Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

This is the seventh story in this summers online Flash Fiction series. You can read the entire series, and our Flash Fiction stories from previous years, here.

Between the exterior wall and the Sheetrock, a waterproofing layer was missing. The builders, in their defense, said that the layer had simply been forgotten about, not left out in an intentional move to save money. The building was faculty housing, occupied only by professors and their families. All but one professor were untenured. Half had kids under ten.

The layer had been found to be missing during a city inspection a decade ago. Repairs were put off for nine years. The school, as both employer and landlord, cited extreme busyness, and pointed out that, despite the missing barrier, no actual apartment floods had occurred. Year ten there was a global pandemic, but year ten was also the end of the remediation period, so construction had to start. The contractor hosted a virtual meeting to explain the many phases of the process. The slide show had several typos. Demolition became demonition; no apartment number was listed correctly. How disruptive would all this be, the dance professor asked, and the cherub-faced blond contractors spokesman answered politely, Very much so, maam. Then the chemistry professor chimed in about particulates. If the entire brick faade was being torn off, what was being done about air-quality control? The chemistry professor had small children. Small children had small lungs. The blond man said that they would tape over everyones windows. They would tape over the vents of everyones A.C.s. So, no A.C.s or windows? another professor asked. All through summer, no opening windows or running A.C.s? This professor, who taught biology and kept on the buildings rooftop a colony of honeybees, was not known to repeat himself. The blond man said that that was correct. And that the rooftop would be closed to accommodate the rigging, so the bee colony would have to be moved.

To better address the concerns of the tenants, a second virtual meeting was called, and predictably it went much worse.

The third virtual meeting was cancelled, and, a day later, scaffolding went up. Spaghetti-like ropes encased the building, and men in orange vests carrying hammer drills appeared on skinny platform lifts. Windows were covered with a neon-blue film that turned every room into an aquarium and gave tenants headaches. No ones complained about the blue film before, the contractor said, though he then admitted to never having worked on an occupied building before. Clear film was procured four days later, the windows retaped.

The contractor did boast about having an on-site hygienist, a woman who was copied on e-mails but whom no one had met.

For three weeks, the noise level was terrible, from nine to five, Monday through Friday, with no pause. The new writing professor was trying to finish a novel but could only write things like So this is what it must feel like to live inside a tooth that a dentist is trying to drill. The tooth occupied her thoughts nightly. She hadnt gone to the dentist in years. Red dust coated the window film; plumes of smoke were seen. The religion professor brought up the plumes, how, from her red-tinted window, they seemed cloudlike even. The contractor replied immediately, copying the hygienist, to clarify that what the professor saw was not a plume or anything close to a cloud but a puff of smoke being aggrandized by the wind.

Each morning, there was an e-mail update explaining which units would be most directly affected that day, though the apartment numbers were still incorrect. So, to figure out if you were truly going to be affected, you had to watch for where the huge mechanical pulley on the roof was dropping lifts. Glancing up at the building from the outside, the ceramics professor was reminded of his childhood, and that unwinnable arcade game with a bin of plush toys and a slippery claw. He was on the corner waiting for Mister Softee. He was waiting for Mister Softee because his three boys, who were inside, had told him to text them when the truck was in sight.

The technical term for what was missing was flashingan embedded sheet of metal that prevents moisture from penetrating a buildings walls. Flashing is particularly important at junctions, around windows, vent pipes, etc. No one thought anymore of the words other meaningscommitting indecent exposure, for example, running buck naked across a green field in a Superman cape, as the six-year-old son of the dance professor had done during his first soccer game.

Inclement weather set in one weekend, a hurricane muscling through from the south. Rain fell for three days and nights, and the history professor, whose apartment was right below the pulley, said it sounded as if it were raining within the walls. Could there be a leak? He sent the company an audio clip. The company responded a minute later. Leaks were impossible. They had sealed all the leaks because that was what they were here to do. Below the history professor lived a math professor, who all weekend had been collecting the water that had funnelled into her office through the ceiling. She used a one-gallon bucket, and shed emptied the bucket into the bathtub five times. The math professor was married to the East Asian Studies professor. Not that ironically, the former was Asian and the latter white. Between gallons three and four, the former had drafted an angry e-mail to the school, but then stared at her unnuanced message. She worried about being the squeaky wheel, when she and her husband had upcoming third-year reviews. Still, she asked if he could rewrite and send the e-mail, given both his nuance skills and the fact that the administration might take him more seriously. That would be taking advantage of his privilege, he thought, and shook his head, but encouraged her to send the e-mail, since she should feel empowered to and he was never going to stand in her way. A quarrel about feminism followed. No e-mail was sent.

Over text, some tenants hatched a plan. They would implore the one tenured residentan economics professorto declare war by sending the e-mail and hiring a lawyer who would then launch the war by suing the school. But the economics professor was away. Hed left for Crete at the start of the construction, on a private jet owned by one of his friends.

