Home Care In Blanchard, LA

Jon BlanchardFounderBLVD Cos.Recent opening: CitizenM hotel in downtown. Developer: BLVD Hospitality, the hospitality arm of BLVD Cos., has developed more than 1.2 million square feet in Los Angeles County.

Jon Blanchard founded Century City-based BLVD Cos. in 2009, seeing opportunity in historic buildings. Perhaps his best-known project is Ace Hotel in downtown.

Most recently, he opened the CitizenM hotel, also in downtown. Outside of hotels, Chicas Tacos also falls under the BLVD Cos. banner, and the eatery has been rapidly growing, opening three locations during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Why launch BLVD?I have always had a passion and love for hotels and historic buildings. I really saw an opportunity to be involved in that in Los Angeles, especially starting in downtown Los Angeles where there is a lot of really wonderful historic buildings. There was really an open canvas there of opportunities.

Despite the pandemic, BLVD Hospitality has made some big purchases. What makes you still interested in hotels?I have a belief that people like to enjoy other spaces outside of their homes. They like to enjoy getting on the road, whether it’s driving or flying, and experiencing hotels. We think that that’s not going to go away, pandemic or not. And we’ve seen that. We’ve seen hotels at beaches perform well during the pandemic. … More urban areas like your downtown L.A. and your Manhattan and places like that didn’t.

We bought the Georgian Hotel in Santa Monica in the early days and at the peak of Covid-19. I used to live in Santa Monica and have had my eye on that building for 11 years. … We took the opportunity and acquired it in 2020, and it turned out to be a really great success … and we have a great restoration plan and plan to renovate it.

Are there any specific areas of L.A. you are or are not interested in doing projects in moving forward?What I’m hearing a lot of are investors are not that interested in investing in California right now. A lot of that has to do with homelessness, taxes and perhaps the way that Covid-19 was handled. We have to listen to that because we’re developers, and we have partners in things that we do. It’s a concern right now.

I wouldn’t say there’s an area that we’re not focused on. We are big believers in California, born and raised here, and we are big believers in Los Angeles, and we are going to continue to build and develop great things in Los Angeles.

Where I’m concerned? I’m concerned about downtown Los Angeles. I’m concerned because of the way the streets look and the homeless and the fact that people don’t want to go there because of those issues. It was a problem pre-pandemic, and it’s a problem now.

The CitizenM hotel in downtown is one of your more recent projects. Can you tell me about that?That just opened a couple of weeks ago. It is a project we are very, very excited (about) and proud of. It is the first high-rise modular construction ever approved in the city of Los Angeles. It really brought me back to the days of doing the Ace, which was a big thing for Broadway and a big thing for downtown. This kind of reminded me of that because it’s another monumental moment for the city being involved in the first ground-up, high-rise modular construction.

Are you still looking to buy more hotels?We’re very active. We are looking at things constantly. We just closed escrow on some land next to Disneyland that we are going to build a hotel at and are constantly looking. We’re believers that California and Los Angeles are going to be great again, and we’re hanging on to that. I will say it is tough to find good deals right now, but where there are, we’re active.

What is your approach to other lines of business under the BLVD umbrella such as Chicas Tacos?The stores have performed well. …We’re gearing up to roll another dozen stores out in the next couple of years, and are we’re also very excited that we’re going to be launching our retail in grocery stores … early next year.What’s next for BLVD? We are excited to renovate the Georgian and are excited to get our hotel built in Anaheim next to Disneyland. We’re excited to continue to invest and to grow and build more great boutique hotels, and that’s where our focus is. We are looking at more opportunities on the West Coast.

We’re rolling out a (general partner) fund. We’re going to be doing a lot more investments and co-investments as well in the hotel world.

— Hannah Madans

Keep reading the 2021 Who's Who in Real Estate special report.

Terence Blanchard, a six-time Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter, composer, and music educator, took the stage at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) on Saturday, March 18. Concertgoers were in for a surprise as the fire alarm went off during Blanchard’s introductions of his band, the E-Collective. The warning continued with periodic announcements, delaying the concert for at least 10 minutes. This interruption may be the first time in WDCH history that a fire alarm impacted a performance.

