Window Cleaning News

Cleaning building windows ranked as least favorite job in Taiwan.

Cleaning building windows ranked as least favorite job in Taiwan (Taipei) - Cleaning the windows and exterior walls of buildings was ranked by Taiwanese workers as their least favorite job, according to a recent poll by 1111 Job Bank. Given a choice of several job categories, 45.4 percent of respondents chose window cleaning as a job they would not be willing to do. Some 41.4 percent chose being a fertilizer worker as an undesirable occupation, followed by 38.2 percent saying they would not want to be a livestock keeper and butcher, and 29.6 percent not wanting to be a maid and caregiver, the poll found.
Rounding out the top 10 least favorite jobs were funeral director and mortuary cosmetologist (selected by 25.4 percent of respondents), sewer worker (24.6 percent), cemetery worker (24.3 percent), mover (23.9 percent), boiler operator (23.6 percent) and nuclear engineering staff (22.9 percent). Lee Ta-hua, director of public relations at the job bank, said the jobs mentioned in the top 10 were the least preferred because they generally involved a harsh or dangerous working environment, even if they offer good pay.
A window and exterior wall cleaner, for example, can earn an average wage of around NT$50,000 (US$1,669) a month, with salaries reaching between NT$70,000 and NT$100,000 a month during peak seasons, Lee said. The starting salary for a Taiwanese college graduate averaged NT$26,722 in 2012. The poll, conducted from July 2-16, collected 1,120 valid samples from workers in Taiwan. It had a confidence level of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 2.92 percentage points.

Glass makers suspended over quality: Eight local tempered glass manufacturers were ordered to suspend production after failing quality tests, the city's quality watchdog said yesterday. Their substandard products are now being recalled, added the Shanghai Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau. This follows a spate of incidents in the city involving safety glass shattering. The latest occurred on Monday morning when a 3-square-meter glass door between a Starbucks outlet and other businesses in the Raffles City building at People's Square shattered. No one was injured.
The bureau checked 67 batches of tempered glass for construction use in its latest inspection and found eight had "serious quality problems" which posed safety risks. These included failing tests of fragmentation, surface stress and impact resistance. The Shanghai Shibei Glass Co Ltd failed impact resistance tests. The company says on its website that its glass is used in high-profile locations such as Raffles City, Westgate Mall and Shanghai Railway Station. The Shanghai Mingliang Tempered Glass Co Ltd failed the same test. It also failed fragmentation tests last year.
The eight producers will only be allowed to resume production after passing tests. And sales of their substandard glass have been suspended, said Shen Weimin, deputy director of the bureau. They will also face administrative penalties, Shen said. Monday's incident at Raffles City, which saw Starbucks evacuated, is still being investigated. Shen said the probable cause was poor quality glass in terms of fragmentation, surface stress or impact resistance.

Window Cleaner Accused of Stealing From Arlington, Fairfax Homes. Arlington police are asking for the public's assistance in locating Justin Honaker. A 33-year-old Falls Church man is wanted in connection with a series of residential thefts across Arlington and Fairfax counties. Arlington police are asking for the public's assistance in locating Justin Honaker. Investigators believe Honaker, who worked as a business and residential window cleaner, stole jewelry and prescription drugs from multiple Arlington and Fairfax County residences during work hours. He is wanted on charges of grand larceny and larceny with intent to sell, according to the Arlington County Police Department.

An exact number of victims wasn't available Monday afternoon, though police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said it's likely additional victims have yet to be identified. "We're just scratching the surface of this," Sternbeck told Patch. Honaker is about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds, according to police. Police are asking anyone with information on Honaker's whereabouts to contact Arlington Detective Patricia Pena at 703-228-4183 or ppena@arlingtonva.us. To report information anonymously, call the Arlington County Crime Solvers at 866-411-8477. Investigators are also asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim or anyone who had Honaker inside their home during a window cleaning job to contact Pena at the number or email above.

Revealed: How some Welsh MPs are earning thousands extra as storm rages over 10% salary hike: Calls are growing for a ban on MPs taking on consultancies and directorships as it emerged some Welsh MPs are legitimately earning up to £110,000 a year from second jobs – on top of their £66,000 parliamentary salaries. Latest records from the House of Commons show one Welsh MP receives £9,167 a month for 14 hours’ moonlighting – at a rate of £654 per hour – while another is paid £30,000 a year for a weekly column in a London-based newspaper. Among those profiting from political surveys was Carmarthen West and Pembrokeshire South Conservative MP Simon Hart, who completed seven surveys for £75 each, with each one taking “15 minutes” to fill in. Mr Hart said politicians such as himself saw the job as “an opportunity to give something back rather than an opportunity to earn a few bucks and climb up a greasy political pole.” He compared his outdoor education role to that of a firefighter who has a sideline as a window cleaner on a Saturday morning.

A quarter of cleaning firms are breaking the law: Over 25% of cleaning firms are breaking the law, according to an investigation by the social affairs and employment inspection agency SZW. Inspectors visited 1,450 cleaning firms last year, together with representatives of the tax authority, local councils and benefit agency UWV, and found that 27% are not keeping to the rules. Most of the offences occurred in small firms with under 50 workers, which are mainly active in the fast-food sector, transport, construction, hotels and window cleaning for private homes, the NRC reports. 

Fraud Offences included benefit and tax fraud, incomplete bookkeeping, low pay and exploitation. The inspectors also discovered 324 illegal workers: 41% from Bulgaria and 21% from Romania. In total, €37m was recovered or charged in fines. Large cleaning companies affiliated to the sector organisation are much less likely to break the law, the NRC reports. Last year saw a series of strikes by cleaning workers organised by the trade unions because of the poor pay and conditions.

