Vallejo, Calif., is a short distance but a far cry from the touristy Napa Valley vineyards and quaint towns, so when Sunday's earthquake struck, the damage to the wine industry took center stage and the rubble in Vallejo received scant attention, Star Tribune reported today. But the bayside city sustained millions of dollars in damage and dozens of people were injured, with a couple hospitalized. Just 10 miles from the quake's epicenter, parts of the town suffered broken windows and collapsed masonry. For City Manager Daniel Keen, the magnitude-6.0 quake posed the first major test for this city of about 100,000 people since it emerged from bankruptcy three years ago with budget, staff and public services pared back. Less than 15 miles south of Napa, Vallejo is in some ways a world away. While the wine country thrived, financial mismanagement and the collapse of the housing bubble meant that Vallejo took one of the hardest dives of any city in the recent recession. Bankruptcies, mortgage defaults and joblessness soared. The city's poverty rate stands at 16 percent, and personal income is two-thirds that of Napa residents.
