Latest news with #HowardJohnson
Global News
6 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Vancouver council to vote on revitalizing Granville Strip into Times Square experience
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook Vancouver city council is set to vote on Wednesday on a 20-year plan to revitalize the Granville Entertainment District. The plan envisions the area as a leading cultural and tourist destination, providing a Times Square experience with large digital billboards at Robson Street. It proposes gradually working towards a year-round pedestrian zone and also calls for more rental housing and hotel spaces, along with replacing aging SRO buildings with self-contained housing units. It also proposes relocating bus service to Howe and Seymour streets and new residential uses will be restricted to minimize noise conflicts with expanded entertainment activities. The vote comes as the neighbourhood struggles with public safety issues and a storefront vacancy rate of nearly 30 per cent. 2:39 B.C. government responds to claims Granville strip is in crisis In March, bar owners on the Granville Strip claimed the province's decision to purchase a former Howard Johnson hotel to house the homeless changed Granville Street overnight. Story continues below advertisement In June 2020, the province bought the former 110-room hotel at 1176 Granville St. for $55 million to house people who'd been living in encampments, including individuals with serious substance use and mental health challenges. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Open drug use, street disorder and violence have ensued and according to the six operators of multiple nightclubs on or near the Granville Strip, hospitality traffic is down approximately 60 per cent. B.C.'s housing minister maintains it was not a mistake to buy the Howard Johnson in Vancouver's entertainment district for individuals with complex needs because they were struggling to find housing during the COVID-19 pandemic. — with files from Kristen Robinson
Global News
7 days ago
- Business
- Global News
Club owners want compensation for repeated damage from Vancouver social housing
Two Vancouver nightclub owners struggling to survive amid a 'flood' of problems are seeking compensation in the form of rent relief from the provincial government, claiming their extensive, ongoing losses and damages have been caused by policies that moved people from encampments into the Granville Entertainment District during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within a 36-hour period between Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19, Alan Goodall said his bar was subject to four separate floods from the former Howard Johnson hotel at 1176 Granville Street. The final deluge occurred at 11:30 p.m. on the club's busiest night of the week, forcing Goodall to mop the floor of his VIP section during operating hours. 2:18 Former hotel on Granville Street now permanent supportive housing in Downtown Vancouver 'Those two tables, they're our best tables on a Saturday night, prime time, and they were unusable,' said Goodall, adding that most people don't understand nightclubs have a very small window to make all the money for the month. Story continues below advertisement 'If you take away two of those hours, or three of those hours because of flooding, it affects you.' Goodall's nightclub, Aura, is the ground-level tenant in the building purchased by BC Housing for $55 million in June 2020 to house residents who'd previously lived in encampments at Strathcona and Oppenheimer Parks. 'I've been dealing with the residents flooding my business for five years now,' said Goodall, who estimates he's dealt with more than 200 floods since the Howard Johnson became supportive housing. The most recent flood occurred Friday afternoon around the back bar area, hours before Aura was set to open its doors for the night. 'We've both suffered multi-six-figure damages,' Cabana nightclub owner Dave Kershaw told Global News. Across the street from Aura, Kershaw said his bar is also getting inundated by the B.C.-government-owned St. Helen's Hotel at 1161 Granville Street. 2:39 B.C. government responds to claims Granville strip is in crisis Kershaw said his club has been hit with approximately one dozen water incidents since March, one of which was a fire which set off sprinklers and flooded his VIP room and back stairwell. Story continues below advertisement Some of the damage is latent, he said, as water seeps through the flooring and is only discovered when the floor starts to lift weeks later. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Kershaw said he's had to close his VIP section for six weeks to repair soaked flooring. In another chaotic incident, a bucket of human feces came out of a window of the St. Helen's and landed on Cabana's AC unit, he said, forcing more repairs. 