Three For Friday

Debris scooped out from Dane Mitchell's gutter goes in to an Ettore window cleaners bucket.

Recent rain means big business for gutter cleaning services  (DALLAS) -  Dane Mitchell has been meaning to clean out the gutters of his North Dallas home. Take one look at his roof, and you'll understand why he's been putting it off – it's tall and steep. "I'd get me a ladder from Home Depot and do it myself, but here I am three years later and I've never touched it," Mitchell said. Thursday he brought in a professional. Mark Brown of Brown's Painting and Window Cleaning is a tough get these days. "It won't stop ringing, I've got 20 calls, I'll go spend a whole day doing estimates and I've got another 15 to 20 calls," he said.

Brown's company has been around for 22 years. The most recent storms have produced the most water he's ever seen. He's one of a half-dozen cleaning crews we called that's all booked up. "Some people have even told me, they've never even thought about cleaning their gutter until all this rain," Brown said. Mitchell admits, he's one of those people. He's watching safely from the ground as Brown carefully scales a two story ladder to investigate. "When it shoots past my gutters and doesn't even stop and doesn't collect and doesn't go down the downspouts, then I'm kind of concerned that there is some blockage there," Mitchell said.

Mitchell was right, and the proof is in the yellow bucket. "And this is just leaf debris and stuff that comes out of the gutters, that was just across four or five feet," Brown said. Debris that Brown says will eventually weigh down the roof and damage the gutters. And standing water isn't good either, it provides a breeding ground for mosquitoes. When Mitchell's gutters were clear, Brown was off to the next house with weeks of backed up drains ahead of him.

In 1915, a small window cleaning company was cleaning the dirt and smoke generated from gaslights off of buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, MI. 

Happy 100th birthday... how a small Grand Rapids window cleaning company grew to one of the largest cleaning operations in Michigan: In 1915, a small window cleaning company was cleaning the dirt and smoke generated from gaslights off of buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, MI.  Now, that same company, Grand Rapids Building Services, is turning 100 this year. How did a once modest company turn into one of the oldest and largest custodial contractors in the Midwest?

Versatility:  GRBS has always demonstrated an ability to serve a wide range of clients. The facilities in their repertoire are quite diverse, ranging from universities and K-12 school districts to office, government, medical and light industrial buildings. The custodial team has prevailed over a century by proving they can meet the challenges of the most demanding industries.

Customer Dedication: The company knows they would not be in business if not for their faithful customers - some of GRBS' clients have trusted in their services for over 50 years, notably 5/3 (Old Kent) bank and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. You cannot retain decades-long patrons without making dependable customer service a top priority, which is exactly how GRBS approaches every client – old or new.

Employee Care: The people of GRBS think of their employees as family. They believe the key to a successful team is through respect and constant collaboration. Employees are team members, not subordinates. GRBS has only become a better company by believing everyone is integral to their success.

Life Long Learning: Whether it is the always-changing landscape of cleaning technology, equipment or chemistry, GRBS has stayed ahead of the curve by keeping an open mind. By keeping up with contemporary practices, the company has not only been able to succeed for a century, but also expand. They currently service over 30 million square feet throughout Michigan, Indiana and Illinois, and have a team of over 1,300 employees.

This little company out of Grand Rapids has grown to be a custodial force in the Midwest. And it is these core beliefs that have allowed Grand Rapids Building Services to become the model for longevity and success. Yes, they have set new standards for the custodial industry, but any small business with large goals can learn from GRBS' dedication to keeping an open mind, and most of all, treating clients and employees like friends and family.

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Men in Kilts blow into Houston and they're ready to do some heavy-duty cleaning: Making household maintenance fashionable and fun, an all-male crew of professional cleaning technicians, Men In Kilts, hits Houston today. They not only do windows but, in a nod to company founder Nicholas Brand’s Scottish ties, all employees do their chores while rockin' a tartan plaid kilt.  Men In Kilts enters the Texas market thanks to Houston oil and gas entrepreneur — and kilt enthusiast — Bob Cavnar (pictured), who is often seen wearing the Scottish garb at black-tie events around town.

“Three years ago, I saw it (the company) on the national news and really liked the entire concept. First off, because of my own affinity for wearing kilts, and also because of my family’s Scottish background,” Cavnar tells CultureMap. With his interest peaked, Cavnar flew to Vancouver to meet with the founder. “I really wanted to have a piece of the action because I thought it would be fun. But at the time, I was still heavy in the oil business and didn’t have time. Now I do, so I bought the Houston franchise and plan to expand to all the major metropolitan areas in Texas.“

As for putting together his merry band of kilted men, Cavnar says, “My target employee is military veterans (via organizations such as the Lone Star Veterans Association) and young guys looking for direction. This gives me a good platform to provide good steady jobs to guys who need them. Anyone who is good shape and doesn’t mind climbing on ladder, I will hire.”

Men In Kilts offers a range of household maintenance services.

