to be the best dad in the world," said his mother, Judy Cotter.
Hertel said initial findings point to a problem with the man's harness. "The victim came down slightly and then fell all the way," Hertel said. "There is no way right now to know if the harness hit him as he came down." Cotter was working with a partner, who was not injured. The accident is the second involving Award Window Cleaning Services employees in the past 26 months. In April 2007, two workers fell about 90 feet outside the Van Andel Arena when a basket-type lift machine holding them tipped and crashed to the pavement. Both were hospitalized with nonlife-threatening injuries. Six months after the incident, MIOSHA found four safety citations stemming from the accident, said Adrian Rocskay, acting director of MIOSHA's general industry safety and health division.
Three of the citations were classified as "serious" and carried a $700 fine each. They were for failure to provide training on safe use of an aerial lift; failure to test aerial lift controls each day before use; and exceeding the maximum height for an aerial lift. The fourth citation, which didn't carry a fine, was for failure to properly record an injury or illness for MIOSHA and internal record-keeping purposes. The investigation into Wednesday's death likely will take several weeks. Company officials did not comment.
Matt Dahlman, one of the two workers injured during the 2007 fall, said Wednesday that the company takes "every safety precaution they can." He declined to comment further. Kristin Schrewe and her husband, Todd, both 32, witnessed Wednesday's fall near their car on Ottawa Avenue NW while getting ready to enter the museum. The Illinois couple and their 2-year-old son are here on vacation. They said they heard a commotion and saw the yellow scaffolding the man was attached to collapse, and the worker fall to the ground. The man landed on his head and was unresponsive.
"He didn't move or scream or flail his arms or anything as he came down," said Kristin Schrewe, who called 911. Her husband ran to check the man's pulse, which Todd Schrewe said was about 50 beats per minute. A nurse who was nearby cleared an airway because the victim was choking, he added. "All I heard was a guy yell, and I see the scaffolding come out of the sky. It was all right in front of us," Todd Schrewe said. The two men had been on the job for a few hours prior to the incident, Hertel said. They were starting a descent down the side of the building to begin cleaning another series of windows when the incident occurred. Funeral arrangements were pending.

The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or MIOSHA, is investigating what went wrong when a 21-year-old window washer died after falling about 45 feet from the Grand Rapids Art Museum. Tyler Cotter graduated from Creston High School. He had a girlfriend and 1-month-old daughter. The incident occurred at around 3 p.m. Cotter was working for Award Window Cleaning Services, Inc. He was working with a partner, who was not injured. Although MIOSHA will handle the official investigation, a former Award Window Cleaning employee has a theory. "There was not enough weight on the rig and when he went off the building, it just came down on top of him," he said.

There were four citations against Award Window Cleaning at their last inspection in 2007:

* Not providing employee training on the safe use of an aerial lift device.
* Lift controls were not tested each day before use.
* Exceeding the design / rated capacity for the given height of a vehicle
* Company did not properly record injury numbers and illness numbers on annual log

In 2007 while working at Van Andel Arena, a worker over-extended the arm of an aerial lift device, causing two workers to be injured. The citations were issued as a result of that accident, but no one died. "It's pretty traumatic," said Todd Schrewe, who witnessed Cotter's fall. "I mean, you're out here to have a good time, and he's out here to do a job and something tragic like this happens. My wife and I are a little unsettled about it. "He's a young guy and he deserves better than this." Award Winning Cleaning has not commented.

