Sunday, April 30, 2006

Mint Jubilee adds more star power

By Angie Fenton

afenton@courier-journal.com
The Courier-Journal

The Mint Jubilee Gala celebrity guest list just got sweeter with the addition of husband-and-wife "Rent" stars Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel, and actress Bijou Phillips ("The Door in the Floor").

Other gems attending the sold-out Derby Eve event include actors Gary Cole ("The West Wing"), Justin Bartha ("Failure to Launch"), "America's Next Top Model 5" winner Nicole Linkletter and model Amy Lemons, the face of Tommy Hilfiger Jeans and T-Girl Perfume.

Beauty will reign at the Jubilee with the inclusion of Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner, who recently gained the crown after winning Miss Kentucky; Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry; Miss America 2000 Heather French Henry and her husband, Dr. Steve Henry; Miss Kentucky USA 2005 Kristen Johnson; Miss Kentucky 2004 Maria Maldonado Smith; Miss Kentucky USA 2002 Elizabeth Arnold; and Miss Kentucky 2001 Monica Hardin.

Doublemint Twins Stacy Cohen (of Louisville) and Tracy Pointer (of Nashville), John Elway (former NFL quarterback), Tom Kenny (the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants) and reality TV star Blake Mycoskie ("The Amazing Race") will be at the party too.

Proceeds benefit the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, the new Gilda's Club of Louisville and the Disabled Jockeys' Endowment.

Reporter Angie Fenton can be reached at (502) 582-7143.

Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060429/DERBYFUN/604290307/1011/SCENE

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Saturday, April 29, 2006

Mrs. United States 2005 Schedule

Mrs. United States 2005 Schedule
Dr. Chiann Fan Gibson

March 2nd Plainfield, IL

Interview with 'The Enterprise' newspaper and photo op for the paper. VIP guest appearance as Mrs. United States and speaking engagements at local schools.

March 11-12 Elgin, IL

Mrs. Illinois Pageant VIP Guest/ Preliminary Judge. Hemmens Auditorium.

March 31st Aurora, IL

Official portrait photo shoot for Mrs. United States 2005

April 1st Menomonee, WI

Mrs. Wisonsin United States 2006 Pageant. Sponsor, Judge, VIP Guest Appearance. Menomonee Fall North Jr. High Theater

April 12th Chicago, IL

Appearance and Lunch with Dr. Robert Lee (director of marketing) and GC America president. Meeting for possilbe national sponsorship for the Mrs. United States pageant.

April 14-17 Las Vegas, NV

Meeting with Ron Rice, Owner of Hawaiian Tropic Products and Judge the Miss Hawaiian Tropic International Pageant 2006. VIP Guest.

April 19th Bolingbrook, IL

Bolingbrook High School. Leadership Seminar. VIP Guest and Panel Member. Speaking engagement to High School Seniors.

April 20th Geneva, IL

Guest at the Aurora Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame 2006. Eagle Brook Country Club. Gala banquet and induction ceremony, to include inductee Paula Zahn (news media celebrity) and Daniel Brewbaker (composer), etc. The goal of the Arts Hall of Fame is to raise awareness of "a strong cultural legacy for future generations,"

April 21st Chicago, IL

VIP Guest with GC America. Ritz Carlton Chicago. Dinner and guest appearance to meet pivitol leaders of the dental community and international dental leaders from Japan.

April 22nd Bolingbrook, IL

Illinois Junior Miss 2006. Master of Ceremonies/emcee. Appearance and speaking engagement to the Junior Miss Scholarship Contestants.

April 26th West Allis, Wisconsin

Interview with Tim Kretschmann, radio personality for JOY1340 ..... also for telecast on www.pageantcast.com. Promotion for Mrs. United States Pageant and personal interview about Dr. Chiann Gibson, her reign, her dental profession, and her platform.

April 28-30 Anaheim, California

CDA Scientific Session. VIP appearance and Guest Speaker at the largest West Coast Dental Convention.

May 3rd Oakbrook, IL

Luncheon and meeting with Dr. Sherri Donager, editor for the AAWD and WDJ Dental Journals. Interview with Dr. Chiann Gibson as Mrs. United States 2005 and her dentistry for an upcoming issue to be published in the Women's Dental Journals.

