Regional Roundup

Tracy council to review Wal-Mart plans

A fight looms tonight as the Tracy City Council weighs Wal-Mart's plans to get bigger and add groceries to its Tracy store on West Grant Line Road.

The big-box retailer hopes to add more than 82,000 square feet of space to its 125,000-square-foot-building, 30,000 square feet of which would be used to sell groceries.

The Tracy Planning Commission, at a meeting last month packed with the retailer's supporters, unanimously OK'd Wal-Mart's request to build extra space. Hardly a dissenter was present.

The law firm of Herum, Crabtree and Brown of Stockton, on behalf of the group Tracy First, appealed that decision to the City Council. Steve Herum has successfully fought a Wal-Mart store in Lodi on behalf of a group called Lodi First.

Herum's firm says the planned Tracy Supercenter, as Wal-Mart calls its stores that sell groceries, "violates state planning and zoning laws" and the California Environmental Quality Act.

But before the May 28 planning commission vote, the city received dozens of letters from people who shop at Wal-Mart urging that board to OK a bigger store.

Assembly candidate to appear in Stockton

Bill Berryhill, Republican candidate for the 26th Assembly District seat being vacated this year by Greg Aghazarian, R-Stockton, will be the guest at next week's meeting of the Republican Party of San Joaquin.

Berryhill, who lives in Ceres, will face Democrat John Eisenhut of Turlock in the November election. The district includes Victor, Lockeford, Clements and Morada.

The meeting will be held Monday at the Old Spaghetti Factory banquet room, Interstate 5 at March Lane. No-host social hour and dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m., Berryhill will speak at 6:30 and the Republican Central Committee will conduct a brief business meeting at 7:40 p.m.

The public is invited, and reservations are not required. For more information, call 476-8683.

Fresh peach recipes sought for article

Do you enjoy the season of fresh peaches? Do you have favorite recipes you use them in? If so, we'd like to use them in an upcoming story about cooking with peaches. Recipes may be sent to Pam Bauserman at pamelab@lodinews.com or mailed to P.O. Box 1360, Lodi, CA 95241.