jill hello, i'm damian trujillo, and today, los jardineros, bay area gardeners are on our show, and they're giving away scholarships on your "comunidad del valle." male announcer: nbc bay area presents "comunidad del valle" with damian trujillo. damian: we begin today with a new effort in san jose to bring you clean energy at home. with me is raul hernandez, who's a spokesman for the san jose clean energy program brought on by the city of san jose. welcome back to the show. raul hernandez: oh, thank you damian. thank you, damian, for letting us talk a little bit about what we're doing here with the city of san jose with san jose clean energy. damian: no, absolutely. there's a nice graphic on your website that i wanted to show because it shows kind of what we're talking about. tell us what basically san jose clean energy does. this is a visualization. raul: yeah, so san jose clean energy is the new electricity provider for homes and businesses of san jose. what we do at san jose clean energy is buy clean electricity,

buy from sources such as wind and solar, and we distribute them to our customers and residents. so, this actually--these past, you know, couple days ago in february was the official launch date of san jose clean energy. so yeah, we're super excited to be able to offer this service to our residents. damian: so, what does it mean for someone like me, homeowner and i'm going to get a bill, and it's going to look different, it's going to be different? am i going to pay more? am i going to pay less? raul: yeah, no, so that's a good question. so, you're going to be receiving the same bill from pg&e. so, what we do at san jose clean energy is concentrate on electrical generation aspect of things, and then pg&e will still handle the transmission and distribution, so as well as getting your bill. so, when you get your bill, there's going to be a line item on there that'll say san jose clean energy, and that's where you'll see. so, everything's pretty much just the same as normal, yeah. damian: the clean energy part is the catchy part. i mean, it means that what you're using at home

is coming from renewable sources. raul: exactly, exactly. so, it's coming from sources such as wind, solar, and we're a lot cheaper too than pg&e. our mix also, our green source power mix is a lot cleaner than pg&e's as well. so, that's something that we pride ourselves on. so, you know, offering that slight discount as well to our residents and businesses is something that is also worth looking at as well. damian: so, there will be a slight price reduction? we're not used to that around these parts, especially when it comes to electricity. raul: yeah, no, there is a 1% discount to--you know, to a lot that might not seem like a lot, but hopefully in the future, just like other cca programs like ours that are throughout the bay area, they've been offer--they've been able to offer a higher discount, you know, later on down the line. and that's what we hope to do here with san jose clean energy as well. you know, we got to start off slow and then kind of build our way up. so, but yeah, we do offer that 1% discount, and we offer a cleaner power mix than--

damian: i mean, you're not trying to sell anybody anything. you're a not for profit, you're within the city of san jose, you're an agency of the city of san jose. raul: exactly, exactly. so, that's something that we pride ourselves in, on, and as well as being able to have local control. i think that's an important part of what we do here, being able to invest back into our community, which is an important factor of san jose clean energy. hopefully down the line be able to offer more programs for community members with approval of city council. so, for those of you guys who don't know how this works, we are advised by an advisory commission, as well as by the san jose city council. so, any decisions regarding rates or programs would have to go through them first. and as well as community members having say in what goes on with san jose clean energy.etgs, evey transparent, and they're able to voice their opinions regarding our program at sanse clean energy. damian: so you--the city is not generating

its own electricity, you're just buying it from those who produce it through natural sources. raul: correct, correct. so, what we do, like i said, we buy the electricity from clean sources such as wind and solar and, you know, pg&e still distributes it. damian: all right, well, again, it probably going to appear on your pg&e bill if you live within the city of san jose. there is the web address for more information. again, this just launched this month. looking to call that number for more information as well, but we'll be back and talk more about how this might benefit you at home, stay with us. ♪

that leave therea lasting impression. like the feeling of movement as a new journey begins, or the sight of soft fur, warmed by the morning sun. you might remember new flavours, the sound of an old friend's laugh, or a view that defies all expectations. these are the memories that stay with you, long after the moments have passed. talking about san jose clean energy. and one important thing is if, for some reason, i don't see why, but if you don't like this change, you can always opt out, right? raul: yeah, exactly, that's correct. that's one of the things that is important to us, being a community choice aggregation program, is people having that choice to opt out if they want to. so, it's easy to opt out, and you can go back and stay with pg&e.

