Above a window washer cleans the windows above the front door of the New York Times building in New York. The Vatican attacked The New York Times for its coverage of the sexual abuse of children by priests, rejecting accusations that Pope Benedict had mishandled a series of abuse cases before he was elected.
Patriotic cleaner: Above a United States flag hangs from a window cleaning basket on Lake Point Tower on Chicago’s waterfront.
Day In Pictures - Underwater window washer: A diver scrubs the glass of the giant, cylindrical AquaDom aquarium in Berlin.
Spring Thaw: Wipe away the grime of winter - Windows have no doubt seen their share of blowing snow, ice and rain in the last few months, so now is the perfect time to wash away the grime. Amber Miller, operations manager for Des Moines’
Squeegee Squad franchise said her company will come to your house and do an estimate based on the number and size of your windows. The price varies depending on whether you want them cleaned inside and out or just outside, but it starts at an $85 minimum and averages $180-$200 for a two-story walkout. If you want to tackle interior window cleaning yourself, Jeri Kemple of EcoMaids of Des Moines recommends using a streak-free cleanser with a microfiber cloth. Believe it or not, newspaper also works well in place of the cloth. Clean on a cloudy day or when windows are in shade. Screens also should be cleaned. And consider choosing one of the newer screening materials that might give a clearer view and let more light indoors.
A window cleaner from Wakefield suffered fatal head injuries after falling, an inquest heard. Roland Jungbauer, 43, was admitted to Pinderfields Hospital after he fell while working on a house on Grey Street, Outwood, on March 9. The opening of the inquest at Wakefield heard Mr Jungbauer, self-employed, of Church Street, Ossett, was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where a scan revealed a severe brain injury. He was admitted to intensive care but died on March 19. The inquest was adjourned for police and health and safety investigations. Coroner David Hinchliff said it was likely the inquest would have to resume before a jury.
Schedule window washing: April's usually a good time to wash windows, but this year it's probably better to just schedule a window cleaning and have the work done in May. "You want to wait until most of the pollen is gone," suggests Ryan McPheters, manager at
Virginia Window Cleaners in McLean. "Because of all the weather we had, the trees are a little behind schedule." If you wait until May to schedule, though, window washers are likely to be backed up for several weeks. Is it worth having a pro do the job? Prices range from $100 for humble digs to $2,000 for estates. McPheters's company typically charges $6.50 per double-hung window, plus $2.50 if it has a storm window. His top tip for DIYers: Use a squeegee, not rags. Overlap passes, and wipe off the blade after each one.
When to hire: Sometimes the best approach to spring cleaning is knowing what to do yourself and what to hire out. If you’re short on time and helpers, it might be worth the expense to turn some of the big jobs over to professionals. They have the know-how and equipment to tackle the jobs faster and more efficiently than most homeowners can, notes Better Homes and Gardens’ “Making a Home: Housekeeping for Real Life.” Specifically, the book recommends that you consider hiring out window cleaning, especially if you have a two-story house or storm windows; gutter and/or roof cleaning; and carpet cleaning. Don’t overlook neighborhood kids or college students as cheap sources of labor, either. You might hire them to do simple yet labor-intensive tasks, such as helping you move seasonal clothes in or out of storage.
Suspected murderer of local arrested almost four years after crime: After nearly four years, an investigation spanning across state lines and countless hours of following false sightings, homicide suspect Edwin Lee Norton, known locally as Lee Allen Michaels, was apprehended last week in Houston, Texas, said Uinta County Sheriff Lou Napoli on Wednesday. Norton, 52, is suspected in the 2006 murder of local resident Shannon Bohannon, whose body was found by a hiker in the Whitney Canyon area north of Evanston in June 2006. The case was profiled on America’s Most Wanted, which assisted in the investigation. “Although it’s taken some time, hard work has been rewarded, as Norton/Michaels has been apprehended in Houston,” Napoli said. Uinta County Sheriff’s investigators are currently in Houston tying up loose ends and putting a history together for Norton/Michaels to fill in the blanks from the last two years. Napoli said it’s believed that Norton/Michaels has been in the Houston area for some time, working odd jobs and as a window washer while using a variety of aliases.