May 6-7 Lafayette, LA

Mrs. Louisiana United States Pageant 2006. Angelle Auditorium. VIP Guest Appearance and Judge.

May 13th Houston, TX

Spaulding for children, The "Fall in Love Again" Campaign with Mrs. Texas 2005 and Mrs. Florida 2005. Auction and Fundraiser to raise money for foster Children and their placements. Black tie event.

May 25-29 Las Vegas, NV

11th Discuss Dental Las Vegas Extravaganza Event. VIP Guest Appearance/ Speaker. VIP Guests to include Donald Trump, Stephen Covey, and Seth Meyers.

May 24th Chicago, IL

photo shoot for the cover of American Association of Women in Dentistry magazine. July issue

May 31- June 4 Nassau, Bahamas

Judge and VIP Guest. Selection of the American winner for the 2007 International Swimwear Calendar Model Challenge.

June 10th Washington, DC

"Maintain Your Brain Challenge" Campaign at American University, DC. Sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter - VIrginia, Maryland, DC fundraising event. VIP Guest, Volunteer and 'Athelete' participant with Mrs. Maryland United States 2005, Deanna McCray James.

June 13th Aurora, IL

T.V. interview with Robert 'Bob' Shelton, Aurora Alderman-at-Large. His t.v. show 'Shelton Info' Promotion of the Mrs. United States Pageant and about Mrs. United States 2005 and her year.

June 14th Naperville, IL

Appearance/Meeting and Interview with the Mayor of Naperville. Official Dental Grand Opening of Design Dental. Press release and advertisement of " Mrs. United States meets Hotest Mayor 2006"

June 18th Houston, TX

Meeting and luncheon with Penny Geiszler, owner and founder of TFTJ - Turn for The Judges Site, and with Mrs. Texas 2005, Terri Jaggers.

July 4th Aurora, IL

City of Aurora VIP Guest & Appearance as Mrs. United States 2005. Fourth of July Parade Downtown Aurora.

July 23-28th Las Vegas, IL

Mrs. United States 2006 Pageant

www.chiann.com
www.mrsunitedstates.com

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Ex-Miss Wisconsin talks about chastity

Making vow to wait for marriage

By Kelly Soderlund

The Journal Gazette

Kurey

Samuel Hoffman/The Journal Gazette

Mary-Louise Kurey, former Miss America finalist, talks Thursday at Bishop Luers High School about making Tough Decisions About Sex.

Bishop Luers students were instructed Thursday to abstain from sex until marriage by a former Miss America finalist who has made a career out of publicizing her choice to remain a virgin until her wedding night.

Mary-Louise Kurey, 31, spoke to nearly 600 students at Bishop Luers High School on Thursday afternoon and almost 1,000 students at Bishop Dwenger High School in the morning. Kurey advised students against having sex before marriage, viewing pornography and choosing abortion over adoption or raising a child.

In describing the choices she made in life to bring her to her happy marriage, Kurey talked animatedly as she told anecdotes and brought students up to the stage to visually illustrate her points.

Kurey was crowned Miss Wisconsin in 1999 and was named a finalist in the Miss America pageant that same year.

Her platform for the competition was abstinence until marriage and she has since been working as the director of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Respect Life office. She is the author of “Standing with Courage: Confronting Tough Decisions about Sex,” and has appeared on numerous talk shows such as “Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher” and the “Sally Jesse Raphael Show.”

After growing up outside Milwaukee, having her locker next to a drug dealer’s in seventh grade, Kurey said she made the decision then to not use drugs, not drink alcohol and not have sex until she was married.

“Chastity is not saying sex is bad,” Kurey said. “It’s saying this gift of sexuality is a beautiful thing.”

Kurey said her husband of three years also remained a virgin until their wedding night and said it was worth the wait.

“It takes a real man to wait,” Kurey said.

Though Kurey might have chosen to abstain from sex until marriage, many of her friends did not. She shared a story of one friend who got pregnant when they were 15 despite using condoms. The friend opted to have the baby, but her parents threw her out of the house and she was forced to move in with her boyfriend and his family.

Kurey said the friend and her boyfriend later broke up and though she says her daughter is the light of her life, she often wonders aloud what her life would be like if she had made the same choice Kurey had.