Grit-blasting robots clean Sydney Harbour Bridge: Australia is using two grit-blasting robots to clean the Sydney Harbour Bridge before it is repainted. The robots shoot out compressed air to cut through rust and old paint on the famous Australian landmark. The exercise is billed as one of the world's biggest maintenance programmes. Cleaning the bridge is considered dangerous, forcing workers into uncomfortable poses and bringing risk of exposure to asbestos and old paint.

The robots, which were developed at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS), operate by scanning the area, creating a 3D map, and working out how much force they should apply using high-pressure cleaners to strip paint from the bridge. "We now have two [operational], autonomous grit-blasting robots on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is a world-first technology," Martin Lloyd from UTS said, adding that the blasters on the robots were powerful enough to slice through people's clothes and skin.

The operation is the result of a collaboration between the university and Australia's Roads and Maritime Service. "The job [of cleaning the bridge] is very risky [for humans] - the bridge vibrates because of the traffic and it has complex geography - which is why we approached UTS to see if a machine could do this kind of work," Waruna Kaluarachchi from the Roads and Maritime Service said. Nicknamed "The Coathanger" because of its distinctive shape, the bridge was opened in March 1932. Repainting work is a never-ending task, and the two robots are to remain a permanent part of the maintenance team, our correspondent adds. Video recommended at link.

Herb Madara (right) with his wife, Kate, daughter, Charley, son, Herbie and employees, Michael Wright (far left) and Michael Huber, opened a local franchised window and exterior cleaning company called Men In Kilts whose employees wear kilts while they work.

Abington man ditches the hard hat, dons the kilt - Herb Madara’s doctor delivered the news a few years ago: If he kept working his physically demanding job as an electrical lineman, he’d need a knee replacement by the time he was 40. It was a troubling announcement for Madara, the father of two young children who was counting on his career to support his family. But ultimately, Madara ditched the hard hat and utility uniform for something a bit more fashionable.. a kilt. The kilt is all part of the package at Men In Kilts Window Cleaning, the franchise that Madara bought into after leaving his job as a lineman. Madara, 35, admits he was a bit skeptical when he first came across the idea. “I thought it was crazy,” the Abington resident said. “Who would do this? And then as I looked more and more into it, I thought it was awesome. (Window washing) is an untapped market. And I knew the kilts would be a hit.”

Herb Madara opened a local franchised window and exterior cleaning company called Men In Kilts whose employees wear kilts while they work.

Founded in 2002 in Vancouver, Canada, Men In Kilts now has four U.S. franchises. In addition to Madara’s franchise, which serves Bucks and Montgomery counties, there are locations covering the Jersey Shore, Boston and Seattle. Yes, burly men wearing green tartan kilts really do show up to clean windows and gutters and do pressure washing. And yes, the kilts are a gimmick. But, Madara said, the business is serious. “The brand gets us in the door,” Madara said. “But our service is what sets us apart from our competitors.”

Michael Wright, Hatboro, works for men in Kilts, a franchised window and exterior cleaning company whose employees wear kilts while they work.

Patrick Casey, owner of Vintage in Abington, said the kilt-clad cleaners have the restaurant’s windows sparkling monthly. “(The kilts are) a great marketing tool,” he said. “And they do great work.” Madara leaves most of the cleaning to his crew, which includes brother Mike Huber, “Big Mike” Wright and Ryan Barhart. But he’s at most sites overseeing the work. And Madara’s wife, Kate, and children Charley, 7, and Herbie, 17 months, wear their own kilts to help market the business. As for the answer to the age-old question of what’s under the kilt? Madara isn’t exactly telling. “What’s under our kilts is a whole lotta’ confidence,” he said. “But of course, when we’re on ladders, no peeking.”

Groovy grandads: Charlie Sheen has just become a grandad at 47. We meet other young grandpas who are down with the kids. Grandad of four Johnny Cooney (44), a window cleaner from Dundalk, says he's only too happy to help with nappies and night feeds. "When you first find out you're going to be a grandparent, it's a bit of a shock. "At 39, I remember joking with my eldest daughter Derval: 'I'm too young to be a grandad!' Secretly though, I couldn't wait. "Now I have four grandchildren: Lee (5), Jay (4), Tara-Lynn (3) and Penny-Rose (7 months).

"As a dad-of-five myself, I have great time for the kids. Your first grandchild is a bit like starting all over again. "They all live close enough by, so I can help out with the school run and babysitting. Or if I'm going somewhere and they want to come with me, it's no bother. "I'd like to think I'm a good grandad. I'm very close to all four children. Like most grandads though, your granddaughters are your little princesses!

"When we're out and they call me 'grandad', some people do look twice. But I just laugh it off. As a young grandad, with any luck, you get more time with your grandchildren. You get to see them growing up. "When my grandkids are in their 20s, I'll still only be in my 60s and able to do stuff with them. "I know lots of people who are older than me and don't have any children or grandchildren, so I consider myself very lucky."

A worker from the company that washes the exterior of the facility is trying to put a smile on patients’ faces. Boston has its very own super hero—one with the superhuman power of cleaning windows and making sick kids smile.

Click to enlarge.

