The Connecticut House of Representatives approved a bill this week that forces window manufacturers to include replacement and labor costs in product warranties. The bill now goes to Gov. Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, for approval. The legislation was strongly opposed by the Window and Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA).

S.B. 821, which passed by a vote of 80 to 70, requires window, roofing and siding manufacturers that offer warranties to pay any claim made for materials and labor, and to repay the full price of materials and labor the consumer was charged. In addition, manufacturers must act on claims within 30 days. After that, the claim is automatically considered approved, and manufacturers must pay the claim within the following 30 days.

WDMA is strongly opposed to this legislation and is extremely concerned about the circumstances surrounding its passage, said Michael OBrien, WDMA president and CEO. The bill is problematically vague and unfair to manufacturers. Its passage confirms Connecticuts reputation of being hostile to business and manufacturing in particular. Furthermore, the bill and its ramifications were not given adequate scrutiny during the committee process and the fiscal impact is grossly understated.

According to WDMA, the vague language of the bill opens the door for warranty coverage ofimproper installation or use of aproduct.

WDMA argues that the new lawis unnecessary because consumers are already covered by product warranties that protect them from legitimate product defects or failures. Many of those warranties will cover replacement costs. In addition, manufacturers provide specific instructions for the installation of products, along with maintenance and other important documents.

The association says that making all warranties cover all labor costs for product defects is unreasonable because products can fail for many reasons, such as improper installation, misuse or modification after installation, or improper maintenance.

WDMA thanks all members who contacted the General Assembly in opposition to the bill and we call on Governor Malloy to immediately veto this misguided legislation, said OBrien.

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Connecticut Passes Onerous Window Warranty Bill - DWM Magazine

Jeff Malachowski Daily News Staff @JMalachowskiMW

MARLBOROUGH A recently devised multi-year capital plan will help city officials effectively strategizefor the future, Finance Committee members said Monday.

The city last year received a $30,000 grant through the state'sCommunity Compact program to partner with the Edward Collins Center for Public Management at UMass to create a five-year capital improvementplan. Department heads met with center officials to discuss the in-depth capital needs of the city and createda plan thataddresses57 capital projects.

This $142.3 million all-funds, five-year capital improvement plan will make major inroads into addressing significant infrastructure needs that exist in Marlborough today, Mayor Arthur Vigeant wrote in a letter to the City Council.

Some of the big-ticket projects featured in the plan include $34 million to build a new elementary school, $23 million to renovate and expand the citys more than century-old library, $20 million for roadway maintenance and reconstruction and more than $8 million for a west side fire station.

The city is applying for state grant funding for the school and library building projects. The grants would likely cover about 50 percent of the cost of the projects. Communitiesreceivestate funding for roadway repairs each year. Other federal and state grants, free cashand funds from the operating budget will also pay for the upgrades.

"One-hundred fifty million is not going on the backs of the taxpayers," the mayor said.

Finance Committee member Kathleen Robey expressed some concerns that some smaller projects may be dependent on the city receiving grants.

Other projects in the plan include repairs to the City Hall bell tower, interior masonry work, roof and skylights; repairs and window replacement at the Public Works headquarters; upgrading Ghiloni Park; modernizing the Pleasant Street apartments; various police and DPW vehicle replacements; replacing the Hildreth and Whitcomb School roofs; and purchasing a 14-passenger van for the Council on Aging.

"I think the department heads did a real nice job outlining their needs for the next five years," said Finance Committee Chairman Michael Ossing.

To view the full capital plan visit http://www.marlborough-ma.gov.

Jeff Malachowski can be reached at 508-490-7466 or jmalachowski@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmalachowskiMW.

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Marlborough: Committee members say capital plan will help planning - MetroWest Daily News

MOLINE The inside of The Historic 5th Avenue Building looks more like a war zone than the future $18 million four-star hotel it will become.

City officials, including Mayor Stephanie Acri, were on hand to take a tour of the building Tuesday evening. The building is located at 1630 5th Ave.

Kirk Whalen, vice president of Heart of America Group, was very excited about the many historic features of the building.

"We have already taken out about 50 dumpsters of material, but the basement was full of a lot of historic fixtures which we saved," Mr. Whalen said. "We are going to repurpose everything we can."

Mr. Whalen said the focus on the project is to get it done correctly.

"Our vision is long term," Mr. Whalen said. "It will be ready to open when it is ready."

Old lamp shades, exit signs and even an exercise bike were among the items found in the building during the demolition work.

What were once offices is now a large, open space with piles of old ceiling tiles, plaster and debris on the floor.

