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A Mexican food booth is one of about 16 booths eliminated from the 1997 Kosciusko County 4-H & Community Fair as a result of a new policy.
The El Taco Loco booth operated by Our Lady of Guadalupe Church of Milford received a letter from the fair association explaining the food booth would not be allowed at this summer's fair.
Although the letter did not explain reasons behind the decision, fair officials said Friday it was because of the booth's appearance and a new policy that reduces the number of temporary food booths to protect permanent food vendors.
Steve Trump, fair board president, said owners of the permanent food stands pay year-round to maintain their buildings, and regularly help out at the fairgrounds when needed. This year the fair board raised the fees for those booths, and in return cut the number of temporary booths that compete during fair week.
Last year the fair featured approximately 30 temporary food booths, he said, and this year will have about 14.
Annett Gutierrez, who operates El Taco Loco with Mandy Vuittonet for the church, recently wrote a letter to the editor of the Times-Union questioning the fair board's decision.
The church operated the food booth for three years as part of its effort to generate money for a new church that will be constructed along Ind. 15 south of Milford.
The lack of concrete reasons in the fair board's letter led operators of the booth to believe it might be an issue of prejudice.
"Last year they tried to tell us they lost our registration and we threw a fit and had to go to this person and that person and the other one before they actually found our registration," Gutierrez said.
"They've given us nothing but trouble the last few years we've tried to be there," she said.
"We kept our area clean and followed all the rules. We didn't do anything" to merit their dismissal, she said.
"Nothing was meant to be harmful or hurtful to anybody," Trump said, a sentiment echoed by the board's vice president, Kim Leake.
"It is no discrimination whatsoever, absolutely not, no way, shape or form," Leake said Friday.
He said the booth was rejected in part because of the unattractive appearance of the trailer and because the church was not willing to pay for an additional lot to park the van that pulls the trailer.
Trump said the committee that chose this year's food vendors asked for photos of the booths and looked for vendors who had neat, attractive stands.