The Canada-based franchise, with U.S. outposts in Boston, Jersey Shore, Bucks Montgomery, Pa., and Raleigh, offers services including window cleaning, gutter cleaning and pressure washing for residences and commercial businesses. Prices vary according to the size of the job and such factors as the number and type of windows (large pane, divided, high surface requiring a ladder, etc.), window treatments and screens; when we called to asked about the price for a two-story house with 18 windows (half high surface), the estimate came in at around $350.

Cavnar believes Men In Kits has another advantage in that all workers are fully insured. “We have employees, not contractors, and we do background checks. Everyone who works for Men In Kilts is accountable to me.” As for what the men are wearing underneath those pleated wraparounds, Cavnar says, “We never answer that question. No peeking!”

Rescue Dallas/Fort Worth

Fort Worth firefighters had to rescue a man after he became stuck on the side of a building washing window.

Stuck Window Washer Rescued From Side of Building Near D/FW Airport: Fort Worth firefighters had to rescue a man after he became stuck on the side of a building washing window. Hanging from outside the fourth floor of a Fort Worth building, one window washer was left wondering if he would make it down safely.

“The young man was hanging about 40 minutes before somebody noticed and a phone call was made,” said Battalion Chief Roger Woodard with the Fort Worth Fire Department. The washer was cleaning outside the American Airlines Credit Union when his equipment became stuck. The man left dangling about 50 feet in the air. His harness being the only line of defense from him plunging to the ground.

“It kept him from falling,” said Woodard. “But he was not able to climb up or lower himself.” A harness was lowered to the stranded window washer. Then three fire fighters pulled him 10 feet up to the roof. “It's a lot of weight to pull in that angle, especially when you don't have a lift system,” said Woodard. The man finally was brought to solid ground, but exhausted after an unusual workday. “If you were hanging there by a harness for 30-40 minutes, you might be a little exhausted too,” said Woodard. MedStar checked out the window washer on the scene and he is said to be doing OK. But it's still not clear why his equipment became stuck.

Window washer rescued off Fort Worth building: A window washer was trapped on the side of a building south of DFW Airport for 40 minutes before firefighters rescued him by lifting him up to a roof, a fire official said Monday. The worker was taken to a local hospital for observation, Battalion Chief Richard Harrison said Monday. Firefighters responded to a high angle rescue call at 12:37 p.m. Monday from 4151 Amon Carter Boulevard, just to the south of Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.

Window washers had been working at the American Airlines Credit Union, a four-story building, Monday morning, officials said. “One window washer was on a single harness and somehow he got tied up,” Harrison said. Another window washer saw that his co-worker was trapped and dropped down to help, fire officials said. “He had lowered himself to help his co-worker relieve the pressure,” Harrison said. “When you’re in that situation, you begin to have circulation problems because of the harness on you.” Firefighters arrived on the scene, and from the roof managed to untangle the harness and lift the worker up, Harrison said.

 

Cleaning With Ebola

Hazardous material crews prepare Oct. 3, 2014, to hang black plastic outside The Ivy Apartments in Dallas where Thomas Eric Duncan stayed when he began showing Ebola symptoms.

Bill for cleanup of Ebola-tainted apartment: over $100K (Kennedale, Texas): Hazardous cleanup companies get a lot of odd requests, but nothing prepared the crew at CG Environmental for this past week. A 15-person team spent the weekend decontaminating the Dallas apartment where Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan, 42, had stayed since coming Sept. 20 to the United States from Liberia. Duncan was hospitalized Sept. 28 but started showing Ebola symptoms four days earlier; he died Wednesday. "We were the first in, and we really had no clue what we were getting into," employee Dan Lee said.

The team went through two phases of decontamination, eventually removing enough material to fill 140 drums of what is now considered hazardous material. "We removed those (the family's mattresses) and started cutting those up, then moved to the bathroom and the closet and got everything touched by him," Lee said. "The lighting was poor in that house, to say the least, and it was definitely eerie."

They were instructed to strip the place bare, removing carpeting and window blinds. The drums of waste are expected to be incinerated this week. The potential what-ifs of treating such a sensitive space weren't lost on some of the crew. "I've got a wife, two kids," Garrett Eison said. "You hear 'Ebola.' You think Africa and deaths. It's like the plague. You try to stay away from it."

But Eison said most of the workers felt compelled to step in and help — with the proper safety equipment — because so few companies are equipped to handle such jobs. The company also does crime-scene cleanup, industrial cleaning and hazardous-waste removal. "Now that we've done one it should get easier, but we need to be cautious," Eison said.

Bleach, soap, sunlight or high temperatures will kill the Ebola virus, according to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Machine-washing clothes or bedding contaminated with Ebola will destroy the virus, and it survives only a short time on solid surfaces that are in the sun or have dried.

A sign on the door of the Dallas apartment where Thomas Eric Duncan stayed with family warns that the unit remains quarantined.

