A matter of taste

Cooks get creative for festival contest

July 14, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

“There is only one iron-clad rule I’m going to give you concerning judging an Anything Butt contest,” Stephen Smith told 35 hungry-looking people gathered at Inn on the Square on Friday evening, “and that is have fun. If you don’t have fun, I’ll take away your food.”
The nearly three-dozen people, seated at six tables, were there to taste and judge food. But not just any food. The delicacies they were about to sample, and pass judgment upon, were prepared with much loving care and attention to detail by highly competitive members of the Kansas City Barbeque Society.
The only foods that could not be submitted for judging were desserts and the four staples of the KCBS: chicken, pork ribs, pork and beef brisket.
Shortly before the golf ball-sized portions were served on paper plates and eaten with fingers, Smith told the judges they were to give each item a score from 2 to 9, in appearance, taste and tenderness.
He then explained that every judge was to assume every item would be at least a 6, and grade up or down from that point.
After the 45-minute briefing by Smith, the food was carried to each table in Styrofoam take-out containers, and the restrained mass gorging began.
Carol Dienhart, from Charlotte, was about to judge her first Anything Butt contest.
“I’m really looking forward to this, because this is where the contestants are given a chance to be creative and do whatever they want to do,” Dienhart said. “I have no idea what we’re going to be judging tonight, but I know everything will probably be delicious.”
Before the tasting began, Smith explained that any rules, other than serving restricted food, were wide open and usually created by the contest organizer.
In addition to running the judging, Smith has judged countless Anything Butt contests and had a fair idea as to what the judges could expect to experience.
“We will probably have steak,” Smith said. “We will probably have shrimp, and we will probably have exotic food done to the point where the judges will not believe how well the cooks have done their job.”
What made the contest especially interesting was that the judges not only did not know who made what, but they also had no real idea what they were eating, or the contents of each recipe, until they were allowed to taste it.
While some items — like meatballs stuffed with cheddar cheese, jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon or quesadillas — were easy to identify, it was difficult for some judges to tell if they were about to eat crab cakes, salmon cakes or none of the above.
Greenwood Mayor Floyd Nicholson, who was among those asked to be a judge, said he had judged Anything Butt contests previously.
“Everything I’ve ever had at these contests has been wonderful,” Nicholson said. “It’s a tough job, because everything is so good and tasty.”

Now they're cookin'

Competitors show source of passion

July 14, 2007

By LARRY SINGER
Index-Journal staff writer

Late Friday afternoon, the delicate fragrance of exhaust fumes generated by automobiles traveling through Uptown Greenwood was replaced with the aroma of smoking pork, chicken and beef brisket.
The reason for the change was the arrival of dozens of cooks and their massive meat cookers as they prepared for the Kansas City Barbeque Society barbecue competition, which is an integral part of the Festival of Discovery.
One of the busiest competitors was Rob Bagby, who drove to Greenwood from Lake Wales, Fla.
While his meat was heated, Bagby was buffing his black cooker to a high gloss.
“This is my fourth year here,” Bagby said. “I first came up here because I wanted to come to South Carolina and see what it was all about. I met some wonderful people up here and I’ve been coming back ever since.”
Bagby, who is a special-education teacher in Lake Wales, got started with barbecue while raising funds for his classes.
“We won the Taster’s Choice award my first year here,” Bagby said. “But we haven’t won it again since, so I want to reclaim our title.”
One reason Bagby takes such pride in the appearance of his cooker is its unique construction and capabilities.
“This is called a stump smoker,” Bagby said. “I’ve got two of them, and they’re insulated like a refrigerator. Right now it’s coming up to about 225 degrees. The neat thing is it has what we call a gravity feed. You fill this chute up with charcoal, and I’ve got about 18 pounds of charcoal in there, and this thing will run from now — and this is Friday afternoon — until Sunday morning.”
Phillip Cobb, who was busy taking layers of canvas and cotton protective wrapping off his cooker, made the trip to Greenwood from Icard, N.C.
“We do the regular pig cook, babyback ribs, some whole brisket, and we’ll do a little chicken,” Cobb said.
Last year Cobb entered about a dozen barbecue competitions, and he said he came to Greenwood to enjoy a new experience.
“We’ve never been here before, so I thought I’d give it a try,” Cobb said. “It’s a beautiful little town you’ve got here.”
Jimmy Lovett got into competitive cooking because of his family.
“My father in-law has been doing it since 1989,” said Lovett, whose operation is called Smokin and Lovett. “I’m here to compete in all four categories of the KCBS event. I’ve never done a KCBS event, and I decided to come here and compete because Greenwood isn’t too far from my home in Augusta, Ga.”
Morris Hampton, who enters about 14 competitions annually, drove his cooker south from Blowing Rock, N.C.
Hampton said he came to Greenwood because of his experience during last year’s competition.
“We had a good time last year,” said Hampton, who will be cooking chicken, pork ribs, pork and beef brisket. “We came down and cooked it, so we thought we’d come back again this year for the barbecue cookoff.”
Hampton said he got started in competitive cooking because of the favorable comments of friends.
“I had been cooking in my back yard for eight or nine years and everybody enjoyed it,” Hampton said.”When some friends of mine said I ought to try my hand in competing, I took a second place cooking whole hog. And it’s like fishing: When you get a bite, you’re there to stay.”
Hampton said he had no special secret recipe for his meat to snag the attention of the judges. “We just cook it,” he said, “until it’s done.”

