Meet Chief Justice Dick Kapash

Dick is a retired business executive who, with his wife Edith, founded SOLA Optical in Petaluma in 1979. He is a director and immediate past president of the Cinnabar Theater board as well as current president of the board of his local homeowners association.

Having spent much of his business life traveling internationally and taking pleasure in sampling food from all over the world, his palate is refined to the point where he is ready to lead the judging of the Great Petaluma Chili Cook-off. This is Dick's forth year leading the judging, "I can't get enough of those fine Chili dishes, the recipes are always a refreshing surprise," says Dick “and the chili, salsa and beer keep getting better each year!”

Meet Judge Yovanna Bieberich

Yovanna Bieberich is a staff writer for the Petaluma Argus-Courier, a post she's held for the past seven years.

She grew up in San Jose, but traded the concrete jungle for the cow pastures of Sonoma County in 1989. She's a 1990 graduate of Sonoma Valley High School and earned a bachelor's degree in communication studies from Sonoma State University in 2000. She began her career in journalism at the Sonoma State Star and the Sonoma County Independent, now the North Bay Bohemian. The Argus-Courier snatched her up shortly after graduating from SSU.

"Those were really my formative chili-making years" and ever since then Yovanna has kept an ample supply of fixins for spur of the moment chili making. "I make a fine bowl of chili if I do say so myself," she added. When not making chili, Yovanna keeps herself busy with wedding planning (the big day is April 7). She also sings on the worship team of Petaluma Christian Church.

Having been a chili judge before, Yovanna is looking forward to participating in the 10th anniversary of the Great Petaluma Chili Cook-off. "C'mon Petaluma! Feed me some chili!"

Meet Judge Meloni Courtway

Winner of Martha Stewart’s Best Baker in America contest, aspiring TV food host and all around good spirit in the kitchen. Meloni began her career with food at the CCA in San Francisco. She was raised in West Marin and after traveling east with the United States Coast Guard, which her husband is an active member of, she has returned home to settle in Petaluma, for awhile. She is now a blogger for the Argus Courier in Petaluma covering baking and food subjects for the Petaluma area and contributing as many recipes as she can find. She is also currently very involved in a friends gourmet and organic catering company, Indian Peach Foods. She is a former food and family writer for a The Times Herald in Port Huron, Michigan and continues to work on her food writing and recipe collections now that she is back in Petaluma.

Meloni won Martha Stewart’s Best baker in America 2005 and cooked her winning Petaluma Persimmon & White Chocolate Bread Pudding, live on air with Martha herself. She is a mom and a wife and loves both of her guys!

Meet Judge Glenn Cybulski

Meet Judge Ziggy the Wine Gal

Ziggy “The Wine Gal” Eschliman — whose award-winning wine radio shows are broadcast on both coasts — has the brightest, most refreshing voice in wine and spirits today. This groovy guru of libation locks formal pretense in the cellar and embraces the pure fun and pleasures essential to enjoying wine. “Most wine lovers value quality and like good wine but dislike the stuffiness and ritual often associated with it; that’s where I come in!” beams Ziggy. Whether it’s bubbly, Bordeaux or Zinfandel, vodka or tequila, Ziggy knows the dirt: the who, the what, the where and the why in every bottle.Ziggy is a seasoned journalist, a highly sought-after guest speaker, a dynamic lecturer and an advocate for the good life. As an educator and a wine judge, she earns high marks and seamlessly weaves her diverse knowledge with a sense of whimsy and spontaneity.

Meet Judge David Glass

In David's words "It is my pleasure to serve as a judge of the Chili Cook-off. This will be a difficult task as I don't believe I have ever tasted an entry that I did not like. They start at really good and go to great. I tend to like it hot but as Harry Truman said if you can't take the heat stay out of the kitchen.

“I love Cinnabar, Chili, and Salsa so this is not only a must do event but obviously one of my favorite days of the year. I want to thank Cinnabar for all of the work they do in our community with our youth, the school program, and the family entertainment they bring to our community. Every contestant is a winner simply by being here today.”

“I want to wish all of the contestant's good luck, and I truly am just glad to be able to help. I hope you will enjoy this event as much as I do”

Meet Judge Lisa Lavagetto

Lisa married into a first generation Italian family. Her husband's grandmother was from Genoa and was a chef in a hotel on Lake Como and Lisa learned many of her skills from her. She has worked over the years with many caterers and restaurants and is currently General Manager of Ramekins Sonoma Valley Culinary School. Lisa is also an instructor of both public and private cooking classes.

