SUNDAY - June 17, 2007

6th Annual Sangamon Co. Fair Regional

New Berlin, IL

June 16, 2007

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The State of Illinois has 102 County Fairs. The Sangamon County Fair has to be one of the very best in the State.

The Board members of the Sangamon Co. Fair are very dedicated to putting on a Great week of the fair for the many thousands of people that attend this fair.

Not only do they have all the things a fair provides with rides, crafts, foods, expo, agriculture, entertainment,

and contest. One being the 6th Annual Regional ICS chili cookoff.

Friday evening entertainment was "Gary Allen" with "Jake Owen"

Saturday evening was "Phil Vasser" with "Joe Diffie"

Saturday morning the chili cooks pulled into the fair grounds and backed up to their spot under the covered pavilion where tables and chairs were set up for them.

All of the cooks then went next door to the cafe sponsored by the Women's Auxiliary of the New Berlin United Methodist Church for a delicious breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy, along with the usual juices and drinks. These Methodist women really know how to do homemade biscuits and gravy.

It was a little warm at the fair grounds on Saturday with the temperature getting up to 92 degrees, however, under the covered pavilion were the cookoff is held, it was very comfortable with a slight breeze blowing through all day.

We cannot thank the Fair Board Members for there help and support to the chili cooks and the cookoff. They always go out of there way to support the chili cookoff as well as all the other activities they produce.

Special thanks goes to Steve Walter (Pres) and Gene Bergschneider (Vice Pres.) for all their efforts and support.

Of course, a big thank you goes to all the chili cooks that come to help support this cookoff.

(Can't do it without them).

The competition was very challenging. Present were 3 World Champions and 26 past World Qualifiers.

The judging was very close in that we had a tie for First place in all three categories that had to be broken.

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SALSA 15 contestants

12 judges

3rd = Linda Curtin 9 pts. (Taylorville, IL)

2nd = Les Eastep 11 pts. (Rochester, IL)

1st = Sherrie Sutton 11 pts. (Indianapolis, IN.) won tie break

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VERDE 13 contestants

12 judges

3rd = Chris Toney 5 pts. (St. Louis, MO.)

2nd = Jeff Netser 14 pts. (Seymour, IN.)

1st = Sherrie Sutton 14 pts. (Indianapolis, IN.) won tie break

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RED CHILI 27 contestants

23 judges

3rd = Shelby Lynn 7 pts. (Petersburg, IL.)

2nd = Norman "Kojack" Melancon 8 pts. (Gonzales, LA.)

1st = Linda Carroll 8 pts (Taylorville, IL.) won tie break

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WOW! What a cookoff and very tough competition.

Sherrie's comment after her 2 wins was......Ohhh, I wish I would have cooked Red also!

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Although Linda has qualified several times for the WCCC in Salsa, this is her first WCCC qualification for the Red Chili and she was very, very excited.

Score this cookoff for the Women of the ICS!

Congratulations to all the contestants.......They are all winners!

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Smoke on the Water Regional

New venue; same great cookoff! The Ninth Annual Smoke on the Water Regional Cookoff moved from its previous location by the river, to Appalachian Power Park – a very pretty minor league baseball park – without missing a beat.

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The new location, though perhaps not as picturesque as the river's side, offered many advantages. Easier administrative coordination and logistics (dealing with just one entity), superior crowd control, REAL BATHROOMS, excellent sound system, plus one I have never seen at a cookoff – the use of the park's "jumbotron".

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Throughout the event, a roving announcer and camera conducted periodic live interviews with cooks, members of the crowd, committee members, etc., which were broadcast on the large screen. This added a whole new dimension to the cookoff, further enhancing its enjoyment and ambiance.

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Even the weather cooperated. Unlike the previous several cookoffs (very hot), a cloud cover kept temperatures very pleasant until around two in the afternoon; then when the clouds burned off and the sun came out, a wonderful breeze kept things most comfortable.

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Over forty total cooks competed in the various categories, which included a multiplicity of former WCCC qualifiers in all three categories. However, just as important, four first time ICS cooks joined in the fun; our Society just continues to grow and improve.

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Now for the results:

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Booth and Showmanship

1^st Place Ray Hunter – "Pirates of the Chilibean"

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Salsa (14 cooks)

3^rd Place Jenny Pettygrew

2^nd Place Larry Lentz

1^st Place David Mallory – will represent Smoke on the Water at the WCCC

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Chili Verde (12 cooks)

3^rd Place Chuck Hoff

2^nd Place Dianne Lentz

1^st Place Jerry Workman – will represent Smoke on the Water at the WCCC

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Traditional Red (35 cooks)

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Top Rookie Cook – Ray Hunter

The newly named Harry Lynch Award, in honor of our recently departed, long time ICS member and cook from West Virginia

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Best of Charleston – Julia Sears

Finals Table (11 cooks)

Faye Mulligan, Larry Lentz, Ray Hunter, Dan Bauer, Brian Alcorn, Kim Mallory, David Boggess, David Mallory, Julia Sears, Lauren Staley, Beverly King

4^th Place David Mallory

3^rd Place Faye Mulligan

2^nd Place Brian Alcorn

1^st Place Dan Bauer – will represent Smoke on the Water at the WCCC

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Finally, maximum kudos to an absolutely fantastic committee. Year after year, they put on a superb cookoff (one of the top cookoffs anywhere); they consistently do so maintaining a cook centric/cook friendly focus, while raising significant money for Hospice Care – BTW, just the chili ticket sales this year, broke all previous records.

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See you at Snowshoe,

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Sergei Kowalchik

Head Chili (Chief Judge)

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