or you know, stay with us here at san jose clean energy. so, but yeah, that's a great point that you made. and yeah, we highly recommend that people, you know, stay with the program, but we also respect the decision to opt out. damian: all right, and hold up that flyer if you will because you should've received something at home in your mailbox. if not, more are coming soon, right? raul: yeah, exactly. so, we sent these flyers out, this is a notice of--notification of service. this was sent out in december, late december, and then another one in mid-january. and we'll also be sending out two more of these late february and early march. so, it's just a way of letting people know what's going on with their service and, if they have any questions, to be able to reach out to us at any moment. damian: my fifth grade daughter, she's--her science report is--this year is on clean energy. i mean, it's on the environment angl i mean, we might not see the effects of what we're doing here in san jose, but maybe give it 10 or 15 years,

i'm assuming environmentally you'll be able to see the affects of going this route. raul: yeah, exactly. it has a lot of--you know, as we know, you know, climate change and air pollution is--you know, greenhouse gas emissions has a lot--plays a lot into, you know, how it affects our health more than anything. you know, so you know, like you said, hopefully down the line, you know, we see the reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and, you know, being able to live a healthier life here in san jose, you know? for not only ourselves, but for, you know, like our children in the future. this is a great way of being able to help out the environment, and give back to our community, and make it a little bit more--a little cleaner. damian: yeah, and by cleaner, you have some stats also that you sent us as well. it's--you're basically saving the city of san jose about $10,000 a month, and the electrical cost is lower. it's about 35,000 cars off the road in one year. that's huge. raul: exactly, yeah, and that's just off our

default option, green source. so, with that option, we're able to take off 35,000 cars off the road, which is a good stat to kind of make people notice the impacts and kind of see, okay, you know, imagine seeing 35,000 cars off the road. that's something that i feel like a lot of people would be like, "oh man, i get that," you know? and there's another interesting stat that we like to say too, it's like planting 2.7 million trees. so, that's a great stat to bring up because i said it's hard to kind of picture this, but at the same time when you bring up those types of stats, it's kind of like, "oh, okay, i see, i see what we're doing," you know? damian: i mean, the program again, the opt out option is also always there. you got into this, this is an effort, i'm assuming it's a bilingual effort, trilingual, it's not multilingual 'cause you got to get the word out. raul: yeah, exactly, so, we're doing a lot of outreach in spanish, english obviously, and then vietnamese. so, we know that it's important to get the word out, it's important to be present and make sure that people know

what's going on and the options that they do have. you know, another option that we do have as well is total green, which is our 100% renewable energy option. and that comes at a little higher price. i mean, for $5 to $10 more a month, that's like a cup of coffee to anybody or, you know, a meal. but it's a great way of giving back. the other day, we were at an event, and this lady was like, "hey, i really love the total green option because i can't put solar panels on my house." so, it's a great way to kind of--to kind of be able to help out the community, help out the environment, you know, without having to break the bank for solar panels. damian: one last question, and i know that you can't say much, but pg&e is going through this bankruptcy. what can you say about what's happening? raul: well, yeah, no, obviously the only thing i could speak on with san jose clean energy is that there will be no interruption in your service. everything is still going on course as it should. and--but we are, you know, going to be looking at closely what will be happening in the next couple of months or, you know, years, as long as the process takes

with what's going on with pg&e. but yeah, but like i said, the only thing that i could say right now is there will be no interruption in service of san jose clean energy. damian: perfect, thank you for clarifying that. if you'd like more information on this special program, again you don't have to do anything to enroll, you're automatically enrolled. but if you don't like the idea, you can opt out. there is a web address for more information, you can get that there and also a phone number. any final thoughts before we let you go? raul: yeah, no, thank you. now, if you guys want to find out more information about san jose clean energy, like damian said right now, you can visit our website, sanjosecleanenergy.org. or you know, call our call center as well, the number is on our website, and they'd be able to answer any questions that you guys might have. and yeah, thank you for your time. damian: all right, thank you very much, good luck. raul: thank you. damian: all right, and los jardineros are back. stay with us.

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than the one next door. at it giving scholarships for their foundation.

with me here on "comunidad del valle," don catalino tapia iscs for the foundation, maria tello. welcome to the show. maria tello: thank you for having us. catalino tapia: thank you, damian, for having us again. damian: yes, don catalino, you're--this is an annual event. today, you're here to announce that the application process is open. so, go ahead and apply. catalino: yes, that's what we are here for, to tell the kids what's available for them. all they have to do is to get into our webpage, download the application, complete it, and send it in, and good luck. damian: no, good luck is right. we do have video of you that's also on your website, but this is a years-long effort for you. and it started when you first saw your son graduate from cal, and he was one of very few latinos graduating. catalino: 1999. so, it's been long 15 day--years. and the whso olfahappy there because

he was the first to go to college. and--but at the same time, i noticed something that make me kind of sad, and that was there are only a few latinos graduate with him that night. and i promised myself to do something to help the low-income students to give their parents the opportunity to experience the feelings that i was going through that night. it was terrific. damian: and you use your green thumb to raise maria: oh, frankly, very much he reminds me a little bit of green. very much of the spirit of my father. i don't have my dad around. so, you know, he's a giving man, he's a generous man, and he wants to contribute to the world around him. and he does that through education. and i had the same difficulty paying for my college and getting through school, so i think our values