Caleb Rogers, architect for Heart of America Group, said that most hotel brands offer a prototype of what they would want their hotels to look like.

"We provide a better property and more amenities to our guest than those prototype places," Mr. Rogers said. "So even if we did say the specific hotel that will be here, that probably wouldn't give you the exact flavor of the type of space that we are going to have."

Ray Forsythe, planning and development director, said this was one of the most exciting projects that is going to happen in downtown Moline.

"I think it is going to transform where we are today and where we are going to go in the future," Mr. Forsythe said. "They bring people that don't normally live in Moline to Moline."

He also said that hotels are the best uses for buildings because of the tax revenue that will be generated.

Once completed, the hotel will have more than 100 rooms, which will be located on the second through eighth floors.

Mr. Whalen said restoring the building to make it historically accurate and function as a hotel was not going to be an easy task. Nor will it be cheap, as the company estimates spending between $500,000 to $700,000 and at least five months of work just to make the building historically accurate.

The building also needs a new roof, window replacement and elevator housing. New windows will be soundproof, which should deflect the sound of passing trains, Mr. Whalen said.

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Moline officials tour future 4-star hotel - Quad-Cities Online

We are very pleased to receive the 2016 Super Service Award. Angies List is a well-respected organization and their stamp of approval carries a lot of weight with consumers.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) June 12, 2017

BM Windows, an independent replacement window and door company in San Diego, California, recently announced that their company is a recipient of the 2016 Angies List Super Service Award. The awards are given out annually by Angies List, a website dedicated to providing consumers with authentic reviews on home improvement companies.

As a recipient of the award, BM Windows will have an exclusive green badge on their Angies List profile indicating that they are a 2016 Super Service Award winner. They also are given Super Service Award stickers to place on their company vehicles and in their San Diego showroom.

Angies List Super Service Award winners must meet the following criteria set forth by Angies List. The service provider must:

Michal Bohm, owner of BM Windows in San Diego, had this to say about receiving the award: We are very pleased to receive the 2016 Super Service Award. Angies List is a well-respected organization and their stamp of approval carries a lot of weight with consumers. They do a good job of keeping fraudulent reviews from their site, making them a credible source for real, unbiased customer reviews.

Bohm continued, As a company, we work hard to provide every homeowner with excellent customer service. Its been our main focus since we opened the doors of our replacement window company. We do it because its the right thing to do. Receiving positive reviews and winning customer service awards like this one are just icing on the cake!

Businesses cannot pay to become Angies List Super Service Award winners. The award is given out largely based on verified customer reviews and ratings, and is a higher level of distinction than the Angies List Certified Provider designation, which is a distinction reserved for paid advertisers on Angies List who must only maintain an overall B rating on the site to qualify.

About BM Windows

BM Windows is a San Diego replacement window and patio door company specializing in vinyl retrofit products that perform well in coastal climates. The company was established with an unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and follows a simple philosophydeliver high-quality products and service at affordable prices, without the hassle of high-pressure sales presentations.

BM Windows has completed thousands of replacement window and door installations throughout San Diego County and was recently named one of the Fastest Growing Dealers by Door & Window Market Magazine. BM Windows was also named Dealer of the Year by Window & Door Magazine for excellence in customer service. Learn more about BM Windows at https://www.bmwindowsca.com/.

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BM Windows in San Diego Wins Angie's List Super Service Award - PR Web (press release)

You can suss out a lot about Apples priorities from the aspects of a product it leaves alone and the ones it never stops obsessing over.

Consider the iPad. Every generation of Apples tablet since the first one in 2010 has had the same stated battery lifeup to 10 hourswhich suggests that the company thinks that shooting for anything in excess of that would be wasted effort.

That 2010 iPad weighed a pound and a half, and felt a bit hefty in the hand. With 2013s iPad Air, Apple whittled that down to about a pound. And there the mid-sized iPads have stayed, weight-reduction mission accomplished.

However, when it comes to the iPads display, Apple has never been satisfied to rest on its technological laurels. Thats more apparent than ever with the new 10.5-inch iPad Proand its updated 12.9-inch counterpartwhich the company unveiled last week at the WWDC conference in San Jose. An awfully high percentage of their defining characteristics remain unchanged: Apple hasnt futzed with the existing iPad industrial design, transferred over iPhone features such as 3D Touch or a two-lens camera, or decided that iPads dont need headphone jacks.