Originally posted here:
Flash Fiction: The Faade Renovation Thats Going Well - The New Yorker

Good Housekeeping

Theres more to setting up your new TV than fiddling with the menus to get the best picture quality and downloading your favourite streaming apps to watch the latest season of Virgin River or catch up on missed episodes of Strictly Come Dancing where you place your telly in a room has a big impact on your viewing experience.

Theres no rule that it has to go on a TV stand. In fact, there are plenty of reasons not to use the feet that come in the box and instead take advantage of your wall space. Mounting your telly lets you change the angle of the screen, gives you more room for furniture and, as the set is less likely to topple over, its safer for kids too.

Wall brackets are available to fit all sizes of TV whether its an expensive 4K model or a more affordable set under 500 and are installed relatively easily using pre-built holes on the back (you will see this called VESA, more on that below). Some keep the telly in a fixed position, while others let you swivel, tilt or turn it within 180 degrees.

Interested? Heres our pick of the best TV wall brackets in 2022:

Not sure which bracket is best for you or what questions you should consider before buying? Keep scrolling to read a buyers guide under our recommendations.

We test the best TV wall brackets based on build quality, ease of installation and how well they connect to your TVs VESA mount, plus how well the TV weight is supported once fixed to the wall. We look out for extra features they offer, such as built-in cable management or spirit levels. This list is based on rigorous research comparisons of specifications, features, design quality and pricing plus hands-on experience.

Best TV wall mount overall

Best fixed TV wall mount

Best budget fixed TV wall mount

Best tilt TV wall mount

Best wall mount for small TVs

Best wall mount for small to medium TVs

Best wall mount for big screen TVs

Best wall mount for heavy TVs

The main types of TV wall mount

TV wall brackets come in all shapes and sizes, but the most common types are fixed (also called flat or low profile), tilting and full motion. As the name suggests, fixed mounts keep your TV in one place, working best if the telly is around eye level, so you wont strain your neck looking up during your next classic movie marathon. Tilting wall brackets can be moved so the screen shifts forwards slightly, and these are best for TVs higher above your eye level, such as above a fireplace.

Full motion brackets are easily the most complex of the bunch, letting you extend the telly outwards, tilt or swivel it side-to-side. These work in any room where you need to move the screen to find the perfect viewing angle, but are the hardest to install.

How to find the right TV wall mount

Once you have picked the type of wall mount that works best for your home, you will need to make sure it fits on your telly. Read the spec sheet for the bracket and make sure it handles your screen size (this is measured in inches), weight (measured in kilograms) and the size of VESA mount (measured in millimetres).

What exactly is a VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association)? This refers to four pre-built screw holes you will find on the back of your TV used to connect a mount. Lets keep this simple. If you cant find the details in the manual or online, you can measure this yourself: its the distance (in millimetres) between the two horizontal holes and the distance between the two vertical holes. So, if your result is 100 mm across and 100 mm high your VESA is 100 x 100 mm. Common sizes are 200 x 200, 400 x 400 and 600 x 400, but every telly is different so always check.

Lastly, your wall has to be strong enough to support both the weight of your TV and the bracket. Try to stick to sturdy brick or concrete walls if possible. Use on drywall or a stud wall may not be possible, or need extra support with professional installation.

Wall mounting your TV: pros and cons

For us, the biggest pro of wall mounting your TV is that it saves space getting the telly up high means you dont need a large stand or cabinet taking up valuable square inches, giving you more room for sofas, accent chairs or a childrens play area. This opens up another exciting possibility for more snug homes: using a wall means you can shop for larger screen sizes. Even better, you no longer have to lay out all of your furniture and sofas facing the direction of your TV.

If you do have children (or if youre just slightly clumsy) having the TV on the wall is safer as the set cant be toppled over and cause an injury. At the same time, using a tilted or a motion mount gives you more flexibility on how the screen is positioned, letting you swivel the display away from glare pouring through the blinds.

Of course, there are also a few downsides to mounting your telly. The biggest is that doing so usually requires more effort than just popping on the feet and setting it on a cabinet. Installation is always fairly easy, but may require a helper and you often have to use a drill. Failing to do it properly can result in damage to your TV (and wall).

Its also important to remember that you may also lose easy access to ports on the back of the TV so connecting a set-top box, streaming device or wired soundbar may be more difficult. Unless you have good cable management, you may also see wires hanging down from the telly to the power socket. And the issue with not using a larger TV cabinet in your living room? You lose the storage that comes with it.

Continued here:
Best TV wall mounts and brackets for 2022 in the UK - Good Housekeeping

CLEVELAND, Ohio When youre broke, you learn how to fix things. When you have money, you pay a pro.

Thats the wisdom my dad shared with me once, probably when my first car was leaking coolant and overheating. And I stubbornly thought changing the cars thermostat would fix a much larger problem.

Sometimes the pro is worth it. Other times, it pays to be resourceful. With rising prices from groceries to energy bills, many of us are more worried about money.

Buying my first home recently has given me plenty of things to fix but feeling broke didnt make unclogging my sink any easier. But two local nonprofits I didnt previously know about could have made it much easier.

These two organizations, Home Repair Resource Center in Cleveland Heights and LakewoodAlive, offer a variety of classes to teach people how to make common fixes around the home. You dont have to live in these cities to attend.