Boston Children's Hospital: A Guy Dressed As Spider-Man Is Now Cleaning the Windows At Boston Children’s Hospital. This week, Boston Children’s staff decided to take a new approach to getting the outside of their facility looking spotless while easing the minds of young patients. Using their contracted cleaning company, Hub Window Cleaning, representatives from the hospital worked out a deal to have one of the window-washers wear a Spider-Man outfit as he took care of his job. “He was pumped to do it, he was definitely excited. We did a test run last week, and he was a really good sport. He has been waving at the kids who were on the inside, and it has been pretty cool for not just the patients, but the staff is also excited,” said Lily Albin, the social media specialist at the hospital.

Albin said this is the first time Boston Children’s has tried this technique, offering an uplifting experience along with some of the other programs they’ve rolled out for children staying with them for extended periods of time. She said all day Monday, as Spider-Man scaled the side of the building, children crowded around the windows to watch the superhero at work. “[It] makes it a little extra fun. Any time we can do something fun for our patients that are here all day everyday, and get a little more excitement—we do that in a number of ways—I think anytime we can add that element it’s always a nice thing to do,” she said. She said the hospital may consider bringing in some other superhero figures—like Captain America or Batman—to help get the job done in the future. The window washing at Boston Children’s is done once a month.

The decision to try the costumed approach, which she said was appreciated by hospital staff considering the summer heat, was part of a brainstorming project led by the hospital’s Patient Support Services division. The idea was taken right out of the book of other children’s hospitals around the country. The superhero surprise has been something facilities in Philadelphia, and the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis have been doing. People hanging around outside of the Boston hospital on Monday managed to spot Spider-Man way up high, scaling the building, as he tended to his window-cleaning duties. Others also tweeted about seeing the Spider-man-costume clad worker walking along the rooftop of the hospital, wondering if it was just an uber-comic fan. Turns out, it was a superhero of a different kind.

Is it goodbye to cash? Cash still governs the world of small businesses but new technology means this could soon change, writes Global Payments UK's Chris Davies (pictured). As digital technology becomes more ingrained in our way of life there is a gradual shift underway to paying by plastic. Few of us would find it strange to pay for a coffee or a few groceries by card, especially now that contactless cards are so commonplace. However, one space that has remained governed by paper money is the world of mobile businesses. Despite handling, in some instances, relatively large amounts of money window cleaners, florists, hairdressers and handymen are still often paid in cash. This is despite growing demand from both business and customers for card payments as wider usage of plastic grows. For mobile businesses cash has an invisible but heavy cost; in banking, security and even the complications of tracking cashflow through the business. In addition, mobile businesses can often miss sales from customers who are not carrying cash and have to refuse card payments. 

A recent survey of 1,000 micro-businesses (those with 10 employees or less, of which there are 4.6 million in the UK) conducted on behalf of Intuit found that only 19% accepted cards but 50% wished they could. So why have window cleaners, for example, historically not been able to accept cards? Card acceptance has been difficult for small businesses owing to a number of factors - cost and complexity being the most significant. One of the main barriers is the unpredictability of how many customers they will have paying by card, and the small size of transactions overall, both of which make signing up to a subscription package unworkable. Card processing usually works by paying a monthly subscription fee to a provider, as well as renting a terminal. Some businesses might only need to take one card payment a week for example, which makes these costs unrealistically expensive. These elements have combined to keep card payments as the preserve of larger companies.
However, technology now looks set to democratise card payments for small businesses, no matter how tiny they are. The catalyst here has been the explosion in the use of sophisticated internet-enabled smartphones. With a small, inexpensive card reader and downloadable app the device can be turned into a chip and PIN compliant card terminal. The reader "talks" to the phone through a Bluetooth connection and the cardholder enters their pin on the device. The cardholder's details are kept as safe as a regular terminal that you might expect to use in a supermarket or restaurant. This is an interesting development because it means that the individual effectively supplies their own hardware - instantly cutting the rental costs that small businesses find difficult to bear. Instead, most of these new payment systems require only an upfront investment in a card reader with PIN pad (usually at around £49) then fees of around 2.75% per transaction.
Relative to the cost of handling cash and lost custom from not being able to accept cards this level of fee introduces a realistic card payment option where none have existed before. As new entrants such as Intuit and PayPal bring their solutions to the market 2013 could be the year that card payments finally reach the great and the good of small businesses. Next time the window cleaner calls you may find yourself reaching for your card to pay rather than your loose change.

The Rise of Virtual Retirement Villages: Each virtual retirement community varies depending on the people involved, but they share some common traits: They offer a list of preferred service providers for residents. That makes it easy for residents to hire any vendor, from an arborist to a window washer, knowing they have been vetted by the community. Nearly a quarter of village members need help with household chores, and about 14% require assistance for personal care, the Rutgers study finds.

New research reveals that car salesmen have the priciest profession when it comes to getting car insurance. According to Confused.com, data analysed over the past 12 months to March 2013 showed that motor traders’ annual premiums top an astonishing £10,000. The results also revealed that car salesmen pay 13 times more than the average annual cost for fully comprehensive cover. But it’s not just vehicle salesmen who receive these high insurance quotes. The data also revealed that ‘car valeting’ is the second most expensive profession, with an annual cost of £4,943 to cover their vehicle. Next up is ‘window cleaner’ and then ‘professional football apprentice’, which pay an average of £4,830 and £4,038 per year respectively.