The company was busy Wednesday night cleaning an isolation room at Texas Presbyterian Hospital Dallas where Duncan was treated before his death, according to Vice President Brand Smith. "We've been contacted by the hospital, and we've been contacted by several entities throughout the U.S. just for protocols — 'What do we do? How do we handle this?' " said CG Environmental's owner, Erick McCallum.

Workers won't be needed at an urgent-care clinic in Frisco, Texas, where Sgt. Michael Monnig, a Dallas County sheriff's deputy who accompanied health department officials to Duncan's apartment, showed up Wednesday saying he had Ebola symptoms. Test results returned Thursday show Monnig doesn't have the virus.

The high-profile jobs bring in big money for the company. The apartment cleanup alone is expected cost more than $100,000 although negotiations on a final figure are not finished. The state of Texas has said it will pick up most if not all of the expenses for the Dallas apartment decontamination.

The vaccine agenda - also read here.

Ebola Virus Infection: Ebola is a rare but deadly virus that causes bleeding inside and outside the body. As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes levels of blood-clotting cells to drop. This leads to severe, uncontrollable bleeding. The disease, also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever or Ebola virus, kills up to 90% of people who are infected.
 
Could There Be an Outbreak in the U.K.? 
With an Ebola case being diagnosed in Dallas, Texas and up to 100 persons likely to have been in contact, the threat of an outbreak elsewhere is not to be underestimated. Previously serious Ebola cases have only shown up in Central and West Africa but this is fresh evidence that Ebola can spread from country to country when people travel. So it is possible for it to reach the U.K. if an infected person travels here. Airline crews are trained to spot the symptoms of Ebola in passengers flying from places where the virus is found and crews are told to quarantine anyone who looks infected.
 
How Do You Get Ebola? 
Ebola isn’t as contagious as more common viruses like colds, influenza, or measles. It spreads to people by contact with the skin or bodily fluids of an infected animal, like a monkey, chimp, or fruit bat. Then it moves from person to person the same way. Those who care for a sick person or bury someone who has died from the disease often get it. Other ways to get Ebola include touching contaminated needles or surfaces. You can’t get Ebola from air, water, or food. A person who has Ebola but has no symptoms can’t spread the disease, either.
 
What Are the Symptoms of Ebola? 
Early on, Ebola can feel like the flu or other illnesses. Symptoms show up 2 to 21 days after infection and usually include:

•  High fever
•  Headache
•  Joint and muscle aches
•  Sore throat
•  Weakness
•  Stomach pain
•  Lack of appetite

As the disease gets worse, it causes bleeding inside the body, as well as from the eyes, ears, and nose. Some people will vomit or cough up blood, have bloody diarrhoea, and get a rash.
 
How Is Ebola Diagnosed?
Sometimes it's hard to tell if a person has Ebola from the symptoms alone. Doctors may test to rule out other diseases like cholera or malaria. Tests of blood and tissues also can diagnose Ebola. If you have Ebola, you’ll be isolated from the public immediately to prevent the spread.
 
What Preventative Action Should I Take?
Common sense precautions such as mantaining good hygiene and cleanliness is important and travel to areas that are known to be affected is not advised. As always prevention is better than cure and certainly in this case as a cure is not yet guarenteed. Surface disinfection and hand sanitising with suitable accredited products is strongly advised.

Window Cleaning News & Photos

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Photo of the day - Reunion Tower window washer - Here's a beauty from staff photographer Sonya N. Hebert, of Hugo Suarez of Cliffhanger Building Maintenance hanging off of Reunion Tower in Dallas. She said the photo gods were shining on her today, providing a blue sky, a red shirt, and angled light. She did the rest! The photo came about when I stepped off the DART train this morning and saw a window washer nearing the bottom of one of the legs of the tower. One phone call and 10 minutes later, Sonya was on the scene, and nailed the photo when she spotted another employee of the same company at the top of another column. In newsroom parlance, this is the dreaded "weather feature" combined with the "what an editor saw on the way to work" feature.

L.A. Deals: Exterior residential window cleaning includes glass & framework. Eco-friendly products & custom applicators. Servicing Orange County, Los Angeles & San Diego Counties. Licensed & insured. Window Washing's technicians will have your windows spotless and sparkling, letting in more light and improving the overall appearance of your domicile. With this deal, they'll service up to 15 exterior windows, washing away tree sap, bird droppings and insect gunk. Of course, you can always DIY, but why risk it? Ladder accidents injure 200,000 Americans every year. Leave the ladder work to the pros and let the sunshine in today with Laguna Window Washing!

THE FINE PRINT: Limit 1 voucher per customer - Not valid with any other offers - Maximum of 15 windows cleaned - By appointment only - Must redeem voucher all at one time - No paint scraping - No cash back or refund - Expires 180 days after purchase.

Previous blog on "Groupon" type deals - "Cheapening Window Cleaning One Deal At A Time."

