Professional Or Novice?

Bill Thomas, the owner of Northern Illinois Windows, stands outside the Hidden Pearl Café in McHenry. Hidden Pearl is one of the customers that rely on NIW to keep their windows clean. 

Northern Illinois Windows – celebrates 25 years of cleaning area windows ‘one pane at a time’: They call it the Silver Anniversary. That's what McHenry-based Northern Illinois Windows is celebrating this summer - 25 years of cleaning Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin windows for 25 years. How many window panes have they cleaned 'one-at-a-time' over the course of those years? That's a number that's almost too astronomical to consider. Suffice it to say that it's a lot.

"I started the company with a bucket, a squeegee and a truck," said owner Bill Thomas. "I would knock on the doors of businesses and ask them if they wanted their windows cleaned."

Today, Thomas has crews of window washers who do the window washing as he runs the business. He coordinates the routes, schedules window washing, which also includes washing the windows in private residences, and he does continue to do sales. In those early years, he also did the book keeping, marketing and all the other chores that are necessary to a successful business.

"I still knock on doors," he said. "And, I go out and do estimates. I like meeting with prospective clients so that they know who stands behind the quality and service we provide."

Shortly after starting the business, Thomas was joined by his son. Today, Thomas operates a window washing business in downtown Colorado. Father and son communicate often sharing ideas and suggestions. But, here in McHenry, Thomas has learned that he can't, or shouldn't do it all. He works with others to keep his business on track. This frees up his time to further develop the business.

Actually, window cleaning is only part of what Northern Illinois Windows offers, albeit a big part. They also provide home and office window tinting, gutter cleaning and power washing. They also install and take down Christmas lights during the holidays.

"We have several types of window film we install," said Thomas. "But, our 3M window film is the industry standard."

The window film comes with different levels of tinting. One thing that almost uniform about the film is that, whatever level of tint, most block 99.9 percent of ultraviolet rays. Over time, the UV rays can bleach furniture, flooring and stock that businesses keep in the windows. And after installing the window film, Northern Illinois Windows is available to wash the windows when they get dirty again.

Windows last November. The teenager plans to attend Boise State University to study human biology before going to medical school to become a cardiologist.

Area Teen Adds Shine With 7B Windows (Sandpoint): There are plenty of Bonner County teens who are happy to wile away their downtime from high school hanging out at City Beach or staring into the screens of mobile devices. Nathan Roe is not among them. The 17-year-old opened 7B Windows last November. It was initially slow going because November is hardly the peak of window-cleaning season.

But Roe’s persistence began paying off. “I went door to door downtown and was able to drum up some business for it,” said Roe, who will be a Sandpoint High School senior when the new school year starts this fall.

Roe is now cleaning windows for Pita Pit and Trinity and City Beach. “I was really happy to get the Trinity job,” said Roe. Roe also picked up some residential clients, although his services don’t include cleaning windows on buildings more than a story high.

Roe said he picked up some advice from a high school custodian, who gave him some of the basic equipment needed to restore the lustre in people’s windows. “I didn’t really see any downside to doing it,” Roe said of 7B’s launch.

Roe said the business allows him to market himself while taking pride in doing a thorough job. “There’s no hiding the work you do,” he said.

Roe plans to attend Boise State to study human biology before going to medical school to become a cardiologist. Roe’s business venture is not impinging on his academic career. He is among the top 10 percent of his class. “The kid maintains a 4.2 GPA,” said Roe’s father, Mark.

Cleaning The Movie Set Windows

Ron "The Whistler" Chappell cleans a window at Tait's Feed and Seed in Brunswick. Windows had been sprayed with a film for scenes from "Live by Night." Below: Workers dug and scraped down to the asphalt on Newcastle Street to restore it to pre-movie appearance.

Brunswick windows get post movie cleaning: Returning a couple of blocks of Newcastle Street to their pre-“Live by Night” movie days is getting down to the film, and a window washer was handling that. In one of the finer touches, producers of Ben Affleck’s “Live by Night” had the windows and glass doors in businesses along Newcastle Street sprayed with a film to make them appear realistically dirty.

Ron “The Whistler” Chappell was making his way down Newcastle Wednesday morning soaping down the windows and squeegeeing them clean. “The movie people told me to do this, so I’m doing it,’’ said Chappell, who gets his nickname from his loud whistling while he works.

Workers were digging and scraping down to the asphalt on Newcastle Street Friday to restore it to its pre-movie appearance. 

Even the few palm trees that were left standing got a light coating of grime so they would appear to have gotten a dusting from cars traveling along Newcastle Street, which was covered with mulch and sand to give it a 1920s look for the movie.

Downtown Development Director Matthew Hill said the producers have left downtown looking better than they found it so far. All the false storefronts to make it appear to be 1920s Ybor City, Fla., have been removed and the storefronts got some fresh paint as needed. “They look all shiny and new,’’ Hill said.

Still missing, however, are all the palms, shrubbery and pavers taken up from the median so Newcastle would be a wide dirt street for the movie. Putting the curbing back shouldn’t take long and restoring the plants should be complete by the end of the year, Hill said.

Ron Chappell, The Whistler, whistles the National Anthem for admirers who took part in a fund-raiser to buy the window-washer a truck. He had been walking or hitchhiking to his jobs.

Window Cleaning & The Big Film Rip Off

Hire us and your windows won't get broken.

Film welfare program forces legitimate businesses to pay for the rip off (by Ken Braun): The Michigan House of Representatives voted to kill Michigan's film subsidy earlier this month. The state's corporate welfare for filmmakers program was launched by Gov. Granholm in 2008 and then trimmed back by Gov. Snyder shortly after he was elected.

In a 2010 analysis of the original program, the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency noted that "significant confusion appears to exist" regarding the program's costs and benefits. That confusion has kept the taxpayer ripoff alive.

Gaetano "Tommy" Lucchese was the sort of businessman who wouldn't have been confused at all.

At the age of 18, Tommy employed several associates to help him operate a successful New York City window washing company catering to small entrepreneurs with large storefront windows. His sales pitch to the mom and pop shops was simple: Hire us and your windows won't get broken. Not by any coincidence whatsoever, this enterprise would become the Lucchese crime family.

