Working At Height & Wind Speed

Skyscrapers like One World Trade Center, now the tallest building in the United States, are not the place to be during hurricanes.

Sandy spared New York’s skyscrapers, but high-rises carry high risk during hurricanes: On Oct. 28, 2012, the day before Superstorm Sandy’s center came ashore over southern New Jersey, the National Weather Service’s New York City office cautioned that one of its computer models was projecting a “possibility of skyscraper window damage” and warned residents to stay away from windows if they lived on the 10th floor or higher.

Fortunately Sandy’s strongest winds had weakened to 70 mph when it came ashore near Brigantine, N.J., the next day. The strongest wind recorded at the NWS Central Park station that day was 38 mph with gusts to 62 mph. In Atlantic City, N.J., however, where the highest reported surface wind was 51 mph with gusts to 64 mph, Sandy did cause minor damage to high-rise building roofs and higher floors. “The problem I saw in New York, especially lower Manhattan, was when the power went out and back-up generators were in flooded basements,” says Tim P. Marshall, a meteorologist and engineer who’s been studying building wind damage for Haag Engineering in Dallas since 1983. “If you’re on the 40th floor, that’s a long way to walk down the stairs.”

Even if you think trudging up and down several stories in a high-rise without elevators is a good way to get in shape, you should evacuate a high-rise condo, apartment, hotel or time share that’s threatened by a hurricane because it’s a potentially deadly place to be. At the very least you should take the following advice from the New York City Office of Emergency Management (and other emergency managers):

On or below the 10th floor: Close and lock all windows and securely cover them to reduce damage and injury caused by flying debris. Above the 10th floor: Be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.  If you have a balcony or rooftop, remove all items that cannot be securely tied down.

Mean hurricane eyewall wind variation with elevation. To calculate the wind speed at a particular height, put a decimal point after the first ’1′ in the percentage and multiply the surface wind by that number. For example, if the wind at the surface is 80 mph, for the speed at the 20th floor multiply 80 by 1.15.

In the article they say: “The top of a 25-story coastal high-rise in the hurricane eyewall will experience a mean wind that is about 17% higher (or one Saffir–Simpson hurricane-scale category higher) than the surface or advisory value. For this reason, residents who must take refuge in coastal high-rises should generally do so at the lowest levels necessary to avoid storm surge.”

Their study was based in part on data from GPS dropwindsondes that hurricane hunter airplanes had been using since 1998. These are small packages of instruments that measure and radio back atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed and direction as they fall to the ocean under small parachutes.

Marshall says that buildings “up north, seem to be better built” than many he’s examined across the South. Windows are only one of the problems. Once debris breaks a window the flying glass can break other windows, as he and his colleagues found after Hurricane Alicia hit Galveston and Houston on Aug. 18, 1982 (less than three weeks after he started with Haag Engineering) showering downtown Houston with flying glass.

“The problem is with EIFS clad (Exterior Insulation Finishing System) buildings in the South. I have seen this type of façade get into trouble many times from many hurricanes. There also have been problems with keeping windows intact. Part of the problem is flying debris and the cascade or domino effect when one window breaks and so on.” All in all, an upper floor in a high-rise is no place to be in a hurricane.

Christmas Lights & Window Cleaning Round-Up

A window cleaner wipes off Sandy’s grunge from a Starbucks at Hanover Square in Manhattan’s Financial District.

Lower Manhattan Still A Mess 2 Weeks After Hurricane Sandy: As storm-ravaged homeowners living on the coasts of New Jersey and New York City continue to pick up the shattered, waterlogged pieces of their lives, pumping out the basement of the world’s financial capital is only beginning. After that come the safety inspections, the mop-ups, the dry-outs and the replacement of massive boilers, electrical boxes and other assorted parts that make up the guts of a skyscraper. Not since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks has the tip of Manhattan been so filled with cleanup crews and equipment. Buildings typically filled with office workers sit empty, many still running on minimal power supplied by generators inside or parked beside them.

Greensburg Decatur County Chamber of Commerce: President Tammie Spurlock presents the Small Business Grant to Charity and Logan Wilder of Crystal Clear Window Cleaning. Charity says "We will be purchasing a glass repair system with the funds."

