damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle," i'm damian trujillo, and today-- well, you remember trio intimo? they wrote our theme song to "comunidad del valle." we're gonna play a little clip from them here on the show today. plus, día de los muertos is back on your "comunidad del valle." ♪♪♪ damian: we begin today with the latest from the san jose public library system. they now have sunday service. with me is elizabeth castañeda, the pr guru of the library. you sound like a priest here, now you have a sunday service there at the library. elizabeth, tell us what's going on. elizabeth castañeda: yeah, we expanded our hours to include sundays at 16 branches. so we know that this was something a lot of our community members have been wanting. they--you know, a lot of people work during the week so they

have requested that we open more on the weekends. and so we're super excited to finally say that we are expanding our library days to include sundays as well at 16 locations. damian: we're looking at some of the images; there's a lot--there was a lot of people at your grand opening there on sunday. elizabeth: we had over 6,000 people visit one of the 16 locations. we had a tremendous response from our community members. they--a lot of them showed up. they were, you know, enjoying the library. a lot of families for the first time were able to go together as a family to the library to check out books, get a library card, and learn a little bit about the services that we have to offer. so we're super excited that, you know, the first day our launch was very well attended by so many of our community members. damian: you know, i guess the misconception before was that, you know, with the advent of the internet and with more people getting online because of the pandemic that maybe there

was going to be no need for the libraries anymore, but that's not the case. elizabeth: that is not the case. the libraries were essential during the pandemic. we had a lot of community members that didn't have access to technology. they needed connectivity. they came to the libraries looking for answers; looking for services, resources, just, you know, the support from our library staff. they knew that they would be able to get what they needed through the library, and we were able to make that happen and be a huge resource for a lot of our community members during the pandemic with our tech--the tech devices that we started checking out for people or allowed people to borrow, such as wi-fi hotspots and laptops and chromebooks and that sort of thing. so yeah, no, libraries are here to stay for a very, very long time. damian: well, that's good to know. talk about that access, though, because even though a lot of schools loaned their students some of these hotspots over the pandemic, they took them back at the end of the year. and so i guess you saw that there was a need there and

that's why you're now--they can check them out at the libraries. elizabeth: yeah, during the summer, a lot of students, you know, at home they don't have access to educational opportunities throughout the summer days and months. and so basically the library fills that huge gap through our summer learning program and through our literacy programs that we offer, and we also have our tech devices like you mentioned. so, you know, if they have to return those laptops during the summer back to school, then basically they can come to the library. they could check out hotspots--wi-fi hotspots. different places of their household, and so maybe having know, just how they use the internet in their home. so definitely the library is something that, you know, a lot of people come to for just support services, educational opportunities, and just to read a book, so there's

a lot of opportunities there for students as well. damian: and so, elizabeth, what are the hours--the extended hours for the sunday opening? elizabeth: yes, on sundays we're open from 12 to 5 p.m. damian: all right, well, that's a new adventure with the san jose public library system. again, they have sunday service now from 12 to 5. we'll get in to see what the hours are for the other days in our next segment. we also wanna talk about the evolution of the entire library system. but if you want to know which one of these 16 branches are that are open on sundays, there's the web address. they're listed there on that webpage. there's also the number to call for more information. we'll be back and talk more about this new evolution of the san jose public library when we continue on "comunidad del valle." stay with us. ♪♪♪ (vo) a medicare advantage plan should come with all the benefits you want and zero compromises.

with anthem blue cross, it can. just go to anthem.com/answers or call 833-797-4179 for a free one-on-one medicare plan review. ask about our zero dollar monthly premium plans that include dental, vision and hearing coverage along with transportation, a gym membership and zero dollar copay for prescriptions all for zero extra cost. plus, you could be eligible for extra benefits to help you save even more. we have plans with up to twenty-three hundred dollars a year to help you pay for over the counter health items, groceries, and living expenses like cell phone, electric or water bills. all on a single prepaid mastercard you can use at thousands of locations nationwide. call anthem blue cross at 833-797-4179 or visit anthem.com/answers and get a medicare plan with zero compromises for you and your wallet. damian: we're back here on "comunidad del valle" with elizabeth castañeda of the san jose public library system.

