Warning! Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of The Conners. Be sure to come back once you’ve caught up!
Well, just when everything was looking up for Jackie and Becky with regards to re-opening the Lunch Box with their stew-themed restaurant, The Conners had to go and snatch it all away! As we saw earlier in an exclusive clip from tonight’s episode, the ladies got some bad news when they found out that mold has been a secret inhabitant of the space for far too long, and the repairs were going to wipe out Jackie’s life savings. This means that there would then be nothing for them to fall back on after the restaurant opened.
But! It looks like there might be hope for the…Stew Box (?!) yet. Let’s dig into what happened, shall we? Alright, first, a small refresher on what happened during that explosive Thanksgiving episode, because the first restaurant issue of Jackie and Becky’s was solved then. Remember how Jackie and Becky found out that Beverly owned the Lunch Box? Sure you do. And, I’ll suppose you also remember that Darlene holds her power of attorney and did not want to let her sister and aunt use the space? Oh, of course you do!
Well, all the intense fighting that came from Darlene’s severe reluctance to let Becky and Jackie realize their restaurant dream spilled over into the Conner family Thanksgiving meal. There was even more arguing, name-calling and a lot more low blows (DJ and Mary couldn’t get a word in edgewise), but when Darlene told Jackie that she was «the bane» of Roseanne’s existence, Jackie hauled off and slapped her stupid right in front of the whole family. You remember that, too, right? It looked like this:
Woooo! OK, Jackie! You put ya back into that slap, alright! Well, this episode of Conner on Conner violence caused Darlene to say screw it and let them have the the building so they could open their restaurant, even though she still thinks it’s an ill-fated idea. Well, more trouble wasn’t far. The family (but not Geena…or this guy, for that matter) gathered at the building with Lanford historian Sandy Bitensky (guest star Paul Reubens), who was planning to write an article on their new restaurant to go along with a history of the location.
Jackie and new single mom Becky announced that they were planning to put in a pizza oven, and as Dan demolishes the planned spot for it Sandy takes photos, but Dan quickly tells Becky to get all the kids out of the building because there’s a ton of mold behind the wall. After they find out the astronomical costs of repairing the mold damage, Jackie tells Sandy and the family that they can’t open the restaurant after all, because it would just take too much money that she doesn’t really have.
But, while Jackie is bemoaning her fate of failure with Dan, Becky comes in to tell her that Sandy went ahead and wrote his article anyway. And, even better, he told everyone about their plight and encouraged people to try to support them however they could so that they could actually open. Within seconds, locals begin to come over and offer supplies like (somewhat odd but appreciated) tablecloths for them to use if they open, a working jukebox and more.
The crowd of people that starts to gather convinces Jackie that they just might be able to make an actual go of things, so she changes her mind and says that the new Lunch Box is a-go once again! The big question now is just how long this renewed confidence will hold and whether or not there will be more big obstacles in Becky and Jackie’s way as they try to claw their way to restaurant success.
We can all watch their long and winding road toward career fulfillment when The Conners airs on ABC, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST.
HOUSTON — In 2017, Betzabe Gomez wrote a heartbreaking letter to Santa. She asked him to fix the roof on the family’s north Harris County home. All of the rain that fell during Hurricane Harvey was too much for the old roof. Part of it caved in. For months, the only thing that procted the Gomez family from the elements was a blue tarp.
The letter, which was shared on Facebook, went viral, capturing the hearts of people across Houston and Southeast Texas.
The then-8-year-old’s letter read:
Dear Santa,
I need help in my house because when it’s raining, the rain comes in. When I look at it, I am sad. This is why I want help and what if it floods in there. Also, we don’t have no concrete under the carpet. Also, when I come next to the wall the thing is, it’s a giant hole. Anyway, when I come close to the room and the hole I can feel the rain and when It’s raining we have to put a bucket.
P.S. I will leave milk, cookies and carrots and water.
From: Betzabe Gomez
When asked why she chose to write the letter to Santa Claus, she said, “I’ve always been believing in him. I thought he would help me. I was just trying to explain my hard life that… my dad is sick and how hurricane just had to come and just make a giant hole on the roof. I just want to explain my whole life, that I’m going through.”