Tri-Valley residents can leave Christmas lights to experts: If you've ever wished for magic elves to put up your outdoor holiday lights, you're in luck. OK, so you may not get actual elves, but there are plenty of companies willing to string your holiday lights for a fee. "Decorating with lights is a high priority for my husband. I call him Mr. Christmas," Beth Cutrer, of Blackhawk, said. "We like the house to look festive, so it's worth it to pay someone to do that for us. It's too big of a job for us to do it ourselves." Safety concerns and lack of time are the two main reasons people fork over their hard-earned cash to have someone else install their holiday lights, said Lou Vandersnook, owner of The Christmas Light Pros Tri-Valley. "There are more people who die on 6-foot ladders than 60-foot ladders," Vandersnook claimed. "A lot of people don't have the time, or they're not used to getting up on those ladders. It's a dangerous job."

Most companies that install holiday lights have other lines of work that keep them busy during warm months, but business drops off when the weather cools. Installing lights is a perfect way to keep cash flowing during the slow winter months. Vandersnook is a prime example. He owns a retractable screen door business that keeps him and his employees hopping from February through October. Once early October hits, the crews get to work on holiday lights. "For a relatively low cost, I could make a little bit of money on the side," he said of the light licensee business he started in 2006. "It was a seasonal business. It wasn't a huge commitment at that time. Now, it's exploded for us. It's a major business."

Troy Davis is a professional window cleaner by trade, but he got into the holiday light business in 1993 to make ends meet during the wet winter months. "I was looking for a creative way to make money," Davis said. "We used to do house (windows) and people were saying, 'I wish I had those ladders for my Christmas lights.' I specialize in hard-to-reach places and things that are hard to get to. I put that idea into Christmas lights. It just kind of evolved."

Davis, who owns Yes We Do, "Do Windows," is like most light installers who offer full-service packages -- installation, maintenance and removal. "You get us knowing how to install everything so the lights are nice and tight," he said. "If anything goes wrong with those lights, we'll come out there and take care of it. Then we come back after the first of the year and take down the lights." Prices vary wildly from company to company. Some charge by the job, others charge per foot of lights. Tiny twinkle lights cost much less than the expensive, energy-saving LED lights. Large houses and houses with hard-to-reach eaves cost more than single-story homes.

One company might do a one-story house in two hours for a mere $150, but that's at the bargain end of the price range. Many companies have minimums starting at hundreds of dollars and offer packages that run into the thousands for homes with elaborate displays on rooflines, trees and shrubs. "When you look at the whole scenario, it's worth it," Davis said of the investment. "We put the lights up, but we also come back and take them down. Most of the people we work with on these big homes think that it's worth it. They're willing to pay someone to put up their lights."

Mariano Sanchez is another professional window cleaner who supplements his winter income through his Holiday Light Pros business. "Some of my clients are older or just don't have the ability to get on roofs," Sanchez said. "We take the danger out of putting up Christmas lights. It's dangerous when you get up two stories. I've been doing business window cleaning for years now, so I'm comfortable with heights." Sanchez also knows how many lights he can safely string together. "If you connect them wrong, you could blow out fuses," he said. "You need to divide the volts equally. It seems simple, but there are some technicalities, and there's danger involved as well."

While some companies will use lights a customer owns, most prefer to use lights they buy in bulk. "We offer everything from small clear-light bulbs to the latest in LED technology," Vandersnook said. "Say they want icicles one year, but the next year they want multicolor bulbs or LED lights. They can make those changes without making a large investment. All they have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy the lights." It's important, Vandersnook noted, to make sure any light installer has the proper workers' compensation and liability insurance. Otherwise, homeowners could be sued if a worker is injured on their property. "There's a lot of guys out there who put up the lights and don't have insurance," he said. "Everybody should have certifications in their vehicles that they can show the customer upon demand."

