Say Goodbye To...

Jim's popular logo.

Say Goodbye to Jim Thompson, from Ardrossan, N Ayrshire, Scotland. Jim passed away due to ill health in November last year (2015), but is only coming to light now after Facebook friends tried to get in touch with him. Jim was known for his videos & on facebook for his window cleaning additive - "Mpower Shine". Many window cleaners also copied Jim's logo shown above as their facebook statuses. He also shared some popular videos on his YouTube channel, whilst later changing the name of his window cleaning additive to "West Coast Cleaning Solutions." 

Popular window cleaner Robert Griffin was hit by a train near Twyford Station, gripped by worries about his taxes: A popular self-employed Woodley window cleaner became gripped with anxiety over his tax return and ended his life under a train. But when his father took his paperwork to a tax expert after his death, he found he only owed £13. Coroner Peter Bedford was conducting the inquest into the death of Robert Griffin, of Jerome Road, Woodley who died on the railway line at Waingels Copse near Twyford Station on Sunday, May 17. His mother Ruth told the coroner how many messages of affection the family had received after his death from his customers. She said: “He never could have realised how much he was loved.”

The coroner at the inquest in Reading Town Hall heard from Detective Constable Matt Harvey of British Transport Police that Mr Griffin, 54, was hit by a train. CCTV footage on the train showed he had gone “quite deliberately running at a 45 degree angle towards the train”. When police and paramedics arrived Mr Griffin lived long enough to give his name, age and address and said: “I’m sorry, I don’t want to waste your time” before he suffered cardiac arrest. Coroner asked if there was any sign Mr Griffin was pursued or was trying to cross the line and tripped, but DC Harvey said there was not.

Mr Griffin also made a phone call to another nephew in Scotland Stuart Griffin saying “You don’t understand what’s happening, I can’t go on, I can’t live my life this way.” He added: “I am in trouble, I’m worried I’m going to jail.” He said “things didn’t add up” and he was worried he had not paid enough tax. Janet Carpenter, Mr Griffin’s girlfriend of more than 11 years, said he had had a fall from his ladder a short time before and become afraid to climb it. She said he had told her he had been having suicidal thoughts the day before he died but had never mentioned it before. He was worried about his taxes, had a panic attack and after she convinced him to stay the night, he had a restless night during which she found him “in the foetal position” in the bathroom at around 1am.

The coroner asked the family if they thought he meant to end his own life. Sister Liz Alder told him the family found out afterwards Mr Griffin had taken all the photographs of his family off his walls and taken them with him to the railway line. Mr Griffin’s father Dennis described how he had checked his son's affairs after his death and found he only owed £13. He had just invested in new ladders for £300. The coroner recorded the verdict that Mr Griffin had taken his own life “while concerned about his business affairs”.

'His contribution for Walthamstow was immense and selfless' - Former councillor dies aged 88: Tributes have been paid to a long serving councillor and community figure who has died at the age of 88. Bob Wheatley, the former Walthamstow Liberal Democrats councillor and Mayor of Waltham Forest, died in hospital on December 30.

Bob, who worked as a window cleaner for over 50 years, was abandoned by his mother outside a phone box in Islington when he was a baby and he later lived in a Barnado's home. He was evacuated during World War Two to Kent and later joined the merchant navy in 1942. Bob then settled in Walthamstow in the 1962 when he took up window cleaning.

In tribute, former Lib Dem councillor Mahmood Hussain said: “Bob strived mightily and selflessly towards achieving goals that would benefit the community, rather than himself. “Bob befitted the description of a true local community champion. “He committed himself to working for the betterment of the local community. “His contribution for Walthamstow was immense and selfless. “He was a towering figure, loved by all young and old, a real local hero. “Many, many people of Walthamstow will be mourning the death this much loved, much respected, a true community warrior.”

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Theodore Thomas (Tommy) Wrenn, 54, of Dongan Hills who was family oriented, died Wednesday in Calvary Hospital, Brooklyn, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Wrenn spent most of his life living in Dongan Hills, having moved there in 1969. He attended New Dorp High School and worked in Manhattan as a self-employed professional window cleaner since the age of 17, retiring only when his illness prevented him from working.

