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Wednesday,August 12,1998—Lodi News-Sentinel—5 Tracy ire dump ire ca led worst in the state's history TRACY (SMNS) — There are toward the copper-colored foothills out —a process which could take California neighborhoods so proud of the coastal range. Now it is the weeks. In the meantime, from Gri- and fussy about appearances that site of something called the "Mate- zoffi's perspective, there goes the neighbors actively spy on one an- rial Recovery and Transfer Facil- neighborhood.Again. other, turning in wayward home- ity." "Sometimes," she said, shooing owners who, say,let the lawn grow What's that?Grizoffi was asked. her daughters toward a van to a little shabby or fail to fetch emp- `That's a dump,"she said. leave for a few hours of escape from tied trash containers from curbside But it's another neighbor, how- the stench of burnt rubber, "I ask right on pick-up day.The stretch of ever, that is the one causing Gri- myself. What's next?That's what I MacArthur Drive where Melodie zoff'i the most grief on this Tuesday wonder.What is next?" Grizoffi lives with her husband and in August. That would be the S. F. three young daughters is not one of Royster Tire Disposal Facility. Un- Until the fire, Grizoffi never those neighborhoods. til last Friday night,the 55-acre op- gave much thought to the neighbor- Speaking over the roar of earth- eration was said to be the Califor- hood tire dump. In this, she no movers and dump trucks, she nia's largest tire dump, a way sta- doubt was like most Californians. pointed to the northern edge of her tion for something like seven mil- Disasters can be effective,albeit ex- property,located just beyond Tracy lion tires waiting—theoretically,at pensive, learning tools. Before the city limits. When the Grizoffis least— for a second existence as re- Loma Prieta and Northridge earth- moved to their little country place treads or raw energy. Then it quakes, for instance, who knew 10 years ago,this had been an apri- caught fire. enough to worry about the tardy cot orchard. Now it was to become Now the state's largest tire retrofitting of bridges and over- one more gravel pit in a neighbor- dump can claim title to an even Passes? Who wondered, before this hood filled with them. more dubious superlative. It's the fire, about the mountains of tires "We're told it's a four-year pro- site of California's biggest tire that the California car culture dis- ject,"she said,fairly shouting to be dump fire ever, a blaze that in four cards each year? heard."We sure miss the apricots." days has spread traces of smoke up Only in the aftermath do the ex- She turned toward the south, and down the Great central Valley. perts take the stage,finally finding where "there used to be nothing," Officials have decided the best audiences receptive to their warn- just open grasslands running out course is to let the fire burn itself ings.