WEST NYACK, NY – BRIDGES, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocacy and leadership on behalf of people with disabilities, announced they recently had their new offices in the Palisades Mall treated with an innovative product called BioProtect which will provide protection for up to three months.
Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office, an office technology company based in New York City, recently partnered with ViaClean Technologies to offer applications of BioProtect. BioProtect is registered with the EPA, and is a safe, water-based coating that can be applied to all types of surfaces for continuous antimicrobial protection for up to 90 days.
“We are very much attuned to the health of our clients and our staff and this technology offered an ideal solution for us,” says BRIDGES Executive Director Carlos Martinez. “Instead of sanitizing each time a surface is touched, according to research, BioProtect keeps working for weeks and even months at a time. This technology, in addition to our other safety measures, adds to the peace of mind of staff and all those we serve.”
BioProtect is applied via an electrostatic sprayer and forms a durable and consistent bond with both non-porous and porous surfaces, creating an effective antimicrobial coating. It essentially becomes part of the surface, creating a field of nanospikes that mechanically kill bacteria, mold, viruses, or other microbes that come into contact with the surfaces by piercing and rupturing their cell membrane. This method prevents the microbes from mutating and adapting into “superbugs” that are difficult to manage. It is colorless and odorless and does not contain Triclosan, heavy metals, arsenic, titanium, phenols or poisons. It is so safe that it has been approved by the EPA and FDA as a food contact surface preservative. In addition to BRIDGES, the City of New Rochelle has contracted with Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office to have its entire public-school system protected with BioProtect.
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“We applaud BRIDGES not only for its exceptional work on behalf of people with disabilities, but also for its demonstrated commitment to the health and safety of its constituents and staff; understanding that health and safety are paramount today. We also commend BRIDGES for having the vision to embrace BioProtect’s revolutionary safe and effective proactive protection. We partnered with ViaClean because we see BioProtect’s vast potential to help organizations safely resume operations in a post-COVID world while giving their constituents invaluable peace of mind,” stated Jason Weiss, Executive Vice President of Atlantic, Tomorrow’s Office.
In 1921, an unknown World War I American soldier was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. This site, on a hillside overlooking the Potomac River and the city of Washington, D.C., became the focal point of reverence for America’s veterans. Similar ceremonies occurred earlier in England and France, where an unknown soldier was buried in each nation’s highest place of honor (in England, Westminster Abbey; in France, the Arc de Triomphe). These memorial gestures all took place on November 11, giving universal recognition to the celebrated ending of World War I fighting at 11 a.m., November 11, 1918 (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month). The day became known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day officially received its name in America in 1926 through a Congressional resolution. It became a national holiday 12 years later by similar Congressional action. If the idealistic hope had been realized that World War I was “the War to end all wars,” November 11 might still be called Armistice Day. But only a few years after the holiday was proclaimed, war broke out in Europe. Sixteen and one-half million Americans took part. Four hundred seven thousand of them died in service, more than 292,000 in battle. Armistice Day Changed To Honor All Veterans The first celebration using the term Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947. Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran, organized “National Veterans Day,” which included a parade and other festivities, to honor all veterans. The event was held on November 11.
Halloween originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was a celebration of changing seasons from summer to winter. The Celts believed that on the night of October 31, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred, and the spirits of the dead would return to earth. To ward off evil spirits, the Celts would: light bonfires, wear costumes, and tell fortunes.
Over time, the traditions of Samhain blended with other cultures and religions:
Christian influence
In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as All Saints’ Day, a day to honor Christian saints and martyrs. All Saints’ Day later became known as All Hallows’ Day, and the night before, October 31, became known as All Hallows’ Eve, and eventually Halloween.
Irish folklore
The Irish and Scottish brought their folklore about a trickster named Jack to America, where they found pumpkins, which were easier to carve than turnips. The story of Jack-o’-lantern is said to have inspired the Irish to carve faces into pumpkins to ward off evil spirits.