Blanchard, a perennial collaborator of Lee’s, took it all in stride, displaying his sublime sense of humor, “Talk about taking the roof off,” Blanchard said as he patiently waited for instructions from the WDCH, “whether to cease play or die in the fire.” Blanchard reflected on the fire alarm interruption as he was to perform this same concert two years ago and did not get to do so because of the Pandemic. On this night, however, even a false fire alarm could not prevent the dulcet movie scores from filling the air in the concert hall. It was, in a word – magical.

Along with his band, the concert featured the always wonderful Thomas Wilkins and the Los Angeles Philharmonic for a night of storytelling featuring music from celebrated films such as, “Malcolm X,” “Mo’ Better Blues,” “Clockers,” “Jungle Fever,” and the Blanchard Oscar-nominated “BlacKkKlansman.” By the way, Blanchard is the second Black composer nominated twice for an Oscar in the Best Original Score category. The legendary Quincy Jones was the first, and Herbie Hancock is the only Black artist to win this category for “Round Midnight.”

Blanchard, in his stylish to-die-for pants and shoes, accomplished a few things with this on-fire performance: first, the performances of the movie scores were powerful, bolstered by the appearances of special guests Lalah Hathaway and Tarriona “Tank” Bell, both New Orleans natives and as Blanchard proudly called them, his “homegirls.”

Second, the concert brought back welcomed memories as scenes from the brilliant work of director Spike Lee flashed across the screen. And finally, you saw Black and White actors whose tremendous talents were showcased by Lee early in their careers: Emmy-winner Kerry Washington, Oscar nominee Rosie Perez, NAACP Image Award winner Wesley Snipes, Honorary Oscar Recipient Samuel L. Jackson, Oscar winner Halle Berry, and two-time Oscar winner, Ruth Carter, to name a few.

Lee had an eye for talent and generously gave actors and Blanchard himself opportunities to hone and expand their craft.

“When Spike asked if I could write for an orchestra, I lied and said yes.”

And we are certainly glad Blanchard said yes. The program’s first half featured Blanchard and the oh-so-deft E-Collective on music from “Mo’ Better Blues.” An eclectic mix, the E-Collective featured the sounds of Ben Wendel on saxophone, Charles Altura on electric guitar, Taylor Eigsti on piano and keyboards, David Ginyard, Jr. on electric bass, Oscar Seaton on drums, and of course, Blanchard on Trumpet and synths.

Under the direction of its leader, Thomas Wilkins, the LA Philharmonic joined Blanchard and the E-Collective on the Malcolm X Concert Suite. The score exemplified the beauty of the film’s performances and the exquisite music. Actor Denzel Washington delivered an unforgettable and Oscar-nominated portrayal of Malcolm X.

The fantastic Lalah Hathaway took the stage and, as only she can, delivered a powerful performance of “Someday We’ll All Be Free” from “Malcolm X,” which she sang barefoot, adding a little something extra to an extraordinary performance.

The Orchestra returned for moving performances of the “Clockers” Suite and “The 25^th Hour” Suite. The E-Collective featuring lead singer Tarriona “Tank” Bell of Tank and the Bangas performed “These Three Words” from “Jungle Fever.” Tank, resplendent in red, ‘sang’ that song as only she could. The first half concluded with the E-Collective and the LA Phil playing the “Inside Man” suite.

The second half opened with the performance of “A Tale of God’s Will” from Ashe with the E-Collective and the LA Phil. Tank returned to the stage to perform “Make Sure You’re Sure” from “Jungle Fever,” accompanied by the E-Collective, bringing the audience to their feet again.

Blanchard introduced Lee’s 2008 film “Miracle at St. Anna,” as a piece that “means a lot to him.”

The film told the story of the resistance and skepticism toward utilizing the 92nd Infantry Division of the Buffalo Soldiers. “We never had a chance to honor the Buffalo Soldiers, and this “allowed me to do that.”

BlacKkKlansman Suite, the Oscar-nominated score, evoked memories of Lee as a “brave, brave soul,” Blanchard said, speaking of Lee’s commitment to social advocacy when it’s uncomfortable. The night ended with Hathaway and the E-Collective performing the Marvin Gaye hit, “What’s Going On.”