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE LETTER TO SANTA?
State Representative Armando Walle was on the first to step in and help the family. He reached out to non-profits and community groups and in late 2017, Walle was able to get a more durable lining over the roof and volunteers patched a couple of holes in the family’s living room.
By March 2018 the Gomez family was working with Harris County’s Community Services Department which uses federal funds to renovate, repair or rebuild homes that qualify for government help.
The Gomez’s qualified for a brand new house. The plans for a three-bedroom two-bath house were approved in 2018.
The family thought that was going to be their last Christmas in the dilapidated home. But in 2019, they say, the county stopped returning their calls.
«There’s mold. There’s actually been a mold inspector who said no children should be sleeping within this room. No one should even step past the door,» said Betzabe’s older brother Angel Gomez as he gave KHOU an updated tour of the damage inside his family’s home.
From ceiling problems in the bathroom to exposed plywood to the smell of mold and mildew inside the home, the family’s best defense against the growing list of damage is a combination of plastic, cardboard and duct tape.
«It just it gets me real sad,» said Betzabe as she held back tears. You can feel the weight on the 10-year old’s shoulders.
«It’s just not what I thought it would be in the last two years. Because I thought, oh! Maybe they’re going to plan a new house. And not many bugs or insects are going to come in. But it’s not. It’s just reality.»
The reality is the family says they couldn’t get Harris County to return their calls for months. All the Gomez’s want is answers. A timeline. A date to look forward to.
KHOU
«We haven’t been getting too much information about the new house, or anything,» said the 5th grade girl.
During multiple conversations with a spokeswoman for Harris County, KHOU learned owed back taxes, paperwork and approval by county commissioners slowed the process.
Meanwhile the Gomez family has been busy tending to father Martin Gomez’s depleting health. They’re easing him into hospice care. He requires dialysis and he’s recovering from a stroke.
«I’m waiting for God to answer and give us a new home,» said Betzabe.
This afternoon we helped to answer Betzabe’s prayers. Harris County confirmed via email that construction will start within the next 60 days. New construction to ring in the first year of a new decade.
FOR THOSE WHO’VE HELPED OR OFFERED TO HELP:
The Gomez family says thank you! From people who’ve donated in years past, to the roofers offering to do a permanent fix for free. The family is appreciative. But they’re hopeful Harris County will start construction within the next 60 days. So they don’t want the hard work and money to be wasted when the home is torn down.
And if you’re wondering what happened to the money donated through a GoFundMe page, the money was returned to the donors. The account wasn’t set up by the family and the Gomez’s didn’t know they needed to deposit the money in their bank account within a short period of time.
KHOU
On Tuesday afternoon, Harris County issued the following statement:
The good news is that the Gomez family has selected their plans. We are optimistic that construction could begin within the next 60 days and completed in May, if the Gomez family is able to satisfy a few final steps.
As you know, anybody who decides to build a home must go through a series of steps including qualifying for the loan, or in this case, applying and qualifying for our program. For anyone buying and building a home, the process can take 6 to 12 months. When the process requires meeting federal guidelines, securing builders, and engineering services through government entities, the hurdles are extremely high and can add significantly to that timeline.
It must be noted that the procurement of architectural and construction services have been affected by demands due to the Hurricane Harvey disaster. The Gomez home is not part of the Harvey disaster assistance program, but is actually ahead of this process, by being in the regular home repair program.
In the case of the Gomez family, the application to repair their home was received March 26, 2018. Following a series of inspections it was determined that the Gomez family would be best served by reapplying for a complete new home on that property.
On 10/30/18 the home was converted from a major rehabilitation to total reconstruction. This required a new process; securing sets of architectural plans; hiring engineering services; soil testing, etc.
The Los Angeles Times published a report in late September about the temporary halt of elective surgeries at one of the major hospitals in the city and state. According to the publication, a water leak caused damage and mold growth in an area near the facility’s sterile processing room. The area was reportedly closed off for repairs and remediation. It was announced several days later that elective surgeries had been resumed.
John Shutske, UW MadisonPublished 8:10 p.m. CT Nov. 25, 2019
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Breathing grain dust can affect your comfort and is a health concern for all in the grain industry.
