Window Cleaner Makes $3,600 In 5 Minutes

Taco Bell - Giving away money.

Trio returns $3,600 mistakenly handed out at drive through: A recent West Ottawa High School graduate got more than she ordered at a drive-through window at Taco Bell in Kentwood last weekend. Instead of the fast food, Kennidi Rue, her boyfriend and friend received what could have been some fast cash — $3,600  — in their order on Saturday night. “I didn’t get any food. Just money,” Kennidi Rue of Holland said Monday. The money, including a big roll of 20s, was in three bags.
 

Rue, her boyfriend Grant Kruse of Holland and driver Luke Postma pulled over and counted the cash. After a brief discussion about what to do, they called police. They met the officer at the restaurant and returned the money to the Taco Bell employee who was in tears and grateful for the trio’s honesty.
 

“As soon as you see all that money, stuff runs through your mind about what to do with it,” said Kruse after finishing work Monday at Shine Window Cleaning in Zeeland (website). Kruse is a 2011 Holland Christian High School graduate who recently returned from nine months on the ground in Afghanistan with the Army National Guard.
 

They all agreed that the only option was to return the cash. “It felt like the right thing,” said Kruse. Keeping it would have been wrong, Rue added. “It’s not the right thing to do,” the 2013 West Ottawa graduate said about taking the cash. “It’s not the way we were raised.”
 

Rue will head to Davenport University in the fall to study nursing. This isn't the first time that a Taco Bell employee mistakenly gave a customer thousands of dollars, according to jobs.aol.com. A manager of a Taco Bell in Ohio said it's store policy to keep bank deposits in the same bags that are used for takeout orders, which reportedly is why a drive-through worker in May 2010 confusedly handed a customer $2,000. That customer, who appeared in surveillance video to be a “young woman in her 20s,”  and the money were never heard from again.

Taco Bell customers find and return $3600 received in order: Three hungry customers pulled into the Kentwood, Michigan Taco Bell drive-thru expecting meals, so they were surprised when they found thousands of dollars in cash in their bag instead of food. As reported by WZZM 13 On Your Side, Kennidi Rue, Luke Postma and Grant Kruse didn’t even realize the fast food restaurant’s mistake until they had driven miles away. Kennidi said, “I opened my bag to get my food and it ended up being three bags of money, a lot of money, and then another wad of like a ton of 20s. We added it up and it was like…” “It was like $3600,” the men added.

The trio had a decision to make: return the money or keep the cash. The friends admitted that there was a brief moment where they were tempted. “Of course, initially you want to keep it,” Kennidi conceded. “But then you’re like, ‘No someone’s going to lose their job. Let’s bring this back,’” said Luke. Grant added, “It obviously wasn’t ours. It’s not like we were losing anything by giving it back. So we just thought we’d bring it back and I don’t know, just do it the right way I guess.”

Luke explained what happened when they returned the money. “We went in and the lady, we met her, and she had just a stone cold look on her face. And we brought it in and she just started like, on the spot, just like losing it. She was crying. She was I guess, pretty happy.” The three customers were also happy. They said the best part of their good deed, was that they finally got their food from Taco Bell.

Window Cleaning News & Photos

A window washer does his best to clean up the view of Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

THE PANES OF HALLOWEEN SPIRIT: Window cleaners from World Wide Window Cleaning Inc. wore hockey masks just like the character Jason of the "Friday the 13th" movies in observance of Halloween yesterday while cleaning the Century Square building in downtown Honolulu.

The heights some go to for sake of clean windows: My mom was a clean freak. I mean that in a nice way. She kept her floors so clean you could eat off them. We used to joke — if only Mom cooked well enough that if something did drop, you'd be willing to eat it off the floor. OK, we weren't really joking. Her real pride, though, wasn't her clean floors but her clean windows. She was fanatical about them. Smudges and smears didn't have a chance. I'd come home and find Mom hanging out the window, cleaning the outside. She'd be sitting on the window frame, her red head and upper torso outside and her legs dangling inside. No straps or hooks. Nothing to hold on to but a rag and some cleaning solution. The only thing that kept her from falling out head first was the window that she had closed on her mid-section. This maneuver would be a neat trick and a bit dangerous if the window was just a few feet off the ground. But we lived on the third floor of an apartment building. If the window had moved up or she reached too far, Mom would have created her own smudge marks on the second- and first-floor windows. Or if she leaned too far back, Mom would be left hanging upside down until one of us realized she wasn't just cleaning the window below.