and so i would imagine since--i bet you've been there for more than a decade. i would imagine that in that time, elizabeth, that there's been even an evolution of how the library operates and the services you have to offer. talk about the changes that you've gone through in just the library system itself since you arrived. elizabeth: yeah, so basically over the last 20 years, we've expanded to our--the number of buildings that we have in the city. we now have multiple locations throughout, like, different communities and different council districts in the city. so we now have 25 locations. just over the last few years we have now taken on two citywide initiatives: education and digital literacy strategy, and our sj access initiative where we provide people access to technology devices and opportunities to learn how to use them. and so the library isn't necessarily like the place that people would visit back in the days where it was really quiet

and you just go in and read books or, you know, just go ask a question to your librarian. it is now a place that you could still continue to do everything you used to love to do, which is, you know, go and check out materials and spend time in the library; but at the same time now you have homework clubs, you have programming that not only helps children develop a love for reading but they also have programs for adults on how to use a computer, how to understand how to, like, create an email. you have a lot of parents or older folks that may not, you know, feel so comfortable with the technology. they may be a bit intimidated by using it. and so we have, like, tech coaches and mentors that help people through all of that for free, and we also have a lot of online resources too. so not only does the library offer a lot of programming in the building, but we also have opportunities to continue to expand your horizons through our virtual offerings through the library cards.

so with the membership, you can access online tutoring 24/7. so if you have students working on a late night project or homework assignment that they just--you know, they're feeling stuck trying to figure out how to do, they have actual credited teachers or tutors that can help people online in multiple languages. and we also have, you know, e-books and streaming services and other type of opportunities to like maybe learn a new language. so all of this is offered for free for those that are looking to obtain like a--an accredited certificate for--you know, maybe they're looking to obtain a new skill in graphic design or photography. we have courses like that that, you know, are free and available to a lot of folks in the tech industry that--you know, that their companies might provide them access to. people that, you know, don't work in those tech companies could access them through the library. so there's a lot of great opportunities in the library that, you know, most people probably wouldn't know if they don't visit, so we want people to come to the library and

explore the services we have to offer. damian: and, you know, we're looking at images from your grand opening on sundays there and it's just packed in there. when i took journalism classes, they taught us how to do investigative journalism. that involved going into the library in what's called a microfiche, nobody knows what that is anymore, and going into the little index cards and looking up the material. i don't know if that exists anymore, but it's just a-- i'm dating myself here. it's a whole new system there. elizabeth: it does exist, and we have that actually available in our california room in the--of the king library, which is the main library located in downtown san jose. so if anybody's ever looking for old newspaper clippings and that--sort of thing, we do have a lot of resource. and so we have that available. so it still exist. damian: all right, that's good to know for us older folks. and the hours--are you open also on saturdays? what are your hours during the day? i know they open at 1, i guess, while school is in session. elizabeth: yeah, so basically we're open monday through sunday

at 16 of our locations. the other branches are open monday through thursday-- through saturday. i would encourage people to check out our website to figure out what location they want to visit and then also see the schedule there. the hours vary by location. so please, you know, check our website for those details. damian: good. we'll show that information. thank you, elizabeth, for this information. san jose public library is now open on sundays from 12 to 5, and they're getting a packed house at those libraries; 16 locations, 16 branches. let's show that information of, once again, the san jose public library system to find out the hours of your local branch, maybe if they are open on sundays from 12 to 5 and get your chavalitos in there and expand their minds a little more. up next here on "comunidad del valle," día de los muertos, the largest celebration in the bay area. that's next. stay with us.

damian: it's the largest día de los muertos celebration in the bay area, the second largest in the state of california.

we're talking about the fruitvale community in oakland, and with me is caheri gutierrez with the unity council that puts this on every year. caheri, welcome to the show. thanks for being here. caheri gutierrez: thank you so much. i'm so honored to be here, damian, and to really talk about our exciting festival, the día de los muertos. damian: yeah, thank you for putting it on once again. let's talk first of all about the unity council and tell us what services you provide for the community. caheri: yes, well, the unity council is a nonprofit social equity corporation. we've been around oakland for 57 years. we serve families not just in oakland but also in concord and the bay area. our mission is to promote social equity and improve the quality of life by building vibrant communities where everyone can work, learn, and thrive. damian: and it's right in the heart of oakland. nice work that y'all are doing over there in the east bay. well, let's show you the beautiful images. we're talking about día de los muertos. you're bringing it back in its full glory after, you know, a couple of virtual or hybrid years, if you will,

because of the pandemic. caheri: absolutely, you know, we really had to pivot during the pandemic. we know that fruitvale is a very--covid hotspot. and so we decided to focus in the previous years on a more kind of health approach where we did just an intimate gathering, administered vaccines, and talked about health to our communities. and so this year we are getting ready to bring the festival back on full-scale, which we are so excited about. we've been hosting this festival for 27 years. and so we are returning full-scale. we're expecting 100,000 people to show up. it is the biggest festival in the east bay--the biggest día de los muertos festival in the east bay and the second largest festival in the state of california. so we're so excited to bring back all of the cultural aspects, and this year is particularly special because we