Grain dust is a complex soup of particles. The smallest dust particles are easily inhaled and find their way deep into the respiratory system. Grain dust is biologically active. It’s made up of plant material, mold, insect parts and excreta (bug poop), bacteria, endotoxins (toxins contained in the cell walls of some bacteria) and soil particles including silica.
Most people will have some reaction to dusty harvest conditions. Often, this will be a nuisance reaction (like a runny nose) or throat irritation. In some cases, bigger health problems occur. Endotoxins associated with some types of bacteria can cause problems for some individuals.
At low dust levels during prolonged and busy harvest operations, a cough is common. This might be an intermittent cough, producing more phlegm when you’re working near dust. Other symptoms are chest tightness/wheezing, sore/irritated throat, nasal and eye irritation and feeling stuffed-up and congested.
Bronchitis occurs as lung passages get inflamed. Grain dust can also be quite a debilitating concern for those with asthma.
A massive exposure to a thick cloud of dust is something to avoid. Massive exposures to moldy, dusty grain even for a short period of time can result in two distinct medical conditions having symptoms that include cough, chest tightness, malaise (a general feeling of discomfort, illness or feeling ‘ill-at-ease’), headache, muscle aches and fever.
People exposed often begin to feel sick a few hours after their exposure, and may feel quite sick as they go to bed at night.
‘Farmer’s Lung’
«Farmer’s Lung’ or Farmer’s Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (FHP) is less common and affects about 1 in 20 exposed individuals (5 percent or slightly more). Often, farmers get sick and tell their health provider about their symptoms and their illness sometimes gets misdiagnosed as FHP.
However, FHP is a delayed allergic reaction caused when sensitive people inhale dusts causing their bodies to produce antibodies. Since FHP is an allergic reaction and involves the immune system, each new FHP bout gets worse. With repeated exposure, some people become unable to work in dusty areas and can develop permanent lung damage.
FHP is caused by dust that contains mold, mold spores and bacteria that developed in warm storage conditions. Heat-loving molds are more likely to grow in stored hay or top layers of silage. FHP molds can also occur in stored grain. If you’ve been diagnosed with FHP before, and get sick again while working around grain (or hay/silage), you should visit your local clinic.
Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome
Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS), is a toxic reaction. With ODTS, your respiratory system becomes inflamed from the dust, molds, bacteria and endotoxins in dust. Symptoms look like FHP. But, the body’s reaction causing symptoms is different. People who develop ODTS usually recover in a few days. Permanent lung damage from ODTS is rare.
Agricultural health experts face a difficult problem, as Farmer’s Lung and Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome look almost identical. At times, even rural health professionals can have a hard time recognizing these illnesses and knowing the difference. Medical testing is often needed to truly tell the two apart. Medical treatment is also different.
Grain dust exposure and related health symptoms are complex. Here are specific things to reduce risk:
Have a clean air filter in place when operating a combine.
Avoid exposures to dust whenever possible.
Properly adjust your combine to minimize grain damage and dust generated.
Wear a NIOSH-approved ‘N-95’ dust mask that fits properly in conditions where dust is unavoidable.
If you feel sick, call your health care provider.
Smoking makes grain dust exposure symptoms much worse.
Shutske is an agricultural engineering specialist for UW-Madison and UW-Extension.
In this damp, wintery weather, mold is more likely to find your way into your home. The good news is, mold is an easy problem to fix. There’s an abundance of mold removal services to help you restore you home to its former glory. In the meantime, if you suspect that there might be mold in your home, here are some signs that will be able to help you tell.
Unexplained Physical Symptoms
Mold produces a lot of harmful spores, which can impact the health of people which are in its presence for long periods of time. Most people who are exposed to it experience irritation in their upper-respiratory track. This leads to symptoms like coughing and wheezing.
Subsequently, if you already have an upper-respiratory track condition such as asthma, mold in the home could worsen your symptoms. Another common symptom to look out for – especially in adults – is an irritation in the eyes. Health issues related to mold can, in some cases, be a lot more serious.
Some people may be allergic to the substance without realizing it, which would lead to a reaction. Others might experience mycotoxicosis, or mold poisoning. This leads to flu-like symptoms like headaches, fever and breathing difficulties.