You gotta be a real neat freak to risk your life for clean windows. That's what I told myself as I reached for a smudge on the upper corner of our living room window, gingerly standing on the top rung of a ladder that had taken me 17 feet up to the second story of our house. I thought of Mom and the sense of security she felt by having that strong, sturdy window pushing down on her midsection to keep her safe. Mom had a sturdy window.

I had my twin sons, whom hours earlier I had awakened, yelling at them for not cleaning the kitchen, leaving their clothes around and ignoring chores. Note to self: Don't yell at sons for frivolous things and then ask them to hold your life in the balance — literally. "I love you guys. You know that, right? You're holding the ladder tight, right?" I ignored the boys' laughter, focusing instead on the window. I saw Bonnie in the kitchen and remembered that she asked me to clean the windows so she could see the snow better when it falls. That made no sense when I was inside sitting on the couch. It made even less sense to me as I tried to find the smears. I tightened my grip on the ladder and knocked on the glass, yelling for her to get me more paper towels. She yelled back about having to stay by the stove to stir chili. I yelled back with a suggestion on what she could do with the chili and to get me some paper towels. I ignored the boys' laughter, quickly explained to Bonnie it was the altitude talking, and finished cleaning the window. Many of you, including my friends who used to regularly use a tight rope between skyscrapers, are thinking, "He's scared being up 17 feet?" Let me tell ya, reaching daring heights in order to earn a living is commendable. Reaching for a smudge at any height in order to see the snow fall is crazy.

President Obama took a hammering in the US mid-term elections this week - largely due to the Tea Party, the political movement which opposes "big" government and high taxes. In view of the current US Tea Party's success, we decided to hold our own tea parties around the UK to see what issues Sun readers would like the British government to address. Here Jenna Sloan highlights the views that emerged from our chats over cuppas and slices of Victoria sponge - the opinions which David Cameron really needs to pay attention to. Director Mark McClure (pictured center), 47, runs a window cleaning company in the nearby village of Bursledon. He said: "People are being squeezed very hard by the Government. That is having a knock-on effect for people such as me who run small businesses. "Next year VAT will jump to 20 per cent and I don't understand why I should be hit with more taxes when I will be creating jobs for people. "If I had my way I would not be punishing the businesses who need to prop up the economy."

About the owner Phil Humphrey: In October, Phil Humphrey celebrated his third year in the commercial business cleaning service. It was a pretty good decision actually. You see, Humphrey doesn’t just clean; he embraces the growing green concept and cleans with green cleaning supplies, equipment and methodology. A former insurance man, Humphrey retired after 20 years in that career and, with the “economy in the tank,” decided to move back into something to carry him through. He chose green cleaning.

“I believe it was a good decision,” he said plainly, adding that he has been living the “green lifestyle” for several years. Based in his home, EcoClean’s mission is twofold: clean for the sake of cleaning and clean to increase employee morale and overall health. “There have been studies that show, mainly through the Environmental Protection Agency, that some of the basic cleaning supplies used in offices are some of the worst in quality and safety,” he said. “My business aims to address that.”

When he started the business, Humphrey consulted the U.S. Green Building Council’s methodology, an often used “bible” among green believers. From there, Humphrey purchased inventory, including floor care equipment that is certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute for HEPA filtration. By cleaning green, Humphrey aims to eliminate as many volatile organic components in the workplace as possible. “I wanted to get into this business a few years back, but the timing just wasn’t right,” he said. Now having chosen it, Humphrey joins one of the fastest-growing markets in the country.

What’s unique about the business: Beyond regularly scheduled janitorial duties, EcoClean provides services in upholstery and carpet cleaning; window washing; floor stripping and refinishing and providing dispenser supplies. The company also provides recycling services by helping companies implement its own waste reduction and recycling plan. If you go and special deals: If your company decides to use EcoClean as a cleaning service, all new accounts will see 15 percent of the bill used for the Haitian Relief Fund. “It’s a cause that’s special to me because I’ve been there,” Humphrey said.