Instead, nearly everything thats new about the new iPad Pro aims to make the experience of interacting with its screen better. That starts with the fact that the 10.5-inch screen is almost 20%larger than the classic 9.7-inch one as seen on last years model. Its also brighter (allowing for support of HDR video) and less reflective. And a technology called ProMotion can refresh the screen at 120Hz120 frames a second, double the previous rateso games and videos are as smooth as possible, but can also step that rate down to conserve power when showing something like a still photo. Even the new processor, the A10X Fusion, is interesting primarily because it allows for more graphical splendor and faster, more fluid interaction with the screen, even in apps that push the tablets capabilities to their limits.

For the last few days, Ive been testing a unit of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro provided for review by Apple. Even though its not a great leap forward from its iPad Pro predecessors, its a terrific, remarkably refined tablet. But its also an intriguing statement about where Apple thinks the iPad is headedespecially once iOS 11, which is rife with iPad-specific features, arrives. (The operating-system upgrade should ship this fall.) The new iPad Pros technological upgrades, focused as they are on showing off ambitious apps to their best advantage, come off as Apple responding to the iPad lines ongoing sales slump by giving developers the opportunity to build new experiences that will make the tablet compelling all over again.

Apple has released three new iPads this year, and choosing between them shouldnt leave anyone agonizing for too long. If youre spending carefully and mostly plan to consume stuff such as movies, games, e-books, and the web, the logical choice is the standard 9.7-inch iPad, which starts at $329. The 10.5-inch iPad Pros starting price of $649 is nearly twice as much, but gets you a much more versatile and powerful device, with a bigger and better display, faster performance, compatibility with the Apple Pencil stylus, and the ability to turn the tablet into a mini-laptop by connecting its magnetic Smart Connector to a keyboard from Apple or Logitech. The updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro, starting at $799, offers everything the 10.5-inch model does, in a much more expansive form aimed at people (like me!) who want to use an iPad all day long for tasks that less adventuresome types would perform on a Windows PC or Mac.

(The iPad lines outlier is the aging iPad Mininow available in a single storage size of 128 GB for $399 and the subject of ugly rumors that it isnt long for this world, possibly done in by the popularity of big-screen phones such as Apples own iPhone 7 Plus.)

When Apple has introduced new iPad screen sizes in the past, theyve redefined what the iPad was. 2012s iPad Mini made Apples tablet much more appealing to people who wanted something more akin to a totable digital paperback than the bigger, heavier, full-sized iPad. Conversely, the spacious 12.9-inch screen on 2015s original iPad Pro made the tablet a plausible laptop replacement for power users in ways that previous models had not been.

The new screen size of 10.5 inches, by contrast, is not transformative. Its just a big plus to have meaningfully more real estateand a higher resolution of 2224-by-1668 pixelsin nearly the same form factor as last years 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The most visible step Apple took to pull off that feat was to reduce the left- and right-hand sides of the bezel (in portrait orientation). But the company also performed a less obvious shrinkage of the top and bottom borders, and made the entire tablet longer, creating room for a slightly taller display. When you rotate the iPad into landscape mode, that extra height becomes extra width. And the extra width helps make the 10.5-inch iPad Pro feel more productive, as a computing device with Pro in its name should.

For starters, it makes for a wider, comfier on-screen keyboard, which Apple bills as a full-size keyboard. Its still smaller than all but the tiniest laptop keyboards, but easier to type on than the 9.7-inch one. The same goes for the new full-size version of Apples pricey $159 Smart Keyboard. (I hope that its build quality is more robust than that of earlier Smart Keyboards, whose fabric key tops, in my experience as an ardent iPad typist, start to show wear within weeks; Microsofts Type Cover for its Surface easily remains the worlds finest tablet keyboard.)

Just in general, the bigger screen makes spending extended time with something like a word processor more pleasant, especially if you use the split-view mode to plop another app alongside it as you work. The much larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro is still the more logical laptop replacement, but for a compact tablet that still weighs in at just over a pound, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is surprisingly well-suited to serious work. It should be a great machine for airplane seat-back trays.

The other screen improvementsincreased brightness and refresh rate, and the benefits they offercontinue the momentum of previous iPad Pros, which similarly aimed to dazzle with new display technologies. The original 2015 12.9-inch model, for instance, introduced something called variable refresh rate that, in retrospect, seems to have been a rough draft of the new models ProMotion, which also adjusts the refresh rate on the fly. Last years 9.7-inch model upped the brightness, widened the color gamut for more saturated colors, and added True Tone, a feature that sensed ambient lighting and adjusted colors for consistency.

