Not too chilly for chili

Nov. 9—The beginning of November brought slightly warmer weather than the end of October, but it was still chili season on Friday night.

The 3rd annual Chili Cookoff brought out seven competitors who offered their special blends of meats, peppers and flavorings for their entry into this year's contest.

Taste testers walked around the London Community Center to sample the different varieties of chili that ranged from wild game to white chicken and garden fresh to Mexican varieties.

When the judging was completed, Joe Marshall with Let It Ride Barbecue took the top spot with his Smoked Brisket Chili for the second consecutive year.

"I smoked the brisket for 20 hours, then added sausage that had been cooked for 12 hours," Marshall said. "I add tomato juice, cayenne pepper and flavorings."

Marshall also offered a White Chicken Chili that had chili peppers and beans blended with the chicken.

Mary Lou Lawson's entry was "Trailman's Delight" that featured chuck roast, bacon, black beans, kidney beans, chili powder and garlic.

"This is my own recipe," Lawson said, "but I'm not telling you all the ingredients. I have to keep my secret!"

Chris Black's Garden Fresh chili had homegrown tomatoes and vegetables that he carefully harvested and ground to create a unique chili.

It was all a family thing for Black, whose booth was beside his daughter Brooke and husband Cody with their White Chicken Chili. Brooke said their blend of flavors included light cream cheese, corn, beans, shredded chicken, green chilis, butter beans and cannelli beans.

Karen and Mike Jiles gave the taste buds a real run for the money with their Buffalo Chicken Chili that hinted of sweetness and was the perfect cool down to Fred King's Wild Game Chili.

King took an unusual blend of wild game with spices that heated up the throat. King warned that the chili was hot, not only temperature-wise but spice intensity as well.

"I'll tell you the ingredients after you try it," he said, then adding that his chili was comprised of black bear, mountain lion and deer meat coupled with beans and spices.

Holly Scoville's Mexican chili provided a blend of pulled pork, green hatch chili, roasted sweet peppers, tomotios and Mexican beans.

Chase Carson, organizer of the event, said the judges had difficulty in deciding the winners, especially the second place winner.

Ridge Runners took third place, while We 3 Kings (Fred King) took second place.

The United Allies Chili Cookoff proceeds were donated to bring awareness to the Native American population and the challenges they face. November is National Native American Month and Movember.

Movember encourages men to grow moustaches to bring awareness to men's health issues and is derived from the blend of moustache and November.

With November also being National Native American Month, speakers with Native American lineage spoke about their trials. Some of those reside in Canada and Maine, and approximately 1,400 living in Laurel County identify as Native Americans.

But because they are not dressed in the head dresses, leather shoes and clothing typically used to identify their lineage doesn't mean the pride — and struggles — of their ancestors has not faded.

While some Native Americans reside on government-restricted land, others blend in with the traditional societal lifestyles. But they are often looked upon as outcasts by their own people, who believe their blend into today's society means they have forgotten their lineage.

The challenges of the Native American people can only be remedied by education that extends to both those choosing to live on the reservation and those who blend into today's society.