'The constant leaking, the open drug use, things being flung from windows to the street onto customers — that never happened up (until) 2020,' said Kershaw. Statistics provided by Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) show calls to the former Howard Johnson hotel jumped 157 per cent, from 91 in 2020, to 234 in 2024. While calls to the St. Helen's Hotel went down slightly in 2022 and 2024, they still increased from 40 in 2020 to 329 last year, a 722.5 per cent spike. VFRS said it does not track flooding, however, if sprinklers are activated, they would be called for an alarm-activated call or fire. 3:04 Non-profit group defends operation of controversial Vancouver SRO It added that it has been working with BC Housing to reduce the number of fires and alarms in these two buildings. Story continues below advertisement Citing ongoing challenges, the bar owners are seeking immediate rent relief from BC Housing for the remainder of 2025. 'We think it would be fair and then moving forward, some sort of reduction in our rent rates to reflect the environment that has been created by moving people from encampments up to Granville Street,' said Kershaw. 'We're asking them to do the right thing, what we're asking for is not unreasonable, it's not crazy.' 'In terms of compensation, I'm not even really sure what it is, but it's a lot,' added Goodall. 'I've dealt with a lot.' When asked if he agreed these businesses should be compensated for losses and damages caused by provincial government policies, B.C.'s housing minister did not directly answer. 'I know it's a challenge for those businesses, but we also ensure that dollars are spent to fix them up when there's a flood,' Ravi Kahlon told Global News in an interview. 'BC Housing works with our partners to go in and fix that flood. I know that these businesses also have their own insurance to ensure that if they're impacted by fire and flood, that they're covered.' That answer got a cool reception from the club operators. 'With 200 floods, I can't make 200 claims,' Goodall responded. 'There's no way that anybody would insure me.' Story continues below advertisement When pressed on whether there's a realization this situation is different than just a normal flood and is caused by policy decisions rather than a faulty water pump, Kahlon said he disagreed. 'Well, not necessarily, you can have floods in any building, in fact, we see floods and fires in buildings unfortunately across the province, and it's not linked to a specific population,' the housing minister said. 'This is a specific challenge, we acknowledge there was a flood and BC Housing's taking steps to fix that flood with partnership of the business owner.' 2:33 SRO resident rescued from Vancouver nightclub air duct Goodall acknowledged BC Housing has stepped up to fix some of the issues, including repairing his dance floor ceiling, which he said restoration crews had previously warned could collapse at any point. The entire ceiling had to be ripped out and fully replaced, he said, leaving 50 employees out of work without any advance notice, as the club was closed and under heavy construction for 16 days last month. Story continues below advertisement 'It was probably a $200,000 job, and that was the result of one resident setting off their sprinkler heads twice within a three-week period,' said Goodall. Since June 2020, BC Housing has spent a total of $2.59 million on building repairs and remediation. $1.87 million at the Luugat or former Howard Johnson and about $729,000 at the St. Helen's Hotel. The work, said BC Housing, includes water damage and flooding repairs, fire restoration, elevator repairs, and securing life safety features such as alarms, security cameras or sprinklers. 'We have been working closely with Atira, Community Impact Real Estate Society (CIRES) and the owners of Aura nightclub to address any damage related to building operations at Luugat,' said BC Housing in an emailed statement. 'To keep spending a ton of money on restoration, to put a Band-Aid on it doesn't make any sense,' said Kershaw. 'They need to address the root of the problem, which is the people in these units now need a higher level of care than what they're getting, which is they're not getting any care, they've been put into a room.' 'These floods aren't stopping,' said Goodall. 'I've had three of my ceilings cave in. When's the next ceiling going to cave in?' Contractors are currently tearing out the ceiling above Aura's VIP bar, after Goodall said the area sustained heavy flooding on May 27 as a result of sprinkler heads being set off in the room above. Story continues below advertisement Extensive mould was discovered once the damaged ceiling was opened up, he said. Despite the ongoing setbacks, Goodall and Kershaw said relocation is not an option because moving a nightclub and primary liquor licence is a multi-seven-figure undertaking, with no revenue during the construction to approval process, if you get approved. Kershaw has owned Cabana since 2010, while Goodall has been in his space for 16 years. Both have battled adversity – including surviving the COVID-19 pandemic – and are committed to seeing Granville Street revived as an entertainment destination. 'It's in my blood to do whatever I can to fight for my business,' said Goodall. 'It's my bab,y and I've been here a long time.'