Tyler Cotter never missed a doctor's appointment when his girlfriend, Samantha Goldner, was pregnant. Cotter - known as "T-Bone" to his family, "Cooter" to co-workers and "Baby" to Goldner - died Wednesday after falling about 40 feet while cleaning windows at the Grand Rapids Art Museum. The 21-year-old was remembered Wednesday evening by family and friends as a shy, loving person who enjoyed tending to his daughter, going to movies and eating at drive-through restaurant Sonic.
In the hospital during Goldner's labor, he was there to offer back rubs and even cut his daughter's umbilical cord, albeit with a shaky hand. When Peyton Cotter was born last month and he first cradled her in his arms, Tyler Cotter shed tears of joy. He was a devoted father, Goldner said. "As soon as he got out of work, he went straight to her," she said. "He was almost greedy with her. He just always wanted to hold her."
Witnesses said they saw scaffolding give way before Cotter fell. Initial reports indicated the West Side resident, an employee of Award Window Cleaning Services, might have had problems with his harness, Police Capt. Jeff Hertel said. "The victim came down slightly and then fell all the way," Hertel said. "There is no way right now to know if the harness hit him as he came down."
Cotter was taken to Saint Mary's Health Care, where he died, Hertel said. The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident and expects to determine a cause in several weeks. Two Award Window Cleaning employees were injured in 2007 outside Van Andel Arena when their bucket lift tipped and they fell 90 feet to the pavement. The company was fined $2,100 for violations regarding the lift. Calls to the company's owner were not returned.
The Creston High graduate worked as a window cleaner to support his daughter and girlfriend, braving heights while enjoying waves from children inside buildings and the occasional offering of free food from office workers. He was interested in computers and was looking into pursuing a job in technology after he and Goldner settled down. "He treated me so good. He really spoiled me," said Goldner, 18, who celebrated her two-year anniversary with Cotter on June 5. "I don't know how I got such a perfect person. They say nobody's perfect, but he was." Cotter's stepbrother, Kris Krzykwa, remembered him as truthful and compassionate. "You could ask him any question you want and he'd give you an honest answer," said Krzykwa, 28. "But he'd still give you the shirt off his back."
By caring for his infant daughter, Cotter showed maturity beyond his years, his mother, Judy Cotter said. "He wanted to be the best dad in the world," she said. Cotter also is survived by his father, Mark Cotter, sister Braylyn and stepfather Jeff Krzykwa. Funeral arrangements were pending.



The 21-year-old man was on the roof of the Grand Rapids Art Museum Wednesday afternoon making a descent when his rig gave way. Witnesses say the victim fell face first and the impact of his body hitting the sidewalk could be heard from across the street. "There was like a boom! Like a boom - that was his body," says Orlando de la Rosa who witnessed the fall. "His partner yelled his name out as he came down... his partner was pretty shook up," says Todd Shrewe. Shrewe added the man may have been struck by equipment because he seemed unconscious before he hit the ground. Award Window Cleaning Services owner, Mark Reinhart, said the victim was employed with him for three years. All of the staff consider themselves family, and are grieving a well-liked and loved person. Award Window Cleaning Services specializes in high rise window cleaning they have contracts with DeVos Place, Van Andel Arena and Spectrum Health.

Statement/Mark Reinhart/Award Window Cleaning: It is with a very painful sadness that I make this statement. Today I/we mourn the loss of our friend and loved one Tyler Cotter. Tyler was like a son to me & was very much a part of our family here. Tyler was more to us than just an employee, he was like a brother to our staff, he loved his girlfriend Samantha like a wife, he was a loving father to his new born child Payton, loved his family, and we all know he loved us and his work here. He was always looking out for others.
We here are all better people for knowing Tyler. He will be missed. God bless his family & we pray for them both. One of our employees has written this on behalf of our staff.

“The parents must be proud of their son. They could not have asked for a nicer young man. I know it doesn’t make it any easier to deal with this unfortunate outcome. I could not feel more proud if he were my own son. There was not one day we worked with him that he did not impress us with his character and the way he carried himself.

