When it comes to making our homes safe for those active babies and toddlers in our lives, we must think about childproofing furniture, electric outlets, small objects and more.

It can be easy to overlook something as simple as windows. But windows pose specific child hazards that are extremely important to address. Keep a few simple things in mind when it comes to windows and kiddos, and your little wild child will be safer.

Nearly one child per month dies from strangulation by cords attached to window treatments, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These cords are one of the most overlooked hazards in the home. Take these simple steps to avoid this danger when childproofing, and consider these options when outfitting the windows in your home:

The safest choice you can make are window treatments without accessible cords, such as cordless cellular shades, spring tension roller shades, plantation shutters and drapes (without cords or ties). If youre looking for new or replacement window treatments, consider these the safest options.

If you already have window treatments with continuous cord loop lift systems, be sure that cords are properly anchored to the wall. If you do not have an anchor or tensioning device, contact the manufacturer to request one.

If you already have window treatments with exposed cords and are not able to switch to a safer option, keep cords out of reach at all times by wrapping them around cord cleats high in the window.

Keep cribs, baby beds and other furniture away from windows where cords are within reach of your baby or toddler, as these items can be used as step stools to reach cords.

Cordless window treatments (cellular shades, shutters and drapes) are most important in bedrooms or playrooms, where kids may be left unattended. However, the safest choice is to use window treatments without accessible cords throughout your home. Fortunately, safer window treatments are available in many styles and price points, so replacing window treatments can be a simple childproofing upgrade.

2. Window locks and latches:

Window safety goes beyond just the window dressings. After all, windows are made of glass and are essentially open holes in your home some of them high above the ground. Its important to make sure children are not able to open windows and push through window screens. Beyond just locking windows shut, you can also install window stops in the frame to regulate how far up the window can go just in case your crafty kiddo manages to get through any safety locks.

Of course, you probably dont want to leave your windows closed year-round, and you dont need to even in the name of safety. In addition to installing window stops, you can install stronger, sturdier metal window guards in windows on higher floors to safeguard against falling.

Katie Laird is the director of social marketing for Blinds.com, and a frequent public speaker on social media marketing, social customer care and profitable company culture. An active blogger and early social technology adopter, you can find her online as happykatie, sharing home dcor, yoga, parenting and vegetarian cooking tips. Laird wrote this blog for momaha.com. To learn more about the variety of shades and other window treatments like those highlighted in this article, visit the Blinds.com website.

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Must-know window safety tips for children - Omaha World-Herald

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To protect the home and property in any weather, it is hard to look beyond Storm Fitters a clear expert in hurricane protection.

St Petersburg, FL, March 6, 2017 (Newswire.com) Modern windows and doors are the convenient means to make a home more energy efficient, as well as improve its overall appearance. However, many people are seen hesitating about replacing their old windows. Sometimes, they might not feel like changing the existing thing, while sometimes they cant afford the cost of the new windows, as well as the costs for the tools and installation. Storm Fitters is one such company that provides quality installation and services for replacement windows in Sarasota and St Petersburg FL, and doors at an affordable rate.

The company has an excellent track record of providing quality installation, meeting the expectation of their clients and customers. The expert technicians possess the knowledge and experience of providing quality service when it comes to installation and replacement of windows and doors. They are fully equipped to handle the task in a professional manner. For over 30 years, they have been serving West Central Florida, ensuring peace of mind in any weather.

The line of products includes a variety of security doors, windows, hurricane panels, and storm shutters and fabric protection. The quality service provided by Storm Fitters is largely characterized by highest quality craftsmanship and innovation. The experts also provide a consultation service to give a free estimate to their esteemed clients and customers.

Their product knowledge saves the clients and customers money because they help them choose the optimum product for their project. Besides the project management and installation experts are also the best in the industry. The experts pay personal attention to each and every client and treat them as if they are their first-time clients. It is their customer-centric attitude and dedication to delivering that has made them truly one-of-a-kind.

To learn more about the exterior doors in Spring Hill and Largo FL and other products, visit http://www.stormfitter.com.

About the Company:

StormFitters is the clear expert in Hurricane Protection in the 10-county, Tampa Bay market area, specializing in impact & non-impact window replacement, impact sliding doors, door updates, and door replacement, hurricane shutters and every type of severe weather exterior product.

