Vancouver Window Cleaning Restrictions Dropped

Allowing only commercial window cleaning companies to clean window would be unfair and cumbersome to enforce, contends city.

City may relax window cleaning bans during future water restrictions: It was one of the most punitive municipalities in Metro Vancouver during the 2015 drought when it came to enforcing water restrictions, but now the City of Richmond is proposing to relax its own water use bylaws, for practical purposes. In a report to Richmond city council’s public works committee Wednesday, city planners are proposing to lift a ban on all aesthetic window washing during Stage 2 water restrictions.

The reason for the change, outlined in the report, is that because the Greater Vancouver Water District Board (Metro Vancouver) approved water use by commercial cleaning services for aesthetic purposes last month, city staff believe enforcement would be difficult as bylaw officers would be required to determine if the cleaning service was performed commercially or privately prior to issuing a ticket.

Furthermore, the city contends the new GVWD amendments are unfair to residents who cannot afford professional cleaning services. “This causes the issue of financial disparity and presents unfair treatment to low-income residents,” noted the report. It’s noted that Metro Vancouver prefers to have its rules align with those of each municipality, however it is not able to issue fines or penalties to municipalities applying discretion.

Metro Vancouver conducted a review of its water restrictions in November, following an unprecedented drought in the region, last summer. One of the problems discovered, via consultation with municipalities and businesses, was monitoring and enforcement challenges. “Local government staff noted that inconsistency in monitoring and enforcing the restrictions resulted in confusion for residents and businesses, which hindered compliance with the regulations,” noted a Metro Vancouver report.

Meetings were held with businesses associated with water use, such as golf courses, window washers, turf farms, irrigation companies and nurseries. Another major concern raised was the financial impact to such businesses.

In addition to the immediate lift on aesthetic cleaning during Stage 2 restrictions, the board will also allow exemption permits to water new lawns or for treatment to control the European chafer beetle during Stage 3 restrictions.

In 2015, the City of Richmond came down hard on water wasters during the summer’s record-setting heatwave — to the tune of $208,200 in fines. On the back of 50 written warnings, a total of 407 violation tickets at $500 each were issued, mostly in August, by city bylaw officers during Stage 3 restrictions, which banned lawn sprinkling of any kind. The proposals must still be endorsed by Richmond city council.

Ordinary To Exceptional

Our parent company O2E Brands is ordinary to exceptional, and everything we do is about taking ordinary businesses, we made it exceptional through the branding and the customer experience. Now we're doing the same thing to the painting world, the moving world, the house detailing and window washing world.

Entrepreneur Interview - Brian Scudamore: The break-in alarm wouldn't stop screaming - and I knew I was screwed. Just as self-made multi-millionaire Brian Scudamore, the person I was about to interview, walked through the front door of the building, the ticket machine had malfunctioned and let out an ear shattering series of shrieks. We hadn't met before. "Hi, I'm you're 12:00" I tried to smile over the screeching.

Luckily, Brian had a sense of humor and playfully shrugged it off. " Trying to break into the building?" he joked, before retreating from the turmoil. After I managed to get the machine to calm down, I boarded the lift and took it up to the offices of his empire's parent company O2E Brands. Greeted by smiling secretaries at the front desk, coffee was thrust into my hand and I was seated by a table in the middle of the large and colorfully decorated office space.

As I waited for Brian, I could see that Brian's story was reflected on the walls of the office. He started 1-800-Got-Junk in Vancouver, BC in 1989 to help pay for college, and there was a huge wall size photo capturing where he started. Having began with one truck which he bought for $700 dollars, the image stood in stark contrast to the fast-paced modern office where I sat now.

Brian started "The Rubbish Boys" as a way to pay for college in 1989.

Over the next decades Brian used his philosophy of taking ordinary businesses like junk removal, and executing them in extraordinary ways. He has tackled junk removal, painting, the moving industry and most recently window washing & gutter cleaning services. The parent company for his businesses is O2E Brands, which stands for ordinary to extraordinary.

Brian soon joined me and we began recording almost immediately - below is the transcription from our conversation. It's geared toward advice for upcoming entrepreneurs, with a focus on the theme "tips for my 25 year old self". However, upon finishing the interview there are great insights for people at all levels of their entrepreneurial journey.

What is your opinion for someone who just got out of high school and they like the idea of being an entrepreneur - what would you recommend that person does?

Brian: For me, my education was learning on the job. It was getting out there and buying a truck and starting to haul junk. It's hard to learn about entrepreneurism in school from a professor who's never run a business.

So for me, someone who's 18 that wants to get out and do something on their own; go learn from an entrepreneurial business like O2E brands. We look for people that are entrepreneurial and we say "How do we help you be an entrepreneur" how do we help you find your entry point into this wonderful world of entrepreneurship. So people will often start here, learn things, and go start their own business.

Find a place to get your learning; is it from mentors? Is it from asking questions of other people? Is it working in an entrepreneurial business and learning from them? Or is it just taking the leap like I did?

In school did you ever have a "small man's complex" where other kids thought you were stupid, but now it's kind of the other way around?

Brian: I've never really been one to care what people think, so for me there were some people that thought, "Why are you not into school, why aren't you working hard, why aren't you focused?" They might be looking back going, "Okay, well it's worked out for him!"

Brian Scudamore is the Founder and CEO of O2E Brands.

Tell me a little about your new window washing & gutter cleaning company Shack Shine.

Brian: Shack Shine is our newest brand, and it's going really well. I partnered up with Dave Notte who created this idea; I didn't love the look and feel of the brand but I thought the concept was great.

Shack Shine is a window cleaning, gutter cleaning, and power washing service based in Vancouver.

And I know you are very serious about branding.

Brian: It's kind of funny, but I went and hired our branding guy to recreate the Shack Shine look and feel before Dave and I actually did a deal. I was THAT confident that we would come to a deal. I knew that the name worked, but I said let's create something that VISUALLY looks right and it turned out really well.

One of the things that I was reading about that you do is that you're REALLY meticulous with branding. You said that you spent $200,000 on a logo, and I had never heard of that before for a home services company.

Brian: With WOW 1 DAY PAINTING the colors were very collegiate; they were blue and orange. I looked at the brand and thought with an industry filled with college run painting companies, we wanted to stand out. So we looked at colors and green is fresh, it's rejuvenating, so we really liked the color. We hired a branding company to help us create the right look, and they got us part way there, but not all the way. So we hired another branding company to come in and take over and they got us further, and then we actually went back to the original guy to take it across the finish line. So it was interesting that we had two branding companies work on it. It cost us more money than maybe it should have, but it took the time and energy to get the look and the feel right.

We hired a branding company to help us create the right look.