Yes, it’s almost the season for student summer jobs – not just their economic necessity, but their power to transform, to inspire, to teach kids things about work that they won’t learn from their parents because parents just don't have that kind of sway. Summer jobs not only keep kids in college and university; they are the universal portal to a lifetime of work habits, introducing even the most affluent kids to long, confusing days, workplace politics, psycho bosses and the skills needed to survive all three – enthusiasm, punctuality and resilience being primary among them. A charismatic student I hired lost his way spectacularly last summer. Not only did his window-washing crew leave many of our windows unwashed, but he “forgot” to invoice me for six months. The searing talk about professionalism we had on the phone will, I am hopeful, stay with him.
Pinnacle PSG has won a major contract to provide cleaning and grounds maintenance services to Metropolitan Housing Trust (MHT) London, part of the Metropolitan Housing Partnership (MHP), one of the larger housing associations in London and the south-east of England. The contract also includes the provision of a cleaning and grounds maintenance service to Clapham Park Homes, also part of MHP. The contract, worth around £15 million over the next five years, will see Pinnacle PSG provide MHT London with grounds maintenance, cleaning, bulk removal, specialist cleaning and window cleaning to 18,000 homes, across 32 London Boroughs and a range of council districts outside of London where it operates.
Across the country, states are modernizing their sales tax to reflect changes in the economy, but not Wisconsin. This state’s sales tax is far less inclusive in what it taxes, meaning less revenue is collected – which might surprise the many observers who’ve long complained about Wisconsin’s tax burden. A recent study found a total of 168 services that at least some states tax. Wisconsin taxed only 76 of them. A total of 19 states tax window cleaning, but this state doesn’t, according to The New York Times. Neither does Wisconsin tax massage services, taxed by 11 others, interior design, taxed by ten others, dating services, taxed by eight others, or haircuts, taxed by seven others.
Wisconsin pays more income and property taxes than the national average but less in sales tax, according to Dale Knapp, research director of the Wisconsin’s Taxpayer Alliance, a non-partisan tax watch group. Like Arkansas, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Jersey and Texas, a study by the Federation of Tax Administrators says, Wisconsin taxes utilities and labor and repair services but doesn’t tax most professional services.
And there’s little motivation to change that, Knapp says. “There have been proposals to tax more services, but they haven’t gotten very far.” He adds, “States are going to have to rethink the sales tax. The sales tax was created when we were a manufactured-good oriented economy. Now we’ve become much more services-oriented. Those aren’t getting taxed.” The transition to a service-based economy began happening about 50 years ago, according to Jim Eads, FTA’s executive director, but antiquated state sales tax codes have lagged far behind. Most were written in the late 1920s and 1930s, he says. States that are busy updating their sales tax, particularly Michigan and Pennsylvania, are adding a host of new services to their codes.
This afternoon, a banged up white truck drove slowly up our street spewing disheveled twenty-somethings. “They’re coming,” I said to myself. And because I was out in the front yard working at the time, and had surely been seen, I knew it was too late to hide myself. So I hid the tools instead, closed up the garage, and waited. Last year a man who had moved here from Africa came to our door selling a nameless window cleaner in bulk. When he realized that we were trying to get rid of him, he became desperate. “It’s safe!” he cried, squirting the window cleaner into his eyes until my wife shouted, “Stop! Stop! You must never do that again!” The only endearing quality of these door-to-door hawkers is that they are consistently, tragically amusing. That pretty much sums up how we all feel about unwanted solicitations. Oh yes, and your cute little girl harassing me with her cookies outside the grocery store? I’ll buy her cookies when she is dedicated enough to squirt window cleaner in her eyes.
New company offers one-stop shopping for home products, services: Billing itself as a "Year Round Home Show," the Home Resource Outlet will open today, featuring a one-stop shop for home building, remodeling, updating, furnishing, decorating and maintenance. Located on Ogeechee Road across from Walmart, the 17,000-square-foot showroom brings together more than 50 established Savannah businesses. The idea of putting multiple resources under one roof was the brainchild of three local businessmen: Jason Anderson, Jeff Schofield and Steve Hall.
