THE VALLEJO WEEKLY VOLUME 8, ISSUE 28 | OCTOBER 15, 2020
MAYOR’S MESSAGE Dear Vallejo, This week I have heard from many residents that their understanding of Operation P.E.A.C.E. is vague, so I wanted to share some more detailed information with you about this phenomenal program that Chief Williams has implemented. As many of you know, Chief Williams introduced Operation P.E.A.C.E. back in August as a direct response to an increase in violent crime and shootings plaguing our City. Operation P.E.A.C.E. focuses on four areas: redeployment, partnerships, technology, and community engagement. As part of this plan, VPD has leveraged its existing resources to re-assign officers to its Patrol Division with local, state, and federal partners to provide added agency support. As part of the operation's technology component, the PD and the City have installed new Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). These ALPRs help our PD to gather evidence to help solve property crimes, recover stolen vehicles, and provide hotlist alerts for wanted persons.
The largest, and quite frankly, one of my favorite parts of the operation is the engagement portion. Operation P.E.A.C.E. calls for the department to strengthen partnerships by participating in a series of community listening sessions, meetings and human-to-human dialogues with our residents and business owners while offering families impacted by violence in our City.
community community opening up support to
Since the PD launched the operation six weeks ago, Vallejo has seen a 37% decrease in property crimes and a 56% decrease in violent crimes. Last month, our officers seized 37 firearms, 20 of which were recovered by Operation P.E.A.C.E. That is a win for us all! Something exciting I want to mention is Operation P.E.A.C.E.'s first-ever Virtual Community Day. The event is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, 2020, from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm and will be hosted online. You can register for the event here. I would encourage you all to stay up to date on the happenings with the VPD and Operation P.E.A.C.E. by following the VPD on their social media accounts and visiting their website at VallejoPD.com.
MAYOR’S MESSAGE
Lastly, I want to thank all my fellow Vallejoans for coming together in this difficult time because we can't do it without you, and together we are VALLEJO! To read the Operation P.E.A.C.E. Press Release, visit: https:// conta.cc/3gxPdIC Sincerely,
Your Mayor, Bob Sampayan
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The City of Vallejo is pleased to offer the following employment opportunities:
- Police Cadet - Police Officer (Entry - Academy Graduate) - Police Officer (Lateral) - Police Officer (Recruit)
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PERSONNEL
Visit governmentjobs.com/careers/vallejo for more information and to apply.
OCTOBER 15, 2020
VALLEJO FIREFIGHTERS RETURN HOME FROM GLASS FIRE Vallejo Brush Engine 327 and five Vallejo firefighters returned home safely from the Glass Fire on October 8, after an eleven day deployment.
DEPARTMENTS IN ACTION
The team’s assignments varied from structure protection, to tactical firing operations to improve containment lines. To date, the fire has burned over 67,000 acres between Napa & Sonoma counties. Containment has surpassed ninety percent. The 2020 California fire season has scorched over four million acres, the most destructive fire season since Cal Fire began officially recording statewide fire statistics in 1933. Residents can do their part in preventing wildfires by following tips found on the Vallejo Fire Department Prevention Page.
WILDLAND SAFETY Throughout California, wildfires will continue to be fueled by a build-up of seasonal dry vegetation driven by extreme dry conditions and local strong winds, making brush fuels extremely dangerous and challenging for firefighters. The Vallejo Fire Department stands ready to quickly respond and contain wildfires, but we can't do this without your cooperation. The "Ready! Set! Go!" brochure is intended to provide valuable information on being prepared in the event of an immediate evacuation order due to an emergency like a brush fire. The "Defensible Space" brochure provides critical information on proper protecting your family and property associated with the threat of wildland fires. Both brochures can be downloaded and referred to for pre-planning and preparation. Please take the time to learn how to create and maintain a defensible space around your property and how to harden your home against flying embers. You play the most important role in protecting your family and home in the event of wildland fires evacuations and other significant emergencies. Prepare yourself by taking the necessary steps to give you, your family, and property the best chance of surviving a devastating wildfire.
For additional information, please visit the Fire Department's website. VOLUME 8, ISSUE 28
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SUBSCRIBE TO ALERT SOLANO EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS In order to receive important messages during emergencies, the City of Vallejo urges local residents who live, work, play, or travel through Solano County to sign up for its emergency alert system. Alert Solano efficiently delivers messages and information during incidents and emergencies as they occur via email, cell phone, and/or text messaging. To register, click here.