But the thing was was that you understood very well what was broken and you fixed it and it worked. And the ROI (return on investment) on that kind of branding has been, well what was it?

Brian: It was about $200,000 to re-brand. It was expensive, but the $200,000 wasn't hiring one company, it was the inefficiencies of us spending one year trying to re-create the new look and feel.

That's entrepreneurship, though?

Brian: Exactly; and once we got it right we shared it with James Alisch, who's our managing director. I shared it with him before he was a part of the brand, and he got excited about the vision of what we could create; revolutionizing the painting industry - a very "mom and pop" fragmented industry. Just the look of the logo was enough to bring him in to go, "Yeah I can see it." Our customers IMMEDIATELY got excited about the new look and feel, and it's been great.

Looking at the way that you've done things, you took world class business chops and applied them to things that were being done inefficiently. And now you've got this business that does a world class service, world class branding. You're obviously run well and centralized, so it's hard to compete with you.

Brian: Yeah, and I think that we're taking all the learning from everything we do and building on it even further. Our parent company O2E Brands is ordinary to exceptional, and everything we do is about taking ordinary businesses, junk removal couldn't have been more ordinary when I started, and we made it exceptional through the branding and the customer experience. Now we're doing the same thing to the painting world, the moving world, the house detailing and window washing world; who knows what's next. The goal is a billion in revenue by the end of 2021 with ten brands. And it's not a money-making thing, there's not a lot of billion dollar Vancouver companies; so to stand out knowing that we made a difference in the business world and the lives of people culturally is special.

You're really successful in Vancouver and as an entrepreneur, do you think about the place that you live? As a 22 year old entrepreneur it's a big decision I am just starting to make now and would love some insight.

Brian: I'm inspired in Vancouver. I love Whistler, I ski almost every weekend with my family. I love the mountains, I love the ocean, I love the forest. So to me Vancouver's home, and you need to start something in a place where you feel inspired. Could there be more efficiencies to my business and my life is I was in Toronto or New York? Possibly, but it's not worth giving up the inspirational side of if I'm doing something special.

Vancouver's a smaller market and there aren't as many big head offices; so for a company like ours that's growing it's been harder to find really seasoned people, but you've got to deal with that. We hire on attitude and train on skill, so a lot of it is just finding really great people and then building them up.

O2E Brands strives to make the ordinary businesses of junk removal, painting, moving and home detailing exceptional by being leaders in customer experience and innovation.

You're one of the more interesting companies in town; O2E and HootSuite are two of the most recognizable companies. It's sort of like, "Where do I want to work?" you know you're not competing with Apple or Google, you can keep really good talent out of match.

Brian: We can stand out in this market, but it's also harder because you don't have the big brands to pull people from as easily. Also the real estate in Vancouver is so ridiculously expensive that it's hard to pull people from the U.S. and say, "Hey why don't you come live in our city where EVERYTHING is over a million bucks?

It seems like one of your biggest strengths is creative PR; do you have any tips for being creative with PR and thinking about things this way?

Brian: It's just paying attention to press and thinking differently. Seeing opportunities in a situation where someone might not.

Brian: One crazy example: we teach our truck teams to always be on the lookout for opportunities, and two of our 1-800-GOT-JUNK guys were driving along one day and some guy comes running out of a store and chased by someone else because this guy was robbing the store. The 1-800-GOT-JUNK guys got out of the truck and helped catch the guy. It turns out the guy was stealing a bag of shrimp, so right away they pick up the phone and they call our office and they're like, "Guys, we just caught a shrimp thief!" I mean it's ridiculous, and it made the evening news.

We're just always thinking about how we can get that awareness and that attention.

When the Canucks years ago were in the playoffs we decided that we were gonna do a media stunt, and we put on blue wigs. We gave out a thousand wigs at the Canucks games, and a thousand wigs in 18,000 people, those blue wigs stand out. Everyone's like "Where'd you get those, what's that about?"

So fun is kind of an element in that, too?

Brian: Yeah have fun, be different. Everyone in the press is looking for a story every day. People have writer's block, people are stuck, so when there's a journalist, help give them a story. Pick up the phone and call and say, "Hey I've got a great idea for you." and run it by them.

What is often overlooked when building a company?

Brian: I think people don't talk about how hard it really is. If you knew how hard it was going to be on day one, you wouldn't do it. That's why so few people do actually start businesses, because it isn't easy. But if you REALLY knew how hard it was going to be and how much you were scraping the bottom of the barrel financially, and making wrong people decisions and all the stuff that happens to entrepreneurs, if you knew how hard it was I don't think you'd do it.

What's funny is once you're so into it and you care so much, there's just no way that anything can stop you once you've gotten your momentum going.

Brian: Absolutely. It's absolutely worth doing. I think most entrepreneurs don't talk about how hard it actually is and all the challenges you face, but it is that challenge that makes it worthwhile. If you didn't have to overcome anything, it would be boring.

What personal traits or strengths helped you stand out as an entrepreneur?

Brian: I think vision. There's a quote from Walt Disney which we love, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible" I love going, "Wow, nobody wants to do that because it's impossible. We're going to figure out a way to make it possible." I think storytelling and captivating the vision in my mind, and being crystal clear as to here's what it looks like. I'm bad at figuring out how to get there, but that's where I've got Eric Church - who's our president and COO. He's great at encapsulating - taking the vision and packaging it into a plan and going, "Okay, let's rally the team now."

So I'm an entrepreneur who is earlier in my journey than you are - how do you cultivate skills like that, or SHOULD you cultivate skills like that to be successful in business?

Brian: I think it's the Marcus Buckingham "Focus on your strengths, don't try and fix weaknesses" I was a terrible reader and I'm STILL a terrible reader. I just focus on the stuff that I've been gifted with. So I think it's cultivating your gifts much more than trying to improve your weaknesses.

What are three things a starting entrepreneur should focus on?

Brian: Vision, people, and systems.

Vision is number one, it's knowing where you're going, but don't even think about how you're going to get there. Think of where you want to change the world and create a business that can do that. Don't think about all the steps, don't get overwhelmed, just think about the destination.

Second: People. The very first employee you hire, the second, the third, the five hundredth employee, be incredibly selective. Don't ever compromise on people. If you bring in one bad apple, it spoils the whole bunch.

Number three: Systems. Take everything that you created the business with that you're good at, and put it into a one page best practice and say, "Okay here's how we do things." Teach someone else how to do it and improve on it, and get things off your plate as an entrepreneur so you can do it.

Brian is a regular contributor to Forbes, writing about small business ownership and franchising.

Lastly, what is one piece of advice you'd give to your 25-year-old self?

