Graffiti abatement crews cause trepidation in taggers

VISALIA, CA — The city of Visalia's graffiti abatement crews have a goal of removing unsightly tags within 48 hours of being sprayed, an objective the part-time employees strive to meet, according to the Visalia Times-Delta.

Receiving over a dozen calls per day, the crews, part of the city of Visalia Parks and Recreation Department, work more than 1,000 hours per year logging cases and painting over the tags in two-man crews, the story stated.

Eliseo Martinez, a graffiti abatement crew member, said: "We have to get these [hot-line calls] done as quickly as possible. It's important to show the community we respond fast and care about the city. We try to get to graffiti around schools so the gangs don't recruit the kids as they walk home."

The city's Graffiti Abatement Program has a yearly budget of roughly $113,000, which provides equipment, supplies and salaries for the crew members who typically work from 7 a.m. to noon Monday through Saturday, the story noted.

According to the story, each site is photographed before and after it is cleaned and photos are handed over to the Visalia Police Department and archived for future use.

Abatement crews use darker colored paints to cover walls that have been tagged in order to discourage those who use red and blue paint, colors generally chosen by gangs, the story added.

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Study shows cleaners are more valuable than bankers

LONDON — A recent study by the New Economics Foundation, entitled "A Bit Rich," found that hospital cleaners and waste-recycling workers offer more worth to society than do bankers, advertising executives or tax advisors, according to a press release.

According to the release, the study looked at 'externalities,' the true consequences of economic activities, to "quantify the social, environmental and economic value that people's work produces, or in some cases the value that is undermined or destroyed."

Hospital cleaners alleviate the human and financial cost of hospital acquired infections (HAIs) and make a significant contribution to the wider social value created by healthcare; waste-recycling workers help cut carbon emissions significantly and contribute to the output of the recycling industry, the release stated.

According to the report: Hospital cleaners create more than £10 ($16.30) in value for every £1 ($1.63) they receive in pay; waste-recycling workers generate £12 ($19.56) for every £1 ($1.63) spent on their wages; bankers destroy £7 ($11.41) of value for every £1 ($1.63) they create; and advertising executives eradicate £11 ($17.93) from the economy for every £1 ($1.63) they are paid.

Andrew Large, chief executive of the Cleaning and Support Services Association, said: "It is widely accepted that the cleaning industry is a key factor in protecting patients from hospital acquired infections, but these findings demonstrate the additional economic value our industry creates. As stated in the report, this worth is not being transmitted to the pay or prestige of the cleaning industry. Our work is vital to the nation's health and well-being while adding unqualified value to the economy. We hope that the report's findings are recognized by business and government and that all workers are appropriately remunerated for the contribution they make."

According to Steve Wright, chairman of the British Cleaning Council, "Workers in the waste-management sector deserve recognition for their role in increasing recycling so dramatically in the United Kingdom in recent years, as they have overseen the substantial reduction in the landfill waste which has been so damaging to the environment.

CRDN named '#1 Franchise' by Entrepreneur magazine

BERKLEY, MI — The Certified Restoration Drycleaning Network (CRDN) was recently named the "#1 Franchise in the Dry Cleaning & Delivery Services" category of Entrepreneur magazine's 31^st Annual Franchise 500, according to a press release.

With an overall ranking of 237 for 2009, up from 319 last year, CRDN has achieved its fourth consecutive award from Entrepreneur, which recognizes growth-oriented franchises each year based on objective, quantifiable measurements like financial strength and stability and growth rate, the release stated.

Wayne Wudyka, the CRDN's founder and chief executive officer (CEO), said: "During a challenging economic time that has taken its toll on retail drycleaning, CRDN's focus on insurance restoration services has enabled our members to realize meaningful business growth from coast to coast. CRDN's success has resulted from ongoing education of the insurance industry about the cost-effectiveness of restoring damaged textiles instead of replacing them."

Launched in 2001, the CRDN specializes in restoring garments and other fabric items damaged by smoke, fire, water, mold or other contaminants, the release added.

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Trojan Battery expands its distribution

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA — Trojan Battery Company recently announced that Northeast Battery, a longtime master distributor of Trojan products, will expand its distribution into the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, according to a press release.

Northeast Battery offers a full line of products including starting, lighting and ignition products, stationary power systems for telecommunications and uninterruptible power supplies and high-end motive power batteries, the release stated.

Tom Scarduzio, president of Northeast Battery, said: "We are excited for this opportunity to expand our distribution of Trojan Battery products. Northeast Battery provides only the finest, highest quality products and services to our customers, and with Trojan products, we can proudly say that's what we have done for the past 25 years and will continue to do for many more years to come."

Both companies expressed excitement from this partnership that will provide increased service and support for customers, the release noted.

Spray Nine disinfectant receives H1N1 kill claim from EPA

JOHNSTOWN, NY — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed and accepted independent lab testing submitted by Spray Nine Corporation for Spray Nine Cleaner/Disinfectant's efficacy against the pandemic 2009 H1N1 Influenza A (swine flu) virus, according to a press release.

According to the release, with the second wave of the H1N1 flu on the decline, experts predict that a third wave may hit early in 2010.

The product was proven to disinfect against the virus with a 30 second contact time, a claim now added to their EPA Master Label, the release stated.

This new disinfecting claim heads up a long list of germs killed by Spray Nine Cleaner/Disinfectant including Escherichia coli (E. coli), Salmonella, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Hepatitis B and C, norovirus and more, the release added.

Milwaukee County privitizes janitorial services

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee County recently privatized janitorial services in 10 county-owned buildings and awarded MidAmerican Building Services the $1.2 million contract, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

MidAmerican Building Services, which beat out 10 other building service contractors (BSCs), will begin cleaning the buildings January 18, 2010, and will be paid $97,793 a month, the story stated.

According to the story, only large public bathrooms and hallways will be cleaned until MidAmerican officially begins its contract, meaning many areas in the buildings could be less clean than they were under previous cleaning arrangements.

Supervisors complained that they were cut out of the process to select private firms to take over custodial services for the county, a move that resulted in about 90 workers being laid off, the story noted.

Some find it curious that Edward M. Aprahamian Jr., owner of MidAmerican Building Services and a partner in a political consulting firm who has made sizeable donations to the Wisconsin governor's race, was chosen as the contractor for the 10 county buildings, the story added.

According to the article, some county workers were warned that bathrooms used by 300 court workers won't be cleaned until mid-January because of the time discrepancy between the layoff of county janitors and the hiring of MidAmerican Building Services.

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New website service for carpet cleaners

GAINESVILLE, FL — Carpet cleaners understand that advertising and marketing are important for their business, and with Ready To Go websites, the leg work is already done for you, according to a press release.

With Ready To Go websites, all the background work of website design, writing content and search engine optimization (SEO) is already done, allowing carpet cleaners to lease unbranded websites, brand it with their company logo and start using it immediately, the release stated.

Abhi Patel, chief executive officer (CEO) of Pat's Marketing, said: "If you are hesitant towards spending too much on marketing your business in this economy, Ready To Go websites by Pat's Marketing can be an effective yet affordable option. You can lease a website at as low as $30 per month and start marketing your business on search engines almost instantaneously and for so long as you see fit."

Ready To Go websites are already optimized and ranking on search engines, so businesses can look forward to getting quicker and often instantaneous returns on their marketing dollars, the release added.

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