Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

19 October 2020

Dallas, Texas Nokia and Choice NTUA Wireless today announced that they are building a fixed wireless network that will span across the Navajo Nation to bring broadband connectivity to tribal members.

Choice NTUA Wireless will use the spectrum-agnostic Nokia AirScale 4G LTE RAN to deploy its network in 600 MHz, CBRS and EBS spectrum to support a variety of business and consumer applications that require high bandwidth and low latency. Multigenerational homes require enough bandwidth to simultaneously support online schooling, working from home, remote patient care, and entertainment, while businesses seek to sell more products and services online.

Located in the Northeast corner of Arizona that includes the Four Corners, the Navajo Nations remote location creates challenges around cost-effectively installing infrastructure for deploying high-speed internet. Choice NTUA Wireless has long been committed to providing voice and data service to the region to meet tribal members residential and business connectivity requirements. Its parent company, ATN International, was one of the top acquiring companies for CBRS priority access licenses (PAL), gaining critical new spectrum to deploy Fixed Wireless Access across the Navajo Nation and in other rural areas in the U.S.

Tom Guthrie, SVP General Manager, Choice NTUA Wireless said: While COVID-19 has impacted all communities, the Navajo Nation was hit particularly hard. We have had a long-term partnership with the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority to provide voice and data service across the nation, and our partnership with Nokia and SAC Wireless for this important project allows us to deliver the additional capacity and coverage required to support increased bandwidth needs for education, telehealth and remote workforces.

John Harrington, SVP, U.S. Major Accounts, Nokia said: Choice NTUA Wireless was an early proponent for CBRS spectrum and Nokia is a leader in CBRS-based solutions. This partnership will provide the Navajo Nation with the high-speed LTE coverage it needs today, while our 5G-ready AirScale solution ensures that the network can evolve to 5G when needed.

Cari Shyiak, President and CEO at SAC Wireless said: Bridging the digital divide for the Navajo Nation opens up opportunities for Native-owned businesses to grow and for valued citizens to gain access to essential services including 911, online education and telehealth. To deploy Nokia 4G LTE RAN solutions over a wide expanse of tribal land, we will be leveraging SACs end to end deployment capabilities and experience rolling out networks. With a strong execution team in place, we can meet the deadline while delivering the top tier quality and safety we built the SAC brand upon. This project kicked off in October and runs through the end of the year.

Resources:

About NokiaWe create the technology to connect the world. Only Nokia offers a comprehensive portfolio of network equipment, software, services and licensing opportunities across the globe. With our commitment to innovation, driven by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, we are a leader in the development and deployment of 5G networks.

Our communications service provider customers support more than 6.4 billion subscriptions with our radio networks, and our enterprise customers have deployed over 1,300 industrial networks worldwide. Adhering to the highest ethical standards, we transform how people live, work and communicate. For our latest updates, please visit us online http://www.nokia.com and follow us on Twitter @nokia and @NokiaNAM.

About SAC Wireless SAC Wireless helps customers keep the world connected with our ideas, innovations and solutions. SAC offers a complete portfolio of self-performing services to support major network builds, 5G LTE upgrades and indoor/outdoor small cell and distributed antenna systems (DAS) deployments. The company's core business consists of fully integrated network solutions, specializing in site development, architectural and engineering design management, construction services and management, equipment installation, commissioning and integration, operations and maintenance.

SAC works with telecom carriers, major tower owners, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across the United States. We bring more than two decades of experience to help our customers design, build and upgrade cellular networks. By choosing us to build their networks, customers have made SAC the #1 turnkey network construction company in the United States. SAC wireless is awholly-owned,independently-operatingNokia company.Follow us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/sac-wireless/.

About Choice NTUA WirelessChoice NTUA Wireless is a facilities based carrier that is majority Navajo-owned through NTUA (Navajo Tribal Utility Authority). Choice NTUA Wireless formally launched in 2014 and provides 4G LTE fixed/mobile broadband and voice across the Navajo Nation. 98% of its network is 4G and its customers enjoy the ability to access their voice and data from anywhere in the continental U.S.

Media Inquiries:NokiaCommunicationsPhone:+358 10 448 4900Email:press.services@nokia.com

Read the rest here:
Nokia and Choice NTUA Wireless bring high-speed mobile broadband to Navajo Nation - GlobeNewswire

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Bishop Bruce Lewandowski has seen 36 members of his Baltimore congregation die and countless others become infected.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Patricks weve been hit hard with the COVID, he said.