PSPS PREPARATION Are you prepared for a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS)? Visit pge.com/pspsupdates, and learn what you can do today, to prepare for a future PSPS outage. Subscribe to alerts, lookup your address, view an outage map, apply for the PG&E Medical Baseline Program if you depend on power for a medical necessity, and more.
COMMUNITY
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OCTOBER 15, 2020
COMMUNITY
RIDE FREE ON ELECTION DAY Solano County Transit (SolTrans) will offer free rides on all Local and Paratransit services on Election Day, November 3. It is their commitment to offer free rides this election day to allow the community access to the polls. Reservations are required for Paratransit service, please follow normal protocol to book a Paratransit trip on November 3. “All Rides are free November 3rd, whether it’s to the polls, work, or the store. But we hope our riders will vote, too. This year, no matter how you choose to cast your vote, access to transportation should not be a barrier. We are happy to provide passengers safe transportation to and from the polls.” Said Mandi Renshaw, SolTrans Public information Officer. To find your Solano County polling place and check your voter status, click here. For help planning your trip, call Solano Mobility at 800-535-6883 and be ready to provide the starting address and the address of the polling place you will be traveling to. Customers can also plan a trip with SolTrans’ trip planner, available on the home page of SolTrans.org.
COVID19 TESTING Help protect yourself and the people around you by getting tested for COVID-19. Public health officials globally are working together to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Expanding access to reliable screening is critical to containment efforts. For more information about getting tested, visit the following sites: Project Baseline, CVS Pharmacy, OptumServe. For updated information on COVID-19, NorthBay Healthcare holds weekly Facebook Lives, Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. During Live Chat general questions will be answered from the public by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Seth Kaufman. To visit NorthBay Healthcare on Facebook, click here.
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RENTERS CAN APPLY FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE The FEMA Individuals and Housing Program is available to all eligible renters and homeowners in the counties of Butte, Lake, Monterey, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo, which are covered in the August 22, Federal Disaster Declaration. Federal monetary awards may help pay for temporary housing and other needs not covered by insurance. The initial rental award is for two months and may be reviewed for further assistance. Renters may also qualify for an award under FEMA’s Other Needs Assistance Program for essential personal property and other disaster-related expenses. These may include replacement or repair of necessary personal property, such as furniture, appliances, clothing, textbooks or school supplies; replacement or repair of tools and other job-related equipment; vehicle repair; and medical/dental bills.
Anyone can register with FEMA:
Online, by visiting disasterassistance.gov By downloading the FEMA app to a smartphone or tablet By calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585)
To register online at disasterassistance.gov click the blue Apply Online button at the bottom of the page, then review the disaster survivor application checklist and complete an application to learn if you are eligible to receive disaster assistance. To read the full article, click here.
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OCTOBER 15, 2020
VALLEJO NEWS
The registration process includes your providing a phone number so FEMA can contact you and set up a virtual home inspection. If you use a relay service such as a videophone, Innocaption or CapTel, you should provide FEMA your specific number assigned to that service.
TOURO STUDENTS HELP KEEP VALLEJO UNIFIED UP-TO-DATE WITH TDAP Despite students doing coursework from home, they are still required to meet statewide vaccination mandates before continuing through the school year. With that deadline approaching, Vallejo Unified School District and Touro University California partnered Monday through Wednesday last week to ensure as many students who still needed the mandatory TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) vaccine could get it for free, and as conveniently as possible.
VALLEJO NEWS
Students from various healthcare programs at Touro University administered the vaccine to dozens of students over the course of the drive thru event, which allowed students and parents to drive up, check in and get the vaccine in a matter of minutes. The vaccine event serves the community service portion of the school’s mission, said Dr. Sarah Sweitzer, Touro’s Chief Academic Officer and Provost, but more importantly, it ensured all of the students who needed the vaccine had access to it. “Even if we didn’t have COVID happening, this is still something we’d be out here doing because of course we want to help the community,” Landel said. Student doctor Tiffany Zai said the event was a nice opportunity to simply get away from her computer screen and get outside in the sun. “It’s really nice for the school (Touro) to connect with the community,” Grace Landel, Director of Physician Assistant Program and Assistant Dean of CEHS, said. Desiray Rush, a student pharmacist, echoed Zai’s sentiments, saying it was enjoyable to be able to provide a service to a group of people who really benefitted from it.