It's easier to denounce the broken window business plan when it's linked to a violent gangster. But the morality becomes fuzzy when the friendlier faces of filmmakers are busting businesses.

Tommy created jobs that wouldn't have otherwise existed by taking cash from hard working small businesses and giving it to his gang. The enriched hoods then spent the wealth in clubs, and on fancy restaurants, hotels and elsewhere, creating what some might today refer to as a "multiplier" effect for the economy.

But to believe Tommy was a job creator in any ethical or economic sense is to confuse him with his tax-paying victims. Just as the window washing conferred no benefit on the mom and pop shops, film subsidies are an economic loser for the real business people forced to pay for them.

The film subsidy represents "lost revenue," according to the SFA report, and it does not "generate sufficient private sector activity" to offset that cost. The report projected $262.5 million would need to be drained from Michigan Business Tax coffers to fund the film subsidies for fiscal years 2009-2011, but that this would produce just $159 million in net improvement for the state economy.

If a Michigan businesses resisted this rip-off and refused to pay, then the state would have used force to collect the money. Without tax collectors on his side Tommy had to enforce his "taxes" and collect the cash in person. On the flimsy distinction of a tax law codifying the rip-off hangs the blurry morality some use to justify the film subsidies.

A story reporting on the "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" film project wrapping up in October noted fans "don't have much time left to capture selfies with actors like Ben Affleck (Batman) and Henry Cavill (Superman)."

That one film hit the taxpayers for $35 million. As noted earlier in this space, that's the equivalent of taking the total income taxes paid by 21,000 average Michigan workers and yet having their government give them nothing in return but those photo ops.

The film welfare scam remains politically popular because it causes those famous pretty people to come to Michigan. If we were more honest about the program, we'd have sent the media along as we made the crime fighting duo go door to door to every Michigan business and personally demand the $35 million they took from us.

"Hello small entrepreneur: I'm here to take a lot of your money and give it to my movie rather than your schools and roads, but would you like a selfie with Batman?"

That dose of reality might have induced more of us to at least demand they touch up the windows.

The author, Ken Braun was a legislative aide for a Republican lawmaker in the Michigan House and worked for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. He has assisted in a start-up effort to encourage employers to provide economic education to employees, and is currently the director of policy for InformationStation.org.

Paraíso: Immigrant Window Cleaners at Work in Chicago

Paraíso: The Op-Doc "Paraíso" (Paradise) reveals the beauty and danger of three immigrant window cleaners' work on Chicago's skyscrapers.

Paraíso: Immigrant Window Cleaners at Work in Chicago: I first got the idea for this film (whose title, “Paraíso,” is the Spanish word for “Paradise”) when I was living in Chicago working as a film editor. One morning, as I sat at my desk in a high-rise downtown, a man dropped down inches from my window, cleaned it, and disappeared to the next floor. This momentary interaction seemed a perfect metaphor for life in many multiethnic American cities where the work of immigrants often goes unnoticed. I hoped to find out more about what motivated these men to spend their working days dangling hundreds of feet in the air. 

Soon after I began filming, I met two brothers, Sergio Polanco and Jaime Polanco, and their cousin, Cruz Guzman. The Polanco brothers came to the United States from García de la Cadena, a small town in Zacatecas, Mexico, and the birthplace of a surprisingly large number of Chicago’s window washers and their families. The brothers and Mr. Guzman are employed by Corporate Cleaning Services, a well-established Chicago window cleaning company that, according to its president, Neal Zucker, requires all of its employees to be in compliance with federal and state guidelines governing employment eligibility. 

Window washers at this company receive health and life insurance benefits through membership in a union, SEIU Local 1, and can typically earn anywhere between $45,000 and $65,000 a year, depending on their skill level and speed. My subjects work as many days a week as they can, assessing weather conditions on a daily if not hourly basis to determine the risk of injury from high winds. Fortunately, because of these precautions and other safety standards, window-washing-related fatalities are few. (According to the International Window Cleaning Association, in the United States, there were a total of 39 deaths between 2002 and 2012.) 

Work continues throughout the year, and even at temperatures just above freezing. In my filming, what came through most was the men’s commitment to creating a better life for their immediate and extended families in the United States and Mexico through hard work and a dedication to an unusual occupation. These values continue to motivate window washers to climb over the ledges of high-rise buildings on many mornings all over the Chicago skyline. 

This video is part of a series produced by independent filmmakers who have received support from the nonprofit Sundance Institute. Nadav Kurtz is a filmmaker based in New York. “Paraíso” screened at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and has won awards at festivals including the Tribeca Film Festival, A.F.I.-Docs and the Chicago International Film Festival. 

Window Cleaning News

A window washers feet dangle above St. Anthony Falls as he cleans the windows at the Guthrie Theater.

Window Cleaner revealed.

"Window Washer" by Alyssa Boldischar, which shows a worker dangling from high up on the Guthrie Theater's exterior, cleaning a water-streaked window that looks out onto the Stone Arch Bridge. Minnesota artists display their ample talents in the State Fair Fine Arts show.

Two men clean windows on a Little Rock, Ark., office building Friday, Aug. 24, 2012.

15 years ago...1997: A Boston woman, injured after falling down a 10ft drop, while trying to clean her windows was rescued – by a window cleaner. Self-employed window cleaner Wayne Chadwick heard the woman’s cried for help from Witham Bank West near to where he was working and went to help. He said he was appalled when he got there as some people appeared to be standing around doing nothing. The woman had only been living in the flat for a few days, but had been trying to clean a window herself when she slipped and fell. “She was shouting ‘help me’,” Mr Chadwick said: “It was obvious she had broken her ankle and there was blood on the other leg.” The emergency services arrived and it took six firefighters to lift the woman out of the small space.

Steve Ercolino told a female co-worker he wasn’t feeling well as they walked down West 33rd Street to their office yesterday morning. The 41-year-old clothing-company vice president got to the front door at around 9 a.m. — and was immediately ambushed by a workplace enemy out to settle an old score. Ercolino never saw him coming. “I saw Jeff Johnson come from behind a white truck and pull out a gun. Steve didn’t see it because he was talking to me,” the colleague, Irene Timan, told The Post. “Steve was standing at my right. Jeff Johnson came from the left side,” she added. “He just came right in front of Steve, pulled out a gun, and opened fire. “Steve screamed, and I ran.”