"It's basically like a permanent home show," Schofield said. "It's a joint venture involving a lot of 'installed services' contractors, giving them more exposure to the buying public and offering shoppers the opportunity to take a look at a lot of different services in one place." Products offered run the gamut from central heat and air, closets, decks and swimming pools to home security, grills and appliances. Services range from window washing, painting, landscaping and framing to home inspections, mortgages and duct cleaning.
"Every vendor we have represented here has been hand-picked," Anderson said. "They are in good standing with the Better Business Bureau and come highly recommended. "Some - like Jenkins Brick - have their own offices and showroom, but also want to be in another part of town," he said. "Other companies may be more contractor-based and not as well-known to the consumer. For them, the advantage is obvious."
From the street, the Home Resource Outlet, with its many logos, looks like a number of different businesses. In actuality, each flows into the other, designed to create a seamless shopping experience. There is even a small restaurant for the shopping weary. J.D. Garletts, a registered arborist and vice president of DLG Land Management, sees it as a win-win for the businesses and the consumer. "What better way to promote your company than to be part of a professional, trade-based conglomerate?" said Garletts, whose firm offers both residential and commercial land management and landscape design.
Another advantage of their setup, Schofield said, is the accountability factor. "If one of our vendors doesn't follow up or takes on too many jobs and falls behind, we will step in to help facilitate the customers' needs," he said. "We're on top of every job from beginning to end," Anderson said. "That's why we only want top-notch, highly reputable companies here." Although they are starting out with more than 50 vendors and service providers, the partners say they still have room to grow. "Hopefully that number will be closer to 100 before the year is out," Schofield said.
An LCC member has told how a new website could have contributed to a dangerous driver being sacked from his work. James Hoggarth was cycling in traffic on Pall Mall when the car behind came very close and sounded its horn repeatedly, even though there was a bus in the left lane and nowhere else to ride. The car overtook in a dangerous manner, almost knocking the cyclist over. The cyclist caught up with the driver in the stream of traffic, and a verbal altercation took place. "At this point the car driver swore and swerved his car at me," Hoggarth said.
Reporting the incident to the employer: Shocked and frightened by this attempted assault, Hoggarth noted the registration number and name of the company from the side of the car. He complained to the company,
NCPM247.com, which styles itself as “the most environmentally friendly London window cleaner”. Hoggarth also reported the crime to the new Metropolitan Police
'Roadsafe London' website, which allows road users to report incidents. The police also contacted the company to discuss the incident. Fortunately, this company NCPM247.com takes road safety seriously, and has installed videocameras in all its cars and vans. They told Hoggarth that when the recording from the car showed the driver swerving at him, the driver was suspended, and has since been dismissed.
County commission awards window-cleaning bid, makes bond payment: At their meeting Wednesday morning, March 31, Saline County Commissioners approved a bid for window cleaning on the courthouse. Presiding Commissioner Becky Plattner said the cleaning will be done soon, to benefit from the scaffolding erected as part of the restoration work. AmeriGlass Cleaning Inc. was awarded the job, with a bid of $1,800 for inside and out window cleaning. Brighter Days Corp. of Columbia also submitted a bid, $2,021.
Glass walls add space and value: By opening up the bottom floor of their house to merge the outside with the inside, a family in London have revitalised their lives. Victorian, Georgian, Thirties, the all-glass wall fits every period and is spreading through the English suburbs. Is it because advances in glass technology have made it possible? “My husband was doing amazing things with glass 20 years ago – think of Eva Jiricna’s work and Joseph glass staircases,” Carolyn says. “But now we can all do it and we all feel comfortable with it.”
