Vote

Galveston and other cities in Texas are holding elections on Saturday. Please exercise your right to vote

Lead Based Paint Rules Go Into Effect Tomorrow

Lead-based paint was used in over 38 million homes prior to 1978 before it was banned due to the discovery of the health hazards associated with its use. These potential hazards can come in the form of paint chips, and/or dust, all of which can cause very serious health problems if not handled correctly. In fact, improperly disturbing lead based paint increases the dangers and risks to your family. Children ages 0-6 are especially vulnerable to these dangers because their bodies are still developing. Even very small amounts of lead based paint dust exposure in children can cause:

* Nervous system damage
* Kidney damage
* Decreased intelligence
* ADD/ADHD
* Other learning disabilities
* Speech, language and behavioral problems

Lead can be passed from pregnant women to their unborn children resulting in miscarriages, premature births, brain damage and low birth weight. Health effects of lead exposure in adults include:

* Increased blood pressure
* Fertility problems
* Digestive problems
* Nerve disorders
* Memory and concentration problems
* Sexual disorders
* Muscle or joint pain

Recognizing the serious effects of lead based paint, the EPA enacted legislation to protect citizens from lead and lead dust resulting from renovations. Effective April 22, 2010, any person who is paid to perform renovations which disturb lead-based paint in homes or child-occupied commercial facilities built prior to 1978 must be from a certified renovation firm, the “protective measure” set up and final “dust sampling” must be performed by an EPA Certified Renovator, and the onsite worker(s) must be properly trained in lead safety for renovation, repair and painting.

Galveston Contractors

We continue to see a lot of out of town contractors working in our city. Please check with the city to see if your contractor is registered. The city will not allow us to pull permits or perform work until we have registered, furnished proof of insurance and posted a bond. It won't guarantee good performance, but it will sure cut down on the odds of bad performance.

Join us this weekend and support the Humane Society

The Galveston Home and Garden Show will come to the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort, March 13 & 14 and will feature a full weekend of exhibits, and special presentations.

Benefiting the Galveston Island Humane Society, the Galveston Home & Garden Show promises to be bigger and better than ever! New exhibits, returning popular exhibits, as well as informative and fun presentations by noted professionals. More than 100 exhibitors will showcase the best materials on the market and assist with your home recovery, renovation or new construction. Show discounts will be offered at many vendor booths.

Handyman Matters Gulf Coast Wins Multiple Awards at 2010 Annual Convention

Handyman Matters of Gulf Coast was recently awarded multiple awards at the national franchise convention held in Jacksonville, Florida. The awards include President’s Award of Excellence, K.P.I (key performance indicators) award and 4th place in Total Sales. In addition, Vicky Pratt was awarded the Customer Service Representative of the Year award. The combination of the awards proves that Handyman Matters in Gulf Coast is an outstanding operation and really understands how to take care of their customers.

Bill Clement, owner of Handyman Matters in Gulf Coast, TX accepted all of these awards at the national franchise convention on February 6, 2010. “I am grateful to have such a wonderful team working with me to ensure that our business and customers are taken care of to the best of our ability,” says Clement

Vicky Pratt, Manager-Customer Service reacted to her award saying "I am extremely honored to accept this award from Handyman Matters. This award is a combined effort of hard work and dedication to being the best I can be. And I love sharing this business with others."

"Our goal is to develop qualified individuals who proudly perform to meet the proven standard of Handyman Matters. Bill, Vicky and the rest of their team have shown great success -- which not only benefits the business, but also the Gulf Coast community," said Andy Bell, CEO Handyman Matters. "Handyman Matters symbolizes quality and a distinctive business philosophy with which our employees can proudly identify and build upon."

Handyman Matters was founded in 1998 by Andy Bell, a refugee from the restaurant industry who sought balance in his life, the ability to help solve people's home-repair problems and the desire to develop and run his own business. It was important to Bell that his business: a) serve as a catalyst for change in the handyman industry, b) serve to restore public confidence in the industry and c) treat its employees with respect. Bell also called more than 350 homeowners and 150 contractors who told him what to avoid and what to provide in a handyman service. Bell launched Handyman Express on Feb. 14, 1998 in the Denver area with one craftsman. After growing to eight company-owned locations in Denver (5) and California (3) in 2001, franchising was begun and the concept renamed Handyman Matters.

Handyman Matters of the Gulf Coast began operations in Galveston, TX in August 2004. The company has grown dramatically since then and now covers all of Galveston County and parts of south Harris and East Brazoria counties. For more information on Handyman Matters, please visit GulfCoast.HandymanMatters.com or call 409-938-0001.

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