are focusing our theme on a very special population. damian: yeah, we'll talk about that in just a bit. but at the same time where we're back to the old traditions with bandas and azteca dancers and whatnot, there's still a health component to it, right? there's still--there's--i mean, we can't ignore it. it's there. it's a big elephant in the room. caheri: absolutely, so there is definitely a health component to our festival this year. again, we are installing a health pavilion within the festival where we will be administering vaccines, giving take-home tests. we will also have a very special healing tent where festival goers and our essential workers will be able to take advantage of these free services, which include acupuncture, reiki, massages, and one-on-one therapy. we're so excited to bring that to our community and really support all of the festival goers as well as our essential

workers, which this year's festival is in honor of them. damian: all right. so let's expand on that. that is your theme, is honoring those essential workers. and, you know, they were somewhat invisible until they became quite visible while we were at home doing this virtual thing. caheri: exactly, you know, our essential workers took care of us during arguably one of the just most unprecedented times in us history, which is the covid-19 pandemic. and so while we were able to be at home working from zoom and, you know, not having to worry about much, our essential workers were leaving their houses, risking their lives every day to make sure that they kept the economy and everything just moving forward. and so we really, really appreciate them. fruitvale is the land of the essential workers. and so we're using this festival to honor them and support them and thank them for all of their work for keeping us safe and for taking care of us. damian: and this isn't a small celebration. you mentioned how many people are going to be showing up;

but this goes for blocks and blocks and blocks, and as well it should. caheri: exactly, this is a celebration-- this year we are going to be holding our festival from 42nd avenue on international all the way to fruitvale. so it's going to be a large footprint. we will be on the international corridor. we will have tons of vendors, hundreds; 30 ofrendas, 30 altares. we will have an installation of several low rider cars, two main stages where you will be able to watch some spectacular performances, and delicious food. i mean, it's just the best of the best in a vibrant community, and we welcome everyone to be there. damian: and, you know, you-- there are--these groups that show up to perform for the audience, they're going to get something in return. i mean, you know, it's a big event and you're trying to do what's good for the community, but you get--they get-- they need to get paid as well. caheri: yeah, that's right, you know, we really appreciate all

of the artists and, you know, all of our cultural leaders that help us put this festival on. the unity council works really hard to secure grant funding to be able to pay them for their time and their talent. and so i mentioned that we're going to have 25 to 30 ofrendas and altares. we are going to be paying each of those artists for those installations and for their beautiful artwork. we also have danzantes, danzantes that are going to be bringing the cultural aspect, danza azteca, into what we do. and danza azteca is more than just a dance. it's a spiritual movement practice. it's a form of prayer and a way to communicate with the spirits of the earth, the sky, and the water on this día de los muertos, so it's a huge part of what we do. it's a huge component, and we're excited to be able to uplift that. damian: yeah, no, i remember we were organizing danzantes aztecas in college and somebody--one of the organizers said, "oh, we can give them 10 minutes." i said, "no, you don't give danzantes 10 minutes.

they need to be ceremonial about it. they take as long as they want." caheri: it's a ceremony, and they take as long as they want; correct. damian: absolutely, well, for more information--this is on october 30th all over the fruitvale community of oakland. there is the website for the unity council for more information. we'll have more on this important celebration when we continue on "comunidad del valle." stay with us. ♪♪♪

damian: and we're back with caheri gutierrez with the unity council here on "comunidad del valle" talking about día de los muertos, and, you know, there might be some people watching, caheri, who aren't used to this tradition who might think, "well, that's a morbid celebration when you're celebrating the dead." but talk about the pre-columbian aspect of this and how this has been--this is a generational celebration that honors our loved passed ones. caheri: yeah, absolutely, well, according to tradition, this celebration dates back 3,000 years ago. so the celebration is essentially the gates of heaven

open at midnight on october 31 and the spirits of children and adults rejoin their family for a brief moment. and so the day of the dead is a mesoamerican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased loved ones for a brief reunion that includes food, drink, and celebration. so for us it's very special. it's an opportunity to reconnect with our loved ones as they are super missed. it's, you know, a beautiful opportunity for us to really put together an ofrenda with their favorite food, their favorite toys, music, flowers. and so it's a very special thing for us that we are also going to be incorporating into the festival. damian: and this is as close as it gets to the celebrations in mexico, right? because they have big parades and sometimes they have celebrations at the actual cemeteries where they have a party in honor of their loved ones, and so this

