Chak's Take: Dres Delanghe, Belgium Native who Redefined the Bay Area Cafe Scene

In Santa Clara County, bakery shops are a very familiar scene to me. From Gilroy to downtown Mountain View, I've seen plenty of bread offerings, regardless of the type. Asian bakery shops are very common in Silicon Valley, although European bakery shops are nothing new to me. Anytime I'm at a random place in Silicon Valley, this often reminds me of many elements.

It's true to the fact that Santa Clara County is home to many bakery shops - many of which are in San Jose. Asian bakery shops tend to offer a lot of Chinese tarts, and many would buy a lot of the Chinese bread offerings. I often see those Chinese breads at major oriental supermarkets, including an occasional baguette. Locally made bread was sometimes sourced from various San Jose-based bakeries, including one made in-house at each Lee's Sandwiches locations throughout Santa Clara County.

But Alexander's Patisserie in downtown Mountain View is different. Everything is made in-house for customers like me to see. I see that the difference between Alexander's Patisserie and the bakeries that is based throughout Santa Clara County is that in a typical bakery shop, there is only a selection of bakeries, very few cafe choices, and/or a separate restaurant run by another vendor. I see those more commonly at big oriental chains like 99 Ranch Market. Instead of a concept where it's only a come-and-go type of bakery, Alexander's Patisserie has a better approach - it's an environment that resembles a modern-day coffee shop, a quick bite that can be consumed inside or on-the-go, and a bakery shop that everything is locally sourced.

When I read articles such as the San Francisco Chronicle and Mountain View Voice, Dries Delanghe believed that as an executive chef at Alexander's Patisserie, he feels like Mountain View is just like his hometown in Belgium when Alexander's Patisserie opened in 2014. I think that Alexander's Patisserie, part of the Alexander's Steakhouse group that operates restaurants in Cupertino and San Francisco as well as in Pasadena, has done a great job of introducing a concept that no other bakery shops in Silicon Valley has ever done. While I may not be visiting the Alexander's Steakhouse anytime soon to try out the expensive wagyu steak or burger, I think that Alexander's Patisserie has great potential.

I tried the sandwiches in my first visits to the Alexander's Patisserie, and their sandwiches has more than satisfied my expectations of my visit. I generally paired my sandwiches with a drink to appreciate the atmosphere each time I come in for a visit to their shop and sit down with food to eat and something to drink. My favorite sandwich so far is the Caprese when I first came to the place during the early evening hours, but I also like trying all sandwiches in my future visits to Alexander's Patisserie. The sandwich bread was crisp when it came out of the oven, and the food was very fresh! Tasty!

I wish that I could see Dries Delanghe in person. However, because Dries Delanghe is very busy focusing on bread, he might not be taking a break to read this blog about how much I love to come to the Mountain View location. Although this is not my first time in Mountain View partially due to the Morocco's Restaurant on the other end of Castro Street as one of my friends has an interest in that restaurant, I will come down to Alexander's Patisserie from time to time to have a small bite or buy some bread. I believe that homemade bread in Silicon Valley such as the one made at Alexander's Patisserie would still remind me of Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and San Martin - and Dries Delanghe is very proud of his great accomplishments. I'll be surprised if Dries Delanghe finds me and sees my face when he has a break, but I'll have to keep in mind that he's very busy with baking and producing goods for all of us to enjoy.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak
BONUS: With the exception of the last photo, the following photos below were taken by me, showing how much I appreciate the great support for the place...

The sandwich and drink pairing - in this case, the French Fizz.

Chak's Take: Chak's Eight-Week Reflection of Listening to Adam McGurk on KRTY Ahead of the Garlic Festival

With the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival approaching, you think that listening to KSBW Action News 8 would be just the station for the Gilroy Garlic Festival coverage. Even with the unveiling of their new set a couple of weeks ahead of the Garlic Festival, it's true that KSBW and Central Coast ABC, supported by their parent company, Hearst Television, are the official television hosts of the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival. I often have seen KSBW anchor Dan Green in person, along with former KSBW anchor and Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital personality Kate Callinghan, and celebrates from the ABC show "The Chew" would entertain viewers. Although I was not sure about whether Dennis Lehnen does like garlic, that is unknown as Lehnen is retiring from the station. However, this blog is not mainly about the television station or any of it's personalities, and that is only one-half of my entertainment portion.

The other half of my entertainment portion is listening to Adam McGurk on KRTY (the focus of this blog), as the time for me to reflect on how often I listen to McGurk from my own point of view. In addition, I also try to figure out for myself if the Gilroy Garlic Festival is McGurk's favorite festival in Santa Clara County.

Back in June, I first told viewers about my review on McGurk and from my own accounts, attempted to reveal who he is. In that blog, McGurk does have a love for San Jose and much of Santa Clara County, as he has the perfect country voice for listeners like me to enjoy his unique Silicon Valley style. I'm 100 percent confident that I will enjoy his voice on air. In addition, I'm not a fake listener, as I have tried every available effort to tune my radio to KRTY from 6 to 10AM every Saturday morning or at any time he fills in.

However, in spite of me trying to get my fans to listening to McGurk, there are some sad things about my efforts to convince my followers to listen to McGurk. First, my effort focused on trying to let my followers know who McGurk is and even convince anyone who read my blog on McGurk to tune to him and hear his smooth voice of country music in Silicon Valley. But there is no such statistic about how many listeners actually tuned in the past 8 weeks since KLIV's news operation went offline and changed to classic country music. I have not heard any comments from people so far about who actually is a big fan of McGurk like me.

I have also tried all of my efforts on my social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and my blog to do the convincing, but apparently, it's a tough thing to do, even when social media comes into the action. Social media, especially my Facebook - and less extensively, my Twitter and Instagram, are very tough to come by as more people are a bit busy. McGurk is so busy at the radio station and at his events that he may not have noticed my blogs about him, rendering me unable to ask him a few questions relating to how he followed the footsteps of his family's personalities.

Whenever radio is not near me at my San Martin nest, I have tried every available effort to tune in to McGurk via the KRTY's website using my home router and streaming as such on my laptop or iPhone, but my home router seems to have problems. It consistently shuts me off, causing some router issues and having me to diagnose the problem - and I had to do so every 20 minutes on average. Although the sound of music and McGurk would reappear whenever I fixed the problem, I often had to do it again for the same problem. When I can't use my router or radio, I was forced to use my iPhone to tune in (and using my data plan), which I think is a considerable waste of my data plan's resource, despite that I recently got an attachment known as the SLXtreme (the most recent version is the 6, named after the design to be compatible with the iPhone 6).

And my whole weekend is when I must switch my trips between Gilroy and San Jose State University from my San Martin nest. On that Saturday, I will enjoy listening to Adam McGurk on KRTY, but directly rushing to SJSU instead of Gilroy to do some math corrections from students (that is, those in grade school). There won't be any Garlic fun for me on that day, but Pokemon fun will take that place for that time being.

Will my Friday or Sunday be any fun at all for McGurk at the Garlic Festival, as well as his favorite festival to visit? No one will say for sure, but I'm very sure that garlic may be part of what McGurk would love on the menu, along with hearing from local artists near the KRTY music stage and from the booth. But if I do see McGurk in person, what will he say to me should he spot me during the festival? There is a lot to wonder when I think about McGurk. I have never used offensive language in any of my social media or blog posts.