Obituaries

Prenquazious Dayquan Childs

Prenquazious Dayquan Childs, 228 Wheatfield Dr., infant son of Aneeka Childs and Chris Durant died Friday July 13, 2007 at his home.
The family is at the home.
Robinson & Son Mortuary, Inc. is assisting the Childs family.

Sallie Hawkins Goldman

Services for Sallie Hawkins Goldman will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Harley Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Alvin Hodges and the Rev. Jimmy Tucker officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be Jake Driver, Stan Johnson, George Rambo Jr., Bill Thomason, Anthony Burns and Ray Prince.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Sunday from 1 to 2 p.m.
The family is at the home, 205 Woodlawn Road.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to HospiceCare of the Piedmont, 408 W. Alexander Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646; Humane Society, PO Box 242, Greenwood, SC 29648 or to John de la Howe School, 192 Gettys Road, Highway 81, McCormick, SC 29835.
Mrs. Goldman, 78, of 205 Woodlawn Road, wife of James Luther Goldman, died Friday, July 13, 2007 at Hospice House. Born on October 11, 1928 in Rutherford County, NC, she was a daughter of the late Fred Oscar and Mary Geneva Hawkins.
Sallie was a dedicated assistant to Mr. E. L. Caldecott and a faithful assistant to Avis M. Caldecott. She actively demonstrated her citizenship by serving in The Republican Party in many levels and in various capacities. She was the first vice chairman of the Greenwood Republican Party during its beginnings in Greenwood County and was one of the ten charter members of the Greenwood Republican Women’s Party. She was elected to many offices and attended National Conventions as a delegate to Washington, DC, New Orleans and Seattle. Community service projects she cherished during her lifetime included John de la Howe, the Cancer Society and the Humane Society. Sallie was an active member of Rice Memorial Baptist Church.
She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Surviving are her husband of the home; three daughters, Clara Geneva Jan Johnson of Calhoun Falls, Helen Elizabeth Goldman of Auburn, AL, and Phila Ann Rambo of Bradley; grandchildren, SSgt. Travis John Capps of California, Kelly Rae Capps Driver of Calhoun Falls, George Bennett Rambo, III, Jamie Ann Rambo and Michelle Elizabeth Rambo, all of Bradley; great-grandchildren, Braydon Lance Capps and Sethan Drake Capps of California.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Roy Long

SALUDA — Roy Long, 90, of 296 Brushy Fork Road, died Thursday, July 12, 2007 at his residence.
Born in Saluda County and a son of the late William Walter and Blanche Ruff Long, he was the husband of the late Mary Elizabeth Long. He was a retired Dairy Farmer and owner of MaRoy Farms. He was a member of Pine Pleasant Baptist Church.
Surviving are a son, Roy D. (Danny) Long of Saluda; a daughter, Martha Anne Massey of Saluda; three grandchildren and a granddaughter-in-law, Benjamin Roy Massey, Elizabeth Anne Massey and Robert Lee Massey Jr. and Stephanie Allen Massey; two great-grandchildren, Robert Lee Massey III and Sophie Allen Massey; and a sister, Blanche Stanek of Hopkins.
The family will receive friends from 7 until 9 p.m., Saturday evening at Ramey Funeral Home. Funeral services will be 4 p.m., Sunday, July 15, 2007 at Zoar United Methodist Church with Rev. Michael Hood officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Care of South Carolina, 404 Batesburg Highway, Saluda, SC 29138.