Timan said the crazed killer — who had been laid off from the Hazan Imports fashion company last year — showed no sign of remorse as he pumped round after round into Ercolino.“I saw two police officers pulled their guns out,” said a witness who identified himself only as Joey, a 44-year-old window cleaner. “I heard bang, bang again.” As the bullets flew, people ran for their lives and ducked anywhere for cover. “It’s like a war zone here,” said Sheryll Sarmiento, 33, an accessories worker on West 33rd Street. “Everyone’s shaken.”

An exciting adventure ahead for Leighton window cleaner: A window of opportunity awaits a man from Leighton who is preparing for an exciting adventure just before hitting the big 5-0. Self-employed window cleaner Keith Siddle, 49, of Highfield Road, is swapping his sponge for a walking stick as he prepares to hike a challenging 23-miles over two days along England’s first Natural World Heritage Site. Keith, who has raised more than £3,500 so far for Great Ormond Street Hospital, will start his adventure a few days before his birthday on September 8 and then camp over with his fellow walkers to continue the trek the next day. He said: “I knew my family would ask what I wanted for my birthday, so I said I didn’t want or need anything, but did ask if they would like to sponsor me instead.

Window stickers keep birds on right path: Pieces of sticky plastic could save hundreds of wild birds from death or injury every year - but humans will have to pay up to help out. Dawn Morton, of Turakina Bird Rescue, is importing window stickers to help birds see and avoid panes of glass. The wildlife clinic at Massey University treats many injured native birds that have crashed into windows. The birds are then transferred to Turakina Bird Rescue for rehabilitation. Ms Morton said the simple window sticker could deter birds from flying into glass. The translucent transfers are barely visible to humans but make parts of the window opaque to birds. She said the bird rescue centre was never short of feathered patients, and there was often a waiting list. "Any help humans can give in avoiding the bird accidents would be welcomed," she said. Kereru, tui, morepork, black-backed gulls and harrier hawks are common victims of clean windows, with the kereru's heavy frame and tendency to swoop making it particularly susceptible. "It's the most common cause of most injuries to wood pigeons (kereru)," NZ Wildlife Centre director Brett Gartrell said.

One kereru now staying at the wildlife centre suffered a damaged wing and broken coracoid bone after flying into a plate-glass window. Birds hitting glass often broke the coracoid bone in their chest. Recovery from the injury took up to three months, he said. Ms Morton said one kereru had struck the window of a Whanganui house so hard a clear outline of the bird, created by dust from its feathers, was visible on the window for several days. The window stickers can be purchased from the Bird Rescue Centre or from the Department of Conservation's Manawatu/Rangitikei area office on Tremaine Ave, Palmerston North.

Flying into Doha, Qatar at dusk is like flying into Las Vegas, only that all of your senses are heightened – a sobering aftereffect of the incredibly long time it takes visitors to get there. Skyscrapers force the boundless terrain and wind-swept sand to yield to steel. Luxurious buildings with penthouse apartments, rooftop pools, and robust architectural flourishes are perfectly designed to allow guests the opportunity to forget where they are. The city feels designed by outsiders. All the buildings are brand new, while the “older” ones have a fresh coat of textured paint for effect. Every delicacy from around the world is available with a call. But if you take the trouble to look just one story above the window of the air-controlled coffee shop that smells of freshly made French croissants, you can see the exact line where the window washers must have put down their scrubbers and let the sand take over.

Sloan Transportation Products Launches Line of Green Cleaners: Sloan Transportation Products Ltd. has launched its MaxxGreen line of environmentally friendly products for the heavy-duty trucking industry. The first two products being introduced are MaxxClean super-concentrate all-purpose cleaner and MaxxAbsorb floor cleaner and general absorbent. Both product lines are certified eco-friendly. MaxxClean has been formulated in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide a safer, more environmentally preferable alternative to existing cleaning products without sacrificing performance. This highly concentrated, versatile cleaner is formulated to take on a wide range of cleaning jobs, Sloan says. It is available as a super-concentrate degreaser, vehicle wash and window and glass cleaner.

Manchester–Students at Manchester Middle School will instead report to Manchester High School next month. That’s because the district discovered visible mold earlier this month. Samples of the mold came back positive for aspergillus/ penicillium and cladosporium. “The mold has permeated large areas of the first floor,” the district said in a statement. “The cleanup company, has been contracted to perform cleanup of the mold. SERVPRO’s objective is not to kill the mold, which leaves dead spores behind, but to thoroughly remove all existing mold throughout the building. They do not use harsh chemicals for this process. The main cleaning agent they use is window cleaner, which they say cleans very well and leaves very little residue.

Raith chief robbery horror as callous thieves make off with thousands of pounds worth of jewellery. Turnbull Hutton dismissed the possibility that the cruel break-in was linked to his club's involvement in the Rangers scandal. Hutton, 66, and wife Margo were on holiday when their Edinburgh bungalow was targeted. He said: “Every piece of jewellery in the entire house was gone. The only other thing they took was a pillow case, presumably to carry the jewellery in. “We were coming back from holiday and were in the car when we got a call from police who were in our house. “The window cleaner had discovered that the back window had been forced. He told the neighbours and they called the police.” Raith were hit by threatening emails and calls after director Eric Drysdale sat on the SFA panel which imposed a transfer ban on Rangers. Hutton dismissed any possibility of a link between the break-in and the row. He said: “It was just out of sheer greed.”

Bengt, 80, left for a week with broken neck: An 80-year-old man was left lying in bed for a week with a broken neck at a care home in western Sweden after his care assistants failed to notice that anything was amiss. The fall one week previously had fractured several bones in the man’s cervical vertebrae, which are located immediately below the base of the skull. At the time, care staff had enlisted the help of a nearby window cleaner to get the man back into his bed, but no further examinations were taken. He then didn’t move from his bed for a week, with his personal care assistants not realizing that he was seriously injured. Rosengren confessed that he can’t remember anything from the week he spent confined in bed, wrote the paper.