Blanchard, Hathaway, Bell, the E-Collective, Thomas Wilkins, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (Concertmaster Nathan Cole, principal second violin Kristine Whitson, principal viola Dana Lawson, principal cello Jonatha Karoly, principal bass Christopher Hanulik, principal flute Catherine Karoly, principal oboe Marion Arthur Kuszyk, principal clarinet Burt Hara, principal bassoon Shawn Mouser, principal horn Amy Jo Rhine, principal trumpet James Wilt, principal trombone James Miller, tuba Mason Soria, principal timpani David Riccobono, and principal percussion Matthew Howard) carried the night.

These artists allowed the movie music of Spike Lee and Terence Blanchard to do what it does; ignite fond memories, feed your soul, and set the night on fire!

BLANCHARD, La. (KSLA) — Some residents of Blanchard still face the aftermath of last week’s winter storm as they have low water pressure or no water at all.

“It’s been a little frustrating and a little stressful; I do have two kids,” Blanchard resident Christina Raines said.

She said she’s been struggling with low water pressure since Jan. 16. And she’s not the only one.

“We expected maybe two or three days, that’s kind of the expectation from the previous times that this has happened,” Blanchard resident Matthew Markosky said. “To go on seven days has been a little bit ridiculous.”

Raines said she had no water when she got home Sunday (Jan. 21) and has been frustrated by thei situation.

“So we laid out some pots this morning before I left for work,” she said Monday (Jan. 22). “And we’re going to use that this evening. So you just make the best of a bad situation.”

Part of Markosky’s frustration has been because of the town’s communication.

“For the first 48 hours that we had no water, we received no word from the town of Blanchard leadership.”

Blanchard’s mayor told KSLA News 12 they are doing everything they can to identify issues and get the water back on.

“We are isolating off different areas of the areas that have no water or very, very low pressure, which is west of Blanchard going toward State Line Road,” Mayor Jim Galambos said.

They are unsure of a timeline for when water conditions may be back to normal, he added.

“It’s a long process; there’s a lot of water lines out there, there’s a lot of miles of water lines that we’re going to be checking.”

Meantime, the Caddo Parish Commission provided water to Blanchard residents Monday (Jan. 22).

The town has been under a boil advisory since Jan. 17 due to weather-related issues. And Blanchard schools, including Northwood High and Donnie Bickham Middle, were closed Monday due to a lack of water pressure.

The parish gave out water from 12 to 6 p.m. at the Longwood Compactor Site, located at 9416 Blanchard Latex Rd.

Each vehicle got one case of water while supplies lasted.

“I know you are being inundated with calls/emails about the water issues in Blanchard, and I don’t want to necessarily focus on that as much as I just want the mayor of Blanchard to be held accountable and answer some questions,” Lane Smith wrote to KSLA New 12 on Sunday.

“Such as whenever we have water issues in Blanchard, how does it seem like the mayor and the people around the golf course never have these issues. Such as during this past week, they have had water, no problems.

“Why did the mayor wait to address this latest water issue until a couple of days past when the problem started? The whole town was emailing, calling, and posting comments on his Facebook page looking for answers,” Smith continued.

FULL INTERVIEW WITH BLANCHARD MAYOR JIM GALAMBOS

“The only thing that he talked about was trash pickup. Willfully ignoring our concerns about water starting to go out as early as Monday of last week. And by Wednesday of last week, he had turned off the ability to comment on his [Facebook] posts.

“He looks so bad in this and continues to look worse,” Smith said. “I would also point out that at least the past two water outages that we have had in the past couple of winters, he makes it a point to seemingly point the finger at us for dripping our faucets during freezing weather, as if we shouldn’t do that and should just let our pipes bust.

“These are some of the questions that me and numerous other citizens are asking and not really getting any answers to. We were told water would be fully restored by last Thursday afternoon, and here we are, still with no water,” Smith concluded. “I’m bringing these things to your attention because I don’t know that people are focusing on the mayor as much as just the problem of not having water.“

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.

(KSLA) - A handful of boil water advisories have been issued in the ArkLaTex due to issues related to the severe winter weather that moved through the area overnight Sunday (Jan. 14) into Monday morning.