Source: Stormfitters

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Purchase Replacement Window & Doors to Protect Your Home ... - Satellite PR News (press release)

Basically I have a 1995 Mustang v6 Convertible. It's not in the best condition visually (the paint is faded in a lot of places, bumper peeled almost all the way, needs a paint job bad) but the top is tearing from the anchors and on the top where it folds.

For now I have duct tape on it. It's not moving so it doesn't matter for now. any ideas on patches for the short term?

long term solution is obviously to replace it, Question is, I've seen tops ranging from 200-250 and some lower in the 170 range. Some of these have the plastic window that's bigger, but I'm worried about visibility in the long run since it is plastic. Other thing is, my window is fine but I don't know if it can be re-used or not.

Any advice? Thanks

Original post:
Convertible Top Replacement - Do I Need A New Window Or Can I Reuse Mine? - StangNet.com

Roazen previously practiced as an urgent care physician at CityMD of Park Slope in Brooklyn, N.Y., and an emergency medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, N.Y. She earned her medical degree from University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis and completed her residency in emergency medicine at New york Medical College's Metropolitan Program in New York.

DSGW Architects in Duluth promoted architect and associate Ryan Turner to the role of principal. Turner is a registered architect and holds accreditations in Evidence-Based Design and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. He has 20 years of experience in healthcare architecture.

Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank hired Katie Hagglund as marketing and special events coordinator. Hagglund has a bachelor's degree in mass communication and a master's in advocacy and political leadership.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Hanft Fride law firm in Duluth announced several attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers in America 2017. Attorneys were: William Burns, Jennifer Carey, John Kelly and Cheryl Prince. Both Burns and Carey were named to the real estate law list Burns for the 29th consecutive year and Carey for the fifth consecutive year. Kelly was chosen for the 21st consecutive year for his work in defending legal malpractice claims, and Prince was named to the family law list for the fifth consecutive year.

Cloquet Area Chamber of Commerce gave several awards to area individuals and businesses that have made significant contributions to the local state and national economies during the chamber's annual meeting and banquet in Black Bear Casino Resort's Otter Creek Event Center in February.

Large Business of the Year Award went to Upper Lakes Foods and was accepted on behalf of the company by Mitch Ryan, ULF multi-unit account executive.

Brent's Heating and Cooling of Carlton was presented with the Small Business of the Year Award. Mitch Minardi of BHC management accepted the award.

Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to Judd Selland, franchisee of Taco John's/Steak Escape in Cloquet and Hibbing. In the past year, Selland served on the chamber's golf-outing and public policy committees. He also sponsored the Young Life Lunch at Cloquet High School, and is past chair and treasurer of the board.

Heritage Window and Door of Superior received two national awards from Renewal By Andersen for excellence in the field of window replacement including the Green Diamond Award for Home Owner Satisfaction for the second consecutive year and Retailer of the Year for City and Rural Markets. Heritage was recognized for remarkable growth in 2016 coupled with standout homeowner satisfaction ratings.

Century 21 Real Estate honored sales associate Jodi Olson with the Century 21 President's Producer Award for having earned the Century 21 Centurion Award and Century 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award in the same calendar year.

To earn the President's Producer Award, Olson earned $225,000 in sales production in one year. She earned the Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award by earning a score of 95 percent or better for 30 percent of her customer surveys for two consecutive years.

CERTIFICATIONS AND ACCREDITATIONS

Consulting, Management and Realty Associates in Duluth announced realtor Chad Watczak earned the Graduate Realtor Institute designation. Watczak earned the designation by attending specific series of intensive instruction covering a variety of subjects including professional standards, legal issues, sales and marketing, finance and risk reduction, technology and social media.

NEW BUSINESS/RELOCATIONS

Chad Behling launched ControlBright, an online LED lighting market company based in Hermantown, at controlbright.com. The tech startup provides a cloud-controlled management platform for LED lighting. ControlBright's is headquartered at 5019 Airport Road, phone number is (888) 929-9936 and email is info@controlbright.com.

