Professor Director of Clinical Research and Diabetes Services Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine
Did you know that Solano County has high rates of diabetes and is the state’s leader in childhood obesity—a major risk factor for diabetes? Did you know that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable and entirely controllable?
Touro University California is continuing its effort to tackle diabetes in Solano County.
I do not know if I have diabetes or prediabetes: We will help you to find out! The MOBEC (Mobile Diabetes Education Center) provides free screenings to adults in Solano County. We have trained staff available to talk with you about your risk to provide free diabetes screenings. Since starting this work in April, the MOBEC has already served 1,000 people in Solano County.
Risk Factors for diabetes
All adults age 45 or higher
All adults who are overweight or obese and/or have:
A Family History of diabetes
History of gestational diabetes
History of high blood pressure
If you are African American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, American Indian
If you are physically active
If you have depression
Knowledge is power! More than 90% of people with prediabetes do not know that they have it. This is easy to understand, since there are no classic symptoms to let you know. Since 45% of adults in California have prediabetes, it is definitely worthwhile to find out if it affects you! Our free screenings will let you know right away if you have prediabetes or diabetes. We also have free classes to help you to take action.
In a partnership with Sutter Valley hospitals and Solano County Public Health, Touro University California offers free diabetes education and diabetes prevention programs throughout Solano County.
The Diabetes Education and Empowerment Program is a six-session program that meets weekly and provides key information about how to manage diabetes. This is intended for people with diabetes and family members.
To find out where you can meet the MOBEC or take a class, go to tu.edu/mobec/index.html or call (707) 636-5970.
Dr. Jay Shubrook is a Professor and the Director of Clinical Research for the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Touro University California. He leads the DREAM Team and the Touro Tackles Diabetes Program.
The Tim & Jeannie Hamann Foundation
If you reside or frequent Benicia, chances are you have heard of Jeannie (Jean) Hamann, the owner of Hamann Real Estate on 513 1st Street who has more than 30 years of realty experience. What strikes my interest the most, however, is how she and her husband, Tim Hamann, co-founded the Tim & Jeannie Hamann Foundation (AKA Hamann Cancer Foundation), in 2015. The Hamann Cancer Foundation assists cancer survivors who need a hand up along their journey fighting cancer and benefits research. The foundation’s mission statement reminds us that there is help and that there are great, altruistic people in the world who collaborate to make it better.
Even though the Hamann Foundation is fairly new, Jeannie and her husband were involved with fighting cancer and giving back to the local community long before creating their own official foundation. According to the website, the Hamann family and their friends started fundraising annually for Relay for Life, where monies are used for Cancer Research. The Annual Community Garage Sale was their first event, which grew for many years.
When meeting with me in her office, Jeannie Hamann talked about how her close friend, Charis Pasley, was diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in her early 30s. “During the recession,” Hamann said, “we had a BBQ in Somerset Park in Vallejo. We reached out to many people on Facebook, and the Vallejo Fire Department even came and donated money. That event is how the wheels started really turning.” They raised over $4,000 for her friend in need!
Making that positive difference is what the Hamann Foundation is all about. Whereas many foundations focus on one type of cancer, the Hamann Cancer Foundation focuses on all cancer by sending money to the American Cancer Society for research, and by making the grants to practical needs for survivors. They are currently working with the Mount Diablo Solano Oncology Group in Vallejo, CA, and have future plans to expand and to collaborate with the Vallejo Kaiser Patients Oncology Center.
Moreover, the Hamann Foundation believes in not only beating one of the most prevalent diseases without a cure on an international level, but also in improving people’s lives. As such, they are a non-profit organization, where “all professional services, time and monies are donated, as we all believe in the cause.” Their foundation is registered as a 501(c)3 organization, which means donations are tax deductible to the maximum extent allowed by federal law.
Donations are a highly important aspect to the Hamann Foundation because 100% of them go straight to helping cancer survivors through grants that pay expensive medical and property bills that can be out of reach during a difficult time, thereby really lessening the burden. What I especially like is that the grants are not made out to the survivors’ names. For example, if a cancer survivor’s medical bill was too expensive for them to afford, the foundation could make a check out to the hospital. Grants are made out in checks or gift cards to whatever survivors might need most, such as food and gasoline (i.e., think of all the travel time and gasoline used going back and forth to the hospital).