Namibia: Cycling Adventurer Completes 4400km Trip - Robin Barrett, a 63-year old British national from Halifax, completed a 4 400km African coast-to-coast cycling adventure from Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) to Walvis Bay on Monday, August 13. It took the former French-teacher (now window-cleaner) 75 days to cross from Dar es Salaam on the east coast of the continent, through Malawi and Zambia, to Walvis Bay on the west coast. He started his adventure on June 1. "I was a teacher for 30 years, and eventually started my own window-cleaning business. It was while I was cleaning windows that I heard the story of Fran Sandham who walked from Walvis Bay to Dar es Salaam, which is what inspired me to also go on my own adventure," Barrett told The Namibian. He already had his tour-bicycle, and according to him, the window-cleaning kept him fit. "Also, after about four weeks of cycling, one gets fit too," he said.

Barrett had been on all the continents except Africa before. This adventure would allow him to see what the continent was all about. "At first the thought of 'black Africa' was a little intimidating. But I soon learned that the African people, especially those in small villages had more time to be friendly and hospitable. Everywhere I went, I received a warm welcome, and the fact that everyone could easily communicate in English was also an encouragement," he said. The cyclist had few problems along the road, except for a luggage-rack that broke off, and five punctures. Barrett advised those that may want to do similar adventures to stay away from the tourists centres. "Go through the quiet country and absorb that which comes your way. It's really different and refreshing," he said.

"Who I Really Am" is a reality based show on aspirations that have been squelched due to financial needs. The show's most interesting element is the new found happiness and unexpected changes life has brought to each and every one of the people on this show. It is upbeat, happy, and inspiring. The first episode shows a top commercial artist from Cuba who now is the top Parking Valet at a prestigious Miami Beach Condo building. Another woman who was an IT Engineer in her native country of Venezuela, now owns her own high rise window washing company in South Florida. She states in the show, “Only in America could I have a small business all my own and keep growing yearly.” Viewers watch her expertly clean windows with pride and dedication to her business.

New Movie “Premium Rush” Brings You a Look at Some of NYC’s Most Dangerous Jobs: Window Washer: We’ve all seen them—guys in little gondolas suspended hundreds of feet in the air, scraping away at the glass façade of a skyscraper. To them, it’s another day at the office; to you, it’s a great reason to put up with a little bird crap on your window.

The Sun, sex, and solar panels: Ah the seventies. Sure, we only had electricity three days a week, two channels on TV and a record of hooliganism that would embarrass Genghis Khan, but still – it was a simpler time. Men were men, women were women, and anyone in door-to-door sales was a randy old goat. Yes, popular fiction would have us believe window washers, driving instructors and gas-fitters were all delivering bored housewives considerably more than an extended warrantee – just ask Robin Askwith.

Reynoldsburg police reports: Police received a report at approximately 8:50 p.m. Aug. 21 that the Dollar General store, 1310 Brice Road, was robbed at gunpoint by four black males, all with thin builds and all wearing hoodies. An employee told police he was outside washing windows when he saw the four running toward him from the south side of the building. They ordered him inside and told him to open the safe. He said he was unable to do so and pointed toward the location where the store manager could be found. He told police he was then ordered to crawl to the drink coolers east of the cash registers and told to empty his pockets, which he did.

BID4OBAN to target empty shops: ‘The BID’s vision is to create a vibrant and vital town centre. Empty shop units clearly don’t contribute towards achieving that. ‘Right from the start the Steering Group wanted this issue to feature in the Business Plan, and it does.  We all understand the negative impact of empty shops on Oban’s trading environment, and the BID will do all it can to tackle the situation.’ If the ballot is successful and the BID gets the go-ahead, it will address empty shop units in two main ways. Firstly, the Business Plan allocates £14,000 towards window displays and window cleaning for empty shop frontage.  The BID company will work with property owners and their estate agents to make the vacant premises as attractive as possible.

More people in Denver working for themselves: From 2008 to 2011, the number of self-employed workers — one measure of entrepreneurial activity — rose an estimated 2.9 percent in metro Denver. That beat the national average of 1 percent but ranked the Mile High City 20th among major metro areas, according to Economic Modeling Specialists International in Moscow, Idaho. Denver severely lagged leaders such as Houston, up 12.2 percent, and Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif., up 11.8 percent. If skilled workers are merely going solo to get by — say, an architect who starts a window-washing service — that can indicate an economy that isn't creating enough opportunities. "People do what they need to do to survive," Wobbekind said. Since 2009, the largest self-employment gains in metro Denver have come among child-care workers, maids and other housekeepers, and construction workers, said Joshua Wright, a communications manager with EMSI.

The upcoming Glass Association of North America's (GANA) Fall Conference, scheduled for September 18-22 at the Hilton Chicago, will feature a session by industry consultant Paul Duffer. Duffer's presentation, titled "Glass Surface Problems and Solutions," will discuss a variety of issues, including the ongoing discussion of window cleaning issues. GANA has been working with the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) on a joint task group to create a series of Glass Informational Bulletins and a new ASTM standard on glass cleaning. "The best technical minds in the glass and glazing industry come together in September at GANA's Fall Conference in Chicago," says GANA president Jay Phillips of Guardian Industries Corp. "These working meetings define our industry standards and provide recommendations for the appropriate use of glass to the design and construction communities. Many critical issues will be discussed, including the appropriate glass for balconies, realistic daylighting recommendations, life cycle analysis of glass products and defending the use of glass and glazing in commercial buildings. By attending Fall Conference, you help shape our industry and ensure your interests are heard."

A fisherman who helped in the search for Dylan Cecil off the coast at Burnham-on-Sea has spoken to the News after the youngster’s body was found. Thomas McDade, 42, of Chard, fished at Burnham for many years, and he and pals Mark Giblett, of Bridgwater, and Darren Wright, of Highbridge, walked sections of the mudflats last week searching for four-year-old Dylan, who slipped from a jetty into the water on August 19. It was five days later at around 12.30pm on Friday that Dylan’s body was found at Burnham Yacht Club less than half a mile from the jetty. Thomas, who moved to Chard in 2010 having lived all of his life in the Burnham and Highbridge area, said: “I know it sounds a bit strange, but I was pleased when they found Dylan’s body.  “If he’d gone out into the Bristol Channel I don’t think he’d have been found.”

