damian trujillo: hello, and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo, and today, a fiesta at the presidio on your "comunidad del valle." [music] damian: we're joined with a great opportunity for students at liberty high school in brentwood. we're joined by a bunch of folks out there, that part of the bay area. with us is elizabeth cruz gonzalez and officer exiquio zepeda, of brentwood pd, and a bunch of students back there.

folks, welcome to the show. elizabeth cruz gonzalez: thank you. exiquio zepeda: thank you for having us. damian: thank you for being here. now, i saw some of the pictures on instagram. is this the sign for liberty high school? is that what we're doing here? elizabeth: yeah. damian: all right. so we're going to see that in some of the images. but, first, elizabeth, tell us what we're doing with the students there and the opportunity that just came about for them. elizabeth: yeah, so the opportunity actually came about with our school resource officer officer mike wrecker, and he just approached me, he got a chance to, you know, meet my students, i'm their english teacher, and he said, "hey, what if we start--" his intention was a mariachi club, you know, for them to be able to play music. and i thought it was kind of a crazy idea, but i said, "you know what? i'll pitch it to the boys and see what they think." and i did. i asked them, and they were excited and they're like, "sure. let's try it out." and it evolved, you know, from mariachi to what they like to listen to, you know, corridos and, you know, some of the newer stuff.

and, you know, officer wrecker's intention was just like, "let's see if there's interest." and within 2 weeks they were performing in front of their peers at lunch and doing a few mañanitas in there, and it's been pretty incredible. he also asked--we were looking for mentors for the students in both to learn how to play, but then also just, you know, to develop, you know, positive character, and that is where officer wrecker went to his colleague. so i'll let you. how did you get involved here? damian: yeah, i mean, officer zepeda, if i can ask you, if you talk about community policing, this is at its core, right? i mean, this is what we talk about when we talk about community policing. exiquio: absolutely. and that's actually one of my passions in law enforcement, is--i'm sure if you check our social media page at the brentwood police department, you'll see my face in the majority of the posts. and i think it's very important that we bridge the gap between the community and the police department and build those positive encounters. and this was the most perfect opportunity to do so

with the youth. damian: you know, the stereotype, officer zepeda, is that the students, it's summertime, they're going to be out of school, and our teenage boys and, you know, some girls seem to get themselves into trouble. talk about the character of the gentlemen who are behind you. exiquio: so i've only met them since the group started, maybe about a month ago, if that, and i've already seen the manager take a leadership role and holding kids accountable to make sure that they're at practice, to make sure that everybody has a right to get to the gigs. so i'm seeing the leadership skills in the manager and i'm seeing the accountability in the kids themselves. i noticed when i first showed up they were a little intimidated to see a police officer in the classroom, but as we've developed that relationship, they've become more comfortable and they're able to just talk to me and bounce ideas off each other, and i think it's phenomenal. damian: all right, what do you need right now, elizabeth? what kind of resources are still needed to make sure that this isn't just a one-off, that this is a successful program at

brentwood--at liberty high school? elizabeth: yeah, yeah, we would love to see this, you know, continue. so when officer wrecker and i, you know, got together and we talked about what are we going to do with this, one of the first things that we said is whatever donations they get from gigs it's going to go directly back to the boys in the form of a scholarship. i recently attended a conference where i met richard, dr. richard carranza, and he was someone who worked as a superintendent in texas and actually started a mariachi program for students. so when officer wrecker came to me, it was kind of like i already had that idea in the back of my mind. and that's what he did. so anytime that they fundraised, all of the money went back to the students in forms of scholarships. so office wrecker and i agreed on that immediately. any donations that come in, it goes to the boys so that when they graduate they have a nice scholarship waiting for them. in addition to that, we're continuing to build, you know, what we have in instruments.

the community came together in a really beautiful way and we were able to purchase our first accordion, and then with those donations we found a teacher. so we have two of our students who are taking accordion lessons over the summer. we have one doing guitar. so continuing to be able to purchase instruments. we have officer zepeda and his familly. actually we donated a beautiful requinto, and that was our first--our--that's our only requinto. we would love to be able to add to that so that more boys can practice in addition to another accordion, and then eventually we would like to build in some brass. you know, you can't have the grupo norteño sound without a tuba. so those are some of the things that we're looking for, and then also just mentorship. if there are people out there in the community that learn--that know how to play accordion, that know how to play, you know, musica norteña, we would love that mentorship. i don't know anything about music.

i'm just here to help the boys, you know, with english and advise and make sure they have food and water and rides. so anyone out there that is, you know, willing to offer their support with, you know, singing and just helping them arrange, you know, musically, that would be fantastic. damian: aw, that's wonderful to hear and it's great that this opportunity has risen for the students there. we're going to talk to some of them in our next segment. but if you'd like more information, if you think you can help with vocal skills or donating an instrument, there is the website for liberty high school for more information, and this is their instagram page. log on and see what they're all about. we'll be back and talk to some of the students here on "comunidad del valle." stay with us.