Because of the health risks, it is important to act fast against mold for your own well-being.
Your Home Has a Leak or Water Damage
Mold spores thrive in moist conditions. So, if you have a leak in your home that is ongoing and hasn’t dried out, it is likely you have, or will develop, mold.
Signs of water damage include ‘bubbly’-looking walls, softened wood, a ‘warped’ appearance on ceilings and floors and an unexplained damp carpet. A lot of mold removal services also offer water-damage repair services and vice versa.
Your Home has a Musty Odor
If there is an unusual, damp odor in your home, that is a surefire sign that mold is growing. Although it doesn’t smell very pleasant, it can be useful. The smell of the mold can help you track down where it is if it’s in a hidden location. The stronger the smell, the closer you are to the source.
Increased Humidity & Condensation
Humidity is a way of describing the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. The higher the humidity, the higher the levels of water vapor.
There are a number of reasons your home might be humid, which include:
poor ventilation
rain entering the house
leaks in the home
high rainfall
faulty seals on door/window frames
inadequate damp-proofing
As a preventative measure, it is useful to stop humidity. Luckily, you can stop a lot of these common causes on your own, or you could call in a professional to solve them.
Unfortunately, if your home is humid, this can cause condensation. Areas of condensation are a hub for mold growth, so by preventing humidity, you are preventing condensation and subsequently preventing areas mold can grow in the home. If this is a problem in your property, you can get dehumidifying machines for fairly cheap.
Rust and Other Deterioration
Apart from windows, a further indication that you may have condensation and damp/humid conditions is if you see visible rusting where there wasn’t any before. You should also look out for other suspicious signs of deterioration in the home such as wet patches, a ‘warped’ ceiling or floor, a suspiciously damp carpet or softened floorboards.
Visible Mold
Mold in the home might look different to mold you usually see on food. Whereas food on mold is a pale green, mold in the home tends to be darker: such as black blotches on the walls.
If you notice any of the issues mentioned above, be sure to get them checked out by a professional as soon as you can. If left to fester, mold and dampness can cause serious health issues to a property’s inhabitants and can also begin to damage and erode the structure of a house. By catching the problem early, you could save a lot of hassle and money.
It was surreal. Buildings completely leveled, twisted and tangled. Huge leafless trees snapped like toothpicks. Boats anchored miles inland. And offshore, mountains of damaged cars formed islets in the sea. One house, totally intact, was completely upside down.
Such was the destruction wrought by Hurricane Dorian that struck Abaco and Grand Bahama islands in early September with 185 mile per hour winds and floods surging more than 20 feet high. The official death toll at 67 is in flux, because hundreds are missing, their bodies likely swept out to sea. Thousands, rescued by family, neighbors, first responders, doctors, nurses and the U.S. Coast Guard, are still homeless.
Yet in the face of it all, the people of The Bahamas are strong and resilient, determined and committed to getting past the current disaster.
The devastation was surreal. One house, totally intact, was completely upside down. (Rebecca Kennedy)
In Nassau, the capital—hosting thousands of evacuees—there was very little physical damage. And throughout the remaining Bahamian islands, daily life continues, with the country’s famous sun, sea and sand beckoning tourists to rekindle the economy and support recovery from the worst natural disaster in the nation’s history.
Part of that recovery is cultural, and our Smithsonian team was there to work with Bahamian colleagues to help save and secure the paintings, historical artifacts, books and other touchstones of the country’s history and creativity, as well as the institutions that house them.
Kim Outten-Stubbs, the head of the National Museum of the Bahamas, Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation was our main contact. I’d last worked with Outten-Stubbs and other cultural figures 25 years ago, when we produced a living exposition of Bahamian traditions for the 1994 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. That work with Bahamian cultural leaders, scholars and exemplary musicians and artists created a bond of trust that made renewing our current collaboration easy and natural, even with new leaders like Amanda Coulson, executive director of the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.
