VALLEJO WEEKLY 33Issue|10Volume 202218,August
DEVEOLPMENTECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTBUSINESS WeeklyVallejo2
Napa Natural Dog Co. Owner, Gina Grant
A SHINING STAR HAS LANDED IN DOWNTOWN VALLEJO
“Above all, we educate owners on how to care for their dogs,” Gina said. Her honest approach is what keeps her clients loyal. “I try to be as transparent as possible and manage expectations.”
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Napa Natural Dog Co. located at 508 Sacramento Street is a dog owners’ dream.
Gina was also mindful when choosing where to open her new location. She chose downtown to give her clients something to do while their dogs were being groomed.
“After dropping off their pets, my clients will eat lunch at Provisions, or walk around Bringingdowntown.”out of town business to Vallejo is vital to our community. Gina hires local, most of her six employees are Vallejo
The owner, Gina Grant, a long-time Vallejo resident, began her journey as a groomer in high school. It wasn’t until she was in college, studying wildlife biology, that she realized her high school job could become a lucrative career. With clients driving hours, or even flying in, for her grooming services, Gina knew she was outgrowing her homebased business. She originally began Napa Natural Dog Co. in downtown Napa. After losing her one-year lease, she found a new home in downtown Vallejo. As fate would have it, she signed her lease in March of 2020, just as the Covid shut down began. The location, formerly home to an art gallery, still needed renovations. Thanks to an understanding landlord, Gina was able create a makeshift space in a former restaurant kitchen until the remodel was complete. In the midst of the pandemic, Napa Natural Dog Co doubled its business after moving to Vallejo. Mainly due to Gina’s exceptional skills and professionalism. As the groomer for an Instagram famous shih tzu @dailydougie; Gina attracts clientele from around the country. The pet care industry has grown exponentially over the last decade, with pets have becoming such an integral part of families. Gina recognizes the need for quality pet care while being considerate of the lifestyle and budget of her clientele.
residents. She even held a fundraiser to put one of her employees through grooming Inschool.addition to grooming, Napa Natural Dog Co. also has a line of natural, raw dog food, as well as array of, organic, vegan, and natural products for your dog. Gina says they’ve had nothing but positive feedback from the community. “People are always coming in, saying we’re so glad you’re here!” We agree, Vallejo is lucky to have Napa Natural Dog Co. Napa Natural Dog Co. is starting a loyalty program for retail shoppers. They also run holiday promotions and host events, like pet Visitportraits.NapaNatural Dog Co. for treats, clothes, leashes, or other dog needs Tuesday – Saturday 9am-5pm Follow Napa Natural Dog on Instagram: @napanatural.dogco or Facebook: @ Visitnapanaturaldogcompanytheirwebsiteformore information. Thisnapanaturaldogco.netarticleisbroughtto you by the Economic Vitality Commission (EVC) To learn more about the EVC, visit MyVallejo. #GrowVallejocom/EVC WeeklyVallejo4
FACEBOOK | (Set us to your favorites so you never miss a post!) • The City of Vallejo • Vallejo Police Department • Vallejo Fire Department • Vallejo Water Department TIKTOK | @cityofvallejo INSTAGRAM | instagram.com/ cityofvallejo VALLEJO WEEKLY | vallejoweekly.com Read our free, digital, weekly newsletter and stay in the know! SUBSCRIBE | cityofvallejo.net/subscribe Get our weekly newsletter, city council agendas, important updates and information, press releases and more delivered right to your inbox. EMERGENCY ALERTS | alertsolano.com Get real-time alerts about missing persons, severe weather, evacuations, and more. MYVALLEJO | myvallejo.com Stay up to date on current projects, provide feedback, and more. Get connected VallejoGet connected VallejoGet connected Vallejo WeeklyVallejo5
THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WELCOMES YOU BACK! Doors open 8/22/22 The City of Vallejo is excited to announce that on August 22, 2022, the Vallejo Housing Authority (VHA) will reopen its doors to the public! Lobby operating hours are 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday. The following are the two (2) types of services that will be made available at the VHA lobby: 1. SELF-SERVICE KIOSKS. These newly installed self-service kiosks can assist you with a variety of services, such as: • Submitting completed VHA forms or documentation. • Scan and instantly deliver documents to staff, including providing you with an email receipt. Access your waitlist status at the automated kiosk. 2. DROP-IN SERVICE. This is for program participants who need a quick in-person consultation with their assigned Housing Specialist during the allotted time as indicated below. If your inquiry requires more than 10 minutes, you will be given an Forappointment.generalinquiries, please email Housing@ cityofvallejo.net or call (707) 648-4507 and leave your name, contact number, and detailed Lookingmessage.for your housing specialist or a VHA directory? Click here!WeeklyVallejo6
