WOW, what a year it’s been! I remember Jim Ezell telling me before I went on stage that my life will not be the same after this; I just laughed and said to myself after a month everything will be back to normal. How wrong was I? Jim you were right. I want to thank all the Board members for their support because I didn’t have a clue on what was to be expected of me after winning. I have had the honor of meeting so many great Chili Heads out there that made me feel so proud to be a CASI member. This year I have had the opportunity to cook in so many cook offs in so many new places. I cooked in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, Mexico, and I still have Indiana and California left to go to. Please everyone try to go to some cook offs that you have not been to before, you will meet new people and have a great time. The reason I am posting this letter is to say thank you to all the sponsors and members for supporting CASI. You have invested a lot of time and money to get qualified, you need to make plans to go to Terlingua you just might win the whole thing; I never thought I had a chance.

 

Thank you for such a great experience.
Larry Walton
2011 Terlingua Champion

 

 

From Richard Knight:

The Tennessee State CASI Open was attended by cooks from five different states with the following cooks placing in the top 10:

Chili:

1^st – Jeff Nester, Seymour, IN –

2^nd – Kristina Knight, Lebanon, TN –(TN State Champion)

3^rd -  Rick Seadler, Spring Hill, TN – Q – (TN 1^st Runner Up)

4^th -  James Murray, Como, MS

5^th -  Julie Nester, Seymour, IN

6^th -  Carol Knight, Lebanon, TN – (TN 2^nd Runner Up)

7^th – Preston Shaw, Parsons, TN – Q

8^th -  James Brockman, Mt. Juliet, TN

9^th – Chuck Stock, Orange Park, FL

10^th – Lynn Murray, Como, MS

 

 

From Ken Rodd:

August 6, 2012

Subject:  CASI Newsletter Contest

TO:  Great Peppers

         POD Newsletter Editors

I am pleased to announce there will be a CASI Newsletter Contest this year.  The TOP 3 winners will be presented a nice trophy from the stage at TICC on Saturday.

 

I highly encourage your POD to submit your newsletter for consideration.  A newsletter for the purpose of this contest is:  "A document containing information for POD members that is sent to the POD membership by email or the U.S. Postal Service". If your POD has not had a newsletter - this would be a good time to "create" one.  FACEBOOK and WEB SITES are good means of communicating with members, but a POD newsletter is the basic communication for ALL your members.

 

The contest rules are as follows:

  1.  A POD may submit from one to three newsletters published during 2012.  The deadline for entries received is September 20, 2012.

  2.  Entries will be sent to Ken Rodd by email - casihotrodd@aol.com or postal mail to:  Ken Rodd, 7009 S IH-35,  Austin, TX 78744

  3.  The newsletters will be judged by 6 judges from various parts of the USA.  Judges do not know who the other judges are.

 

We look forward to a lot of entries in this year's Newsletter Contest.  We know you are doing good work out there - let us recognize you and your POD for what you do!!!!

 

If you have any questions please email me or call me on my cell phone.

 

Ken Rodd

Newsletter Contest Chairman

Cell phone 210 887 8827

 

 

From Sheryl Valentine:

I was just told that an old chili friend was called home . Pat Frith of Amarillo, former Tall In Texas pod member, went to be with our lord in heaven. Condolences to his wife Deana.

 

 

NOTE:  Does anybody know where the CASI Great Pepper's Meeting Banner is?  At this time, no one on the GPM has any clue where it went following last year's Great Pepper's Meeting.  If you have any knowledge of this, please email me.  Thanks.