Crystal Nieto, of Pleasanton, has had Vandersnook decorate her home with the old-fashioned large multicolor bulbs since 2008. It's a luxury and a safety issue for her family. "For us, the height and safety were a concern," she said. "We know they'll come and install them and take them down. We would rather have a professional do that than risk our safety." The end result, Nieto said, is well worth the investment. "When we first started to do it, I thought, 'Oh my gosh, isn't that fantastic?' " she said. "The house looked so much better. When you drive around the corner and see what they've done, your mouth drops."

Kilted window cleaners “Get Checked!” Men In Kilts Calgary participate in the Prostate Cancer Centre’s “Get Checked” event with Brookfield Properties, The Bay Downtown, Suncor Energy, and Crowfoot Dodge. Men In Kilts, a full-service window cleaning, snow removal, gutter cleaning, siding cleaning, pressure washing, blind cleaning, and carpet cleaning company, will be participating to help raise awareness and funds for the Prostate Cancer “Get Checked” event on Wednesday Nov 14th at the Suncor Energy Centre. “Participating in this event is very important for me,” says Chris Carrier, owner of Men In Kilts Calgary. ”My father was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Prostate cancer checks are not something a lot of men are getting done so we need to raise awareness and break down barriers. When this opportunity came up for Men In Kilts to participate, I could not think of a better fit and way to get involved."

Breaking Glass Falls From Trump Tower: Glass is covering a section of Adelade street after a window in the Trump Tower was blown out. Witnesses tell Newstalk1010 that it appears that something fell from the top of the building and smashed the glass. Callers into the newsroom said fire officials are on scene and are spraying the ground with water but no fire was seen. It could be to clean up the glass on the ground. Police have confirmed that there were no injuries and one car was damaged when the glass showered the roadway. Adelade was closed at the intersection of Bay.

Kennewick - The average household in the Tri-Cities brings in $50,000. So you might be surprised to learn almost 100 people working for local city government are projected to make twice than this year. KEPR found out Kennewick is paying the most six-figure salaries. Jonathan Schlender represents the average worker in Kennewick. His window-cleaning business brings in roughly 48-thousand a year. But Kennewick has 40 people on the city's payroll making more than twice that. "We have some positions that are critical to the operations of the city. We have professional positions," said Kennewick Finance Director Evelyn Lusignan. Those include positions like engineers, attorneys and accountants. Kennewick says the salaries are representative of their expertise and longevity.

Murray woman warns neighbors of scam after home burglary: Murray, Utah - After her home was burglarized, a Murray woman is warning others of a door to door scam that she believes possibly led to the crime. Carolyn Shipley thought nothing of it when two men claiming to run a window washing business knocked on her door and offered their services last spring.  Shipley says they offered to clean all the exterior windows for 30 dollars.

When they came a second time in August, Shipley noticed one of the men snooping around her backyard. "I noticed one of the men casing the backyard, now that I think about it," said Shipley. Shipley came home on October 16 only to discover her house had been burglarized. The thieves, according to Shipley had taken off with cash and thousands of dollars worth of jewelry. Shipley reported the burglary to police, but never suspected the window washers of the crime - that is until she saw a story air this week on ABC 4 News about door to door scams.

"When I saw that story on Ch. 4 it just clicked, and I thought that's exactly what happened," said Shipley. In the story Shipley saw on the news, ABC 4 had mentioned that the Better Business Bureau is getting more and more complaints of aggressive sellers who scam innocent customers. That's when Shipley put two and two together.  She believes that these scammers cased her neighborhood for months to pull off their elaborate splan. Murray police are investigating the case, but have no leads at this point.  However, they have reason to believe the men who washed Shipley's windows could be involved. They are asking anyone with information to come forward.

Paying back your victim — and then some: In 2010, 26-year-old Simon Crewe allegedly posed as a window cleaner to gain easy access to an 85-year-old woman's home. The young Brit reportedly made off with the woman's purse and about $250. But in the end, wracked with guilt, Crewe not only returned the retiree's cash, but also added a $60 bonus and a letter of apology that contained his name and phone number, which inevitably led to his arrest. 

Window Cleaning News

EU to mull plan to bring non-euro states into bank union: BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union countries will examine a plan this week to allow the ECB to supervise banks in states outside the euro zone alongside those within the currency area, according to an EU document that lays down limits on the central bank's role. Last week, EU leaders agreed to build a new system of supervision led by the European Central Bank, as a step towards a banking union where chiefly euro zone countries would jointly back problem lenders, in a move to underpin the currency. Pictured: Window cleaners at Brussels HQ.