Brian: Never stop believing. When you have that picture in your mind of your vision, don't ever give up. There are so many times in my life where nobody believed in me, and I still had to believe in myself otherwise it's game over. Surround yourself with supporters and continue to believe in where you're going. If you don't know how to get there, it doesn't matter. Just keep believing and you'll get there.

Waterfed Pole Prohibited In Vancouver

The Men in Kilts gutter cleaning service use’s hand cleaning and vacuuming and therefore results in no wasted water!  They are also cleaning windows by hand & can clean up to 10 houses or 1,000 windows with a single bucket of water.

Vancouver businesses feel the pinch of drought: If you’re in the business of keeping things clean, stricter water restrictions are proving to be a challenge. Under level two restrictions that have been in effect since July 3, companies like Men in Kilts have not been able to offer pressure washing. As the drought continues and water levels in the region’s reservoirs continue to drop, Metro Vancouver now says that level three restrictions will go into effect starting the afternoon of July 20.

Pressure washing for cleaning, and washing windows and building exteriors with a water-fed pole, are both prohibited, said Nicholas Brand, CEO of Men in Kilts. Brand said his company is still offering services such as window washing by squeegee, gutter cleaning and pressure washing if it’s in preparation for painting.

But if the restrictions continue, or move into level four, the most stringent restrictions, the company may have to lay off summer students who are normally hired until the end of August. Brand has looked into trucking in water, but concluded it would be too expensive.

Other pressure washing companies are in the same boat, Brand said, and it’s difficult to predict how long the restrictions will continue. Summer is normally the busiest time of the year for pressure washers. “They say September 30, we’ve got a lot of customers that we’ve scheduled work into October for them, but we’re giving them the heads up that we might not be able to do it in October,” Brand said.  “If we have a long dry August and September, they’re not going to lift [the restrictions].”

Public and commercial water fountains and water parks not on a timer have already been shut off. Under stage three, other restrictions that come into effect  include no lawn watering at all and no outdoor washing of cars or boats. Commercial car washes, however, are allowed to continue operating in stage three, but would have to shut down in stage four.

Given the challenges pressure washers are facing, Brand said that was frustrating. “People are allowed to pay someone to keep your car clean, they’re not allowed to pay someone to keep their house clean,” he said. “And painters are allowed to prep for painting with pressure washing. From our industry, and speaking to others in our industry, it’s frustrating that we’re that far down on the totem pole.”

Commercial car washes are allowed to keep operating because they recycle much of the water they use, said Darrell Mussatto, mayor of the City of North Vancouver and chair of Metro Vancouver's utilities committee.

The previous stage two restrictions did result in water usage dropping, but didn't have enough of an effect, Mussatto said. Metro Vancouver has now started using some of the high alpine lakes it has access to to refill the Capilano reservoir. As a backup, the regional district also has access to BC Hydro's Coquitlam reservoir, which is currently not being used to produce electricity because of the drought conditions. Metro Vancouver has budgeted $862,000 to pay for up to 68 billion litres from that water source.

If current water restrictions don’t have the desired conservation effect, and if no rain falls to refill reservoirs, Metro Vancouver would move into stage four, said Greg Valou, a communications officer for the regional district.

Under stage four restrictions, municipal outdoor pools are closed, all outdoor cleaning with water is prohibited and vegetable gardens and plants cannot be watered with treated drinking water. The last time the region had level three water restrictions was during the summer of 2003. The region has never put in place stage four restrictions in response to a drought.

A New Twist To A Dangerous Line Of Work

Philip Walter (left) extricates Mark May in a basic straight-line rescue at the Pacific Ropes Contracting training centre.

A new twist to a dangerous line of work: New regulations governing work in high places raises questions about safety of traditional procedures used in B.C. It’s a line of business not for the faint of heart: painters, window washers and maintenance workers who do their jobs suspended hundreds of feet in the air, dangling off bridges or highrise buildings.

Now some Vancouver companies are heralding new regulations being introduced by WorkSafeBC in February, which they say will improve worker safety. But they’re also calling for more action on a method of suspension – bosun’s chair, often used by window washers – they say is archaic and unsafe.

“Window cleaning sort of has a history of being a cowboy occupation,” said Vadim Pokotilo, owner of Pacific Sky Services, who recalled nearly falling out of his bosun’s chair as a newbie window washer. Like several other Lower Mainland window washing companies, Pokotilo has moved to a system called rope access. Already common in Europe and the United Kingdom, rope access is growing in popularity in North America, say its adherents.

The method, which incorporates a two-line system, a harness and special training, can be used not just for highrise maintenance but also for engineering, inspection and maintenance work on bridges, hydro dams and oil and gas facilities. Companies that use it say it’s safer  because training is standardized and rescue methods and planning are emphasized. “It’s a lot faster, it’s more efficient and there’s the safety aspect,” said Tim Zagiel, general manager of Pacific Ropes Contracting in Richmond. “We’ve seen big growth over the past eight years we’ve been in business.”

He added that rope access companies based in the United Kingdom or the United States are now looking at Western Canada as a growth opportunity. The system is safer than using scaffolding, a crane with a basket or other methods for working in high places, Zagiel said.

The new WorkSafeBC regulations require rope access workers to be certified in one of two internationally recognized certification standards. It’s a good first step, said Greg Korpela, general manager for Canadian Rope Access Specialists, but his company is actively lobbying WorkSafeBC to take a hard look at bosun’s chair.

“Anybody that is using a traditional classic bosun’s chair system, they can continue to do what they’re doing,” Korpela said, adding that current regulations do not specify whether a specific standard of training is required before workers can use a bosun’s chair.

“The bosun’s chair system is entirely unsafe and, in our opinion, unjustifiably so, and should not be allowed.”

Pacific Ropes and Canadian Rope Access Specialists consulted with WorkSafeBC before the new regulations were drafted. Both companies also offer rope access training. Andre Genesse, owner of Skywalker High-Rise Services, said several of his workers have been trained on rope access. But he plans to continue to use the bosun’s chair because rope access is very expensive for window washing.

While a bosun’s chair platform costs about $125, a rope access harness costs around $1,600 and the per-person training is around $2,000.

“In 12 years that I’ve used it I’ve never had one [accident], not even a close call,” Genesse said. “There’s nothing unsafe about the bosun’s chair.”

In an email, WorkSafeBC said the bosun’s chair method is legal and that workers must wear a “personal fall protection system.” Regulations also require new workers to be trained and for extra training to be provided if workers request it.

Pokotilo said for his company, rope access has been worth it. “If everyone started demanding rope access, it would mean that [anyone] working on ropes in any capacity would have to have that certification, which to me makes sense.”

 

Will Smith Lookalike Washes Windows In Vancouver

Canada has it's own Will Smith.