In Hope Town, a painted response to the devastation brought by Hurricane Dorian (Nana Kaneko)
Our team included Cori Wegener, the “Monuments Woman” and director of the Smithsonian Institution Cultural Rescue Initiative, book conservator Katie Wagner from Smithsonian Libraries, collections care specialist Rebecca Kennedy and Nana Kaneko, a specialist in living cultural traditions also with the Cultural Rescue Initiative. Joining us were the experienced Bahamian administrative consultant Alexander Flowers and historic preservation architect Alicia Oxley, both from the National Museum of The Bahamas.
We took planes, boats, cars, coaches and even golf carts, to visit the hurricane-impacted areas. Two historic community museums, the Albert Lowe Museum in New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay and the Wyannie Malone Museum in Hope Town on Elbow Cay suffered roof, window and some structural damage.
Artifacts and artwork had been tossed about. Items were wet and mold was setting in, compromising the condition of collections documenting the life and history of these communities. Interestingly, both communities had been founded in the 1780s by British Loyalists from New England, Florida and the Carolinas, who had fled the U.S., to settle in the islands of the British Bahamas. The towns recalled small New England villages by the sea, with historic clapboard cottages, quaint gardens, picket fences and meandering lanes—now as a result of Dorian, all in disarray.
A team of Smithsonian experts is working with Bahamian colleagues to help save and secure paintings, historical artifacts, books and other touchstones of the country’s history and creativity. (Alicia Oxley)
The descendants of these founders created the museums and populated them with the artworks, photographs, documents, tools and furnishings that told their communities’ 240-year history. Volunteers who ran and staffed the museums had begun recovery work. In an effort to get ahead of the mold at the Lowe museum, workers were tediously stripping off the wet wallpaper. New timbers propped up the front porch.
The Smithsonian team jumped in to help. We quickly assessed and documented the state of the two museums, and advised folks of what needed to be done to save the collections. For the Lowe museum, we evacuated sensitive items—photographs, paintings, documents, textiles and books—so they could be aired out and then be secured in other buildings to prevent further damage from mold and the elements.
The Wyannie Malone Museum in Hope Town on Elbow Cay suffered damage to the historical furnishings and was in need of roof and structural repair. (Richard Kurin)
In Hope Town, at the Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden, figurative sculptures and those of historical leaders were knocked off damaged pedestals. We helped to identify a local artist in nearby Little Harbour, who specialized in bronze and was running an active foundry, and could probably do the repairs.
We also visited Hope Town’s historic red-and-white striped Elbow Reef Lighthouse initially built in 1863. It is the world’s last hand-cranked, kerosene-burning lighthouse in operation—a monument to 19th and 20th century engineering and optics—with its beacon still signaling ships at sea to help them navigate the nearby reefs.
The local Elbow Reef Lighthouse Society provided a detailed and thorough report on damages. The watchtower, lens and prism survived, but the turning system, with fuel lines, pulleys and cables need to be cleaned and likely replaced. The structure’s winding staircase, floors, windows and doors need repair, as do the accompanying cabins for the lighthouse keeper and assistant. Our team inspected the site and offered strategies for securing funding for restoration.
Hope Town’s historic red-and-white striped Elbow Reef Lighthouse initially built in 1863 is the world’s last hand-cranked, kerosene-burning lighthouse in operation. (Nana Kaneko)
On Green Turtle Cay, a friend of the famed local artist Alton Lowe had managed to save several dozen paintings by providing storage in his home. So too in horribly leveled Marsh Harbour, paintings by Eddie Minnis and his children fortunately had been evacuated before the storm to a storage facilty well south of the hurricane’s track. The works are Bahamian national treasures, but now, here they were being presented to conservators stacked together or held in damp boxes and suitcases.
Wagner and Kennedy often work in well-equipped museum laboratories, but here in the Abacos they were assessing conditions of paintings in a garage, and on a seaside porch of a hurricane-evicerated art gallery offering treatment advice and guidance. Conservators bring years of education, technical training and experience to treat—that is, to conserve and restore valuable artworks and historical artifacts. Like physicians set up in makeshift MASH units or field stations, Wagner and Kennedy went to work on their “patients.”
“Take it out of the frame, take off the backing, remove the mat, lightly brush off the traces of mold,” they instructed.