For now, expect me to do a slew of walking for at least the next few days over the intense heat and the smoke from the Soberanes fire that could make me cough in Santa Clara County. But I should keep in mind that although my first review on Adam McGurk is great, I'm currently unable to chat with McGurk about my review of his unique voice - that is due to his very hefty schedule. And this weekend, expect me to have updates on my social media pages (you can search me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram). I hope this will give my followers some insight on how I'm doing, from hearing some of KSBW's personalities to some country music from KRTY. Still, I'm trying my best to describe how I tried every effort possible to tune in to McGurk whenever he's on the air - which McGurk might praise for that...

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter/Instagram: @KyleSChak
NOTE: Edits to this blog has been made since the initial post.

Chak's Take: KSBW's New Set and Dennis Lehnen's Retirement - A Major Departure from the Old Set in the Last 30+ Years?!

For over 30 years, KSBW was the first choice for viewers that saw the anchors at Studio B. This was a few years before I was born in the late-1980s. I was unsure the exact date when KSBW started to broadcast from Studio B back then. But a major milestone marked a huge change at KSBW ever since the station started broadcasting from Studio B. This came as the fact that KSBW was introduced on September 11, 1953 - exactly 48 years before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York City.

At the time of this blog write-up, KSBW was 63 years old. But more than 30 years of those came when the news broadcasts originated from Studio B, located at the intersection of John and Abbott Streets in downtown Salinas. That is only 1/2 mile directly from U.S. 101 via the John Street exit, where KSBW's location still stands as of now. I reviewed several YouTube clips that featured people like Seattle-native and anchor Margo Myers, anchor Dave Gonzales, and local favorites like Jim Vanderswaan and Dennis Lehnen. There were classic clips from the 1980's and 1990's when the latter two, who were longtime personalities at KSBW, made promotions that had a fun way of education for the youth.

But as KSBW has a new set, there is one unfortunate consequence. KSBW is saying farewell to Dennis Lehnen just as the opening ceremonies of the Rio de Janiero Olympics get underway. He is the Quincy native (in northern California) who came to KSBW on December 2, 1981 - the same exact date Lehnen mentioned when Britney Spears was born. KSBW announced that the torch (common term in the Olympics) will be passed to Drea Blackwell, a Monterey native, as the new sports anchor, as well as the next sports director at the station. This also marks the end of Share Your Holiday for Lehnen, who has served his community near Monterey helping out in taking donations each December. It's likely that Blackwell will be taking his place afterwords.

In the past several years I've been watching KSBW, the previous set (before the current set) was very familiar to many viewers throughout Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and southern Santa Clara County, as Jim Vanderswaan would refer to "the four counties that KSBW serves." KSBW does know the fact that southern Santa Clara County is technically not part of the Monterey DMA, but the transmitter in Fremont Peak dues broaden their reach to include areas as far north as south San Jose. Previously, the transmitter serving those areas allow viewers like me to see their usual news studio virtually, which is Studio B, including on social media. However, no public tours are allowed or offered for KSBW viewers.

In a KSBW editorial, KSBW President and General Manager Joseph W. Heston showed off that new studio, backing of what Action News Sunrise anchor and daytime reporter Brittney Nielsen said in a live Facebook chat about how long did KSBW broadcast from Studio B, but failed to mention as such in his comments. I tried to figure out what exact year did KSBW started their news broadcast from Studio B, but to no luck. No videos from KSBW's YouTube page offered any historic moments that KSBW started news broadcasts from Studio B.

KSBW has yet to replay the video from the time that Dennis Lehnen held his 20th year at KSBW and upload that part on YouTube, which was my favorite moment about Dennis Lehnen. Let's hope that I would one day see one of those memories, including a station identification from the early 1980's...

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
NOTE: Some corrections have been made due to minor errors.

Chak's Review: The Review of Gary and Julie in the Morning

Adam McGurk told me that he's one of the family members that is following his mother's footsteps, who he is referring to the station is known for putting country music in Santa Clara County. McGurk was almost unaware about my blog review on him, of which I gave that a very positive review. After McGurk read my blog on my review about why I listened to him on Saturday mornings, he was stoked that I enjoyed him very much. The mother that McGurk is referring to me is Julie Stevens, who I met her during my lunch time at Kyoto Palace Restaurant in Campbell as I was attempting to do a live Facebook chat with my followers. In my blog, I reviewed my favorite thing about Gary and Julie in the mornings over on KRTY radio, just after KLIV started their simulcast of KRTY. However, I also explain in my blog of why not everyone pronounces some locations correctly, particularly the one location of which many other people that I all-too-often don't pronounce correctly.

Julie is part of the duo known as "Gary and Julie in the Morning," the program that gets many of their country music fans up and to where ever people needs to be in Silicon Valley. The "Gary" part is Alabama-native Gary Scott Thomas, who for nearly two decades in Silicon Valley have helped Julie laugh a lot in the mornings, which I also enjoyed as much as I have listened to McGurk. Although not everyday that I do listen to Gary and Julie in the morning, I do my very best to tune in online via the website on both KRTY and KLIV at 5AM as much as possible to hear their laughs, similar to the fact that I do tune in to Adam McGurk when I hear is voice at anytime (not including his normal Saturday gigs) or when McGurk is on from 6-10AM on Saturdays. When the Gary and Julie show is over at 9AM, I do enjoy hearing John McLeod and Randy Jones as well, both of which have great voices much like Gary and Julie.

The fun fact that Gary and Julie probably never knew is that I have met the president of the San Jose Earthquakes, Dave Kaval, on multiple occasions in the last couple of years; two of which was not far from San Jose State University. And yes, the Earthquakes soccer is unaffected by the change to classic country music back in June known as "country gold," which both Gary and Julie mentions from time to time.

Although I still do listen to other formats like rap, rock, techno, electronic dance music (EDM), and many others, country music when listening to Gary and Julie in the mornings and McGurk on Saturday mornings often reminds me of something, especially the history and the best things about their voice. The best thing about Gary and Julie is that the duo are very much known for their laughs and country-styled humor with a Silicon Valley focus, which was not surprising to the other people at other radio stations. This was particularly true for Lissa Kreisler and Sam VanZandt at KBAY, who both Lisa and Sam knew that Gary and Julie were on the radio longer than the two in a video. Listening to country music overall is nothing new to me, especially when it comes to hearing Blake Shelton on NBC's The Voice and attending events hearing classic country music hits from the early days. Country music also reminded me of watching the 1977 mini-series known as The Roots. Country music also reminds me of garlic country, referring to the what I hope for me to be at the Gilroy Garlic Festival again during the last weekend of July, but with a smaller chance on that Saturday due to a surprise call by one of my brother's friends asking me and my brother to come over to San Jose State University's MacQuarrie Hall in an email sent to me.

For people like me that loves enjoying Gary and Julie in the mornings, not everyone who knows Santa Clara County knows how to pronounce some names that often gets mispronounced, particularly the town of San Martin - with the focus on the last part of the name. I often get a lot of calls from people who called the last part of the name known as "Martin," as in the music artist Ricky Martin. Most recently, NBC Bay Area producer named Nitin (pronounced Ni-TEEN) during a Facebook live video mispronounced the town of where I reside, although anchor Laura Garcia-Cannon corrected him.

Overall, much like how I gave Adam McGurk a happy positive review, I also gave Gary and Julie a positive review as well due to the way that the two entertained me. I will be surprised how Gary and Julie, as well as Adam McGurk, reacted to this blog on my social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram only; the latter two have the same handle)... I will promise to the duo that I will enjoy their laughs each time I listen to KRTY in the mornings, but I just hope that I won't get a scream or two in my ears...