Mr. Wrenn enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren. He loved to play cards and watch his favorite teams, the New York Jets and the New York Mets, play.  He was an uncle and great uncle to more than 75 nieces and nephews, who all adored him, family said. "He was extremely funny,'' said his daughter, Donna Marie Ivackovic. "He was charismatic, loving, athletic. He was just magnetic. He had that thing everybody wants.'' The funeral service will be Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Scarpaci Funeral Home of Staten Island, Pleasant Plains.  Burial will be in Ocean View Cemetery, Oakwood.

Window Cleaner, Mick Amos (with daughter) shows letter from Department of Work and Pensions advising him his wife wasn't sick enough, 2 days after she died.

Elsewhere in Essex: Mum told she's too healthy for sick benefits on the day she dies: A mother battling a serious lung condition was told she no longer qualified for benefits on the day she died from her illness. Dawn Amos, 67, died as a result of suffering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a collection of lung diseases. It left her with difficulty breathing, unable to walk for long periods of time, dress herself or do daily tasks independently. Heartbroken window cleaning husband Mick Amos, 64, of Masefield Road, Braintree, discovered a letter sent from the department two days after his wife’s death.

It notified Mrs Amos that her allowance was being withdrawn based on ‘treatment, medication, symptoms and test results’. It had been sent on the day, November 27, Mr Amos had taken the decision to turn off Dawn’s life support machine. Mr Amos, a self-employed window cleaner, said: “It’s disgusting and heartbreaking. We had to turn her machine off. “How ill do you have to be?

Tributes have been paid to a popular 20 year-old ‘gentle giant’ killed in a Sheffield car crash during heavy rain. Sean Craig Salvin died as a result of his injuries after his red Volkswagen Golf crashed while travelling along Ecclesfield Road in the area known as Wooley Wood Bottom at about 10.30 pm on Wednesday night, December 30. Police said no other vehicles are believed to have been involved in the incident. Officers are now appealing for witnesses to come forward as an investigation takes place into the collision.

Star readers described Mr Salvin as a ‘gentle giant’ and a ‘lovely lad’ as tributes were paid to him on Facebook. Andrew Gibson said: “That junction and road is horrendous. When it rains and wind blows, all the residue from the trees falls on to the road and makes it slippy.” Tributes have also been paid to Sheffield United fan Mr Salvin on the Blades Mad football forum. One poster said Mr Salvin, who worked as a manager at his family’s window cleaning business and had previously studied at Longley Park Sixth Form College, had been a ‘great bloke’ and a ‘true Blade’. He said: “Thoughts are with Sean’s family and friends at this sad time.”

An inquest into the death of a former RNAS Culdrose sailor has been unable to say if he meant to take his own life. Andrew John Edwards, 42, was found dead of a gunshot wound at his home in Helston in February. Armed police had been called to the property in the early hours of the morning after neighbours reported hearing two shots.

An inquest in Truro on Monday heard how Mr Edwards had served in the Navy and then as a guard at the gate of Culdrose, before starting his own bouncy castle, window cleaning and chimney sweep businesses. The hearing was told he also worked as a stove fitter for a company called TSI Limited but was unhappy with the business and said he was owed money. The police said money from the company had been paid into his bank account on the evening he died.

His friend Robert Kemp said Mr Edwards had been enjoying a night out with friends at the Blue Anchor in Helston when he suddenly became upset and angry. He left the pub by climbing over a wall at the rear of the property and made his way home shortly after midnight. The police said no one else was involved in the death. Assistant coroner Barrie van den Berg said that without a note or message, it was impossible to say if Mr Edwards had intended to take his own life before the incident. He recorded an open verdict.

Friday Window Cleaning Releases

50? Not a day over 25! Unger keeps it young.

Unger celebrates 50th anniversary in style with limited edition work wear range: As part of Unger’s celebrations to mark 50 years of innovation and excellence in cleaning tool design and manufacture, a limited edition, high quality work wear range has been launched. Each item of high quality outdoor work wear features the 50th anniversary commemorative logo. Practical enough to withstand the rigours of day-to-day work, but also smart enough to use when off-duty, the range is available to UK customers now. The work wear collection consists of: - 

• Softshell jacket – A versatile garment that is both wind resistant and water repellent, with the added bonus of a warm lining for greater comfort. The jacket also features two zipped hand warmer pockets and one zipped chest pocket. 
• Hoodie – A practical hooded jacket with two front kangaroo pockets, inner headphone pocket and reinforced seams. 
• Softshell waistcoat – A sleeveless version of the jacket, featuring all the same great benefits. 
• Beanie – A warm, knitted hat; a must-have for the professional window cleaner and Unger fan! 