and our missions resonated with each other. and i wanted then to be able to help in any way i could. and he--i asked if i could contribute, and i was his secretary for a little while. and my peers in november decided that i should be the president because i'm very passionate to continue his mission. and really just, you know, hopefully bring that contribution to our community through education. because that's--you know, my dad always had a saying, it's like study today, for then tomorrow you don't have to work, you know, and work for somebody who doesn't respect you. damian: my dad would say-- [speaking in foreign language] maria: i didn't want to go there, but yes, similar to that. damian: so, who qualifies? they just download the application and send it in? but what are the requirements? catalino: well, they need to have at least 2.5-- damian: gpa. cano: gp and be a son of a low-income parents. been accepted to a college or university.

and to complete the application on the right way, two letters of recommendation. and like i say, good luck to them because we would like to help everyone, but sometimes the application is not completed right, and that student is disqualified automatically. so, we don't need that. damian: you need to raise a lot of funds because i've been there. how difficult is it to get a qualified application? i mean, it's very compelling, but you have to put it on this box because this one is just a little bit more compelling. maria: it's very sad because--so, i wanted to let you also know that not only do we look at the applications and we allow the scholarship to go to anybody who has need, which is--means we have really open arms for people to apply, but also we go through a regular non-biased process

to be able to select the students. each application gets evaluated by three different individuals, it gets scored, it gets rated, it's blinded. it's very--it has a high level of integrity the way we choose this. and it's such a shame because everyone has a true need. and to have to say no to 40% or 60% because we don't have enough funds, it's--yeah, it's very sad. damian: but the funds have been coming. i mean, i'm always astounded at how much you've given away. how much money have you given away in scholarships? catalino: up to this moment, a little bit over $600,000. damian: isn't that crazy? you come from humble beginnings, sir, you were a gardener, you'reetthe st-- damian: oh, there you go. but that--coming from where you came from, what you had to do as an immigrant, and then now giving money back to those needy students, it's got to make you feel good, right?

catalino: i feel very, very happy, very proud for what we have done throughout the years. and the good thing about this is that i never went to school, only to sixth grade down in mexico. but here, not even one day. so, that proves that anybody who has a big heart and passion for what he's doing, he can accomplish a lot of things. damian: he comes to this country with $25 in his pocket, and now-- catalino: six. catalino: oh, $6, i'm sorry. [speaking in foreign language] and now, he's given away more than $600,000 in scholarships. there is the web address for more information. there's also the phone number you can call, they'll help you out. we'll be back and speak with one of the recipients this past year of one of these scholarship, stay with us. ♪

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from last year. patricia corona is a senior at san jose state. welcome to the show and congratulations. patricia corona: thank you for having me. damian: what was it like to receive a scholarship by the bay area gardeners scholarship foundation? patricia: to receive a scholarship, it was an amazing experience from the beginning. catalino called me personally and congratulated me that i had received one of the scholarships, and it's one of the best moments i've had in college because i knew from the beginning that it was going to be a very personal experience. and then knowing his background, i finally saw someone in a higher position that was able to help me, but that also had a lot of common with my own background. damian: all right, and books are not cheap. i mean, you probably brought three books probably? i'm not sure, but i mean, it's expensive to go to school nowadays. patricia: yeah, especially in san jose, in the bay area, but a lot because there is so much great opportunity here. i'm extremely blessed, but it also is very expensive to live in this area. damian: we talked about humble roots in the last segment, and you come from them. talk about what your parents do and what their struggle is like.

patricia: so, my parents are servers. they came to the united states 19 years ago now in september. and so, watching them grow up, work very hard, they always told me, "school's first so you don't have to work like us." but i got my work ethic and my passion from them, and that's something i could never thank them enough for. and so, seeing that in catalino, it's amazing to be able to go full circle and get help from someone that i see the parent--the passion, hard work of my parents. damian: and you're a senior, but you're not stopping there? patricia: no, i'm not. so, i'm taking a year off after i graduate in may to prepare for the lsat, which is an entrance--which is an exam necessary to go to law school because that is my career goal. damian: all right, good luck. patricia: thank you. damian: how does that make you feel, don catalino, to hear what she's saying, her humble beginnings like yours and her aspirations? catalino: it make me feel very, very proud. and like she say, she comes from very humble beginnings. and like you say, i came to this country with $6 in my pocket.