Margaret Medlock

BELTON — Margaret Bradley Strawhorn Medlock, 86, widow of Elbert Lee Medlock, of C-19 Oak Forest Apartments, died Friday July 13, 2007 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Laurens County she was a daughter of the late Milton G. and Effie Roper Strawhorn. She was a member of Columbia Baptist Church, and a homemaker.
Surviving are two sons, Edward Medlock of Simpsonville and Charles R. Medlock of Honea Path; four daughters, Frances Gambrell of Anderson, Barbara Coker of Belton, Betty Wells of Greenwood, and Brenda Bryant of Pelzer; one brother, James Strawhorn of Honea Path; one sister, Sara Davis of North Augusta; sixteen grandchildren, twenty eight great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral Services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Columbia Baptist Church with the Rev. Dale Hart and the Rev. Kenneth Whitt officiating. Burial will follow at Columbia Baptist Church Cemetery.
The body is at Pruitt Funeral Home and will be placed in the church 2 p.m. Sunday. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Pruitt Funeral Home. The family will be at the home of her daughter Barbara Coker, 10621 Augusta Road in Belton.

Richard ‘Chuck’ E. Ross Jr.

CAMPSPRINGS, Md. — Richard Ross Jr., 34, of CampSprings, Md. died July 5, at his home. He was born in Washington, DC, Dec. 10, 1972 a son of Richard Ross Sr. and Jeanette Thomas Ross. He was a graduate of Crosslend High School and was employed as a Day Care Director.
Surviving are his parents of the home; two brothers, Melvin Ross of Woodbridge, Va., and Rishawn Ross of CampSprings , Md.; a Goddaughter, Jamia Cloud of Fort Washington, Md.; a special friend, Lynn Harley of Maryland; his Grandmother, Eula Mae Thomas of Greenwood; eight aunts, eight uncles, one great aunt and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. from Grace Community Church with Pastor Rod Schultz officiating. Burial will be in Oakbrook Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be Uncles. Flower bearers will be Friends of the family.
Online condolences may be sent to pertompfh1@earthlink.net.
The family is at the home of his Grandmother, Eula Mae Thomas, 1305 Henderson Street, Greenwood.
The Ross family has graciously allowed Percival-Tompkins to serve them.

Elsie Smith

A memorial service for Elsie Horne Smith will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, July 14, in the Sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Greenwood, 722 Grace Street. Immediately following the service, the family will receive friends in the Fellowship Hall of the church.

CORRECTION

For the obituary of Valerie Patterson in Friday’s paper, there was an error in the information submitted to The Index-Journal. Valerie Patterson was born in Abbeville County and was preceded in death by a daughter, Jasmine Patterson.

Opinion

More than half a year needed to pay our taxes

July 14, 2007

Look around your home, your yard, your business, your job, your automobile ..... the list could go on and on. What can you spot that is not taxed in one way or another? Chances are there are few things, if any, to fit that category.
That might be frustrating, of course, but there’s something even more depressing. That’s realizing the number of days in the year it takes the average South Carolina taxpayer to pay off his or her share of state, local, and federal taxes. And, according to the Americans for Tax Reform organization, it’s even more sobering when the costs of regulations are factored in.
Each year since these statistics have been kept, it takes more days out of the year for Americans to pay all of our taxes.

THIS YEAR THAT DAY DIDN’T come for the average American until July 11. It’s not hard to see that we work more than half a year just to pay taxes. What’s left has to cover all other expenses, from purchasing consumer goods to paying college tuition for our children ..... and then some.
The COGD (Cost of Government Day) report further notes that the average South Carolina taxpayer had to work 183 days - July 2 - to pay his or her tax bills. It also says that taxes in the Palmetto State have increased by a cumulative $257,400,000 since fiscal year 2002.
Grover Norquist, president of the taxpayer group says, “Without significant reform of entitlement programs and fiscal restraint, taxpayers can expect their cost of government burden to continue rising.”

TAKING THE HISTORY OF taxing into consideration, that should not surprise anyone. Entitlement programs, particularly, have a way of multiplying in numbers and in dollars spent. While there may be arguments to support some entitlement programs, one result of those programs should be worrisome to all taxpayers. That’s the lesson they teach our young. Children are growing up with the attitude they are entitled ..... that it’s government’s responsibility to take care of them.
Consequently, they never learn the importance and the value of “earning” a living and contributing to society instead of being a drain.
That’s only one concern, though. There are more. Certainly there are enough to concern taxpayers about having to work more than half a year for government before they work for themselves and their families.