A conservator assesses the condition of an artwork, recommending its removal from the frame and a light brushing for traces of mold. (Katie Wagner)
Like physicians set up in makeshift MASH units or field stations, conservators went to work on their “patients.” (Katie Wagner)
We visited historic schoolhouses, civic buildings, nature sites and libraries in the Abacos and in Grand Bahama. At the historic Sir Charles Hayward Library on Grand Bahama, staff and volunteers were hard at work saving books and furnishings from mold following some mild flooding. They would have to replace some books and they wanted to digitize materials that documented community life.
But overall, they were getting back on their feet. Sadly, this wasn’t the case for libraries in the Abacos. At a recently opened new community library in Marsh Harbour, shelves were overturned, its books unsalvageable. An older library in Green Turtle Cay was even more damaged, with the building severely compromised.
Back in Nassau, we visited an evacuation shelter housing some 700 survivors, mainly Haitians from flooded shantytowns in the Abacos. The Bahamians were doing their best, setting up a gymnasium and tents with beds, mattresses, bathrooms and showers, medical and recreational facilities. It was daunting to see families, young, old, ill and disabled, living mattress to mattress with hundreds of others, all their possessions bundled close, and now entering a third month since their evacuation. Many had new, donated clothing, food and snacks, treatment and help, evident from the attention of social workers, police and friendly volunteers.
In Hope Town, at the Loyalist Memorial Sculpture Garden, figurative sculptures and those of historical leaders were knocked off damaged pedestals. (Richard Kurin)
Two volunteers were providing uplifting daily music and interactive performance programs for the children with dance workshops, singalongs and other activities. On our second visit, we attended a talent show. Children gathered, turning the gym floor into a village plaza. People loved it. Haitian children performed, sang and played instruments. The volunteer organizers proclaimed: “There’s talent in the shelter!” A group of teenaged girls performed songs they’d written since their evacuation. The poignant words hit home.
That’s a problem right here, I don’t know how it started, but I know how to finish it. Right now I’m stuck, thinking about it. Cause you took away the ones I love, and my heart is broken up.
And then the chorus.
How can you make your dreams come true if you don’t know how to take the first step?
Excited young children jumped around as they are wont to do, grabbed for snacks, and settled in the laps of our Smithsonian team and Bahamian staff.
One couple, a Haitian man and woman performed a beautiful song about their miraculous survival, but then told us they had to leave—they and their son were being deported back to Haiti since they had migrated to the Bahamas without needed visas.
It’s a tough situation for many to deal with, Haitian and Bahamian. But the message at this center was that people had survived, were cared for, and had a future—symbolized by everyone joining an exuberant finale, singing along to Bob Marley’s rousing anthem: “»Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing gonna be all right.»
At a recently opened new community library in Marsh Harbour, shelves were overturned, its books unsalvageable. (Rebecca Kennedy)
These evacuees, other survivors, first responders, elected officials and everyone who came through the hurricane and wrestled with it has a story to tell.
That became evident talking to just about everyone we met. That experience—taking narrative form as stories and tales to tell to future generations—is now part of Bahamian cultural heritage. The stories document damage and survival at the personal level—how people fled the surge, or clawed through house roofs in rising water, or rescued neighbors and treated their injuries. They offer lessons in perseverance and resilience in the face of nature’s fury. And in their telling offer a therapeutic vehicle for exorcising the terror and fear that gripped people during the storm’s worst periods—a storm that swirled above them for two whole nerve-wracking days.
Working with our Bahamian colleagues we plan an oral history project to document the stories and provide some relief to those who lived through Dorian. The Smithsonian team will follow-up with advice, guidance, visits and training sessions for affected cultural workers and organizations so they can take care of their collections and facilities. We’ll help in writing grants and developing proposals to bring resources to bear on the recovery. We’ll work with the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas on more advanced training, but also to help Bahamians throughout the nation improve their knowledge and skills so they can better prepare for and recover from future disasters that threaten the cultural heritage they are committed to protecting and preserving for their children.
