Thursday, August 17, 2006

This will be the last CHN until Tuesday. We’ll be headed down the road a piece to attend the Virgin Islands cookoff this weekend. The new flight regulations will prevent taking the laptop and I don’t know if there will be Internet access.

If there are any pressing issues, please use my cell phone. Otherwise, I’ll see y’all online late Monday evening.

NEWS

“Just a reminder Thursday, August 17th is deadline for registering without a $15 fee. You can e-mail me your registration if you would like. Thanks to all who have registered. We are looking forward to seeing you in Austin!!” (Ruby Ross)

FORUM

“It is really funny that this particular forum started out ONLY about cooking after qualified and ended up about the amount of cooks and cookoffs. There are a lot of us out there that are not World Champions and not automatically qualified every year for TICC, only cook when want to and usually that would be State type cook offs.

There is bunch of us that fight every weekend to get those points and try like ….. to support every cook off that is their area and sometime out of the area, but unfortunately life come before chili cooking and hurts the amount of people that participate at any particular event. There are also some that believe that collecting 100’s of points is cool. I have no problem with that, except when it really starts hurting the ability of those cooks that are struggling to support CASI at TICC. The fewer that qualify the less money, the less in the 320, the more for other venues.

Yes, We are a bigger State and we might have 3-4 cook offs in one area but that at least gives those people that do not have but maybe one to have the advantage of being able to qualify to cook at TICC.

If we start re-arranging points and qualifications for every State this could and really might hurt CASI – financial, representation, sponsors and may give a big boost to other organizations that want more of that piece of pie.” (Sherrie Davis)

POTPOURRI

Happy Birthday to Kay Hutson and Anne Strack. Also, best wishes to Mike Strack, Jerry and Donell Dickerson, Vic Powell, and Pat Moriarity who will be celebrating birthdays and anniversaries over the weekend.

“The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it.” - Patrick Young


News items and pictures for the CHN can be emailed to pepperdean@ctesc.net

posted by Alan @ 7:37 AM

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

NEWS

“Peggy Robbins lost her short battle with cancer on Friday, August 11, 2006. She fought valiantly, but cancer can prove to be a very tough foe. Her wish was to be cremated. A Celebration Of Life service will be held for her at Ben F. Brown's Memorial Funeral Home, 707 North MacArthur Blvd., Irving on Saturday, September 2, 2006 at 10:30 A.M. If you have a special picture of Peggy, or a story you can share, please let Ken know and it can be added to the presentation at the service. You can reach Ken Robbins at Robbinskg@aol.com. He must receive these by August 28th.After the service, this celebration of life will continue at Lake Lewisville, at the pavilion, one of Peggy's favorite places. Food and drink will be provided at the lake, however a covered dish would be most appreciated. Please let Ken (Robbinskg@aol.com), Doris Coats (redcoats@hotmail.com) or Carol Knight (knight_cj@hotmail.com) know if you can attend this part of the service so that we can sufficiently plan. EVERYONE IS INVITED.” (Carol Knight)

Thank you to the folks who continue to send credentials and strive to resolve remaining issues. Let’s keep up the good work so no pods have problems with being seated at the Great Peppers Meeting.

All credentials must be received and issues resolved by August 30. Time is short so let’s all work together to get this done. Inaccurate and incomplete information forces CASI to publish reports for the pods two times, instead of once, and to mail the second set. This is a very expensive proposition.

As of today, we are still looking for credentials from the following pods: ACES, Alpine Chili Society, Capital, Chillini, Colorado, Empire State, Golden Triangle, Houston, Iowa, Keystone State, Mason Dixon, MO-KAN, Old Dominion, Pacific, Pod of the Pass, Route 66, Ruidoso, SACA, and Virgin.

Great Peppers have been notified and are hopefully working to resolve issues for the following pods: Black Gold, CAP-CASI, Central Texas, CASI, CHOA, Cowtown, DAM, Desert Breeze, Green Country, High Desert, La CASI Louisianne, New Mexico Chili Society, NOB, Pasadena, Pepe’s, Piedmont Pepper, POR, Red River Valley, SAP-CASI, Space City, Tall In Texas, Thousand Trails Tawakoni, Top Of Texas, VASA, and Yavapai.

If you are in any of these pods, you might want to check with the Great Pepper and see if you can help.