damian: we're back here on "comunidad del valle" with the students, teacher, and officer over at liberty high school in brentwood. with us is roberto zamora trujillo. you're not a distant primo. are you, robert? roberto zamora trujillo: yes, i am robert. mucho gusto. damian: mucho gusto. thank you for being on the show.

tell us what this program, robert, has done for you and your classmates behind you. roberto: pues yo en el grupo-- ser el manager, me gusta poder ayudar a mis compañeros en su práctica. me gusta apoyarlos como--quería inspirarlos a que hagan sus cosas. también me gusta tomarles sus videos para poder subirlos a redes sociales y tengan apoyo. me gusta--no sé, a veces como decirles que se vistan sus días que van a tener eventos. son muchas cosas las que me toca a mí hacer como liderar el grupo. no sé, son muchas cosas-- damian: yeah, robert is the band leader and the manager of the group and he keeps them in order and he's pretty happy that they're a part of this. but what has this done in twofold, elizabeth, the

relationship between the youth there in brentwood, especially at liberty high school, and law enforcement? because we know how there's separation of those relationships across the country. what has that done for the local students? elizabeth: yeah, it's been great. you know, our students, i know them, again, being their english teacher, and they're--they weren't the kind of kids who were getting themselves into trouble in the first place, but as you can imagine, you know, when you live in a different country and you see what the relationship like is there with law enforcement and you come here, they know that it's different and in a positive way. so they knew officer wrecker. you know, he would come into class and say hi, and he's very present on campus. so once i told them that it was, you know, his idea, they were pretty excited and they were, i guess i would almost even say, flattered that he took interest and they felt special, and then,

you know, they immediately dubbed him el padrino. so he's padrino wrecker now. he's nino wrecker, which, you know, is definitely a sign of respect. and then he brought in officer zepeda. and, you know, they were excited. and he picked up a guitar and he started playing with them, and it was just really beautiful to see. so it definitely disarmed them, but they understand that they're here to support them and they're here to help them and to be positive mentors. and, you know, officer zepeda and his wife, they're now tío and tía. so the family is growing. and i think that's a really beautiful thing that they understand that it's a positive relationship, that they're here to help us, that they're here to support us. i mean, how many kids can say that they started grupo norteño and a police officer plays with them as well? i mean, that's pretty awesome. damian: isn't that something? roberto, is there a special group or a band that you want to emulate? hay un grupo que quisieras emular, una persona,

algún artista--chalino, o quién es la preferencia? roberto: hay muchas, no soy, casi no escuchamos mucho antes canciones, hay muchos estilos variantes. pero casi lo que más escuchaba eran corridos. lo que escuché un poco fueron canciones de chalino. sí, me agradan las canciones de chalino. y yo digo que es un buen cantante. damian: it's chalino sánchez, one of his favorite performers, who's passed away, but still is in the hearts of many people who like the banda in norteño music. this has come a long way, right? does it give hope, elizabeth, for some students who might feel like high school isn't for them or whatever is happening around them isn't for them? does this kind of give them an avenue to seek a different kind of opportunity in high school? elizabeth: yeah, i would say so. and, you know, i wanted to--i know from my perspective the change that i've seen in them, you know, having them in english

class and seeing them every day, but i didn't--my concern was that i would speak for them. so i remember one day having a conversation specifically with oswaldo and asking him like, "you know, what has this done? this is what i think it's done, but confirm it for me." and he did. and we had that conversation that, you know, a lot of the students in our eld program, they're newcomers. so they've been in the country for, i don't know, you know, anywhere from like brand new arrive to these guys about 2, 3 years. and it's not that they're excluded from things on campus, but you can imagine that when you're a teenager and you're living in a new country and you want to go and be involved in something, you don't immediately feel welcome. you feel intimidated because you--your ability to speak english, you know, isn't all that. it's not fully proficient. so they--whereas before they maybe felt a little bit invisible on campus, there wasn't a place for them, this

has become the place for them. my classroom is never silent lunchtime, before school, passing periods. like, they're always in there and they're picking up. i mean, sometimes i have to, like, you know, like, shoo them out. like, "okay, it's time to go to class." after school it has become a spot where students that i've never met before come in. sometimes they just watch them. sometimes they join in and sing. it's been a really beautiful thing to see them have a space that is now. and within 2 weeks they had asked us--one of the activity directors at school said, "hey, it's--" you know, it was the end of the school year. it's senior week. they usually play music out on what they call senior stage. and she said, "what if the boys go out and play?" and i asked them, and they looked at me like i was crazy. they were like, "no way. like, we're not ready." and in the morning the answer was no, but then they went and they'd sing the mañanitas for an assistant principal at a middle

