THURSDAY - September 20, 2007

SOUTH FLORIDA 2008

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BACK-TO-BACK COOKOFFS

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Hi everybody,

I have already received several inquiries about the back-to-back cookoffs next year. The short answer is that there will be back-to-back cookoffs in South Florida next February.

They will be held the weekend after the Super Bowl – February 9^th and 10^th. The location of the Saturday cookoff is currently in question.

Here is the situation. The Village of Pinecrest, concerned about the modest property tax cut passed in Tallahassee during the last session of the Florida Legislature, has cut the Pinecrest Gardens park budget - to include zeroing out the funds for the "Chili in the Village" cookoff.

In the context of "one man's loss is another's gain", there are (to date) two candidate alternatives to Pinecrest Gardens, with one of them guaranteed. I will expand on the alternatives.

The Village of Key Biscayne (an island six miles across the Rickenbacker Causeway from downtown Miami) is currently seriously exploring hosting the event; this is happening at the level of the Mayor and the Village Council. Additionally, there are several local not-for-profit organizations very interested and prepared to support the event with people and some financing.

Should the Key Biscayne event fail to materialize for whatever reason, there is another alternative that is guaranteed. A second cookoff in Key Largo.

When I spoke with the Rotaries who sponsor the "Chili in the Keys' on Sunday, I explained the situation. Their response was that, if things did not work out "up north", they would love to also put on the Saturday cookoff.

More specifically, their response went something like this. "We already have a two day event; all the tents, fencing, etc. are set up by Friday; adding a second cookoff to Saturday's festivities is an absolute 'no brainer'".

The first choice is to keep the current format of two distinct locations…and, trust me, cooks will find the Village Green here in Key Biscayne an "appropriate and worthy" setting; therefore we will keep pursuing that option. However, should that prove to not be feasible this year, there are "worse fates in life" than a couple of cookoffs, in the lovely Florida Keys, in February.

In 2007, we had 28 Red cooks; looking forward to many more in 2008.

Sergei Kowalchik

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