One of the ways the Hamann Foundation gets money for their cause is through fundraising events. The Hamanns began doing fundraising auctions in 2004 out of their home, which they continued to do for the next five years. For the following six years, they hosted the Tim & Jeannie Hamann Foundation Annual Dinner & Auction in Napa. The Foundation’s annual Dinner and Auction is certainly their top fundraiser, now averaging 150 to more than 250 people in attendance each year to share in the fun and memories.
The Foundation’s Dinner and Auction is now at the historic Benicia Clock Tower, where the last one was held back in April, earlier this year—with slightly over 200 people, it was a huge hit that netted more than $55,000! Manny’s Catering provided an abundance of food, and the event also featured local premium wines. They also had a silent auctioning of artwork, golf equipment, blown glass, Disney vacation tickets, 49ers home game tickets, jewelry, premium wines, handmade quilts, sunset cruise tickets, and more! The foundation’s next Dinner and Auction event is on April 27, 2018 at the Clock Tower! The foundation is also planning a turkey trot 5k fundraiser on Thanksgiving morning at the Benicia Community Park, which I will definitely be a part of—additional details are to come!
This year was a quite a year for the foundation. In addition to netting more than $55,000 at the annual Dinner and Auction, the Hamann’s Hearts for a Cure team recently participated in and donated funds to Relay for Life, a Benicia-Vallejo event that raised more than $123,000 toward research for the American Cancer Society. Also, recognizing all the Hamann Foundation’s efforts, the To Celebrate Life Breast Cancer Foundation (a huge foundation that roots back to 1996) gave the Hamann Foundation a big grant earlier this year—all to help cancer survivors and research!
Another significant avenue of getting funds for survivors is from donations. Remember that donations to the Hamann Foundation are tax deductible! Donors can be a part of this good-hearted, great cause by donating on the foundation’s website at www.hamannfoundation.org. They can also donate by mail (make all checks payable to the Tim and Jeannie Hamann Foundation and mail to 513 First Street, Benicia, CA 94510), or they can directly contact Jeannie Hamann at (707) 771-9300.
In particular, I wanted to know more about the donating process. “Our donors really like the concept of not including a middle man,” Hamann said. “Money does not pass many hands—it goes directly to something the survivors can practically use like assistance for drugs suggested.” Hamann also reminded me that survivors do not usually ask for help, even when they really need it. I found out that if you know people going through cancer, you should make contact with their families and friends and tell them about the Hamann Foundation. “Requests come from friends and family because survivors are not apt to asking for help. Most are humble and grateful,” Hamann said. What also greatly helps is the confidentiality that recipients of financial assistance have. Hamann said, “Recipients are 100% confidential.” She clearly keeps survivors protected and saves any unnecessary embarrassment, as it can be difficult to ask for money when in need.
The Hamann Foundation needs benefactors, such as kind donors and corporate sponsors! It takes a village to facilitate change, so reach out and make a donation that will make you a part of making a positive difference! Make that difference by donating on their website at www.hamannfoundation.org and joining in on the fun at the annual Dinner and Auction and other events that are posted on the site. Be sure to also like the Hamann Foundation on Facebook!
James Quinn lives in Benicia and teaches at Elmer Cave Language Academy in Vallejo. A UC Davis alumnus in English, he now studies education as part of Touro University’s Master’s in Education program. Along with teaching, he tutors and writes often. He is working on a novel that takes place in Benicia. See his website at mrquinnj.weebly.com.
The Holiday Tradition Continues at Walnut Creek’s Shadelands Ranch
It’s easy to enjoy the loveliness of Walnut Creek, but have you ever stopped to think of how it all came to be? Walnut Creek has a vibrant history, dating all the way back to the 1800s, and the members of the Walnut Creek Historical Society are the gatekeepers who can provide you with all the answers you need. The City of Walnut Creek will be celebrating its 103rd birthday on October 21st, so maybe it’s time to pay a visit to the Historical Society’s home at the Shadelands Ranch Museum.