school, you know, down the street, and they were so hyped up that i thought, "okay, this is the right time. let me ask them again." and i said, "hey, do you guys want to perform at lunch?" and they were like, "yeah." but i don't know that they fully connected it was going to be in front of their peers and the entire student body. damian: yeah. but, you know, i think marching bands across every high school better watch out because these boys are onto something. well, we do want to help them out though. hopefully if folks out there, again, have some information, some instruments, or some vocal skills they'd like to donate-- we're going to show you the website for liberty high school and see if we can help the boys out, again, and also their instagram page. you can follow them there at that site on the screen. this is their liberty high school student grupo de banda. we'll have the name for them pretty soon. thank you all so much for joining us and good luck. and up next here on "comunidad del valle," the fiesta at the presidio. so stay with us.

damian: lots happening at the presidio of san francisco. with us on "comunidad del valle" is marco gonzález with the presidio trust, joins us on the show. marco, welcome to "comunidad del valle." marco gonzález: thank you. thank you for having me here to talk about the wonderful activities this summer at the presidio. thank you. damian: yeah, tell us about the trust. first, what's a presidio trust? marco: well, you know, the presidio is a free national park at the foot of the golden gate bridge. it is open and welcoming to all to enjoy family gatherings, walks in nature, views of the golden gate, amazing views of the golden gate, outdoor recreation, and summer events. so it's part of the national park system. it's a free public space and it's welcoming to everyone, to all communities of all colors, all languages. so, you know, we really welcome everyone and we want everyone to come this summer to enjoy some of the wonderful activities you can do. there's hiking, there's walking trails, you could rent bikes,

bring your own bikes and explore the park, but more than anything, these are, like, first class views of, like, the golden gate and the bay area. so for a lot of people that have never been, we hope that they come and enjoy the park this summer. damian: well, why wouldn't anybody not want to have their wedding there or something big like that? i mean, the views are spectacular. everywhere you turn you're looking at something that's amazing. marco: yes. there's actually events spaces there as well for people to have quinceañeras and weddings or, you know, anniversaries, big--you know, big life events. there's definitely so much to do. and i think, you know, like you said, the views are so spectacular. people from around the world that plan their trips to san francisco or the bay area, like, they come for the presidio, right? it's like going to paris and going to the eiffel tower or to the pyramids in egypt or mexico. the presidio is that for the bay area. so, you know, why not enjoy it? it's in your backyard. it's right here.

so come on down and enjoy. you don't have to hop on a plane. you could hop on the muni bus, you can hop on a shuttle and just come and enjoy the park because it really is accessible to everyone in the bay area. damian: it's amazing. again, the views are just spectacular. this is our eiffel tower, you were saying, right? marco: yes, absolutely. this is like one of those hidden gems, and, again, not so hidden, right? but, you know, if you want to get the best views of the golden gate, if you have family or visitors coming to visit you from out of town, this is a place to be. like, this is the hot spot. this is where everyone who doesn't live here in san francisco or in the bay area they want to come. so you have it right here at your disposal. bring your family. bring your friends. you know, if you're in a running club or a hiking club, this is your park. this is so much better than any other place, and one of the best things about it is that it's completely free. damian: and you have--for the summer there's a lot of

activities for folks. the second sunday of every summer there's something going on. marco: yes. yes. it's called the presidio second sundays and it's a series that basically celebrates, you know, just all communities. so it's a lot of multicultural programming, that, you know, we partner with community, some of our community partners, and we bring to life these amazing events. and on july 9th, for instance, we're having fiesta en el parque with, you know, telemundo, nbc. we're hosting this wonderful event. there's going to be banda music. there's going to be, you know, dj, some dancing, aztec dancers as well, zumba classes. so yes, second sundays of every month there's always activities happening. the july 9th event will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. so, you know, this is kind of a way of bringing community together from all walks of life, from different backgrounds. and, you know, we're excited to partner with telemundo and nbc for this, you know, fiesta en el parque event.