These products have been developed as part of a year-long celebration to mark Unger’s 50th anniversary. More activities and special promotions will be launched throughout 2014, to thank customers for their continued loyalty. 

Also check out the Unger limited edition tools here.

More high jinks with Mole & Jersey, episode 13 + a live session from NOLA. Click the pictures above to take you there. That'll keep you busy over the weekend!

The SLX Pole that took the whack!

We had the Reach-iT shock now listen to the Gardiner shock… WCM reported within hours of Erwin Sørensen of Odense, Denmark a few months back and his lucky escape when his Reach-iT pole caught overhead power lines carrying hundreds of volts. We report today of another near miss this time in the UK, when Adam Cosway, 26 from Cornwall took a hit when using his Gardiner SLX pole. Adam Cosbay tells how it happened & Alex Gardiner gives his opinion. Read more here. 

Unger Limited Edition

 

ErgoTec^® Special 50^th Anniversary Edition

Classic squeegee and accessories celebrate Unger milestone

NEWS RELEASE: In 2014 Unger is celebrating an amazing 50 years of supplying quality equipment to cleaning professionals, and it is marking it in style by launching limited editions of some of the products that have made Unger a trusted name in the cleaning industry.

When it was first introduced, the ErgoTec^® Squeegee was a welcome breakthrough in ergonomic design, offering increased comfort, balance, and greater control to window cleaners. Its moulded handle ensures a secure grip when wet and is warm to the touch in winter. The special edition ‘50 years’ squeegee features:

·       Soft Rubber Green – Sharp edges enable thorough wiping for superior finish

·       Ergonomic two-component handle in exclusive grey color with silver metallic effect

·       Laser engraved 50th Anniversary logo

 

A 50 years washer with Ninja sleeve is also available, featuring an ergonomic two-component handle with water wells, in exclusive grey color with silver metallic effect. The washer sleeve is highly absorbent with two abrasive side pads featuring built-in rows of scrubbing fibers, complete with a 50th Anniversary logo on the Velcro fastening.

Both products are available individually, but also feature in a 50 years anniversary set, together with Unger’s ‘bucket on a belt’. This convenient holdall for important tools has a clip lock for quick fastening, and is ideal for use when working on ladders, indoors, or in narrow, confined spaces. The set, which features the special 50^th anniversary logo on each product, includes a Certificate of Authenticity and is packed in a unique box set.  All products will be available throughout the anniversary year, while stocks last.

Unger was founded in 1964 by Henry and Barbara Unger in the attic of the home of Barbara’s grandmother in Hamburg, Germany. While the original intent was to manufacture window cleaning products, the company soon expanded its product line in order to become the market leader in the sanitary supply and retail cleaning fields. Adopting this as the company’s mission, Unger strives to produce high quality, innovative tools that help professionals clean more productively and safely, as well as offer superior customer service to both end users and distributors. Today, Unger is an international company and has been manufacturing professional cleaning tools for more than 50 years. It has offices and manufacturing facilities in the United States and Germany, and sales offices in the United Kingdom and France. Unger now provides innovative cleaning solutions to more than 80 countries worldwide.

Meet The Window Cleaning Mayor

Mayor Alan Ausman is proud of Bethel's revitalization efforts as well as its history.

Meet the Mayor: Alan Ausman of Bethel cleans windows, helps village envision the future (Bethel, Ohio)  - Alan Ausman (born Feb. 3, 1965), Bethel. Ausman was elected in November 2011 and took office in January 2012. He served three years as a councilman before being elected mayor. He is a registered Republican, but considers himself "a Conservative before a Republican." He graduated from Williamsburg High School in 1983, but has always considered Bethel his hometown. He has been a professional window cleaner for 30 years. As mayor of Bethel, Ausman earns a salary of $500 per month.

Elected: Nov. 2011
Population: 2,700
County: Clermont
Founded: 1798 by Obed Denham
Claim to fame: President Grant spent part of his childhood in Bethel. It is also the home of Steve Newman, The WorldWalker.