We are setting up a memorial fund for Tyler’s family. We are asking our customers, friends, & fellow window cleaners to if at all possible send donations to the family. Please make checks out to Tyler Cotter Memorial Fund & send them to P.O. Box 3504 Grand Rapids MI 49501

Sincerely,

Mark S. Reinhart
President
Award Window Cleaning Services

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Window washer falls six-stories; lives to talk about it: It is an odd feeling knowing by any reasonable measure you should not be alive, but Alex Clay, 21, has spent the past day with little else on his mind. "I can't believe I'm actually here," he says. The window washer was crawling over the ledge at the top of Eau Claire's U.S. Bank Building Monday afternoon, transferring his weight, when he noticed his rigging wasn't properly connected. He tightened his grip on a metal bar connected to his window cleaning apparatus. He can't say how long he held on with his feet dangling below him, but it felt like a long time. "I held on as long as I could, but you get to the point where you're maxing out your body," he said. "You get to the point where I can't even support my life anymore. I have to let go."
Clay thought his safety rope would catch him, for reasons still unknown, it didn't. He fell six stories, hitting a metal awning above a doorway before hitting the sidewalk. A paramedic would later tell him that awning "'could have been what saved my life." "He was very, very fortunate," says Dr. Brad Grewe, a trauma surgeon at Luther Midelfort hospital in Eau Claire. Grewe wonders if a rope or some other may have helped slow Clay's descent. "But to fall six floors - we don't even have many six story buildings in Eau Claire." Clay suffered scrapes, bruises and a broken foot, but should be out of the hospital by Thursday. "Everyone's just telling me it's a miracle," he says.

An American window cleaner who fell from the outside of a building six floors up has survived the "surreal" tumble with minor injuries. Alex Clay, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, told the BBC he was forced to hold on with bare hands after colleagues had trouble connecting his harness. But as they tried to repair the line Mr Clay said he became overcome with tiredness and was forced to let go. A safety line failed, but his fall was broken before he hit the pavement. An overhanging roof on the first floor broke his fall, and he hit the cement roof before he bounced onto the pavement.

"It doesn't make much sense, but it was very slow - it was very very dream like," Mr Clay told the BBC World Service. "It all just felt very surreal. It was very, very dream-like." The problem started when Mr Clay noticed his harness was not properly connected to the cleaning rig. His partner and another window cleaner tried to reconnect the harness correctly, but while they were doing it Mr Clay, who was holding on with his bare hands, said he started to slip. "I was so tired, I started slipping and my hands were sweaty and my arms were sweaty," he explained.
"[My co-workers] tried to pull me up but I knew that they weren't going to be able to, I just knew so I had to make a really hard decision, I just had to drop and see what happened with the safety line that was connected to my back." And drop he did.
Mr Clay said he had expected his safety line to engage shortly afterwards, but nothing happened. It was only then that he began to fear for his life. "I started thinking about my family and my friends, and just thought to myself: well, is this going to be the end? And if it's not, what kind of state am I going to be in for the rest of my life?" Almost unbelievably, Mr Clay's only injuries are a shattered bone in his left foot and a cut on his leg. The 21-year-old window cleaner had only been in the job for four months before the accident. But despite his relative health, his prospects for a swift return to window cleaning appear bleak, he says: his mother is unlikely to let him go back to his high flying job. Listen here.

R.I.P. Norm Winton

From Ted Winton: I just wanted to let the group know that my dad, Norm Winton, passed away on September 22nd. He suffered a stroke on September 3rd, and never made it out of the hospital. I'm not sure how many of you knew him that well, but I saw he had been posting here fairly often.For those interested, here is a link to the slideshow that my brother and I put together for his memorial service.

In loving memory of Norman L. Winton. Born November 8, 1936 in Hewitt, Minnesota. Died September 22, 2008 in Clackamas, Oregon. Memorial service will be held on September 26, 2008 in Portland, Oregon.

Norm was most prolific as a moderator on the windows 101 forum, sharing his insight into the window cleaning world. He came across on the internet as a very funny & giving guy. I always enjoyed the stories he dug up & his fascination with sea sponges! Thanks Norm for your servive to the window cleaning industry.