Good Things Ahead

Words: Bronzella Cleveland

Bronzella Cleveland, Editor - bcleveland@masonrymagazine.com

Spring should be in the air, I know you had to reread that. Yes, I said it should be in the air since our office is in the Midwest so the seasons rotate on any given day. With the warmer weather comes more construction work, which of course is great for our industry but I do not have to tell you that.   As I write this, we are getting ready for the Legislative Fly-In and I will be in attendance this year. It will be my first time going and I cannot wait to see the inside of buildings we toured on field trips. If you did not get the chance to see what this year has in store, be sure to check out Steve Borg’s article from the April issue for more information.   In this issue, you will find a dust control article written by our monthly columnist Jerry Painter. Jerry provides key tips and ideas to controlling dust and staying safe, be sure to check it out. We have some new topics and interesting articles in here as well from guest writer Rocco Luisi. He writes about preventing family business divorce to a graffiti protection story. Which gives you the ins and outs of properly cleaning a wall damaged by graffiti and how to effectively save the wall from the strenuous process in the future.   There is an expert-written anchors article by Stephen Franks from Hohmann & Barnard. Stephen provides important information on the restoration advantage with anchors. We had the opportunity to talk with Zach Everett of Brazos Masonry in our follow up warm weather Q&A article. Check out the best practices for working in the heat on a jobsite.   As you know, workforce development is an important topic we like to feature in the magazine. This month we are highlighting Western Specialty Contractors and their efforts to grow the workforce by implementing strong internship programs. Be sure to read about their efforts and see how they are making a difference.    You will find Dan’s note in the column section of this issue we are working on a new initiative and he is giving more information on what to expect in the future. Last but certainly not least, there is an expert-written article on installing and maintaining building envelopes.    I am ready for the Legislative Fly-In and hope to see you there! As always, if you have any questions, comments, or ideas you would like to see in the magazine feel free to reach out to Dan or me. In the meantime, get out there and enjoy spring 
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