1. What is the single biggest issue facing your town?

I believe that the biggest issue facing Bethel is our infrastructure needs as is evident by three water main breaks in the last four weeks and a water tower rupture recently. Council approved securing a low interest EPA loan and will begin on replacing our decaying water mains and replacing the 1930’s era water tower this spring.

We have already begun a Plane St. (our Main St.) revitalization project that is replacing curbs, gutters and sidewalks as well as new street lighting. We are also working on grants to replace our bridges. One has been completed (Charity Street) and another (Spring Street) to begin the near future.

2. If someone were to visit your town for the first time, what should they see and do?

We have the only Ben Franklin 5 &10 store in Southwest Ohio and it is owned by Tim Smith, who is a third generation of Smiths who have owned the store. A person can go to the store and still have loose candy weighed and bagged just like Ike Geodesy did it on the Waltons.

We also have many antique shops on our Main St. Midway, the iconic single screen theater, is still operating on weekends.The Bethel Historical Society operates a museum in the Grant Memorial Building open most Saturdays and has quite a collection of history.

3. What is your proudest accomplishment as mayor?

I would have to say my proudest accomplishment as mayor is actually a great accomplishment for the village as a whole. In 2009 we were placed in fiscal emergency and it was removed in 2013--ahead of schedule even with our local government funds being cut in half. It took a lot of work from many people, but together with council and administration, we were able to right the village’s finances and chart a positive outlook for the village of Bethel into the future.  fiscal emergency in 2009 and

4. What do you hope is different about your town in ten years?

It would be my hope within the next ten years that we can have our Main St. upgrades complete and have a whole new look to our Main Street business district.

5. What are your political aspirations?

I have no further political aspirations as I enjoy serving as mayor in the town where I grew up.

6. I bet you didn’t know...

The first mayor of the village of Bethel (1852) was Jesse Grant, the father of Ulysses Grant.The Grant Memorial Building that stands in the center of our village is actually in honor of Jesse Grant, not President Grant. We were also a stop on the Underground Railroad as the founders of Bethel were avid abolitionists.

The Window Cleaning Marsh Dynasty Advances

Donnie Marsh, owner of New View Window Cleaning, poses for a portrait on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus Monday morning. Marsh is currently a business student at the university. Click to enlarge.

UTC student learns from father, starts own business: If you don't recognize this young chap - think podcast king! This is the son of Don Marsh, a former Gainesville Mayor runner & one of the most prolific window cleaning video makers out there. Don has been making videos for window cleaners who are new to the trade for quite a few years now. See here. Donnie also made the music for his fathers podcasts.

• Name: New View Window Cleaning

• Location: Chattanooga

• Contact information: Owner Donnie Marsh, 352-672-3532

• Products/services: Window cleaning and pressure washing for business and residential customers

• Age: Marsh has 20 years of experience cleaning windows with his father's business in Gainesville, Fla., but started New View when he moved to Chattanooga in December.

• Family history: Marsh has cleaned windows for nearly all his life. When he was a child, his father would take him to work so the two could spend time together.

• Getting started: Marsh came to Chattanooga to pursue a master's degree in business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. "I moved here never wanting to clean another window," he said. But window washing offers a steady income, and Marsh soon found himself starting his own business. "I'm really enjoying it. When I said I never wanted to clean windows again, I didn't even consider the possibility of owning my own business."

• Future goals: Marsh plans to apply his studies to running the business. He hopes to continue to grow it past graduation, one day possibly franchising. "I will never sell. I want to keep doing this," he said.

• Target market: Small commercial customers don't pay as well as residential jobs, but home work is seasonal, hitting mostly during pollen season and right before the holidays. Marsh hopes to split his time between the two types of clients to keep business steady and sheltered from economic factors outside his control.

• Biggest hurdle: Networking to find customers. "I didn't really have any connections," Marsh said. "It didn't really matter how good I was if nobody knew who I was." So Marsh joined the local chapter of business networking group BNI. Now he pulls about 75 percent of his business from people he met through the group.

• Biggest reward: Owning his own business. Marsh said he wouldn't trade anything for the ability to set his own rates and schedule, allowing him to spend time with his friends and family. "There are so many positives," he said. "If it is possible for you to work for yourself and survive doing it, you should."

Just some of Dons videos, click to travel.