Lewandowski is the pastor of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Roman Catholic parish in Southeast Baltimores 21224 zip code one of the hardest hit areas in the city.

Baltimore City accounts for about 12% of the states confirmed COVID-19 cases. The 21224 zip code, which has a high concentration of Latino and Hispanic residents, makes up about 13% of the citys total case count.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus has had on-site COVID-19 testing through Johns Hopkins for a little over four months now, sometimes twice or three times a week, depending on the need, Lewandowski said in an interview Sunday.

After securing testing, he began to see a need for other services, springing the congregation into action.

The church assembled a crew of 20 drivers who deliver food and pass along information about masking and tests to 500 church members every week. But even that paired with news spread through Spanish-speaking media outlets like Somos Baltimore Latinoand Ke Pachanga Radiowerent cutting it, Lewandowski said.

People are still not getting the information weve got to do more, he explained. And so this is just one more way to get that information out to people.

Lewandowski was talking about a week-long campaign launched by the Maryland Department of Healths COVID-19 Hispanic Community Support Task Force targeting Baltimores Latino residents with public service announcements to mitigate the spread of the pandemic.

A sound truck, which the Department of Health calls the mobile public health education unit, is set to drive through several neighborhoods in and around the 21224 zip code over the course of this week, urging residents in English and Spanish to get tested, wear masks and seek medical help when theyre symptomatic.

Receiving treatment or testing for COVID will not put your immigration status at risk, the truck speakers blasted outside of Patterson Park early Sunday afternoon. Get tested.

[See a video of the sound truck here]

Additionally, volunteers will hand out masks and pamphlets along the trucks route through the Eastern Avenue business district, Bayview, Canton, Highlandtown, Dundalk, Patterson Park and Joseph Lee Park.

The pandemic has presented particularly challenging circumstances for members of our Hispanic communities. These Marylanders are struggling not only with access to testing and health care, but also with the loss of wages, locating safe housing for isolating and food security issues, said Maryland Department of Health Secretary Robert R. Neall in a statement. The Hispanic Community Support Task Force is working to make resources available, while eliminating the language barrier and other complications that stand in the way of people getting the help they need.

In addition to the mobile public health unit, the COVID-19 Hispanic Community Support Task Force established a hotline through Catholic Charities Esperanza Center for symptomatic members of the Latino community to be connected to services.

Folks who are trying to self isolate, who are positive and are in need of assistance, they should call that hotline because it will connect them to the multitude of services of which theyre going to need, Dr. Mark Martin, deputy director of the Maryland Department of Healths Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities,told Maryland Matters before the truck left Baltimores Patterson Park Sunday afternoon.

Residents can reach Spanish-speaking operators to connect to testing, medical care, eviction prevention and cash assistance services by calling 667-600-2314.

You have a family

Lewandowski said Sunday that health disparities in his community run deep.

We have people whove never been to the doctor since they arrived here 15, 20, 25 years [ago], he explained. Weve had men, especially, from our community pass away because they had no regular routine health care practices, they never got regular checkups or physicals and then it turned out that they actually had underlying symptoms that if they had known, they would know that they would be more vulnerable to COVID, and maybe would have isolated and stayed home.

The concept of mistrust of governmental and medical agencies among communities of color isnt new.

The Rev. Kobi Little, president of the Baltimore Chapter of the NAACP, said his organization began to step in when they noticed at the pandemics start that information coming from news outlets and Trump administration officials was not penetrating communities of color.

Theres a lot of misconceptions about the virus, theres a lot of misunderstanding about who can contract the virus and who couldnt, said Little. And so we knew that we needed to go to the streets, take it to the streets, and as a trusted voice in our community, tell people how serious this virus was and what they could do to protect themselves from it.

The NAACP launched its own mobile public health education unitduring the early days of COVID-19, which it relaunched with new messaging in partnership with Strong City Baltimore last week.

With COVID-19, every neighborhood and individual in our city is at risk. Were fighting an enemy we cannot see, Reginald Davis, interim CEO of Strong City, said at a news conference announcing the trucks relaunch last week. However, all of us can fight back like our lives depend on it. Because they do!

Little said the state took note of the work the NAACP had done with its sound truck, and asked if theyd be willing to work together along with CASA and other organizations to spread these messages across other underserved communities in the city.

Jose Melo, a volunteer driver and congregant at Sacred Heart of Jesus, told Maryland Matters that hes been trying to mobilize his community since the pandemic began by knocking on doors and inviting people to come down to the church to get tested.

