SUNDAY - March 25, 2007

PAST ICS BOARD OF GOVERNOR PASSES AWAY

Former International Chili Society Board of Governor's member, Robert Petersen, passed away Friday night at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. He died of complications from neuroendocrine cancer. Friends said his battle with the disease was brief. Petersen was one of Carroll Shelby's closest friends and was appointed to the ICS Board in 1981.

Best known for a lifetime immersed in Southern California's automotive culture, Mr. Petersen helped establish the Petersen Automotive Museum in 1994. He founded Hot Rod magazine at the age of 21 - the seed for a publishing empire that included more than two dozen automotive, hunting, photography, sports and beauty magazines. He was active in the ICS until 1998 but was plagued by health issues which prevented him from participating in many of his former personal and business interests.

Mr. Petersen is survived by his wife, Margie. We will provide information on pending arrangements when they are made public.

Carol Hancock
Chief Executive Officer
International Chili Society

.

.

.

Delaware Valley Regional

Many folks have asked me how we advertise for the Delaware Valley Regional Chili Cookoff and why we were so successful last year (we hoped for 7000-8000 people and had over 16,000). Well, this morning I went with Rhone Carr to the Gloucester County School Superintendents monthly meeting. We did a presentation to about thirty five school superintendents about the chili cookoff. Each superintendent was than given enough chili cookoff flyers so that each student in his or her district could have one. Each student in Gloucester County will be bringing home a flyer for the cookoff. That amounts to over 50,000 flyers distributed through out the county FREE OF CHARGE!!! Now that's low cost, effective advertising. Hats off to Rhone Carr!!! We are also advertising in many other areas: Philadelphia Inquirer, Comcast Food Channel, the local FOX affiliate (FOX29), and WXTU, the largest country music station in the tri state area. WXTU is doing three email blasts to 72,000 "Loyal Listeners" each time. Rhone and I have done three television interviews with several more on the schedule before the chili cookoff. FOX29 will be doing a live remote from the site on Thursday, April 19 from 5:30AM to 9:00AM. These are huge numbers and great exposure for the ICS and chili. Please visit http://www.delvalchilicookoff.com/ for more information and to see the many sponsors we have.

Sincerely,

David A. Lorenz

427 Commerce Lane, #7

West Berlin, NJ 08091

.

.

.

Desert Rat Regional

Activities for the Desert Rat Regional in California City actually began on Friday night with the Cast Iron Beef Stew competition (It's Fun and called dinner for everyone!)

Beef Stew (8 contestants)

Presentation Winner - Fred "Biscuits" Wieland

Taste Winner - Norm Gaul

.

Overall

3rd Place - Norm Gaul

2nd Place - Fred Summers

1st Place - Fred Wieland

.

ICS Competition on Saturday had beautiful weather. Phil Morosky put together another great event. Everyone who can should try to make this one next year. It's another motor home weekend and Cal City is working on a motel so maybe folks won't have to stay in Mojave next year. There's Beef Stew of Friday night and Saturday night the Legion does dinner ($8 for cornish game hen this year) for the cooks and staff. This years staff was Jim Maehl, Chief Judge - Donnie Gordon, Pat Morosky, Leah Wieland & Mary Ellen Weber as Scorekeepers - Willma Maehl, Phil & Pat's daughter Kim & Wim (don't know his last name) as Wranglers -Claude Covington stepped up to fill in for Mike Austin as Emcee as Mike had to cancel when Maria became extremely ill. According to Mike on Saturday, she is much better. Speaking of much better, Dione Cooley looks wonderful. It was so good to see her and back on the chili trail already!

.

Winners

Salsa - 14 contestants

3rd Place - Eileen Beaty

2nd Place - Jim Stoddard

1st Place - Dione Cooley

.

Chili Verde - 18 Contestants

3rd Place - Jan Brown

2nd Place - Karen Ray (tied for 1st)

1st Place - Eileen Beaty

.

Red Chili - 32 Contestants

5th Place - Charlie Blosfield

4th Place - Jim Beaty (tied for 3rd)

3rd Place - Fred Summers

2nd Place - Mark Haught

1st Place - Sonny Allen

.

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all the cooks, staff and the Legion for a wonderful weekend.

Donnie

.

.

.

============================

If you have articles for posting to Dicks Chili World BLOG, they can be emailed to GWTWChili@aol.com

============================

Tell your other Chilihead Friends about the BLOG and how it works.