Unlucky Window Cleaner Don Misses Mayoral Position By 42 Votes

The two-term city commissioner has officially won the election over challenger Don Marsh by 42 votes. Craig Lowe waited to celebrate. Not until the Gainesville canvassing board signed off on the results and the chairman announced the election was done did Lowe unwind. His supporters cheered, and he smiled.

At the other end of the room, Don Marsh's team looked on. After a recount Friday at the Alachua County Elections Operations Center, the numbers in the mayoral runoff election were unchanged: 6,110 votes for Lowe, 6,068 votes for Marsh. Lowe, 52, a two-term city commissioner, said afterward he was glad the election was over. The campaign stretched on for four weeks after going to a runoff and quickly turned ugly after Election Day.

On April 1, Marsh wrote a blog post titled "Craig Lowe Plays Dirty," and on Tuesday, Lowe said Marsh ran the "dirtiest campaign in the history of Gainesville," each accusing the other of playing off Lowe's homosexuality. But after the recount, Richard Sheppard, Marsh's campaign manager, shook Lowe's hand and congratulated him, calling him "Mr. Mayor." Lowe said he had a good conversation with Sheppard and that it was time to move on.

"Now that the election's over, we'll all need to go home and be neighbors and work together to make Gainesville a better community," he said. Because Lowe's margin of victory Tuesday was less than 0.5 percent, there was a mandatory machine recount. The canvassing board, which oversees city elections, watched as poll workers ran more than 12,000 ballots back through the machines. If the margin had dipped below 0.25 percent, there would have been a hand recount. But that didn't happen. And now that the recount is complete, Marsh, who didn't observe the proceedings, has 10 days to file an appeal in state circuit court. It doesn't appear that will happen.

Marsh, who runs his own window-cleaning operation and has never held political office, said, "I'm moving on. I've got other things to do." While he said he didn't plan to call Lowe, Marsh said he would like to be seated next to Lowe at City Hall next year, when he plans to run for a spot on the City Commission. He said he is gunning for either Lauren Poe's District 2 seat or Thomas Hawkins' at-large seat. "I still believe these issues are still going to be the same next year," he said, referring to high utility rates and other issues he brought up in the campaign. "We had a message, and we had something that resonated."

Getting our lives back: Right now I am getting ready to get back to work and our normal lives. To my supporters, I say this: I am not giving up. The political process is a continuing story. As long as we have a high cost of living heaped upon us by our local government, it should be resisted. Our city commission may learn nothing from our campaign and keep raising our utility rates in the future, and increasing the size of government, and this must be addressed again in next year’s election. There are 3 seats to contest, and we must have like minded people challenging them.

As Zig Ziglar says, “Failure is an event, not a person”. We are not failures for having tried to hold an incumbent accountable. We will build on the support we have and make them listen to us next year. I thank you for having supported me in this effort, and I hope you will do so again. We came so close. Next time, I believe we will achieve a different result.

Don is famed for his window cleaning tips on You-Tube here.