Pets fill Santa Cruz Animal Shelter: A dozen people filed into the Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter on Thursday afternoon, browsing the kennels, looking for a potential friend. The facilities for dogs, cats and rabbits are at capacity this month. The shelter is offering half-price pet adoptions for the remainder of July in an effort to free space for the next wave of animals. The Santa Cruz County Animal Shelter provides animal rescue, adoption and temporary care for about 6,000 animals a year, according to its website. The nation celebrated the sights and sounds of the Fourth of July earlier this month. But the season is notoriously frightening for pets, Sobel said.

Stray pets account for a fraction of the shelter's animals. If a pet owner is arrested or dies, the shelter will look after the animals. It is key to have a constant outflow of animals to make room for unexpected arrivals, Sobel said. Last November, the shelter rescued 80 cats that were living in a one-room trailer. More recently, the shelter took on 61 roosters that were confiscated from a cockfight. The shelter counts on frequent adoptions so it can be prepared for special circumstances and crowding. Now that Mike Burkett, 46, is back from vacation he is ready to adopt another cat. As a self-employed window washer from Prospect Heights, he has time to spare to make a new pet comfortable. 

Lightning strikes house, leaves a hole in bathroom: Kahului resident Uilani Endo was standing in her bedroom Monday evening, contemplating what she needed to take downstairs, when she saw a bright blue flash of light crash through her bathroom just 15 feet from her. A deafening boom shook the house, she heard glass shattering and then everything went dark. Endo grabbed her daughter from the next room and ran out of the house, screaming. "It was like a blue line that went right through my bathroom, it streaked right through the house, I yelled for my daughter and told her we had to get the hell out of the house," Endo said, as police and firefighters responded outside her home on Kipapa Place. 

Endo's house was hit by lightning at about 6:15 p.m. Monday, as Maui residents began seeing the first signs of Tropical Depression Flossie's late arrival. Kahului and Wailuku firefighters responded to the 6:17 p.m. alarm, finding a hole about 5 inches in diameter that went through the roof, said Fire Services Chief Lee Mainaga. The lightning struck through and shattered a glass window louver located high above the bathtub in the master bathroom on the second floor of the home, Endo said.

She, her husband, daughter and tenant were inside the house when the lightning struck. "I was just freaked, all I could think of was to get my daughter out of the main house," Endo said. Her daughter, 21-year-old Kanoe, was in the next room when the lightning beamed through her mother's bathroom. Just five minutes earlier, she had been texting on her cellphone inside the bathroom where it struck. "I was just thinking, 'Oh my God, oh my God,' " Kanoe Endo said. "I never thought that would happen in my life." "It's pretty terrifying," said Bill Tavares, who spoke to The Maui News from his home in Kuau as lightning thundered down 5:45 Monday evening. "It's the loudest thunder I've ever heard in all my life and I'm almost 92."

Family's loving tribute to 'the very best of men' - The heartbroken parents of a young man who died after getting into difficulty while swimming in a Chirk river last week have said their son was “the very best of men”. Anthony James Lawrence died after an incident at the confluence of the rivers Ceiriog and Dee, near Pont-y-Blew, Chirk, last Tuesday evening. Paying tribute to the 21-year-old from Oswestry yesterday, his parents Dave and Denise Lawrence said their son was “committed” to his family and friends and had a talent for Japanese manga animation, a passion he hoped would take him to Japan.

Father, Dave Lawrence, 44, who was introducing his son to the family’s window cleaning business, which he runs with Anthony’s 24-year-old brother, Dean, urged other parents to take every opportunity with their children. “I have got no regrets with Anthony. Even to the very end we were together and enjoying ourselves – that is one thing that has helped me through this. “You can’t wrap them up in cotton wool, they have got to live, but make the most of it.” Mrs Lawrence, who the couple said was Anthony’s closest friend, added: “Don’t take each other for granted - have a really good relationship with them because they are so precious.”

Hemel Hempstead window cleaner took his own life after heated row with on/off girlfriend: A man took his own life after a booze-fuelled argument with his on/off girlfriend, an inquest into his death heard.  Kevin Alderman and Magrieta Smith - better known as Maffti - had a row which escalated into violence in the early hours of January 22, 2012. Window cleaner Kevin, 31, of Leighton Buzzard Road, Hemel Hempstead, was left with two small abrasions on his face - Ms Smith told the inquest, held at Hatfield on Thursday, that she had scratched him.
Kevin left her home when she threatened to call the police and he went to his sister’s house. In a statement read out by Herts Coroner Edward Thomas, his sister described him as upset and ‘crying his eyes out’. Before heading home he told her: ‘This is going to be my last night’. In the morning when Ms Smith went to Kevin’s home she looked through the window and discovered he had hung himself. She got back in her car and went to friends for help before the police were called. “I just wanted to go and get them and make things better,” she said.
Mr Thomas said that even if Ms Smith had acted straight away it would not have made any difference as Kevin had been dead for some time. A post mortem examination revealed alcohol, cocaine and cannabis in Kevin’s system, although the Class B drug can remain present for up to two weeks after using it. “There was alcohol and cocaine and the effect of both can make you very low,” said Mr Thomas. “If you are miserable it can make you more miserable.”
He recorded that Kevin died of asphyxiation and had taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed. Mr Thomas said: “It is very sad because he was obviously someone who, most of the time, was great fun to be with.” He told the family that a note had been left on the kitchen side by Kevin and handed it to his parents in an envelope after closing the inquest. 

Bogus window cleaner steals cash: A bogus window cleaner carrying a red bucket and a squeegee stole cash after calling at two houses in Basingstoke. The first theft took place at 1pm on Thursday, July 18, when the man walked through an open front door of a house in Cliddesden Road. A 73 year old woman, who lived at the house, confronted him before he offered to clean windows. She declined but later found £20 was missing from her handbag.