“Glass is now a wonderful material to work with,” Francesco says. “It can be heat-resistant and self-maintaining. And the outside space is so important because it affects our mood. Modernity is opening up these old Victorian houses. It is good for our souls.” Jonathan Bordell, a boutique developer, now inserts vast glass walls in every project he works on. At Burlington House in Chiswick, a classic Edwardian suburban villa with a big garden, he added an extension which looks like a trendy boathouse, connected to the main house by huge amounts of glass. “Whatever the time of year, or wherever you are in the house, you feel as if you are in the garden. We have huge sheets of glass with very little visible support so that you get a marvellous sense of space and light,” he says.
Flag Pole Climb: Jim Maitland makes his way back down the 48 foot flag pole on top of the 18 story Jackson County Towers Building after restringing it with new rope Tuesday morning in Jackson. Maitland, who is professional high rise exterior window washer, has been scaling flag poles to replace broken ropes for about 20 years now. "It's exhilarating." Maitland said. "People ask me if I mountain climb. I don't. I do that every day and I get paid for doing it. I don't need anything else."
Isn't it funny how the nicest authors can pen a story that leaves us crying for our mommies at night out of pure, bone-chilling fright? Horror author Joe Hill fills that strange bill oh-so-nicely. With his big, brown eyes and easy-going laughter, Hill looks out of the window of a downtown Toronto high-rise and spies a window washer at his job on a dark, windy, rainy day. "Now there's a job full of real horror for you," he chuckles. "Imagine the nerve it would take to do that? Imagine what goes on in that guy's mind out there clinging to that rope and board for dear life. "I ought to write something about a window washer one day," Hill grins, penning a note to himself with his fidgety hands.
Conman steals Jarrow OAP's purse: An elderly woman had her purse stolen by a bogus caller who tricked his way into her home. Police are appealing for witnesses to the crime, which happened 2.30pm and 3.30pm on Wednesday. A man claiming to be a window cleaner knocked on the door of a property in Stirling Avenue, Jarrow. When the 85-year-old householder declined his services, the man offered to leave his contact details and followed her into the house. The woman later discovered her purse, containing cash, was missing.
Activeion Cleaning Solutions LLC, Rogers, MN USA is proud to announce its new European subsidiary, Activeion (Europe) GmbH. Activeion (Europe) GmbH will distribute and market the ionator EXP™ throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Activeion's ionator EXP™ is a handheld, on-demand, completely chemical-free cleaning tool that activates and converts tap water into ionised water, a powerful dirt-removing and bacteria-killing product. The ionator EXP™, slightly larger than a spray bottle, can be used on most surfaces including glass, stainless steel, wood, carpet, natural stone, marble and clothing. In fact, it can replace many general-purpose chemical cleaners commonly used for these types of surfaces. More info'
here &
here.
Colchester, Conn. — From fewer transfer station hours to fewer new library books, Colchester is seeing the effects of budget constraints in the current fiscal year. And there’s more to come. In December, Colchester froze discretionary spending. The freeze affects all departments, but critical needs like fuel are funded. “The cuts we are making are not trimming the fat, we are reducing services,” Schuster said. The town will face fewer services in the next fiscal year, beginning July 1. Items being considered for reduction or elimination include library books, overtime for a resident state trooper, window cleaning, a pay phone in Town Hall and overtime for roadside grass maintenance.
While no official decision has been made, Boston Public Library (BPL) President Amy Ryan made clear in an April 1 interview that closing some branch libraries is key to financial stability and a “transformation” into a modern system. Ryan did not specifically say that branch closures are the only option. But she confirmed that “transformation” involves closures. “The status quo is not working,” Ryan said repeatedly in the 90-minute roundtable interview with the Gazette and other community newspapers, held at the Central Library in Copley Square. “We didn’t jump out of bed and say, ‘We want to close branches,’” Ryan said. She explained that BPL has been “streamlining” the entire budget, from Central Library layoffs to cutting back on window-washing.
Curb Appeal for your clients: Curb appeal is about the all important first impression. Curb appeal can be the difference between a prosperous business and an ailing business. As a first impression, a business with a well tended storefront identifies it as a business where the operators are invested in both its success and relationship with the surrounding community.