Superstorm Sandy hits the US north-east - in pictures: Superstorm Sandy leaves flooding and fallen trees in its wake, bringing chaos to parts of the states of Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Seawater floods the Ground Zero construction site as pictured above.

To the point: window cleaners working on the fog-shrouded Shard building in London attempt to spell out YMCA.

Award-winning Star photographer Tyler Brownbridge caught images of Windsorites. The effects of Hurricane Sandy are being felt as far west as Windsor. Window washers work high above Pitt Street as they clean the windows at the Windsor Riverside Inn in Windsor, Ont. on Monday, October 29, 2012.

Chemo hastened footballer’s death:  Chemotherapy “hastened” the death of a football-mad 22-year-old, an inquest found. Chipping Norton FC player Shaun Weller died on May 2, two days after beginning chemotherapy for a rare form of liver cancer. The window cleaner, a dad-of-one, died at The Horton Hospital in Banbury after suffering a cardiac arrest. Oxfordshire coroner Darren Salter recorded a verdict that Mr Weller’s death was an accident after hearing from medical staff. His family afterwards praised the NHS and paid tribute to a“considerate” son.

Mr Salter said: “It does seem to me that the treatment of chemotherapy hastened the death”. He added: “That is not to say there is any negligence in the treatment. Medical treatment does sometimes result in death or hasten death. “That may be because of some adverse reaction or complication that can’t be anticipated.” In a statement, GP Dr Stephen Quelch said he referred Mr Weller for scans after he complained of chest pains. He was diagnosed with the terminal disease on February 2 and oncologist Dr Kinnari Patel saw him on March 22.

Because the cancer was so rare, further help was sought from specialists at London’s Royal Free Hospital on treatment, she said. Dr Patel said: “Shaun expressed the wish to have anything that might be beneficial, no matter how toxic it was.” She said: “I wonder if some very rare event has happened with chemotherapy that I don’t think we could have foreseen.” But she said the cancer could have “overwhelmed” his body.

Consultant pathologist Ben Phillips said: “If he hadn’t started on chemotherapy he wasn’t likely to have died at that time.” His dad Anthony, mother Charmaine, sister Kim and partner Sally Keen attended yesterday’s inquest in Oxford. The Oxford United fan, from Cotswold Crescent, Chipping Norton, played for the first team of Chipping Norton FC and was dad to Tiana, now three. His mother told the Oxford Mail: “We never felt that anyone was to blame. It never entered our heads.” “He was a considerate young lad. He would always worry about everyone else. “When he was going through his treatment he would always worry about everybody else.”

The family “never wanted to hear anything negative” about his prognosis, she said, adding: “Where there is life there is hope. That is what you have got to believe in.” An August charity football match at his former club featuring former United stars raised £2,000 to support his daughter and Oxford University cancer research. A further cake and coffee event will raise cash for research at Chipping Norton Town Hall on November 7 from 9am to midday.

Tonya Gentle, of Gleam Cleaning Pros, cleans a mirror at Abundant Life Church last week. The business recently partnered with Cleaning For A Reason to offer free housecleaning services to area cancer patients.