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

INVESTIGATIVE: Clear Violations of Laws Regarding Fireworks and Illegal Activity In Santa Clara County, Stockton

As Santa Clara County prepares for one of the biggest celebrations of the year, many of them are looking forward to the professional display of fireworks or simply looking forward to some peace and quiet. But my two-year investigation uncovers some social media posts by various users are continuing to ignore a Santa Clara County ordinance that prohibits any kind of fireworks. Users don't need to log in to see the illegal fireworks found in social media posts, and that is what my blog is finding. Not only that, posting any illegal activities on social media can be a big mistake, as any law enforcement official can see your posts - that is, street races and sideshows in any city including both Santa Clara County and in the city of Stockton.

I guess you can say that I've advanced.Everyone knows that the 4th is my favorite day of the year.

A video posted by Respectmost (@respectmost) on Jul 5, 2016 at 10:04pm PDT

My lil ball vs canister demonstration clip from 2 yrs ago. The difference. Dm me

A video posted by Respectmost (@respectmost) on Jun 20, 2016 at 5:34pm PDT

The user shown in this blog posted his picture showing that he does own a lot of fireworks, and yet he is selling his inventory in public. But he does not realize that fireworks are illegal in much of Santa Clara County, with the sole exception of safe-and-sane fireworks in Gilroy, as per the Santa Clara County website. I have uncovered for myself through many of the Instagram posts that he bought the illegal fireworks came from Red Apple Fireworks in Pahrump, Nevada. That user intentionally wanted to bring the fireworks back to San Jose so that he could attempt to light up the sky on his own terms.

We had to come visit the homie Doug at @redapplefireworks . This is the man right here. Thanks for making me x @sideshowtone and @muthasuckaimilly feel VIP.

A photo posted by Respectmost (@respectmost) on Jul 1, 2015 at 8:25pm PDT

Everyone have a fun and safe #4thofjuly let's get it poppin .  #respectmost #RTH #rtbmovie thank you @redapplefireworks

A photo posted by Respectmost (@respectmost) on Jul 4, 2015 at 7:44pm PDT

Over the course of at least 14 months after the report on illegal street races in north San Jose by NBC Bay Area's Damian Trujillo, my investigation found a YouTube video that described the intentions that the user wanted to make before ultimately being canceled. However, the same user that formerly made that film involving illegal street races also uncovered more illegal activities, including Red Apple Fireworks. The specific Instagram post involving Red Apple Fireworks showed that he was in the shop to buy illegal fireworks and attempting to bring them back to Santa Clara County to sell or light them up at his own will, neglecting the risk of serious injuries or even death. Another of NBC Bay Area reporters, Marianne Favro, also noted that the fines in Santa Clara County starts at $350 and with possible jail time depending on the seriousness and/or possession of illegal fireworks use.

Tonight! 👆#BARmovie #BARmeet

A photo posted by iLLY 🌺 (@muthasuckaimilly) on Jan 21, 2015 at 10:20am PST

A friend of the same user was also responsible for the actions in an illegal activity in 2015, as my investigation dug deep into the illegal activities. The poster about the meet for a film that was scheduled to meet back in March 2015 was highlighted in a report by KCRA's Melinda Meza, who Stockton Police may also be looking for those people involved shown in this post in addition to the cars that were towed in Sacramento and Modesto. My investigation then found a link between the posts for a meet that included illegal racing in San Jose to the promotion made on Instagram which included both illegal fireworks and illegal street races. But most recently, video has been surfacing on YouTube that accompanied the illegal activities since 2015, and in particular, the follow-ups to those in Stockton. Some illegal activities were most recently performed in the state of Hawaii and in San Jose at the Target store on Cottle Road.

i don't care what nobody says I'm beyond proud of my self, I built something that you all enjoy watching and I will continue to push these out for your entertainment. Thank you all. I'm nothing with out your support. You guys wanna see this? 1k likes and I'ma hit that public button. Let's go . #MostVlogs 100 we did it... tag everyone. And find the Easter egg for the next #vlogmeet location... #MostFilms #bayarea music by @princesole ft @bowoktane

A video posted by Respectmost (@respectmost) on Jul 1, 2016 at 10:40pm PDT

San Jose residents do want their peace and quiet, but many residents anonymously told me that they were very disturbed by the sideshows with screeching tires. During many daytimes throughout the year, my investigation noted that the screeching tire marks were found throughout much of San Jose, from Monterey Road between San Jose and Morgan Hill to Nieman Blvd north of Silver Creek Valley Road and in other parts of San Jose. San Jose police has been trying to figure out what was going on with the illegal activities for several months, and so far, very little has been done to curb such illegal activities.

For the 4th of July weekend, many police agencies encourage residents to report illegal fireworks, such as the San Jose Police Department. As almost all of Santa Clara County is not permitted to light up any type of fireworks, law enforcement, as well as other officials, are stepping up their efforts to cite anyone with illegal fireworks - but not other illegal activities like sideshows and street racing, which is solely left up to law enforcement.

📷📽🎬

A photo posted by @higginsbuilt on Jun 10, 2016 at 4:14am PDT

But law enforcement makes it very clear - illegal activities like sideshows and street racing are prohibited, as is fireworks in Santa Clara County. It is unknown whether law enforcement will be going after social media users for illegal activities for posting those actions publicly. And in addition, the message is very clear for everyone - avoid social media posts on illegal activities or those may end up in other people's hands, including media organizations, bloggers, and law enforcement.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
NOTE: The reproduction, retransmission, and other commercial use of this blog (except the social media posts) are strictly prohibited. The blogger has his own social media and is unaffiliated or connected (directly, indirectly, or financially) with any of the social media users posted for this blog.

Chak's Follow-Up and Take: The New Face at KRTY named McGirk

Three days after my initial blog was posted about Adam McGurk, McGurk was surprised about how I ended up writing about him, just only after my initial test of listening to KRTY on Saturday mornings and instantly enjoyed McGurk a lot. I wrote my blog about the new face at the radio station the week after a local news format was discontinued in Santa Clara County. That person's name is Adam McGurk, a KRTY personality, who I wanted to review on him after the local news format changed to classic country music at KLIV, but maintaining sports and local essential information. And like my last blog about McGurk, nothing is negative about what I'm about to write...

Although country music is not necessarily the only type of music to listen to, country music is a special type of music that reminds me of home. I would sometimes mix country music with electronic dance and techno, as well as adult complementary and rap to showcase some of the best of my favorites from all genres. I also have listened to music in Cantonese and Mandarin, as well as in Spanish, French, Russian, Korean, and Japanese (the latter two I focus on is related to anime music). At least one of the songs I heard in Cantonese as a child did have a country music element - this sometimes reflected my evaluation and personal thoughts of my experience listening to McGurk.

So I decided to think what was in my mind, including to think more about McGurk and my reasons of listening changes - which sometimes incorporated my thinking about the simulcast of KRTY's "Gary and Julie in the Morning" over on KLIV (referring to Gary Scott Thomas and Julie Stevens), as well as Randy Jones (9AM-2PM on KRTY; 3-7PM on KLIV), and KLIV fan favorite John McLeod. I also took a listen to McLeod, of which he now hosts his own show from 10AM to 3PM, plus traffic updates between 3-6PM on KLIV.

KRTY morning host Julie Stevens noticed my tweet about my article on "McGurk" shortly after my post, and so she decided to notify McGurk and tell him about my blog that I wrote on McGurk - yes, the son of the morning host on KRTY. Yes, I do tweet randomly, but I also handle 2 other social media tags as well - one of them has the same handle as my tweets. I was almost unaware that McGurk apparently decided to share my blog to prove how I have proved to be a big fan of his unique voice - although more in a country way compared to how I listened to Kris Rowberry when he was doing the news. 