In addition to a docent-led tour, the ranch is a very popular spot for weddings. The beautiful grounds at the museum facilitate about 25-30 weddings every year. Its wedding season goes from April through October with enough seating for 250 guests. The entire ceremony is held outdoors, as it’s a bit of a hazard for the museum’s precious exhibits with hundreds of people perusing about; and thanks to the majestic atmosphere, it’s never much of an issue.
“It’s just such a beautiful setting,” Jackie Byrd said, office manager for the Walnut Creek Historical Society. “With all the greenery and rosebushes, our gorgeous gazebo, there’s a lot of open space for weddings, and it’s right here in Walnut Creek!”
The museum’s holiday events, now in their 37th year, are some of its biggest draws. And good news, they’re coming up soon! That’s right folks, the holidays are nearly upon us. These two events occur simultaneously from November 25th to December 10th. Shadelands Ranch is decorated in full holiday theme to present the Annual Holiday Faire, a free event, presenting beautiful handcrafted items and gifts created by dozens of vendors who will be selling their creations on site. It will also feature the Victorian Holiday Tea, which offers a three-course luncheon complete with scones, homemade lemon curd, and their Secret Shadelands Tea Blend.
“Starting right after Thanksgiving, it’s a fun way to kickoff the holidays,” Byrd said. “I have some friends that come back every year and do the tea together. We have a couple groups that have been coming for 20 years! This is their holiday tradition.”
Catered by Urban Organics in Lafayette, the three-course meal provides a variety of about six different savory items, in addition to the homemade lemon curd, scones, tea, and dessert. It’s a great family event as you’re sipping tea in this 100+ year-old house. It tends to attract a lot of mother-daughter reservations, and with two seatings per day, hopefully you can secure a spot!
Ticket sales for the Victorian Holiday Tea started on October 1st, and it has sold out the last three years in a row. At about two weeks shy of the event, it can be very difficult to book a table, so it’s highly recommended that you schedule your plans as soon as possible!
If tea isn’t your thing, maybe you should come and try it out Shadelands’ style anyway. But coming to the grounds just to see the house, walk around, and check out the vendors of the Annual Holiday Faire is all very much worth the trip. “This year we’ll have a woman that makes some beautiful pottery,” Byrd said. “There’s a woman who brings in pop-up holiday houses made out of paper with little candles … we also get a lot of sewing, aprons, tablecloths, different holiday prints, lots of beautiful handmade jewelry—we try to do a variety of it all.”
On Saturday, December 2nd at 3:30 p.m., they’ll be having something new this year, a Champagne Tea—which is pretty much everything you’d get at the Victorian Holiday Tea—plus Champagne! One can’t go wrong with that. The traditional Victorian Holiday Tea is $35 per person, held at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. every day from November 25th through December 10th. The Champagne Tea is $45 per person. Group reservations are welcome, and the best way to make them is to call (925) 935-7871.
The museum itself is open for tours February through October, Wednesdays and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Keep in mind that the museum is run by volunteers, so be extra courteous to the docents! The final museum tour of the year will be on Sunday, October 29th. So if you’d like to go, better plan for it soon! Reservations are required for groups of 10 or more, or for those with special needs. You can contact them at (925) 935-7871, or email them at wcshadelands@sbcglobal.net.
Naturally, the Walnut Creek Historical Society wants to be a service to the local community. In front of the Shadelands Ranch Museum, you can come by to check out their pumpkin patch for your perfect Halloween jack-o-lantern, and they’ll have a Christmas tree lot this winter as well.
On the second Saturday of the month from March through October, you can join the crowd for a free docent-led Guided Downtown History Tour. For 60-90 minutes, you can walk the sidewalks of six city blocks with an enhanced perspective as the docents of the Walnut Creek Historical Society share their historical insight on how the community came to be what it is today. The last of these of the year will be on October 14th, so if you’re reading this in time, all you’ve gotta do is show up at the fountain at Liberty Bell Plaza between 9-9:30 a.m.—no reservations needed.
