Talk of the Town - Whitley County

(Talk of the Town photos by Jennifer Zartman Romano) A recent visit to First Church of God's kitchen provided an opportunity for the celebrity cooking teams to ask questions and get prepared for the big event on April 10. Above, from left, Doug Wright talks with Pastor Ross O'Dell and his wife, Lisa. The O'Dells are preparing dishes with a New Mexican theme. Below, from left, is Ross O'Dell, Kelley Sheiss, Mayor Jim Fleck, Doug Wright, Lisa O'Dell and David Smith.

By Jennifer Zartman Romano

The competition is really heating up -- and boiling over around the county with trash talk on the street and in the local media between teams and an…interesting…message left for one team via voice mail. The message suggested that the unnamed team cash in their chips and hopes of winning over…rice?

What’s all this hullabaloo?

It's not completely serious. It's all in good fun.

It’s the mania that has become the highly anticipated The Center Cook-off, a fundraising event slated for April 10 beginning at 6:30 p.m. at First Church of God. The event will raise funds for The Center, a facility in downtown Columbia City providing wholesome programming and after-school activities for county teens.

The cook-off event will feature appetizers, a salad, main course and desserts provided by each of four teams. Guests will vote for their favorites and winners will be selected, given bragging rights as their prize. Winners will be selected with ballot votes for overall best meal, most creative and best single item.

The teams include:

* Senator Gary “Doc” Dillon’s Wild Game Team which in addition to Dillon, includes Bob Addison and others.

* Mayor Jim Fleck’s Team including Fleck, Tom LaRue, Karen Reusch and another unnamed member.

* Pastor O’Dell’s Team including Pastor Ross O’Dell, Lisa O’Dell, Doug O’Dell and Beverlie O’Dell.

* The Press Club & One Star Guy which includes Kelley Sheiss, Teresa Smith, Jennifer Zartman Romano and John Lefever.

Coordinated by Doug Wright, R.D. Schrader and David Smith, the event has turned into quite the phenomena with nearly all available seats at the dinner spoken for as of last week. Wright and Smith have been coordinating the food preparation and night-of planning while Schrader has been selecting table captains and taking care of other details.

“We just wanted to do something different to get people involved and, secondarily, as a fundraiser,” Smith said of planning the cook-off.

“What do you do that’s different,” he asked, pensively. “We talked about various things with a dinner and we decided on a cook-off.”

There is no charge to attend the event, but attendees will be asked to make a contribution to The Center following dinner. The Center director Jeff Wike will speak at the event, explaining in greater detail, the contributions made by The Center for Whitley County youth.

“It is such a gem in our community,” said Smith of The Center. “People just don’t know about it.”