Meanwhile, the combination of "Gary and Julie in the Morning" on weekdays and McGurk on Saturday mornings has nearly completely entertained my mornings using the unique voice of country music in Santa Clara County. However, listening to any San Jose Earthquakes' or a San Jose State game continues to be my favorite part about KLIV overall despite the change in format to country music and changing between KLIV and KRTY on the radio dials all day trying to interchange between Gary Scott Thomas, Randy Jones, and John McLeod - and sometimes McGurk. 

For both "Gary and Julie in the Morning" and McGurk, country music in Silicon Valley also reminds me of the Gilroy Garlic Festival, of which garlic is the main ingredient in many of the Asian dishes that I cook often with. I so far heard nothing about whether any of the personalities from KRTY would make appearances at the Garlic Festival, and if any of them are garlic fans. But looking forward to both "Gary and Julie in the Morning" and Adam McGurk is one of my favorite things about tuning in to KLIV and KRTY as country music stations. While listeners like me do love the voice of Gary Scott Thomas, I also like the unique voice of Adam McGurk, knowing that McGurk cares about the Silicon Valley and his fans like me - that's probably why I'm a big fan of McGurk! Since McGurk did notice my tweets, he's another reason why I'm probably having fun interacting on all of my available social media platforms...

The sad part is that because McGurk is very busy with his schedule, I'll probably have a very slim chance of seeing him in person. If I do happen to see him in person, I would thank him for inviting me to listen to his unique voice on KRTY every Saturday morning without interruption. 

Original Work: Kyle Chak

Email: chak595301@gmail.com

Twitter: @KyleSChak

#OnlyOnKyle
NOTE FROM BLOGGER: Please be careful of how you pronounce my last name - it's not pronouncing the word "Chalk." Think of words like "bat" and "calf" using the "a" vowel, which is part of how my last name is pronounced. 

McGurk: The New Face of KRTY on Saturday Mornings?!

As KLIV said their goodbyes to all the news personnel, there was a scramble of personnel changes at KRTY and the new classic country music format at KLIV known as "country gold." After a lot of careful decisions, I've been told by KLIV when I asked them about the change from news to music that there will be personnel from KRTY programming their schedules to include a simulcast of KRTY's "Gary and Julie in the Morning" show, plus John McLeod and Randy Jones - and even more. KRTY listeners who were used to hearing the voice of Kim Vestal in the past might want to be accustomed to the changes. While I have enjoyed KLIV for local news in the past as I drove along Story Road (across from Walmart) past their studios near Lucretia Avenue, it was also time for a change in regards to me. But with Vestal moving away from news and continuing to do commercials for the station, there is a new face at KRTY that has a country-like voice with a Silicon Valley feel that reminds me of San Jose State University (despite me being an English major guy)...

That name is "McGurk," or Adam McGurk, the new face on the radio at KRTY heard every Saturday morning that I'm reviewing in this blog. McGurk, as the name would say on KRTY, loves Silicon Valley as much as I do, putting his love for San Jose. Waking me up at 6AM to hear McGurk on the radio is a surprise for me when KLIV changed formats from news to "country gold." McGurk has a modern voice that feels like home for me in Silicon Valley, which is why I have tried a small sample of listening to KRTY the whole time when McGurk was on air.

In the entire time that I have listened to McGurk online via the KRTY website, McGurk voice is so unique that I've decided to tune into KRTY every Saturday morning when he's on the air from 6 to 10AM! But it's likely unaware that McGurk knows that I'm a big fan of his unique voice with both a country voice and knowledge of the Silicon Valley as much as I do practice pronouncing unfamiliar names daily like San Martin, Ohlone-Chynoweth, Tamien, and Penetencia Creek. For country music fans, the Silicon Valley is definitely in need of a local voice that sounds like country, and Adam McGurk has proven to listeners like me that he is the next voice of country music in Santa Clara County... and beyond!

So the bottom line is why I listen to Adam McGurk - he's the voice of the next generation of country music in the Silicon Valley. I've enjoyed Gary Scott Thomas and Julie Stevens in the morning on KRTY and KLIV, with Randy Jones and John McLeod covering the drive home on KLIV during my first week listening to them. Despite my Asian ethnicity, country music in Silicon Valley with McGurk on the radio does remind me of San Martin, my current home nest. Listening to Adam McGurk on Saturday mornings does convince me to wake me up and get out of bed! However, I will be surprised if Adam McGurk does notice my social media pages after he reads this blog and/or if the morning team of Gary and Julie at KRTY reads it... But I do promise that this blog will never embarrass McGurk or the morning team at all - instead, I personally want to say thanks to Gary and Julie (on weekday mornings) and McGurk (on Saturday mornings) for inviting me to listen to them on the radio!

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

Chak's Statement: The Official End of an Era at KLIV for News In Silicon Valley

The end of an era is now at KLIV, who for the past 25 years has been remarkable. I've realized that looking for essential information on the road is very essential. The team that woke me up and got ready for traffic is the same team that also guided me home, especially when there are incidents on the road. With the flip to music format at 10pm on June 10, 2016, that signals the beginning of "country gold," or classic country music on the radio.

KLIV has been seen many times by me on many of my trips to Walmart just across the street on Story Road in San Jose. The studios there are relatively small from the outside, but the building is very familiar for those who drove along Story Road to Little Saigon. Robert (Bob) Klive, who in turn leads Empire Broadcasting, is still living strong as one of the oldest owners of the radio station that I have respected.

Much like the game of Age of Empires series, there are many acts and/or scenes. Classic music was the first act for KLIV, followed by the big band station in the second, and all-news in the third. Flipping the switch to classic country music is the fourth act for KLIV, as it goes from all-news to partial news and mostly classic country. But what will remain with KLIV is country music accompanied by talk and informational shows in the evenings and on weekends. Occasionally, sports like the San Jose Earthquakes and San Jose State will still be on the air.

The Age of Empires game has nothing to do with KLIV's owner Empire Broadcasting, which the two do share a common name in some way, but not in terms of the way Klive wants to play the game with conflicts - instead, Klive wanted to maintain local coverage of our current events in Santa Clara County. I wanted to mention the Age of Empires game as one of my favorite games, but in such a way to express how the history process at KLIV moved from one format to the next.

Local news on the radio seemed to be losing the battle against increasing costs and decreasing advertising revenue, and KLIV is not the only station to have suffered from that fate. That has been the case at all Canadian news stations and their affiliates, forcing those to decrease news time to only one hour or less in the early evenings. This also applies to radio stations across the country, and the fate of all-news stations in the United States when listeners need to hear what's happening while on the road is up in the air. Sadly, with the change the way listeners get their news, it's going to be hard for the station to maintain the owner's wishes.

There is a big comparison between KLIV and KGO in terms of format changes and how their process went. Unlike KGO, KLIV made the move in advance before moving on to the next format. Unfortunately for KGO, their next move was made only less than a week in advance, of which that station moved away from a partial news and talk format to entertainment, angering many of their listeners and putting the blame on KGO's owner, Cumulus Media. Cumulus management has unfortunately made poor judgement in notification of viewers, and that leaves listeners with many questions about the future on local information. KLIV made the notice of change to listeners months in advance instead of doing the same method as KGO. That kept listeners better informed than what KGO did.

The only local information of news on a commercial station is KCBS-AM (740), simulcasted with KFRC-FM (106.9). Klive wants KCBS and KQED-FM radio (88.5) to step up more Santa Clara County coverage. KQED is only partially a news station, with National Public Radio (NPR) and other programs to fill in the void. However, it is going to be tough for KCBS or KQED to step up Silicon Valley news coverage with KLIV no longer operating an all-news station.