is kind of as close as it gets. caheri: yeah, this is as close as it gets. i mean, in mexico they go all out. they bring the mariachis and the música to the cemeteries. and so, you know, this is our special way in oakland to be able to celebrate our loved ones. damian: and i saw some of the caricatures there. there's face painting for the kids so that they can have the skeletal look in the actual tradition. caheri: yeah, we're going to have it all, damian, for each member of the family; from kid games to, you know, face paint to performances and live world-class music to delicious food. we're going to have it all for every member of the family, kids all the way to the seniors. damian: and lastly, talk about that big relief to be able to hold this in person again and to have 100,000 people for blocks and blocks on and celebrating día de los muertos. caheri: absolutely, you know, we've been doing this for 27 years, and so every year it just gets bigger and it gets better.

and unfortunately when the pandemic hit, we really had to pivot and create somet i mean, this is literally a festival that community members ask for. and so we created something more intimate during the years of the pandemic. we're still in the pandemic, but this year we feel the need to just return full-scale. we will be holding this festival from 42nd avenue all the way to fruitvale on international. we will still be incorporating a health aspect to the festival. we are going to be installing a health pavilion where folks can get free vaccines, a free take-home covid test. we will also be providing special services for our essential workers such as acupuncture, reiki, one-on-one therapy sessions, and even massages. so we're really excited to return full-scale and also to incorporate our health components into this amazing

and culturally rich festival. damian: all right. we have about 30 seconds left. any final thoughts, caheri, before we let you go? caheri: yeah, we are looking for the entire community to get involved. if you're interested in sponsoring our beautiful festival, please go to diaoakland.com where you can find more information.in , please, again, visit our website diaoakland.com. also follow us on instagram, @the_unity_council. thank you so much. damian: caheri gutierrez with the unity council, thank you for this wonderful celebration you're bringing back to the bay area. caheri: thank you. damian: thank you very much. well, to show you that information, it is on october 30th all over the fruitvale community in oakland. there is the web address for more information. well, if you want to get ahold of us here on "comunidad del valle," you can follow us on instagram. the handle is @newsdamiantrujillo, on twitter is @newsdamian. also, well, we enjoy that you're--communicate

with us that way. please keep doing so so we can put your ideas on the air. and we thank you for sharing a part of your sunday with us on "comunidad del valle." remember that old trio intimo? they wrote the theme song to "comunidad del valle." we play it at the top of every show we have for the last 20 years or so. i'm going to do a little flashback and play a little music by trio intimo, my good friends there, adolfo and albert and everybody else with trio intimo. so here is "noche no te vayas" with trio intimo. we'll see you again here next week. ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ noche no te vayas ♪

♪ quédate con nosotros ♪ ♪ para siempre ♪ ♪ tu que sabes que somos ♪ ♪ dos amantes ♪ ♪ que vivimos dos vidas ♪ ♪ diferentes ♪ ♪ noche no te vayas ♪ ♪ míranos que felices nos sentimos ♪ ♪ en un mundo de amor incomparable ♪ ♪ en un mundo que nunca conocimos ♪ ♪ si la gente la espalda nos da ♪ ♪ por las leyes haber quebrantado ♪ ♪ que nos digan quien quiera juzgar ♪

♪ si en su vida jamás ha pecado ♪ ♪ noche no te vayas ♪ ♪ déjanos en tu manto ♪ ♪ eternizarnos ♪ ♪ preferimos morir ♪ ♪ que separarnos ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ si la gente la espalda nos da ♪ ♪ por las leyes haber quebrantado ♪

♪ que nos digan quien quiera juzgar ♪ ♪ si en su vida jamás ha pecado ♪ ♪ noche no te vayas ♪ ♪ déjanos en tu manto ♪ ♪ eternizarnos ♪ ♪ no queremos vivir el nuevo día ♪ ♪ preferimos morir que separarnos ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ noche no te vayas ♪ ♪ quédate con nosotros ♪♪

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you can receive extra benefits for a zero dollar monthly premium, like dental, vision, hearing and prescription drugs. call 1-866-336-3448 and make sure you're not missing out. . narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. corey: welcome everybody, i'm corey robinson and you're watching "one team: the power of sports" where we look past wins and losses to find champions who are excelling on and off the playing surface. first up, after 50 years of title ix, we look at the impact it had on the sport of golf. linda: they had organized sports and i couldn't figure out how come they didn't have any organized sports for little girls. corey: then, team usa shows off some of the high-tech gadgets that take athletes from the practice field to the podium. man: for some of these guys who are looking to keep up their conditioning, they might go for a couple hours in here.