The second theft took place at 11.30am on Monday, July 22. The man called at a sheltered housing complex, again in Cliddesden Road, and asked a 57-year-old man, who is vulnerable, for a drink. He then took the man’s wallet, which contained £300 in cash and bank cards. The man is described as white, 5ft 9ins tall, of medium build with short, dark hair. The woman described him as wearing a red t-shirt and jeans with a tattoo on his upper right arm. Police are linking the two incidents. A 32 year old man from Basingstoke was arrested in connection with these incidents but has been released with no further action. Anyone with information can contact PC Craig Bannerman at Basingstoke police station on 101.

Update - Bogus window cleaner tricks vulnerable people: Police have released further information about a man who has been posing as a window cleaner to steal from elderly people. On Thursday, 18 July at 8.50am a 98-year-old woman in Barking opened her front door to a man carrying a bucket who claimed to be collecting money for her window cleaner. The man has been described as charming, polite and believable. The man asked for £3 and when the victim went inside to get her purse the man followed her into the lounge. Not having enough change to hand over the £3, the suspect said he would take a £20 note and return with change in half an hour. After the man left, the woman checked her purse and saw that he had taken two £20 notes. He did not return as promised. The suspect has been described as a white male, 6ft tall, aged 30-35 years, of slim build with cropped fair/mousey hair. He spoke in a local accent and was wearing a copper/orange jumper with dark navy jeans. He is known to have called at the following addresses also:

 - St Awdrys Road, Barking on 8 July
 - The Avenue, Hornchurch on 10 July
 - Maplestead Road, Dagenham on 15 July
 - Valence Circus, Dagenham on 15 July
 - Howard Road, Barking on 17 July
 - Wedderburn Road, Barking on 18 July

Investigating officer Detective Constable Gemma Townsend of Barking and Dagenham CID said: “This man is relying on the trusting nature of our most vulnerable residents. Please make sure that any elderly people that you know or care for are aware of this despicable crime. “It is okay to be suspicious and to tell strangers to come back when a friend or relative can be with you. If they are persistent please shut the front door and dial 999.” This suspect is believed to be responsible for a number of identical offences in Barking and Dagenham and a further offence at The Avenue, Hornchurch. 

Fake window cleaner robs 93 year old woman in Lynstead near Sittingbourne: This man is being hunted after a 93-year-old woman was robbed by a fake window cleaner. She was targeted by a man who stole £300 when he burst into her home in Cellar Hill Lynstead, near Sittingbourne. The victim was in her living room when he came in through the kitchen door and told her he was collecting money for window cleaning. She stood up to confront him, but he pushed her down and forcibly held her in place before stealing her purse out of her knitting bag. The offender ran out of the door with her purse, containing bank cards and £300.
Police said the offender is described as white, with dark short hair and a "longish face". He was clean-shaven and thought to have been in his late 20s. Detectives have now released an efit of a man they want to speak to about the incident, between 1.55pm and 2.07pm on last Tuesday. DCI Ann Lisseman, from Kent Police, said: "While the victim suffered no injuries, we are classing this as robbery because the offender used force to restrain his vulnerable victim. "Someone out there must recognise this man and I'd ask you to call into us as soon as possible. "Targeting an elderly lady and stealing her belongings is a despicable thing to do and we are following up every possible line of enquiry to find the offender and bring him to justice. "Despite her ordeal, the victim has shown remarkable courage and fortitude in helping us compile an e-fit, and I'd like to commend her for her bravery."

Fairfield Police Warn Residents About Scams - An in-person scam was attempted on Saturday in the area of Nepas Road. A resident told police a man went door to door with a woman to talk about window cleaning. The report said that they had no documentation to verify this. If residents are concerned about a possible scam, they should contact the Fairfield police at 203-254-4800 and file a report. 

More woe for families as benefits cap is rolled out (UK): The bedroom tax has already hit residents in the pocket with one Stafford man saying he is struggling to afford food. And plans to introduce a Universal Credit system, which will see benefits paid monthly, and a benefits cap, could leave many in hardship, Stafford and Rural Homes bosses have warned. One 35-year-old resident, who asked not to be named, told the Newsletter the bedroom tax was crippling him. The Exeter Street resident was signed off work 14 months ago due to medical issues. He previously worked as a grounds worker and window cleaner.

He said: “I lived with my mum in a house but when she died I asked to be moved to a two-bedroom flat as I have two children who sometimes stay. “When the bedroom tax came in I suddenly had to pay £50 a month. I can’t afford it. I will often miss out on either some food or put off paying the TV licence to buy food. I’ve sold some belongings to make money. I’m on the list to get a one-bedroom place but it will be difficult if my children stay. “Monthly payments are worrying because I don’t know how I’ll survive and make it last. I’m struggling now. I’ve run out of bread and milk and have £7 of elec- tricity to last me until next week.”

Fast-Food Restaurant Workers In Some Cities Plan To Walk Off Job: Don’t expect to have it your way Monday at some fast-food restaurants across the country. Workers at the nation’s best known fast-food restaurants in seven cities across America are planning to walk off the job Monday to protest what they say are wages that are too low to live on, Fox News reported.

The Washington Post reported that the protests will take place in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Flint, Mich., involving workers at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and KFC. Some employees at stores including Dollar Tree, Macy's and Victoria's Secret are also expected to join the protesters in several cities.