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Meet Judge Jason Jenkins

Jason Jenkins is a native of Petaluma and has been in the food and wine industry since his first job at Foster Freeze in 1983. He graduated with honor’s from UC Davis in 1991 and still maintains that Davis still has the best hamburger in the state. He has travelled to 51 countries tasting the culinary delights of many nations and loves to cook. He is a wine-writer and you can find his column in the community section of the Argus Courier where he talks about wine and does restaurant reviews. Jason is the owner of Vine and Barrel Wine Shop on Kentucky Street in Petaluma

Meet Judge Holly Rudin-Braschi

Holly Rudin-Braschi, is author of Grill Power www.grillpower.com the first and still most comprehensive book for indoor electric grills, which has sold over 50,000 copies. An American College of Sports Medicine certified health, fitness, and nutrition lecturer, Holly is a sought after speaker and culinary instructor by major corporations, health organizations, and cooking schools throughout the USA where she presents her Feasting in the Fast Lane® programs at Apple Computer, 3M, Chevron, American Cancer Society, Sur La Table and many others. A frequent guest on both TV and radio throughout the US, Canada and Europe, Holly has entertained audiences with her language facility in French, Italian, German and Greek. Holly has also appeared as a spokesperson for culinary appliances on QVC, generating over $10 Million in sales.

Holly travels the world to write food, nutrition and travel articles that appear regularly in national newspapers and magazines including Cooking Light, Prevention, Sunset Every Season Magazine (Safeway stores) and on numerous websites. Holly holds a Bachelors Degree from Vassar College and a Masters Degree from the Manhattan School of Music. In addition, she studied nutrition at California State University at Hayward and holds a German certification from Middlebury College in Vermont. Holly also speaks Italian, French, as well as basic Norwegian and Greek.

To become better acquainted with Holly, visit her on the web at www.grillpower.com

Meet Judge Pamela Torliatt

Pamela Torliatt is a fourth generation Petaluman and has served the public for the last 13 years: from 1993 to 1996 as a Petaluma Planning Commissioner and for the last nine years as a Petaluma City Councilmember. She is now the Mayor of Petaluma.

Pamela was born and raised in Petaluma and attended local public schools. In 1989, she graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Upon graduation she returned home where she entered the political arena with help from then-Petaluma City Councilmember Lynn Woolsey and became active as a Treasurer for Sonoma County National Women's Political Caucus.

Meet Judge Frances Rivetti

Frances Rivetti is a frequent contributor to her home town Petaluma Magazine, and this British/American international freelance writer’s by-line can be found from time to time within the pages of the Argus Courier on a wealth of local lifestyle topics. With a half-acre of syrah planted on her West Petaluma backyard hillside, Frances frequently finds herself acting out the role of grape-stomping girl Friday for wine maker husband, Timo. Harvest suppers are a specialty in the Rivetti household, and Frances favors spicy homemade Chili as a hearty Fall feast. “I make a mean cornbread muffin, too,” says Frances. “Corn kernels, buttermilk and freshly chopped rosemary.” Currently contributing to Marie Claire Magazine Australia, Frances enjoys uncovering the diverse flavors of the world on her international travels. On the home front: “We have enjoyed many years of Cinnabar’s exceptional summer programs, as a Petaluma family” says Frances. With three school-aged sons in Petaluma’s public education system, Frances is aptly cast as publicist of the Petaluma Educational Foundation. Her popular Sonoma Country Life daily blog can be found at francesrivetti.typepad.com.

Meet Judge Heather Irwin Heather Irwin is the mouth behind BiteClub, a food and dining column and online blog for the Press Democrat. Her writing has appeared in Wine & Spirits Magazine, Imbibe, Edible San Francisco and the San Francisco Chronicle.

Meet Judge Mike Harris

Mike Harris is a City Councilman elected in 2002 and was re-elected as the top vote getter in 2006. Mike was the Vice Mayor of Petaluma in 2005 and has served on many boards, committees and commissions on behalf of Petaluma. Mike is the current representative on the Sonoma County Transportation Authority for Petaluma. Mike is a first year judge as looks forward to the various samplings from the community