Were like a family, and so if youre orphaned, youre widowed, you dont have to worry you have a family, Lewandowski translated. And were trying to do whats within our reach to do with our ability to do because thats what God wants of us.

Asked how witnessing illness and suffering first-hand has affected Melo, Lewandowski translated that it takes a psychological, emotional and physical toll on him, but that the heaviness he feels only makes him want to do more.

This isnt going to end anytime soon, so we just have to keep up our strength and our energy and keep going because theres no end in sight, at this point, Melo said.

[emailprotected]

Get more data on our COVID-19 in Maryland page.

Updated daily with cases, hospitalizations and deaths by county, age and race.

Read more from the original source:
Taking the Gospel of COVID-19 Safety to the Streets of Baltimore - Josh Kurtz

From the farm fields of south Miami-Dade County to the corner stores in Liberty City, researchers are pursuing novel approaches to halt new infections of HIV in different at-risk communities.

When approved in 2012, a pill that prevents infection from the AIDs virus was considered a game changer, one that finally could help halt the pandemic that, to date, has killed nearly 33 million people worldwide. Yet, eight years later, many people at high risk of acquiring HIV have never heard of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication, much less are taking it.

Rosina Cianelli, an associate professor in the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, is determined to change that reality among heterosexual Hispanic womenparticularly those who face the cultural barrier of machismo when it comes to protecting themselves from HIV. Recognizing that Latina women cant always convince partners who embody the macho standard of sexual dominance and promiscuity to use condoms, Cianelli and her co-investigators plan to augment a proven HIV prevention strategy to increase PrEP use among an overlooked population of at-risk heterosexual Hispanic women, Latina farmworkers in rural south Miami-Dade County.

Women account for about 19 percent of new HIV diagnoses, yet only about 7 to 10 percent of PrEP users are women, and only about 11 percent of Hispanic women are familiar with PrEP, Cianelli said. Given that the rate of Hispanic women living with HIV is 2.5 times higher than for non-Hispanic white women, they need to be more aware of PrEP. That is the reality we are confronting.

Cianellis PrEP initiative is the newest of four University of Miami proposals funded by the National Institutes of Health to advance the federal governments Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) plan. Unveiled by President Donald Trump last year, EHE aims to reduce the roughly 40,000 new HIV cases still diagnosed annually in the United States by at least 90 percent by 2030. And it aims to do so by supporting community-based initiatives that the NIHs Centers for AIDs Research (CFARs) and the National Institute of Mental Healths AIDS Research Centers (ARCs) are pursuing with existing and highly effective tools for diagnosing, preventing, and treating HIV.

The University is home to both a CFAR, the13-year-old Miami Center for AIDS Research, and a new ARC, the Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health (CHARM) and for a good reason. As CHARM director Steven Safren said, With its large diverse and, in many ways, marginalized populations, Greater Miami remains one of the nations most challenging epicenters, if not the most challenging epicenter, for new HIV cases and optimal HIV treatment. Each of the projects that the University is pursuing with EHEfundingtargetsa population here in Miami that can truly benefit.

Administered by the Miami CFAR, Cianellis proposal is one of only seven the NIH selected across the nation to help reduce barriers to PrEP use among heterosexual women. It builds on a culturally tailored, behavioral-change strategy pioneered two decades ago by Nilda Peragallo Montano, the former dean of the nursing school. Known as SEPAfor Salud, Educacin, Prevencin, y Autocuidad (Health, Education, Prevention and Self-Care)the intervention has successfully employed group discussions and role playing to empower low-income heterosexual Hispanic women how to negotiate condom use and better communicate with male sexual partners.

For their EHE initiative, Cianelli and her co-investigatorsassociate professor Joseph De Santis and assistant professor Giovanna De Oliveira, both also from the nursing school, and professor Jose Castro, of the Miller School of Medicineare working with three community organizations in Homestead to enlist 60 women who will help develop a strategy for incorporating PrEP into SEPA for women who cannot count on condoms for protection.

SEPA works very well when women can negotiate the use of condoms with their partners, but for Hispanic women whose partners refuse to use condoms, or who use drugs, or who have multiple partners, it doesnt work, Cianelli said. So, adding this biomedical component to SEPA will give at-risk Hispanic women another possibility to prevent HIV.

Through its second round of EHE grants, the NIH also green-lighted three pilot projects University researchers launched with first-round funding last year. The recipient of another grant administered by the Miami CFAR, the Miller Schools Susanne Doblecki-Lewis, an associate professor of clinical medicine, is also focused on increasing PrEP access. She plans to use near real-time epidemiological analysis and a mobile clinic to deliver the medication that, when taken daily, reduces the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99 percent.

