Washer

Yesterday morning when moguls were in their office moguling and arbitrageurs were in cyberspace arbitraging, I was in the laundry room rooting for the washer's spin cycle to kick in. A few hours earlier, the washer had appeared to be dead in the water - the dirty water. Late Thursday night I discovered the washer's distress while engaging in a drastic domestic clean-up action, one spurred by the fact that my wife would soon be returning from an out-of-town trip. As some guys do, I had let housekeeping matters slide during my wife's absence.

Joseph M. Bolewicki Jr., an appliance dealer who was recalled as the "last of the old-school Highlandtown retail giants," died July 21 of cancer at Stella Maris Hospice. He was 84 and lived in Northeast Baltimore. "He ran a great neighborhood business," said Patrick Michael McCusker, owner of Nacho Mama's restaurant in Canton. "His store brought me back in time. When you bought an appliance from him, you also bought a piece of his character. " Born in Baltimore, he grew up in Canton and attended St. Brigid's Parochial School and was a 1944 Loyola High School graduate.

A veteran window-washer died yesterday in a fall at Baltimore's 30-story World Trade Center, where he apparently was working for the first time. The victim, Wade C. Dutton, 40, appeared to have been caught by his safety gear before reaching the pavement, and his body remained suspended about 20 feet above the ground until city firefighters could bring it down using a forklift vehicle. Dutton, 40, the father of three teen-age children who lived in the 1200 block of E. Madison St., was on his first day at the building for his employer, Skyclean of Baltimore, said his mother, Annie Dutton Davis, 63. She said that her son had been a window-washer for several years and that she was told he had been working outside the 28th floor when he fell about 1:25 p.m. The accident was being investigated by the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health agency and Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the law enforcement agency responsible for the building, said its spokesman, Cpl. Greg Prioleau.

Environmentalists and economists alike are hoping Maryland's version of the rebate program known as Cash for Appliances entices residents to invest in super-energy-efficient appliances — boosting the economy while reducing electricity use. The state's version of the federal stimulus-funded program begins Thursday — Earth Day — and it will continue until the $5.4 million has been distributed, which could take several months, depending...

When you've tried everything you can think of to resolve a problem and then given up in despair, you might be surprised to find that there's still reason to hope. Ann Saltzman discovered that gem recently after more than four months of fruitless attempts to repair a spasmodic and possibly possessed Frigidaire washing machine she bought for $747 in April 2005. The washer worked fine for two years, the 65-year-old Owings Mills nurse said. Then in September, the trouble began. After 15 minutes of run time, the motor cut off and restarted every five minutes.

A window washer working at a medical building in Otterbein was critically injured yesterday afternoon when he fell three stories after a cable holding scaffolding snapped, fire officials said.Brian Kelly, 38, was treated by doctors from Deaton Medical Center in the 600 block of S. Charles St. He was transported by ambulance to Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where he was in critical condition yesterday.The full extent of his injuries was not known, but fire officials said he suffered a broken femur and possible back or spinal injuries.

POLICE LOG* Glenelg: 13900 block of Kennard Drive: A refrigerator, generator, dishwasher and a washer and dryer set were stolen from a house under construction last Thursday.

PoliceEldersburg: An Elkridge couple and a Catonsville contractor told police that someone broke into a home under construction in the 5000 block of Pawtucket Lane in Eldersburg and stole a washer, dryer, refrigerator and a garage-door opener. An estimate of the loss was unavailable.Pub Date: 4/21/97

PoliceWestminster: A resident of the 600 block of Barnes Ave. told police that someone used a pellet gun to shoot out two windows at 5: 41 a.m. Sunday. Drapes and a washer and dryer also were damaged. Damage was estimated at $550.Pub Date: 10/17/96

POLICE LOG* Glenwood: 2800 block of Shadow Roll Court: Tools were stolen Thursday from a storage shed at a house under construction, police said.* Clarksville: 12000 block of Misty Rise Court: A washer and dryer were stolen Wednesday or Thursday from a house under construction.