Couple helps patients by ‘Cleaning For A Reason’ - When David and Tonya Gentle, the proprietors of Gleam Cleaning Pros, heard someone who works for one of their clients was about to undergo cancer-related surgery, they knew they wanted to help, somehow. Jennifer Wiley, the music pastor at Abundant Life Church, said she began her breast cancer ordeal in the fall of 2011, and with the help of the Gentles, was able to come home after major surgery to a clean home and with a load off her mind. “They were a big, big relief for me, because when I came home from the hospital, I didn’t have to do anything,” said Wiley, 50. “... It was a true blessing.” Gleam Cleaning Pros has been in operation since 2008 and while the Gentles informally offered their cleaning service to Wiley in a time of need, they have recently partnered with the group Cleaning For A Reason to contribute more broadly.
David Gentle said he discovered the group on Facebook, and connected with Cleaning For A Reason last month to assist local residents undergoing cancer treatment. “We can’t offer a whole lot in the curing part, but we can definitely come in and try to relieve some of their pain through taking care of some of their general cleaning,” David Gentle said. “And on our end, it just feels good to help. It’s nice to be able to give back with something you do for a living,” he added. Gentle said that Cleaning For A Reason collects information from patients looking for free housecleaning services, and pairs them with cleaning businesses in their area. Patients need only demonstrate their medical condition, Gentle said.
Gleam Cleaning Pros serves a mix of residential and commercial clients, including some offices of the City of Jackson, and specializes in window cleaning and pressure washing. David Gentle said their service is particularly in demand around the holidays when customers are looking for a deep cleaning ahead of family gatherings. He said he and his wife are hoping to get the message out that they want to help area residents battling cancer with free cleanings. Tonya Gentle noted that when someone battles cancer, it’s an ordeal for the entire family. “When women get cancer — when anybody gets cancer — it’s not just that person going through it, it’s the whole family,” she said. “So to come in, even if it’s just to clean, it really seems to help a lot.”

Middlesbrough 'protector' jailed for harassing OAP: A window cleaner who offered to protect a pensioner from a family who were allegedly "after him" has been jailed for harassment. Philip Robert Sinclair, 39, offered protection to the elderly man after hearing rumours he had sexually assaulted a young girl. But in a bizarre twist, Sinclair has now been locked up after his “protection” took a sinister turn. The pensioner denied the claims but took him up on the offer - giving him £25 for him to do so.

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday it was in January this year when Sinclair first attended the pensioner’s house. Prosecuting, Olivia Checa-Dover told the court it was there he told him about the rumour and that the family “were going to sort him out”. Sinclair, of Tower Green, St Hilda’s, Middlesbrough, then offered to protect the man. Ms Checa-Dover added that at a later date, the defendant camouflaged himself and hid in a bush to prove how “easy it would be” for the family to get him. At a later date, the elderly man returned home to find a two-page letter from Sinclair who wrote “he had sorted it”.

But Sinclair continued to attend the elderly man’s home, who soon began to have doubts. In interview, the man said: “His attitude changed from being helpful to aggressive very quickly and this frightened me.” On another occasion, Sinclair showed the man a text message allegedly from the girl’s family. Ms Checa-Dover said: “The complainant didn’t believe this was a real conversation and thought the defendant was just trying to scare him.”

The court heard the pensioner eventually had enough when in June this year, Sinclair attended his home twice on the same evening. Ms Checa-Dover told the court Sinclair was “banging on the door for about thirty minutes”. He then returned a short while later, once again banging on the doors and windows. Joan Smith, defending, said Sinclair, who pleaded guilty to harassment, was “trying to help”. She said: “His intention was not to cause harassment but he understands this is what happened.” Sentencing Sinclair, Judge Tony Briggs, said the elderly man was “clearly in a vulnerable situation”. He said: “No court can condone the ill-treatment of the elderly or the vulnerable. You presented a terrifying picture to him.” Judge Briggs jailed Sinclair for 12 months and gave him an indefinite restraining order.

Two workers rescued from 23rd-floor fall - Cleaners’ platform sways heavily in strong winds: Abu Dhabi: Two cleaning workers were rescued from falling from the 23rd floor of a building still under construction in the Khalidiya area in Abu Dhabi, by the Emergency and Public Safety Directorate of the Abu Dhabi Police. The Asian men were trapped on scaffolding which they used while cleaning the building’s exterior. Winds accompanying a sand storm which hit the capital caused the scaffolding to swing heavily. The Central Operations Department at Abu Dhabi Police received a report on the incident, bringing the Al Falah rescue quickly to the site along with an ambulance, according to Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Ebrahim Al Ameri, Deputy Director of Emergency and Public Safety Department.