CAMPTI, LA

Town of Campti has issued a systemwide boil advisory effective Tuesday (Jan. 16). The advisory will remain in effect until further notice. This is due to a loss of pressure from the winter storm.

GARLAND, ARK.

City of Garland, Arkansas advises to reduce the usage of water to help replenish full water pressure. Please stop dripping faucets as temperatures are above freezing. Try to limit usage for essential needs only and not in excess if possible. No time frame is available at this moment for full restoration, but it is expected to at least take a few days to restore full water pressure. Also boil advisory is in effect until further notice.

SHREVEPORT, LA

UPDATE (Jan. 20): The Department of Water and Sewerage is lifting the citywide boil advisory.

UPDATE (Jan. 19): Currently, our scientists are out pulling samples to test and send to the Louisiana Department of Health, putting us one step closer to lifting the boil advisory. As we continue to navigate challenging weather conditions, we want to remind you that our city remains under a boil advisory. The safety of our water supply is of utmost importance. Additionally, forecasted freezing temperatures for the upcoming weekend (Jan. 19 and 20) necessitate the continuation of precautions. We kindly urge all customers to drip their faucets to prevent freezing.

“In these critical times, each drop saved contributes to the sustainable management of this essential resource,” said William Daniel, director of Water and Sewerage. “Your conscientious efforts in water conservation play a pivotal role in securing a resilient water supply for our community. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”

In response to multiple fire emergencies, scattered water main breaks, and a substantial number of private service line blowouts affecting the water distribution system, the City of Shreveport has expanded its voluntary boil advisory to include the entire city, effective immediately (Jan. 17).

William Daniel, director of Water and Sewerage, emphasized the need for caution in light of significantly low water pressure and possible isolated outages in various areas of the city.

“Due to the challenges posed by recent events, we are taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of our residents,” said Daniel.

The advisory recommends that residents and businesses boil water for one full minute in a clean container before consuming it, making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation. Daniel added, “The voluntary boil advisory will remain in effect until samples are collected, analyzed, and cleared by the Department of Water & Sewerage, in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Health.”

Residents are encouraged to disinfect water through boiling and follow safety precautions until satisfactory laboratory test results are obtained. Once the water is deemed safe, the Department of Water & Sewerage, with approval from the Louisiana Department of Health, will rescind the advisory and notify the public promptly.

In the event of busted water lines or any other emergency water-related issues, customers are encouraged to contact the Department of Water and Sewerage’s emergency line at 318-673-7600. Our dedicated team will respond promptly to address and resolve any urgent matters.

NOTE: Due to loss of City of Shreveport water pressure, services provided at WK Pierremont Health Center, Willis-Knighton Medical Center, WK Portico outpatient services, and WK Rehabilitation Institute on Line Avenue may be affected. Patients are advised before traveling to these locations for care, check with the office or department at these locations to be sure they can accommodate their needs.

VIVIAN, LA

Jan 21 update: The boil advisory for the town of Vivian has been lifted.

The Town of Vivian Water System has experienced a problem at its water treatment plant due to winter weather conditions.

Because of this problem, a notice says, the water produced by the town’s water supply system is of questionable microbiological quality.

“The Town of Vivian Water System will rescind this Boil Advisory upon notification from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals - Office of Public Health that additional water samples collected from our water supply system have shown our water to be safe.”

ZWOLLE, LA

A boil advisory was issued for Zwolle on Jan. 19. It will remain in place until further notice.

TIPS FOR BOILING WATER

BOIL ADVISORY SURVIVAL TIPS

Following is some of the advice KSLA News 12 has gleaned from what various water systems and medical providers have posted on the internet.

FOR STARTERS

BOIL YOUR WATER

USES FOR BOILED WATER

Use boiled or bottled water for any instance in which you might swallow the water. That means for:

Pets are the same as we are. They too need to drink water that was previously boiled; otherwise, they could get sick.

WHAT ABOUT BATHING?

WHAT ABOUT THE DISHES?

HOW ABOUT THE LAUNDRY?

Washing clothes is fine. Just do it on the highest water temperature. And use the highest setting on your dryer when you get done. If something might shrink, hold off on washing it until after the boil advisory is lifted.

WHAT IF I CAN’T BOIL WATER?