With the expansion grant,the UM PrEP Mobile Clinic is now operating in Liberty City, in addition to four other sites across Miami-Dade. At these locations, Doblecki-Lewis and her team provide PrEP testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and STI treatment at no cost to clients, regardless of their insurance or immigration status.

Administered by CHARM, the other two pilot projects are focused on two different groups that are critical to ending HIV infections in MiamiLatino men who have sex with men (LMSM), and Black individuals, who comprise the racial group most disproportionately impacted by the HIV epidemic across the U.S. In Miami-Dade alone, 1 in 31 Black adults are living with HIV compared to 1 in 127 Hispanics and 1 in 103 white adults.

To curtail the epidemic among LMSM, Mariano Kanamori, an assistant professor in the Division of Prevention Scienceand Community Health, and his collaborators are exploring how to promote awareness and utilization of HIV diagnosis, treatment, and prevention services based on how LMSM identify themselvesas gay, bisexual, or straight.

Our research has shown that bisexual Latinos are the bridge between Latino men who have sex with men and with Latinas, Kanamori said. They have sex with gay guys, but they dont view themselves as gay, so they are exposing women to HIV. Thats why we need to customize strategies to target both groups, not just those who are gay.

To curtail the epidemics impact in Black communities, Sannisha Dale, assistant professor of psychology and the director of CHARMs mental health disparities core and her community partnersRoxana Bolden, George Gibson, Gena Grant, Kalenthia Nunnally, and Alecia Tramelare engaging residents at five neighborhood places they frequent in high-risk ZIP Codes. Teaming up with the owners of corner stores, car-repair garages, barbershops, beauty salons, and laundromats, theyll chat with customers about HIV prevention and give those who complete a survey and take a rapid HIV test vouchers to spend at the business.

Will this by itself end the HIV epidemic? No, Dale said of the Five Point Initiative she hatched while waiting for her own car repair. But ending the HIV epidemic requires multiple approaches aimed at the same end goal. And by engaging people where they naturally frequent, we remove the barriers that stop them from coming to medical centers to be tested, to learn about PrEP, to engage about their sexual health. So, it has the potential to make an impact.

Go here to read the rest:
Researchers aim to end Miami's HIV epidemic - University of Miami

A West Lothian mum was forced to fire the plumbers she had hired to redo her bathroom after she found one of them asleep on the floor.

Rachael Ferguson, 60, had forked out thousands of pounds to refit the bathroom of her Bathgate home, but has now been left with the job unfinished and seriously out of pocket.

After paying over 2,000 upfront, Rachael hired Supreme Wetwall Bathrooms to install the new wet wall suite she had been saving for.

However, after constantly stalling on the work, Rachael hit the final straw when she discovered plumber Luke Campbell having a kip on the floor of her ripped out bathroom.

With the job already a day behind when it should have been completed, the Bathgate mum was furious to find Luke, of Libra Plumbing, sprawled out on the floor.

The stunned mum told the Daily Record how she blew a gasket after snapping this photo of him curled up for a nap on the tiles before kicking him out of her home three days into what was promised to be a two-day job.

After waking Luke, he blamed the whole 40 winks on a cup of tea that she had made him earlier and said: I finished the cup of tea and cant remember anything until waking up.

Now weeks later, Rachael has been left ripped off from the incident after she was forced to source and pay a new fitter to finish the job.

Furious, she said: Im just left in limbo with a big mess. This is appalling behaviour and needs to be exposed.

After paying two large sums, one for delivery and one for the materials, the job that should have been finished in no time saw serious delays.

Rachael said: A young lad turned up on his own and started ripping the bathroom out.

Luke from Libra Plumbing said he was waiting for the fitter, who was phoning every 10 minutes saying he had personal problems and would be there soon. But he didnt arrive at all.

All he did on Tuesday was put the doors on the cabinets.

On the Wednesday the plumber arrived with another young chap. He said the fitter would be there in a while. I went to go and see the progress and found this plumber lying on the floor sleeping among the rubble.

I shouted to him but when he didnt wake up I took the picture and went back in my room.

When I went back downstairs they were sitting eating a McDonalds and I just blew a gasket and told them to get their stuff and used some inappropriate language.

I said youre not spending another day in here with nothing getting done.

The mum-of-two complained to the wet wall company, who said the original fitter would finish the job on Friday with another team. When he didnt arrive she told the company she no longer wanted their services.