After clearing the surrounding area to ensure the safety of the workers and pedestrians, Abu Dhabi Civil Defence had to break the glass window where the workers were located, because of the challenges which the wind posed in moving the scaffolding. The two men were transported to Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) where they were examined and cleared as free of injuries and medical complications. Earlier this month, two Indian window cleaners fell to their death from the 15th floor of a building at the end of Al Muroor Road, Abu Dhabi, due to a technical failure in the platform they were using. The men were trapped for four hours before the maintenance cradle they were using crashed to the ground.

Meanwhile, two Asian workers were rescued by Abu Dhabi Police earlier this month after they almost fell from a building on Al Salam Street. The window cleaners were saved from falling 15 stories after the rope supporting their scaffolding suddenly snapped. Rescue workers gave the two men directions to help them steady the scaffolding and prevent it from swinging before they were safely brought to the ground. This came as the National Centre of Meteorology and Seismology (NCMS) issued a warning for towering clouds associated with thunderstorm, rain, rough seas, and strong winds along the UAE’s west coast yesterday with poor visibility.

A bright yellow hard hat is among the remnants of the broken platform that killed two window cleaners.

UAE cleaning firm scraps high-rise cradles after worker deaths: DUBAI A high-rise window cleaning company has stopped using maintenance cradles after two of its workers plunged 15 floors to their death. Modern Building Maintenance will start training staff in rope access, which industry experts say is safer. K Sudarshan, 24, and J Raju, 29, were trapped in their cradle above Khalifa Street for four hours before it fell to the ground on October 16. Their bodies were repatriated to the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday. ETA Ascon group, which owns the company, will pay each of the dead men's families Dh105,000 - their salary for the next 24 months, as required by law, and a welfare fund contribution of Dh50,000 - and an additional Dh1,000 a month for three years.
After the deaths Abu Dhabi Municipality said the company should have called Civil Defence when the men were first trapped. The incident has been referred to the courts. "We are working on alternative methods of window cleaning without using cradles, which involves maintenance by other agencies," a spokesman for ETA Ascon said yesterday. "We are reviewing procedures and have stopped all window cleaning using cradles since the incident. We have already started sending letters to clients about our new rope access system. It will be implemented in a phased manner, starting right now."
The company tested out a rope system last week on an eight-storey building in Dubai and will soon start a 10-day training course for workers. Rope access, used at buildings such as the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab, is a more secure option for window cleaners working at great heights, the spokesman said. "It is safer than a cradle. The major advantage is that we don't have to depend on equipment provided by another agency. The cleaner goes up and down using his own device and it is under his control. He tests the equipment before using it. There is no machine involved." Cleaning companies rent cradles from maintenance or property-management companies.
Rope access is often used when other methods of reaching the outside of tall buildings, such as cherry pickers or scaffolding, are impractical or too expensive. "Whoever can learn the rope access will be trained. There is a practical test where they will have to demonstrate the skill of using the rope access, their capability in cleaning windows and rescuing people," the spokesman said.
Rope access is said to be statistically safer than using cradles in window cleaning and its use is increasing. "It operates on a two rope system," said Amel Vriesman, regional advisory committee chairman of Irata, the International Rope Access Trade Association. "Each individual is suspended on two independent ropes, a primary and a back-up. Every job is supported with a full rescue scenario, unlike a building maintenance unit which has no back-up system. "Given the challenging building designs in the UAE, rope access is much safer, faster, hassle free and requires less manpower."
Only nine companies in the UAE are Irata certified, although Mr Vriesman estimates that more than 60 use the system. "It helps to reduce fatalities but is still dangerous if not carried out by professionals. It needs a certified company with a certified workforce." Abu Dhabi and Dubai municipalities prefer to deal with companies that have Irata certification but there is no law requiring certification for rope access, Mr Vriesman said.

Jack Craig, owner of Jack's Extreme Cleaning & Restoration in Kansas City, works Friday morning on cleaning a stained glass window at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Independence. The original stained glass windows, dating back to the mid-1800s, last received an extensive cleaning in 1986.