Kurey also told the story of her college roommate, who became pregnant and had an abortion. Her roommate was so haunted by her choice that she developed an eating disorder and later tried to commit suicide, Kurey said.

She cautioned the teens that using condoms and taking birth control pills does not mean they are totally safe from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. She also relayed that those who have already had sex can make a new vow to remain abstinent until marriage.

Kurey brought up four students and spaced them out on the stage. One student represented birth, another represented someone at 17. Another student was placed near the 17-year-old and represented someone 26 years old, the average age someone gets married in the United States. Finally, a student stood at the far end of the stage to represent an 85-year-old.

Kurey asked the students in the audience whether they were thinking about getting married soon. None raised their hands.

She then pointed out the small space between the 17-year-old and the 26-year-old and said the choices people make in between those ages make a big difference in how their lives turn out.

“Chastity really helps us choose well,” Kurey said.

Remaining abstinent during that time will remove the burden of worrying about pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases or that their boyfriends or girlfriends are just using them for sex, she said.

Bishop Luers freshman Lyndi Mungovan, 15, said Kurey didn’t tell her anything she hadn’t heard before but it was good to hear what she had been taught at school.

“I got a lot out of it and really understood what she saying.” Mungovan said. “Most of it I think I knew about; she just put it more into detail.”

ksoderlund@jg.net

Source: http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/14450781.htm

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Friday, April 28, 2006

There she is, Mrs. Virginia . . .

By Richard Lykes

04/26/2006




	An active volunteer, Janie Phillips is shown last year helping her young student friend buy Christmas gifts in the “Shop With a Deputy” program sponsored by the Rappahannock County Sheriff’s Office.

Janie Phillips of Chester Gap was crowned “Mrs. Virginia USA” this past weekend in Staunton in a beauty pageant that will take her to the Mrs. USA Finals in July. Long admired for her beauty and personality, the Chester Gap native was chosen Miss Rappahannock in 1995.

On a whim, and with encouragement from her friends and admirers, Mrs. Phillips decided to enter this contest. She obtained the entry forms, filled them out, and sent in a photograph for the judges to consider. She not only was “speechless” when she won, she is “still reeling” with excitement from what all this means to her.

For starters, “Janie,” as everyone calls her, has won almost $10,000 in prizes, gifts, jewelry, trips, and an opportunity to compete in the “Mrs. USA” pageant in July. Among those gifts, of course, is an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas where she will compete with the winners of 50 other state contests and the District of Columbia. She is going to take her two proud little girls with her for this trip.

Complete story at http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab4.cfm?newsid=16541592&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=506086&rfi=6

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PAGEANT PARTICULARS

State's had Miss America, but never Miss USA

Just in case you're confused -- Miss USA is not Miss America. They are separate pageants. Miss America began in 1921 in Atlantic City and has a reputation as a scholarship program. Miss USA, which began in 1952, is a beauty pageant that got its start as a swimsuit contest in California.

There has never been a Miss USA from Kentucky. Miss USA goes on to compete in the international Miss Universe contest. (Two Miss USAs have won Miss Universe.)

There has been one Miss America from Kentucky -- Heather French in 2000. Phyllis George, who now lives in Lexington, was Miss America in 1971, but she competed as Miss Texas.

Source: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/local/14448273.htm

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Miss USA show gives OC exposure to 250M viewers

Lisa Capitelli
Staff Writer

An estimated 7.7 million people nationwide saw Miss USA contestants strolling Ocean City’s Boardwalk, flying kites on the resort’s beach, visiting Candy Kitchen, learning how to surf, shopping at Park Place Jewelers and dancing at the Carousel Hotel as they watched the Miss USA pageant last Friday on NBC.

The 51 contestants traveled to Ocean City on April 6, filming introductions for the pageant as well as shooting at different landmarks in Ocean City.

The contestants were divided into three groups, two of which filmed their introductions on the Boardwalk (states from Alabama to Georgia introduced themselves on the Boardwalk in the show’s opening segment) while the others toured the city and stopped at different locations.

The pageant aired live on NBC from the 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore’s largest indoor sports and entertainment facility. This is the second year the pageant has been held in Maryland. Last year’s pageant was at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore and was seen in more than 100 countries.

Funded through a $25,000 state grant, Ocean City was not only able to bring the contestants to the resort, but also gain the resort worldwide exposure.