"A lot of the workers are living in poverty, you know, not being able to afford to put food on the table or take the train to work." The workers are calling for wages of $15 per hour, more than double New York's current minimum wage of $7.25. “SEIU members, like all service-sector workers, are worse off when large fast-food and retail companies are able to hold down wages and push benefit standards for working people,” Mary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, told the Washington Post.

In New York City, the protests were organized by a group called Fast Food Forward, which states its Twitter account: "No one can survive on $7.25." Some Kanawha County residents agreed. "Me and my wife both work and we struggle to make it by every week, so it would definitely help a lot," said John Fields, a window washer who makes $10 an hour.

Metal baton used to fight off others during melee in Street: A window cleaner took out a metal cosh from his car in a bid to protect himself as he was under attack from two other males after a family birthday party in Street. Benjamin Allan got involved in a fight with his girlfriend's father and brother and took out the weapon from his car and used it during the melee. When police were called to the incident they searched the area and found it hidden in a nearby hedge and the defendant was arrested. The 26-year-old, of Barlinch Close, Taunton, pleaded guilty to being in possession of an offensive weapon, namely an extendable baton, in Street on June 15 when he appeared before District Judge Maurice Champion sitting at Yeovil.

He said: "Things got out of hand between the family members and at some point during a fight it transpired that Allan took an extendable baton from his car and this was used in the course of this fight. "When the police attended the scene it was found hidden in a nearby hedge and it is accepted by Allan that it belonged to him and that he took it out of his car saying he had it for self-defence purposes." Defending solicitor Robin Weelen said that there was a history of bad feeling between Allan and his partner's father and brother who were the other two males involved in the incident. Allan went back to his partner's house after the party but then said he was leaving as her brother and father were there. "Her brother then came out and punched Allan through the car window and the father also came out and my client tried to drive away," he said. "However his car windscreen was then smashed by the brother and Allan, who had a metal cosh in his car, was being attacked so he picked it up and was trying to ensure that nobody else was going to do anything to him."

He added that Allan had the baton as he used to live above a shop which sold similar items including samurai swords and he was given some of them. He had been living in a tent at the time so kept the baton in his car. He added that the defendant worked as a window cleaner in Taunton and his employer had now lent him the money to buy himself a caravan to live in. The judge accepted that Allan had been caught up in "exceptional circumstances" and fined him £200. He was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

World Glass News For The Window Cleaner

Controversy over 30% glass limit on buildings: New rules set to restrict the amount of glass on a building’s facade have sparked controversy among construction industry professionals. The regulations, which will give designers the option of limiting glass to 30% or showing that they can keep solar gain to the level of the 30% design, have attracted a range of opinions from within the sector. Applying only to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the rules will therefore give designers the option of a prescriptive or performance-based approach to achieving energy savings.

“However, we must be careful not to stifle the designer’s creativity with prescriptive controls. Mandating that a building has only 30% windows basically states that there is no other way to address heat gain.” BDP architect’s environment design associate Steve Merridew, was more than confident that the prescriptive approach was the best way forward. “The introduction on maximum glazing percentages under Estidama is a positive step towards the delivery of more environmentally-conscious architecture in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “While glazing is a very valuable element of the materials palette for facilitating daylight ingress and connectivity with the outside, its poor insulation and solar control properties mean over specification leads to energy hungry buildings in the region. “This new guidance should ensure glass is specified more carefully and for maximum benefit, rather than as the default cladding option of the architectural zeitgeist.”

Window Shooting Crime Spree Hits Anchorage: Shooting lasted 14 hours; leaves behind 75 destroyed windows, and thousands of dollars in damage. Anchorage Police officials are urging the community to watch their cars and help them find the air gun armed criminals who caused what they call one of the worst vandalism acts they have ever seen. Overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, APD officials say the crooks shot and destroyed at least 75 random car and business windows.

New polymer thin film technique promises smart glass, better solar cells: Researchers have developed a new method for coating large surfaces with transparent, electrically-conductive nanofiber thin films. Chemists and engineers at the University of California, Los Angeles developed the method, which involves the “vigorous agitation” of water, dense oil and polymer nanofibers. Apparently, shake the solution up, and it will spread over “virtually any” surface, creating a film, the researchers said. The process can be done at room temperature, they said. That’s good news for the cleantech industry, for which this technique can be used to manufacture organic solar cells, light-emitting diodes, “smart glass” and sensors.

Conducting polymers are like plastics in that they’re flexible and tough. Since they also have electrical properties, they have enormous potential for electronics, and have been proposed for use in printed electronic circuits and supercapacitors. But the polymers have been rather difficult to process into films — until now. The team discovered the technique serendipitously while they were purifying nanofibers in water with chloroform. A transparent film of polymer began to spread up the walls of the container. The science behind the phenomenon involves the age-old rivalry between oil and water. Normally, when the two are mixed, droplets form. Those droplets serve as an entry point for trapping polymer nanofibers at liquid–liquid interfaces. As they unite, the surface tension changes — and in an attempt to reduce the difference in surface tension, the polymer spreads up a glass wall. The result is a uniform, continuously conductive thin film comprised of a single monolayer of polymer nanofibers. Even better, it’s a process that can scale.

One example of the utility of such a material is “smart glass,” which can change state (such as transparent to opaque) when an electric current is applied to it. Windows of the future, effectively. The researchers are developing the technology for the commercial market in collaboration with Fibron Technologies with support from the National Science Foundation.

