Interesting Irony: half of entries in chili cookoff event are from members of Young Adults in Action
(Talk of The Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Chili cookoff contestant Eddie Beagles, also a member of YAIA, shops for key ingredients for his chili recipe on Saturday afternoon.
By Jennifer Zartman Romano
There is an interesting irony that has become apparent with regards to the chili cookoff slated for Sunday from noon-3 p.m. on the Whitley County Courthouse lawn. 
Of the ten entrants in the event, pitting chili chef against chili chef, at least five are members of Young Adults in Action, a group of energetic young adults between the ages of 21-40 with an interest in making Whitley County a better place. The five entrants include: Kelley Sheiss, Eddie Beagles, Amanda Banks, Drew Wilks and Jennifer Zartman Romano.
Why is this ironic?
The chili cookoff is a fundraising event spearheaded by the Whitley County Council on Aging for the purpose of raising funds to build a new senior center facility.
Although the organization planned to provide volunteers for the Fire & Ice Festival, YAIA did not discuss participation or entry in the chili cookoff contest and the discovery of so many YAIA members having entered the contest independently was not discovered until Monday of this week, after the registration deadline had passed.