This past September it was reported by KGTV that a Marine Corps family in San Diego had been awarded $2 million in a lawsuit against a company that provided military housing. The lawsuit involved medical claims by the family associated with exposure to mold and excessive dampness in their rental property. The housing company denies the allegations and reports it will appeal the ruling.Cases like this happen all too often between renters and landlords. This case reinforces the importance of thoroughly inspecting a property before signing a lease or rental agreement. In California and in many other locations, landlords and tenants are bound to deal truthfully when negotiating a lease, so prospective tenants should ask about issues dealing with mold, past flooding events, sewage contamination, asbestos, lead and radon.“Even if mold is not present when a person or couple sign a lease, people need to recognize that mold can begin to grow in as short as 48 hours if water damage occurs indoors and is not handled properly or if there are prolonged periods of elevated humidity,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager of LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “Most building materials, furnishing and personal belongings will readily support the growth of mold when they are wet or damp. A small issue can quickly become a big issue if the problem is not fixed quickly and comprehensively.”To identify water damage, mold and a wide range of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) concerns, LA Testing offers laboratory services, sampling supplies, test kits, building inspection tools and monitoring instruments for mold. LA Testing has also sponsored an educational video about what mold needs to grow indoors that can be seen at: http://youtu.be/Tr6_zVT-SP0.To learn more about mold and indoor air quality testing or other environmental, occupational, health and safety services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email info@LATesting.com or call (800) 755-1794. For access to IEQ test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.About LA Testing LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego and Ontario.
With climate change, those of us who are homeowners may need to put in extra effort to take care of our houses.
Exterior paint & siding
Ukiah has always had hot summers, but if they get even hotter, exterior paint can’t hold up as well. Look for bubbling, chipping, and flaking paint for surfaces that don’t get much shade. When paint gets too hot, it can cause cracks that can lead to moisture and mold damage.
Keep an eye on your exterior and repaint more often if the paint is wearing out. You may want to consider the newest in weatherproofing technology with elastomeric paint. It’s more expensive, but that’s because it’s about 10 times thicker than regular paint, so it lasts longer and it can flex with a structure as the wood expands and contracts, not to mention it’s watertight. However, you’ll want an experienced painter because it can create unwanted lumps.
If you have a home with vinyl siding, it can also experience considerable damage in this heat and, like its wooden counterpart, the big danger is having moisture get underneath. If you see any cracks or punctures, get them fixed. Trust me when I say you do not want to deal with mold damage, and these types of problems only get worse over time, never better.
Decking
If you have a deck or any wooden structure on your property, it’s probably also taking a beating from the sun. Like the wooden siding on your house, decking needs protection. Ultraviolet rays break down wood fibers, drying, discoloring and warping the wood. This can lead to cracking and splinters, and there’s nothing worse than walking out onto a deck with no shoes, only to end up with a splinter in the most sensitive part of your foot.
Different types of wood react differently to stains, so head to Mendo Mill and ask one of their friendly employees for advice.
Roofing
The part of the house that may suffer the most from extreme heat is the roof.
Direct sun can cause blistering and cracking on any roof material but is especially hard on common asphalt shingles and tar and gravel. When soaring temperatures cause roofing material to expand, and then cooler nighttime temperatures cause roofing material to contract, almost any material begins to break down.
One of the best ways to combat the punishing summer heat is to make sure your attic is well ventilated. If you don’t have an attic fan, I highly recommend one. You can also put reflective coatings on your roof to protect against ultraviolet damage; some even help the roof repel water.
Interiors
Remember, sunshine can do damage inside, too. As the sun streams in through your windows, window treatments, carpets and upholstery can fade. If you’re already in the market for new windows, consider purchasing windows that include UV protection. If you’re not up for new windows, you can add after-market UV-blocking film, which can provide up to 99.9 percent UV protection.
If you happen to have some precious artwork, maybe a piece from your 6-year-old grandchild, consider framing it with UV-blocking acrylic instead of regular glass. You can also treat artwork on canvas with archival protection sprays. If you have expensive artwork you want to protect, frame it with museum-grade conservation glass.
If you have questions about real estate or property management, please contact me at rselzer@selzerrealty.com or call (707) 462-4000. If you have an idea for a future column, share it with me and if I use it, I’ll send you a $25 gift certificate to Schat’s Bakery. To see previous articles, visit https://ift.tt/31csGcC and click on “How’s the Market.”
Dick Selzer is a real estate broker who has been in the business for more than 40 years.