A real pain in the glass: Hundreds of Calgarians spent the lunch hour yesterday gazing skyward after a glass window broke on the 33rd storey of a downtown building, creating afternoon havoc. Several blocks between 7th and 8th avenues were shut down near the 200 block over concerns the broken glass created a public hazard, according to fire department spokesperson Brian McAsey. “We wanted to make sure we made it as safe as we could, and especially with the wind. Things might not just fall vertically, but the wind could carry it, so we wanted to be safe,” he said. Only pieces of the pane were believed to have fallen but crews worked quickly to ensure it was deemed safe. The only delay came with replacing the window. Employees of Scotiabank Place filed back to their offices and found they couldn’t get in. “I don’t even know what is happening because we just got back from lunch. I guess we get the afternoon off,” Derek Munro said. Nobody was injured, but traffic was snarled in the core for several hours due to the closure.

Man struck by falling glass in Midtown: Talk about a real pane. A diner was struck by falling glass this afternoon outside of a trendy Midtown restaurant. The 50-year-old victim was leaving Marea’s on Central Park South around 3:20 p.m. when glass fell from a window above, sources said. He was treated for a gash on his head at New York Hospital. The hotspot Italian eatery boasts 150 seats and is owned by Chris Cannon and chef/partner Michael White.

New Energy Debuts SolarWindow: Spray-On Coating Turns Ordinary Windows into Electricity-Generating Solar Modules. This first-of-its-kind, spray-on technology is capable of transforming everyday surfaces, such as windows, into energy-generating devices using both natural and artificial light sources, outperforming today's commercial solar and thin-film technologies by as much as 10-fold under low-intensity irradiance. New Energy researchers have developed a working prototype of the Company's SolarWindow(TM) technology in preparation for eventual full-scale production. Low production costs, improved manufacturability, and increased power performance are among important, recently announced objectives researchers are now targeting. Key to these advances is the development of new methods and technologies for applying New Energy's electricity-generating coatings to glass surfaces.

Hotel guest in Xiamen injured by sudden burst of glass door: When Mr. Huang was on a business trip in Xiamen, his left hand was injured by sudden burst of the glass door of the shower room in a hotel in Xiamen. Under the mediation of the Commerce and Industry Bureau in Huli District, the hotel agreed to make full compensation for Huang’s loss, Xiamen Daily reports. On Oct 6th, after Huang took a shower and tried to open the glass door of the shower room, it suddenly burst. Huang’s left hand was hurt by the broken pieces of the glass door. After conciliation, the hotel agreed to pay for Huang’s medical care expenses and didn’t charge him for his stay in the hotel. Relevant staff at the Commerce and Industry Bureau indicated that to avoid this kind of accident in the future, a layer of anti-blast membrane should be pasted on a glass door. In this case, even when the glass bursts, the membrane can still stick the broken pieces together without hurting people.

Historic L.A. stained-glass ceiling up for auction: Los Angeles Modern Auctions, founded in 1992, will celebrate its 50th sale on Sunday by offering what owner Peter Loughrey calls "the most comprehensive stained-glass window ever built in Southern California, a landmark design that affected the market for stained-glass windows for decades." Created in 1965 by Roger Darricarrere, who won the medal for best artwork at the 1964 World's Fair, the unique piece was a custom commission for the ceiling of the Columbia Savings Bank in Los Angeles.  During the auction preview, 28 panels from the work and a pyramid, shown above, will be displayed at Los Angeles Modern Auctions' headquarters in Van Nuys. "While each panel was composed to make up a larger design," the auction catalog notes, "they can easily be assembled in smaller sections or used individually as coffee or dining tables." That's good to know, as installation could prove costly, and the estimated price of the work is $80,000 to $100,000.

Great Glass House Swells from the Ground Like a Giant Blue Egg: They say people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, but would it make any difference if the house in question was half-buried in the ground and shaped like giant blue egg? Well, probably not, but how cool is this pebble-shaped Great Glass House? It may seem like something out of a dream but it actually exists and is the largest single-span glasshouse in the world. Located in Carmarthenshire, Great Britain and designed by Foster + Partners, the enormous structure contains more than a thousand plant species (many endangered) and utilizes many sustainable strategies like an energy-optimizing computer-controlled heating system, an aluminum glazing system, rainwater catchment and a biomass boiler.

Taipei,  A Matsu temple made of glass, located in a coastal industrial park in the central Taiwan county of Changhua, was opened for public visits Saturday to celebrate the anniversary of the believed ascension to heaven of the island's beloved goddess. A concert was also held at the unfinished glass temple, which is part of a glass gallery founded by Taiwan Mirror Glass Enterprise Corp. as a marketing platform and showroom exhibiting a variety of Taiwan-made glass products. The construction of the 990 square-meter glass temple, the first of its kind in Taiwan, began in 2007 and is scheduled to be finished in 2013. Statues of Matsu and other popular deities, including Wangye and the God of Land, will be enshrined there.

Pannkoke: solving special glazing demands: Looking back on more than five decades of production of vacuum lifters the name Pannkoke has been synonymous with specialist vacuum lifting equipment for large and heavy glass panes. During this period of time the German company has continued to manufacture its devices with more specifics, able to solve the continuously higher weight, size and thickness of today’s high-rise buildings. On the Maastoren in Rotterdam some windows had to be replaced on the top floors. Things to know: there was no crane, just the window cleaner bucket and a winch. The windows weighed about 950 kilos and were 4 x 3.5 metres and 50 millimetres thick. The work had to be done in 167 metres height. The glazing was done with the Pannkoke battery-operated KOMBI 7211-DS3 device for turning and tilting, carrying up to 1,000 kilos. The outside of the windows was really busted, so the pane had to be attached to the lifting device on the inside of the building, lifted out and then picked up with the winch on the roof.