Theres no question that if you can paint and scrape your own home, youre going to save thousands of dollars, said David Brock, education and outreach coordinator at the Home Repair Source Center.

Saving You Money is cleveland.coms and The Plain Dealers new column about saving money. If youre feeling the pinch of record inflation, youre not alone. The goal of Saving You Money will be helping readers save and highlighting resources that can help, maybe with some bargain bin shopping in between.

We want to know how we can help you save money. Send your questions and comments to smcdonnell@cleveland.com.

Both LakewoodAlive and the Home Repair Resource Center work toward similar goals. Teach people about their homes. Show them how to make fixes and perform maintenance. And create educated consumers so that they know how to shop for contractors when need be.

There are plenty of helpful videos and articles online, and even friendly workers at local hardware stores. But its hard to beat local people ready to help or provide hands-on learning at a small fee.

The savings in some cases can be substantial.

Take tuck-pointing, which is fixing the mortar joints between bricks. If you spend four hours fixing your homes front steps or brick faade, thats potentially $100-an-hour in savings, Brock said.

A plumber usually charges $100 to $150 just to show up for a clog, which you may be able to handle yourself.

A leaky faucet might be fixed with a $20 part, rather than buying a whole new faucet.

Learning how to caulk, sealing cracks around windows and doors, can save 15% on energy bills, Brock said. And regular maintenance can prevent costly projects down the road.

Little projects add up. And you can start small.

Matt Clark, the Tool Box coordinator at LakewoodAlive, said outdoor projects are a good confidence builder. Doing some landscaping or building a stone patio can get you started before you paint accent walls or hang a big TV.

It really depends on your comfort level, but Clark and Brock recommended a few projects to start.

Basic plumbing is good to learn. Everyone gets a clog at some point. So is drywall patching and painting, and maintenance to keep water out of the basement.

Even minor electrical work, like replacing an outlet or a light fixture, can be done with the right precautions. Clark even fixed a refrigerator, what would have been a $200 repair, with a vacuum and a YouTube video.

Both Clark and Brock stress safety. If the project can hurt you, you need to rent heavy equipment, or if youre just in over your head, you should start smaller.

Its better to start with projects where you can stand or lay down, rather than going on a ladder.

You can build that comfort over time. I feel comfortable on the roof, but if I see wires I freak out. For others its the reverse problem.

A display at the Home Repair Resource Center in Cleveland Heights is used to teach homeowners about circuits and electrical work.Sean McDonnell, Cleveland.com

Part of what makes hands-on classes great, Brock said, is people can fail in class rather than at home.

Both the Home Repair Resource Center and LakewoodAlive have services open to anyone, but residents can get discounts and have access to the tool libraries.

Hands-on classes at the Home Repair Resource Center cover a variety of topics like installing locks on a door, wiring light fixtures, looking for studs and tiling walls.

A single repair class is $25 while an advanced repair workshop is $40. A six-part womens how-to series is $150. Residents from partner cities (Cleveland Heights, Euclid and Shaker Heights) are eligible for discounts, and added discounts of 50% to 100% are available to low-income residents.

The Home Repair Resource Centers extensive tool library is temporarily closed until a new person is hired to run it. When open, its only for residents. You can reach the Center at 216-381-6100 or find it at hrrc-ch.org.

LakewoodAlive is holding Knowing Your Home series that runs through October.Courtesy of LakewoodAlive

LakewoodAlive has a Knowing Your Home educational series running through October that is in-person, and held at different locations depending on the class. These are free and open to the public, including non-Lakewood residents. Readers can find classes at lakewoodalive.org/knowing-your-home-educational-series.

The Lakewood Tool Box is available for just city residents, tenants and landlords. Residents can get a membership for $30 while landlords pay $75. Theres a refundable deposit to borrow tools.

You can reach LakewoodAlive at 216-521-0655 or visit lakewoodalive.org.

While I think these nonprofits are a best bet, there are other resources to turn to.

Lowes and Home Depot both have workshops livestreamed on their websites. They offer in-person workshops that vary by store.

The internet is obviously full of information. Brock recommends starting with Google, rather than YouTube, because youll get a broader set of results.

A YouTube channel I often turn too is I Like To Make Stuff. The host builds a wide-range of things but has lots of home-specific videos in his archive. Obviously, PBS This Old House is a classic that you can turn to.

The most frustrating thing for me, whether its fixing my home or any other skill, is Im bad at most things the first time I do them.

Clark says Im not alone. He learned the hard way on his first house, too. To get it right, you just have to keep doing it, he said.

And nothing is perfect. Youll notice that most walls arent square, straight, or flat. And wherever you see molding, like around windows and doors or on the floor, it covers up gaps you dont want to see.

An important step Clark recommends that I shouldnt have skipped: Do your research first.

After painting but before writing this, I took an online paint seminar from Home Depot. While the hosts had too many bad jokes, they also pointed out several things I wish I had done.