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MR. HAT PRESENTS CRUISE-IN CONCERTS AT THE SOLANO COUNTY FARIGROUNDS Mr. Hat Presents Cruise-In Concerts at the Solano County Fairgrounds. Upcoming acts include the legendary Los Lobos, with special guests The Doobie Decibel System; visuals by The Mad Alchemy Liquid Lightshow on October 30 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. For more information about this event or to purchase tickets, click here. Click here for this event's Facebook event page.
Cruise-In concerts utilize an array of safety measures to achieve zero transmissions. All attendees must wear a mask and socially distance from other groups when outside their vehicles, and each vehicle and its occupants (up to 5 adults, each must have a seat belt in the vehicle) are assigned a 15x20' area in which you can park and dance or hang out on the driver's side. Restroom attendants will limit crowding and disinfect surfaces every half hour. There will be a high-quality FM broadcast so you can listen inside your vehicle. Food and beverages will be ordered via phone (full bar and two food trucks with vegan options). PAGE 9
OCTOBER 15, 2020
VALLEJO NEWS
On the following day, Mr. Hat Presents a very special Halloween Cruise-In Concert featuring The Mother Hips, with The Mad Alchemy Liquid Lightshow. The show will be hosted on October 31 from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.. For more information about this event or to purchase tickets, click here Click here for this event's Facebook event page.
THE VALLEJO SMALL BUSINESS MICROGRANT APPLICATION PERIOD IS OPEN! The Vallejo Economic Development Department in partnership with Solano SBDC and the Workforce Development Board have launched a Vallejo Small Business Micro-Grant program to provide financial assistance to (small) businesses who have been financially impacted by COVID-19. Applications will be accepted from October 14th through October 28th (Online and Paper applications are available). Some criteria for qualifying for the grant include:
Business Size Business Type Location (must be located in Vallejo) Ownership Type
For more details on the eligibility requirements, click here. Funding Limits
VALLEJO NEWS
Grant funds will be distributed in three categories: 1. Micro businesses with 5 or fewer full-time employees are eligible for up to $5,000; 2. Businesses with 6-10 full-time employees are eligible for up to $7,500; and 20 full-time employees are eligible for up to $10,000. 3. Businesses with 11-25
Grant funds may be used to pay for lease/rent payments, payroll, utilities, business supplies (including PPE), expenses to comply with CV19 business opening guidelines, equipment purchases that expand operations, or investments in software or technology that allows for a shift to online operations. Other expenses may be eligible as reviewed on a case by case basis. More information and to apply, click here.
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VALLEJO NEWS
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OCTOBER 15, 2020
VALLEJO NEWS
FALL-TOBER WITH GVRD GVRD will host events in October to celebrate Halloween. For more information about these events, contact (707)648-5267 or visit GVRD.org. Family Pumpkin Carving Contest Receive a free pumpkin carving kit from GVRD and enter into their carving contest by pre-registering for one. The kit will include one large pumpkin, carving kit, activities and pumpkin contest rules. Carve, paint, embellish, or decorate your pumpkin with the whole family. To enter into the contest, post a photo on Facebook or Instagram using GVRD’s hashtag #GVRDBOO20. There is a limit to one entry per family and winners will be announced on November 2. Pick-ups can be scheduled between October 26 to October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 395 Amador Street. Deliveries can be scheduled for October 28 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in Vallejo only. Boo! Drive & Dash GVRD invites the community to enjoy Halloween festivities on October 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 395 Amador Street. Dress the kids up and bring them by to see the spooky Halloween decorations and lights, as well as local community organizations. At the end of the parade of lights, each child will receive a boo box of treats to enjoy, while supplies last. To enter the costume contest, post a photo through Facebook or Instagram using hashtag #GVRDBOO20, winners will be contacted November 2. Virtual Pup’kin Patch GVRD will host their second annual pup’kin patch pooch parade and costume contest through Zoom on October 31 at 10:00 a.m. (Please note the zoom call will be recorded to share on their Facebook page) Each participant will have 2 minutes to show off their pet to the rest of the participants and share a bit about them. Winners will be announced on November 2. Registration is required before 3:00 p.m. on October 30. Send an email of the pet in costume with your name and pet’s name to cstephan@gvrd.org. Entry is $5 per family and zoom link will be emailed. Subscribe to the Vallejo Weekly, and other City communications, here. View previous issues of the Vallejo Weekly, here. Submit your positive community story or event for consideration in the Vallejo News section, here.
CITY OF VALLEJO | 555 SANTA CLARA STREET | VALLEJO, CA | 94590 CITYOFVALLEJO.NET | VALLEJONEWS@CITYOFVALLEJO.NET