Ten professionals — including the world’s top female eater — are competing for $4,000 in cash prizes to see who can consume up to 12 pounds of Sunnyvalley Meats bacon in six minutes on the second dTay of the  first ever Baconfest Festival June 18-19 at Dell’Osso Family Farms.
Due to a large intetest, the amateur contest planned for the day prior on Saturday, June 18, at 1:15 p.m. has 40 participants. There will be four heats with the top eaters of two pounds of bacon in 90 seconds advancing immediately to the finals where they have to repeat the feat.
And just like the professionals, they are disqualified if they throw up.
Leading the field appearing on Father’s Day in Lathrop is Miki Sudo of Las Vegas. She’s the world’s No. 1 ranked competitive female eater and the No., 3 overall based on Major League Eating rankings
She has a long list of top three finishes in competitive  eating  events involving everything from wolfing down 18 12-ounce burritos in 10 minutes (second place) and 61 tamales in 12 minutes (first place) to 13.75 pounds of pumpkin pie in 8 minutes (second place).
Siudo is also the 2014 champ (34 hot dogs) and current champ (38 hot dogs) in 10 minutes for the women’s version of the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York City.
Top prize at the Baconfest for the pros is $2,000 for first, $1,000 for second, $500 for third, $350 for fourth, and $150 for fifth.
Other pro-competitive eaters and their overall world rankings committed to the Baconfest are Michelle Lesco ( #7) of Tucson; Erik Denmark (#9 ) of Seattle;  Juan Rodriguez (#13) of Crestwood, IL; Steve Hendry (#15) Dixon west of Sacramento;  Lesley Ryder (#34) of Los Angeles; Andrew Gutierrez, San Francisco; Douglas Ecks, Las Vegas; and Jon Davis, Antioch.
The bacon they eat — as well as what guests will consume in at least 20 different bacon dishes that will be available — will be from Sunnyvalley Meats in Manteca.
The event will feature 20 bands over two days on two different days. Organizers have lined up 20 microbreweries, more than 100 commercial/arts and crafts vendors plus are staging free kids activities. Also on tap are cooking demonstrations featuring Sysco chefs from all other the country using “The Ultimate Culinary Kitchen” featuring a 92-foot long truck that has a self-contained kitchen.
Other activities run the gamut from pig racing to a wine pavilion.
Tickets are $25 for those 15 years and older, $12.50 for children 6 to 14, and children under 6 free. The ticket includes one day general admission, all stage events, and band performances. Parking is free.
The event is Saturday June 18, with the gates open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 19, with the gates open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Attractions close later both days.
Tickets are limited. More information can be found at baconfest.com
It is located at the Manthey Road in Lathrop between the San Joaquin River and Interstate 205 interchange along Interstate 5.

SHARP volunteers:
Manteca’s
unsung heroes
They get taken for granted way too often by the general public.
But when it comes to making Manteca Police as effective and efficient as possible, they play a key role.
“They” are the Manteca Police Department’s Seniors Helping Area Residents and Police (SHARP) volunteers.
Imagine what Manteca would be like without them.
They remove signs posted illegally on light poles and such. They conduct requested vacation checks of homes. They provide additional eyes for police patrolling school areas, neighborhoods, and commercial areas. They help eradicate graffiti and assist with the towing of ava. They patrol the Tidewater Bikeway
They handle clerical duties in the records department, deliver paperwork to the courts, and assist in numerous other ways including traffic control during parades.
There is one aspect of their volunteer work that is often overlooked by the general public. That’s responding on a  moment’s notice 24/7 to provide traffic control at major crime, accident, and fire scenes to free up sworn personnel to handle more pressing duties. Often it can mean getting out of bed at 1:30 a.m. and staying on scene for six hours.
The SHARP Rapid Response Team spent over three hours helping with road closure during Sunday’s house fire along Airport Way.
They do it without compensation while sometimes getting lip from irked motorists that don’t like being asked to turn around or take as detour due to an emergency.
Among the volunteers that consistently step up at the last second to help keep Manteca safer even if it is in the wee hours of the morning are SHARP members  Bill Terry, Gary Colby, Stephen Tompkins, Almo Qusada, Rich Silverman and Joanne Spellman.
Altogether more than 60 volunteers donate a combined 21,00o plus hours to Manteca each year.

Harris looking
for copy of book
by Dennis Weaver
“Mis-ter Dil-lon, Mis-ter Dil-lon.”
Those two words spoken repetitively by the late Dennis Weaver in his role as Deputy Chester Goode with a slight limp earned him a place in the heart of “Gunsmoke” fans forever.
He helped bring the West into the rooms of American families as part of the longest running prime-time TV series in history.
Weaver also was deputy Sam McCloud in the “McCloud” series about a Taos, New Mexico deputy assigned to the New York City Police Department. In that series that ran from 1970-77, Weaver’s signature line was “there you go again.”
Weaver could also be part of a Manteca version of Trivial Pursuit. He spent one year in Manteca attending Yosemite School from 1937-38.
What brings this up is Manteca history buff — retired probation officer and former Manteca City Councilman John  Harris — is trying to rundown a book Weaver authored that he loaned out for someone to read years ago and forgot about it.
He has ordered a new copy of “All the World is a Stage” but would really like to find his original copy given Weaver autographed it to him.
Weaver’s first job as a youth was helping clean the El Rey Theatre that was converted 16 years ago into Kelly Brothers Brewing Co., and is now shuttered in downtown Manteca.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com