She said: Ive already paid for the furnishings which are lying all over my dining room and my garage. My house is a total tip with it all and I just think its an absolute disgrace.

Ive told them they wont be back in my house. Ive no faith whatsoever in them.

You cant rip someones bathroom out and leave them for days. Im lucky I have an ensuite I can use but others may not. I now have to start from scratch. Its a nightmare.

Supreme Wetwall Bathrooms advertise luxury bathrooms at affordable prices on their Facebook and Instagram page.

They sent Rachael a Facebook message saying they wanted to resolve the issue and arrange for another fitter to attend but she refused and has now sourced another tradesman.

She expects the job to cost around 2,000 more to complete and says she no longer wants to use the wet wall she was provided with.

The contact have been contacted, but they did not respond.

See more here:
West Lothian mum fumes after catching her plumber sleeping on the bathroom floor - Edinburgh Live

THEY say don't give up your day job. And some UFC stars live by that sentiment.

The biggest names in MMA have often worked in a trade, or still continue to seek fortune outside the ocatagon.

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From ex-plumbers to current firefighters, here's what some of your favourite fighters do past and present.

Notorious came from a working class family in the suburbs of Dublin.

Before he made it as a global sports superstar, McGregor worked as a plumber's apprentice - hitting the gym in between.

The Irishman could work as long as 12-hour days before a gruelling training session -- just to make ends meet.

When he gave up plumbing, his parents disapproved and he came to blows with his dad.

He told them he'd become a millionaire, and he wasn't wrong.

Today, McGregor is believed to be worth around 120million. Not bad for a plumber, eh?

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The current UFC Heavyweight Champion is one of the baddest men of the planet.

And when he's not dismantling opponents in the octagon, Miocic is putting out fires... literally.

The Ohio-based star works for the Valley View Fire Department part-time, often clocking 24-hour shifts.

With an average salary of 12-per-hour, it's miles away from his pay-days with the UFC as a headline fighter.

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Ranked No.2 in the UFC Light Heavyweight rankings, Reyes has some pedigree.

And although he lost at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi to Jan Blachowicz back in September, the 30-year-old won't be too disheartened when he considers how far he's come.

In 2017, The Devastator worked in IT at Oak Hills High School in California.

Two years later he left the job to concentrate on the UFC.

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A competitor in the Strawweight division, 29-year-old Whitmire made her UFC debut at the tail-end of 2017.

But there's no way she's giving up her day job.

Whitmire also works part-time as a waitress, serving tables in a bar in Las Vegas.

The money is just too good to leave, Whitmire told MMAjunkie last year.

The people I work for are really amazing, and its just a fun gig.

"So if I can go in and make an extra few hundred bucks on any given night, its like, why wouldnt I do it?

"And the people I work with are fun. So, after the rush, youre just hanging out with your friends having fun.

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Currently competing in the ONE Championship, Johnson - known as Mighty Mouse - was called one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time by Joe Rogan.

The former Flyweight Champion boasted an incredible 27-3-1 record in the UFC.

But three years before he headlined UFC 174 Johnson worked 10-12 hour shifts as a labourer.

His gym, by day, was a Seattle factory.

I wasnt a person who hated working, Johnson told the Las Vegas Sun.

When I was working and training, I loved it. I loved that I had to work that hard. I think it transformed into the gym and then transformed into the octagon. It was a good thing.

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Now retired from the octagon, Kennedy, 41, remarkably juggled a UFC career with serving in the United States Army as a Green Beret sniper.

He started military life in 2004, serving tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq.

The middleweight contender also has a military-themed clothing line called Ranger-Up.

Kennedy retired in 2017, and last appeared at UFC 206 where he was defeated by Kelvin Gastelum.

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The Brazilian MMA star, 39, didn't have the best time in the UFC.

He was released from the organisation in 2014 - ending his career with a 2-7 record.

Still, that gave Thiago time to concentrate on his day job with BOPE, the elite special police force in Brazil.

He even worked at the 2014 World Cup as a police officer.

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Currently ranked No.9 in the UFC lightweight rankings, Iaquinta has been signed with the organisation since 2012.

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But, should he retire from the octagon, he will have something to fall back on.

After a contract dispute for his fight against Thiago Alves at UFC 205 haltered proceedings, Al had time on his hands and began training to acquire a license as an estate agent.

He currently sells homes in the Laguna Beach, California area.