Same goes for unclogging my sink. I tried snaking it and throwing every chemical or homemade concoction I could think of down the drain. I learned from Brock and Clark later that some of those chemicals could eat away my drainpipe.

People can almost always redo something that didnt turn out well. Clark, who worked in construction himself, said the pros make mistakes too. And they also look things up online from time-to-time.

It can seem daunting, but youll get better at doing-it-yourself overtime. And youll save in the process.

Consider these online retailers for your DIY needs:

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Looking to save on home repairs? Your labor is free; 2 Cleveland-area nonprofits offer great resources to hel - cleveland.com

-Analysis-

BERLIN The maps on TV weather reports were a glowing swathe of red. As the summer heatwave took hold in Germany, the country experienced record temperatures, with the mercury rising to over 35 C in many places.

Every year, this time sees a fall in unemployment rates and a rise in heat-related deaths. But why do we take it for granted that the fierce heat outside must be reflected indoors?

In winter we have no problem with turning the heating on to keep our homes warm. In summer, there is also a simple technological solution air conditioning. It costs relatively little, can be easily installed and creates a comfortable indoor temperature at the click of a button. It comes as standard in cars, but is rare in offices and homes in Germany. Only 3% of all homes in the country have air conditioning, whereas in the U.S. it is around 90%.

Instead, Germans sweat and complain, congregating around fans to swap tips about wearing wet T-shirts and debate the merits of ice water. It would cost no more than a few thousand euros to put an end to all this suffering: even multi-split air conditioners that control the climate of multiple rooms cost far less than many electric bikes.

But calls for air conditioning are met with suspicion and judgment. What about the environment? Air conditioners use too much energy they cause global warming. No thanks. Much better to suffer for a couple of months every year for the sake of the planet.

Unfortunately, this argument makes no sense. Perhaps it did 20 or 30 years ago before solar and wind energy really took off. But now that we have high-tech solar panels available for relatively low prices, it is redundant.

Solar power lends itself perfectly to powering air conditioners because when the sun is beating down and causing heatwaves, its also providing plenty of energy. Even a small roof can provide enough energy to cool an entire house.

So we could easily install air conditioning in our homes without worrying about our carbon footprint. Even in the U.S., where restaurants and hotels maintain Arctic temperatures in summer, air conditioners only account for 6% of energy use.

There is an unpleasant preachiness to the entire debate. In some places, air conditioning is banned and energy companies share tips for how to survive summer without it.

At the University of Zrich, for example, laboratories that carry out experiments on animals are allowed to have air conditioning, while students, administrative staff and professors are forced to stew in their own sweat because the local authorities refuse to allow air conditioning to be installed in those buildings.

This is despite the fact that cognitive functions have been shown to decline significantly once the temperature reaches 25 C. With mental rather than physical work increasingly becoming the norm in developed countries, this irrational hatred of air conditioning is counterproductive.

In the U.S., the Sun Belts economic boom was only made possible by the widespread adoption of air conditioning. In southern Europe, many homes and almost all offices have air conditioning installed.

This self-imposed suffering in many northern European countries is nothing more than self-righteous posturing. Yes, we are uncomfortable, often for weeks at a time, and older people are dying of heat stroke, but were doing our bit for the environment. We couldnt possibly take the easy way out.

As if individual suffering was necessary to spur us on to do something about climate change. In his wonderful essay The Unbearable Ugliness of Volvos, American literary theorist Stanley Fish describes a kind of automatic self-denial, whereby people consider themselves superior to others if they deny themselves the thing they truly desire.

So, just as many people buy a Volvo when they really want a Porsche, this hatred of air conditioning is above all an intellectual form of self-hatred, a kind of anti-materialism, where people define themselves by their own suffering and champion their cause with an almost religious fervor. Their motto? Even if it doesnt help the environment, I suffer, therefore I am (morally superior).

From Your Site Articles

Related Articles Around the Web

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A/C And Global Warming: A Northern Call To Embrace Air Conditioning - Worldcrunch

On June 25, 24-year-old UPS driver Esteban Chavez Jr. collapsed in the back of his truck while working, and died. Temperatures in the Los Angeles area that day were in the high 90s.

Hundreds of other UPS workers around the country suffer from heatstroke every summer, as UPS refuses to install air conditioning in its trucks or warehouses.

In our own Teamsters Local 804 in New York City, a supervisor even told a driver who was suffering heatstroke while working not to call an ambulance, and tried to keep him from filing a workers comp claim. Later that day the driver was hospitalized for heatstroke.

And, though we have a contractual right to have at least fans in our trucks, in New York City UPS refused to install fans for months.

At the same time, the company began installing something else: driver-facing surveillance cameras with audio and video capabilities, to ratchet up the already intense monitoring we are subjected to and ensure they can squeeze the most out of our workday.

So as the summer heat wave crested, drivers fell ill, and public concern rose for people working in the heat, we decided to organize for collective action.

The demand for fans and A/C instead of surveillance cameras is not only a big deal with our co-workers, but has also attracted sympathy from the general public. So we decided to take a two-pronged approach to push the issueorganizing both in our workplace and in the public eye.