“My husband—who went reluctantly—ended up really enjoying it,” Byrd said. “He’s one of the first to tell people, ‘oh, you should really go do the walking tour!’ I learned a lot about Walnut Creek. It was fascinating.”
You can also take a self-guided Downtown Heritage Walk using your cellphone as your personal docent. From Botelho’s Island (now Broadway Plaza) to the Nuthouse (now the Lesher Center for the Arts), the Heritage Tour will introduce you to 60 sites, all clearly marked with prominent, colorful signage on the lampposts downtown. The signs include details on how to listen to access the tour information through your cellphone. This Heritage Walk was funded through a special grant from the City of Walnut Creek, along with contributions from more than 50 supporters.
Shadelands Ranch also offers the Living History Program 1906. “Third graders in Walnut Creek come here for a day field trip and they learn what it would have been like to live in 1906,” Byrd said. “They learn some of the chores that they would have done, some of the games kids would have played, it’s really fun for the local kids. A lot of the money that we raised from our fundraisers—like the Teas and Vendor Faire—all of that money goes back into the museum to help the preservations of the house, as well as the educational programs for the schools.”
The Walnut Creek Historical Society surely supports the local community, so let’s support them in return! You can visit the Shadelands Ranch Museum at 2660 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek. And again, for reservations to the Victorian Holiday Tea call (925) 935-7871, or email them at wcshadelands@sbcglobal.net. For additional information overall, visit walnutcreekhistory.info.
By Matt Larson, he is an actor/comedian/director from Vallejo who lives a double life between the Bay and LA. When he’s not writing for Local Happenings Magazine he could be editing a short film or working on his next rap album—who knows!
Keep up with all things Larson at www.MarsLegstrong.com.”
Napa After Dark
Napa is internationally known as a place to enjoy life’s finer things, like wine tasting, boutique shopping, and hiking — all things one partakes in between sunrise and sunset. For years, the city had an unofficial bedtime of 9 p.m.
However, times are changing. Over the past few years, Napa’s nightlife has awakened, with a surge of clubs, bars, late-open restaurants, and performing arts venues. It’s a change that has been noticed by locals and visitors alike.
To give our readers an overview of what’s out there in Napa’s up-and-coming nightlife scene, we turned to Napa-based singer Kellie Fuller. She qualifies as an expert on local happenings for two reasons: (1) because she’s performed at nearly all the venues around the area and (2) because she’s a concierge at Cottages of Napa Valley, an intimate, eight-cottage hotel that tends to attract a lot of honeymooners. As a singer, she focuses on two notably different genres: jazz and old school R&B. In 2015, she released a jazz album, Too Darn Hot, and for many years she was the host of a popular Napa morning radio show, Kellie in the Morning.
“I don’t know why, but I might have an old soul, and both of those sounds are timeless,” Fuller said. “As a child being exposed to the great American songbook, I was drawn to it immediately.”
In her day job, Fuller takes pride in being able to pair tourists (based on their personalities and stated desires) with the perfect wine country vacation.
“I call myself a matchmaker for travelers who want to experience the Napa Valley,” Fuller said. “You can’t say, ‘This is a must do,’ or ‘you need to do this,’ because it depends on who you are. I match people with the wineries and the experiences that are just right for them.”
Fuller has witnessed the changes in Napa firsthand; both an influx of new venues over the past several years, and a decreasing average age of Napa tourists.
“I plan for a lot of 40th birthday parties and younger,” Fuller said. “I see a lot of honeymooners or people in their late 20s or early 30s who are interested in learning more about wine, but they also want to go out and have a good time.”
So what changed in the past few years to bring new venues to Napa? One important factor may be the city’s flood control efforts, which have literally, and metaphorically, paved the way for more downtown development. For all the beauty and good times that the Napa River brings, it has also brought devastating floods, at a rate of at least one per decade. Longtime residents haven’t forgotten the El Niño flood of 2005, when the river swelled to a depth of 30 feet, sweeping through downtown and taking everything that wasn’t bolted down with it. When the water subsided, the damage was tabbed at around $100 million.