Will Smith Lookalike Washes Windows In Vancouver: Well, this is the best selfie we've seen in a while. Two Vancouver women snapped a photo of themselves with the window washer working outside the highrise they were in — and the man just so happens to look exactly like Will Smith.

Kelly Kong (right) was at her friend's Yaletown apartment in downtown Vancouver when the duo noticed the worker and couldn't resist getting him to pose for them. The combination of Vancouver Will Smith's thumbs up and goofy grin results in what we consider to be pretty much the perfect selfie. Job well done by all. They Are Legend, Pursuit Of Happyness achieved, etc. etc.  Can you say Fresh Prince of Vancity? 

Will the real Will Smith stand up?

Men In Kilts Window Cleaning Wins Top Award

Men In Kilts CEO, Tressa Wood, wins the prestigious Business In Vancouver 40 Under 40 Award for 2012.

Men In Kilts CEO, Tressa Wood, wins the prestigious Business In Vancouver 40 Under 40 Award for 2012: Men In Kilts, a franchised window and exterior cleaning company, officially announced that CEO Tressa Wood has been awarded the prestigious Business In Vancouver 40 Under 40 Award. Men In Kilts is Canada’s largest window cleaning company and is expanding fast into the US, with plans to be in every major market by 2017.

The Business In Vancouver 40 Under 40 Award is presented annually, and highlights the achievement of BC's outstanding entrepreneurs, executives, managers and professionals in public or private business and non-profit sectors. “It’s fantastic to be recognized by the local business community in any fashion, but to win the BIV Top 40 Under 40 award is an honor,” says Wood. Before becoming CEO of Men In Kilts, Wood was VP of Operations for the highly successful 1-800-GOT-JUNK? franchise. While part of the senior leadership team at 1-800-GOT-JUNK? revenue grew from $10 million to over $130 million in a five-year period.

“I can’t think of a more deserving recipient… I have the opportunity to witness her exemplary leadership on a daily basis. Tressa manages to keep her family top priority and maintain the diligence and focus needed to lead the Men In Kilts franchise system across North America,” says Brent Hohlweg, Co-Founder & Chief Brand Architect of Men In Kilts who nominated Wood, along with Brian Scudamore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.

While honored to win the 40 Under 40 Award, Wood says she is most proud of her family and finding balance between the two roles. Becoming a mother hasn’t lessened Wood’s drive and ambition. “I see even more potential at Men In Kilts. The opportunity and the vision for this brand are massive. We currently have ten franchises across Canada and the United States and plans to add 20 to 30 more in 2013,” says Wood.

About Business In Vancouver 40 Under 40 Award - The Business In Vancouver 40 Under 40 Award is sponsored by Audi, CGA, EO Vancouver, Fasken Martineau, BCIT, CBC, Clark’s Audio Visual, and TEC Canada. The event consists of a panel of judges that first and foremost look at an individual's professional success. They are also interested in knowing about their education, community service, as well as participation in industry and business associations and other accolades and awards. They look for a cross-section of impressive people from a wide range of industries who are ahead of their time for their age. They’ve progressed up the ranks of their company or industry or have built their own company and demonstrated professional success and responsibility at a relatively young age.

About Men In Kilts: Men In Kilts was started in 2002 by Nicholas Brand with $500, a squeegee and a hand-sewn kilt. The company offers professional window cleaning, gutter cleaning, siding cleaning and pressure washing services to both commercial and residential customers. The first franchise was opened in 2010 in Vancouver, with Fraser Valley and Seattle soon to follow. Calgary, Victoria, Philadelphia and New Jersey opened in 2012, with Toronto and Edmonton scheduled to open shortly. The company expects a 300 percent increase in revenue in 2012. 

More blogs on Men in Kilts here.

Standing out from the rest of the pack isn’t easy, but for Nicholas Brand, the founder of window washing company Men in Kilts, the uniform does most of the work for him.

New Challenging Skyscrapers For The High Rise Window Cleaner

This artist's drawing of the Parinee Ism shows that today's skyscraper designers don't think small.

Skyscrapers are changing with the times. Here's a look at some of the towers constructed or proposed elsewhere in the world, including one with an infinity pool on every balcony. Warning to acrophobic types: Dive in with extreme caution. About all that glass: We've got one question about these skyscrapers, though: Who's going to wash the windows? If you missed Oregonian writer Kelly House's profile of a Portlander who deep-sixed his fear of heights to take a job as a high-rise window washer, be sure to check it out. You won't take clean windows for granted ever again. Click pictures to enlarge.

The outline and the ripple pattern can be conceived as an abstract representation of the symbol Ohm (Ω). The ripple effect usually generates a vortex-like space in the center. The tower design is trying to recapture the essence of this space by creating a large void in the middle along with a special designed clubhouse form.

Balcony pools: A 37-story residential high-rise designed by James Law Cybertecture for real estate company Wadhwa Group in Mumbai, India, has a striking feature: glass-enclosed swimming pools on the balconies. The planned Parinee Ism has a fluid-looking exterior that's "inspired by the ripple effect generated by water droplets, which is also known as the capillary wave," according to the firm's description.

Designed by MAD Architects, the Absolute Towers located in Toronto, Canada are nearing completion.

Tall trend: When a high-rise project is called the "Marilyn Monroe," the moniker tends to grab your attention. The curvaceous Absolute Towers, a pair of towers nearing completion in a Toronto suburb, were among those selected June 13 as the best tall buildings in the world by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. 

The council, a group of architects and structural engineers, "said there had been a 'renaissance' in skyscraper development," according to Reuters. The 88 towers taller than 200 meters (656 feet) that were completed in 2011 set a record; in 2005 there were only 32 such projects. The council projects that 96 tall buildings will be completed this year, many of them in China.

The buildings are not the conventional high-rise. Take, for instance, the Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which won an innovation award. The computer-controlled facade of the 29-story structure opens and closes in response to the movement of the sun. The facade is a reinterpretation of the traditional Islamic mashribyia, a wood lattice screen that offers privacy and controls glare and solar gain.

Beach and Howe mixed-used tower.

Vancouver, B.C., skyline: BIG's proposal for the Beach and Howe mixed-used tower next to the Granville Street Bridge in downtown Vancouver takes a twist -- literally. The structure's tight, triangular footprint is due to a 30-meter setback from the bridge -- keeping balconies away from the noise and exhaust fumes of bridge traffic -- and to concerns about not blocking sunlight to an adjacent park. As the tower ascends above the bridge, though, it expands and cantilevers over the site.

The 49-storey residential building will have a twisted form that is set back from the adjacent motorway flyover to prevent any windows or balconies from overlooking it.