Pest control and cleaning company Rentokil Initial Plc (RTO.L: News ) Friday reported a rise in pre-tax profit for the third quarter, despite tough market conditions. The company also said it expects full-year performance in line with current market expectations. In its third-quarter update, the company said that on a continuing operations basis, pre-tax profit in the period increased 31% to GBP 39.3 million from GBP 30.0 million reported in the prior year. On a currency-neutral basis, pre-tax profit increased 33.9%. In Initial Facilities Services, revenue grew 6.9% from last year. Adjusted operating profit advanced 19.3% owing to actions taken in the second half of last year to streamline the business as well as the turnaround in the Retail and Window Cleaning businesses.

In January 2004, Jeanie Crumpton of New Albany was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle. She was placed on a heart transplant list. For five years, Crumpton sat by the phone with a bag packed, waiting for the call that would change her life. In 2009, she decided to start living again. "For a long time, I wasn't allowed out of a two-hour radius of Memphis," said Crumpton, 58. "Finally, last year they let me travel to Seattle to pick up my granddaughter and I've been going ever since. But I know my limitations." Crumpton had a commercial window-washing and chalet-cleaning business in Gatlinburg, Tenn., before retiring in 2003 and moving to Northeast Mississippi.

Tipton Town aiming to dump Carlisle Utd out of FA Cup: “We’ve got two carpenters, two scaffolders, a window-cleaner, a roofer, three salesmen, and an IT technician,” says Tipton Town’s captain, who sounds like he is offering to build you a school but is in fact talking you through the bunch of non-league players who bring their aspirations to Brunton Park this weekend. Carlisle United’s opponents on Saturday practically form a Yellow Pages of professions. This is nothing new in the Cup’s long history of pitching expensively-prepared professionals against enthusiastic amateurs..... Carlisle United  6 - 0 Tipton Town.

R.I.P. Mary F. Barnes, 94, of Wellsville, left this planet, whose joys and losses she celebrated during all of her life. Mary was born in Buffalo, at her grandmother’s house, on Aug. 4, 1916. She was the daughter of John H. and Mary F. (Vetter) Perry. After graduating from high school during the Depression, disguised as a boy, she worked as a window washer with her father.

How much should you plan to tip your housecleaner, child-care provider, or hairdresser this holiday season? The Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a nationally representative survey early this year, when memories of holiday tips were fresh, to find out. Despite the recession, respondents who did tip spent at about the same rate as in years past. The highest median tip was $35, for the category of cleaning people, with a few service providers receiving thank-yous as high as $500. If you plan on offering gifts of thanks this holiday season, take these tips from Consumer Reports: Give cash equal to the value of one session or a week’s wage to self-employed or lower-wage earners.

Asia-Pacific represents the largest as well as the fastest growing market for flat glass, as stated by the new market research report on Flat Glass. The industry is also deriving growth from new smart-glass products such as electrochromic, switchable glass, self-cleaning window glass and heads-up display windscreens.

Cape business reports theft by window washer:  A money bag was reported stolen from Blind & Shutter Gallery on Del Prado Boulevard, according to a Cape Coral police report. A store worker told police a man washed their windows for $5, and allegedly took the money bag while she was helping a customer, according to the report. She discovered the bag was missing from a file cabinet after he left. The bag held $385 cash, along with a customer check and credit card number, according to the report. Other businesses in the area use the man to wash windows and did not know his name, according to the report, which lists no arrests.

A major event on the Tunbridge Wells calendar has been cancelled for next year – and could face being permanently scrapped. Organisers of the Hawkenbury Allotment Holders' Association show said the popular Dunorlan Park event was costing too much and have cancelled next September's show. The association's committee said the decision was taken "with great regret". Acting chairman Janet Sturgis warned the show was losing up to £4,000 a year and revealed almost half the entrance fees for the family extravaganza were used to hire a main marquee. She said: "It will not happen next year at Dunorlan Park, although we are not ruling it out for the future.