The idea for the Safety Not Surveillance rallies came from the rank and file. Many members were talking about how outraged they were at the new camerasinstalled in the middle of a heat wave, no less.

Some of us stewards came up with a plan to fight back and proposed it to our local president, Vinnie Perrone, in early July. He agreed.

Perrones statement announcing rallies for July 28, published as an image on Facebook and Twitter and shared in WhatsApp chats, caught a decent amount of traction. Local leaders from around the country re-shared it, expressed support, and committed to taking similar action.

We called through lists of our co-workers to talk about the issue and encourage them to attend the rally, emphasizing the importance of collective action.

After phone-banking, we designed a flyer that included dates for both the Safety Not Surveillance rallies and our 2023 Contract Campaign Kick-Off rally. We wanted to emphasize that these were related, because we knew our more ambitious safety demands would likely only be met in our contract fight next year.

While flyering, we also circulated fan request lists and encouraged members to exercise their right to have a fan installed.

In the past, individuals had requested fans on their own. We decided to collectivize the request so people would feel that the issue was a general one, and to build pressure against the company.

Signing members up on the list also gave us an opportunity to discuss our upcoming contract fight, where we can negotiate over cameras and safety rules.

Our efforts paid off, and we got solid turnout. Hundreds of members showed up at simultaneous rallies at two of the biggest hubs on the day of action. News outlets picked up the story of the eventsand the coverage gained momentum after a photo of a denied fan request went viral on social media.

In a viral tweet we asked the public to call the UPS 1-800 complaint number about the issue. Pretty soon dozens of reporters were reaching out to us. Fox5, CBS, Telemundo, CNBC, Business Insider, Vice, The Guardian, QZ, Jacobin, Fox26, and several other outlets ran stories.

All this media interest encouraged members to speak out, and built their confidence that the public was supporting our fight.

In the midst of the coverage of Safety Not Surveillance, the UPS-Teamsters 2023 Contract Campaign Kick-Off rallies happened all over the country the first week of August.

The agitation and momentum we had generated through Safety Not Surveillance brought hundreds more members out to our campaign kick-off events, along with some reporters who had initially reached out because of our safety campaign.

UPS has now installed fans in some trucks and apologized publicly for failing to install them before.

The campaign gave the public a glimpse of the intransigence of UPS and whats at stake in our potential strike next year. Were going to need their support.

One lesson we take is that even private sector workers can attract community support and make our bargaining relevant to the common good of workers across the economy when we publicize workplace issues that are outrageous yet also relatable to many.

Elliot Lewis and Matt Leichenger are shop stewards in Teamsters Local 804.

UPS: The Countdown Begins

One year out from contract expiration, UPS Teamsters at hundreds of locations kicked off their contract campaign with parking lot rallies.

Teamsters President Sean OBrien pledged to win a contract that will reset the standards for wages and benefits in this industry by August 1, 2023.

We wont extend negotiations by a single day, he said. Well either have a signed agreement that day or be hitting the pavement.

The actions also marked the 25th anniversary of the last national UPS strike, in 1997, when Teamsters declared Part-Time America Wont Work and won 10,000 new full-time jobs.

This year, delivery drivers want to put a stop to excessive overtime and subcontracting, end the two-tier wage for delivery drivers, and remove new driver-facing cameras.

Inside workers who sort, load, and unload packages want higher pay for part-timersand once again, more full-time jobs. The average UPS worker gets paid 600 times less than CEO Carol Tom.

Both groups want to rein in persistent harassment by management.

UPS Teamsters delivered an unprecedented volume of packages during the pandemic. Theyre still working 10- to 12-hour shifts under punishing conditions, like extreme heat. Meanwhile over the past two years UPS has raked in $11.2 billion in net profits.

Labor Notes Staff

Click here to see more photos from the rallies held around the country.

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UPS Says No to Air Conditioning, But Here's a Surveillance Camera - Labor Notes

PARSIPPANY, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Last month, heat records were set in several cities across the U.S.,* including New York City, which boasted the hottest July on record with temperatures reaching 90 degrees or higher ten times in July.** New Yorkers will go to ridiculous lengths to escape the heat and seek refuge in cool air, including spending a leisurely afternoon at the delightfully air conditioned local movie theater. It doesnt matter whats showing as long as its cool, and on Wednesday, August 17, New Yorkers will get the chance to watch the coolest film of the summer at Village East by Angelika where appliance leader Midea America, is premiering a 90-minute film of their best-selling U-shaped Inverter window AC unit, the Midea U.

To highlight the need for better AC, Midea shot a feature length film of an air conditioner visual as it cools an NYC apartment. Its that simple; it is an entire 90 minutes of cool. As theatergoers watch the Midea U in action, they will be treated to 90 minutes of a refreshingly cool air conditioned theater during what has been one of the hottest summers on record, along with free popcorn and crisp cold soda.

To watch the film, simply go to https://youtu.be/SyOC-J6Pebc.

For more information on Midea and its full portfolio of appliances, please visit http://www.midea.com/us.