"The resultant silhouette has a unique appearance that changes from every angle and resembles a curtain being drawn aside, welcoming people as they enter the city from the bridge," says a BIG press release, which also describes the tower's podium base as a "mixed-use urban village." Bjarke Ingels, BIG founding partner, says the project reclaims a site beneath the bridges that would otherwise be only a "lifeless 'black hole' in the urban fabric." The aim is to seek LEED gold certification for the building.

Danish architects BIG have designed a towering apartment block for Seoul that will be shaped like a hashtag.

Cross Towers: Another BIG proposal, this one in Seoul, also takes an interesting form. "The Cross Towers constitute a three-dimensional urban community of interlocking horizontal and vertical towers," according to Ingels. "Three public bridges connect two slender towers at different levels -- underground, at the street and in the sky," Ingels says in a press release. "Catering to the demands and desires of different residents, age groups and cultures the bridges are landscaped and equipped for a variety of activities traditionally restricted to the ground."

Sky gardens envisioned on the Cross Towers.

The bridges between towers would provide space for sky gardens. "The typical tower inherently removes life from the city it occupies. ... social interactions occur only in lobbies or awkward elevator rides," says Thomas Christoffersen, BIG partner in charge. "We propose a building that ... triples the amount of social interaction and reintroduces the idea of neighborhood within the tower complex."

Franchising Window Works To Men In Kilts

The fun brand convinced Chris Carrier to sign on with Men in Kilts window washers. Click to enlarge.

Seasonal businesses use branding to keep busy all year long: There’s nothing quite like a man in a kilt in the middle of winter, standing up on a ladder cleaning windows, to get your attention. That is what Chris Carrier is banking on as he leads the Alberta expansion of Men in Kilts, a franchised window and exterior cleaning service brand. The company plans to grow across Canada and the United States. “The instant I saw the brand, I was captivated by it,” he says. “It’s just so memorable. I’ve never seen anything like it.” He spent 20 years building WindowWorks, and when his firm ran into difficulties expanding, he signed on with Vancouver-based Men in Kilts. “We were pretty confident we were making the right decision,” he says.

It’s only been a month, but the Calgary branch already has 39 employees and has retained most of its customers, including its first monthly customer from 20 years ago. There’s just one detail: It may be eye-catching and a fun brand, but colder markets mean some logistics need to be addressed. “We have some really warm socks,” Mr. Carrier jokes. “We want to make sure that our brand stands out, but not at the detriment of our people getting frostbite.” Keeping warm is one of many considerations that are unique to operating an outdoor, seasonal business. The window cleaning business spikes in the spring and fall, so to level business out over the year Mr. Carrier added carpet cleaning and snow removal.

How many services and what types are offered are tweaked according to each market. In Vancouver, for example, gutter cleaning and moss removal is part of the service offering, whereas snow removal is a bigger part of the franchise model in colder markets. The company now operates in Vancouver, Seattle, Fraser Valley, Calgary and soon Edmonton, Victoria and Portland. “You have to have some really clear guidelines and parameters for what you will and won’t do in terms of how you’re going to message that and train your employees to do that without getting too much off base,” says Tressa Wood, chief executive of Men in Kilts. “When you’re up a ladder, you have people asking you to do repairs or a touch-up with paint,” she says. “We have to tell them no, we don’t do painting or repairs. You have to stay focused — so customers are really clear on what we’re doing.”

After all, while it’s a highly memorable brand, it can be difficult to ascertain just what that guy in a kilt is doing up a ladder. However, she has not ruled out adding services down the road, such as lawn care or painting, but under completely separate franchise models with different training systems, startup costs and other system changes. “There’s a million things we could do and once we have that brand and get that initial footprint in the major metros, the opportunities really open up,” Ms. Wood says. “We’ve got to get windows and exteriors rolling first.”

Adapting what is often seen as a seasonal, outdoor business to different markets just comes with the territory. It may seem somewhat complicated to operate a franchise model this way, but Ms. Wood is confident the company is nimble enough to crack any market as it eyes expansion in warmer U.S. markets and colder Canadian ones. “There are tons of opportunities,” she says. “As we build up this huge customer database, we can go back three or four years later and start offering these other services under other lines.”

Mr. Carrier learned through experience what challenges were unique in operating an outdoor cleaning services company, whether it was adding snow removal or carpet cleaning (which isn’t part of the overall franchise model — yet). “As we learned to work with our customers and property managers to meet their needs throughout the year — the hills and valleys are less and less every year,” he says. Staffing is another key consideration. “If you’re having to restock the company with qualified labour every six months because of the seasonality of the business, it is quite challenging,” Mr. Carrier says. “We’ve been able to figure out a model that supports the staff staying with the company with minimal to no layoffs as we’ve grown.”

He also works hard to market all of his services, even in the dead of winter. “Our long Canadian winters make it very dreary because we’re often cooped up in our homes — and it’s so nice to get the windows cleaned in the middle of the winter,” he says. “It just improves the whole view.” Mr. Carrier plans to staff up the Edmonton operation later this summer as the chain continues its expansion across North America. And while long underwear will be needed for the cold months, he doesn’t regret his decision to join the Men in Kilts franchise and he’s confident the business will thrive. “The customers are having fun with the brand and we seem to be growing, so it’s all good,” he says.

More on Men In Kilts here.

Window Cleaning Business Owner Slain

Bill Dobbs was brutally tortured & murdered in California in 2007.

William Dobbs murder: Three convicted in California of killing Tsawwassen businessman: A California jury has convicted three people of murder in connection with the 2007 slaying of Tsawwassen businessman William Dobbs. Jackie Lynn Dunson, 35, Fernando Antonio Benavidez and Ronald Wesley Handwerk were tried in Riverside Superior Court. The jury reportedly took about 90 minutes to decide on the verdict. The three are expected to be sentenced on June 22. Robert Lee Dunson, 30, and Rogelio Leon Zuniga still face murder charges in the case. Their next court appearance is scheduled for May 25. “Yes, we did get some justice here,” Toni Dawson, Dobbs’ longtime partner, said in a telephone interview Monday from Indio. “I’m still on Cloud 9 with the news.”

Dawson sat through the 10-day trial, listening to the events that led up to Dobbs’s death on Nov. 27, 2007. The couple were vacationing at a home they owned in Indio and planned to head back to Canada in a couple of days. Dobbs told Dawson he was going to the casino for the evening. It was at the Spotlight 29 Casino in Coachella that Dobbs met Benavidez. He took Dobbs to Jackie Dunson’s apartment around 4 a.m., where Dobbs was reportedly expecting to pay for sex. At the apartment Robert Dunson, Jackie’s brother, and Handwerk allegedly beat Dobbs severely — his ribs were broken, internal organs were ruptured and his face was unrecognizable — for his debit card and PIN. A plastic bag was placed on Dobbs’s head.