Mr Blake, of Southview Road, Tunbridge Wells, said people in the town had a "huge feeling for the show". He said: "The public are losing something they really love. Families come to the show to see the quirky side of gardening, to find out who has the biggest carrots or who has grown the largest pumpkin. They come to laugh at the ugly vegetables and watch the donkey derby. "It's one of the few things left in this town where young and old people mix together, which is affordable for everyone." The 45-year-old window cleaner said the committee didn't realise the affection the show had in the town. He said: "I'm damned if this is going without a fight."

Cleaning Shower Doors: In a recent article, we talked about the cleaning of shower doors, due to soap scum and calcium buildup. We received several comments and suggestions from readers that I thought I'd pass along. Marge Meyers uses a cleaner designed for smooth-top ranges. She finds it cleans not only the glass, but the chrome as well. She then follows this up with a regular window cleaner to prevent the stains from building up. Al B. finds that using an SOS pad works well, as it is inexpensive, quick and rinses fast. He also uses this on the shower floor.

Vandals hurl paint at Norwich pub: A Norwich pub which has recently been given a facelift has been targeted by vandals who have thrown pots of red and pink paint at the building. Part of the front of the Heartsease pub has been cordoned off with police tape to stop people from accessing the area where paint has been splashed up the window and recently-painted white walls of the building. Police are investigating the vandalism, which is believed to have happened at the Plumstead Road pub at about 11.45pm on Tuesday. People living in the area were shocked to discover the state of the pub, which had just been given a fresh lick of paint a few days ago. Steve Moy, 52, a window cleaner, said he was told last week to come clean the windows on Wednesday as they would have finished painting the pub by then. He said: “I came up in the morning and it was a bit of a mess. It shocked me, They’ve only just painted the pub,”

What do AYI's (local maid in China) talk about when they get together, we wonder? “We make payment comparisons and gossip about clients.” So what is it that makes a good client? “Someone who speaks their mind; I’m not afraid to get feedback. If I make a mistake, let me know. I hate those who are picky but only say bad words behind an ayi’s back.”What about the most unusual request she has ever had? “Another of my clients wanted me to climb outside of his window and do cleaning. He lives on the 8th floor – he’s crazy!”

Meanwhile, the Country Music Association has named Dewey Twiddle, an unemployed Nashville window washer, as its preseason Songwriter of the Year, even though Twiddle has never written a song. "I can't sing, read music, or play an instrument, so this is quite an honor," said Twiddle.

Window Cleaning News + Video

Mongolian rally - The lengths some people will go to in order to help others. Next summer, Mike Ashton and his crew will drive nearly 10,000 miles and through 20 countries to Mongolia - and, once they've arrived, they plan to leave their car there. That's because they're competing in the 2010 Mongolia Charity Car Rally, in which entrants donate their vehicle, equipment and cash to suitable charities in the remote country. The Rally starts on July 11.
Mongolia is nearly five times the size of the UK but only has one major accident and emergency unit. Mike's team intends to contribute a four-wheel-drive ambulance that's fully equipped to save lives in Mongolia. He was inspired by the need for him to require emergency treatment at the A & E department at his local hospital, treatment that most of us take for granted. Mike's team is called NoMad Adventure. He will be joined on the drive by his son Callum 16, and Syd Wall, a friend. The team's first fund-raising event is on November 13 at Talton Lodge, Crimscote for a Mongolian-themed evening of food and entertainment with a lot of local companies donating the meal and drink.
The team is looking for main sponsors to cover the costs of the vehicle, fuel, equipment and visas, as well as the all-important vehicle preparation. A self-employed gardener/window cleaner and greenwood craftsman, Mike intends to make large quantities of charcoal for his wife to sell during next summer, in order to replace his income while he'ds off raising money. The rally starts in London on July 11 - after that, the crews are on their own. Sponsors for vehicles, equipment and general help can pledge their support on the Mongolia Charity Rally 2010 page on the Charity Rallies website where there's a wealth of information and pictures about previous rallies, the vehicles donated and the projects supported.