Another Window Cleaning Mayor

SPOTLIGHT ON WALTHAMSTOW - Focus on popular window-cleaner and former Mayor Bob Wheatley: Bob Wheatley has been cleaning windows in his beloved Waltham Forest for nearly 50 years and is a familiar face to residents. Carl Brown spoke to the former Mayor about how the area has changed and why he still gets a buzz from doing his daily rounds. Bob Wheatley is well-known in Walthamstow as a councillor, window cleaner and community figure. The 82-year-old still goes out in all but the most severe weather, with his six staff, cleaning windows across the borough.
But Bob, who in the mid 90s served as Mayor of Waltham Forest, a year he describes as the”best of his life”, had an unfortunate start to life. As a baby Bob was abandoned by his mother, left outside a phone box in Islington. He was taken to an orphanage in Barkingside, and later lived in a Barnado's home before being taken in by a Mrs Boswell, of Plumstead. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the young Bob was evacuated to Snodland, in Kent, and later learned that Mrs Boswell had been killed in an air raid. From 1942 to 1958, Bob joined the merchant navy, travelling all over the world. He met a friend named Gerry Steer, who persuaded him to move to Baron's Court, in West London. But Bob had developed a drinking problem, and on the advice, of Mr Steer's wife, decided to move away. He said: “I did not see the point in moving a short distance away and I had been to Walthamstow before and I liked it.
“People don't appreciate Walthamstow, there is no part where you cannot get to forest or green areas, whether Epping Forest or Hollow Ponds.” Bob had several jobs, including working in a furniture shop in Billet Road, but drink still posed a problem and prevented him from holding on to jobs. But in 1962, on the advice of a friend, he started window cleaning. He said: “To begin with I just went out in a scooter and side car, during the bad winters it continued to work whereas bigger cars didn't.” Bob kicked the booze, he has been tee total for 40 years, and as his business went from strength to strength and he soon became settled in Walthamstow.
He has watched as the area has changed. He said: “There are so many more people from ethnic backgrounds now. “I remember when I was seeking a housemate a man told me on the phone 'you should know that I am black', because he expected it would be a problem, I told him I'm colour blind so it does not matter. “But it shows that race attitudes have improved beyond all recognition.
Bob became involved in politics, joining the Liberal Party and standing as a candidate in a by-election in 1972, where he was beaten into third place by the far-right National Front. This spurred him on and he continued to campaign, before in 1988 winning a seat on the council. As an activist there are naturally things about Walthamstow Bob wants to see changed. He said: “The High Street is not like it used to be, there is not the same variety of stalls and I get annoyed by traders leaving their rubbish lying around.” Bob said some groups don't do enough to encourage wider participation in their activities and describes the delayed Arcade site development as a “missed opportunity.” But Bob says the introduction of police safer neighbourhood teams has made a positive difference “because you can ring them up and speak to them.”
And he enjoys the fact that, after 50 years, people know who he is when he walks down the street. He said: “It is a diverse community, you feel free. “Everybody speaks to me around here, its a nice feeling, and that is what I like about Walthamstow.” So is Bob planning to put away his ladder any time soon? He said: “I had a fall a while back and people tried to talk me into retiring. “But it is important for someone who is old to keep active because if you don't that's when you start to decline.”

Base Jumping, Phones & Politics - Window Cleaners Adventures

Aussie daredevil makes BASE jumping history: A young Aussie thrill-seeker has made BASE jumping history with a breathtaking launch off a rope swing in the Blue Mountains. The 26-year-old man has even captured his amazing feat on camera: using a 30m rope, known as the 'Death Swing', to launch himself off a mountain cliff top and perform a graceful double-backflip before opening his parachute just 150m from the ground. The young Sydney resident, who goes by the adopted name Lucky Chance, said he had prepared for the jump for nearly a year and was thrilled with his success. "I grew up in the Blue Mountains and I knew this spot was awesome," Mr Chance told ninemsn. "To be able to swing out and just let go … there's nothing like it."
But Mr Chance said taking the jump was not as smooth as it seemed on camera. "On the day of the video it was atrocious conditions, really windy … I hit the ground pretty hard and thrashed my hands and ankles." Mr Chance, who changed his name while working for a circus, performed the stunt one day last month after hiking 5km to the jumping point through a trail. The 'Death Swing' is a rope swing attached to a peak at a secret location in the NSW Blue Mountains National Park. Most daredevils who ride the swing use a harness to keep them secured to the rope; Mr Chance is the first person to ever let go.

He also believes he is the first Australian to ever perform a rope swing-to-BASE jump. "It was just amazing to watch," Mr Caple told ninemsn. "Lucky's been doing crazy things for a long time but this is probably one of the craziest." Mr Chance, who also is an expert rock climber, began BASE jumping four years ago during a trip to Europe. "I haven't been doing it very long but I know it's what I want to do," he said. "It gives me a purpose in life." Although Mr Chance admits park rangers might not have been happy with his latest jump — he said he believes he has done nothing wrong. "Taking into account my ability, and the safety precautions I took, it was safe," he said. "I wasn't doing anything wrong and I wasn't hurting anybody."
A NSW Blue Mountains National Park spokesman told ninemsn the use of the 'Death Swing' was "not an approved activity within the park at all". "The 'Death Swing' is an activity that is more dangerous and less controlled than either climbing or abseiling and requires specific permission to be carried out," the spokesman said. "People who are doing this activity are placing themselves at risk as well as emergency personnel who have to retrieve them when something goes wrong." The spokesman also said other high risk pursuits such as base jumping, hang gliding and bungee jumping are not permitted in the park due to "the great potential for personal injury". But for Mr Chance, who works as a window cleaner in Sydney's CBD, his latest feat is only the beginning. "I want to keep pushing the limits … I want to do a quadruple backflip next time." More lucky window cleaning videos here.