so we hope that everyone comes and joins us on july 9th from 1 to 5 p.m. and throughout the summer, please come. second sundays afternoons, amazing stuff happening at the park. damian: all right. well, we're going to show you some information so you can log on and find out more about what's happening on the second sunday of every month here at the presidio. for more information, there is the website for the presidio of san francisco. boy, i'm just in awe over the spectacular views. we'll be back and talk more about this fiesta en el parque here on "comunidad del valle." so stay with us. [music]

damian: we're back on "comunidad del valle" with marco gonzález of the presidio trust. and so july 9th is a day to pull out your chanclas and throw some chanclasos out there at the presidio, huh? marco: absolutely, man. and if you like the music, if you like to dance, this is the event to be at. so from 1 to 5 p.m. july 9th fiesta en el parque, aztec dancers. there's going to be a zumba class so you

could get a workout in. so there's no excuse to not be physically fit. and there's going to be a latin--lots of latin music with a dj. so definitely, this is a place to be. damian: i know how the city gets when it comes to parking. what do you recommend? is there a parking near the presidio or is muni the preferred mode? marco: you know, i think muni is the easiest route. it leaves you right at the park, right? but if you want to drive and you have stuff to carry, there's parking. i was just there the other day and i parked the whole day, and it was great. it was easy. it's right there on the park. so. you know, but muni obviously it's a good way to go as well. so whatever you prefer, the park is accessible either way. damian: do you need a scooter or some skates maybe? it looks like it's such a big place to be able to see everything. marco: yes. yes. i mean, look, we encourage people to bring their-- you know, their bikes. and, you know, if they want to walk and hike, definitely this is how to do it. there's a lot of, you know, paths that you can enjoy to see

those wonderful views of the bay and the golden gate. so, you know, we definitely encourage that, for people to come and be physically active at the park. why not? damian: all right. any final thoughts, marco, before we let you go to your "comunidad del valle?" marco: yes. look, it's the--july 17th marks the 1 year anniversary of the presidio tunnel tops. it's 14 acres of new parkland built over the highway tunnels, and this is where a lot of these activities happen. we're--you know, on august 13th we're launching a new art installation, you know, with a native american artist, which is going to be amazing. her name is felicia gabaldon. she's from new mexico, resides here in oakland. and, you know, again, we welcome the community to come to that, september 10th. there's park by world arts west, and it's an ethnic dance festival. so, again, you know, this is open to everyone for all the community to come and enjoy. and we also have ongoing park ranger talks, you know,

every day at 4 p.m. at the campfire circle. so, you know, whether you want to come for a picnic or come enjoy one of the restaurants, you know, at the park, please. you know, bring your own food, your own music, your family, your friends and come and enjoy this summer all the offerings, the pop-up trucks, you know, the food trucks, which represent the rich culinary diversity of the bay area. so if you like filipino food, mexican food, you know, italian food, the pop-up trucks are there every day, 7 days a week from 9 to 5 p.m. so that's another great way of enjoying good food that represents our, you know, multicultural composition here in the bay area. so come on down. damian: all right. yeah, marco, thank you so much for all the information. i can't wait. we'll see you on july 9th. marco: absolutely. thank you. damian: all right. thank you so much for being on the show. and, again, to show you that information, the website for the presidio of san francisco. it's--july 9th is a day that fiesta en el parque is taking place.

and there is the site for more information. well, if you want to get a hold of us on "comunidad del valle," you can follow me on instagram. my handle is at newsdamiantrujillo. on twitter it's at newsdamian. now, we thank you for sharing a part of your sunday with us. we're going to leave you with a little bit of old chicano tejano music. these are los amigos with a little remake on "juan charrasqueado." they had their own version. so here it is. we'll see you next week. [music] [music] ♪ esta es la historia de un pachuco ♪ ♪ muy al alba ♪ ♪ lo que ha pasado en la main en -- ♪ ♪ esta es la historia de un pachuco muy locote ♪ ♪ mujeriego, busca ruido y hechador ♪

♪ juan se llamaba pero le decían el johnny ♪ ♪ pero al -- muy engreido en el amor ♪ ♪ a las pachucas más greñudas se llevaba ♪ ♪ allá en mcallen no dejaba ni una flor ♪ ♪ hay un domingo que andaba muy taralailo ♪ ♪ a la cantina le corrieron a chismear ♪ ♪ cuidate johnny que por hay te andan watcheando ♪ ♪ son muchos cholos no te van a filorear ♪ ♪ no tuvo tiempo de montar en su carrocha ♪

♪ entre paisas se lo echaron de a montón ♪ ♪ ando muy alto les gritaba y no me agüito ♪ ♪ cuando un filero atravesó su corazón ♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪ ya las cantinas de la main están cerradas ♪ ♪ todos los cholos se dedican a rezar ♪ ♪ y por las calles las pachucas van pasando ♪ ♪ al ver al johnny que lo van a-- ♪

♪♪♪ ♪ esta es la historia de un pachuco muy al alba ♪

. narrator: when you see this symbol, you know you're watching television that is educational and informational. the more you know on nbc. dylan: oh, ha ha, i'm dylan dreyer here at brookfield zoo and you're watching "earth odyssey." today, we're cruising the ocean floor for a look at some truly curious crustaceans like this colorful character that's not as delicate as it sounds. and a super small species with a big-time impact.