Record for pocket powerhouse Tommy: Pint-sized strongman Tommy Campion has broken the world record for being the lightest competing bodybuilder. The window cleaner turned muscleman entered the Guinness Book of Records after weighing in at 55.5 kilos – eight-and-a-half stone. Tommy, who lives in Presthope Road, Pennywell, travelled to Manchester this summer for an over-50s competition where he weighed in at a record light weight. Now the dad-of-three has received his official certificate from adjudicators. "It's a novel achievement, I know, but it's still something to get yourself in the Guinness Book of Records," Tommy said. "I've now got the certificate to prove it." The 51-year-old, who is also a keen runner, said his low weight, is not down to dieting, but to genes. At just 5ft 2in tall, Tommy said he takes after his "slightly built" mum. "I'm pretty sure that's where I get it from," he said. "She was this tiny, little person. "I was only six stone when I left school at 16 and I almost became a jockey at one point. Somehow I got into bodybuilding and I really took to it." Tommy began bodybuilding 25 years ago and for the past eight years has been competing as a member of the British Natural Bodybuilding Federation. In recent years he has been placed fifth and sixth in national competitions.

Who must clean windows (South Africa)?
Question:
In a sectional title complex or block of flats, is the body corporate responsible for cleaning the outside windows?
Answer:
At the moment the situation with regard to window panes is not clear, but there is an amendment to the Sectional Titles Act 95 of 1986 (the Act) in the pipeline. This will provide that the boundaries of sections go through the middle of window frames and it will then be clear that the exterior portion of windows is always common property.
The body corporate is responsible to repair and maintain the common property, including common property windows. However, common property maintenance would not normally be considered to include the cleaning of all exterior window panes, even once it becomes clear that these are all common property.
In a high-rise building where occupants cannot easily clean their own windows, the rules of the scheme may oblige the body corporate to employ window-cleaners. In schemes where occupiers can readily access the exterior of their windows, they will not normally be entitled to insist that the body corporate clean the outside of the window panes.
As the situation is currently not clear from the provisions of the Act, it is suggested that this issue be dealt with in a scheme’s rules so that all owners in the scheme are aware of what the position is for their scheme.

Gonzalez is still cleaning up here: Tony Gonzalez may not play football in Kansas City anymore, but a piece of him remains here. As everyone knows, Gonzalez now lives in Atlanta, where he plays tight end for the Atlanta Falcons. But Gonzalez still operates his business, Extreme Clean 88, out of Lenexa. While Gonzalez concentrates on football during the season, the day-to-day operations of Extreme Clean 88 are handled by Dennis Allen, Gonzalez’s cousin and co-founder and manager of the business.
Gonzalez calls Allen at least four times a week to offer advice or render suggestions. Gonzalez admitted Monday that this area holds special meaning to him. “I grew up in Kansas City,” he said. “Kansas City will always be my base. It’s where I started my career. And it’s where Extreme Clean 88 started.” In 2007, he bought into Rigdon Inc., a company that specialized in window cleaning. The name was changed to Extreme Clean 88. Gonzalez added services, including hood exhaust cleaning, gutter cleaning and janitorial services. Extreme Clean 88 now has about 40 employees.
A family connection sparked Gonzalez’s interest in commercial cleaning. He has an uncle that runs a similar business on the East Coast and in Tennessee. Gonzalez has been successful in snagging work around town almost as easily as he snags passes from quarterbacks. The company almost doubled its revenue in 2007, and this year business is up 50 percent.
The company cleaned the Arrowhead Stadium training facility and did the final cleanup on the Arrowhead Stadium improvements. The company also did the final cleaning on the glass of the Sprint Center before it opened to the public. “The business has been doing well despite the challenges with the economy,” said Kerry Rigdon, the other manager and co-founder. “We’re growing and looking to expand on our current services.” Depending on his health and the team he has in Atlanta, Gonzalez told his cousin that he plans to play only a couple more years. After he retires, he wants to expand the business.
With Gonzalez serving as the face of the company, its services have been easy to market. “There’s some credibility that goes with that,” Rigdon said. “Tony opens doors. He has a brand that gives people a level of comfort.” The company also has done work at schools such as Kansas State University and Johnson County Community College and at the four casinos in the area. “When the economy comes back, we’re going to be doing pretty good,” Rigdon said. Kansas City shouldn’t feel slighted by Gonzalez’s departure. He’ll obviously devote more time to his business once he hangs up the pads. Watch the videos.

