The inviting smell drifted out onto the streets in Imperial Beach. Neighbors were drawn into the San Diego County Library branch by the aroma to sample the culinary creations of local public safety groups and meet the people who protect their community.
The Imperial Beach Library held its 5th annual chili cook off last night in an event designed to let people mingle with their local emergency services personnel and get to know them on a more personal level.
“This is a pretty good turnout and this is awesome,” said Sgt. William Amavisca of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department. “This is something different other than firefighting, being a lifeguard or law enforcement and it helps us find a common ground.
“It gets us in touch with the community and people like to come and talk to us about cooking.”
Amavisca was there to “defend” his last place finish from last year. He was competing against the Imperial Beach Fire Department and the Imperial Beach Lifeguard Service in the competition, which was judged by community members.
“I’m not much of a cook. I like to cook, but I’m not much of one,” he said. “I did some internet research and I had an idea of what I wanted to do but I wanted to do something a little different.”
He settled on using chorizo to give his chili a more Hispanic flavor. In the end, he still finished last as Adam Wraight from the lifeguards took top honors followed by William Buchanon from the fire department.
June Engel, the branch librarian, said the original chili cook off was a twice-a-year challenge with the Alpine branch library but it got too difficult for competing departments to participate so each library now has its own event.
“It’s a great event,” she said. “People get to taste some chili, there’s educational value and meet-and-greets (with local law enforcement).”
As part of the event, one of the local departments gives a presentation after the judging. This year the lifeguards talked about what they do in the community. Last year, the Sheriff’s Department did a sidewalk CPR demonstration.
“Everyone gets to meet them and get a chance to talk,” said Engel.
The event was also a chance for the library to show off the just-unveiled drawings of the new library that will replace the current one, which opened in 1967.
“In October hopefully the remodeling of the Boys and Girls Club will be completed, which will be our temporary location, and we’ll move the library into that and we’ll start the demolition of this building here,” she said. “We hope to have a groundbreaking in December and hope to have everything completed by September, 2016.
The new library will triple the size of the current one and will be a zero-net energy building that will supply its own power.
The design won raves from those in attendance and features a “wave” design to the glass at the center of the building.
“It’s very Imperial Beach,” said Engel. “Imperial Beach is a very welcoming and very open town and this design captures that essence with the wave-type look.”