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Annie Louise Barlow, former Haussner's waitress and homemaker, dies
Annie Louise Barlow, who served patrons of the old Haussner's restaurant for 43 years attired in a spotless white uniform with white shoes she polished nightly, died of heart failure Monday at the Maryland Masonic Home in Hunt Valley. She was 103 and was a former Dundalk resident of Charlesmont. 'The secret of her life was that she walked all every day, genuinely liked people, was involved with her church, and was an appreciative person and didn't worry,' said her son, James C. Barlow Jr. Born in Richmond, Virginia, she was the daughter of Walter Avery Keesee, a Norfolk and Southern Railroad worker and his wife, Cora Lee Poole, a homemaker. The family moved to Bristol, Tennessee, where she attended local schools. At 16, she married James Carlton Barlow Sr., who was then working at a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. 'Though she lived through the Great Depression, she liked her childhood. The family raised chickens, had a vegetable garden and she recalled picking berries. Her father had a railroad pass and they went places,' her son said. She and her husband lived briefly in Miami, Florida. While there, she observed that a well-run restaurant with a good clientele could provide good wages. In 1950, Mrs. Barlow brought her husband to Baltimore for advanced orthopedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital for a hip injury. She spotted a busy Howard Johnson restaurant on Pulaski Highway and found work there. Her sense of what made a good restaurant led her to Haussner's in Highlandtown. She was interviewed by its owner, William Henry Haussner, and remained on the job for 43 years, frequently commuting to work on a bus. 'She liked that Mr. Haussner did things the right way, with clean tablecloths and a fine menu,' her son said. 'She took pride in wearing pressed white uniforms, stockings and white shoes. As a waitress her whole life, she walked many miles and met many interesting people,' her son said. Because she logged many miles of walking as a waitress, her shoes (she wore sturdy models) often scuffed — and she applied white liquid polish to them nightly, her son said. She also brought home treats — fudge squares (chocolate cake with a pecan) and wine squares — leftover yellow cake flavored with port wine. Not long after taking the job — she worked the dinner shift — Mrs. Barlow met bandleader and saxophone player Jimmy Dorsey. She later served Baltimore sports and political figures — Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas and Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson, Mayor William Donald Schaefer and Congress member Helen Delich Bentley. She would frequently enjoy serving couples and small parties celebrating special occasions. Because Haussner's had three servers named Louise, she was known as Louise Three. For a period of time, she was the family breadwinner when her husband, who had a severe hip injury, recuperated for a year in a plaster cast. 'She was a wonderful homemaker even while juggling work, raising kids and attending church,' her son said. 'At Dundalk Baptist Church, she held Bible study classes for children and adults. She also visited the sick and found time for work and church friends.' Survivors include her daughter, Betty Jane Sindlinger, of Stone Mountain, Georgia; two sons, James C. Barlow Jr., of Lutherville, and Daniel A. Barlow, of Sykesville; seven grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; 10 great-great-grandchildren; and four great-great-great-grandchildren. Her husband, who owned a Gulf service station in Dundalk's Gray Manor, died in 1999. A funeral will be held at noon March 25 at Peaceful Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Center, 2325 York Road in Timonium. Have a news tip? Contact Jacques Kelly at and 410-332-6570.