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See original here:
UFC stars who have other jobs, including McGregor as ex-plumber and Miocic who still works as a firefighter - The Sun

By Monte Leeper

Q. We have a situation where our new house was finished but our contractor didnt get any inspections. Now we cant get our certificate of occupancy. We replaced our house after Hurricane Sandy, and because its taller, it needed sprinklers. The contractor died and left no paperwork or permits for us. The plumber seems to have retired and left the state. Were scrambling to figure this out. The building inspector is trying to help, and says we need all the plumbing and electrical inspections, which means getting a new plumber and an electrician, who we located and is helping by giving us his sign-off, which we understand is through a private agency. We dont understand why theres a private agency instead of our building department. Dont they give electric permits? The hard part seems to be the sprinklers in our ceilings. Our architect, who drew the plans and showed the sprinkler head locations, says he cant sign the affidavit the inspector needs without a sprinkler test, and nobody knows who installed the sprinkler plumbing. What can we do to get this over with?

A. The common theme of everything you describe is a lack of respect for rules and the shirking of responsibility by people who do the work. The contractor, may he rest in peace, as with all contractors, had an obligation to get inspections when working in your municipality under your permit. He also had an obligation to make certain the permit was in the owners possession and that they were working with copies to protect the original documents, which are as valuable as the closing papers on your home.

The new plumber youll hire needs to get his name and license number registered with your municipality as the plumber of record, and hopefully knows how the sprinkler system works and can test it for the architect to see and approve. Im always amazed that authorities who grant permits and issue licenses to plumbers and electricians dont require those two professionals to sign their own name to their own work, just like any proud, licensed craftsperson should do. Instead, the same municipality makes it necessary for an engineer or architect, who had nothing to do with the installation, to make a written statement that the system was installed to code and works correctly. So if the system fails, the plumber who installed the sprinklers walks away and the municipality points its finger at the architect or engineer when insurance inspectors step in to try to diminish the insurance payout and collect funds by suing the architect/engineer in order to settle your insurance claim.

Architects and engineers dont install or maintain building components. This particular procedure was purposely made complicated to avoid responsibility but to make it look like youre protected, which is also why municipalities ask for a private agency to do your electrical inspection. They know that electrical work is a contributor to fire and avoid that responsibility, too. Good luck!

2020 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with Herald question in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.

Continued here:
Who installed the sprinkler plumbing? - liherald.com

Long before I had the wit to identify and employ full-time help, I was blundering about alone at home nearly full-term with my first child and trying to manage both a blistering Madras summer and a tap that would neither turn off or on. A steady trickle called for a plumber. So when my husband said that he had arranged for a plumber to come by, I waited optimistically for the solution to my problem of the week.

Those days, the locality we lived in was so silent that you could hear cars turning in from the main road and the call of the sellers of spinach or kolam powder some minutes before they appeared. It was a time of visiting knife-sharpeners, bakery boys, soothsayers and sellers of ribbons and balloons and home-made toys. They all made their fortnightly calls. Rather sooner than expected, the doorbell jangled through our first floor flat and I went downstairs as fast as my unborn daughter allowed, and opened the door.

A tall, well-built and efficient looking man presented himself. Ah the plumber! Come upstairs, come upstairs, I said as I conducted him up to the flat and into the house leading the way to the bathroom.

He was so silent that I wondered whether he had grasped my feeble Tamil. Look, this is the problem, I said, pointing to the offending tap. He bent over it and straightened up. Well, I can fix it but I will need some money to buy a new washer.

Of course, wait here. In full view of the stranger, I opened the cupboard and drew out my last big note and handed it to him. Youll come back soon, wont you?

He left saying, Half an hour. An hour at the most. I went back to cleaning the kitchen when the phone rang. Another clumsy gallop through the hall! It was my husband. We are in luck. The plumber is free. Hell be along shortly.

But hes already been here and will return with the washer he needed to fix the tap, I replied. I gave him some money.

But that was not our plumber. Then, who was he?

When I considered how easily that silent visitor might have knocked me on the head before removing my bangles, I thank my stars. Evidently the plumber had had an attack of conscience and left with just the money he did not have to earn.

minioup@gmail.com

Excerpt from:
Joe the plumber? No - The Hindu

PHOENIX, AZ Since 2008, Amigo Rooter and Plumbing has served the residential service and maintenance needs of the greater Phoenix metro area. We do mostly service and repairs, owner/operator Nelson Salas says. Thats probably 80 percent of our work mostly residential and light commercial. Amigo plumbing employs five service techs (including Salas, who still goes out on calls) and a couple more people back managing the office.

Up until the pandemic hit business was humming along. We were staying busy, Salas says, plenty of work every day and everything was going good. Then, at the end of March, as it did seemingly everywhere in the country, the bottom fell out. Business fell off 50 percent, according to Salas rough estimate.