Originally posted here:
Biz Buzz - Duluth News Tribune

Published on March 2 2017 8:24 pm Last Updated on March 2 2017 8:31 pm Written by Greg Sapp

A contract totaling $5,475,222 was awarded Thursday by the Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education to GRP Mechanical to oversee health and life safety work at Central Grade School and Effingham High School.

The award of the contract is contingent on the State Board of Education approving the list of proposed projects for health and life safety funding. That approval should come within the next week or so.

Our Greg Sapp talked with Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan after the meeting about what happens from here?...

The key decision for the Board beyond whether to proceed with the project was what type of roof should replace the existing roof on the high school building. The decision was to go with a fully adhered roof, although it will cost close to $200,000 more than another option considered.

Unit 40 Assistant Superintendent Rem Woodruff said, "If you're asking me what to do, if I had a vote, I'd go with the fully adhered roof." Woodruff said he researched the other roof option, and found it came recommended by others who have good reputations in the roofing business, but said he knows the fully adhered roof and that's what he recommended. The previous three roofs the district has placed on buildings have been the fully adhered roofs.

Board members Carol Ruffner and Jane Willenborg were in favor of saving money and using the other roof style, Ruffner saying she could see where else that $200,000 in savings could be used. The other members present, Todd Schafer, Steve Bone and Brian Wick, favored the fully adhered option, going with Woodruff's recommendation.

Other components of the project will include window replacement at Central, some flooring replacement at Central, replacement of the HVAC system at EHS and installation of air conditioning in the gyms at EHS.

Superintendent Mark Doan said substantial completion of the project is due September 15, meaning the project will be finished after the next school year begins, but the feeling is the situation can be worked out.

The district plans to sell its own bonds to finance the work, with the bonds being paid off once property tax revenue is received.

The Board Thursday also expelled three students; two through the end of the current school year, and one through the first semester of the 2017-18 school year. Ruffner and Willenborg voted No on one of the expulsions through the end of this year, and Ruffner abstained from the vote on the student expelled through the first semester of the 17-18 year.

The rest is here:
Unit 40 Board Contracts for Roof Work, Other Health/Life Safety Projects at Central, EHS - Effingham's News Leader

In 2007, Nancy Crabill asked to have her house designated historic by the City of Coronado. Ten years later, that designation has come back to haunt her family as they try to fix up the long-neglected home.

In February, the city council voted to order Crabill to uninstall the modern sliding aluminum windows and to reinstall the old ones or pay to have new, historically accurate windows built and installed. The city fined her $400, but the estimated cost of putting in windows, removing them, and restoring them comes in at around $60,000.

Nancy Crabill doesn't know about that. At 98, she has severe dementia and lives with her daughter who takes care of her. Crabill's daughter, Carol Clark, has been overseeing the repairs to the home in the past year and a half, including a $16,000 roof, a bathroom remodel, and replacing the leaking windows. The family's plan is to rent the house for now.

"The casement windows were not secure," she explained. "We thought it would be better to have windows that would let people feel safe." But she ran afoul of past and current members of the Historic Resource Commission, who fought her down to the last window. Clark proposed to restore the street-facing windows and on both sides of the house but to leave the modern windows in the back of the house.

The windows included leaded glass in diamond patterns on casement windows and wood that had rotted so badly that the windows leaked water and cold air, said Clark. Crabill's neighbors include past historic commission members who wrote letters that began the investigation.

Calling the replacement windows "ugly," Ann Parish Boston a past member of the historic commission wrote to city officials, saying one of her neighbors had reported the new windows to the city. "Those timeless, beautiful windows were really the beauty and the highlight of the front of the home," she wrote.

A member of the historic commission who met with or called all but one member of the city council on the matter said that Crabill's parents had built the house. "My grandmother owned the house next door," said commission member Susan Keith. "If you allow the appeal to go through, you are setting such a bad example everyone else is going to do it."

But one past member, John O'Brien, says the city's order to undo and redo means enormous costs to Crabill's family after they spent $20,000 to $30,000 for the new windows that will be removed.

"I don't think there was any intent to break the rules," O'Brien said. "When I was on the commission, we saw our role as helping people take care of historic homes. We didn't take the role of policing people."