Park it Market Learn current healthcare information and shop the Food is Free Park-It Market at La Clinica FreshVallejo.produce and groceries provided! August markets will be held on Monday, August 8 from 12-2 p.m. and on Thursday, August 25, from 2-4 p.m. at La Clinica Vallejo, 415 Georgia ForStreet.additional information please visit fifbayarea.org.WeeklyVallejo8
Blood Drive On August 11, the City of Vallejo partnered with the Red Cross for a blood drive and we had 28 donors Togetherregister!wecollected 26 units of blood and had 12 first-time donors. Amazing job! Those 26 donations can potentially help save up to 84 Thanklives. you to our employees and community members who donated! The City will be co-hosting another blood drive with the Red Cross on December 14 – stay tuned for registration information! WeeklyVallejo9
Vallejo Saturday Farmers Market City staff from across our departments will be at the Vallejo Downtown Farmer’s Market on the last Saturday of each month! Come say hello, ask questions, grab some swag, and get to know our team, all while supporting local vendors! We’ll be at the corner of Georgia and Marin Streets, in front of Brickmania, at 350 Georgia Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following Saturdays:
• *Saturday, November 19 (third Saturday due to Thanksgiving): City Manager’s Office, Planning and Development Services (including the City’s General Plan Element consultants, (Schedule/staffingPlaceworks)subjectto change) To learn more about the Vallejo Farmer’s Market, visit pcfma.org/vallejo.
• Saturday, September 24: City Manager’s Office, City Attorney’s Office
• Saturday, August 27: Economic Development
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• Saturday, October 29: City Attorney’s Office, Water, Public Works, Information Technology
Featured Recruitment: Housing and ManagerDevelopmentCommunityProgram This position will manage and participate in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for programs including the Vallejo Housing Authority, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP), HOME Program, housing redevelopment, and residential loan programs. For more information and to apply, click here! 11WeeklyVallejo
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The
The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
Way to go Finance Team! Vallejo
City of Vallejo gfoa award Government Finance Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial to City of Vallejo for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021. The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, which includes demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the report.
Officers
California For its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report For the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2021 Executive Director/CEO 13WeeklyVallejo
finance department receives
Government Finance Officers Association Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting Presented to City of
Reporting
July Crime Stats Our July monthly crime stats are in. During the month of July, we received: • 13,983 incoming phone calls • 4,454 calls for service • 449 officer-initiated incidents and made, • 69 felony arrests • 73 misdemeanor arrests • 137 traffic stops You can view all of the month's stats in more detail on hte next page. Pictured Above: K9 Officer Jones and K9 Groot14WeeklyVallejo
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Each summer, our Vallejo Firefighters work alongside their neighboring counterparts to raise charitable funds for the Solano Napa Firefighters Foundation. This past weekend, Vallejo firefighters joined in the fun at the Benicia Peddlers Fair by operating a charity beer booth alongside firefighters from Benicia, Fairfield, Suisun and American
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Vallejo Firefighters Team Up to Raise Funds for Charity
Right here in Vallejo, the Solano Napa Firefighters Foundation has helped families stricken by an emergency by replacing toys, providing gift cards to local grocery stores, sponsoring young aspiring firefighters and Vallejomore. Firefighters will be raising charitable funds again during the Vallejo Waterfront Weekend, scheduled for October 1 and 2. For more information on the upcoming Vallejo Waterfront Weekend, please click here.