Conversely, a business frontage that is littered with debris, flaunts dirty or cracked windows, outdated signage, or generally exudes an air of neglect will deter prospective customers. Even current customers may wonder about your ability to pay attention to those details. As spring has arrived with gusto, many businesses realize it’s time to give their office or store a fresh face that will appeal to potential new customers. While budget constraints may preclude a major renovation, a few inexpensive changes can make a big and positive impact on customer. New signage, planters or a fresh coat of paint on window and door trims can transform a business’ first impression. Adding a bright new awning can distinguish your business from others. Even cleaning the windows and a fresh spring window display can entice customers to come in for a closer look.
Petersburg residents to pose nude for Olde Towne photo show. People are doing what they naturally do -- only in the buff -- for Old Towne Exposed, an artful gallery of carefully shot photos to highlight the people who live and work in the Historic Old Towne Petersburg area. The roster includes a window washer, upholsterer, painter, bartender, writer, preservationist, gallery owner, doll repairer, hair stylist, spa owner, waiter, cyclist, drummer, guitarist, gardener, sheep owner, dressmaker and shop keeper. The photo show will open for viewing May 14 to coincide with Petersburg's Friday for the Arts!
Pinnacle PSG has won a major contract to provide cleaning and grounds maintenance services to Metropolitan Housing Trust (MHT) London, part of the Metropolitan Housing Partnership (MHP), one of the larger housing associations in London and the south-east of England. The contract also includes the provision of a cleaning and grounds maintenance service to Clapham Park Homes, also part of MHP. The contract, worth around £15 million over the next five years, will see Pinnacle PSG provide MHT London with grounds maintenance, cleaning, bulk removal, specialist cleaning and window cleaning to 18,000 homes, across 32 London Boroughs and a range of council districts outside of London where it operates.
New company offers one-stop shopping for home products, services: Billing itself as a "Year Round Home Show," the Home Resource Outlet will open today, featuring a one-stop shop for home building, remodeling, updating, furnishing, decorating and maintenance. Located on Ogeechee Road across from Walmart, the 17,000-square-foot showroom brings together more than 50 established Savannah businesses. The idea of putting multiple resources under one roof was the brainchild of three local businessmen: Jason Anderson, Jeff Schofield and Steve Hall.
Glass walls add space and value: By opening up the bottom floor of their house to merge the outside with the inside, a family in London have revitalised their lives. Victorian, Georgian, Thirties, the all-glass wall fits every period and is spreading through the English suburbs. Is it because advances in glass technology have made it possible? “My husband was doing amazing things with glass 20 years ago – think of Eva Jiricna’s work and Joseph glass staircases,” Carolyn says. “But now we can all do it and we all feel comfortable with it.”
Isn't it funny how the nicest authors can pen a story that leaves us crying for our mommies at night out of pure, bone-chilling fright? Horror author Joe Hill fills that strange bill oh-so-nicely. With his big, brown eyes and easy-going laughter, Hill looks out of the window of a downtown Toronto high-rise and spies a window washer at his job on a dark, windy, rainy day. "Now there's a job full of real horror for you," he chuckles. "Imagine the nerve it would take to do that? Imagine what goes on in that guy's mind out there clinging to that rope and board for dear life. "I ought to write something about a window washer one day," Hill grins, penning a note to himself with his fidgety hands.
Petersburg residents to pose nude for Olde Towne photo show. People are doing what they naturally do -- only in the buff -- for Old Towne Exposed, an artful gallery of carefully shot photos to highlight the people who live and work in the Historic Old Towne Petersburg area. The roster includes a window washer, upholsterer, painter, bartender, writer, preservationist, gallery owner, doll repairer, hair stylist, spa owner, waiter, cyclist, drummer, guitarist, gardener, sheep owner, dressmaker and shop keeper. The photo show will open for viewing May 14 to coincide with Petersburg's Friday for the Arts!
Free Website Service Offered For UK's 'Invisible' Small Businesses: Britain's small businesses are being offered free domain names and website hosting in a bid to get every plumber, window cleaner and green-grocer online.
Heart patient looks to give something back: A miracle mother who survived four life-saving heart operations is holding a charity ball to raise money to buy a heart machine for the hospital where she was treated. Michelle Brand is set to hold the ball at the Forest Row Centre in Collier Row, Romford from 7pm to 12am on Saturday November 28. Michelle said: "They have given me my life because my boys could have lost their mum so I would feel very proud to present a cheque to them because it would be my way of saying thank you." The mother of three from Dagenham has already started receiving sponsorship from companies and individuals including four bottles of champagne from the Asda Store in Dolphin Way, Mercury Road, Romford, six months' worth of window cleaning from a window cleaning company in Romford and the whole event is being sponsored by Crumbz Catering in Marlborough Road, Romford. Michelle said: "I feel like it is a party to celebrate my life because to have open heart surgery once is lucky but four times is a real miracle.
Syracuse zoo's precocious penguins have fun with window cleaner: Suspend a window washer on a scaffold 15 stories over South Salina Street and people hardly notice. Dress the window washer in a scuba suit and send him into the pool of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo's Penguin Coast exhibit, on the other hand, and he'll draw a crowd -- both human and penguin. That's what happened Wednesday, anyway, as Curator of Animals Ted Fox undertook the periodic chore of slipping into the penguin pool to scrub green algae from the exhibit's Plexiglas windows, the ones that let visitors watch the zoo's collection of Humboldt penguins play. Pictured - Aislenn Mehl, 15 months old, of Camillus, watches animal curator Ted Fox clean the glass inside the Humboldt Penquin exhibit at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo at Burnet Park, in Syracuse, while Cuzco the penguin takes a closer look.
Pittsburgh's Convention Center prepares for G-20: With presidents, prime ministers, and perhaps the paparazzi coming to town in September for the G-20 summit, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center is redding up. And apparently not a moment too soon for one recent visitor who complained to authorities there about dirty windows and ledges at the $373 million center, which will host the event. As part of the summer cleaning, the SEA board expects to vote tomorrow on a three-year contract worth about $54,000 to clean the center's windows.
In 2007, Alan used the microfinance Web site Kiva.org to loan her $25 so her husband could buy a trailer for his motorcycle taxi service. Never did they imagine Kiva could help them start a business, too. Today, Alan and Mantsch are among the first 36 U.S. entrepreneurs who will request community microloans on Kiva. Prompted by the economic downturn, the San Francisco nonprofit group known for helping poor entrepreneurs overseas will start doing the same for people at home. Just like the loans that go for seeds or cows in developing countries, visitors to the Kiva site can scroll through the U.S. loan requests and choose those they want to fund with bite-size loans as small as $25. In a pilot program, 18 borrowers were chosen from the Bay Area and 18 from New York - many who were turned down by banks that no longer loan as freely as they once did. Carl Applebee is asking for $5,000 to hire his first employee and advertise his California Window Cleaning business online. Today, when anyone logs onto the global microlending portal Kiva.org, they will see, alongside profiles of fisherwomen in Cambodia, the story of a window-washer in San Jose. Lenders will be able to invest as little as $25 or as much as $10,000 to help these businesses grow.
A 23-year-old Brockton man was arraigned today in Stoughton District Court on a charge of attempted armed bank robbery after allegedly planning a stickup at a Stoughton bank Monday.
HIBS fans turning up at the club's Easter Road shop for the launch of the new home and away kit were treated to a surprise as they found boss John Hughes behind the counter. The newly-appointed manager insisted on helping out as supporters flocked to snap up next season's strips, spending more than two hours not only serving customers but signing autographs and posing for photographs. While Yogi was delighted to sign the numerous new shirts – many of which bore the legend Hughes No.5 on the back – he found himself agreeing to one bizarre request, to apply his name to the side of Les Glasgow's van. The Restalrig window cleaner said: "Yogi has been my hero for years. I'd come up to get my season ticket so, after he autographed that, I cheekily asked him to sign my van. I never thought he'd do it but he came outside and did so. I'm going to apply a coat of varnish over it so it isn't washed off but I think I'll be keeping out of Gorgie for the next wee while!