ABOUT MIDEA AMERICAMidea America Corp. is a U.S. subsidiary within Midea Group,(SZ: 000333), a publicly listed, Fortune 500 company and the world's leading manufacturer of home appliances. With more than 150,000 employees and presence in over 195 countries, including in the United States, Midea's products touch the lives of millions of people and families through air treatment, refrigeration, laundry, small and large kitchen appliances, water appliances, floor care and lighting.

Midea America is headquartered in Parsippany, NJ and has a Research and Development Center in Kentucky, as well as an Emerging Technology Center in California. Midea understands that the home is a special place, and the moments people spend there are precious. The Midea brand's promise to all its U.S. customers is to provide surprisingly friendly solutions to treasure those tiny moments at home. Therefore, the company creates home appliance innovations, that not only perform a function but have a meaningful impact for those who use them. For more information, visit Midea at midea.com/us.

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Midea Treats New Yorkers to Free Air Conditioning and a Movie as Temperatures Soar - Business Wire

At least nine Columbus City Schools will start the school year on Aug. 24 without building-wide air conditioning.

Columbus Schools is updating the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in 13 of its 109 school buildings this summer using $35.6 million in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds created due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While work to update the HVAC systems will be completed at seven of those buildings in time for the scheduled start of classes, work at six other buildings won't be completed until the end of September, said Columbus City Schools spokeswoman Jacqueline Bryant.

In addition to the six buildings that won't be finished until the heat of late summer has waned, two other buildings Columbus Alternative High School and Hubbard Elementary School will have to wait until the start of the 2023-2024 school year to get building-wide air conditioning.

We are just asking for patience, Alex Trevino, the districts director of capital improvements, said of students, staff and parents. We certainly want to get those air conditioning units turned on as soon as we can.

Trevino said supply chain issues and labor market issues forced the pushback of HVAC upgrades in Columbus Alternative and Hubbard Elementary until next summer.

The biggest restraint for us right now is the market, Trevino said.

Upgrading the HVAC system in Columbus Alternative and Hubbard Elementary also will involve disturbing every space in the building, so Trevino said its easier to upgrade the HVAC in the summer when students arent in the building.

Columbus Alternative, Hubbard Elementary are among buildings that have some "cooling spaces" within their buildings, such as libraries or some classrooms and office spaces.

Mifflin Middle School is another school without building-wide air conditioning.

"It has central air in about 50% of the building, added in the 1970s," Bryant said. "We are looking at ways to improve the performance of the system."

But because a new middle school may be built on the site of Mifflin Middle School, according to the district's proposed facilities master plan, Columbus City Schools does not appear ready to invest in a new building-wide HVAC upgrade of the existing building.

Having functioning heating and cooling systems in schools is one of the issues that the Columbus Education Association has asked for as part of their negotiations with the Columbus City Schools Board of Education on a new contract.

Last year, 20 Columbus City Schools buildings without air conditioning or HVAC in classrooms started the school year remotely due to extreme high summer temperatures and humidity.

The teachers union has raised the lack of air conditioning or poor HVAC systems in some buildings as one of the outstanding issues in contract talks not only for members' comfort but for students too, noting the heat can be a factor in the learning environment for students.

The district has responded in news releases by citing the HVAC underway on 13 buildings while not mentioning that the work at six of the buildings won't be completed until weeks into the school year, two others not until next year, and Mifflin Middle School potentially until a new replacement building is constructed.

The seven schools getting HVAC upgrades that are scheduled to be complete by Aug 24 are:

The six schools where HVAC system upgrades aren't anticipated until September:

Those six schools will continue to run on existing HVAC systems until construction is complete, with some spaces in those buildings having air conditioning in some spaces such as the library and special needs classrooms.

Facility crews will finish working on those schools during the evening and weekends once the new school year begins, Trevino said.

@megankhenry

mhenry@dispatch.com

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Which Columbus City Schools will start the school year without full air conditioning? - The Columbus Dispatch

(TNS) Voting machines throughout Connecticut were damaged on primary Election Day due to high temperatures, election officials said this week.

Norwich and Stonington registrars told The Day that multiple machines at polling locations in the two municipalities malfunctioned during the state's primary election on Aug. 9. Approximately 50 machines were affected throughout the state, according to the Secretary of the State's office. Machines that were not at air-conditioned polling locations partially "melted," officials say, and were unable to tabulate vote totals.

With low voter turnout and only Democratic and Republican primaries for the Secretary of the State and U.S. Senate, Norwich and Stonington election workers were not made to stay much later than usual to count ballots, and none of the vote counts were affected by the machine errors.

"At first we began opening new tabulators not knowing what was going on. Once we lost more tabulators we realized something is happening due to the heat," Stover said. "At the end of the day we opened tabulators in air-conditioned facilities and ran all those ballots through. We only had to do that for one of our stations. We had three tabulators at that specific location that melted down during the day, so we were unable to get any numbers off of them because they were completely nonfunctional."

"All those ballots came back to the office, where we have air conditioning," Stover continued. "We opened a new tabulator, ran our ballots through, and got our numbers for that station."

