cheesy mistake: “Am I mistaken, or did both Chuck E. Cheese and The Dispatch give erroneous information as to when Chuck E. Cheese was to open? I called the Chuck E. Cheese in Gilroy, and the recording said they were opening on Tuesday (Dec. 28). Then, in a story in the Dispatch, it was mentioned that the grand opening was on Thursday the 30th. So I took my family, in the rain, over there on Thursday, only to be told that they would be open on Saturday the 1st.
“Can you please tell me how both the restaurant AND the Dispatch could have been wrong in this case? And was I the only one in Gilroy, Morgan Hill and Hollister who fell victim to this misinformation?”
You are not mistaken, good caller. Unfortunately, in this case it was a corporate message mess-up, along with some city concerns.
A spokesperson for Chuck E. Cheese’s Texas headquarters told our reporter that the store was indeed opening on Dec. 28th. It’s unclear exactly what happened, but the Chuck E. Cheese store also has an answering service that confirmed this date:
“Thank you for calling Chuck E. Cheese’s in Gilroy, on Renz Lane, opening Dec. 28. For instructions in English, press one.”
According to General Manager Paul Reed, and adding to the overall confusion, the city wouldn’t let the store open as planned because the store permits and fees were not completely in order.
They are now. Call 846-1313 to make reservations, should you want to venture out again.
Support the troops: “I don’t know if this is the right place, but there is a program online to support our troops. The requests are simple and people on any budget can lend a hand. It’s a wonderful opportunity to reach out and help someone who is in a tough position and maybe bring a smile to their face. Go to www.anysoldier.com. Thank you.”
Sure it’s the right place, caller. The Red Phone personally checked out the above site and was impressed with it’s content and ease of navigation. The site offers suggestions on what troops need – letters of support are No. 1 – where to send things and how to go about it. It also offers a page with contacts and letters from those serving in the military and stationed overseas. The Red Phone encourages everyone to stop by www.anysoldier.com and support the troops.
Waste of water: “The sprinklers were on this morning (last Saturday, when it was pouring down rain), at Rod Kelley School. It seems a bit ridiculous and a waste of water. Thank you.”
Thanks for the call. Your trusty Red Phone did it’s best to get in contact with an actual live person regarding this issue, and left several messages with the school and the district’s maintenance office. Unfortunately, no one was courteous enough to kindly return the call to let the Red Phone know if the situation had been checked and corrected during the recent storms. The weather has since cleared up for the time being, and the Red Phone does hope that the school’s maintenance people will keep better track of their sprinkler system during rainy weather – because watering the landscape during a rainstorm is indeed ridiculous and a waste of water.
That’s garbage!: “My question is how can the garbage company bill you for services not rendered. … That’s (money) they’re not entitled to until services are rendered, which is two months ahead. I feel like they’re banking some money … I can’t get this service anywhere else, I have to do it.”
Caller, you’ve hurt the Red Phone’s feelings because you’ve shown you don’t read it’s column regularly. The Red Phone contacted Phil Couchee with South Valley Disposal recently regarding this issue, due to another caller. He said there’s a simple explanation – since garbage is not a metered service and monthly cost is consistent, it is cost-effective and reduces use of paper.
“Billing three months at a time minimizes the cost of billing,” he said. “And it adds convenience for residents.” Couchee said that bills are not due immediately, but towards the end of the three-month period.
And he added that if residents wish to pay on a monthly basis, they’re welcome to do so.