Luckily, the worst part of it only lasted about three weeks before picking back up again. Everybody is at home, using or in some cases abusing their plumbing, Salas says. People needed their working toilets and running water, plumbing was designated an essential industry, and the demand just couldnt be held back for much longer than that.

Of course, Amigo Rooter and Plumbing was forced to adapt the same as everyone else has. Getting everyone at the company on the same page involved a lot of commuting on Salas part. I had meetings with the guys just one-on-one, he explains. Basically they each take their truck home at the end of the day. So, I had to make time to meet with each of them and make sure they had all the equipment they needed.

Protective equipment such as gloves and shoe covers was already standard for Amigo technicians. Mask simply became one more part of the toolkit. Alongside protective gear came social distancing. This involved a new level of sensitivity to the comfort levels of the customers. Salas says that, typically, about 70 percent of his clients are comfortable allowing Amigo technicians into their homes, but there is a remaining 30 percent who would probably remain isolated if they werent suffering some kind of plumbing emergency. They want us almost to wear a hazmat suit to go into their homes, he says.

Looking Forward

Now, the volume of work at Amigo Rooter and Plumbing is back to normal, if not even little bit busier. But still the pandemic continues.

John Waters is the head of Phoenix-based Waters Business Consulting, a group that has worked with service contractors like Amigo to help grow their businesses through success coaching and lean business valuation. Waters has over 35 years experience in strategic business development, and he says the current situation is like nothing he has ever seen before.

The closest comparison I could make would be 9/11, Waters says. It was boom, all of a sudden, the country got hit by an outside enemy who penetrated our boarders and disrupted everything. And thats kind of what happened here.

His advice to his clients from the first days of the pandemic has been: first, have a plan to get through this, but then, more importantly, have a plan to come out of this so your business can thrive.

Youve all heard the saying, Dont waste a good crisis. A crisis is an opportunity to change and innovate, Waters says. How can you differentiate yourself from what your competition out there is doing?

His first suggestion is to invest in the kind of technology that automates processes and makes remote interactions easier. You can interface with a customer via Zoom, Waters says, whether theres a pandemic or we have a vaccine or not, you can still do a lot of the work that involves interacting with the customer that way.

Second, he advises every business he works with to go through their database and communicate with all past customers, all new customers and any new customers and remind them of who you are, what you do and how you can help them solve their problems.

Third, look to what new kinds of services or offerings you can provide. Handwashing stations are something all kinds of businesses are looking into now. All kinds of customers are now interested in touchless faucets and fixtures. And pandemic or not, people always are looking for efficient systems that can save them money on water and energy.

Fourth, take some time to invest in soft skills. One of the lessons of the last recession, he says, was the emphasis successful businesses placed on quality customer service. You saw this a lot with restaurants, Waters says, responding and treating their customers differently, because they saw how important the customer was youve got to make sure that your customer service is just stellar.

Fifth, if you have dollars to spend on the marketing/advertising side, nowwhen the comeback is still beginningis a good time to spend them. The smart move is to get aggressive on your marketing in my opinion, Waters says. As soon as possible.

Sixth, keep a close eye on your numbers. Manage your cost of goods carefully. Waters finds that when small contractors start to grow, they sometimes stop paying attention to their balance sheets. They know their trade, but they dont know their numbers. So get someone that can work with you to make sure you understand. Know where youre improving, know what your greatest source of revenue is, know where your greatest source of gross profit margin is.

Seventh, and maybe most important, reach out to your employees. Dont be so focused on the opportunities this moment presents that you forget your workers might have stresses, conflicts and concerns that extend well beyond the workplace. A lot of people have kids who cant go to school, elderly or at-risk family members they cant visit, or health concerns of their own.

This is the time to show your employees that you care, Waters says. They are the face of your organization when theyre out there working with the public. So thats key. Having the right culture, because thats how you retain good people, provide good service and get repeat customers.

Nelson Salas, for his part, is trying to do everything he can to follow the proper safety guidelines, to keep his customers happy, and to keep his business moving forward. Its new territory for everybody, Ive gotta tell you.

Amigo Rooter and Plumbing: http://www.amigoplumbingaz.co

Waters Consulting: watersbusinessconsulting.com

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Amigo Plumbing and the COVID Comeback - Contractor

Installing a water heater may not look like a big deal, but did you know that this simple job can impact the overall plumbing system of your house? Maintaining the plumbing condition in your house is crucial. This can prevent several forms of damages. While you may want to save some money by installing the water heater yourself, it would be better to appoint an expert for the job.