Various personalities have often woke me up and at times, laughed my mornings, especially George Sampson, who got me up to wherever I needed to be with the accompaniment of John McLeod. Originally, McLeod will remain at KLIV as he might be reading only news or doing a commercial for KLIV and KRTY, but it turned out that it was not true. McLeod is now host of the classic country music on KLIV during the midday hours and handles traffic while Randy Jones entertains the afternoon drive time hours.

KLIV has made the very difficult decision despite the listener base, but I do know that KLIV will be in very good hands as a new chapter begins with KRTY personalities like Randy Jones, Gary Scott Thomas, and many others who are big fans of country music. While KLIV has now discontinued it's news format, I hope that there will be some a return of some "secret sound" contests after a few weeks of the format change, which I enjoyed hearing viewers their guesses!

But another of my blogs focusing on current events in Silicon Valley is now online...

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
NOTE: This blog has been edited several times since the original post.

Investigative Blog and Chak's Take: Who is going to do KLIV's new "country gold" format? Plus, a KRTY personality that is also on KLIV?!

My investigative blog and personal take covers the upcoming changes announced by the station that I've been listening to for several months. But digging deep into how long the station was a news station is questioning to me, as I saw in a Wikipedia article I read questions the accuracy of the articles by the most recent various sources - which I found something that felt was not right.

THIRTY YEARS AS A NEWS STATION?

For a little over 25 years, KLIV has been the station that radio listeners have relied on for years, but that will be no more after June 10, 2016. Robert (Bob) Klive, the owner of family-owned Empire Broadcasting, believed in the beginning that local news is essential for Silicon Valley. KLIV has been on the air since 1946, which was originally a classic music format - which by the way changed formats several times up until April 1991, becoming a full-time all-news station.

I have done some digging to fact-check the various sources and did my own calculations. I revealed that the sources, from the Mercury News to the Silicon Valley Business Journal, did mention about KLIV putting at least 30 years of experience covering weather, traffic, and current events in Silicon Valley. Neither of them, however, mentioned the actual date that KLIV became a full-time all-news station in late-April 1991.

The main problem for both articles was the fact checking from the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Datebook that was dated on April 28, 1991, where KLIV went from being a big-band station and a part-time news format to a full-time all-news format - the article was mentioned in a Wikipedia page on KLIV. None of the articles that I found mentioned "full-time all-news" station.

The fact-checking was not the only problem that I see. There were others that I also had to address.


THE QUESTION ABOUT "COUNTRY GOLD" FORMAT

I also question who is going to cover the shifts for KLIV's new classic country format, promoted on-air as "country gold." Klive maintained that in the interview with the Mercury News and Business Journal, he noted that the station has lost money and never gained profit in the years as an all-news station. But with the switch to classic country format comes questions about KRTY's personalities, which includes Gary Scott Thomas and Julie Stevens in the mornings, Randy Jones, Tim Anthony, Indiana Al, Michael Moore, and Jenna Johnson.

I've made inquires about who is going to be doing the classic country format on KLIV, and they said that KRTY personalities will be on the air at KLIV. They have yet to announce as to which personalities will cover which shifts. The upcoming announcement before the switch to classic country could mean that some on-air personalities at KRTY could be changing time slots to cover KLIV's new format and possibly adding more personalities to fill-in for any of the current KRTY personalities and cover KLIV as well.


KRTY PERSONALITY ALSO ON KLIV?! 

Viewers may have heard that out of the 12 people on-air at KLIV doing news, only John McLeod will be staying - and I'm told that McLeod won't be covering traffic after the transition. One particular personality that I've been seeing twice on both KLIV and KRTY's websites is Kim Vestal, who also handles voiceovers and does her digs on Saturdays at KLIV and Sundays at a radio station named KKIQ - that covers Pleasanton, Dublin, and Livermore. But with Kim Vestal not being at KLIV for news when the station puts in classic country music questions me as to whether Vestal will remain at sister station KRTY, which she has the capabilities of doing both news and music in addition to her voiceovers. Despite the uncertainty, Vestal's voice is very unique and soft enough for me to patiently listen to KLIV.


KRIS ROWBERRY, JOSH DAUGHERTY AND THE SAD PART...

There are two of the personalities that I have enjoyed talking to, and they are worth listening to.

One of the people at KLIV that will surely be missed is Kris Rowberry. While Rowberry is known for his history around Silicon Valley, perhaps my favorite is his unique voice and his tagline asking listeners to call in for traffic tips...

"We appreciate the calls from our KLIV traffic spotters."

I also enjoyed Rowberry's history on the Silicon Valley, of which I hope that he will continue voice history on his YouTube page - that part is filled with a lot of history of theme parks and much of the Silicon Valley from Rowberry's days at KLIV!


Another personality that may one of the people that I enjoyed listening to is Josh Daugherty, who often would work behind the scenes in helping the station put on sports for listeners to enjoy, including being the radio home of the San Jose Earthquakes of which I met the president, Dave Kaval, at least three times - yes, this is not a joke. For Daugherty, I've often called in to report traffic late at night or on weekends whenever I'm on the road.

One of the most serious calls I made to KLIV while Daugherty was on the air was an accident that happened right outside my window on 101 northbound between San Martin and Tennant Avenue exits. Daugherty initially reported the mainland Silicon Valley "green," as in no accidents or stalls. However, I told Daugherty that the southern part of Silicon Valley was not so "green" at all and the accident was "pretty serious." The traffic was a nightmare in both directions, repeating the effects of a typical rush-hour commute that would not normally occur on a weekend or holiday. Many other calls to KLIV when Daugherty was on-air included accidents in Campbell and San Jose that tied up traffic.


THE BOTTOM LINE

Overall, KLIV has yet to announce as to which KRTY personalities will be doing which time slots. Some of KRTY's personalities have been made aware about the change happening to KLIV. But it's not exactly known as to when KLIV plans to unveil the schedule for the new classic country format. However, it's clear that KLIV does plan to retain some of their special programming, which will make the station not necessarily a 24-hour "country gold" music station.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

Chak's Short Take: The Citizen-based App that Reports on What's Going On

A few months ago, I tried an app that does not require any profession with any news-gathering organization, but reports on what's going on with a simple app. That app is known as Fresco News, where users can submit photos and videos, and then get paid. Yes - that is true.

A local news partner that sees any interesting item can grab a video from a user for a small fee - more if the content is on video. That fee is actually paid to the user, not Fresco News themselves. Whether the user is on assignment or not, and if the video does catch the attention of anyone, I can really get something out of the video. 

There is a caveat, though. Any user that does make significantly more cash will have to file an IRS 1099 form. On a more positive note, this is a great app for those that is interested in telling their stories (like me personally), and I don't have to be a specific major (e.g. English) to do so. 

I will still be testing out the Fresco News app, and will eventually make a decision, hoping that I'll be doing the Gilroy Garlic Festival. I primarily focus on Santa Clara County, and knows many of the street names in Silicon Valley unlike most Fresco News users. My favorite part about the app is that I can join in the conversation on social media and talk about the events, whether it's a live video or a still image for Fresco News users. However, keep in mind that I am very lenient on how I pronounce unfamiliar words - I do practice saying those words daily several times (including holidays). 

In terms of Santa Clara County, there are some of the words that I think many Fresco News users tend to pronounce incorrectly, so I hope that many users will know of what I may pronounce at any time. Below are a few examples that I often hear from people not pronouncing words correctly. Not all words are listed, but below are what I may say when Fresco News wants to hear the words during a requested report. 