About half of the contestants, including the 2005 winner, Miss North Carolina, Chelsea Cooley, filmed in Ocean City before last year’s pageant.

Cooley crowned Miss Kentucky, Tara Elizabeth Connor, as Miss USA at the conclusion of the two-hour telecast, before as estimated worldwide viewing audience of 250 million.

Although the ratings were down from last year, according to Nielsen Media Research, and Miss Maryland Melissa DiGiulian, 20, of Ocean City didn’t make it into the top 15, having the pageant in Baltimore was still a boost for Maryland and Ocean City.

Ocean City Public Relations Director Donna Abbott didn’t get to see the opening of the show, but what she did see looked good to her.

“From what I’ve heard from people, it looked fantastic and I have no reason to doubt that,” Abbott said. “To have more than seven million viewers see the telecast nationwide, for what we put in was well worth it. Anything you can do to increase your exposure helps tourism.”

“Having exposure both nationally and internationally is great and we are very excited to have had the ladies back this year.”

It has not been announced where the pageant will be held next year, but if it is in Maryland again, Abbott said Ocean City will welcome the 51 contestants back to the resort.

The Miss Universe Organization, producers of the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants, is a Donald J. Trump and NBC Universal partnership.

Source: http://www.oceancity.md/octoday/headline.cfm?PubID=3455

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Photoshop competition on Fark

Comedy and questionable news source, Fark.com, ran a little Photoshop contest on the moment of Tara Conner's crowning moment.

Most of the images were not too clever and some rather disturbing, but I thought this one was actually clever enough to pass along.

Get it? Arnie was looking for Sarah Conner? Get it?

Yeah, well, I thought it was funny.

Tara has been making a lot of interviews. Local radio jocks here have had a number of interviews with her (I even found a interview with her about golf! http://www.cybergolf.com/news/golfnews3952.asp) and we are going to work on getting her on the PageantCast as well. Keep your fingers crossed.

To see the whole thread, check out http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2026687

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Loaded Gun

LOADED GUN | Vol. 6, No. 16, April 27, 2006
(Living On The Edge)

by Sam Baltrusis

TIARA GIRL Local Cristin Duren beat out 46 of the nation’s top hotties and snagged fourth runner-up laurels at Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant airing live on NBC Friday, April 21.

The Panama City Beach native and current Miss Florida USA made the top five cut only to lose to Miss Kentucky USA, Tara Elizabeth Connor.

The 24-year-old local dominated the early portion of the beauty pageant—ultimately winning the coveted “Most Photogenic” prize based on votes tallied on www.nbc.com.

What tripped Duren?

The blonde bombshell seemed to lose momentum in the final question-and-answer portion of the contest when she recounted her “most embarrassing” moment at the Voodoo Music Fest in New Orleans. The Emerald Coast beauty completely stumbled when Trump’s son, Donald Jr., asked her if contemporary society is too politically correct.

Wanna tiara like Duren?

Organizers have announced the Miss Escambia Teen USA pageant is scheduled for 5 p.m. Sunday, July 9 at PJC’s Jean and Paul Amos performance studio. Deadline for registration is Saturday, June 17.

Call 484-4757 or visit www.MissEscambiaUSA.com for details.

Source: http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=2799

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Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Trump Unveils New Mixed-Use Development in Panama City

April 24, 2006
By Amanda Marsh, Staff Writer

When Donald Trump held the Miss Universe pageant in Panama City three years ago, he termed the city beautiful and said he would develop there if the right opportunity presented itself. The right opportunity finally did, and in New York City today Trump unveiled the Trump Ocean Club mixed-use project.

Trump's first foray into Central America, the 2.4 million-square-foot, 65-story waterfront tower is being co-developed by the Trump Organization and Panamanian resort developer K Group. It will include hotel condominium units, condominium units, retail, a casino and a beach club and marina upon its estimated 2009 completion. The tower is being built on a beachfront lot in the Punta Pacifica district, bordering the city's financial center, and will be connected to the rest of the city by the Corredor Sur highway, giving it accessibility to both the city and airport.

"Americans are coming in droves to Panama," said Roger Khafif, president of K Group. He cited reasons such as political stability, a low cost of living, low interest rates and the country's location outside of usual hurricane paths. "It's great for baby boomers." Trump said, however, that the project would be marketed worldwide.