Beilue: Man mourns toll of cancer on body - Michael Davis, who has a window-cleaning business, doesn’t seem to have anything in common with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong or gold-medal figure skater Scott Hamilton — except for that testicular cancer thing. They had it. Davis has just been through it. Because of their celebrity network, it’s doubtful Armstrong and Hamilton lacked for emotional support in the weeks and months after. Davis just wished he had the same personal understanding. “It’s been tough,” said Davis, 40. “A person can’t fully understand losing a body part until they actually lose it. To a certain degree, it’s made me more aware of what a woman goes through when losing a breast or a veteran who loses a body part.”

Davis, diagnosed with testicular cancer in March, had an orchiectomy — surgery to remove a testicle — in April in Lubbock. Before surgery, he had two rounds of chemotherapy. Since surgery, he takes a testosterone shot every two weeks. Testicular cancer, serious as it might be, has no doubt spawned a few jokes at comedy clubs for the man-card crowd. Davis has heard them too, with “Hey, grow a pair!” leading the list. “Actually I kind of joke about it some as a coping mechanism,” Davis said. “My aunt and I have a neat relationship. One night I called her and said, ‘I really do miss my nut.’ She said, ‘Well, you shouldn’t be so careless.’” Though testicular cancer strikes about one male an hour and kills one a day, it’s still pretty rare. Striking about 8,300 males a year, most from the ages of 20 to 39, the survival rate is as high as 85 percent, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Glass artist fell to death in cathedral: A master stained-glass artist who died following a fall at Durham Cathedral had been putting the final touches to a new window, an inquest was told yesterday. Michael Lassen, 61, was helping put in the last panel of the 170ft stained-glass window when he fell 20ft from a ladder and suffered a fractured skull during a work break. A jury sitting at Newcastle ruled he died accidentally. Witnesses described Mr Lassen’s hands slipping off the ladder and him falling backward onto the stone flag floor in the cathedral’s South Quire. The reason for his fall remains unclear. Glass artist Tom Denny, who was commissioned to create the new Transfiguration window, told the hearing he had taken on Mr Lassen – one of the most experienced craftsmen in his field – to lead and install the window when a previous assistant became ill.

On the day of the tragedy on September 3, last year, Mr Lassen was working on scaffolding inside the cathedral, while Mr Denny worked on the outside of the building. Mr Denny said, while “wiggling around” the last rectangular panel, he saw the chairman of the Friends, Bill Apedaile, and others inside and decided to show them the window. He took the friends to the second level of the scaffolding, leaving Mr Lassen on the lowest level, when he heard a “clattering” noise and a woman scream. Cathedral volunteer steward Kathleen Burdon said: “I saw his (Mr Lassen’s) hands on the ladder and in an instant they just seemed to leave the ladder. “It all looked as if it happened in slow motion. His hands just seemed to slip off it. “I closed my eyes because I knew it was inevitable he would fall.”

Steward Maria Atkinson, who saw him fall backward, said he had made no attempt to grab out. The Gloucestershire artist was taken to University Hospital of North Durham, before being transferred to Newcastle General Hospital. He died on September 8 of bronchial pneumonia brought on by his head injury. Health and Safety Executive specialist inspector Stewart Eddie said he was satisfied with the ladder and scaffolding and no prosecutions were being considered.

NYPD, SEIU honor union members who died on 9/11 - Police Commissioner Ray Kelly joined SEIU 32BJ President Mike Fishman and others from the 32BJ family at a Security Recognition Ceremony on Saturday to honor the men and women of 32BJ who lost their lives on 9/11. Kelly also helped the union give out merit awards to current private security officers who have excelled in the line of duty. “They were dedicated individuals who worked as security officers, some as window washers, cleaners, elevator operators, maintenance workers,” Kelly said. “The police department considers you very much our partners in this effort. Because of the nature of your work you are in a better position than most to spot the indicators of terrorism. We depend on you. We depend on you to stay engaged, to act as our eyes and ears.”

Life-saving window washers: Enormous thanks to the window washers who potentially saved lives by reporting the loose 600 kilogram block on the building downtown. Their daily task puts them in a much better position to evaluate the integrity of buildings. They are actually on them, not in an office filing a report. Please give them a salary equal to a building inspector’s salary. They deserve it!

3M window film generates electricity, blocks light: 3M showed new window film that both cuts infrared light transmission through the glass and collects solar power from both indoor and outdoor lightsources. A square meter of the film can generate enough electricity to charge an iPhone under peak sunlight. This film has two strong energy conservation traits. The first is that it generates electricity. The second is that it blocks heat. The film generates electricity, so it can be used to power things like LED lights. As for blocking heat, this can help conserve energy, because if heat is blocked then the air conditioning of a building can be lowered, saving electricity. Those are the two main advantages for energy conservation.

The film blocks or absorbs about 80 percent of visible light and 90 percent of infrared light. In this demonstration at Ceatec in Japan the company showed the temperatures on each side of the glass, with the inside thermometer about ten degrees lower than the outer one. The film comes in flexible sheets and can be glued onto windows. There’s a greenish tint to the film, but 3M plans to make it clear by the time it plans to commercialize it sometime in 2012. The film generates only about a fifth of the electricity that a traditional silicon solar panel does and will cost about half as much, though pricing hasn’t been announced.

