This year’s monthly dinners hosted by the American Legion at their hall on Second Street were capped off with a Chili Cookoff on Saturday, Oct. 15. Approximately 60 people were on hand to sample any or all of nine chili dishes that had been made by members and guests in the hope of winning a coveted first, second, or third place.

In addition to the chili offerings and their condiments there were several corn breads and corn muffins, a fruit salad, a vegetable salad, and a variety of desserts. Three judges had been selected to taste and decide the top three chili offerings – Dave Bellinger, Jeff Beebe, and Jerry Lovelady. The judges deliberated briefly, finding out that their choices for top prizes were very similar, before final decisions were made.

The first prize winner for the 2022 Chili Cookoff was Randy Schmidt; second prize went to Vinnie Giovaniello; and third prize went to DeeAnn Blowers.

The American Legion post will suspend these monthly dinners for the next two months due to the holidays, hosting instead the Veterans Day parade and lunch (at the Community Center) in November, and a Christmas party in December for its members. The monthly dinners will resume in January, likely with some hot soups to take off the winter chill.