The original development plans called for 1.8 million square feet at a cost of $220 million. The project has since been expanded to 2.4 million square feet, but Trump would not disclose if the development costs have risen as well. HSBC will be funding the project, and Colombian commercializing company Espacios Urbanos S.A. and construction firm Arias Serna y Saravia S.A are also taking part in the development.

The unveiling of Trump Ocean Club comes on the same day of Panamanian president Martin Torrijos' plan to ask voters for approval of a multibillion-dollar project to expand the Panama Canal in order to accommodate large, modern cargo ships. That would be the canal's largest modification since its 1914 opening.

Source: http://www.cpnonline.com/cpn/regions/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002385175

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Sunday, April 23, 2006

Case Study: Video Promotes Pageant

April 21, 2006

By Len Ostroff | More by this Author

The CEO of Rovion Inc. shows how an interactive video played on TVGuide.com helped boost viewership of the "Miss America Pageant" on CMT.

What better way to find out about the "Miss America Pageant" than to be told about it by the reigning Miss America herself?

To generate awareness of the annual event's airing on CMT for the first time, producers used Rovion technology to stream an inPerson video of Deirdre Downs, Miss America 2005, who greeted visitors to TVGuide.com. Downs told the visitors about the upcoming "Miss America Pageant" on CMT, and informed them that by clicking on her image, they could go to the CMT.com site to learn more about all of this year's contestants.

By all accounts, the promotion was a success. Nearly 1,000,000 visitors saw the ad. Of those, 31.34 percent clicked through and watched the entire video. The promotion experienced a 36.37 percent interactivity rate, with 7.38 percent of the video viewers clicking through to CMT's site. The clickthrough rate actually increased every day of the campaign, hitting 9.4 percent on the last day of the campaign.

Although there's no true way to measure how many eyes went from the website to the TV screen, CMT is convinced the campaign had a demonstrable effect on the show's ratings.

The 2006 "Miss America Pageant", which premiered live on CMT on Saturday, January 21 from 8 to 10 p.m., scored a record 3.1 million total viewers. The "Miss America Pageant" ranks as the most watched telecast ever in CMT's history with total viewers, besting the "2005 CMT Music Awards", which had garnered 2.9 million viewers.

In addition, CMT beat all other ad-supported cable networks in total viewers for the first time in its history during the 8 to 10 p.m. time period. Saturday, January 21, also marked CMT's highest rated day since the "2005 CMT Music Awards" in April.

A phenomenal 12.5 million different viewers (cumulative) tuned in during the three weekend telecasts of the 2006 "Miss America Pageant" on CMT.

Andy Holeman, director, CMT consumer marketing, says, "Rovion was the cornerstone of a multi-faceted program with TV Guide Online. It provided a dynamic element and creative opportunity that really engaged the consumer in an unexpected way that you wouldn't achieve with traditional components alone. TV Guide's ability to help deliver the CMT message to consumers in impactful ways at key points in their decision-making process has been central to our successful partnership."

Peter Fontana, account executive at TVGuide Online, says, "We were simply floored by the Rovion platform. The CMT Broadcast achieved a 3.1 household rating -- the highest rated program ever on the network -- thanks in part to Rovion. We're considering offering it to many of our other clients, including the CMT Music Awards. I like the fact that it's three-dimensional and real."

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Kentuckian crowned Miss USA

Tara Conner to compete for Miss Universe title

Associated Press

BALTIMORE -- Tara Elizabeth Conner, 20, of Russell Springs, Ky., was crowned Miss USA in the 55th annual pageant last night.

"I am an easygoing, down-to-earth girl," Conner said. "Throughout my life, hardships and different experiences have made me a very humbled, yet strong individual. It is because of these life lessons that I have become the person I am today."

She will compete July 23 in the Miss Universe competition in Los Angeles.

Miss California USA, Tamiko Nash, 26, of Los Angeles, was first runner-up.

The 51 contestants were trimmed to 15, then 10 semifinalists and finally five finalists for last night's competition.

The five finalists were asked questions.

The pageant is co-owned by Donald Trump and NBC, which aired the competition.