What Im trying to say is that the advent of the new iPad Pros isnt like the introduction of the new iPad back in 2012, when the tablet gained a retina-resolution screen for the first time and the previous years iPad 2 suddenly looked like a jaggy antique. Instead, a device with a spectacular display has been supplanted by one that looks slightly more spectacular. (The contrast between the new iPad Pro and the original 12.9-inch model from 2015 is more significant than with the 9.7-incher.) Some of the things that are new about the new iPad Pro display will pay off once app makers have caught up: Its ability to display HDR video, for instance, will be a boon once companies such as Netflix and Amazon begin streaming HDR movies to iPads.

Already, among the beneficiaries of ProMotions 120Hz refresh rate is Apples Pencil styluswhich, it turns out, was being held back by previous iPad Pros. When I squiggled virtual ink onto the page in the Procreate app as fast as I could, the 10.5-inch iPad Pro kept up noticeably better than last years 9.7-inch model, creating a drawing experience that felt a little less digital and a little more real.

Like I said, Apple is obsessive about this stuff.

As for the new A10X processorwhich Apple says is up to 30% faster and up to 40% faster for graphicsits promise is mostly about letting developers ratchet up the ambition of their creations. You can see why Apple gave WWDC keynote time to Affinity Photo, a hyper-ambitious photo editor that has more of the kitchen-sink capability of full-blown Photoshop than the Photoshop apps that are available for the iPad. The A10x chips performance gains are apparent in areas such as the thumbnail previews of filter effects, which gradually pop into place on last years iPad Pro and are just there on the new model. This is the sort of app that benefits from as much computational horsepower as it can getand the more apps there are like it, the better the case for the iPad Pro as a PC-rivaling creativity machine.

Serifs Affinity Photo brings desktop-like image-processing power to the iPad. [Photo: courtesy of Serif Labs]Among the software that will leverage the A10Xs muscle is iOS 11 itself. When that update comes along, these new iPad Pro models will be capable of putting up to four apps on-screen at once: two in split view, a third in slide-over mode, and, if thats not enough to occupy your attention, the video from a fourth app as a pop-over window. Previous iPads may be plenty speedy for garden-variety tasks, but they wont be able to pull of that feat.

Along with the screen and processor improvements, Apple also upgraded both new iPad Pros cameras. Theyve got the same ones as the iPhone 7: a 12-megapixel model with a four-LED flash on the backside, and a seven-megapixel one on the front for FaceTime calls, selfies, and the like. The photos I shot indeed turned out just as crisp, colorful, and generally pleasing as if Id taken them with an iPhone 7; that probably wont eradicate the long-standing prejudice many people have against the whole concept of shooting photos and video with a tablet rather than a phone, but kudos to Apple for erring on the side of quality.

What else? The base iPad Pro models double their storage to 64 GB of space for your apps, photos, movies, documents, and the like, and now go all the way up to a crazy 512 GB of space, which I would mock as wretched excess if I didnt find the idea of a half-terabyte tablet tantalizing. And while Apple doesnt like to talk about RAM, the 10.5-inch iPad has 4 GB of the stuffdouble that of the 9.7-inch version, and helpful in scenarios such as if youve loaded up Safari with so many open tabs that the tablet needs copious free memory to wrangle them all at once. (The 12.9-inch iPad Pro had 4 GB from the get-go.)

As with the original and new 12.9-inch iPad Pros, the 10.5-inch model incorporates USB technology that allows it to charge nearly twice as fast as it does via its bundled Lightning cable and power brick. This requires buying a USB-C charger and USB-C-to-Lightning cable separatelywhich will run you at least $94and is an attractive option for those willing to spend the money. Still, it would be even better if the iPad Pro charged that quickly right out of the box.

The more I used the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, the more I felt like its full potential will be unlocked only when iOS 11 ships, with its powerful new features for juggling apps and files on an iPad. Apple seems to agree with that take, since its already showing the iPad Pro running the software upgrade on its site even though consumers wont get their hands on the final version for a few months. More than any other maker of computing devices, this company knows that its the interaction of hardware and software that matterswhich makes this new tablet, excellent though it is, a prelude to the next-generation iPad experience yet to come.

Harry McCracken is the technology editor for Fast Company, based in San Francisco. In past lives, he was editor at large for Time magazine, founder and editor of Technologizer, and editor of PC World.

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10.5-Inch iPad Pro Review: A Better Window Into The World Of Apps - Fast Company

Welcome to Comfort Windows The Name You Know, The People You Trust

Comfort Windows is New Yorks premier replacement window and home improvement company, and were proud to have been part of your community for more than 38 years. Family-owned and operated, weve built our home improvement company around our signature product, custom replacement windows, which we make ourselves right here in New York state.

We know you care about high-quality, locally made products, installed with skill and integrity. So thats what we strive to bring you every single day. Whatever your dream is for your current home, we can help you bring it to life. Visit us anytime at your local showroom in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany or Buffalo and turn your dreams into reality.