After that, the US Congress stepped in, passing a $600 million flood control plan that included marshland restoration and a flood bypass channel that was carved through the heart of Napa. The project is still ongoing, but the bypass was completed in 2015. Its first test was in January, when heavy rains came, and it succeeded in preventing a flood. “Once the project was underway,” Fuller said, “Napa started seeing more hotels, music venues, bars, and restaurants opening downtown, as well as a Main Street restoration.”
“The flood project has allowed for a lot of growth, and it just makes sense when you have more people staying in the city of Napa that you’d have a nightlife blossom here as well,” Fuller said. “We locals participate too. We like to go out; we’re thrilled.”
One spot that’s barely three years old (yet has quickly emerged as a favorite) is Cadet Wine & Beer Bar. It features more than 150 selections and stays open till at least 1 a.m. It was founded by Colleen Fleming of Kelly Fleming Wines in Calistoga and former French Laundry sommelier Aubrey Bailey. Cadet has a simple design and a large common area, and it has been steadily bringing younger crowds to Napa’s downtown. It’s known for having a vinyl record player and an impressive collection to go with it.
“It’s always packed, and it’s always open late,” Fuller said.
For a romantic night of music in an intimate setting, your best bet might be Silo’s, a club known for its cabaret-style seating (you’re never more than a few feet away from the performer). It features a simple but diverse menu with sliders and small pizzas, salads, and a range of appetizers. Silo’s has beer, wine, and cocktails as well. It’s a fun, exciting venue with an old-school feel. It has hosted local legends and Grammy-Award winners, but you’re guaranteed to get great music, whether or not you’ve heard of the performer. They’re known to make room for dancing as well.
“The stage is not very high, so you kind of feel like you’re right there with the performer,” Fuller said. Fuller has performed there many times, and you can find videos of her dazzling performances alongside jazz pianist Mike Greensill. Silo’s is mostly a jazz club, but it makes room for other types of music like soul, funk, and rock.
If you want more of a full meal with your show, try Blue Note, another intimate venue. It seats around 150, has an extensive and exquisite menu, and regularly books exciting acts. October and November will see performances by Freddy Cole, the Rippingtons, and Dennis Quaid and the Sharks, to name a few.
Of course, we wouldn’t be able to get through this article without mentioning the Uptown Theater, Napa’s mainstay for live music and comedy that is known for bringing heavyweights to town. It seats 900, originally opened in 1937, and—save for a few years—has been holding regular shows since then. It has held concerts by some of the world’s most famous stars, like Willie Nelson, B.B. King, and Snoop Dogg. In October and November, it will host legendary performers like Boz Scaggs, the Pixies, Howie Mandel, and the Mavericks. And in true Napa form, the Uptown lets you bring your wine or beer with you to your seat.
All told, Napa’s nightlife has more to offer than you could fit into a weekend, or for that matter, a single article. Other notable spots include Downtown Joe’s, among the best in the area for craft beer, and Ca’ Momi, an authentic Italian restaurant with a dazzling interior that hosts about a half-dozen live musical performances at night. There is also Napkins, a high-end restaurant that transforms into a club on weekends, featuring DJ performances and lots of dancing.
“It’s so exciting that you’re even doing an article on Napa nightlife,” Fuller said. “Even five or 10 years ago, you wouldn’t be able to do one because there just wasn’t much here.”
Cadet Wine & Beer Bar is located at 930 Franklin Street in Napa. It is open from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Monday through Friday, and open from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday. You can reach them at (707) 224-4400.
Silo’s is located at 530 Main Street in Napa, and it is open whenever there’s a performance. To see a full list of events and to buy tickets, visit Silo’s at www.silosnapa.com/events or call (707) 251-5833.
Blue Note is located at 1030 Main Street in Napa, and has performances on most nights (there will be at least 20 in October). For a full list, visit www.bluenotenapa.com or call (707) 880-2300.