Melissa Godoy with family dog Roman, a French bulldog and dachshund mix, at their off-post rental home in Olympia, Nov. 18, 2019. Godoy’s family, including their dog, experienced health issues at their previous home. (Lindsey Wasson for Crosscut)
Advocate and military spouse Leigh Tuttle points at that decision as a possible turning point. “My worry is that through the contracting process, the Army essentially sold their soul to the devil for 50 years,” she said.
Tuttle recently relocated to the Tacoma area when her husband transferred to JBLM, but she moved her family into off-base civilian housing after she had similar problems with mold and health problems while living at a previous military installation. She has testified before Congress and regularly takes to social media to speak out on housing and other issues impacting military families. She said it’s not just about the health of individuals at stake, but potentially severe impacts on military readiness.
“JBLM is a hub for special operations, and we are still a nation at war. Soldiers who are deployed to theater should never have to worry about their loved ones living in a hotel room for weeks on end due to the negligence of privatized housing,” said Tuttle. “The Army needs to take a strong and meaningful stance against these companies that are harming our soldiers and families, and to prove they do care and to rebuild a sense of community.”
In January 2019, Godoy still had bronchitis. By that time military leadership had gotten more involved. During a visit by leaders from her husband’s unit, housing maintenance personnel were present, and Godoy asked them to look for mold. A maintenance specialist checked the crawl space, came back and reported that there was an improperly installed shower drain. It was fixed the same day. Godoy asked him if he saw mold, and he told her he hadn’t looked and to call housing if she had other concerns.
She did. Godoy went directly to the housing manager and complained that the staff had dismissed and ignored concerns about mold, despite repeated documented instances of water buildup from bad plumbing. She said the manager insisted again that there was no mold and told Godoy to talk to a doctor instead of housing personnel about her symptoms.
By summer she and her children were still sick. “My doctor was really concerned about my toddler,” she said. Doctors asked her if she had mold in her house, telling her that could potentially explain the symptoms. “I told them I don’t know. Housing says there’s not,” Godoy told Crosscut.
Godoy said she was rapidly losing weight, up to 5 pounds a month. She found herself in the emergency room and urgent care several times. She got tested for cancer and the test came back negative. “We couldn’t find an explanation for why I was losing so much weight and why I couldn’t eat anything,” said Godoy. “It really scared my husband and me because I would cry every day, thinking to myself, ‘Why am I so sick? How can I go from this CrossFit, boxing athlete to this withering away woman?’”
In July she asked maintenance to come to her house again. They told her they found nothing. “I just decided to look for myself,” Godoy said. She grabbed a flathead screwdriver and hammer and began to peel off wood paneling in the bathroom near the shower. She quickly found grayish shading in the wall. She said that when she turned over the wood panel in her hand “there was black fuzzy spotty stuff all on the inside of it. … I found it, I found out why me and my family are so … sick.”
She continued pulling off panels, finding more mold. “Same thing, black stuff, all inside of it,” she said. She then noticed a piece of tile at the base of the shower that was abnormally white. “They had painted over it,” she said. “It looked like mildew was coming through the paint.” She decided to pry that loose too, and said she found black, wet fuzz inside. “It was covered in toxic mold,” she said.
Left: An example of skin rashes on Melissa Godoy’s arm during the time she lived at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Center: How the house looked when Godoy and her family left, Sept. 6, 2019. Right: Images of the master bathroom in Godoy’s Joint Base Lewis-McChord home. (Melissa Godoy)
She called LMH and recorded the walkthrough on her phone. She demanded to know how they could miss the mold for months even as she specifically asked them about it. “They put us in a hotel within the hour,” she said. She posted video and people began reaching out. Godoy started a Facebook group called Lincoln Military Housing Toxic Homes – JBLM. It soon grew to over 1,000 members. She began to receive messages from other families reaching out to her with reports of breathing problems, rashes and other issues. Some asked her to look through their houses as she had her own.
She started doing walkthroughs with families and pulling up boards. She said that within just the first week she found mold in 26 houses. “[We] found really high levels of toxic mold in their houses,” she said. They began posting videos and sharing resources on how to find mold. Other families began tearing out panels and tiles to look for mold. They also reached out to local TV stations.
Damage Mold 