Most common mispronounced words to my take:

San Martin

Tamien

Penetencia Creek

Chynoweth

Ohlone 

Hostetter 

Hellyer 

Other words that also may be mispronounced:

Almaden

Alum Rock

Pacheco Pass

Milpitas 

San Tomas

Montague

Pomeroy 

Fresco News users that hears these words might want to take note. From time to time, I'll be posting my reflections about the app from the stories I uploaded. Let's hope that Fresco News is probably ready for more. There will be more in store soon... hopefully...

Original Work: Kyle Chak

E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com

Twitter: @KyleSChak

BONUS: The following is a YouTube video that I originally uploaded to Fresco News exclusively, which showed a couple of arrests made at a rally that ended up to be more than satisfactory...

EXCLUSIVE: Chak's Review of McDonald's Gilroy Garlic Fries

(NOTE: Commercial use of this article without permission is strictly prohibited - details in the Remarks section located at the end of this article.)

The southern part of Santa Clara County is home to the majority of a special herb made in the United States. That, of course, is garlic. Yes, many people know about Gordon Biersch that invented the original garlic fries. This is probably why Gilroy has it's famous Garlic Festival each July. Then, I have heard from various anchors that McDonald's is having it's version of the garlic fries, of which there were reports that the garlic does come from Gilroy. People from all over the United States have wanted to try one of the Garlic fries at McDonald's, so I decided to check it out and see for myself. In an exclusive investigative blog, I have my review of the McDonald's version of the garlic fries despite that the garlic fries were sold out in just a few days. Reviews from the San Francisco Chronicle to the Mercury News have watched this development.

But the question is on whether the garlic fries made at McDonald's made the grade in my taste test. I went to a McDonald's at the San Carlos Street location (one of four in Silicon Valley and one of three in San Jose) to find out for myself. While I also ordered a couple of cheap burgers to go along with the fries, although the burgers are not used for this blog.

When I looked at the garlic fries, the fries and garlic are definitely cooked. The fries itself resemble a typical McDonald's french fries. The fries do look appetizing, but what about the taste itself? When I took my first bite into the McDonald's version of the Garlic Fries, the fries was certainly tasty, but not the garlic mix and parsley they put into the fries. I felt that while the fries itself was the same as a typical McDonald's regular fries, the garlic mix that McDonald's used was rather a bit cheap, with a bit of an off-garlic taste. I also barely felt the parsley as well - they were at least fresh to my taste buds. The garlic mix is not made the same way as most people would make.

Gordon Biersch, a brewery that is based in San Jose, was behind the invention of the Garlic Fries that is renowned to be world famous. Dan Gordon first invented the Garlic Fries back in 1994 when the fries were first introduced at the former Candlestick Park in San Francisco - that signature dish quickly became a hit among people. The real garlic fries consists of potatoes, garlic, parsley, salt, black pepper, and vegetable oil. Olive oil can't be used during frying as their smoke point is lower than most vegetable oils. The garlic is cooked partially so that people could taste and smell the garlic aroma.

The next thing to watch is the ingredients - I put my own estimates as to what ingredients were used in the overall mix, as McDonald's is not able to reveal the exact percentage. According to the Mercury News, the ingredients used in the mix included garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and salt. In contrast to the original Gordon Biersch version - which many do use for making garlic fries, the McDonald's version seems to be using more affordable versions of their ingredients, and replacing black pepper with Parmesan cheese.

To my personal taste buds, there was little or no olive oil. I personally felt that the olive oil accounted for only 10% of the overall vegetable oils used (the rest is vegetable oil) and about 15% for the mix overall. Parmesan cheese to me accounted for 30% of the total ingredients used, as that ingredient overpowered the olive oil that I tasted. As I barely felt the parsley in my taste, I put the parsley at about 15%. The chopped garlic to me was fully cooked and accounted for only 30%, while salt counts the remaining 10%. In comparison, Gordon Biersch's original garlic fries mix for my estimates only has partially cooked garlic (50%), parsley (20%), olive oil (15%), salt (10%), and black pepper (5%). Note that Parmesan cheese was never used in the original garlic fries, despite the small drizzle of olive oil. Furthermore, Gordon Biersch's garlic fries never contain any additional ingredients - the ingredients are very straightforward and the company - known for it's beer brewing in San Jose - is very honest about their commitment to not have unnecessary ingredients.

My consensus is that while the McDonald's version of the Gilroy Garlic Fries may be not as appetizing as the original Gordon Biersch's version due to the added Parmesan cheese. I felt that the Parmesan cheese was unnecessary to add in my attempt to feel the real garlic taste, which was barely noticeable. Those with any diary concerns should be advised - the McDonald's version may not be suitable for those people. However, despite the downsides to my take, McDonald's version of the Gilroy Garlic Fries barely made the grade. However, it's a cheap option for those who can't afford the original garlic fries.

CHAK'S SCORE - MCDONALD'S GARLIC FRENCH FRIES


Fries: 7.5/10
Garlic Mix: 6.5/10
OVERALL: 7.0/10 (C-)

Chak's Grading - Score is out of 10:
A = 9.0 to 10
B = 8.0 to 8.9
C = 7.0 to 7.9
D = 6.0 to 6.9
F = 0 to 5.9

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
#OnlyOnKyle

IMPORTANT REMARK(S):

1. The picture in the article is taken by the original author of the blog showcasing the McDonald's version of the Garlic Fries at the San Carlos Street location, and is the property of the blogger.

2. This article can ONLY be shared with permission of the original author if the article is used for any commercial purposes - including newspapers, radio, television, etc. For any inquiries, please e-mail the blogger at the e-mail address shown in this article. THE REPRODUCTION, RETRANSMISSION, OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL USE OF THIS ARTICLE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR OF THE BLOG IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

Chak's Take: The Longest VTA Light Rail disruption in VTA history?

Cinco de Mayo in 2016 was not so lucky when I woke up to hearing KLIV news on the radio in the morning, while at the same time, tuning in to NBC Bay Area morning news program, Today in the Bay on TV. In fact, NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 was part of the subject, as the incident happened just outside their studios.

The subject was a male person that managed to climb on top of one of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail trains at the Component station, closing off traffic and light rail service from Gish station northwards. Service was only available between Civic Center and either Santa Teresa or Winchester stations. The Almaden shuttle ran normally without problems. The subject, who according to deputies identified as 25-year old Kyle Lewis from Prunedale, was on probation. The light rail delay was severe that bus bridges had to be called in. Light rail service for Alum Rock and Mountain View must get through the Component station in order for service to start. However, the service was not that fortunate, as only a very limited number of trains were able to get through. Lewis's goal was to "disrupt the morning commute," as he was feeling agitated that if officers were to get close to him, Lewis would spit back at officers. 

Given that NBC Bay Area and Telemundo 48 staff saw the activity, they were first to be there, as the studio location on North First Street near Component Drive made it possible for their crews to reach the scene in seconds. The VTA light rail station at Component is only less than 100 feet from the station. News crews from other stations generally took took less than 45 minutes to reach the scene, depending on their location. San Francisco or Oakland-based stations may take longer if those stations do not have a Santa Clara County bureau. 

For me, going to San Jose State University entirely by car to avoid the possibility of service disruptions in the light rail system had to be my best bet. Traffic in the Silicon Valley took longer than normal, as accidents crippled the morning commute, particularly on northbound U.S. 101 from as far back as Blossom Hill Road. City streets were also more crowded than normal as well, including Capitol Expressway, Tully Road, and Senter Road. 