Thomas, who works as a window cleaner in and around the Chard area, began fishing at Burnham when he was aged 12. “When I heard about what happened I knew I had to help in the search,” he said. “It really touched me what happened and I felt so sorry for Dylan’s parents. “When it happened, and because I know the mudflats up there like the back of my hand, I decided I’d help in the search.” Thomas was left frustrated when the official search was called off, and he was planning to continue looking before news came through that Dylan, who had been in Burnham with his mum and dad, Rachel McCollum and Darren Cecil, visiting grandparents, had been found. “That stretch of water up there is so dangerous,” he said. “The mudflats are very dangerous and you have to be so careful. “I’d urge anyone who visits the Burnham area to take care on the beach.”

Fishy Stories... more awards than the Oscars.

KEEPING THEM CLEAN - Kewon Brooks with Fish Window Cleaning had change up his game as he went to work on cleaning the windows of the historic Amtrak Brookwood station at 1688 Peachtree Street Tuesday, Aug 21, 2012. Designed by neoclassical architect Neel Reid, the 1918 building has a graceful facade of arched doorways and columns. Brooks says he has to use a different technique of swirls on moon shaped windows compared to square ones. He says they clean the windows there usually every six months.

Terry Jenson, owner of Fish Window Cleaning in Colorado Springs, received three awards at the national Fish Window Cleaning convention in St. Louis. Jensen’s business was named Star Performer-Standard Market Group for top revenue performance. The business also received the Tops Sales Award for adding 500-plus new accounts in 2011 and the Top Producer Award for outstanding year-over-year increase in revenue production. Fish Window Cleaning was founded in 1978 and began franchising in 1998; it has more than 230 locations.

Lori Minter, owner of Fish Window Cleaning in Fort Collins, received the Navigator Award at the annual Fish Window Cleaning Convention in St. Louis. Minter, a repeat winner, received the award for her work with prospective new franchisees.

Kevin and Paige Lambert, owners of Fish Window Cleaning, Beaverton, received the Navigator Award at the annual Fish Window Cleaning Convention in St. Louis. The award was presented in recognition of their work with prospective new franchisees.

David Merrick, owner of Fish Window Cleaning Metro East has received the Top Sales Award at the annual Fish Window Cleaning Convention in St. Louis. Merrick added 500 new customers to his business in 2011. The company offers commerical and residential window-cleaning services in Granite City and other locations.

Bill Kutney of Richboro, owner of a Fish Window Cleaning franchise in Warminster, received the Quick Start Award at the company's annual convention for his production record during his first 16 weeks in business. Kutney provides services for commercial and residential customers in parts of Bucks and Montgomery counties.

McCauley receives top sales award: Greg McCauley, owner of Fish Window Cleaning in the Portland-metro area, received the top sales award for adding more than 500 new accounts during 2011, at the annual national convention in St. Louis. Fish Window Cleaning provides services to commercial and residential customers in Portland, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego, West Linn, Tigard, Tualatin, Oregon City, Wilsonville, Sherwood, Canby and Happy Valley. The company was founded in 1978 and began franchising in 1998; it has more than 230 locations nationwide.

Australia: Window Cleaning Paradise Winners

The Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Award for best Australian short was awarded to Sophie Miller’s Spine at Melbourne’s Greater Union Cinema. International filmmakers were honoured as well, with the BBC Knowledge Award for Best Documentary Short Film going to Nadav Kurtz for his documentary Paradise, about immigrants working on Chicago’s tallest buildings as window washers.

Documentary short gives view of, reflections by 3 window washers: Window washer Jaime Polanco straddles the ledge of a Chicago skyscraper, preparing to go over the wall. As he always does, he makes the sign of the cross and then silently asks God to keep him safe.

"There are lots of people who die and leave behind young children," Jaime's younger brother, Sergio Polanco, says in a voice-over as this scene unfolds in a new documentary about the brothers and their crew mates, all Mexican immigrants working as window washers in Chicago. "Imagine how they feel dying. I've thought, 'I have to die, but if it has to be working, then let it be. Let it not be somewhere else, where I won't have life insurance.'"

Three immigrant window cleaners risk their lives every day rappelling down some of Chicago's tallest sky-scrapers. Paraíso reveals the danger of their job and what they see on the way down. Nadav Kurtz's 10-minute film "Paraiso," Spanish for "paradise," captures the hopes and reservations of the Polancos and Cruz Guzman, who work for Corporate Cleaning Services, Chicago's largest window-washing company. The documentary short, told in Spanish with English subtitles, has won awards at four film festivals, including Tribeca, Seattle and AFI-Discovery Channel's Silverdocs. A local release date hasn't been set, but Kurtz has applied to enter the film in October's Chicago International Film Festival.

 "It's pretty good insight into the stuff we do," Guzman said in an interview while waiting for a building manager to unlock the hatch to the roof of 515 N. State St. "They don't see us as the smelly window washer in the elevator, but in reality they see us for who we are. It's funny though, 'cause I always think that when we're hanging over the wall, everybody's so amazed and stuff. But as soon as we get into the elevator, they turn around, and they're like, 'Oh, God. What's that smell?'" I hadn't yet experienced what it's like to stand on an unshaded roof, surrounded by glass and metal, on a day with a high temperature in the upper 90s. So I asked him to describe the odor. "Sweat and dirty water," he replied.

Nadav Kurtz's 10-minute film "Paraiso," Spanish for "paradise," captures the hopes and reservations of the Polancos and Cruz Guzman, who work for Corporate Cleaning Services, Chicago's largest window-washing company.  The documentary short, told in Spanish with English subtitles, has won awards at four film festivals, including Tribeca, Seattle and AFI-Discovery Channel's Silverdocs. A local release date hasn't been set, but Kurtz has applied to enter the film in October's Chicago International Film Festival.