Clean-up campaigner pays for window cleaner to spruce up Spalding's bus station: Clean-up campaigner Sandra White has paid out of her own pocket to see Spalding's bus station spick-and-span. The pensioner is waging a one-woman crusade to tidy-up the town, and has hired window cleaner Paddy Dunham for £70 to tackle the grubby bus shelters. Sandra (67) regularly patrols Pinchbeck Road early in the morning to clear away rubbish, and has now flashed the cash to clean the shelters in Winfrey Avenue. The passionate pensioner has a top pedigree when it comes to high tandards, having won the prestigious Hampton Court hanging basket competition, and has collected 462 bags of bottles, cans and fast food packets since February. She wants the Pinchbeck Road area to be a top class advert for people coming to the town – as she says it was when she moved in 42 years ago. And she's willing to put her money where her mouth is.
Businesses in one of Bath's busiest streets have launched a drive to clean up its image. Shop keepers at Westgate Street are teaming up with Bath and North East Somerset Council and public/private company Future Bath Plus to boost the area's fortunes. The council has stepped up its cleaning efforts on the street by washing down shopfronts and building facades, tidying up service cables and cleaning upper floor windows. Mr Shayegan said: "Since I moved here a year ago I have been trying to clean up this street. "There are a lot less street drinkers now and the police have helped a lot with that. "The street is really moving forward. "Its one of the busiest streets in Bath and always full of people. Specsavers retail director Phil Lodge said his store, which has been trading at Westgate Street for more than a decade, was delighted to be a part of the campaign. He said: "It is such a busy street because and can be one of the first streets that the tourists see as they come off the buses so its important to keep it clean and tidy. "We will be paying particular attention to our shopfront and making sure our windows are always spotlessly clean." Specsavers is also planning on working with the council to give all cleaning workers free sight tests and sunglasses during the summer to encourage a sense of partnership.
Champion results for Wimbledon roofers: The firm behind Wimbledon's retractable CentreCourt roof has announced smashing results. Scx, who designed and installed the high-tech roof at the All England Tennis Club, saw turnover rise 18% to £20million in the year to April. Boss Simon Eastwood admits secretly hoping for rain when the tournament starts next week. He told Your Money: "I'd like to see it used in anger!" Sheffield-based SCX has employed another 11 staff, taking its workforce to 110. And the company has also won a string of top contracts, including the window-cleaning set-up for London's Gherkin.
Cemex fined £20,000 for showering coal dust over Rugby: Cemex has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £13,469 in costs after causing coal dust to be showered over homes and cars in Rugby, Warwickshire. The cement manufacturer pleaded guilty to one charge of breaking its operating permit conditions at Stratford-upon-Avon Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Tuesday). The charge was brought by the Environment Agency under the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations 2000. The court heard that in the early hours of 10 March 2007, the Cemex plant in Rugby overfilled one of its coal storage silos. As a result, between 1.6t and 3.1t of coal dust was released from the silo and a significant amount fell over the town of Rugby. The EA received nearly 100 complaints from local residents, who reported dust deposited on their cars, houses and in some cases through their windows. The company had responded immediately and sent window cleaners and valets into Rugby to carry out the clean up operation. A letter of apology was sent to all the affected residents.
Tamar Lewin today reports in this morning’s New York Times that colleges and universities are making small spending cuts that add up to big savings for the institutions: “While colleges and universities slashed their spending this year with wrenching layoffs, hiring freezes and halts in construction projects, they whittled away at costs with smaller, quirkier economies, too.” She cites decisions to do away with telephone landlines, holding “virtual” athletic contests, cutbacks on window washing and trash collection, as well as to rebuild computers instead of buying new ones. Everyone who works in higher education has experienced such budgetary trims. But if we are really aiming for a “new normal,” living with dirty windows is not going to be enough. Also here.