But the main question posed the practice of how VTA would handle any hostage situation. Two VTA spokespeople spoke on the issue. Brandi Childress said in VTA's blog that the VTA light rail system operates 154 of the 168 hours per week, or 22 of the 24 hours per day. The light rail starts moving around 4:15 AM on weekdays and 5 AM on weekends/holidays as opposed to 4 AM on weekdays (line 68) and 5 AM on weekends/holidays (all of them except line 22's 24 hour service). VTA's blog is also the place of what VTA spokeswoman Brandi Childress calls it as "the high voltage light rail system is not a place to trespass or interfere with operations" in regards to the incident. The high voltage - ranging from 750 to 800 volts, is actually a live overhead voltage of which a single contact with that voltage can kill a person instantly.

In my many years seeing VTA light rail grow from it's roots in 1987, I have never seen such an incident that would delay half of the number of VTA commuters that would force people into their cars like me. However, the overall system does face serious challenges ahead despite losing ridership between 2001 and 2010, of which I question what could happen next for the transit agency and the farebox recovery ratio. I shall explain more on my take on that part the next time I write about VTA.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

EXCLUSIVE - KLIV to Listeners: Farewell to All-News for Silicon Valley? And Status of KCBS?

It is sad, and unfortunate for me listening to news on the radio. Get ready to hear some major changes coming soon to KLIV, according to Robert S. Klive, the owner of Empire Broadcasting which owns KLIV and KRTY. Klive announced on-air that all-news may be coming to an end soon for the Silicon Valley. But to my take, it may not be in the same direction as KGO radio, though leaving KCBS as the only option for Bay Area news.

Klive announced to listeners like me that while news may not be "all news, all the time" format any more soon, he noted that in 2015, advertising revenue is at an all-time low and declining, leading to speculation that music and other programming are likely going to replace the news. However, special segments and other news programs will likely remain on the air in lieu of news, such as produce reports, history segments, and sports programming like the San Jose Earthquakes and San Jose State Spartans football and basketball programs.

But even then, KGO has ended both news and traffic/weather segments all together, while the status of KCBS radio is unclear. I have heard all those speculations both online and on social media. KGO's decision to end programming on news and traffic/weather segments have gathered many angry listeners, although long-time personality Ronn Owens moved to the afternoon time slot.

Unlike KGO, however, KLIV will not end traffic and weather segments, which will continue despite the upcoming changes, as the morning and afternoon commutes continued to increase for the Silicon Valley, as noted in a 37 percent increase mentioned by KLIV personality John McLeod in the San Jose Mercury News.

The status for KCBS radio is also unknown, as I heard the radio division for CBS and CBS News may likely change due to the exploration of a possible sale, but that is not official as of yet. I now wonder this question - will all-news radio come to an end very soon in the Bay Area? I will soon know as a listener.

But to me, it is sad and unfortunate that I will definitely miss many of the KLIV personalities that I enjoy listening to for local news - but for me, I'm lucky to still listen to traffic/weather reports and many other segments that make the station very unique.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
NOTE: This article may not be re-used for any commercial purposes without the permission of the blogger. The blogger is independent and not affiliated with any other person or organization. The views of the blogger is is his own.
CORRECTION: Blog corrected to reflect actual name of owner.

Chak's Take - Strawberry, as in the DJ, not the Fruit! The Opening of Capriotti's in Santa Clara County

I certainly have a good spring break, capped with a few small trips such as The Wharf in Santa Cruz, but the first Saturday in April did cap my Spring Break with a surprise, and that is where the freeway continues.

THE JOURNEY FROM SAN MARTIN

From my San Martin* nest, I started in the early morning hours from Morgan Hill on U.S. 101, taking advantage of the GasBuddy app to stop at a Shell near Bernal and Monterey Road to top up my fuel tank to maximum, then continued on 101 to get some morning breakfast at 7-Eleven on Alum Rock, lasting only 15 minutes. The final segment on 101 only lasted two miles before switching to I-880 north, although that segment was a short, three-mile trip before the Google Maps app forced me off the freeway at Tasman Drive (Great Mall Parkway). I continued on Tasman for the remainder of the trip and eventually arrived just before 7:30 AM, although I only saw fewer than 10 people ahead of me.

I did park inside the shopping garage due to fears that a "No Parking" sign might be posted by the City of San Jose. I was simply there to see what Capriotti's looked like. Despite that Capriotti's was started in Deleware since 1976, the current headquarters is in Las Vegas, with at least 2 stores along The Strip (Las Vegas Blvd). The San Jose (North) location is only the second store in the Bay Area (after Concord). (My last Las Vegas trip, by the way, was during the final days of 2015 of which I drove the entire trip!)

Just over three hours later, the door opened... And yeah, my first time ever eaten at Capriotti's.

THE MENU ORDER ITSELF

As for the sandwich, I ordered a simple menu that includes a nine-inch signature Bobbie sandwich, small kettle chips, and large soda (my choice is usually a no-calorie soda when possible). Using my app that I downloaded before the opening, I did not have to pay over ten dollars. The app is very straightforward despite a little confusion at first. I won't disclose the ingredients for that signature sandwich (the Bobbie, that is) other than the listed ingredients on the menu.

Incredibly, the Bobbie is probably the only turkey sandwich that I'll order as the other guys probably don't make the sandwich as good as Capriotti's! Here's why - normally, I would dislike any ordinary turkey sandwich, but the Bobbie has a special taste to my buds. The cranberry sauce and the stuffing is what balances the turkey taste, which even I was more than satisfied with the sandwich and the service that the guys and the owner would want customers.

My verdict: I'm coming back for more soon, although my order will generally have my sandwiches to be in the nine-inch size (small). When my rewards do indicate a free item of any size, I will usually get a large sandwich, but I generally pair it with chips and medium soda, except in certain circumstances (e.g. as in a discount, which I will switch to large soda). When I do any refills, I generally try to put a zero-calorie soda in my drink.

WHO IS "STRAWBERRY?"

The menu was not the only thing that was exciting. There was a sneaky addition to the lineup of which I was nearly unaware until I saw the confirmation. Then I went on Twitter and confirmed that a DJ was going to be on the scene, including to properly pronounce my last name "Chak."

And so after my lunch, it was time to meet "Strawberry."

Apparently, when it comes to the word "Strawberry," people tend to think of the red fruit that is very juicy and tasty, which is perfect for making juices, purees, jams, and so on. But I'm not talking about the fruit - I'm referring to Strawberry the DJ! It is unknown what his real name is, but let me tell my bloggers about him - he's a Silicon Valley native that grew up on music, and is mainly a DJ for a popular radio station named 99.7 NOW. (Note that same station (not including Strawberry) was spotted by me as I was on my night walk outside San Jose State University's Event Center the week before on a Friday night.)

The question is, how do I know about 99.7 NOW? The correct answer is one personality that I've seen before - Amy Robbins (Amy Robbins Mohler). In fact, when I asked DJ Strawberry about Amy Robbins, he told me that he only sees her twice a week (late in the week, to be specific) at 99.7 NOW. So if I do happen to spot any other personalities other than Amy at any time during events, I might only ask about Amy - it is meant to send a message to her that I sadly miss her in person.

DJ Strawberry is a very energetic and respected DJ that I would love listening to, especially as a listener that normally would turn to local Silicon Valley news to often report hot spots and pinpoint the exact location. I'll only be surprised if DJ Strawberry or Amy Robbins spots my social media posts (e.g. FB, Twitter, Instagram). My message to any high profiled personality is simple - please do accept my apologies if I do say too much.

If I happen to get any additional followers on my Twitter or Instagram (both are of the same handle, see end of blog) as a result of my posts, I'll be surprised - who knows when I might get a response... For now, I look forward to listening to the guy that knows Amy Robbins - DJ Strawberry! While I'll see Strawberry on the radio, I hope to see him at another event soon, so I hope I'll see him again.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak
NOTE: * San Martin - pronounced as SAN MAR-TEEN
Bonus photos below. All of them in this blog are taken exclusively with my GoPro HERO4 Black camera, and are of the property of the original owner. If you do plan to use any of them, please ensure that you credit me for the pictures!