From all angles, including cameras mounted on the workers, Kurtz captures the trio hauling equipment onto freight elevators before dawn, knotting the ropes on which their lives depend and descending from points so high only the wind blowing against the camera's microphone is audible. Chicago's peaks of steel give the film grandeur. But the men ground the film in the reality of Chicago's deep class divisions. They are unable to participate in the lakefront lifestyle they observe through the windows they clean, and they acknowledge that in the film. "I'd like to live downtown one day, but I know it would be difficult," says Sergio Polanco, 28, who lives in Berwyn. "Everything would go to rent and food, and that's it. So there wouldn't be much of a point, except to be able to say, 'Hey, I'm living downtown.'"

Kurtz then cuts to Guzman as he describes his own hopes. As viewers watch the crew buying breakfast from a food truck on lower Randolph Drive, Guzman says: "I've always wanted to walk down Michigan Avenue with a Starbucks. All relaxed, just like that." On the roof of 515 N. State last week, as Guzman tied into the carpeted wooden swing he calls his "personal office," I asked the 21-year-old why he covets a stroll down Michigan Avenue. "We're working in real important buildings and stuff like that," he said in English. "But I'm working. I'm not really enjoying the building itself. So it would be kinda cool if I (could) come down here as, we'll call it, a civilian, I guess. And just hang out and be part of the social life downtown, instead of just the workforce. ... It's not such a big dream, but it's something. It would make me feel better."

Kurtz previously worked full-time as an editor for a post-production company called Cutters on the 25th floor of 515 N. State. The idea for the film came from looking out his office window. "Honestly, I wanted to do their job," Kurtz said. "The first time I saw them, I remember thinking, 'That's amazing. I would love to see what they see out there.' ... I Googled it, and I was really surprised no one else had made a film about it (in the United States)." U.S. Equities Realty, the property manager of 515 N. State, put Kurtz in touch with Neal Zucker, Corporate Cleaning's chief executive. Kurtz, who lives in New York and was living in San Francisco while shooting the film in 2010 and 2011, began meeting with the company's window washers.

He expected to find thrill-seekers. Instead "at the bottom of the ropes" one day, he met the Polancos, whom he described as men "with deep thoughts." "All of these (film festival) jury members, they always ask, 'How did you find these three incredible young men?'" Kurtz said. "I was just taken by their thoughtfulness, their attitude toward their families, their care for their families. ... It's not often people open up that much in a documentary." As the Tribune reported from Mexico in 2007, most of Corporate Cleaning Services' window washers emigrated from a rural town called Garcia de la Cadena. The labor flow is believed to have begun four decades ago with one man, Refugio Ramirez, who worked as a dishwasher at the Congress Plaza Hotel and decided to moonlight on a crew washing hotel windows. He soon recruited a cousin and six friends.

"My dad taught me, but he's been doing this for 40 years, and next year he retires," Guzman said. "He works at a much slower rate. So when I came here, I kind of struggled because these guys are the best in the city. I mean, they're real fast. With time, I picked up their speed, their own techniques, and they taught me a lot more stuff." From the ground, the technique looks like ballet. Using a suction cup, squeegee and long, narrow brush, they repeat the same sweeping pattern on each pane. They always hit the corners, using the suction cup to anchor them for those long reaches. They clean each window in about 30 seconds.

Corporate Cleaning's window washers, who are unionized, are paid a set amount per building, which is based on the building's size and complexity, as well as the estimated time to complete the job. That means that if one washer finishes the job in two days and another in three, the faster worker effectively earns more money. They can take that extra day off and get paid for it, but most move on to their next assignment to earn more. The company describes this as a commission system, making workers ineligible for overtime, a position that has sparked a lawsuit. About two dozen current and former Corporate Cleaning employees, including Sergio Polanco, have argued in a pending federal lawsuit that their compensation has no relationship to what customers are charged. Thus, they are entitled to overtime.

 Sergio Polanco told me he was no longer involved in the lawsuit, although court records indicate he is. In the film, he expresses gratitude for his job. "I'm not rich, but I do know that if my parents became ill, I could help them," he says. "And I know that if I was in Mexico, I wouldn't be able to do that as easily." And that is why the Polancos and Guzman — and generations before them — "go over the wall" multiple times a day. "What'll we do when we go? Wash windows in heaven?" Sergio Polanco says over an image of the team working on a glass facade in lush sunlight. "We'll go wash windows in heaven so that heaven is clean."

Directed by Nadav Kurtz. Nadav says check out "Some beautiful photographs by my friend Mike Kelly (Sky Ninja), a window cleaner and talented young photographer."

Best Documentary Short Award. 2012 Tribeca Film Festival. Jury Comments:
“This film is a beautifully crafted portrait of a group of men with a sense of humanity and a very unique view of the world. In 10 minutes we were drawn into a story that told us about human nature, quality of life, economics, race, the importance of family and mortality. The men may be invisible to the world rushing below them, but they see through the windows they’re washing—deep into the lives and souls of the people behind the glass. It’s cinematically exquisite, with light so rich it’s thrilling to watch.”

Best Documentary Short Award. 2012 Seattle International Film Festival. Jury Comments:
"For approaching literally lofty subject matter from a down-to-earth perspective, and for allowing the subjects to tell their own stories."

Best Documentary Short. 2012 Cine Las Americas Int. Film Festival.

Sterling Short Jury Honorable Mention. 2012 AFI- SilverDocs Documentary Festival. Jury Comments, “For taking the audience to new heights in experiencing a unique perspective on immigrant labor through beautifully-lensed and adventurous cinematography, the jury recognizes [Paraiso] with an Honorable Mention.”

Huffington Post: Wrapping Up the Los Angeles Film Festival. "Delightful, probing, insightful, and most importantly, ennobling its subjects without the least trace of condescension, Kurtz takes you on a 10 minute ride to the top of the world with men who face death on a daily basis just to feed their families...It's enough to make John Steinbeck cry."

Picture Of The Day + Window Cleaning News

Clean reflection: A window washer cleans windows on the Sir Humphrey Gilbert building in downtown St. John's Wednesday. Temperatures hit 20 degrees Celcius or more in some places making for a nice fall day.

Blame the window cleaner...I could write two more Harry Potter books, reveals Scots author JK Rowling. Rowling told how she moved into the five-star city centre hotel in a bid to find some peace and quiet to finish her last novel. She said: "As I was finishing Deathly Hallows, the window cleaner came, the kids were at home, the dogs were barking and I thought I just can't write.

