Mike Cobb

SR native named outstanding CEOA Slippery Rock native was recently named one of the “100 Outstanding CEOs in Central America and the Caribbean.”Mike Cobb, co-founder and chairman of ECI Development of Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama, was named by Central America’s Mercados y Tendencias magazine.Recipients were selected based on their “entrepreneurial quality, record and managerial mystique,” according to the magazine.It said that Cobb has been in his position since 2000.He has a master’s degree in political science from Allegheny College. In 1996, he and Joel Nagel started ECI Development, a Real Estate Company in Central America.They specialize in building homes and retirement communities for North Americans who are looking to retire to Latin America.Winterfest returns Jan. 16 to MoraineMoraine State Park will host the sixth annual Winterfest Jan. 16.The event, organized by the Moraine Preservation Fund, is planned from noon to 4 p.m. at McDanel’s Boat Launch on the park’s north shore. There is no cost to attend, and the event usually attracts more than 3,000 people.Included at the event will be: ice carving, chain-saw carving, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, food, crafts, dog sleds, live music, horse-drawn wagon rides and a hike on the North Country Trail.“Iceburgh,” the Pittsburgh Penguins’ mascot, will be in attendance and there will also be a bonfire with a demonstration by Smokey Bear.

Winterfest will also feature its annual Chili Cook-Off.The cook-off has a maximum of 15 participants. A panel of judges will decide the top three recipes, but there will also be tastings for the public and a people’s choice award.To register for the Chili Cook-Off, send an e-mail to contactm@consolidated.net.New this year preceding the festival will be a 5k run and walk. The 5k will start at 9 a.m. at McDanel’s Boat Launch. There will be awards given to the top three finishers of each gender.For a registration form for the race, visit morainepreservationfund.org.