DMV mold remediation project completed

WEST HAVERSTRAW, NY — After being closed for a month to facilitate a mold remediation project, Rockland County's only Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) branch has reopened, according to the Journal News.

The project included cleaning mold inside the building's walls and mold that had infiltrated the ventilation system, the story stated.

The mold problem began last fall after a water leak in a pet store located above the DMV flooded the back offices and the area around the front counter, the story noted.

DMV officials are unsure of the total cost of the remediation project, the story added.

NYC schools join Green School Alliance

NEW YORK — New York City Public Schools are the first in the nation to join the Green Schools Alliance program, which will analyze the energy efficiency of the district's 1,260 school buildings, according to the Epoch Times.

The effort is part of New York City's overall effort to reduce municipal government energy consumption and carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2017, the story stated.

According to the story, through the Green Schools Alliance, schools share experiences and expertise to lower their energy consumption and carbon footprint.

Schools will be benchmarked through a rating system that factors in: Indoor environmental quality, the site of the school building, water and energy consumption and construction materials utilized; additional credits will be given for sustainable choices such as low-emitting furniture, storm water recovery, use of natural light and roof quality, the story noted.

Rohit Aggarwala, director of the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, said: "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it. The Department of Education's benchmarking of 1,260 school buildings will enable us to make decisions as to which measures we should implement to reduce our city's greenhouse gases and save money on our energy bills. It also demonstrates that benchmarking is an easy process that yields important information for any kind of building."

Boston hospital tagged for infection control problems

BOSTON — After 18 mothers and 19 infants contracted Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) over the past six months, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has been cited for serious problems with its infection control practices, according to the Boston Globe.

Department of Public Health officials noted significant lapses in the hospital's policies for preventing infections and training employees during a recent inspection of the facility, the story stated.

Officials have yet to determine the source of the outbreak and have enlisted the help of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the story noted.

Hospital chief executive Paul Levy said: "While we are justly proud of many of our quality and safety initiatives at BIDMC, we have to acknowledge that we still fall short in a number of ways."

All of the patients once infected have been treated and have fully recovered, the story added.

Fishing - Deal, MD Chesapeake Bay with PSI

Jeremiah with PSI (Permanent Solutions Industries, Inc.) invited me to go fishing out on the Chesapeake Bay. We left the Happy Harbor located in Deal, MD around 2:00 p.m. and returned around 7:30 p.m. The fishing was pretty bad, with 25 lines in the water we managed to snag 3 Rock Fish. We were hoping for better fishing. I want to thank Jeremiah for invitening me out on the trip it was very enjoyable. I do hope to do it again soon when the blues are running.


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Hospital workers complain of unsafe conditions

OAKLAND, CA — Workers at Alameda County's Fairmont Hospital, represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, held a rally yesterday to protest what they call unsafe working conditions, according to the Oakland Tribune.

One incident involved Lillie Ray, a six-year veteran at the hospital, being attacked by a patient with an infectious disease, the story stated.

According to the story, many workers are afraid of complaining about unsafe and potentially dangerous situations for fear of losing their jobs.

SEIU Local 1021 leaders claim that talks with the hospital about improving training and safety measures have produced no results, the story noted.

Valery Myers, a nurse at the hospital, said: "I can honestly say I felt safer working at a jail than I do here."

The rally drew roughly 30 attendees and was a chance to unveil a new whistle-blowers hot line for hospital workers to report unsafe conditions, the story added.

Mobile phone-controlled vacuum

SEOUL, South Korea — The South Korean telecommunications firm KTF recently released a new vacuum cleaner that can be controlled by a mobile phone equipped with 3G technology, according to Engadget.com.

The CW100 was designed and manufactured in collaboration with a Korean company called Microbot and is similar to the popular Roomba vacuum, the story stated.

The CW100 has an onboard video camera that sends live images to the user's mobile phone and is controlled through the phone's keypad, the story noted.

According to KTF, the new robot vacuum can also be used for monitoring children, elders or pets at home.

The CW100 will cost $370 and the data plan needed to operate it is an additional $3.70 per month, the story added.

School considers outsourcing and layoffs

NORTH ANDOVER, MA — The North Andover Public School System is looking for ways to save money and maximize their custodial department's $2 million budget, $1.9 million of which covers the salaries of their 41 custodians, according to the Eagle-Tribune.

Next year's budget calls for the layoff of at least 10 custodians, which would limit the ability of the remaining custodians to clean effectively, the story stated.

The custodial department is flirting with the idea of converting the cleaning operation to an every-other-day schedule to limit hours worked and minimize cleaning chemical consumption, the story noted.

The school system could save upwards of $850,000 a year by outsourcing its custodial staff, something it is considering, the story added.

School Committee member Brian Major said: "These days, we know we have to reposition how we're delivering services and at what cost we're delivering services. Everything's on the table."

According to the story, union rules require the custodians be notified if the school system considers privatization of cleaning services and the schools must provide the union with an analysis of the potential savings so the union can try and better any deal offered by a private contractor.