Las Vegas Window Cleaning Tip 1 – How to Know if a Company is “Legit":  One good question to ask when you’re looking for a Las Vegas window cleaning company to use is “do they use their own window cleaning equipment”. Now, what I mean by their own equipment is: they shouldn’t be asking you to use anything. They should have their own ladders, their own tools, and they should have a company truck. They should be able to get there, to your house, get the job done, and be able to leave without using any of your things.

So, when they actually clean your windows and put the ladders up and and clean your screens, they’ll be able to have the right tools and do the job correctly. They COULD ask you to use some of your tools, but you probably won’t have the right tools to do the job properly. And so that’s how you can know if a window cleaning company is established, and if they’re legit they should have all the right tools, all of them on hand, and they should be able to get the job done quickly and efficiently. Fully professional and fully equipped is what you’re looking for when you’re trying to find a window cleaning company.

“Anyone living with cancer is fighting a tough battle,” says Shirley Perlinsky, owner and CEO of S&G Cleaning Services Corp. in Manville, “but women often find it even more difficult than men because they are expected to care for their own families while fighting for their lives. S&G Cleaning Services is a member of the Cleaning For A Reason Foundation, an organization dedicated to providing the gift of a clean home to women undergoing treatment for cancer. “Providing free cleaning services through the Foundation is a privilege, not a burden,” says Perlinsky. “It's our way of giving back to the communities we serve.” Women undergoing treatment for cancer are encouraged to apply for free cleaning by visiting the Foundation's website. “Friends and neighbors often bring food, but they don't usually offer to clean the house,” says Perlinsky. “All it takes is a few keystrokes, and we will provide free cleanings once a month for four months.” Cancer patients who receive the free service find it invaluable. “There are tons of cancer-research foundations. I need help with my house!” says one recipient, who chooses to remain anonymous. “I have three small children and have been taking chemotherapy for 19 months. This is a God-send to me!”

New 'Hot Wash' from Aquafactors: Although the use of hot water with water fed poles is gaining momentum for use on all kinds of surfaces, the mobile heating equipment available, over recent years, has sometimes proved to be more of a challenge... Outputs, flow consistency, control over temperature, fuel options, running costs and safety have been criticised. Price has also put most systems out of the reach of small window cleaning firms. After evaluating the market and spending some 800 hours of development, Aquafactors has introduced its own water heating system, in conjunction with Krueger, a leading British manufacturer of specialised heating systems.

The 12Kw 'Hot Wash' is now claimed to be the most powerful in the market. It has a continuous flow rate of over 13 litres a minute to temperatures of 65°C, which gives enough output for two poles running at the same time; considered a 'first' for equipment of the type. The 'Hot Wash' has been designed to be highly controllable, efficient and cost effective with additional benefits such as a 'Froststat' and timed switch-on. There is also an integral diagnostic program.

The complete package can be supplied (and fitted) as part of an Aquafactors water fed pole system or retro fitted to competitors vehicles. Unlike some systems the 'Hot Wash' does not use a plate heat exchanger but a more efficient and effective heat storage system manufactured in top quality 316 stainless steel. This is powered by an Eberspacher Hydronic water heater which draws its fuel from the vehicle diesel tank. This combines to produce a water of consistent temperature even if the supply is interrupted or briefly turned off at the pole. Fuel costs are 40% lower than some heat exchanger systems and trials have shown an average consumption of just 0.65 litres an hour. Water temperature can be adjusted between 20 and 75°C and will remain within 11/2°C of the set temperature.

One of the great advantages of the 'Hot Wash' is the built-in winter 'Froststat'. This automatically cuts in at 2°C and diverts heat to a 2Kw matrix fan heater. This then blows warm air around the inside of the vehicle to prevent equipment freezing. The Aquafactors 'Hot Wash' is beautifully put together. The equipment meets a full testing protocol including a pressure test at over 7 bar. Servicing is minimal - every two years or 1000 hours, whichever is the sooner. There is a two year parts and labour guarantee excluding consumables. "The exceptional build quality, ruggedness, low maintenance and consistent performance makes the 'Hot Wash' easy to use whatever the weather conditions," says Aquafactors' Alan Matthews. "Satisfaction is guaranteed."

Specialist cleaning firm Sanitec Cleaning Services has been acquired by a former regional rival. Sanitec, set up by husband and wife team Nick and Jane Scrivens in St Faiths, near Norwich, has been bought by Essex based Monthind for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition has also seen the vast majority of Sanitec's 170 staff transferred to Monthind, with a very small number choosing to leave the business. Established in 1997, Sanitec offers a range of cleaning services including office cleaning, retail, window, carpet and computer cleaning. The acquisition follows a period of steep growth at Monthind, which now employs 1,000. Tony Clarke, managing director of Monthind, said: “We are delighted that this significant acquisition includes the 170 Sanitec employees who have chosen to come with Monthind as we expand our operation.”

Setting up home in Selby is now even easier thanks to Redrow. The stylish, affordable apartments at Debut at Selby are proving popular, particularly with first time buyers. And you don’t need to worry about budgeting for utility bills as gas, electricity and water charges, even the window cleaning, are included in a single monthly service charge."

It's been a decade since Darrell Miller created Storm Show Studios, an action-sports film company based in Jackson, Wyo. It's a small film company, but occasionally it crops up amongst the more mainstream ski films. How did you get started in this business? I started making movies in 1993 in a high school radio/TV class with my buddy Jeff Tibbitts. In 1999, Tibbs and I started a window cleaning company. We bought cameras and editing equipment with our earnings and started All World Video Production. We taught ourselves to film and edit but never went to film school. The plan was to make ski films, and it took off from there.

So let's accept a certain amount of danger associated with playing football. It is not the only dangerous job, and it is certainly not the only one that does not want OSHA or any other outside authority regulating what goes on between employer and employed.  The only time this happens is when one side refuses to recognize the terms of reality, which is unfortunately rather common. The definition of that risk, though, must change with sane work practices. Window washing is dangerous, but acknowledging that doesn't negate the need for a safety belt, or to deny that the wind exists as a factor in the danger. This is what the NFL has in fact done towards the issue of concussions, first denying it, then acknowledging they exist but hiring two doctors whose opinions stood in stark disagreement with the weight of majority medical opinion. In short: no lasting effects, no damage, and thus no disability. Science!