Cellphone stop led to drunk-driving charge: KITCHENER — An OPP officer must have forgotten about the three-month grace period for drivers using hand-held cellphones last November. The officer stopped Gerry Koolen’s pickup truck on Highway 85 in Kitchener the afternoon of Nov. 25. He wasn’t speeding or driving erratically, Kitchener’s Ontario Court heard Wednesday. Koolen was talking on a hand-held cellphone. The officer charged him under the new law that had gone into effect barely a month earlier, on Oct. 29.
Most traffic officers were observing a three-month grace period and simply issuing warnings at that time. Police throughout Ontario only began enforcing the law on Monday. The OPP officer also charged Koolen with driving with more than the legally allowable amount of alcohol in his blood. He noted a boozy odour on Koolen’s breath after speaking to him, court heard. Koolen admitted to drinking three beers and failed a roadside test. Prosecutor Mark Poland withdrew the cellphone charge. He said it was the first he’d seen. Koolen pleaded guilty to the drunk-driving charge and was fined $1,200.
His lawyer, Darwin Witmer, said outside court police probably laid the cellphone charge to justify stopping him. He would have faced a $125 ticket plus a $30 surcharge if convicted. More concerning to Koolen was the 18-month driving prohibition imposed by the judge. He owns a window-cleaning business that employs nine staff. He has clients across the province and has been forced to get staff to drive him to job sites, Witmer said. Koolen, 46, was convicted of impaired driving in 1991 and had what Justice Michael Epstein called “an atrocious’’ Highway Traffic Act record. It includes convictions for speeding and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. “I realize I did wrong,’’ Koolen told the judge. “I need my licence. I apologize. It won’t happen again.’’

A local political action committee asked candidates running for Gainesville mayor and the City Commission District 4 seat questions about how they would increase the quality of life in east Gainesville for the city's black population before voting to endorse one candidate in each race. The 10 candidates - five each in the mayor's race and for the District 4 seat - took part in a candidate's forum hosted Monday night by the African American Coalition for Political Action, which is made up of members of the African American Accountability Alliance of Alachua County, or 4As. The city election will take place March 16. Early voting will be held March 8-13.
More than 50 people attended the forum at the Alachua County Health Department, which ended with the group endorsing two political veterans - current District 4 city Commissioner Craig Lowe for mayor and former Alachua County Commissioner Penny Wheat in the District 4 City Commission race. All of the candidates each gave two-minute opening statements before having 90 seconds to respond to questions concerning the black community. One of the questions asked mayoral candidates was to identify three critical needs in the black community and their plans to address them. Don Marsh (pictured left), who has owned a local window cleaning business for 29 years, said the top three critical needs to him are more job opportunities, clean air and clean water.

Window Cleaning Councillor is City's New Mayor

A NEWLY-ELECTED mayor has given an assurance that his hundreds of customers will not have to wait longer than normal for him to clean their windows. Sid Hawke, who has just taken over as Mayor of Ripon, said that, because he now worked only part-time, his long established window cleaning round in the city would not see a lesser service. Coun' Hawke, whose daughter, Julie Spence, is the new mayoress, said his customers were "over the moon" about his mayoral role as a member of Ripon City Council. For some time now, Coun Hawke's window cleaning round has worked hand in glove with council business. When he did work full-time, he often got up at 2am to clean windows at commercial properties in the city and then turned out later to ensure residential properties were given their regular cleaning service. The new mayor says he often picked up council issues needing attention when he has descended from the ladder. He believed the job was ideal for keeping closely in touch with local residents. Requests for help and advice are regularly passed to him while on his round, most them pleas for road and footpath repairs. Coun' Hawke, who is 60, is also a member of Harrogate Borough Council, where he sits as an independent member representing part of Ripon. "I enjoy cleaning windows because being on the round means I am out and about meeting and chatting to the people I represent," he said.
Coun Hawke, a true Riponian, lives in the house where he was born at Ailcey Road and is proud of his local roots. Before being elected, tradition dictates that fellow councillors must find where the mayor-elect is hiding before the installation ceremony can continue. It took 20 minutes to discover the latest mayor's hiding place - in the clerk's office at the town hall. Coun' Hawke had wanted to break with tradition by hiding at the nearby Unicorn Hotel but had been told that would be beyond the hiding limits.