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
We love love: Here are 9 sweet first date stories of readers finding their perfect match
We love love: Here are 9 sweet first date stories of readers finding their perfect match Show Caption Hide Caption Valentine's Day contest winner meets USA TODAY reporter in NYC USA TODAY reporter and a lucky contest winner flew to NYC for a romantic Valentine's Day date. Here's how it went. Valentine's Day is upon us, and love is in the air. USA TODAY entertainment reporter Erin Jensen persuaded us to launch a nationwide search to help her find a valentine for her dream date in New York City. Nominations came in from coast to coast. As Jensen prepared for her first date, we wanted to give her ‒ and others in the dating pool ‒ some inspiration, so we asked readers to share stories of their first date with their partner. From high school sweethearts to casual dating app meet-ups, here are a few of our favorite stories: These submissions have been edited for style, length and clarity. His brother's perfect match In 1966, our high school, Herricks, in New York, sponsored a Computer Dance. We filled out questionnaires, and the answers were fed into a room-sized computer. (Those over 50 will remember the cards with penciled-in responses.) The computer spit out matches, and we were all given three numbers of our ideal match. At the dance, we wore our number and looked for the perfect mate! However, I had my eyes on a young lady who, ironically, matched with my younger brother. I convinced him to swap numbers. He wound up with a very attractive cheerleader, and I pursued my dream date. It was a great night for me, and I even took my date out for ice cream at the local Howard Johnson. So now I'm debating with myself how to handle this situation. Do I tell her she really didn't match, or should I just let fate decide our future? At the door of her house, we said our goodbyes, and I made the decision to speak truth and spill the beans. I wasn't sure how she would feel about my switch with my brother. Fortunately, she was charmed that I went to these lengths to pursue her. And the rest is history. We dated through college and married in 1971, had three amazing kids, have seven wonderful grandchildren, and we are so lucky to have have a nuclear family that cares for one another and truly brings happiness to all of us when we are together. By the way, I still have her badge from the dance in my scrapbook. Little did I know what it would mean all these years. Submitted by: Howard Zlotoff, Pennsylvania Years together: 53 Midnight somewhere New Year's Eve, 1966, I attended a party hosted by a co-worker (whom I knew) and his cousin (whom he knew). I walked in the door, and almost immediately a tall, handsome man in a three-piece suit approached me while I was putting on my party hat. He had a military-style haircut because he had just gotten out of the Army, but I thought, "Hair will grow." (Don't forget this was in the era of the Beatles, and long hair was in style.) He said to me, "That hat is you," and stayed by me the rest of the night. Every hour before midnight, he tried to kiss me and said, "It's midnight somewhere," but I resisted and made him wait until midnight for my last, first kiss. We left the party to get some fresh air, and he showed me his white 1965 Mustang with red interior. He said, "That's my horse," and I broke out laughing. We agreed to meet at the Mummer's Day Parade in Philadelphia. I bought us coffee and went to our arranged meeting place. I was afraid I would forget what he looked like. I didn't. We spent the next five hours watching the parade, and then he took me to see the Ice Capades. We married in 1968, and then he started bringing me coffee! Submitted by: Kathryn Becek, Virginia Years together: 56 Not-so-casual after all In the gay community, sometimes first dates are scheduling a hookup … and canceling when you find someone hotter. I usually fell into that trap as a gay 20-something who identifies as a "hopeless romantic but not looking for anything too serious." I was an avid user of any and all dating apps: Tinder, Grindr, Hinge. I was scrolling late one night and realized there was a particularly cute suitor that I forgot to answer for more than two weeks. To dig myself out of this, I had to swing big. I messaged, "Let's make out" to said boy, who responded, "Sure, when?' After somehow resuscitating this almost flat-lined connection, we planned to meet at his place on a Sunday night. However, I canceled again, given my rule of no first dates on a weekend. So then, on a humid Monday in June, we had our first date. It consisted of late night talks, nothing too deep or superficial, with light roasting of his empty apartment. He was intriguing, insightful and captivating with his curly mullet, charming light brown eyes, and playful tattoos that danced on his toned, olive-glowed arms as he talked. This casual hookup turned into four hours of genuine, riveting conversation. It was a magnetic night without agenda or manipulation that I typically engaged in. Submitted by: Jack Guerci, Pennsylvania