RESULTS & UPCOMINGS

“The results for the Rochester (Webster) cookoff on August 12 were:

1. Ann Grossman - Corning, NY
2. Bob Griffin - Endicott, NY
3. Mike Matteo - Rochester, NY
4. Pasquale Conca - Wolcott, NY
5. Rocky Rockwell - Rochester, NY
6. Jeremy Neitzel - Rochester, NY
7. Pete Scibetta - Webster, NY
8. Holly Folk-Withers - Rochester, NY
9. Jimmy Klein - Rochester, NY
10. Dave Grossman - Corning, NY

Showmanship Winner:

Calico Jack's Pyrate Chili - Mike Matteo”
(Rocky Rockwell)

FORUM

We have tried really hard to get cookoffs in our area and we do have a hard time getting fifteen cooks. We are trying to get younger cooks and they cannot drive 2-3 hours to get to a cookoff. If Texas goes to 25 cooks, you will lose pods here in Texas, as we all do not live in large areas.” (Mavis Nelson)

“I agree with Ken Peach. Arizona has the same problem getting 15 cooks and certainly a 25 cook minimum would kill all of the Pods in Arizona. We "Out of Staters" might as well put all out chili gear up for sale and find another charity to help raise funds for. My idea is raise the minimum number of cooks in Texas to 25 and also raise the minimum number of points required to qualify in Texas to 15 points. As noted in Bill Pierson's tally over half of all cook offs are in Texas, so the required extra points would also encourage more entrants at a cook off for the Texas folks.” (Tom Klug)

“All of Texas is not in favor of the change to 25 cooks. In Amarillo if it were 25 cooks we would probably only have 1 cook-off a year so we are not in favor of any change to this rule. In the larger area's it would be fine because they have 2 or more cook-offs on some weekends but not other area's. As a result of a change I feel that CASI would be the LOSER. I think they would lose many small pods also these small cook-offs still contribute the $2.00 a cook, so they would lose that money to. I know we are here to help charities raise money and so many of them are in need that they are glad to get any money that they can and the exposure that they can. This would not only hurt CASI but charities to. Please remember CASI IS NOT ONLY A TEXAS ORGANIZATION and represents many other states.

I'm glad this is only a forum and everyone has an opinion good or bad.” (Vickie Childers)

POTPOURRI

Happy Birthday to David Horn, Jerry King, and Tom Yarbrough.

“We live in a time of transition, an uneasy era which is likely to endure for the rest of this century. During the period we may be tempted to abandon some of the time-honored principles and commitments which have been proven during the difficult times of past generations. We must never yield to this temptation. Our American values are not luxuries, but necessities - not the salt in our bread, but the bread itself.” - Jimmy Carter




News items and pictures for the CHN can be emailed to pepperdean@ctesc.net

posted by Alan @ 6:57 AM

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

NEWS

The ballots are all set. Your candidates are: CASI Director – Garnier Albus, Bill Pierson, Jim Ezell, Bucky Sellig, Ed Blair; Executive Director – Alan Dean; Great Pepper of the Year – Dale Reinecker, Ken Peach, Carrie Kinnison.

RESULTS & UPCOMINGS

The cookoffs scheduled at Ms. Tracy’s, in Terlingua, on September 2 &3, appear to have been cancelled. Ms. Tracy has moved away and her property has been sold. The organizer and venue for this event are no longer there.

FORUM

“It appears that Texas cooks seem to have the problem with the “15 cook provision” in the rules and furthermore it sounds like there are way too many cookoffs in Texas. Therefore, I think there should be a special rule for Texas - - 25 cooks and leave things as they are for the rest of the country.

We can’t have it both ways. CASI is suppose to be an international organization that is responsive to the needs of cooks and organizers in all States; not just Texas. However, if you guys really want CASI to be a “Texas only” organization then make all the rule changes you want to accomplish that objective.

Who benefits in the end?? The answer is the International Chili Society.” (Beverly King)

“Instead of messing with the points system select the number of cooks need for a sanctioned cook off by the number of points needed to qualify.

12 point state = 25 cooks
9 point state = 20 cooks
6 point state = 15 cooks.

This eliminates the small cook offs in Texas and states having trouble getting cooks have the same chance to get enough cooks. The exception is the 9-point states (sounded like some of them struggle to get enough cooks too) and maybe they should have 15 cooks as well.” (Kyle Haberman)

POTPOURRI

Happy Birthday to Louis Gonzales and Jamie Rohr.

“The advice of friends must be received with a judicious reserve; we must not give ourselves up to it and follow it blindly, whether right or wrong.” - Pierre Charron




News items and pictures for the CHN can be emailed to pepperdean@ctesc.net

posted by Alan @ 7:36 AM

Monday, August 14, 2006

NEWS

Peggy Robbins passed away Friday, August 11, 2006. Peggy will be cremated and a memorial service will be held. The memorial service will be 10:30 AM Sat., Sept. 2, 2006, Brown's Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, 707 N. MacArthur Blvd., Irving, TX 75061, 972-254-4242.