Chak's Review - "Kris Rowberry, the KLIV Radio Guy"

You might think that the blog title for this entry is a Pokémon-styled title, much like how I saw in a typical Pokémon episode. Although my major is English, and the title to me represents what I like to say exactly, this blog is nothing related to Pokémon - instead, it's my short review on a KLIV radio guy that surprisingly made the top reason for me listening to that radio station. That "radio guy" that I'm referring to is Kris Rowberry. I've been listening to KLIV for about a month - and this is my test of my thoughts.

During this review, while my review primarily focuses on Rowberry, there are other personalities that I'm also a fan of at any time I ring them up to report major traffic accidents anywhere within Silicon Valley - those are also mentioned in this blog.

To give my readers who he is, I took some time to do a bit of knowing about him. According to a source, Rowberry is a San Jose native - specifically the Evergreen district, although he is a Redwood City resident. Theme parks and the history of the Silicon Valley is his great emphasis, as he tends to let listeners of KLIV radio know what Silicon Valley was in the past. Rowberry is a radio personality at KLIV - he is on the air weekdays from 1 to 3PM, sandwiched between Kim Vestal and John Kelly.

So here are some short things below that defines my take...

ROWBERRY AND THE HISTORY OF SILICON VALLEY

Rowberry does have a unique voice that I think is unmatched, particularly his voice on the history of Silicon Valley's specific landmarks. I would dub him as "The Voice of History in the Silicon Valley."

Here's why: One specific example is the history of the SAP Center in downtown San Jose that Rowberry was referring to - also known as the San Jose Arena, or locally as the "Shark Tank." He was right to the point of which the arena was constructed in the 1980s, as well as the only arena to have "rain out" whenever severe weather took San Jose in 1995.


ROWBERRY AND THE RADIO

I'm personally a big fan of Rowberry's voice during the time he is on the air. When Rowberry is on the radio from 1 to 3PM in the afternoon, I have made every effort to tune in, listening to his unique voice while on the road or online. To my take, Rowberry's signature voice is medium to medium-slow in pace except during stock updates, traffic, and weather - his signature voice is what I don't find on other stations. I like the way that he announces community events in that signature voice because he also gives radio listeners like me a peek of what is happening in Santa Clara County.


THE FAVORITE PART ABOUT ROWBERRY?

There are simply too many things that are considered my favorite part about listening to Rowberry on the radio! After a month of listening to Rowberry on the radio, my topmost favorite part was a hard decision, but it's his tagline - "We appreciate the calls from our KLIV traffic spotters." So why that simple tagline? His signature voice, along with the tagline, is perhaps surprising to some listeners, but familiar to most listeners who tune in to Rowberry on KLIV.

The tagline is similar to those of what Derrick Villa always said at the end of his traffic reports - "If you got any traffic tips, call us on the KLIV listener line."

That is the catchphrase I usually hear each day I go between my San Martin nest and San Jose State University via Ohlone-Chynoweth light rail stations, except weekends. I usually do call in any time I spot traffic troubles, which the help of an app that spots any slow traffic or accidents along a particular route (e.g. Waze), as is my eyes on the road.

The bottom line is that I do like his catchphrase so much that I do enjoy listening to Kris Rowberry. So if he happens to spot this blog, who knows when he'll read it...

My message to Rowberry? "Thank you for letting me listen to KLIV radio, allowing me to report traffic hot spots, and listening to you, Josh Daugherty, John McLeod, George Sampson, and Derrick Villa, among others."

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

Short Take - Chak to BART: A Failure to Publish a Separate Fare Table for Seniors/Disabled

Several years later after many blog posts about accurate fare information, I am still unhappy about the booklets that Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) has produced, particularly why the transit agency has failed to publish a fare table via paper for seniors and disabled.

The only time that I am excited is just riding, enjoying the view, thanking operators and station agents, and getting new trains - that part deserves an "A" grade. But the problem is centered on BART itself, especially on the fare table for seniors and disabled using both a series of paper booklets.

I decided to conduct a comprehensive test. The test consisted of every available guide booklet, the online resource, and in particular, the ability to calculate fares for both senior/disabled. Specifically, fare information that is on the desktop MUST be available on the mobile site, as well as reflected in a separate fare table - much like how other Bay Area transit agencies are structured.

THE SPECIFICS ARE EXPLICIT. Fare information in any of BART's booklets MUST also have a separate fare table for seniors/disabled. In both paper AND online, the information that I am specifically looking for is ONLY the fare table for seniors/disabled, not information about Clipper card use AND BART red/green tickets. While BART's 62.5% discount is great information for seniors/disabled, that discount MUST be reflected in ALL platforms - online, on the go, AND on paper booklets that ACTUALLY shows PROOF of a fare table.

THE RESULT:

Online, I found out that BART only showed a discounted fare on just the desktop/laptop - not on mobile.

And among the booklets that I reviewed, none of the books had shown a separate fare table for seniors/disabled, just showing information about the Senior/RTC Clipper card, a $9 purchase for a single $24 ticket (red or green) that is obtainable at certain stations for seniors/disabled, which is NOT the thing that I was looking for despite that the information is as close as I can get.

Therefore, for the two portions mentioned in this blog, BART receives an "F" grade. And until these specifics are corrected, I will continue to write up blogs on BART, as well as make any inquiries both in person and via e-mail until then.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak

Chak's Short Take: Morgan Hill's Expansion Plan Denied by Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)

If you think that Gilroy is the only city in Santa Clara County looking to expand land, think this over - the city of Morgan Hill is also trying to get in the action as well. One of my previous blogs addressed the controversy surrounding the city of Gilroy's annexation plans - including the possible impacts on traffic in Morgan Hill and San Martin.

The city of Morgan Hill is looking to expand their boundaries on the southeast side of the city, bordering near the intersection of Tennant and Murphy Avenue. The number of acres that Morgan Hill is looking to annex is only 229 as opposed to 721 in Gilroy's plan, but that is very similar to the one that Gilroy was trying to annex.

But the result: Denied. Much like the city of Gilroy, there were a slew of opposition, according to an article that I read that included "environmental groups and growth watchdogs."

I've been watching all the development between both Gilroy and Morgan Hill from the time that I was notified about the proposed annexation through various articles and social media. But unlike the Gilroy proposal, the city of Morgan Hill did allow time for members of the public to address their concern related to the annexation. Gilroy, on the other hand, never allowed the members of the public to address their concerns, which sparked outrage over a wide area. Out of the eight members who were watching Morgan Hill's development, six of them, including Ken Yeager, opposed the plan for possible environmental reasons.

Come to think of it, this is not far from where I reside, as Murphy Avenue is part of the city of Morgan Hill's expansion plan north of Middle Avenue - the avenue separating the two sides of Murphy Avenue due to 101 bypassing under Middle Avenue between San Martin and Tennant Avenue exits. But for Morgan Hill's proposed annexation of land, this is nothing new to me.

In fact, I repeatedly found land that the city of Morgan Hill could use, particularly in the business district along Butterfield Blvd near Sutter, and along Cochrane Road east of a shopping center that also houses Target. The city of Morgan Hill could use those empty lands to transform them for retail and housing use, although the city has not yet decided if they want to do so.

I previously inquired with the city of Morgan Hill and Gilroy regarding their annexation plans, with no response.

Original Work: Kyle Chak
E-mail: chak595301@gmail.com
Twitter: @KyleSChak