NEW YORK (NBC) – Spring cleaning is just around the corner, and a little checking on your home might stop a big repair bill, especially with your roof.

"Look for loose shingles, look for, check in the attic potentially for any leaks, see if you see leaks through your ceiling, those are all signs you need your roof looked at," said Angie Hicks, founder of Angie's List.

Most roofs last twenty years, but they might just need new weatherproofing or shingles.

While you're outside, inspect walls for holes to make sure critters can't creep inside. You might be surprised at how small a space they need.

Back indoors, look for water leaks.

More at source: NBC

This isn’t an anti-entrepreneur rant. It’s also not a piece to discourage anyone from launching their own business. It’s a warning for those who seek to launch their startup to understand some of the lesser-discussed reasons why 99% of new businesses are Dead On Arrival.

More at source: Tech Crunch

Night janitorial duties at the borough's junior/senior high school will be outsourced to a private firm, resulting in the layoff of two employees, Superintendent Albert Pecora said.

The move, which is on a trial basis, will save the district $55,000, Pecora said.

Pecora intends to use the savings to bolster district instruction, which he said has taken a hit due to budget cuts in recent years.

Currently, elementary school teachers with no Spanish background are teaching Spanish and an upcoming fourth-grade class undefined if not split undefined will result in a class size well over 30 students, Pecora said.

More at source: NorthJersey.com

Approximately 100 people registered for the area’s first Clean Safe Care Summit held at South Central Place on Friday.

Organizers said the event was designed to unite agencies and industry leaders. The summit was designed to educate healthcare and childcare providers on improving the quality, safety, and care for their Institutions and for the health of the community as a whole.

More at source: Leader Call

Two custodians at a northern New Jersey elementary school have been suspended for allegedly binding and gagging four young boys in a school bathroom last week and then taking pictures of them. But don't be alarmedundefinedaccording to the Long Branch Schools Superintendent, the workers were just "horsing around.

More at source: Gothamist

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Night janitorial duties at the borough's junior/senior high school will be outsourced to a private firm, resulting in the layoff of two employees, Superintendent Albert Pecora said.

The move, which is on a trial basis, will save the district $55,000, Pecora said.

Pecora intends to use the savings to bolster district instruction, which he said has taken a hit due to budget cuts in recent years.

Currently, elementary school teachers with no Spanish background are teaching Spanish and an upcoming fourth-grade class undefined if not split undefined will result in a class size well over 30 students, Pecora said.

More at source: North Jersey.com

ABM Industries Inc.'s (ABM) fiscal first-quarter profit rose 27% as revenue from the acquisition of the former Linc Group masked relatively flat core earnings.

The latest profit increase builds on improved results seen earlier in the year. ABM, which provides janitorial, engineering, parking and security services for thousands of commercial, institutional and retail facilities in the U.S. and Canada, has mostly grown its bottom line, though its fourth-quarter profit slipped amid higher labor costs.

The latest results benefited from what was formerly called the Linc Group, which added to ABM's business in the growing energy sector.

More at source: Wall Street Journal

Chicago's janitors union contracts are up for renewal next month, and while the negotiations with building owners are private, union members are making sure their demands are not – announcing them on megaphones, banners and poster boards instead.

In what looked like a sea of yellow, thousands from SEIU Local 1 gathered on Sunday outside Chase Bank on 10 S. Dearborn St. in the first of several planned rallies. They were holding flags that read “Good jobs, Strong Communities” and “We are the 99%.”

More at source: Chicago News

Canadians were justifiably outraged when Electro-Motive, owned by Caterpillar, threatened its London, Ont., workers with a 50 per cent pay cut and then left Canada in search of cheaper labour in the U.S.

More at source: The Star

- L.A. LIVE -- the $2.5 billion sports and entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles is located within a 4 million-square foot, 27-acre area that is home to STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE (7,100-seat venue), Club Nokia (2,300-capacity live music venue), a 54-story, 1001-room hotel tower featuring the JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, 224 luxury Ritz-Carlton Residences, Regal Cinemas L.A. LIVE Stadium 14 theaters, restaurants, office space, broadcast facilities for ESPN and more. Within LA LIVE, ABM will provide cleaning services for the district's exterior grounds, STAPLES Center, Nokia Theater L.A. LIVE, Nokia Plaza L.A. LIVE and AEG's corporate headquarters space...

More at source: Market Watch