The Uptown Theater is located at 1350 3rd Street in Napa, and a full list of events can be found at www.uptownthreatrenapa.com or by calling (707) 259-0123.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
WOW, the last quarter of the year is upon us — and there are now less than 90 days until Christmas! Is it just us, or does it seem like the years are getting much shorter than they used to be? We think someone should look into this short-year phenomenon so that we can get back to the long years of our youth. Remember when years seemed to drag on like eons as we waited for events like vacations, birthdays, Halloween, and Christmas? Now, it seems like the year starts off with the Super Bowl on the first weekend, followed by Memorial Day a month later, six weeks after that it’s Labor Day, followed by Thanksgiving a month later and the next week is Christmas. Don’t get us started on the retail calendar either. We saw bathing suit sales in February, back-to-school sales kicked up in June, Halloween costumes are now on sale in August, and they have started to combine the Labor Day BBQ sales with “Get an early jump on Christmas!” this year. We all need to slow down and enjoy life a bit more.
In an effort to encourage you to take a step back and give some thought to the things around us, we are encouraging you to nominate and vote for your favorite business and people in our Local’s Choice Awards. The voting and nominations are open now at our website, and they will close on December 10th — so make sure to vote. Remember that you can vote as often as once a day in each category and you can nominate as many as you would like. By voting each day and being mindful of all the wonderful things around you, we think that you will savor each day more; thereby, the days will seem to slow down. By doing this every day, it will make the next two months seem more like four months — just think what you can do with all that extra time!
We have a suggestion on what to do with all that extra time that you just found: you can stay on our website after you vote in the Local’s Choice Awards and go to our calendar, so you can learn about all the great events that will be going on before (and after) the year’s end. Our calendar has been greatly expanded and we have more events than ever. Keep in mind that you can narrow down your search to a certain area or type of event as well. The best part is that you can do that on your smartphone as well, so that you can keep up with all that is going on while out and about.
Also, this time of the year is when we celebrate the birth of Local Happenings, and the birth of helping you to discover more events and happenings all around you. It’s now been eight years—almost a decade! We want to thank you, our readers, for allowing us to be a part of your life. We hope that you have enjoyed reading about what is going on as much as we enjoy writing about it. More importantly, we hope that you have found something new to enjoy right around you from our magazine. That reason is why we created this magazine and website, and why we keep doing it. It’s great fun and very exciting to explore an area that you have known all your life and still discover something new about it. We have so many great things to do in this area of the country, and we aren’t even close to discovering them all.
Along with our publication’s birthday, there are so many of our family and friends that are also celebrating their birthday over this time as well. We would like to wish Christopher, Clara, Rory, Tim, Michelle, Susan, Jeannie, Bea, Monica, Jon, Liz, Mark, Cristina, Curt, Lori, Shawna, Kathy, Candy, Luis, Nico, Emily, Hermie, Xavier, Reagan, Ben, Norb, Jennifer, Shawna, LeeAnn, Ken, Amy, Ali, Julia, Connie, Tony, Kevin, Josette, Linda, Cera, John, Angelita, Larry, Paula, Alyssa, Kevin, Teena, Billie, and all the rest whom we haven’t mentioned here!
And we always have room to print a special shout out to Mom and Dad Briseño on their 64th wedding anniversary! We hope their day is as special as they are!
Until next time . . .
Robert Briseño
& Deanna Troupe
Haute Dogs Boutique
The name Haute Dogs Boutique and Barkery might conjure up images of a gourmet sausage in a sesame bun, topped with mustard, onions and relish—if it does, pump your brakes before your mouth gets too watery, as this Vallejo store is more likely to be your dog’s favorite spot for a meal, not yours. It’s stocked with high-quality dog foods, but what sets it apart from most pet stores? For one thing, you can buy your pet a fully decorated birthday cake here.
“They’re really popular,” Haute Dogs’ Owner Lori Sellner said. “One is made out of peanut butter, one is made out of bacon, and one is made out of pumpkin. There’s no sugar, no salt, and the dogs love it.”
Anyone who doubts whether a pet has the power to change a person’s life for the better ought to have a look at Lori’s story. She was once convinced that dogs weren’t really her thing. Now she proudly displays a tattoo of her late pooch, Mugsy, on the inside of her forearm as she runs a store that centers on dogs, dogs, and more dogs.