Ward Blanchard, 89, lives north of Grand Rapids and is the oldest man to motor 1,000 miles in 24 hours.

1,000 miles on motorcycle in a day? No problem for 89-year-old Michigan man: Just my opinion, but, frankly, I think it’s interesting all by itself that this summer, Ward Blanchard rode his motorcycle more than 1,000 miles without sleep, grinding out the distance in less than 24 hours. Something else makes it altogether stunning: Next July, Ward Blanchard turns 90. Not that you could tell. He’s got the facial features of a guy in his 60s. And he could be a hand model for dish detergent.

Not that he’s got the time or inclination. He’s too busy busting his butt on a three-wheeled cycle known as a Can-Am Roadster, setting records for long-distance motorcycling while some of his cronies are probably having trouble — let’s face it — gathering up enough steam for a spirited game of cribbage. “Don’t let your age tell you what you can do,” says Ward, who worked full-time until he was 87, mostly as a factory laborer and window washer. “Just forget about your age and do it.”

Window cleaner Steve Waplington is concerned about the effect that the closure of Lea Road will have on town business.

‘Road closure will be catastrophic’: Concerned local businesses have voiced their frustration at the closure of a major road into Gainsborough in fear that it may harm trade during a busy period. The A156 Gainsborough Road at Lea will be closed for up to two weeks for resurfacing work between Monday 24th October and Friday 4th November. It is hoped the ‘essential maintenance’ work will be completed during the half-term, while diversions will be in place along the A1500 Tillbridge Lane, A15 and A631, However, the road is one of the major routes into town from Lincoln and nearby villages such as Marton, Torksey, Fenton, Newton on Trent, Knaith Park and Saxilby - which has concerned local businesses.

Steve Waplington is a window cleaner who believes that the impact could be ‘devastating’. “I’ve contacted the council and asked them to reconsider this full road closure,” he said. “I don’t see why they can’t do a part closure with a contra-flow system, like they did when they were carrying out similar work near Blyton.” “This will have a detrimental effect on mine and other businesses in town.” “Not only is it approaching the Christmas shopping period for shops in Gainsborough, but if we were to have another cold snap like last year when it re-opens then the impact will be catastrophic.” Steve continued: “I’m on my soapbox because I think it’s wrong - doing this at such a busy time of year will be terrible.” “I don’t think that they have really thought this through.”

To some people, Paul Bastock may be your window cleaner. He may be the nice man who used to care for your dear old nan. He might even be the bloke who coached your son at one of his goalkeeper academies. But to those people who spend their Saturday’s worshiping idols in amber and black (maybe that should be green), the man known as Bazza is something much more. At Histon this week, the club’s all-time appearance record holder reached another miraculous milestone... his 650th appearance for the club. Those 650 appearances, during two spells with the club, have brought hundreds of highs and lows.

The time he ran to the half-way line to punch an opponent and receive his marching orders. The time he crashed into his own goalpost and played the remainder of the contest with an egg-sized lump on his hairless head. The occasion he saved two penalties in on match at King’s Lynn. The time he missed one from the spot himself. These are just some of the more bizarre moments that stand out from Bastock’s career with Boston. And in an era where footballers at the top of the game are vilified for being detached from society, it is refreshing to see a local hero like Bastock prove that life means more than football... while opening a few village fetes along the way. That life has seen him work locally as a window cleaner, in a care home and also as a sports coach.

West Dunbartonshire Council award window cleaning licence to gunman: I would like to comment on the report regarding a recent West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC) licensing meeting. I was present at this meeting and was astonished at some of the decisions taken. Firstly, a window cleaning licence was granted to an individual who had recently served a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for possessing a machine gun! This was followed by an application by an individual who by all accounts was a serial offender, having recently served a three years and nine month sentence for drug offences. This individual had also been observed lately by a police unit in the company of “serious and organised” criminals and planned to rent a unit from a known criminal in the Dumbarton area.

Despite strong objections by Strathclyde Police to both applications being granted, the board of WDC’s licensing committee saw fit to ignore the case put forward and proceeded to grant them. Bearing in mind that these same councillors granted licences to a gunman and a serial drug dealer I suggest that this smacks of double standards. TOA should certainly bring the matter to the attention of the Standards Commission on the grounds of complete incompetence by WDC licensing committee.

Strong Winds Blow Out Glass From Near North Side High-Rise Window: Chicago - Glass from at least one window from a Near North Side high-rise was blown out due to heavy winds on Wednesday, causing nearby streets to close to pedestrian traffic. The glass fell from a 12th-floor window in a building north of Chicago Avenue on Wabash Avenue near the Loyola Water Tower campus, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said. The sidewalk was closed right away and crews were sent out to block the west side of the street. A high wind watch is effect from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning near Lake Michigan. Winds will quickly increase Wednesday afternoon with strong and potentially damaging winds likely through Wednesday night. Winds will reach 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph likely, the National Weather Service said. The very strong winds could result in minor wind damage, downed tree limbs and power lines. High-rise buildings near the lake will experience even stronger winds just a couple of hundred feet above ground, the weather service said.

Food Share benefit is coming up: "Will Bowl For Food 3," which benefits Marion-Polk Food Share, is slated for next month. Oregon Paralyzed Veterans of America and ABC Window Cleaners & Building Maintenance are hosting the event. Will Bowl For Food 3 will begin at 1 p.m. Nov. 5 at Firebird Lanes, 4303 Center St. NE. Cost is $25 per person for shoe rental and two games. Or, attendees can rent a lane for $100 for up to five people, which also includes shoe rental and up to two lanes. Attendees can donate food for entry into a door prize raffle: one ticket for five cans, two tickets for 10 cans, three tickets for 15 cans and four tickets for 20 cans. For more information, call Samantha Demchak at (503) 851-4156.

City of London: Protest continues for third day - Self-employed window cleaner and protester James Awberry said he expected the demonstrators to be stereotyped but that there were many "normal, hardworking" people among them. "It's not just a bunch of hippies. We're not a single issue and we're not a one-day march. The reason why protests have never worked and never changed anything before is because they're generally speaking for a single issue for a single day. This is many issues for as long as it takes." Foreign Secretary William Hague on Sunday said that protests were not the answer, but the Green Party on Monday pledged its support to the protests in London and around the world.

"Miss Representation" takes critical look at media images: "American teenagers spend 31 hours a week watching TV, 17 hours a week listening to music, 3 hours a week watching movies, 4 hours a week reading magazines, 10 hours a week online. That's 10 hours and 45 minutes of media consumption a day." Those statistics swoosh onscreen at the beginning of Jennifer Siebel Newsom's film "Miss Representation," then swoosh off to show highly sexualized clips of women sucking their fingers, or dancing on stage in a strip club, or even just washing a window. The effect is disturbing.

Wagtail Whirlwinds - Squeegee Winner - 20-20 Vision

Congratulations to Stephen Hill (pictured above) with 20-20 Vision who  is the latest winner of the Wagtail Whirlwind 14" & 18" squeegee's (competition here) that enable you to work faster with this combination & wash/wipe simultaneously. It features a new aggressive micro-fibre pad. Mop and squeegee in one or alternate between modes in less than a second. Very robust. Great for most cleaning applications - especially windows, excellent for pole work and great to clean floors as well.

20-20 Window Cleaning is owned and operated by Steven Hill, and specializes in residential and commercial window and gutter cleaning in the greater East Dallas, Texas area. In 2001, Steven was introduced to the window cleaning industry by a good friend, Jim Ham, owner and operator of the original 20/20 Window Cleaning, which services the Northern Front Range of Colorado. During the six and a half years Steven worked with Jim, they serviced thousands of homes and nearly 300 businesses each month.

A little about Stephen..

Born and raised in central New Jersey and an artist at heart. I met my wife while in community college, she being a Texas native.  We made our way down to the Dallas - Fort Worth area in the late 90's so that she could finish up school.  After her graduation we relocated to Longmont, Colorado,  she took a job with a Architecture firm based in Boulder, and I found a retail job in downtown Boulder.  Once a month the window cleaner, Jim Ham would come and clean the shops windows, and I started to chat with him when he would come by.  Retail pay was low, and I was not all that thrilled with the job,  he offered me a job and I gave my notice with the shop.  Never in a million years would I have thought of getting in to window cleaning. I wanted to be a full-time artist, I didn't realize the potential for income and flexibility involved with window cleaning.  I was scared when I first started and was wondering if I had made the right choice, but it got easier with time and practice.  

I worked for Jim and 20/20 Window Cleaning from 2001 till 2007.  In 2004 we had a daughter and had to cut back on my hours to raise her as a full time dad (pay is real low, but it is rewarding).  In 2007 we moved back down to Dallas to be closer to family and a job change for my wife.  I thought I was done with window cleaning at that stage, but found myself back in it and  found another company to work for. I was 33 or so at the time with a child that was home sick more than in full-time daycare, so I became a full-time home dad once again.  So once my daughter started kindergarten it was time to get my version of  20-20 Window Cleaning started in Dallas.  I am still a full-time dad, juggling, dropping off and picking up a six year old to first grade everyday, washing dirty dishes and laundry, and running a small window cleaning and gutter cleaning company, but it is all worth it. Just wanted to thank Karl for the great blog that he runs as well as the contest and Wagtail tools.

If you missed it before, here is Max, a window cleaner in Mexico who quickly adapted to using the wagtail - in 5 minutes no less!

Window Cleaning News

It's My Job: Sparkle and shine - Walk past a clean set of windows in the Fargo-Moorhead area, and there’s a good chance Tim Olson and his squeegee have been on the scene. Olson, founder and owner of Mr. Sparkle Window Cleaning, has been scouring windows around town since he launched the company in 1998. A Fargo native with a background in business management, Olson has kept his operation in the family: His wife, Lori, runs the office, and his sister Nancy does part-time seasonal work. His business keeps a low profile and doesn’t advertise much but has carved out a niche through word-of-mouth referrals. “Almost all our calls, when they call in, say, ‘You do my neighbor’s house, or you do this person’s house,’ ” he said. “To me, it shows that we’re doing a good job.” We caught up with Olson to talk about the right way to clean a window, working through winter, and the inspiration behind his company name.



How’d you get into window washing?
I had done it when I was in college, and it was a good fit. I wanted to own a business someday. It’s a great business. I like working outside. I like moving, being around, seeing people. I don’t like being stuck in an office.

Is there a secret to washing a window correctly?
The thing that would surprise most people is how long it takes to get the technique right. I have people come up to me and say “Would you show me real quick?” so they can go home and do it, but when I train people, it takes them a good month at 40 hours a week for them to even start to get it down. There’s all sorts of little tricks.

Is there a busy time of year for you?
Spring and fall – spring is obviously the busiest, but it gets busy before winter, too. With graduations, the end of May, we’re just swamped. People already have scheduled next year for their graduations, my regular customers that know we get that busy.

You work in all seasons, don’t you?
Yes. It’s a good thing I’m from here because I’m used to the winters. We’re pretty hardy, I guess. We use alcohol to keep the water from freezing, so it’s more about keeping yourself warm, keeping your fingers warm, and just knowing what you can tolerate.

What can you tolerate?
I’ve done it to 40-below wind chill, but that’s tough. You’re out maybe about five minutes, and then you’re warming up. You can’t do it much longer.

Have you ever had any close calls on the ladder?
Just once, and it was this year. The ladder started to slide out from me, but I had my partner with me, and he was able to grab it. Jumped your heart for a little bit for a little while. I was actually inside a house, and they had a nice tile floor. I thought I had the ladder secure enough, but it just started sliding very slowly, and I just sat there and held on for dear life until he got over to the ladder and just kept watching it go down the wall. I suppose I was probably 15 feet up.

The name “Mr. Sparkle” is a famous reference to “The Simpsons” (it was the name of a mysterious Japanese cleaning product on the show). Is that how that came about?
Yes, it is. I’m a big “Simpsons” fan, and when we created our list of names, Mr. Sparkle was one of the names on there, and my wife said, “You’re not using that name.” As we kept eliminating names, it kept rising up to the top, and finally it was the last name.

War veteran, 83, facing eviction from the council house he's lived in for 74 years to make way for a 'family in need' - An 83-year-old war veteran who has lived in the same council house for 74 years is being evicted after the death of his sister left him living alone. Edward Meakins fears moving out of his life-long home will kill him but Barnet Council wants to use the three-bedroom property for one of the rising number of families needing large council homes. He moved into the house in Cricklewood, north-west London, with his parents and four siblings in 1936 but is now the only resident after his sister Margaret died in May. Mr Meakins, who also worked as a window cleaner for 25 years, said: 'I don't want a flat. I don't like the idea of it at all. It's very important for me that I stay here. 'I have been very worried about it. I wouldn't last long in a flat, it would kill me. 'I have got my garden and all my life here, so why do they want to take it all away from me?' Support has been flooding in for Mr Meakins, including a Facebook petition urging Barnet Homes to reverse its decision. So far, more than 3,000 people have joined the group, titled 'Save 83yr old Edward Meakins from being forced out of his home of 74 years'.

Your Mr. Rogers' windows come with many features designed to make cleaning easier. However, when you don't have to clean your windows very often, it's easy to forget. Renewal by Andersen windows from Mr. Rogers let you clean the entire window from the inside. The top and bottom windows tilt inside so you can reach the inside and outside glass. Your Windows Are Worry-Free—Not Dirt Free! So Here's How to Clean Them!

Family pay tribute to tragic dad: Relatives last night spoke for the first time about the death of a man as he played with his son in a paddling pool. Window cleaner Neal Jefferies, 30, was spending a Sunday afternoon playing in the back garden with three-year-old son Liam, when he suddenly collapsed and died. His sister Katie has now pledged to complete a charity challenge he was planning. Mr Jefferies’ partner Roberta Sim, 30, who was upstairs with nine-month-old Scott at their home in Ferguson Place, Abingdon, came down to find him lying face down in the pool.

Ex-miners claim injuries were under-compensated: A group of former miners who suffered industrial injuries are claiming they received inadequate compensation from a government scheme. The men have "vibration white finger" - a condition that causes pain or numbness - and are pursuing payments to cover tasks such as gardening and DIY. The government has said the scheme was administered fairly. BBC legal affairs analyst Clive Coleman said it had since emerged that some ex-miners were under-compensated for the "services" they could no longer provide for their families, such as gardening, car-washing, window-cleaning and DIY.

Stylish, affordable and now available fully furnished, Debut by Redrow apartments are proving popular in Selby, North Yorkshire. Debut apartments make ideal starter homes and to help those stepping on to the property ladder, the award winning house builder is offering a ‘first home pack’. “Looking after your money and keeping track of bills in your first home can be tricky, but at Debut @ Selby budgeting couldn’t be easier as gas, electricity and water charges, even the window cleaning, are included in a single monthly service charge,” Patsy explained.

Sky dancers wow downtown Dallas spectators: All the sky is a stage, or at least the sky surrounding Thanksgiving Tower is. Aerial dance company Project Bandaloop dangled, leapt and climbed through the downtown Dallas sky on Tuesday in a promotion for an energy company. The group has performed on skyscrapers around the world. Below, safely on the ground, a crowd of hundreds gathered, their necks strained. Look up in the sky! Is it a window washer? A bungee jumper? Is it Superman? Maybe Spiderman? No, none of the above.

Cleaning "Essentials" You Can Stop Using for Good: GLASS CLEANER - Once upon a time, I thought that specialty cleaner - you know, that ubiquitous blue stuff - was a must-have for your cleaning caddy. Years ago, I learned that many cleaning experts don't opt for a window or glass cleaner to make their windows and glass shine. It turns out that a simple few squirts of dishsoap in a bucket of warm water makes the best solution for cleaning windows and glass. (Others swear by white vinegar.) And, since you've ditched your paper towels, use newspaper to buff glass to a shiny finish -- it won't leave lint or streaks behind.

Leaking Fish Pond Leads To $300K Pot Bust: FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. - A water leak from a business led to the discovery of a pot-growing operation and 151 pot plants, said investigators in Forsyth County. Authorities said they found the marijuana at Georgia Window Works on Union Hill Road. Derrick Eads, 50, is facing felony charges, including manufacturing marijuana and possession with intent to distribute, after authorities said they found $300,000 worth of marijuana in his business.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Carol Sbarge went to his business in south Forsyth County on Wednesday, but no one answered the door. The owner of a neighboring business said he had noticed a strong odor, but never suspected someone was allegedly growing marijuana inside Georgia Window Works. “The business next door to this window washing company had noticed water leaking under the wall,” said Capt. Frank Huggins of the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators said the leak was actually coming from a gold fish pond inside the business. “You never know what might trigger something that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrator. It’s the way karma works,” said Huggins.
When a maintenance worker walked into the business to track down the source of the leak, investigators said the worker saw the pot plants growing in various stages. He immediately called the Sheriff’s Office, police said. A nearby business owner said Eads moved into the office complex earlier this year, but kept to himself. Eads has been released on a $33,330 bond. Previous blog on this here.

Moscow restricts vodka sales to break the drinking habit: Ivan the Terrible boosted its production, Mikhail Gorbachev restricted its sale, and Boris Yeltsin wandered the streets of Washington in his underpants trying to hail a cab to look for pizza after drinking too much of it. Now authorities in Moscow have taken the latest steps in Russians' eternal and deadly dance with vodka. They have announced a ban on the sale of spirits between 10pm and 10am, from September 1. The average Russian drinks 1½ litres of pure alcohol every month, a habit that kills 500,000 people a year. An estimated 51 per cent of vodka is produced on the black market. Factories run illegal night shifts, and huge supplies of moonshine are distilled in villages, where it acts as a second currency. In the 1980s Mr Gorbachev decreed that vodka could be sold only from 2pm to 7pm. Mortality rates dropped as a result but there was a spurt in use of dangerous ''surrogate'' alcohols such as aftershave, shoe polish and window cleaner.

Congress wants to pick your pocket - again. Democrats want to extend the Bush tax cuts for middle-class wage earners only and raise taxes on anyone earning more than $250,000. Of course, since this applies only to "the rich," it won't affect you, right? That opinion couldn't be more wrong. When upper income earner's tax rates climb by 3% or more, the marriage penalty is reinstated, child tax credits are lost, capital gains taxes increase from 15% to 20% (a 33% increase!), and dividend income taxation soars by 160%. It's not just "rich" people who pay and pay. Dollars will disappear from everyone's pockets. To make up for vastly higher taxes, "rich" folks will: Hire less domestic help: In areas such as landscaping, window washing and housekeeping, Joe Public loses big-time.

Street Talk: How do you cope with mosquitoes? Matt Roberson, window washer, Hanover Park: "Lots of bug spray. When we do residential areas, there's swamp and grassy areas where there's water. And dips in their back yards which hold water and are like nesting areas."

Known as Marco's "Window Lady," Sherri Medieros does windows, doors, mirrors, boat windows, condo lobbies, and more. Her See-Thru Window Cleaning has been on Marco since 1987.

FISH WINDOW CLEANING: Announced that Mark Phillips, owner of Fish Window Cleaning in Denver, has received the western region's Rising Star Excellence Award at the company's convention in St. Louis.