See additional photos at this gallery: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=B2&Date=20060422&
Category=MULTIMEDIA01&ArtNo=604220802&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=7

Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060422/NEWS01/604220418/1008/NEWS01

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Miss Onalaska ready to take on next challenge

By RANDY ERICKSON/Editor

Katie Ekern will pass the Miss Onalaska title she won last spring to another young woman in a couple weeks, who will be the 30th to win the honor. But she can't quite pack away her tiara as there's just one more little thing she needs to attend to as Miss Onalaska: the Miss Wisconsin Pageant.

The Miss Onalaska title holder is one of a handful in the state who crown a successor before competing in the state pageant, the winner of which goes on to compete for the title of Miss America. The extra month and a half between the Onalaska pageant and the state competition is time that can be used to Ekern's advantage. While other local pageant winners might have a lot of duties to attend to with the spring/summer festival season starting up, Ekern can concentrate on preparing for Miss Wisconsin.

Also, she said, unlike title holders crowned since last June, she got to go to last year's Miss Wisconsin Pageant, which gave her a better idea of what to expect.

“I feel lucky that I've had that opportunity,” Ekern said.

Of course, some of the young women Ekern will be competing against at Miss Wisconsin have an even better idea of what to expect, having competed there multiple times. But even though this is Ekern's first trip to the main event in Oshkosh, she is a seasoned pageant performer.

A 2003 West Salem High School graduate, Ekern competed in two Miss Onalaska contests before winning last spring. Her first two outings weren't all that encouraging - she didn't even place - but she enjoyed the whole experience so much that she came back for the third time. “It's very beneficial,” Ekern said of the pageant program. “It'll help you grow in many aspects of your life.”

And the scholarship money she earned just by competing didn't hurt, either.

Ekern has completed her dental assistant training at Western Technical College in La Crosse and will get to the top of the waiting list to get in the dental hygienist program by fall 2007. She said she had always wanted to do something in the health field and one day while getting her teeth cleaned, she suddenly knew what she wanted to do.

Her career ambition is reflected in her platform as Miss Onalaska - “Give a Kid a Smile” - which aims to teach young children the importance oral and dental health. During her reign as Miss Onalaska, Ekern has made presentations before more than 1,000 Onalaska and West Salem children, mostly in kindergarten and first grade, about the dental hygiene.

One thing Ekern had going for her in the Miss Onalaska Pageant was a sizeable cheering section. In addition to her parents, David and Mary Ann Ekern, her family also includes six brothers and a sister ranging in age from 7 to 32, with the youngest two being adopted foster children.

For her talent at Miss Wisconsin, Ekern will sing “I Can't Do It Alone,” from the musical, “Chicago.” She'll sing it for the first time in public April 29 at the Miss Onalaska Pageant.

She has also been working on her interviewing for the Miss Wisconsin competition, an aspect of the pageant that is weighed heavily and is a bit intimidating to Ekern.

Becoming Miss Wisconsin and getting the chance to compete at Miss America would be a thrill for Ekern, but she said that's not her main goal. “I think everyone goes in there fantasizing about what it would be like, but truly I just want to go there and do the best I can do.”

Contact Randy Erickson at randy.erickson@lee.net or 786-6812.

Source: http://www.onalaskalife.com/articles/2006/04/14/news/03missona.txt

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Friday, April 21, 2006

...and the new Miss USA is . . .

Our new Miss USA 2006 has just been named:

Miss Kentucky, Sarah Elizabeth Conner

The rest of the standings were:
Florida, Cristin Duren - Fourth Runner Up
Ohio, Stacey Offenberger - Third Runner Up
Georgia, Lisa Wilson - Second Runner Up
California, Tamiko Nash - First Runner Up

Congratulations to all these wonderful young women on their magnificent achievement.

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Top Five at Miss USA named

The top five for Miss USA just got named. They are:

Ohio, Stacey Offenberger
Kentucky, Sarah Elizabeth Conner
California, Tamiko Nash
Georgia, Lisa Wilson
Florida, Cristin Duren

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Congratulations to Miss Photogenic, Cristin Duren

Congratulations to Cristin Duren, just named Miss Photogenic and as I was typing this, also in top five at Miss USA! Great work and let's see what the next 30 minutes have in store for you!

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Congratulations to Miss Congeniality!

A very special congratulations to Miss Minnesota, Dottie Cannon, for winning Miss Congeniality at Miss USA 2006!