It was the first time the city had a code enforcement on a historically designated property, mayor Richard Bailey noted. The Crabill family was given a year to get proper permits and complete the work.

See the rest here:
"Ugly" windows replace historic in Coronado - San Diego Reader

Microsoft RT users had to be content with Windows Store apps and web-based applications. Photograph: Alamy

My wife has used a Microsoft Surface RT tablet for a few years in her job as a tutor. She has found its size and the touch keyboard invaluable in her planning and writing up of lessons, especially as this often happens in the car between pupils. Unfortunately, it is becoming less reliable, and much slower, and she is looking for a replacement. She has looked at the new Surface Pros, but does not want to spend more than 500. She requires Microsoft Office, a long battery life and portability.

By the way, I also wanted to thank you for the advice you gave my daughter in What sort of tablet should I buy for drawing? Niamh bought a Wacom tablet and is very pleased. John

Microsoft launched the Surface RT in 2012 when the tablet market looked promising. It was the first tablet to run Windows on an ARM chip, which provided long battery life. It also made it incompatible with all the traditional software written for Intel x86 versions of Windows, including viruses.

The Surface RT tablets included Microsoft Office, which was good, but it wasnt optimised for touch-screen use, which was bad. Otherwise, users had to be content with Windows Store apps and web-based applications.

While Surface RT users loved their machines, there were not many of them, and Microsoft abandoned the ARM line in favour of the successful Intel-based Surface Pro versions. However, ARM-based versions will return to the market later this year.

Your wifes Surface RT should not have slowed down that much, and a reset might speed it up again. To do this, take a backup of the current system or at least, all the personal data and restore it to factory condition. Run the Settings app (cogwheel icon), select Update & security, click Recovery and then hit the Get started button under Reset this PC.

The drawback is that you will have to reinstall all the updates that have been downloaded previously. This could take some time.

You could also optimise Windows for speed.

Windows has a lot of visual effects: for example, things slide into view instead of instantly popping into view. To change this, type in advanced system settings to find the System Properties sheet from the old Control Panel. In the Performance section, click the Settings button and then select Adjust for best performance.

After that, go through the list of effects and restore any you still want. Enable Peek, Show shadows under mouse pointer, Show window contents while dragging and Smooth edges of screen fonts are worth keeping.

Unfortunately, the Surface RT is a sealed box, like most tablets. You cant get the simple improvement that works with desktop and some laptop PCs: just add RAM.

The whole tablet market is in decline Apple iPad sales are roughly half what they were at their peak and manufacturers are shifting resources to AR (augmented reality, such as the Microsoft HoloLens) and VR (virtual reality, such as the Oculus Rift). Windows PC manufacturers switched to 2-in-1s and then convertibles, where sales are still growing strongly.

Unfortunately, the better products are generally more expensive, including the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, the HP Spectre x2, HP Elite x2, and Dell Latitude 11 5175. Theres a huge gap between pro tablets and convertibles with Intel Core processors, 8GB of memory and proper SSDs and the cheap, casual models with Intel Atom processors, 2GB of memory and 32GB of eMMC Flash storage.

It can be hard to find affordable machines in the sweet spot between the two extremes. These may have Intel Core M processors such as the Core m3-6Y30 and 4GB or 8GB of memory. The best compromise is a Cherry Trail (x3, x5 or x7) Atom-powered machine with 64GB of eMMC storage.

The one Id recommend at the moment is last years Lenovo Miix 310, which has an Atom x5-Z8350 processor, 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage for a current web price of 249.99 (30 off). However, this week, Lenovo unveiled the Miix 320 with 128GB of storage, so it might be worth waiting for that.

The main alternative is the Asus Transformer Book T100HA, which has a Cherry Trail x5-Z8500 processor, 2GB of memory and either 32GB or 64GB of storage. Currently, eBuyer has the 2GB/64GB model for 229.97 with free delivery. The T100HA has been around for a while, and the Miix 310 has twice the memory and a better keyboard.