Is Your Window America's Ugliest Window? Well, I got inspired to use this idea for ugly window problems. Wouldn't it be helpful to see the kind of problems people have with windows (You'd be surprised at some of the nightmares we see)? So here it is. You can submit your story and window picture and win a cash prize. Just like "America's Funniest Videos," you can win cash for sharing your window problems with us. And the best part of this contest is you don't have to live near Mr. Rogers Windows to participate. Anyone in any city is eligible to enter. And the ugly windows will be posted after each contest period of 60 days. You May Even Make it to the Ugly Window Hall of Fame! Be sure to give us a brief description of your Ugly Window so our judges will know your frustrations. Include your name, address, and phone number so we can contact you if you win. Every two months we will award a cash prize of $100 for the Ugliest Window. Winners will compete for the annual grand prize of a beautiful new replacement window from Renewal by Andersen and Mr. Rogers Windows. (No matter where you live).

Step-by-step guide to removing window film by Thom W. Conroy: Adding a window film to the windows in your home offers a number of advantages for a homeowner, but eventually the window film will need to be replaced or removed. Whether the reasoning is to make a change in design statement or simply because the window film is beginning to peel, removing window film can be a labor and time intensive effort. In short, the better the window film was applied initially the more difficult it will be to remove but there are a few basic tricks that can make the job less frustrating and enable success more quickly. In any case patience is key, as attempting to remove window film through the use of extremely aggressive measures will only serve to damage the glass beneath the film. In order to remove window film a homeowner must first assemble the necessary tools for the job at hand - a spray bottle filled with ammonia, a good supply of clean rags, a utility knife or razor scrapper and protective gear such as a respirator and goggles. It is important to realize that the vapor from ammonia when inhaled can burn the lungs, so special care must be taken to protect both the human respiratory system and the eyes.

The process to remove window film is very simple and little more than the display of common sense. First attempt to find a raised edge on the window film and pry as much of the film away from the glass as is possible using a fingernail. If no edge is available make one using a razor blade and then work your way out. Try to get as much of the window film removed in this manner as possible before proceeding to the next step. The final step for removing window film is to spray ammonia onto a warm window. First, place a line of rags at the base of the window to catch any run-off. This process is best done on a sunny day but if this is not possible you can heat the window first using a hair dryer. Spray the ammonia liberally onto the window film and let it stand for ten minutes and then attempt to peel the film away using a razor. While this may be difficult at first, with each application of ammonia the window film will begin to lift until it is all finally removed. To complete the job after the window film is removed simply clean the glass thoroughly with window cleaner and paper towels. Learn more about this author, Thom W. Conroy.

Robert Plant,– one-time Led Zeppelin singing legend and now respected solo artist – recalling his early days on the road with an obscure Sixties band called Listen. Little did he then know that it would create a strange link with his fellow Midlands rock star, Slade singer Noddy Holder. “Noddy’s dad was a window cleaner. He also used to be our roadie for a while. I could take a girl back from a gig with the sounds of buckets and ladders clanging on the side. Great romantic moments!” I’m sure that Noddy – or the girls concerned – couldn’t have put it better themselves.

Couple opens Fish Window: Lisa and Bob Tilzer, owners of Fish Window Cleaning, outside their Danbury office. The next time you reach for a paper towel to wipe the soap off your windows, you may want to reconsider, said Bob Tilzer, co-owner of Fish Window Cleaning, which recently opened at 70 West St., in Danbury. "Paper towels have lint on them, which leaves streaks. Instead, you should use lint-free towels," said Tilzer, who owns the business with his wife, Lisa. Fish Window cleans interior and exterior windows, storm windows, screens and mirrors, as well as chandeliers, ceiling fans, gutters, solar panels and skylights. The business was founded in Missouri in 1978 and has more than 220 locations in 40 U.S. states, including Wallingford and Windsor Locks. It's ranked No. 182 on Entrepreneur magazine's 2010 Franchise 500 list. Local customers include Chuck E. Cheese, Hilton Garden Inn, Sleepy's, Nico's Pizza & Pasta and Double Twister. "For cleaning taller buildings, we use a water-fed pole cleaning system, which is a series of poles that interlock and can reach up to 50 feet. It's faster and safer than using a ladder," said Tilzer, 56, of Danbury. Cleaning costs range from $85 to more than $1,000. Fish Window differentiates itself from its competition, Tilzer said, by holding weekly safety meetings for its cleaners. Topics include ladder safety, the latest updates on equipment and how to remove debris, paint, glue and hardwater stains from windows. Fish Window has been cleaning about 70 windows in the Danbury Fair mall for two years. "The glass has been there for almost 30 years and after they clean it, it looks crystal clear," said Sergio Gonzalez, account manager at Unicco Service Co., which manages facilities at the mall. Customer Barbara Adelizzi of New Fairfield uses Fish Window to clean the windows in her four-bedroom Colonial. "They did an excellent job," Adelizzi said. "They showed up on time, in a team, and with a team captain who introduced everyone to me."

Dundee author Neil Forsyth is celebrating a double success after Hollywood star Brian Cox (pictured) was announced to play the leading character in a new BBC Scotland radio adaptation of one of his books. The Dundonian actor will bring Bob Servant, a 64-year-old "former cheeseburger and window cleaning magnate," to radio for the first time. And the book's sequel, Hero Of Dundee, will be launched in November. Bob Servant — a gregarious wheeler-dealer and "self-proclaimed man of the people" — is the star of a series of humorous books by Neil. The book follows Servant's hilarious email correspondence with real-life online con artists and their promises of easy money, love and employment.

For Servant, however, this is just the latest chapter of a life not short in recognition. In the 1970s his window cleaning round was generally accepted as being the largest in Western Europe while his key role in Dundee’s Cheeseburger Wars of the 1980s saw him pushed to national prominence. With Servant defying medical opinion by the day, all bets are off for the man’s future direction.