Years together: 2 ½ Party helped them strike love It was 1987. We met at a party neither of us really wanted to attend, especially him! He saw my silhouette from across the large, dimly lit banquet hall as I made my way to the ladies' room upon arrival. He quickly connected with a mutual friend to ask who I was. Our friend, Ronnie, was happy to introduce us. John seemed nice and proved to be a gentleman as he walked me to my car after the party. The next day, he planned our date: bowling. "Huh, excuse me, did you say bowling?" "Yup, give it a try." "OK." When we arrived at the alley, I saw all kinds of people bowling ... it blew my mind! I loved it, and I have been bowling ever since. I even joined a league and hit 299, just one point shy of a perfect game. That was exciting. And, fast forward to 2025, we have been together ever since. We got married in January 1990, and have two beautiful adult children, one who blessed us with a beautiful granddaughter. I now bowl better than hubby, and I love it! Submitted by: Michelle Fountain, Virginia Years together: 37 Sweetshop date lead to lifelong sweetheart When I was a sophomore at Purdue University, a friend of mine advised me that Nancy Dillon, a freshman, wanted to meet me. After three tries, I contacted her and arranged a Coke date on a Sunday afternoon in the sweetshop of the student union on campus. I bought two cokes, and we sat down get to know each other. I learned that she lived in Indianapolis with her mother and sister, having lost her father when she was 13. She graduated from the largest high school in the state. She learned that I grew up on a farm and attended one of the smallest schools in the state. I also learned that I liked her very much and asked her for another date. She agreed. We never dated anyone else for the rest of our lives. She passed away in 2023. She is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, where I will join her one day. Submitted by: Lynn Webster, Delaware Years together: 63 'Call me if you find what I'm looking for' I was managing a bicycle shop in Charleston, South Carolina, and Cindy came in to buy a bike. She didn't find one she liked, but she left me her phone number and said, "Call me if you find what I'm looking for." For our first date, we went to a comedy club to see Pat Paulsen, who was a popular comedian at the time. It was love at first date for me! Submitted by: Terry Dockery, Georgia Years together: 40 Prince Charming missed his dinner reservation We met on a Christian dating site. Both having given up on finding love (we are both older), we made a date after calling each other. I didn't think this would work, as we were two hours apart. We met on a Friday evening in my hometown. He kept calling to say he was going to be late. We missed our reservation, but he finally showed up! When I saw him, I was instantly mesmerized ‒ very handsome, a dapper, sophisticated gentleman. We spent the evening talking for hours, and it felt like it was "meant to be." He asked me to meet him for lunch, offering to stay in town just so he could see me the next day. We met on Saturday, and being with him at lunch was even better than dinner the night before. We have been together for more than two years. We still can't believe how lucky and blessed we are to have found each other! We both had been heartbroken before, and our deep faith in God has made us that much closer to each other. I have found the person with whom I want to spend the rest of my forever with. He has shown me that not all men are bad, and that love does conquer all. It is like a fairy tale for me, he is my Prince Charming. Submitted by: Linda Cook, North Carolina Years together: Two Meet me halfway My partner Avery and I started out dating long distance. He's from North Jersey, and I'm from Philadelphia. We met at Penn State University a month before graduation. Our first date was a meet-in-the-middle with a hike and lunch at a brewery in Princeton. We love the outdoors and have taken hundreds of hikes since ‒ and drank our fair share of beers since then too! Submitted by: Cailyn McCutcheon, New York Years together: Five Chili cheeseburger and a drive We were 16 years old. Rose was mature for her age; I was not. I couldn't believe she agreed to go on a date with me. She was beautiful, and again, I was not. I took her to Rip Griffin's truck stop for a chili cheeseburger and fries. I sat next to her, instead of across the table. She was so attentive to me. She heard me talk about myself like I was somebody important, and I knew I was because I was sitting next to her. We drove around for a while, and then I took her home and walked her to her door. Chastely, I kissed the sweetest lips I had ever touched. My heart was beating frantically in my chest when I asked if she would go out with me again. She smiled and said yes. We eloped our senior year and had three of the most beautiful daughters a man could ask for. And they gave us seven wonderful grandchildren. The secret? Romance her. Romance her. Romance her, for the rest of your life. Never stop. Submitted by: Ken Bailey, Oklahoma Years together: 22