Lori and Mugsy met under unusual circumstances. She inherited the dog from her mother, though she’d never even laid eyes on Mugsy before. And as a self-described “cat person,” she had no idea even where to start. Mugsy turned out to be a six-pound, half-chihuahua, half-german shepherd, who the cats weren’t intimidated by.
“I did feel an enormous responsibility, because he was everything to my mother,” Lori said. But soon, Lori and Mugsy developed an unbreakable bond.
“Apparently my mother and I had the same voice, and he stuck with me from that first day,” Lori said. “Mugsy my dog was the one that changed it all … he was an amazing dog, just amazing.”
As a first-time dog owner with nowhere else to turn, Lori went to Haute Dogs which, back then, was under different ownership and located in American Canyon.
“I had seen this store in American Canyon and I thought, maybe I should stop there and they’ll help me figure out what to do with this dog,” Lori said with a laugh. She got along well with previous owner, Kim Pelham, and found that Haute Dogs had high-quality food that she wasn’t able to find elsewhere. Then, last year, she got a shock: Kim told her that she was closing the store.
“I panicked,” Lori recalled. “Where was I going to buy my really good dog food?”
So she did what she could to keep the business alive, first working there as an employee and then taking over the business, which by then had moved to downtown Vallejo. She’s been at the helm since January.
“I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people in the neighborhood so much,” Lori said of her first eight months. “Just seeing all the different changes down town, it’s been really fun. I especially love the residents.”
Lori spends several hours a week doing research on healthy dog foods to ensure she’s getting high-quality meals, and that she knows where the food is coming from. For most of her products, she holds a high standard: whether or not she would be willing to eat it.
“Most of the things I carry are human grade,” Lori said. “I figure if we can’t consume it safely, how on earth could our pets consume it?”
“All of the products I carry come from companies that are very open about where they get their food from,” Lori added. “If they don’t disclose that to me, I can’t sell it.”
Haute Dogs also offers nail trimming services, harnesses, decorated treats, dog toys, and even a section for cat owners. There is also a small section for owners of backyard chickens, a homesteading practice that pet owners say is growing throughout the Bay Area. Lori plans to expand the store’s grooming services in the near future, and says a store name change might be in the works as well.
“I’m going to set up a self-service dog wash very soon,” Lori said. “I get a lot of people asking for grooming and dog wash.”
Haute Dogs also helps the humane society with kitten adoptions, and it’s not uncommon to walk by their front windows and see some cats. They adopted out more than a dozen cats during kitten season, and Lori said she hopes to hold dog adoption events as well.
Haute Dogs Boutique and Barkery is located at 507 Georgia Street in downtown Vallejo. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday. It’s closed on Mondays. For additional information, call (707) 641-3085 or email them at haute.dogs707@gmail.com. For regular updates on events, deals, and cute pictures of animals, follow their Facebook page: facebook.com/HauteDogsBoutiqueBarkery.
Nate Gartrell grew up in Benicia, studied journalism in college, and has written for a handful of media outlets since age 15. He aspires to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums and to hit the trifecta at the horse track.
Welcome to our August/September edition of Local Happenings Magazine. We would like to start off with a message about one of our close business partners, the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce. If you did not know, their offices burned to the ground in mid-July. Because it happened overnight, nobody was injured, thankfully; regardless, it is a devastating loss to them and to the community, and it will be a challenge to recover quickly and march on with their endeavors. We wish them well and hope they get up and running quickly.
We at Local Happenings have also had a recent health scare within our team. Fortunately, they are on the mend and should be back in full force very soon. For all of us, it is a reminder that tragedy and complications in life strikes quickly and we should all be more prepared for these bumps and curves that life will put on the road in front of us. While we never like to think the worst, we should still prepare for it.
With that said, summer is in full swing, but we need to enjoy it before it is gone. Something that has always been bittersweet about summer is that once it begins, the days start to grow shorter. Yes, the start of summer is marked by the Summer Solstice in June, which is also the longest day of the year. Every day from that point keeps getting a little bit shorter until the Winter Solstice, when they start to get a little bit longer again. By the time our next issue comes out in October, we will have passed the fall equinox (on September 22nd this year), and the nights will then be longer than the days.