Witnesses said Dobbs was pleading for his life. “It was awful. He was tortured very, very badly,” Dawson said. “They were using him like a pinata. They did all sorts of horrible things to him.” Jackie Dunson and Handwerk drove Dobbs’s vehicle to a bank to withdraw cash. The transaction was caught on surveillance video. The card was used a number of other times. It is alleged that Robert Dunson and Zuniga put Dobbs into the back of his own SUV and drove him to a remote area of Indio. Dobbs’s neck was slashed 14 times, almost decapitating him. Dobbs’s body was found by the side of the road the next day. His SUV was found abandoned a week later a block from Jackie Dunson’s home. There were traces of blood inside.

“What they did to Billy is just so sick and wrong every way you look at it,” Dawson said. “This is just horrific torture.” Dawson said she had to leave the courtroom a number of times during the trial — in particular to avoid seeing the autopsy photos. “I was told not to look at the autopsy pictures, not to remember him like that,” she said.

When asked about the circumstances that led to Dobbs being in Jackie Dunson’s apartment, Dawson said the idea that Dobbs was buying sex “is just a bunch of crap.” She said Dobbs had likely been drinking and was very trusting. “That’s kind of irrelevant to me how he got there,” she added. The deputy district attorney is planning to seek the death penalty for Robert Dunson, if he is convicted, Dawson said. Life without parole will likely be sought for the other defendants. “I can’t even say what an excellent job he did,” Dawson said of Deputy District Attorney Christopher Ross. “After it’s said and done they’ve just been exceptional. I couldn’t have had a better team on down here.”

In Vancouver, Dobbs ran a window cleaning and janitorial service called Excelsior Buildings Maintenance, which had been in the family since 1910. “Everybody loved Billy,” Dawson said. “When this happened, it affected so many people’s lives.” Dawson and Dobbs met when they were five years old and dated in high school. They reunited about 12 years before Dobbs died and were inseparable. She described him as easygoing and happy. Dawson said Dobbs always had a smile on his face. “He was very, very likable,” she said. “Billy was so loved that I know people would want to know there was some justice.”

Window Cleaners, Men In Kilts Joins Forces With Window Works

Men In Kilts has announced today - on National Tartan Day – they’ve joined forces with Window Works, a multi-million dollar window-cleaning company. Click to enlarge.

Tartan Window-Cleaners Take Over Canada and Set Sights on US: Men In Kilts has announced today - on National Tartan Day – they’ve joined forces with Window Works, a multi-million dollar window-cleaning company. The new partnership solidifies Men In Kilts’ position as Canada’s largest window-cleaning company. Chris and Robyn Carrier started Alberta-based Window Works in 1992. In early 2011 they started researching growth opportunities, and reached out to Vancouver-based window cleaning franchise, Men In Kilts. In January 2012, with paperwork signed, they took the entire Alberta territory of the Men In Kilts franchise system.

“Our existing model was extremely successful,” says Chris Carrier, “but we were looking for the opportunity to seriously take our business to the next level. The Men In Kilts brand is so memorable and fun, we knew right away we wanted to be a part of it. I see a great opportunity here, and I’m excited to be part of building Men In Kilts into the next big brand.” Men In Kilts’ first franchise opened in 2010 and now operates in Vancouver, Fraser Valley, Seattle, Victoria, and the Calgary window cleaning franchise opened its doors on, April 2, with Edmonton to follow shortly.

Men In Kilts CEO, and former VP of North American Operations at 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, Tressa Wood is heading up franchise development. She is driving the tartan crew to be in every major US and Canadian metro by 2017. “We’re building a national brand that people are starting to recognize, it’s definitely a really fun and memorable business.” says Wood. “ I’m so proud of the solid business systems our team has built. We’ve got a fantastic business model, combined with an outstanding brand and professional customer service.” When asked if he minds wearing the kilt in the cooler weather, Carrier laughs, “Not at all. That’s what long socks are for. Just remember… No Peeking!”

About Men In Kilts: Men In Kilts was started in 2002 by Nicholas Brand with $500, a squeegee, and a hand-sewn kilt. The first franchise was opened in 2010 in Vancouver, B.C., with Fraser Valley, B.C., and Seattle, Wash., soon to follow. Men In Kilts’ commercial and residential services include:

•     window cleaning
•     gutter cleaning
•     pressure washing
•     exterior building cleaning
•     snow removal services will be available in colder markets later this year

Men In Kilts plans for fast expansion into all major cities across North America, including Toronto, San Francisco, LA, and Denver. The company projects a 300 percent increase in system-wide revenue in 2012. Also see here, here & here.

Window Cleaners Without Pants

Want to work for Tressa Wood? Get your kilt on.

A Window Washer Puts Workers in Kilts to Skirt Competition and Build Its Brand: A unique cleaning franchise recently expanded to the U.S. from Vancouver, British Columbia, via Scotland. It's a notion all of us have had at one time or another: Looking up at a window washer, the clean glass glinting in the sun, we've thought, "The only thing missing from this scene is a kilt." OK, so maybe that thought only crossed the mind of Nicholas Brand, a second-generation Scotsman in Richmond, British Columbia, who took the idea and ran with it.

In 2002, after a night of spitballing business concepts with friends (and perhaps downing a pint or two), Brand began cleaning windows in the Vancouver area clad in a black golf shirt, steel-toed boots, knee-high socks and the tartan of the Wallace clan, hand-stitched by his wife. The bizarre concept took hold, and by 2006 he had brought on board business partner Brent Hohlweg, who helped push the window cleaning, pressure washing and gutter cleaning service over the $1 million threshold.

But Brand wasn't content to limit the idea to the Vancouver area, so in 2009, Tressa Wood, a former executive with 1-800-Got-Junk? and 1-800-Plumber, joined the company as CEO and partner to get the kilted ones ready for franchising. Men In Kilts made its American debut in April, opening its first stateside franchise in Seattle. Next it will target Portland, Ore., San Francisco, Los Angeles and all other major cities in the U.S. and Canada. We caught up with Wood, who gave us a little peek at what's under the kilt. (For the record, it's usually shorts, or black leggings in cold weather.) 

We're guessing this isn't for everyone.

The kilt is mandatory, and the guys have to be comfortable with the amount of attention they get. They go to Starbucks in their kilts and people laugh. We're in growth mode, so we need people ready to dig in, who want to have fun but work hard. If you're really shy and don't want people laughing and pointing and staring, this isn't a good fit. You need to be able to rock the kilt.

Why window washing? Why not plumbers in kilts?

In Canada, there's no national window-cleaning brand. In the United States there are one or two others, but they don't have the same service offering. There's definitely an opportunity here on the business side. Some people see our kilts and it resonates. Other people are like, "What, is that for real?" Some can't get enough of it.