damian: right, i gave you $25, but-- catalino: okay, can you imagine how hard that i worked to get up to this position now? i work on many, many different jobs. my first one was making donuts, and i was getting paid 45 cents an hour. so, i was working up to $14, $15 hours a day. that's why i never had the opportunity to go to school because i was too busy. and now to see them here, both of them, they are the fruit that one day i plant the seed, it grew up, and the results are here. so, i'm very, very proud. and our board members. yeah, everybody, it's not just me. it's a team effort, and we are so happy

to see this growth here. damian: all right, well deserved. talk about the sacrifices 'cause our parents have made sacrifices along the way. i'm sure same with your parents. patricia: yes, my parents always worked full-time, over full-time. and even now, they have to work to obviously help me. and i know that they had to obviously stop any dreams that they had in mexico and the comfortability to come to this country. and so, to see them put aside their dreams and aspirations to make sure i had everything to have mine is something that i will always carry with me, and i know that now i have to work really hard for students like myself, and to thank people like don catalino for all the help that they give us. damian: all right, and yght, don catalino?ne, you need the help of viewers and your customers who you-- catalino: i need the help of everybody because this foundation runs on donations. so, if anybody out there want to make a donation, just get

into our webpage, and we welcome any kind of donation, and so that we can continue with our dreams and our mission to help young kids to prepare themselves for the future. damian: one thing, patricia, is receiving the money. you get a check, you deposit it, you go pay for rent, books, or whatever you need to rent. the other thing is the confidence that it is symbolic with that check. by them giving you that check, it's them saying, "we're confident that you come from humble beginnings, that you're going to do good on what we're giving you, the emotional aspect as well. ait as fa g t money.seed."ere'so patricia: yes, i know. i know it was different, like i said, from the time that he called me to let me know. but also just a couple months ago at the end of my last semester, he actually visited me on campus and had lunch with me, and had let me know a week before that we would be meeting.

and so, getting to talk to him for over an hour and just catching up on everything, it just made me feel like he continued, like you said, to have this confidence in me, and was very genuinely interested that i was pursuing, continuing my education. and it was an amazing talk and amazing time to be able to catch up with the founder of such an amazing organization, foundation. damian: it sounds like it's familia to you. catalino: yeah, when i talk about all the students, i always say that i only had two sons, but up to now i have 266 because i look at them as part of my family, and i get very attached to them. and it's so rewarding to see them trying to go ahead and to go all the way. and i told them, "don't you ever stop.

go all the way so at the end, you will see the light." damian: have they come back? those who you've given scholarships to, have they come back as profesionales, they've graduated and they're working now? catalino: yeah, they do. right now on the board, we have two past recipients. damian: oh, is that right? catalino: yeah, so that means they are coming back and give back to the foundation, and that make me feel so, so proud. damian: well, again, you can help fulfill the dreams of a lot of these students. there is the web address for more information. it's not limited to region, so if you live in the bay area, you can apply to the bay area, the gardeners scholarship foundation. any final thoughts that you want to say? catalino: welltion a just rememr all my clients, we need the donations from everybody else out there. damian: all right, patricia, any final thoughts for you as well? patricia: well, gracias, don catalino, and thank you. and to all the students out there, you can do this.

and foundations like this are the reason why students like me can move ahead and be successful, so thank you. damian: good luck to you. patricia: thank you. damian: all right, how many scholarships do you give normally a month a year? catalino: thirty. damian: thirty? catalino: yeah, for the last four years, and a laptop. damian: all right, and a laptop. catalino: so, that is like a tool for them to do the homework instead of being waiting for hours on the public libraries to wait for a computer. they can do it at home and congratulations.eean: lk thank you for the good work. all right, now here's what's happening in your comunidad on que pasa. ♪ ♪

damian: and our saludos to those celebrating a special day, felicidades. ♪ damian: here's our contact information. you can follow me on twitter, my handle is @newsdamian. also, pick up a copy of "el observador" newspaper and support your bilingual weeklies all across the bay area. you can also catch us in español, "comunidad del valle" on telemundo canal 48 every sunday mornin♪ at 11 o'clock.i. and because redfin.com is america's #1 brokerage site our agents get more eyes on your home so you sell for thousands more than the one next door. don't get stuck in the past. sell with a redfin agent.

east bay. what happened at a fast-food restaurant that led police to open fire. right now at 4:30 amount deadly police shooting in the east bay. what happened that led police to

open fire at the fast food restaurant. >> a major schedule change for bart starting tomorrow. how it could impact the morning compute. >> first a rare sight in the bay area as snow covers the mountain tops. we're tracking winter blast. the news starts now. good afternoon. thank you for joining us i'm terry mcsweeney. >> and i'm vicky nguyen. the rain is letting u not. a live look from outside. snow still healtill topes on the horizon. >> a cold night ahead and dangerous conditions for the moin