Every day we have a little less time to enjoy the sunshine, which means that we should get out and enjoy all we have here before it fades into fall. Fortunately, we live in a wonderful part of the country where some of the best weather is in late September through October. Some parts of our country (and I am not talking about Alaska) can have its first snowfall as early as late September! As with life, each day is certainly something that we should not take for granted, which is why we are always striving to help our readers plan their days better. Make sure to stop by our calendar section, not just in the print magazine but online as well. We are constantly adding new events, and there are so many that we just cannot list them all in the magazine.
More excitement that is getting ready to get underway is our annual Local’s Choice awards. Readers have a chance to share what they think are the best retailers, people, events, and more within the three counties that we cover: Contra Costa, Napa, and Solano. You will find all the details in the magazine.
As we always do, we want to send out some birthday wishes to some of our readers and faithful friends: Robert Briseño, one of the magazine’s creators, and his wife, Regina, are celebrating not only another year in the planet but also their 11th wedding anniversary (WOW! Time is flying by! ) Other birthday shout-outs go to Karen, Barbara, John, Kenny, Joe, Catherine, Christopher, Clara, Krystle, Jeff, Bob, Pippen, Yvonne, Michael, Duane, Christine, Wendy, Lou, Emily, Debbie, Dora, Therese, Freda, Cindy, Patty, Tricia, Harry, Joanne, Patrick, Cindy, Don, Mel, Derrick, Rich, Diane, Dan, Roberta, Holly, JoEllen, Jim, Eric, Caroline, Bea, Shannon, and everyone else whom we know and love who are celebrating in August and September!
Cheers!
Robert Briseño
Deanna Baillie
& Deanna Troupe
Cotton swabs, aluminum foil, and www.socialsecurity.gov; everyday items that are simple, easy to use, and serve multiple purposes. Cotton swabs can keep your ear and computer keyboard spotless. You can use aluminum foil for both baking and preserving food.
And what about the many easy ways to use www.socialsecurity.gov? We offer you some common and not-so-common uses:
- Apply for Social Security benefits online, of course! This is the fastest, most convenient way to apply for retirement, spouses, disability, or Medicare benefits, without visiting a local office or calling to speak to a representative; we can be found online at socialsecurity.gov.
- Want access to our latest news, retirement planning tips, and sound guidance? Social Security Matters is our blog at socialsecurity.gov. There, you can also connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube, where you can watch our popular, charming, not-to-be-missed cat videos.
- Verify your annual earnings and review estimates of your future Social Security benefits when you access your Social Security Statement, one of the many services available with a my Social Security account at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount .
- Numbers can tell a story. Our online calculators such as the Retirement Estimator, the Life Expectancy Calculator, and the Early or Late Retirement Calculator, can be found at socialsecurity.gov/planners/benefitcalculators.html.
- Lost or missing Social Security card? Find out how to get a new, replacement, or corrected card at socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber. In fact, you may be able to apply for a replacement card with a My Social Security account, if you meet certain qualifications, at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount.
- Noah, Emma, Liam, Olivia…are these the most popular baby names for 2016 in the U.S. or in your state? Discover the trends in baby names or take our online quiz to help you pick the ideal name at socialsecurity.gov/babynames.
- Do you have to pay taxes on Social Security benefits? How do I apply for Social Security retirement benefits? What is your full retirement age? Discover the answers to your Social Security-related questions at our Frequently Asked Questions page at socialsecurity.gov/faq.
- Dream of moving to London, Paris, or the Cayman Islands? Learn how Social Security makes international payments and how you can do business with us from around the world at socialsecurity.gov/foreign.
- Are you a veteran? Are you at mid-career? Or maybe you’re new to the workforce. Find out how we fulfill your needs through life’s journey on our People Like Me page at socialsecurity.gov/people.
- If you like to read and prefer to know all the details, our publications webpage is a library of helpful information. Access it at socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
Simple, easy to use, beneficial, and always here to help you secure today and tomorrow, www.socialsecurity.gov.
By Sandra Soria
Social Security District Manager in Napa CA