What do you do when it's cold out?

We have to look at regional opportunities in colder weather areas. We may look at snow removal or painting. One of the great things about our brand name is that it's sort of generic. We can add revenue streams as needed. There's definitely an opportunity to regionalize services as we grow.

How do you advertise?

We haven't done much advertising. Mainly, people have been approaching us. Our business is so funny and different, it makes people laugh. These days, it's hard to be a brand and not do anything and still make people smile. It's really unique, almost viral. We've gotten lots of franchising inquiries and haven't done anything.

Have you thought about international expansion?

We thought about the United Kingdom and Scotland, but wondered if it would be a big deal. I'm sure there are lots of people over there cleaning windows wearing kilts.

See previous blogs on Men in Kilts here, here & here.

Business Unusual: Work That Skirt! Steven Villegas fancied a man-skirt. Turns out he wasn't the only one. In the beginning, there was the notion of just a single washable kilt. A loose, comfortable garment that, Steven Villegas says, "I could walk around naked in." And because you couldn't just go out and buy a man-skirt in those days, Villegas made one. And when he saw how nicely it fit him, he wore the kilt to a Seattle nightclub. At the door a bouncer asked, "Where can I get one of those?" And before he even got into the party, it occurred to Villegas: It's a ballsy step, wearing a dress. Like Braveheart, only more so.

Next, Villegas--who likes to be called Krash--scavenged up $1,500 for an office, sewing machine, computer, internet service and fabric. He named his man-skirt the Utilikilt, and soon enough, there was a Utilikilts store in Seattle's Fremont Street Market, a Utilikilts website and Utilikilts across the West Coast and around the world. Incredibly, this year, Krash sold his 100,000th man-kilt since he introduced them in 2000. A fervent constituency has supported the brand's "Original" kilt (even now priced at $150, "the overlapping apron allows you to unsnap the waistband snaps without exposing any curious bits"). Krash's kilts win converts through an ingenious network of snaps that offer an adjustable comfort that Utilikilt fans swear has no parallel.

From the cotton "Original" have come models made of lightweight nylon, leather, duck cloth and black gabardine. And though the bulk of Utilikilt's orders come from warm-weather climes, the network of fans has fanned across all time zones, allowing the practical-minded "Workman" kilt ($230) and the upscale "Tuxedo" ($566) to brazenly coexist. Krash calls his venture equal parts business and social movement. Most famously, disgraced Survivor winner Richard Hatch has worn the brand, but one might also spot one of Krash's kilts among groomsmen at an offbeat wedding, or maybe on the streets of Prague--15 percent of all Utilikilts are sold in Europe. Men from all walks of life, it turns out, are itching to lose their trousers.

Wage Theft Epidemic & Other Window Cleaning News

Wage Theft Epidemic, Spur Nationwide Protests: Activists in more than 30 cities, organized by Interfaith Worker Justice and backed by labor groups, are staging a National Day of Action Against Wage Theft on November 18. As much as $19 billion is stolen from American workers annually in unpaid overtime and minimum wage violations and, in some cases, through the human trafficking of legal immigrant workers. The latest case to come to light involves alleged horrendous conditions for immigrant workers reportedly hoodwinked in Mexico by a food services contractor for the New York State Fair and kept in near-slavery conditions of $2 an hour.

The worsening economy makes it even easier to rip off workers desperate for work, the protesters declared (hat tip to Workday Minnesota). “Corporations are responsible for pitting cleaning companies against each other which results in plummeting wages and increased workloads,” said Veronica Mendez, an organizer with Center for Workers United in Struggle, a IWJ-affiliated labor-faith coalition. “The only way to stop this is for these retail chains to meet with workers to establish fair standards. These poor working conditions affect everyone in our communities..."

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - In the world of franchising, few brands have the luxury of expanding their business, with a cult-like brand following and organic public interest. Vancouver based franchisor Men in Kilts, is among the lucky few who have had this experience. Rather than going through the usual motions of aggressively marketing and blanket selling franchises, the company is literally turning down hundreds of would-be franchisees. The rationale behind this decision? An uncompromising model of sustainable, long term growth that is heavily focused on the success of individual franchises - a system strategically designed to attract the best-of-the-best.

Men in Kilts, a window cleaning, gutter cleaning and pressure washing company, is shaking up the franchise landscape with their unique business model; more specifically, their industry-bucking approach to growth. Not bad for a company that began in 2002 with $500 start-up cash and a rusty old Honda. Men in Kilts is doing its homework - hand selecting the right candidates in the right markets, while planning and executing a growth strategy that promises to be viable not only today, but for the long haul. Franchises are awarded strategically in major metropolitan centres and only to franchisees who have what it takes to drive and run a successful franchise. Demand for Men in Kilts' services has been booming, even during tough economic times. The Men in Kilts advantage? A focus on delivering a unique customer experience and no major players on a national level.

According to CEO and franchising powerhouse, Tressa Wood - a former executive credited with helping propel brands like 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $15 million to over $100 million in revenue - it is this distinctive approach that is garnering such phenomenal interest in the Men in Kilts brand and business model. To Wood, "In order for franchising to be successful in the long term, growth must be profitable and sustainable for franchisees. By awarding franchises and markets selectively, and providing multiple revenue streams, we are making sure franchisees are set up for long term success." In the next 12 months Men in Kilts anticipates expanding their BC-based operations and awarding franchise locations in markets that include Toronto, Calgary and select US centers in the West.

‘You will only get what you focus on.’ Name: Craig Marowitz. Title: President. Company: Expert Technology Associates, Plymouth Meeting. Type of company: Business communications solutions provider. Number of employees: 51. Recent project: Creating a cutting-edge phone system and data network for a global customer. Education: Central High, Temple University, and the “University of Life.” First Job: Olney Deli, age 14, doing everything. Little-known fact about you: Co-owned a residential window washing business at age 18. Home: Huntingdon Valley, but Philly in my heart. Essential business philosophy: You will only get what you focus on.

A bodybuilder who battered a teenager to death in a nightclub in a ‘jealous rage’ has failed in a bid to get his murder conviction overturned on appeal. Digger driver and muscle fanatic Nicholas Sitko, 24, headbutted and punched window cleaner Ben Lund, 19, to the ground at the Funktion Rooms on July 11 last year, after accusing him of chatting up his girlfriend. Sitko (pictured), of Mendip Avenue, Eastbourne, was jailed for life on January 29, after being convicted of Mr Lund’s murder at Lewes Crown Court. He was ordered to serve a 14-year minimum term. Lord Justice Pitchford, Mr Justice Henriques and Judge John Milford QC, sitting at London’s Criminal Appeal Court, heard him challenge both his conviction and his sentence.