TheCanyon.Solano Napa Firefighters Foundation was established by our local firefighters in 2013 as a tool that would allow first responders to assist families in need. Often our firefighters encounter our friends and neighbors during emergency incidents. This firefighter ran charitable organization expedites how quickly financial assistance can be provided to families here in Vallejo and across Solano and Napa counties.
And while this trend is spiking, it is only part of an increased number of scam reports seen by PG&E during 2022. Year to date, PG&E has received more than 7,200 reports from customers who were targeted by
“Scammers are constantly changing their tactics to target unsuspecting victims, and this latest scam campaign is another example of that. Please remember, if you receive a call from someone claiming to represent PG&E who is threatening disconnection if you do not make immediate payment, just hang up and call PG&E at 1-833500-SCAM or log into your PGE.com account to confirm your account details and balance. PG&E will never ask for you for your financial information over the phone or via email nor will we request payment via pre-paid debit cards or other payment services like Zelle,” said Aaron Johnson, PG&E Bay Area regional vice president.
forshouldservicecardviarequestingtoCallerstolostPG&Eentirereportsjustwhenincreasemarkingtheimpersonatingscammerscompany,adramaticover2021therewereover11,000fortheyear.In2021,customersover$600,000scammers.claimingrepresentPG&Epaymentapre-paiddebitorpaymentlikeZellebearedflagcustomers.
utility meter needs to be replaced and that immediate payment of a deposit is required to avoid disconnection.
Scammers are opportunistic and look for times when customers may be distracted or stressed, as has been the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, scammers have increased calls, texts, emails and in-person tactics, and they are constantly contacting utility customers asking for immediate payment to avoid service disconnection. As a reminder, PG&E will never send a single notification to a customer within one hour of a service interruption, and we will never ask customers to make payments with a pre-paid debit card, gift card, any form of
PG&E Warns Customers of an Emerging Scam Campaign and Provides Tips on How Customers Can Protect Themselves In recent weeks, PG&E has received dozens of reports on an emerging scam: utility impostors demanding immediate payment for a SmartMeter deposit to avoid disconnection. As the number of these
17WeeklyVallejo ! ! ! PGE SCAM ! ! !
tellingphone,bothcustomerscontactingscammersscamInvictim.avoidsosignsrecognizehelp(PG&E)ElectricPacificalarmingcontinuecustomerstargetingattemptsscamutilityatanrate,GasandCompanywantstocustomerstheofascamthattheycanfallingthislatestcampaign,areviaemailandfalselythemthattheir
Numbers: Scammers are now able to create authentic-looking 800 numbers which appear on your phone display. The numbers don’t lead back to PG&E if called back, however, so if you have doubts, hang up and call PG&E at 1-833-500-SCAM. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call Customers911. who suspect that they have been victims of fraud, or who feel threatened contactduring with one of these scammers, should contact local law enforcement.
• Refund or rebate offers: Scammers may say that your utility company overbilled you and owes you a refund, or that you are entitled to a rebate. HOW CUSTOMERS CAN PROTECT THEMSELVES
Scammers Impersonating Trusted Phone
SIGNS OF A POTENTIAL SCAM
Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill. Signing up for an online account at pge.com is another safeguard. Not only can customers log in to check their balance and payment history, but they also can sign up for recurring payments, paperless billing and helpful alerts.
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For more information about scams, visit pge. com/scams.
Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. PG&E does not specify how customers should make a bill payment and offers a variety of ways to pay a bill, including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail or in person. If a scammer threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service without prior notification, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email, or shut the door.
• Request for prepaid card: When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds.
• Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively demand immediate payment for an alleged past due bill.
• Request for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid card and then call them back supposedly to make a bill payment.
cryptocurrency or third-party digital payment mobile Scammersapplications.canbeconvincing and often target those who are most vulnerable, including senior citizens and low-income communities. They also aim their scams at small business owners during busy customer service hours. However, with the right information, customers can learn to detect and report these predatory scams.
555cityofvallejo.netSantaClaraStreet, Vallejo, CA 94590 ForInstagram.com/cityofvallejoFacebook.com/cityofvallejomaintenanceemergencies, please call: (707) 648-5235 CONTACT GutierrezWalterPhoto:
