The Suffolk Ruritans have polished up their pots and pans and they’ll begin cooking 5,000 pounds of large Nixon’s Seafood shrimp next Wednesday evening. Nixon’s is well-known in Suffolk and northeastern North Carolina for quality seafood.

The &uot;Master Chef Extraordinaire,&uot; as he is known by many, is Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr., whose daytime job is serving citizens of Suffolk in a much different manner. When he’s not out in the kitchen, he’s the city’s sheriff.

Isaacs’ reputation as a chef is widespread since he’s been cooking up some of the best in pies, cakes and many other foods for years. He once had a &uot;snack bar&uot; at the Village Auction Barn where people lined up for his sandwiches and desserts.

A long-time member and past president of the Suffolk Ruritans, Isaacs began cooking the shrimp up for the club’s annual fund raiser about eight years ago. Once he took over the icing, preparation and cooking, it was a fact set in stone from then on; Isaacs was the head of all Shrimp Feast cuisine.

This year, as always, Suffolk Ruritans will serve up huge plates, piled deep with succulent shrimp cooked to perfection, southern fried chicken that would make any southern mom proud, and North Carolina-style barbecue to write home about. Add to that all the trimmings like cole slaw, baked beans, those ubiquitous hush puppies, and drums of iced tea.

Isaacs and his team of cooks are more enthusiastic than ever about this year’s Shrimp Feast. They are marking the club’s &uot;Silver Anniversary Shrimp Feast,&uot; and they want to make it the best ever.

&uot;We have some of the best shrimp we’ve ever had,&uot; said Isaacs. &uot;We contracted with Nixon’s Seafood for the shrimp this year and they are beautiful, large-size shrimp.

&uot;We’re proud of our Shrimp Feast this year and we want everyone to come out and enjoy themselves with some great foods and music and great fellowship.&uot;

Of course, &uot;Fat Ammons Band,&uot; is returning this year by popular demand. They provide a fantastic show with oldies rock ‘n roll and some of the best &uot;Motown&uot; around.

Once Fat Ammons rocks the crowd, the ever popular &uot;Wooden Nickel Band&uot; takes the stage to rock out on some country and western, and a little bit of their own special rock ‘n’ roll stylings.

&uot;Island Boy&uot; has been an annual favorite for a couple of years now, and again this year, they will rock the stage as they shake up the crowd of more than 5,000 people with their own special rock sounds.

There will be beverages available other than iced tea, also, for those 21 years and older. Deputies from the Sheriff’s Department will place bands around the wrists of those imbibing so that no one under age is served anything other than tea or sodas.

Deputies from Suffolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth will also be on hand to provide security so that participants can have a safe and enjoyable time.

Proceeds from this event are returned to citizens of the city through the gift of scholarships and many donations to organizations like the Salvation Army, the Suffolk Chapter of the American Red Cross, Boy and Girl Scouts.

Tickets for this event, the largest party in the city each year, are available at locations across the city including

The Bank of Hampton Roads, Oliver’s Grocery, the Chamber of Commerce, First Federal Savings Bank of Virginia, or from any member of the Suffolk Ruritans.