Sitko’s lawyers argued that he ought not to have been tried for murder, given that he killed Mr Lund in a fight, claiming he had not meant to seriously hurt him. They contended that the judge should have withdrawn the murder charge from the jury and accepted Sitko’s guilty plea to manslaughter. Mr Justice Henriques said, “It is said this was a fist fight, not a gratuitous attack, and that the whole incident lasted less than 30 seconds. “He could not have the foresight that his actions could have these consequences, it is said. “We have considered with care these submissions. We are absolutely satisfied that the judge left this correctly to the jury’s decision. “A headbutt itself is capable of inflicting serious injury. It was a brief but sustained drunken attack on a helpless victim. “What he did, he did in a jealous rage,” the judge added, refusing his application for permission to appeal against conviction. Turning to his sentence challenge, the judge added, “We have come to the conclusion that there is no basis for reducing the minimum term fixed.”

Micky Flanagan plays on Friday 19 November, with Stewart Francis the following night on Saturday 20 November – with tickets already selling fast for both shows. Both comics are already big TV favourites after stand-out gigs in front of millions of comedy fans on BBC’s Mock the Week and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow – and they’re set to hit the TV again when the brand new series of Live at the Apollo starts at the end of the month. Described by Frank Skinner as ‘arguably the funniest comedian in the country,’ former Perrier nominee Micky Flanagan draws on his cockney working class background as a former fish-packer and window cleaner to his now self-styled status as ‘middle class ponce.’
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Until the north wind blows decisively colder weather our way, we find it difficult to walk outside without tangling with some remnant of a spider’s web. Only our size enables us to escape the silky, sticky bond. Daily brushing away of the webs does not deter the spider from spinning the filament again a few hours later in the same location. I’m not particularly afraid of spiders, but I do like to keep my distance from the wolf spider and the tarantula because they can jump. I really hate to get a near-invisible piece of the web wrapped around an arm or in my hair when I inadvertently walk through one of their lines cast from whatever object is handy to a plant, an outside chair or door. Suddenly, I begin to feel as if spiders are crawling on my head or my neck although I’ve never found that to be the case. The spider is generally more afraid of me than vice versa. Both of us want nothing more than to be left alone by the other, I’m sure. Once a garden spider glues its woven birthing sack to the window frame, there is little that can dislodge it. That garden spider is a master weaver. No stream of water from a hose will dislodge the silken bed that cradles its offspring. Thus, in the fall, window cleaning becomes a more tedious chore.

The mother of a baby boy killed by his father said there can "never be enough justice" after his murder conviction was overturned at the Appeal Court. Michael Burridge, 30, was jailed in March 2008 after a Plymouth Crown Court jury found him guilty of murdering eight-week-old Rees, but yesterday judges reduced his conviction to man-slaughter. Rees' mum Donna Glynn said: "For me, there will never be enough justice for Rees and this decision isn't one that I agree with, but I have to accept it. "My son died of horrific injuries. "A mother can never get over the death of a child, especially in these circumstances, but I have to try somehow to pick up the pieces and rebuild my life." Rees died in 2006, but Ms Glynn was only freed to organise his funeral this September, after a special order by Lord Justice Leveson to release the body, regarded as evidence in the appeal. Yesterday Ms Glynn said: "I think the only way my son could rest in peace is with an acknowledgement from Michael that he is responsible for killing Rees and for him to show some remorse. The jury heard expert evidence on 'shaken baby syndrome' but Burridge, a former soldier who later worked as a milkman and window cleaner, steadfastly protested his innocence.

According to the NHF and a report entitled Indoor Air Pollution, published by the American Lung Association, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the American Medical Association, the following are indoor air quality issues that can be major headache triggers: Carbon Monoxide Exposure: When a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HAVC) system is not functioning properly, it can cause dangerous levels of carbon monoxide to enter your home, resulting in headaches, nausea, fatigue and other flue-like symptoms. Tobacco Smoke: Second hand tobacco smoke contains a complex concoction of over 4,000 chemicals, many being toxic, which can lead to a number of health problems for residents. Simply opening a window does not remove the dangerous carcinogens form the air. Sick Building Syndrome: This is a common situation in office and apartment buildings, in which occupants experience similar symptoms when inside the affected building; and alleviation of symptoms when they go outside. A contaminated HVAC system can be a contributor to Sick Building Syndrome, with the most common complaint being headaches.

Preserving the life of a downtown: Lena, Ill. - Forty-five years ago this past summer, a skinny, clumsy teenager sloshed a bucket of soapy water onto the sidewalk in front of Candy Bill’s and began washing the windows. Candy Bill’s was a candy store/soda fountain in my hometown and the windows needed daily washing because the town’s central business district abutted a dingy railroad yard and refinery district. I fell in love with the life of a downtown then and I’ve been addicted to it ever since. It was a unique community of store owners, tavern owners, and employees of the businesses on the block. The paperboy was a school chum who would someday be the mayor. Journal-Standard Publisher Steve Trosley bought his first car with window-washing money.

SEATTLE — The University of Washington women’s basketball team (the Huskies) begins the 2010-11 campaign today. In Williams, Rogers and Mackenzie Argens, the Huskies have three 6-foot-somethings who have shown signs of marked improvement since last season. Add in 6-1 freshman window cleaner Marjorie Heard, and UW has as much interior depth as it has had in years.

Miracle man who survived 39-story plunge is up and about like nothing happened: Every step, every breath - a miracle. A young man who jumped from the 39th floor of a Manhattan high-rise this summer and survived is at home, seemingly unscathed by his death-defying plunge. Thomas Magill, 22, answered the door of his parents' Staten Island home last week and gave a spirited verbal thumbs-up. "I'm doing good," Magill told the Daily News. Magill, an actor who starred in an off-Broadway production of "Into The Woods," sneaked into the West Side building where he once lived. Police said he walked out onto the balcony on Aug. 31 and jumped - only to have a parked red Dodge Charger break his fall. "It's a miracle," said one stunned neighbor who declined to give her name. "I asked his mom how Thomas was doing and she told me he was making a full recovery, that he would be fine."

Magill shattered much of his lower body when he crashed through the back window of the sports car. He was initially listed in critical condition at St. Luke's Hospital. During a series of surgeries, doctors inserted rods in his legs, rebuilt an ankle and stopped massive internal bleeding. The LaGuardia High School graduate walked with ease on Friday, briskly getting into a car at the family home. He declined to answer questions about his dramatic suicide bid. Magill isn't the city's only miracle man. Window washer Alcides Moreno survived a 43-story fall from an East Side building on Dec. 7, 2007. His wife told The News in September that he's walking and talking, but suffers serious mental problems. Featured here in a previous blog.