"We had to pull some of them out to get them into air conditioning," she said. "It definitely affected our workers in a negative way. Some became sick and were vomiting, some of them were dizzy and faint, I'm sure other towns had similar issues."

Stover said the registrars' office is "in the process of trying to locate more facilities that have air conditioning so we can eliminate this problem."

Stonington Republican Registrar Peggy Roberts said two machines in town were damaged.

"Our first problem arose at Stonington Fire Department at two in the afternoon during a really hot part of the day," she said. "We didn't have any fans going in there. In some of the towns where they pointed fans at machines, they didn't melt down. At first we didn't know what the problem was, but then we understood it was overheating. We have backup machines for all the polling places in Stonington, so we remedied the problem that way."

Another machine malfunctioned at Pawcatuck Middle School around 6 p.m.

"We have moderators who are used to solving problems, but this was unusual, because the rubber on the roller was liquifying and leaving a stain on the ballot," Roberts said. "The machines are getting a little older and I know that [former Secretary of the State Denise Merrill] has talked about a plan for replacing them in the near future. Now that she's not running again, it'll be left to the new secretary to do that."

According to an emailed statement from Secretary of the State Mark Kohler, none of the state's election results were affected by the machine errors. He said that the exact issue was "some of the adhesive that is placed on the rollers to assist the machine in pulling the ballot into the scanner softened in the extreme heat of some of the polling places."

Towns are required to have emergency plans for such situations.

"In most cases this means continuing the vote and placing the ballots into the side auxiliary bin of the black box," Kohler wrote in his statement. "At the end of the election night, those ballots can be run through a functioning machine or hand counted. It is our understanding towns were able to use a back-up machine later in the evening once the temperature cooled."

The machines in question were provided by LHS Associates, which describes itself as "the largest provider of election services in the Northeastern U.S."

Local registrars say Ryan Butanowicz, an election technician for LHS Associates, has been charged with repairing all of the machines in the state. Butanowicz declined to comment and referred The Day to Jeff Silvestro, who is president of the company. Silvestro did not return a request for comment. The Secretary of the State's office said the state buys the machines and transfers the title to towns.

"So many melted down in the state that we opted to wait to call the repairman," Stover said. "He knows we need it, but we're saying, 'We know you're busy, keep us in mind, we'll call you in a couple weeks to see how things are doing.' We happen to have extras because we used to have more polling stations. We're hoping that even if they don't get to us, we will be able to have enough of these tabulators for the general election in November."

"Of course it won't be hot in November, so we shouldn't have any further meltdowns," Stover added.

Kohler said he believes the machines can be repaired by replacing the rollers, and that his office is currently looking into how it can help with the repair, and possibly replacement, process. He described the primary day problems as "a unique situation of extreme heat."

"Our voting machines have served Connecticut consistently and honorably for 16 years. Although old, our voting machines remain the most reliable and durable in the country," Kohler said in his statement. "The simple technology that they are based on has been proven by the test of time. We do realize that in the near future, a newer model of the machine may be considered."

That said, replacing all of the machines would cost nearly $40 million, Kohler said.

"We do think that towns will need to consider heat-related issues (due to global warming) in the future and may need to reconsider polling locations that may have air conditioning regardless of the machine," Kohler added. "All voting machines are now computers and none of them are designed to endure extreme heat."

Groton Republican Registrar Kristen Venditti said that Groton was able to avoid such issues as almost all of its polling locations are air-conditioned. One polling location was not air-conditioned so the equipment was moved to an area with air conditioning, Venditti wrote in an email. Signs directed voters to the new location.

" Town Building Director Bob Charette and the school superintendent's Building Director Sam Kilpatrick were crucial in making our day as comfortable as possible, as well as Town Manager John Burt and Superintendent Susan Austin completely supporting our Election needs," she added.

East Lyme did not have any issues because all of their polling locations were air-conditioned. Democratic Registrar Wendi Sims said far from being too warm, poll workers were asking for jackets on Aug. 9. She was relieved East Lyme escaped the fate of other nearby towns.

Registrars' offices in Montville, Waterford and New London did not respond to requests for comment.

(c)2022 The Day (New London, Conn.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Read more:

Connecticut Voting Machines, Poll Workers Impacted by Heat - Governing

The EcoFlow Wave is rated with a cooling power of 4,000 BTU, and it's advertised as able to cool a small area in just 8 minutes. Of course, that speed will depend largely on how wide the space is, and those figures were calculated for an area of 8 square meters. That's about the size of a four-person tent, so small bedrooms and small offices are a piece of cake for the Wave. EcoFlow says you can even use it outdoors in the open air, though its cooling efficacy will definitely take a hit.

If you do need to have the cold air directed to a specific location, you can easily attach the cold-end outlet shroud in the front. Like all air conditioners, the Wave works best if hot and cold air don't mix, which might be difficult if the hot air is also being pushed out in the same room. With that said, the cold air that the portable A/C does push out overpowers the hot air that it produces. If you really want maximum efficiency, though, you can attach the hot-end shroud to the back and have the two hoses directed to a different area outside of the room or tent. That's not necessary, but the option is there if you have a way to pump the hot air outside of the room, such as through a window or other opening.