In both cases, the electronics are behind the screen, so you can detach the screen from the keyboard and use it as a tablet. (The virtual keyboard is built into Windows 10.) The alternative is to keep the electronics under the keyboard and fit a 360-degree hinge. Folding the keyboard behind the screen provides a somewhat thicker tablet. The Lenovo Yoga range pioneered this approach, and your wife could have a look at one to see if the idea is acceptable. Yogas come in dozens of configurations but a Yoga 300 with an Intel Pentium N3710, 4GB of memory and 64GB of storage costs 279.99 from PC World. The N3710 is faster than the x5-Z8500, though not by much.

You dont say if your wife is using a stylus. I hope so, because a Surface-style device, Microsoft OneNote and a stylus is a terrific system for educational use. However, adding a stylus and a pen-capable screen bumps up the price, usually beyond your budget.

The main exception is the Asus Transformer Mini T102HA (x5-Z8350/4GB/64GB) with a stylus, which costs 449.95 at John Lewis, or 398.46 on Amazon. However, Microsoft currently has a Signature Edition (ie crapware free) version for only 349.

I believe the Mini T102HA is the cheapest current 2-in-1 with a stylus, unless you are willing to risk a Chinese product such as a Teclast X3 Pro or X5 Pro. These arent even included in Tablet PC Reviews invaluable spreadsheet of pen-capable Windows 10 systems.

The other possibility is Microsofts Surface 3 not the same as a Surface Pro 3 if you can still find one at a reasonable price. Microsoft has some at a student price of 449.99, if you pre-qualify as a student.

Lenovos very innovative Yoga Book is also worth a look at 549.99.

Windows 10 is a mobile operating system, like Android, and also runs on ARM chips in smartphones, which arent expected to run traditional x86 Windows programs. Later this year, however, we expect to see ARM-based tablets and small laptops running Windows 10 on the next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. Qualcomm has a Microsoft demo video on its website.

These new devices wont be the same as the Surface RT. The main difference is that they have enough power to run traditional x86 programs under emulation. The Snapdragon 835 also supports touch, pen and the latest wireless standards: LTE, 802.11ad and Bluetooth 5.

Early models will probably be designed and priced for corporate use, but consumer versions should follow.

Have you got another question for Jack? Email it to Ask.Jack@theguardian.com

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Are there any good Windows 10 tablets to replace an old Surface RT? - The Guardian

EAST LIVERPOOL A window replacement project at Kent State-East Liverpools Purinton Hall begins today.

The project will involve the replacement of nearly 75 windows with more energy-efficient units. Work will begin with top-floor windows facing Fourth Street and move to the Broadway Street side of the building.

Campus officials ask motorists and pedestrians to use caution when near the site, a release states.

Street parking around Purinton Hall will be limited during construction. There will be no parking in the gravel lot across from Purinton Hall on Broadway until the project is completed.

Some sidewalks around the site also will be temporarily closed, but building access will be maintained. Mechanical lifts will be located on the edge of the streets and heavy equipment will likely be crossing the street to transport windows. Everyone is asked to use caution when in the area and adhere to all construction zone limits, the release reads.

The work is expected to continue through March 17, but that schedule could change due to inclement weather.

Traffic check point NEWELL The Hancock County Sheriffs Office will be conducting a traffic check point ...

EAST LIVERPOOL City Councils finance committee reviewed during its meeting Tuesday permanent appropriations ...

WELLSVILLE - After nearly two years of discussions between both Yellow Creek Township trustees and representatives ...

See more here:
Window replacement begins at Purinton Hall - The Review

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Link:
Replacement Windows - Universal Windows Direct

CARSON CITY Assemblywoman Heidi Swank says Nevada could save money by considering alternatives before replacing windows in state buildings.

Swank, D-Las Vegas, told members of the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs that retrofitting options can save money over new window replacement, be just as energy efficient, and provide a greater return on investment for taxpayers.

The big motivating factor for this is we need to stretch our meager public dollars, Swank said Monday.

Swank said options such as window inserts, surface film or insulated cell shades can be just as effective.

Assembly Bill 160 would require the Division of Public Works to evaluate options before replacing windows in state government buildings.

The state would also have to work with and obtain approval from the Office of Historic Preservation before using an alternative in buildings at least 50 years old.

No action was taken by the committee.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewmournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.

Continue reading here:
Nevada assemblywoman wants to save money on window replacement - Las Vegas Review-Journal