Bringing the life back into art of stained glass (Independence, MO) — For the past couple of weeks, Jack Craig has stood atop a ladder, the radio playing background music, a cross around his neck held close to his heart. On Friday morning, while sitting inside St. Mary’s Catholic Church in a pew, the sunlight shone into the historic Independence church at 611 N. Liberty St. Light inside several stained glass windows, recently cleaned by Craig, showcase his work, while others await their chance for a thorough restoration. “I’m all about the preservation of the art that is there,” says Craig, owner of the Kansas City-based Jack’s Extreme Cleaning & Restoration business. “Then, the community can actually see the beautiful art on the stained glass windows.”

 Craig’s cleaning is extensive. He checks the windows for structural problems or any bad lead. Once his work is complete, which he anticipates finishing up this week, the thorough cleaning will last another 25 to 30 years. The stained glass windows at St. Mary’s date back to the mid-19th century, and they received a layer of Lexan in July 1986, Craig says. Years ago, to protect the stained glass, that layer of Lexan glass was installed for protection. Lexan, which also is used in space helmets and vehicle headlight lenses, among other uses, protects the stained glass windows from hail, rocks and other strong elements. “Basically, I’m cutting off the yellow,” Craig says, “and then I’m polishing it back out. It’s a green solution, too. Our dumps are full of Lexan, and we don’t need no more in the planet. It’s a green way out.”

A Catholic himself, Craig emphasizes that he’s worked on stained glass restoration at churches of different denominations all across the metro region. When Craig started cleaning windows 20 years ago, he noticed different reactions to different kinds of windows. With stained glass windows, Craig taught himself to clean them in a hands-on, experience-driven setting. While the cleaning is extensive, he says being careful is essential since the materials are more than a century old. “They’re beautiful,” he says. “Each and every one of them is different – that’s what makes it so fun.”

While Craig’s business is based out of the Waldo neighborhood in KC, he and his family travel to Independence annually for the Santa-Cali-Gon Days Festival, and he’s looking forward to seeing his work at St. Mary’s for years to come. “That’s kind of a payment in itself,” Craig says. “There’s something about restored art of your forefathers – who did wonderful work – and keeping it alive. It’s really important."

Workers use window-cleaner style platforms, restoring the Hollywood sign on October 26,2012 in Hollywood, California.

Hollywood sign gets first makeover in 35 years, ahead of its 90th birthday next year The operation, which started earlier this month, will take eight to 10 weeks to restore the sign to its bright white glory atop Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills north of Los Angeles, said the Hollywood Sign Trust.  The iconic Hollywood sign overlooking Tinseltown is getting its biggest renovation for 35 years, ahead of its 90th birthday next year. Workers are using window-cleaner style platforms as they strip down the 50-foot tall letters, powerwash the corrugated iron and apply nearly 400 gallons of fresh paint, organizers said. The operation, which started earlier this month, will take eight to 10 weeks to restore the sign to its bright white glory atop Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills north of Los Angeles, said the Hollywood Sign Trust.

The original sign was erected in 1923 to advertise a property development called Hollywoodland, but the last four letters were removed in the 1940s. One of the City of Angels' most beloved attractions, the sign had fallen into disrepair until it was restored in the 1970s after a campaign that saw nine donors pay $27,777 to "adopt" one letter each. It was threatened again more recently when investors who own land surrounding the giant white letters indicated plans to sell the plot to developers. But Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner helped secure the sign in 2010, along with then-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and other Hollywood luminaries including Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Although members of the public are forbidden from accessing the area around the landmark -- a sophisticated alarm system including motion sensors has been set up to deter trespassers -- the sign has a grisly history. In 1932, British actress Peg Entwistle infamously committed suicide by throwing herself off the top of the letter H.

Hurricane Sandy Will Affect Window cleaners

Residents test the high surf in in Ocean City, Maryland as Hurricane Sandy intensifies October 29, 2012. About 50 million people from the Mid-Atlantic to Canada were in the path of the nearly 1,000-mile-wide (1,600-km-wide) storm, which forecasters said could be the largest to hit the mainland in U.S. history. Click to enlarge.

Many window cleaners are showing concern over Hurricane Sandys advancement in the Eastern States of the U.S. - most cancelling work tomorrow. Updates to window cleaners concerns can be followed here.