She was a fun and beautiful person and will be missed. Cards can be sent to Ken at:

Ken Robbins2040 Biscayne Dr Lewisville, TX 75067-7419
972-315-0889. He could use our chili family's support at this difficult time. (Carol Knight and Dale Reinecker)

“Ray Calhoun reports that Don Luckenbill of Denver, Colorado passed away on August 5th. He was a two time Colorado Champion and very involved in the Pod's inception.” (Debbie Eiland Turner)

RESULTS & UPCOMINGS

“The results are in for the 29th Annual Texas Open CCO, held on August 12th at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Conroe, Texas. The event was sponsored and organized by Houston Area Pods, with the honorable Ralph Hay serving as TXO Committee Chairman. There were 150 cooks registered and 143 chilis turned in. Here are the winners:

1st Cindy Reed-Wilkins Houston
2nd Julie Cloninger Deer Park
3rd Roy Davis Pasadena
4th Bruce Pinnel San Antonio
5th Chelita Riley Johnson City
6th Ken Shotwell Houston
7th Sue Caffey Rockdale
8th Jean Barkley Weimar
9th Teena Miller Baytown
10th Maxine Reed Schertz
11th Doris Greenlees Houston
12th Ce Ce Mathews Houston
13th Larry Haskovec Waxahachie
14th Pat Krenek Houston
15th Sherrie Davis South Houston
16th Connie Collier Snyder
17th Bob Lisherness San Antonio
18th Doyle Smith San Antonio
19th Earl Gorhum Montgomery
20th Mary Rowe Hunstville

SHOW

1st Kathryn Cavender Sugarland
2nd Jo Bachmeyer Houston
3rd Ray Calhoun Waxahachie

Congrats to all. And thanks to all the warm hearted, generous cooks who came from all over Texas and donated time, effort and money. Terlingua Trails Editor, Bucky Seelig has asked that local newsletter writers send him pictures and print with all the details for a cover story, PRONTO. We will deliver. See Ya'll in the Trails and on the Chili Trail and Thanks Again!” (Don Meehan)

FORUM

“Because it's important to have accurate information to discuss an issue, I have come up with some numbers. I found a way to extract the information Bud requested.
Since I thought it important to look at a whole Chili Year, I looked at CASI cookoffs held from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006, all 594 of them. Of those 594 cookoffs, 275 (46.3%) had 15 - 19 cooks and 99 (16.7%) had 20 - 24 cooks. So, well over half (63.0%) of our cookoffs had less than 25 cooks.

I'm sure it's no surprise that the state of Texas accounted for over half (367) of the cookoff queried. If you consider the non-Texas cookoffs the percentages are higher. Fifty-eight percent of non-Texas cookoffs had 15 - 19 cooks and 20% had from 20 to 24 cooks.

So, there you have the facts. Let the debate continue.” (Bill Pierson)

“Perhaps in Texas a 25 cook cookoff rule would be beneficial to get rid of some little cookoffs that draw from the big cookoffs but it would not help the cooks. Up here in the Northwest we are struggling now to get 15 cooks to a cookoff and two cookoffs have already been declared not sanctioned because we didn't get enough. So, I guess the bottom line is if CASI goes to a 25 cook minimum then write off a bunch of states, cancel Pods and go to a Southwest CASI only. Thank you.” (Ken Peach)

“You would have to put North Carolina on that list of Pods that would probably fold if it was ever changed.” (Michael Williams)


“Before CASI became so liberal with awarding points, more automatic qualifiers, smaller cook offs, cooks traveled to events farther away. With fuel cost what they are today, we are all traveling less.


15 cook events have come to the point that they are on top of one another on the same weekend. Areas that feel they cannot field 25 cooks should look around to see just how much they are really doing to promote larger events.


Let's level the field on the points. 15 cook events only award points to the top 3. 25 cook events award the top 10 with points. Automatic qualifiers should have a minimum of 25 cooks.


To increase the number of cooks, you can't sit on your hands and expect someone to do the work. Richard and Carol Knight moved from Texas to Florida. Worked their buns off and the area became chili state. Moved to Tennessee and the same thing happened there. Working to try to maintain the status quo only lets the hole get deeper.” (Bob Coats)


POTPOURRI

Happy Birthday to Janet Cielencki, Ken Large, and Ron Phillips.

“To be mature means to face, and not evade, every fresh crisis that comes.” - Fritz Kunkel



News items and pictures for the CHN can be emailed to pepperdean@ctesc.net

posted by Alan @ 7:18 AM