You all took the time to show us options and did an outstanding job in making us feel like our house was the only one that mattered to your company.

Harve & Gloria, Fabius

We not only see and feel the changes; the entire neighborhood has stopped by to say how nice the home looks.

Jess & Nancy, Cicero

Best home improvement option in NY. Superb service, high quality materials and craftsmanship, and even higher quality people.

Daniel, Albany

Were a full-service home improvement and remodeling company, but we made our name in this business with our replacement windows. Our founder, Bill Putzer, Jr., began his successful window business out of his home, but soon realized he could provide his customers better quality if he started manufacturing windows himself. Comfort Windows started doing that in 1983, and the result is a beautiful, highly functional, extremely energy-efficient window thats designed with the climate of New York state in mind. We make our own windows and install them ourselvesand we guarantee youll see and feel the result of our decades of experience.

We offer customized financing options for all our home improvement services based on your budget and needs. We dont profit from this service, so rest assured were motivated to get you the best deal.

Visit any of our four showrooms in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany or Buffalo in person to see how Comfort Windows products will actually look in your home.

If youre thinking of having your windows replaced or contacting a contractor to tackle another home improvement or remodeling project, why not give us a call now? Well come to your home for free and answer all your questions plus well leave you with a no-obligation exact price quote that cuts the guesswork out of planning and budgeting.

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Replacement Windows, Doors, Siding, Bathrooms | Comfort Windows

While there are many factors that affect the cost of your new or replacement windows or doors, you can easily find ways to keep your budget in check.

Complete your project in phases. If you have more than one window or door to replace, it might make sense to tackle the job in phases. Not only does splitting up the project help spread the cost over time, it also minimizes disruption to your home when its time for installation.

Ask about special financing offers. Many manufacturers offer financing options that help you spread the cost of your project over time. Usually, companies will give you special terms. These types of offers are typically only available for a limited time.

Check the manufacturers website or ask your window representative about any other current promotions or discounts that could save you money, like a percentage or dollars off products or installation. Being diligent about finding opportunities can help reduce the replacement window or door costs.

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Window Replacement Cost | Pella

Patch.com

Woman Loses $2800 In Window Replacement Scam: Blotter - Patch Patch.com Sandy Springs, GA - The following information was taken from the Sandy Springs Police Department's Weekly Wrap Up. and more »

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Woman Loses $2800 In Window Replacement Scam: Blotter - Patch - Patch.com

HamiltonNews

Dundas' Ellen Osler Home celebrates 'Windows on Justice' success HamiltonNews The Windows on Justice project at Ellen Osler Home in Dundas has involved more than window replacement and other building upgrades. After 13 years of quietly providing a 12-bed Salvation Army-managed community residential facility for female offenders ...

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Dundas' Ellen Osler Home celebrates 'Windows on Justice' success - HamiltonNews

YWCA receives needed repairs By STEPHANIE UJHELYI sujhelyi@the-review.com Published: June 7, 2017 3:00 AM

When the Ohio History Connection's Building Doctors were in town last fall, something caught their eye.

Although the YWCA of Alliance had been awarded $18,000 in Community Development Block Grant money from the 2016 allotment for window replacement, the west wall of the local landmark appeared problematic and needed to be a priority, explained agency director Gloria Whiteley-Magrath, whose office is one of two potentially affected by the issue revealed during an environmental review.

"A contractor said that the wall was still structurally sound but did note the issues," she said, adding that the funds award also had included replacement of the historic brackets on the building's eaves as well as repairs to the building tower. "The top priority was definitely the wall, as the contractor agreed that the windows would hold."

Throughout this week, employees from Coon Restoration enjoyed good weather while making the masonry changes.

Magrath said that due to the YWCA's local landmark status, the Alliance Historic Preservation Commission also was consulted on the project.

Richard Lott, the city's community development planner, did confirm that officials still haven't received their final 2017 CDBG numbers yet; however, if the allotment stands true to prediction -- equal to last year's -- then the YWCA of Alliance will receive $24,400 to replace those 11 windows.

The Building Doctors also visited the city's other public facility applicant, Alliance Fire Department's Station No. 3 (Mount Union), which apparently impressed, according to Lott. Assistant Fire Chief Danille Kemp's application for facade work to help with energy efficiency and repair the roof also was funded in this year's cycle.

The Ohio History Connection was "thrilled that the station is still in use after all these years and well maintained," he concluded.

Attempts to contact a representative for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development were unsuccessful Tuesday.

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Brick by Brick: YWCA receives needed repairs - The-review