Hurricane Sandy’s wrath being felt hours before landfall, forecasted to be biggest storm to hit northeast coast: Late-minute preparations for Hurricane Sandy, the “frankenstorm” set to be the largest hurricane to ever hit the northeastern United States and Canada, intensified Monday as the monster storm shut down transportation, shuttered businesses and sent thousands scrambling for higher ground hours before its landfall.

About 50 million people from the Mid-Atlantic to Canada are in the path of the nearly 1,600-kilometre-wide storm, which forecasters said could be the largest to hit the mainland in U.S. history and will have a devastating landfall. It was expected to topple trees, damage buildings, cause power outages and trigger heavy flooding. “We are certain that this is going to be a slow-moving process through a wide swath of the country, and millions of people are going to affected,” U.S. President Barack Obama said, speaking to reporters from the White House Monday afternoon.

The storm is bearing down nearly directly upon New York City and the city’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said Sandy’s full wrath could be felt by 6 p.m. today. The storm surge in New York City from Sandy, which flooded Battery Park Monday morning, has already surpassed that of last year’s Hurricane Irene. “Don’t be fooled, don’t look out the window and say, it doesn’t look so bad,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “The worst is still coming.”

Officials have been stark in their warnings, as their have been more than 60 deaths already attributed to the hurricane, and say it is likely there will be more. “There will undoubtedly be some deaths that are caused by the intensity of this storm, by the floods, by the tidal surge, by the waves. The more responsibly citizens act, the fewer people will die,” Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley told reporters.

Joanne Klineburger, left, and Scott Thomas boarded up her novelty shop in downtown Cape May, N.J., on Sunday. They recycled the pieces of plywood they used during Hurricane Irene.

At New Jersey’s Southern Tip, Dire Forecasts Are Met With Irritation and Defiance (Cape May, N.J.) — Ed Johnston agreed to make only one concession to Hurricane Sandy: He would close his oceanside restaurant three hours early. All right, that is not quite all he did. Mr. Johnston and his two dishwashers brought in the plastic chairs from the patio, stacking them inside for safekeeping. They removed the glass windows that enclose the porch, concerned for the howling winds that were to come. But head to safer ground inland? For Mr. Johnston and some others like him who live around New Jersey’s southernmost point, Hurricane Sandy was at once a nuisance and a curiosity — but certainly not a reason to flee the area. “I’ve been here over 40 years; this is part of living, you know?” said Mr. Johnston, who is an owner of the Cove Restaurant and Seaside Deck.

He showed off a photograph taken of him last year as he stood outside the restaurant during Hurricane Irene, waves crashing before him. This year, he said he would return to his restaurant at high tide to check on the place. “My brother is down in the Dominican Republic right now, and he’s more worried than I am,” Mr. Johnston added. Gov. Chris Christie ordered residents of New Jersey’s barrier islands to leave by Sunday afternoon, and local officials warned of a high probability of flooding and power failures in the area. Many people did leave the area, and business owners fortified their shops, but there was little alarm among the residents who planned to stay.

Mike Keosky, 68, a human resources consultant, also put his Hurricane Irene plywood to use. Putting down his drill, Mr. Keosky pointed to all of his neighbors who, like he and his wife, Norma, were planning to ride out the storm in Cape May. “Last year we went away for two days,” Mr. Keosky said. “When I came back, all I had were a few leaves on the ground.” The weather worsened as the day went on, with rougher seas and gustier winds. But barely an hour before the 4 p.m. evacuation deadline, some businesses were still open. One last slice of barbecue chicken pizza could still be had at Louie’s Pizza, right across the street from the beach. At Sunset Liquors, where the storefront window was covered with plywood bearing the message “No booze for Sandy,” a steady stream of customers stocked up on provisions throughout the afternoon.

Perhaps no one was more defiant than Mike Losness, 31, a sales representative from San Clemente, Calif. — a safe distance from Hurricane Sandy. But Mr. Losness flew to New Jersey because he wanted to surf as the storm hit. “It’s a fun adventure, surfing in a perfect storm,” Mr. Losness said as he stripped off his wet suit after a morning in the water. He was in a hurry to leave Cape May — not to evacuate, but because he and his friends wanted to get to Ocean City, N.J., their next spot to surf, before the authorities shut down access to it.