OTTAWA, Canada — Mark Albert, a 45-year-old man killed in a rowhouse fire Saturday morning, lived on loyalty. Dave Stenson, owner of Howard’s Pawn Shop on Carling, said Albert had been cleaning his windows for the past 10 years. As kids, the two would go fishing together at Britannia Pier. But as they grew up, Albert grew apart from his friends and family. Through window washing, Albert relied on people like Stenson to keep himself financially afloat. He was a fixture in the Bayshore area, plying the streets looking for clients. “He’s a lifelong resident of the west end,” Stenson said. “All I was doing was giving him a couple of bucks to get by.” Albert died in Unit 13 at 2959 Penny Dr., in a fire that took 36 firefighters over an hour to bring under control. The fire broke out shortly after midnight in a second-floor bedroom before spreading to the roof, fire officials said. They estimated structural damage at $200,000 and contents damage at $250,000.

The body of an elderly man has been found in rural farmland between Burnley and Pendle. Police said they were investigating whether the body was that of Jessie Shaw, 83, who went missing three weeks ago. Although a formal identification has yet to be made, Jessie’s daughter, Julie Shaw, said she was ‘convinced’ it was her dad. She said a lifelong friend of her father made the discovery while out hunting in fields close to Higham on Saturday lunchtime. Despite having no official confirmation that it is that of her dad, she said she was ‘99.9 per cent sure’ it was him.
She said: “It’s our dad. He had the same clothing on that he was wearing when he disappeared. Jessie, who had suffered from Alzheimer’s for four years, spent all his life in Padiham and worked down the pits before starting his own window cleaning business.

"DIRTY JOBS" - Is there any job that is just off limits to the show or to Mike? Eddie Barbini (producer of "dirty jobs") - " Not really." "We haven't turned down a job yet." "Mike is always game for whatever is up as long as it's not dangerous but he walks that fine line putting himself in situations that you just think 'How is this guy going to do this?'" "Last week, what aired is the window-washing segment in Hawaii." "Mike washes windows on an over-400 foot skyscraper in Hawaii." "He washes it not in the traditional way on scaffolding but he's actually in a little swing seat that he goes down with pulleys along the side of the building." "I'll tell you that it's frightening." "Our cameraman wouldn't even go on and backed out of it." "Actually, it'll rank up there at the top as one of the dirtiest jobs even though it's not dirty in the sense of dirt but the characters are phenomenal and the experience is phenomenal and Mike is hysterical in it."

Savvy Moms

OTTAWA FRANCHISOR NOMINATED FOR ENTREPRENEAUR AWARD

Concierge Home Services has been selected to compete for the title of The SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a readers' choice contest designed to find Canada's top Mom Entrepreneur. The winner will be announced in the fall, and will be rewarded with a $17,000 prize that was designed to help take that business to the next level. Concierge Home Services is the local success story of Rebecca Page, a mother of two and stepmother of one. She left a corporate career in Human Resources to start a business that provides work-life balance for both her and her staff. She observes, "Most my staff are actively involved with before and after school activities. Now my franchisees are able to be business owners without compromising time with their children." The company provides a full range of household services such as housecleaning, window washing, and pet sitting. They serve the growing niche of homeowners who are outsourcing home maintenance tasks. Two franchises were opened in Ottawa in 2008.
Winning the SavvyMom Award "will create more Savvy Mom Entrepreneurs!" laughs Rebecca. She plans on using the cash prize and business advice to expand her franchise network of home-based business owners. She loves that the contest is bringing attention to women entrepreneurs. She states, "I am raising three daughters and it is important for them to see role models who are both businesswomen and mothers."

Please describe the product or service your business offers: Concierge Home Services is a full service household management company. We build relationships with our clients to meet their ongoing, changing needs for regular housecleaning, carpet cleaning, window washing, pet sitting and house sitting. Our focus is quality, not quantity and service, not speed.