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Dinner at the Dump is a Fragrant Affair |
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Written by Gary Moffat
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Thursday, May 8, marks the return of “Dinner at the Dump,” and I’ve been looking forward to this event for weeks, ever since I got an invitation in the mail from Sue Dossa, public relations maven for the host, Auburn Placer Disposal Service (APDS). At a time when our local economy is in the dump, as well as the spirits of many people who have been hit hard by financial reversals, this annual community gathering will help put a smile back on the faces of many—even if it’s just for a single evening.
The concept is brilliantly absurd. Dinner is served “in” not “at” the Auburn Transfer Station of APDS out on Shale Ridge Road, directly in the flight path of Runway 7/25 of the Auburn Municipal Airport. That’s right, tables are set up on the massive, covered concrete pad where Auburn-area residents drive their pick-up trucks to dump household, garden and construction waste. It is also the temporary holding pen for all of the garbage that APDS trucks collect before being loaded on to giant vehicles for transport to the main disposal site near Lincoln, just beyond Thunder Valley Casino.
Dinner at the Dump, which starts at 5:30 p.m., is actually an After-Hours Mixer of the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce (of which—in the spirit of full disclosure—I am a director), so it is aimed at the business community, though all are welcome. This is the perfect time for an upbeat and festive event in light of recent losses suffered locally as high-profile businesses have closed their doors. Nominally neighbors on Rte. 49, Auburn Nissan and Outdoor Rooms & Décor are both victims of the times and Downtown Grill on Nevada St. just turned off its lights. Winemakers, a DIY center for home winemakers, announced that come the end of the month, it will be fermenting juice no more.
Though Auburn is “above the fog,” here is more evidence of our cloudy business climate: Membership of the Chamber is weathering a steady decline, dropping nearly 10% from 820 in January of 2007 to 746 at the end of March 2008, when 18 new members signed on, most to be eligible to participate in the Chamber’s Business Expo. This gain was offset by 16 members dropping out, many citing financial reasons for not renewing.
In the process of building and running a wine bar and restaurant, I’ve been to the Auburn Transfer Station more times than my olfactory glands care to remember. So, it is remarkable to me that this arena of odiferous refuse, this wasteland of our excess, can be transformed into a pristine and fragrant platform for a community feast. Yet, come Thursday night, the place will sparkle, though I caution you not to attempt to eat off the floor.
The timing of Dinner at the Dump is a rather practical matter. “We have to clean house anyway, and this is our spring cleaning at the dump,” said Dossa. Starting Tuesday the facility is closed to the public, and the site is power-washed daily, all drains are cleaned and damaged concrete surfaces are repaired. Much of the transfer station will be whitewashed, providing a clean canvas for young area artists to transform into colorful murals, with this year’s design focused on “Going Green” as a theme.
Dossa said APDS launched the dinner program in 1993 because, “We wanted to do something great and demonstrate we are a part of the community.” Attendance averages 500 to 600 people, but a few years ago the event attracted 750 finer diners. Some 30 APDS volunteers staff the program, and a no-host bar will be manned by the Chamber (offering water and soft drinks for $1, beer and wine for $3 and mixed drinks for $4).
The menu this year is a tasty combination of tri-tip, BBQ chicken, two pastas and salad. Dossa said that in a move to source menu items locally, chocolate chip cookies are being purchased from Ikeda’s and 1,000 rolls will come from the ovens of Hilda’s Bakery. APDS picks up the entire tab for the food service; guests pay only for beverages, with the proceeds going to the Chamber.
As a habitual attendee of Dinner at the Dump, take this advice seriously: The earlier you arrive the better, because parking is at a premium. So car pool if you can, or like me, ride your motorcycle.
A New Economic Indicator
When it comes to gauging the health of the economy, experts normally rely on measures such as unemployment statistics, GDP growth and the quarterly reports of major corporations. Another yardstick that I would propose as a key economic indicator is the volume of garbage being handled by Auburn Placer Disposal Service. It only makes sense ... if people are consuming less, then they should be producing less garbage.
And, in fact, that is what is happening in Placer County according to APDS General Manager John Rowe. “This has never happened before,” he said. “After a prolonged period of growth, both residential and construction garbage service are trending down.”
The reduction is most noticeable at the Auburn Transfer Station where Rowe said construction debris collection is down 60 percent. Though the residential market is flat, Rowe said the collapse of the housing market has resulted in a predictable downturn in construction waste. Ominously for the waste management field, he said he is projecting revenue shrinkage across the board for 2009.
If there is a bright side, Rowe said it is recycling, with volume up at the same time prices for metals and cardboard are climbing, leading to the conclusion that there is still some gold in them there dumpsters.
Gary Moffat is a journalist and he owns Carpe Vino in Old Town Auburn. He can be reached at
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