Another typical consideration for A/Cs is the water condensation they produce. Most of the time, this requires that a hose be connected to drain the water, which can be inconvenient for portable air conditioning units. This is where the EcoFlow Wave's smart design comes in. Depending on where you live or how you're using it, you might not have to drain it at all. The Wave takes the water it produces and sprays that onto the internal condenser, making it evaporate on its own while cooling the component in the process. This works best in low-humidity environments where water buildup is minimal.

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EcoFlow Wave Portable Air Conditioner Review: Keeping Cool The Green Way - SlashGear

Montana has grappled with days of record-breaking heat this summer. As climate forecasts project heat waves to become more common and more intense in the future, research on the impacts to residents outside of major urban cities is limited.

We have like 16 fans going," says Alyssa Alsop. She lives in a subsidized apartment complex in Columbia Falls with no air conditioning. She says its been so hot inside, her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter has been sick.

"She started puking every night, probably a good three times a night. Im like, 'shes too hot.'

Alsop says rules at her apartment complex and the cost of air condition units make it really difficult to cool down. She tried keeping her front door open at night, but she says that provided only an hour or two of relief. That made her resort to other methods to keep her daughter cool.

"I would give her three, four cold baths, but how many times can I do that, until you know, I have to work. Yeah, it was a constant headache, really.

She eventually took her daughter to the emergency room.

Montana broke multiple daily temperature records this summer, according to National Weather Service Meteorologist Marty Whitmore. He says many parts of the state are seeing more days over 90 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit every year due to climate change.

Montana State University professor and lead author of the Montana Climate Assessment Cathy Whitlock says Montanans, especially those in rural areas, may not be prepared for these temperatures because most have historically lived without air conditioning.

It affects the old and the very young, people far from services, people with health conditions, people who live in poverty that dont have access to cooling systems," Whitlock says. "That covers large areas of Montana, and I think its probably our number one concern about climate change going forward.

The way urban infrastructure keeps cities hotter, known as the urban heat island effect, is well documented. That persistent heat has led to an increase in 911 calls and deaths during heat events, spurring large cities like Seattle to set up emergency cooling shelters.

Researchers say rural areas and smaller towns have been left out of the conversation because its hard to identify trends from medical data in small populations. But researchers are finding other ways to demonstrate how heat is impacting these populations.

"Rural areas, its true they are still cooler than the urban areas, but the temperature is increasing faster than the urban area, says East Tennessee State University Professor Ying Li. She's one of the researchers looking into how rural communities are struggling with heat. She says preliminary data indicate rural temperatures in Tennessee could be rising up to twice as fast as urban temperatures.

University of Vermont Researcher Elizabeth Doran is documenting the heat island effect in that states small towns. She expects the data will show residents in those communities also struggle with cooling down.

"And we can do something about that once we have that information. We can say, 'Hey, state department, they need a cooling center.' Maybe its just a library or a park and splash pad. But we can identify those needs."

Doran and other researchers hope this growing body of evidence gets communities and local and state governments to take action in rural areas. That is starting to happen in Montana.

Dr. Robert Byron with Montana Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate says Its getting hotter. How can we help folks? One is making them aware.

https://ephtracking.cdc.gov/Applications/heatTracker/

Byron has put together materials to help educate public health departments and residents on how to recognize the signs of heat-related illness. He's also created guides for affordable cooling methods like using fans to pull in cool air at night or installing reflective coverings on windows during the day.

Byron and others say when that low-hanging fruit isnt enough, people need a way to cool down.

In a city setting, or an urban setting, its one thing to set up, say, a cooling center with air conditioning ... but if you try to do that same thing in a rural area, its more difficult because people are so dispersed, Byron says.

He says people outside of urban centers may not have close access to health care, so its especially important for local public health officials to create solutions for those residents.

https://health2016.globalchange.gov/temperature-related-death-and-illness

Amy Cilimburg with Climate Smart Missoula says thats made air conditioning more of a necessity in Montana, but not everyone can afford it.

"So what were working on is trying to bring different funding sources to be able to help low-income folks be able to get a heat-pump system for their home.

Electric heat pumps provide both heat and air conditioning. She says that the Inflation Reduction Act will provide much-needed federal funding for this kind of work. But she says for people living in housing they dont own, helping them cope with a hotter future will be harder to do.

Back in Columbia Falls, Alyssa Alsop says her family eventually bought her a window air conditioning unit.

"We put that in yesterday and it feels a lot better in here."

Aarron Bolton: How hot was it getting in here?

"I would say more than probably 100 degrees in here, at least. It was to the point where you couldnt sit in here anymore."

Alsop says with the cool air blowing, her daughter slept through the night without puking for the first time in days.

This visualization shows monthly global temperature anomalies (changes from an average) between the years 1880 and 2021. Whites and blues indicate cooler temperatures, while oranges and reds show warmer temperatures.These temperatures are based on data from NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS). Anomalies are defined relative to a base period of 1951 to 1980.

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Rural residents may not be ready for increasingly intense heat waves - MTPR