It isnt difficult to find a plumbing contractor that can smoothly set-up the geyser for your hot water needs. However, not allwater heater servicesare the best in this area and you may need to make a careful choice keeping all basic parameters of hiring an expert for the task. Here are some benefits of appointing a professional plumbing agency for installing the water heater at home.

A licensed plumbing agency is likely to have an all-rounder team that is not only skilled in handling water heater installation but can simultaneously cater to a variety of plumbing needs. A trained plumber should be able to analyze, replace, repair, and restore as per the plumbing requirements.

From handling heating concerns to drainage and pipes, a good contractor will not only be able to identify the plumbing needs and problems but will also be able to suggest ways to prevent any future problems. Even if there are multiple plumbing issues at home, appointing one professional should save you from the trouble of looking for multiple plumbers.

A licensed and regulated plumbing company is likely to have the required knowledge of the community and building rules. It is important to comply with the existing plumbing norms of the city you reside in to avoid paying up penalties and fines. Moreover, a licensed company will keep to its standards and is unlikely to do a shoddy job or use inferior products.

Safety is a priority and cannot be overlooked even if it is in the context of a minor job as a water heater installation. A qualified plumber will be able to educate you on the dos and donts of using the heater to prevent any accidents. For instance, a tankless water heater can trigger fire if it is improperly installed. Click here to see how to prevent a house fire @https://www.wikihow.com/Prevent-a-House-Fire.

Also, water supply systems can cause flooding, especially if leakages are causing severe damage and posing threat. Never settle for low-grade products and ill-fittings as it could be as good as risking your life.

A reputable and experienced agency would make a better choice than a newbie. A professional will be able to gauge this faster than a layman owing to their experience and skill in handling such emergencies.

A professional will always shoulder the responsibility tagged with the installation work and troubleshoot any issue that crops up in the process or even later. Most top-rated plumbers provide a warranty on their services which indicates that any problems coming up within that period will be handled for free by the appointed agency.

Think of all the hassle surrounding the installation of a new aqua heater. Hiring an expert just dissolves all that trouble. With their experience and skill, they should be able to efficiently complete the installation hassle-free. They can get all the materials required for the process, do the necessary checks and fittings as needed without you having to move a leg.

While your research holds value, handing over the job of setting up the aqua heater to skilled personnel can save you the effort of calculating the requirement. A professional that you consul should be able to tell you which size of a geyser would befit your familys requirement. They can easily estimate the points-of-use to meet your overall demand.

Be it understanding the temperature requirements, pressure regulation, valve fitting, inlets, and outlet pipe conditions or electric feed, an expert plumbing contractor can suggest all specific details for safe installation and use of your aqua heater.

Some closed water heaters may be subject to thermal expansion causing an increase in the pressure. Too much tank pressure can contract the duct causing leakage of combustible gases in the house.

Your plumber would know how to deal with this. For instance, he might add an expansion tank to prevent any problems. Similarly, open-water heaters can be handled with proper installation of water softeners and meters as needed. To avoid such problems, you can choose the dual-purpose model that your professional plumber should be able to suggest.

We hope the pros discussed above enable you to get the water heater installed smoothly.

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Reasons to Hire A Professional Water Heater Plumbing Company - EndZoneScore

Winter is quickly approaching and so is the need to ensure that all things plumbing are ready for the season in your home or business. Want to ensure that you get the best that the area has to offer? Better call Dave Momberg and Superior Plumbing and Heating!

Superior Plumbing and Heating offers multiple services to guarantee that your home or business is running to the highest standard. They contract a wide range of customers plumbing services for homes, new buildings, remodels and commercial repairs.

Dont let frozen pipes, water line breaks or a failed water heater ruin your upcoming holidays. Give Superior a call and let the experts get to work!

Looking to keep the chilly onset of winter out of your home and stay toasty indoors?

Superior also offers a range of heating services and will help to ensure that your home is as warm and welcoming as you desire!

Dave Momberg is a certified master plumber with over 40 years of experience throughout the region. He and his crew are fully licensed and insured to provide plumbing and heating services.

If you are looking for a plumbing and heating team to tackle the biggest or smallest problems you may have, or merely looking to get your home or business up to par than Dave Momberg and Superior Plumbing and Heating are the ones to call!

Phone: (406) 873-5529

(406) 470-0109

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Superior Plumbing and Heating boasts 40 years of experience - Cut Bank Pioneer Press