A window washer became stuck Tuesday afternoon outside the 13th floor of a building under construction in the 800 block of Lancaster St. in Fells Point and was rescued in less than an hour by city firefighters, said Chief Kevin Cartwright, a Fire Department spokesman. The man was uninjured and declined to talk to reporters. Cartwright said a small motor above the platform the man was working on malfunctioned about 3 p.m., preventing the platform from moving up or down, and that ropes became tangled.

Members of the Columbia Association's three gyms can wave their free towels goodbye starting Nov. 1, the result of an austere budget proposed for the next two years that would also reduce employee pay raises but leave residents' property lien fees unchanged. The towel move would save up to $5 million over a decade and also help the environment, officials said. But some of the few residents who've heard about the idea aren't buying it. "I no way agree it's environmental," said Cynthia Coyle of Harper's Choice, the elected CA board member who heads the committee examining the budget.

Marylanders who wait until March to switch to certain energy-efficient electric water heaters, refrigerators and clothes washers will be eligible for a federal "cash for appliances" rebate, according to the Maryland Energy Administration. The U.S. Department of Energy approved Maryland's proposal for the energy-efficient appliances rebate program Thursday. The state's share is $5.4 million, paid for by stimulus plan dollars. Under the approved terms, consumers can apply for a $300 rebate after purchasing an electric heat pump water heater, which is more energy-efficient than standard electric water heaters.

When you've tried everything you can think of to resolve a problem and then given up in despair, you might be surprised to find that there's still reason to hope. Ann Saltzman discovered that gem recently after more than four months of fruitless attempts to repair a spasmodic and possibly possessed Frigidaire washing machine she bought for $747 in April 2005. The washer worked fine for two years, the 65-year-old Owings Mills nurse said. Then in September, the trouble began. After 15 minutes of run time, the motor cut off and restarted every five minutes.

What it is -- A grill mop with a silicone brush What we like about it --This mop from grillmeister Elizabeth Karmel makes good on the promise of silicone; it helped our sticky ribs stay moist on the grill, and the long, angled handle was comfortable to use and kept us safely away from the fire. Its smooth, flexible brush cleaned up beautifully in the dish washer, with no lingering odors. What it costs --$11.99 Where to buy it --Kitchen and houseware stores and www. bbqproshop.com

Open hydrants are blamed in main's break A 6-inch water main ruptured beneath a Northeast Baltimore thoroughfare yesterday afternoon, and the city blamed the problem on people opening fire hydrants illegally. The main, in the 3200 block of Belair Road, burst about 3 p.m. At least 10 homes in the 3000 block of Clifton Park Terrace lost water service, and both streets were shut for repairs. Eight hydrants were open within a three-block radius, said Kurt Kocher, a Department of Public Works spokesman.

Where should you locate the laundry facilities when you're building or remodeling? Didn't used to be a question: Washer and dryer went in the basement. If the house didn't have a basement, they went into a separate laundry room, usually somewhere near the back door.Then designers and builders thought, hey, the biggest part of laundry is linens, and where are the linens? Where the bedrooms are. So why lug heavy sheets and towels all over the house; why not put the washer and dryer on the second floor, or near the bedrooms?

First, a window washer didn't tie his security rope and dangled nine stories from a downtown Baltimore office building. Then, a construction worker drove a small front-end loader off the fifth floor of a building and tumbled to the ground."

At 5:05 a.m., Bruce Lipscomb plopped down on the floor and breezed through 200 sit-ups. Next came an hourlong circuit of the exercise machines, which he does three times a week at the Arena Club in Bel Air. He skipped the treadmill, but only because he already ran on one for 20 minutes at his Aberdeen home earlier that morning. At a club that, like most, braces for the annual surge in members determined to make good on their fitness-related New Year's resolutions, Lipscomb is a model of discipline and consistency.