There was frustration last week in Canton when the Winterfest Chili Cookoff was KO'd by the NYS Department of Health...The event was to be in its 18th year, but suddenly the state took a keen interest in the health of all who may attend...I assume the hitch is that food served in a public venue must be prepared in a licensed commercial kitchen....Like a restaurant...
On the service it makes sense in that such kitchens are already under regulatory control and deemed clean. A tub of chili made at your house offers no imprimatur of legitimacy from the Empire State.
People were mad, including this newspaper columnist who decried the State for spoiling the fun. After all a similar event is held in Watertown each year with no such intervention. Organizers say the Watertown event is done under the rules and inspected. Most of the participants are restaurants.
People in a rural area think nothing of pot luck style. A game feed at a rural hotel and bar ? A Super Bowl party where customers each bring a dish ? Its all illegal and sometimes cited.
We like to think because something is run by a "not for profit" that society's rules don't adhere.
When alcohol is sold at these events, the supervision is scant and people are regularly overserved. Sales tax is not reported or paid even though its supposed to be.
We like to overlook the football pools when its at the VFW or the Legion....but its illegal......
Somehow we think because something is done among friends that its outside the control of the all powerful state with its many laws...And when they don't have laws, they have what they call declarative rulings to outlaw what no legislature ever outlawed.
In a society where people clamor for laws and are encouraged to snitch, the Winterfest Chili Festival got hoisted on society's own petard....
As for me, I think Health Department rules are there for a reason, and when they tell me to correct a problem, I do it.
Watertown Daily Times Health Department rules can make an event organizer sick
12 comments:
You are incorrect in one part here. The Watertown chili cook off is regulated and all cooked within the confines of the SOB 11th floor kitchen. Ask the participants; everything is inspected.
This is what you people wanted. This is the government you called for, voted for, and bent over for. This is what your media supported and what you taught your kids in school. Respect authority and if it saves one lil' kid it is forever worth it. You are getting what you deserve. Personally, I'm glad to see it. I want you foks to wallow in the cushy little protected world that you've accepted for yourselves. I don't want to see any exceptions to the rule here. I think its about time the NYS Health Dept cracked down on this lawless activity. I would also expect them to stop the practice of allowing covered dish suppers at churches and weddings. The people have to be taught that government knows what is best for them. Betcha all the state employees who were involved in this raid will be off next week. They all get comp time for activities like this on weekends. Not only did you get your chili taken away. You payed dearly for the favor. Enjoy.
I remember when the Sackets Harbor reenactment was shut down a few years ago under similiar circumstances. Like the Canton party, the Sackets even had been going on for years. They had built up a hugh following, including tall ships and soldiers dressed in period costume. Then some State Park Czar figured out they were using black power (not to be confused with a racial issue, they use it in muskets)and the volunteer soldiers were sometimes General Brown students. Well that didn't set well with the State Park Czar, who proceeded to shut down the show with too little time for the organizers to appeal to someone with some sense. They recovered, but it took years. It never grew back to what it was from a reenactment point of view. But we were saved from what never happened.
I know a guy that died from chili. This is serious business.
There's an entire section up at Brookside reserved for chili deaths. You're right, 11:55, it is serial business. In the last 18 years, how many people have they lost in Canton alone? How many young children didn't get a chance to be born because their parents had a belly full of chili. The state is glad people like you are out there.
And a correction to 9:31. Most all the State Office Bldg chili is prepared somewhere else, then brought to the event. I can name a couple of the churches where the cooking took place. This is all just another step where for the good of all bureaucrats make decisions for the stupid masses. I'm so happy they're there for us.
Sorry 6:13, I was just trying to be funny.
You know Jeff just voted for free money from homeland security to get free Carbon monoxide detectors? Is there a section at Brookside for CO deaths?
But you know the cause of death I see a few of every year listed on NJ? Hunting and snowmobiling accidents. Yup...we need some laws there.
Morristown cookoff will go on as scheduled same as yours. It is done right by the law... Be assure Patty Ritchie will see or at least say she is responsible for seeing you get your cookoff. She did it in Morrsitown when its simpley done the way the DPH needs it done.. Still Ritchie will take her bows.
These cookoffs will go on until someone of stature complains. Then they well be raided and put in their places. Dept of Health couldn't destroy the one at the State Office Bldg cause it would piss off too many fat cats. But you can bet church suppers for minor churches and weddings for people who don't administer school districts better keep an eye on the back door. These laws will be enforced in an arbitrary basis. So make sure you haven't offended anyone in the SOB or in the Division of Chili Police.
Chili Police? Ain't they nearby to Rochester?
No your wrong.. Burns has a chili task force and so does Wells in SLC. They have a task force for everything today. You know Ogdensburg task force to save a prison to leave the COs alone there.. No inmates any more but still fully staffed. Pepsi taskforce yo know the Wrights of Ogdensburg.. They can sell their swill , keep the medicade doctors rich and dentists galore.. Tax the cigerettes folks and give the sodas a free ride.
I have to wonder why we have a kitchen on the 11th floor of the SOB, Is there one at City Hall?
11:08 is saying it perfectly. This will be an arbitrary situation. It already is. My advice is to include an important government figurehead in your group. Maybe a school official or a police guy or a union head. A teacher's group would be just beautiful. If you have one of those untouchables in your party you can eat your chili in peace. 11:08 is on it.
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