If you lack the facilities to boil the water, you can chemically disinfect the water by one of the following methods:

WHAT IF I ACCIDENTALLY INGEST SOME OF THE POSSIBLY TAINTED WATER?

WHAT TO DO AFTER A BOIL ADVISORY IS LIFTED

Residents are advised to “flush” their water following the lifting of a boil order in order to clear plumbing of potentially contaminated water. Flushing your household and building water lines includes interior and exterior faucets; showers; water and ice dispensers; water treatment units, etc.

Cold water faucets: Run tap water until the water feels cold, one minute or more, before drinking, brushing teeth or using for food preparation. If you have a single-lever faucet, set it to run the cold water first.

Hot water faucets: To clear hot water pipes and water heater of untreated water, flush the hot water line for a minimum of 15 minutes for a typical household 40-gallon water heater, 30 minutes for an 80-gallon water heater or larger. Hot water is then safe to use for washing hands and for handwashing of dishes, pots and pans, etc. Never use water from the hot faucet for drinking, cooking or other internal consumption.

Dishwashers: After flushing hot water pipes and water heater, run dishwasher empty one time.

Humidifiers: Discard any water used in humidifiers, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP), oral, medical, or health care devices, and rinse the device with clean water.

Food and baby formula: Discard any baby formula and other foods prepared with water on the day or days of the boil order. If unsure of the dates, contact your water department.

Refrigerator water dispenser: Refrigerator water dispensers should be flushed by at least one quart of water. If unsure of your dispenser’s capacity, refer to your manufacturer specifications.

Ice cubes: Automatic ice dispensers should be emptied of ice made during the boil water order and run through a 24-hour cycle, discarding the ice to ensure purging of the ice maker water supply line. For medical, dental, and food service establishments, refer to the guidance from your local health department.

Copyright 2024 KSLA. All rights reserved.

Tessa Blanchard found herself in a world of controversy when a story came out about her calling La Rosa Negra the N-Word before spitting on her. This took place during tour in Japan, and Blanchard has since denied it took place.

Fightful Select recently spoke to La Rosa Negra and provided some notes about the interview. She said that Blanchard did call her the N-Word and spit on her. She also admitted to striking Blanchard after she called her that offensive word.

Later on, the two met at WrestleCade where La Rosa Negra said she forgave Blanchard, but she didn’t want an apology in return. Blanchard already denied saying it, and La Rosa had already moved on.

She noted that she doesn’t really care about what Tessa Blanchard does, but that she approached Tessa at WrestleCade and said she forgave Blanchard, and didn’t want to hold a grudge. She doesn’t want an apology from Blanchard and said it was too late for that and she’s already moved on and denied it.

Tessa Blanchard is still a free agent. She was released from Impact Wrestling as their World Champion when the pandemic struck, and now she’s waiting for her next move in the pro wrestling world. This story will certainly follow her wherever she decides to go.

February 15, 2021 12:28 pm

Felix Upton

Felix Upton is a seasoned writer with over 30 years of experience. He began his career writing advertisements for local newspapers in New York before transitioning to publishing news for Ringside News. His expertise includes writing, editing, research, photo editing, and video editing. In his free time, he enjoys bungee jumping and learning extinct languages.

WWE has a lot of business around the globe. The pandemic shut things down to a great extent, but they are making moves again and flying to get there.

We previously reported that the WWE corporate jet was spotted in Dublin, Ireland last night. That was the company’s first international flight since February, 2020 when they went to Saudi Arabia. New information has emerged about this new international journey.

According to Paul Berns, who snapped the original photograph, the WWE corporate jet was en route to Abu Dhabi. Their journey started in New York.

We are uncertain who was on the WWE jet, but odds are some very important people were on board. The company has business ventures all over the globe, and they apparently had something very important to take care in Abu Dhabi that couldn’t be settled with a Zoom call.

February 15, 2021 12:43 pm

Felix Upton

Felix Upton is a seasoned writer with over 30 years of experience. He began his career writing advertisements for local newspapers in New York before transitioning to publishing news for Ringside News. His expertise includes writing, editing, research, photo editing, and video editing. In his free time, he enjoys bungee jumping and learning extinct languages.