Orangeville Christmas party and cook-off

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On Dec. 5, at the Orangeville Community Center a large number of the citizens of Orangeville gathered to test the skill of local cooks, and also meet and greet their friends and family. The children gathered in the city hall to make craft items.
This event was kicked off at 4:30 p.m. by a Children’s Craft Center held in the Orangeville City Hall under the supervision of Carmen and Josh Humphrey. Carmen had an abundance of things for making interesting crafts and for giving the children a sense of accomplishment.
Fire Chief Tracy Addley organized the chili and soup contest sponsored by Orangeville City Fire Department. The judges were Wayne Olsen, Cynthia Baker and Shaun Bell.
The contestants cooked their creations ahead of time and then brought them to be judged. All chili and soups were made from scratch. No store bought canned, soup or chili allowed.The cooks shared their recipes. The judging took place at 5 pm. The chili and soup were then used for the community dinner. There were more than 20 pots and kettles of chili and soup set out on long tables awaiting the judges taste test and the word that they could be eaten.
The community center was filled to overflowing with people. Those in attendance started serving themselves at 5 p.m. Some folks sampled every chili and soup and then went back for their favorites. The Emery High School Choir led by David Bird and accompanied by Marilee Cox entertained while people were eating.
The winners of the cook off were announced by Chief Tracy Addley before the arrival of Santa Claus. They were as follows: chili cook off first place to Jeff Tuttle, second place to Kevin Reynolds, third place Kent Wilson. Soup cook off first place Pat Jones, second place Carmen Humphrey, third place Robin Healey. Jeff Tuttle won a fire extinguisher for the hottest chili.
At 6 p.m. a special visitor, Santa Claus, arrived on an Orangeville Fire Truck. The crowd of children and parents lined up for children to have an opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap and have their photos taken.