8-year old dies while forcing his way in through window: An 8-year-old boy of Lausa, Tavua died while trying to enter his house through the windows, yesterday afternoon. Assistant Police Spokesperson, Inspector Atunaisa Sokomuri said the class 3 student returned home from school yesterday afternoon and found the house was locked and no one at home. The boy then attempted to enter the house through the glass window and as he was making his way inside, one of the glass windows broke and pierced his stomach. The class 3 student later passed away due to excessive of blood. This incident has prompted police to call on parents to make arrangements when they are not at home.

Man bleeds to death in Ravenswood: A man bled to death early Tuesday after apparently cutting himself on window glass in downtown Ravenswood, police said. Ravenswood Police Chief Ronald Crawford said emergency dispatchers received a cell phone call from a Hispanic man asking for help between 2:30 and 3 a.m. Crawford said the officer on duty went to the spot from which the man called, but was unable to locate him. After searching the area for about 45 minutes, Crawford said the man returned to the police station, where he found pools of blood and the man's cell phone. Crawford said the search was hampered by earlier rainfall, darkness and a heavy dew. The search resumed after daylight. Crawford said police were able to trace a blood trail back to a downtown bar, where they found a broken window and broken glass. Crawford believes the man broke the window at the bar and cut himself, called for help, then made his way to the police station before staggering off. His body was found in a downtown alley at about 11 a.m.

Disappearing Act: Magician Fights Hunger From Inside a Glass Booth - An aspiring performer, Hammell decided that his first public magic show would be a fundraiser for a food bank and women's shelter. It was a hit. This week, he's set his sights on the ultimate disappearing act: eradicating local hunger. Hammell is camped out in a 12-by-6-by-8-foot glass booth on the streets of Toronto, Canada, where he's accepting food donations for Daily Bread Food Bank. He'll remain there until Halloween evening. Having aimed for lining the walls of the booth with food, Hammell tells TakePart in a phone call that he's met his goal "three times over." The response from the community, he says, has been overwhelming. Several truckloads of cans have been taken to the food bank, and more is coming in. "The way I'm describing it is like an amazing-person magnet. It's bringing out so many wonderful people," Hammell says.

Bubble-Shaped Plates Made from Recycled Window Glass: Imagine the delight on your guests’ faces when you serve an elegant salad or delicate desert on these icy, modern plates? Each one is handmade in Thailand using recycled window glass, and the air that gets trapped during the melting process is what creates the frothy pattern of bubbles. Choose from appetizer, salad, dinner or buffet sizes in sea or smoke.

Panic gripped Raipur when a powerful blast took place around noon on Sunday, smashing window panes of nearby buildings and damaging vehicles at Rajbanda Press Complex area. Ruling out the possibility of Maoist involvement, police officials claim that it appeared to be the handiwork of miscreants with an intention to create disturbance, particularly during the ongoing foundation day celebrations. “There was a loud noise. Glass window panes developed cracks and the vehicles parked outside were also damaged,” said Prakash Sharma of Hindi daily Tarun Chhattisgarh.

An eight-floor modern glass building, housing a shopping centre, will open next to the historic St Paul's Cathedral later. The £500m One New Change will have 60 stores and restaurants spread over three floors and office space. Developers said the building was "designed in sympathy with its rich architectural surroundings". In 2005 Prince Charles had written a letter to the developers expressing his concerns about the project. The building next to the Christopher Wren-designed 17th Century cathedral, has more than 6,000 floor-to-ceiling glass panes and will accommodate 3,000 workers in 330,000 sq ft (30,658 sqm) of office space.

Saint-Gobain affiliate to join in glass plant: Saint-Gobain Glass, an affiliate of Valley Forge-based building supplies conglomerate Saint-Gobain Corp., has bought a 50 percent equity stake in Sage Electrochromics to collaborate on an energy-efficiency product. In what will be Saint-Gobain's first major foray into glass manufacturing in the United States, the company, with Sage, intends to build the world's first large-scale electrochromic glass plant in Faribault, Minn., where Sage is headquartered.

Electrochromic glass, activated by a low-voltage current, is able to adapt its light and heat transmission, or tint, to the level of sunlight and a building's ambient temperature. Consequently, it can reduce the amount of energy consumed by air-conditioning, heating and lighting. The $135 million plant expects to produce more than four million square feet of glass a year, beginning in mid-2012.

Tokyo - Asahi Glass Co. Ltd (AGC) will be installing cutting-edge coating facilities at its Kashima plant to double its Low-E glass production capacity. The company will invest about three billion yen in the new facilities, which are slated for operation in April 2012. The new facility will have an initial annual coating capacity of 6.8 million square meters initially, and is expected to boost the exiting facilities' overall production to 13 million square meters per year.

Shoplifter died after falling through glass roof: A man, who was fleeing after stealing a basket of meat from Marks & Spencer, died after falling through the glass roof of a shopping arcade in Bedford, an inquest has heard. Dean McAuley plummeted through the roof of the arcade in Bedford town centre in July 24 this year. The 25-year-old, from Bedford, was running away from a security guard after shoplifting meat worth £56.44 from Marks & Spencer when he climbed onto the roof. Mr McAuley, whose blood alcohol level was more than two times over the drink drive limit and had also taken methadone, was rushed to hospital but died later on.