Police are warning residents to be alert after a rogue trader has been operating in the Weston Village area. There have been three incidents reported since early May concerning someone offering window cleaning services. Rogue traders can persuade their victims to have unnecessary work done, charge more the fair amount or carry out poor quality work. PC Justine O'Reilly said: "We would advise local residents not to use uninvited tradesmen who drop leaflets or call at their door unannounced. Avoid paying up front and don't feel pressured into agreeing to work that you don't really want. "It is worth using locally established accredited companies, or those recommended and trusted by family and friends. And it is important that you get quotes in writing prior to committing work being carried out." If you are concerned about rogue traders in your neighbourhood, please contact your Safer Stronger Neighbourhood policing team on 0845 456 7000.
Police are appealing for information about a rogue trader believed to be operating in the Filton and Horfield areas of Bristol. During the evening of Friday 15th May 2009 a man called at a property in Nevil Road, Horfield and said he was a window cleaner. He requested an advance payment of £20 which he informed the victim was the quarterly charge required in advance. However he did not return the following day to carry out the agreed work. Officers believe there are more people who have fallen victim to similar offences in the area. They are asked to contact police in Filton on 0845 456 7000 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
A new Lundberg survey says gas prices have increased an average of seventeen cents over the past two weeks. While they're lower than they were this time last year, drivers are still feeling the effects on their wallets. That's why they are offering you free rides on all trolleys Thursday for the fourth annual "Dump the Pump" Day. Riding the trolley on "Dump the Pump" Day will help you save money and help the environment. Alan Gray, Bay Town Trolley transit planner, says, "It only takes us half the gas of a normal vehicle to get you around town, and a third of the gas to take a truck around town." Trolley officials want to encourage you to give public transit a chance; but, some drivers don't need any convincing. Virginia Harrison says, "It gets me where I need to go. I actually do a window cleaning business and I ride the trolley to get to my jobs."
Window cleaner Ashley Lunn was on a revenge mission to terrify a gang of men who had beaten him up. He deliberately mounted the pavement in his VW Golf, but his attackers got out of the way. He then ploughed into 39-year-old Cannock man Christopher Hatfield, fatally injuring him. Jurors cleared Lunn of murder at his trial last month, but convicted him of manslaughter. Judge Simon Tonking branded him “a danger to the public” and ordered him to serve a minimum seven years in jail, less time spent in custody on remand, before being considered for parole.
NEW INVENTION: A Chatham window cleaner is banking on his handmade invention to land him on easy street. Wes Summerfield has come up with a collapsible beverage carrier that allows for the easy transport of up to 10 cups. His immediate aim is to get the carrier patented before showing it to some of the coffee giants including Tim Hortons. He said it would be ideal for someone taking multiple cups of coffee to a commercial or office setting. Summerfield hopes to sell his invention for $25. He says he has other projects in the works including a novel on farming with horses.
Angele Signature Room's guru of elaborate marriage proposals, used ta Roman tho arrange for a window washer--at $2,000 a pop--to drop from the top of the skyscraper with a poster-sized message for some lucky lady. Roman says she'll never forget one woman's reaction to the gesture. The messenger, clad in a sleeveless flannel shirt and with a cigarette dangling from his lips, displayed a sign that read "Will you marry me, Sarah?" and flashed a goofy grin through the glass. Rather than melting Sarah's heart, the question sent her into a panic. "I don't know that man!" she blurted to her boyfriend. "I swear!" Sarah's future hubby smiled and took her hand. "I hired that man," he assured her, revealing a ring. "I'm asking you to marry me." The rest of the diners, rapt by the drama, erupted into applause when she accepted.
A FORMER soldier from Tavistock convicted of murdering his baby son has launched an Appeal Court bid to clear his name. Window cleaner Michael Burridge was jailed for life at Plymouth Crown Court in March last year. He was convicted by a jury of murdering his eight-week-old son Rees, who he was looking after while his wife Donna was out shopping. Burridge is now seeking permission to appeal his murder conviction. The case is expected to return to the court in November, when judges will decide whether Burridge should be granted permission to appeal.