Great job!

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Miss USA Top 10 announced

Okay. Here's our top ten in random order:

California, Tamiko Nash
South Carolina, Lacey Lybrand
Ohio, Stacey Offenberger
Kentucky, Sarah Elizabeth Conner
Florida, Cristin Duren
Texas, Lauren Lanning
Alabama, Haleigh Stidham
District of Columbia, Candice Allen
Georgia, Lisa Wilson
Rhode Island, Leeann Tingley

Congratulations to these young ladies!

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Congratulations to Top 15 - Miss USA

Yes, I'm watching Miss USA as I type this. They are naming Miss USA Top 15 as I type here and we'll let you know which states will be represented in the top 15 (in random order):

Kentucky
Rhode Island
Texas
Alabama
District of Columbia
Illinois
South Carolina
Nevada
Georgia
Maine
California
Arizona
Ohio
Tennessee
Florida

Congratulations to all this beautiful young women!

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Miss USA Chelsea Cooley last 'Celebrity Cooking Showdown' finalist

By Tim Andrews, 04/20/2006

And she can cook too! Reigning Miss USA Chelsea Cooley proved she’s not just another pretty face as she defeated comedian Tom Arnold and country singer Big Kenny on the third night of NBC's week-long Celebrity Cooking Showdown competition. After a result, Chelsea will face off against Monday night winner Cindy Margolis and Tuesday night winner Ashley Parker Angel in this evening's final cooking showdown.

Following the same format as the two previous first round competitions, Wednesday night's broadcast of Celebrity Cooking Showdown's third episode featured the three new celebrities each teamed with one of the show's three master chefs. Chelsea was teamed with Food Network star Cat Cora. Tom was paired with restaurateur Wolfgang Puck. Big Kenny was teamed up with celebrity chef Govind Armstrong.

After the introductions were out of the way, the show featured behind-the-scenes video clips showing the master chefs training their three new stars. Along the way, we learned that Tom's favorite part of cooking was "eating" and Big Kenny's preparation for the event included perfecting how he would say the word "tasty."

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Once the cooking portion of the event started, Big Kenny's oversized personalities took center stage as he pumped up the crowd early and often. Tom, who initially seemed lost, eventually got his stride but appeared so focused on his cooking that he somewhat tuned out the live audience. Meanwhile, Chelsea pageant skills seemed to allow her to fall somewhere in the middle, engaging the raucous crowd without appearing to lose focus on what she was working on in the kitchen.

As in previous episodes, the chefs were able to assist the celebrities during the "chef pass" portion of the event. However, unlike previous nights in which their help appeared to be essential to the outcome, this time they appeared to serve as a just an added spice to the main dishes. As the event completed, the plating of the dishes never seemed to be an issue. All three celebrities appeared to finish in plenty of time to present their dishes to the judges -- although just like Tuesday night, Wolfgang appeared to once again add some flare by holding Tom's final dish for presentation until the last second.

During the judging, celebrity event planner Colin Cowie and restaurant critic Gael Greene heaped praise on all three of the contestants' dishes -- with Colin going so far as stating Chelsea’s presentation was "flawless." Upon tasting the dishes the judges were a bit less impressed, but not tremendously so. As a result, it came as little shock that when once the judges' votes were counted the competition was the closest of any night thus far, with Big Kenny and Tom finishing in a tie and Chelsea winning by a single point.

Source: http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/miss-usa-chelsea-cooley-last-celebrity-cooking-showdown-finalist-4092.php

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Miss USA launch starts with beauty tips

Donald Trump poses with Miss USA competitors in Baltimore, Maryland on Thursday. (REUTERS)

NEW YORK -- Past and former beauty queens offered tips on how to stay looking good at an event here Tuesday night to mark the start of the quest to find the next Miss USA.

"Universal Beauty: The Miss Universe Guide to Beauty" was a special event held at Trump Tower in New York City to marked the launch of the Miss USA 2006 campaign.

Reigning Miss USA Chelsea Cooley joined a number of former beauty queens to promote the event. Many of the contestants in this year's Miss USA competition also attended. They also appeared at MTV studios for a special screening of the "Total Request Live" show.

Miss USA 2006 will be held in Baltimore on Friday night. (Compiled from Mainichi and wire reports)

April 19, 2006