Plucky boy gets Miss Universe dream date

Tue Sep 26, 2006 9:16 AM BST

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SYDNEY (Reuters) - A plucky Australian schoolboy who asked a former Miss Universe to his school dance, only to be rebuffed, has finally had his dream date over lunch.

Daniel Dibley, 17, needed a partner for the school dance in the Australian country town of Bathurst, west of Sydney, and he decided to aim high.

He wrote to Australia's best-known beauty queen, Jennifer Hawkins, to ask her to the dance, and was stunned when the 2004 Miss Universe accepted.

But in a decision that would break a schoolboy's heart, Hawkins later pulled out of the date because the overwhelming publicity had overshadowed plans for the end-of-year dance, which is for students in their final year of high school.

Instead, the Seven television network said Hawkins visited Dibley's Bathurst High School on Tuesday for a private lunch date with Daniel, and to speak to the school assembly, where she apologised for all the fuss.

"I didn't want you guys to think I didn't want to come to Bathurst, or I didn't want come to the formal (dance)," Hawkins, now a television presenter, told the school assembly.

"I did. It just became too big. I just wanted a low-key thing."

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Painting By Bollywood Actress Is Auctioned For $50,000

September 25, 2006 9:42 p.m. EST

Yvonne Lee - All Headline News Staff Reporter

(AHN) - A painting by former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen fetched $50,000 at an auction in Dubai.

The money, raised at a charity fund-raising event, will go to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center in Pakistan.

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Miss World 2006: Destiney's picks include Venezuela, Australia and Bahamas

“The eyes of the world are all on stage” is the theme of this year’s Miss World 2006 Pageant. Woman from all over the world compete for this title, which will be announced September 30th live from Warsaw, Poland. I have narrowed down the 154 contestants down to my favorite thirteen, yes it’s a random number, but I couldn’t stop at just 10! Im not going to lie though, I didn’t read a thing about them, I base my opinion on looks…who doesn’t! There are four fast track competitions in the Miss World 2006 Final, giving contestants the opportunity to earn a golden ticket to the final sixteen: Miss World Sportswoman, Beauty with a Purpose, Talent Final, and Miss World Beachwear. In addition, two finalists will be chosen from each continental zone: one the public’s choice from the global voting, you can vote at www.missworld.tv/home/default_EventMode.sps. The other finalists from each zone will be the judges’ choice.

Miss Bahamas 2006 Miss Venezuela 2006

Destiney’s Lucky Thirteen:

1. Venezuela 8-1 odds (pays US$8 for every US$1 bet)
2. Australia 8-1 odds
3. Bahamas 50-1 odds
4. Ukraine 20-1
5. Spain 20-1
6. Ireland 66-1
7. India 9-1
8. Israel 25-1
9. Martinique 18-1
10. South Africa 66-1
11. Slovenia 28-1
12. Slovakia 80-1
13. Puerto Rico 25-1

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Dark comedy makes for rocky terrain in 'Colorado'

THERE SHE IS: Adrienne Papp stars in Impact Theatre's "Colorado," a quirky comedy by Peter Sinn Nachtreib. (Chesire Dave) EXPECTATIONS are trickier than you might think. A few months ago, if a Peter Sinn Nachtrieb play opened up, only readers of Nachtrieb's blog and his pals at the sketch comedy troupe Killing My Lobster would have expected great things. But over the summer, the Lobsters produced their first full-length play, which just happened to be Nachtrieb's "Hunter Gatherers." The black comedy about the primal essence of even the most civilized yuppies became the break-out hit of the summer, extending multiple times and running for three months at San Francisco's Thick House. Suddenly, Nachtrieb is the playwright to watch. All eyes are on him as he ventures across the Bay to Berkeley's Impact Theatre, where his "Colorado" opened last week. Because "Hunter Gatherers" was so good, we expect certain things from "Colorado": big laughs, twisted subject matter and a provocative surprise or two. Nachtrieb is a skillful writer, and the new play delivers on all counts — just not to a "Hunter Gatherers" degree. See how expectations foul things up? If "Colorado" had opened first, we might have said something like: Who is this incredibly tall, talented playwright? (He's 6 feet, 6 inches tall.) What kept me from diving into "Colorado" the way I gladly dove into "Hunter Gatherers" was its familiarity. With its story of a Colorado family obsessed with its beauty pageant-winning daughter, we're firmly in the realm of Jon Benet Ramsey, and there are also fleeting references to the Columbine tragedy, but those never get developed. With its humor emanating from the desperate sadness of all the family members (except the self-involved, hyper-spoiled beauty queen), the tone of "Colorado" bears more than passing resemblance to this summer's indie movie hit "Little Miss Sunshine." More at the Source

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Miss Universe to Appear at Nuestro Ritmo in Orlando on October 1

Monday September 25, 2:12 pm ET

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Zuleyka Rivera, Miss Universe 2006, will make a special appearance at Nuestro Ritmo in Orlando on Sunday, October 1. Zuleyka Rivera, who hails from Salinas, Puerto Rico, was crowned Miss Universe 2006 in July.

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Mature women want the tiara, too

Compassion, camaraderie and cookies reign in Tucson at Mrs. America pageant

Jaimee Rose
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 24, 2006 12:00 AM When the Mrs. America pageant swept into Tucson this month, overtaking tanning salons and causing a temporary shortage of full-length mirrors at Target, there was no cat-fighting, no "accidentally" spilling on evening gowns, no absconding with eyelash glue.

The contestants handed out cookies just to be nice, not as sabotage. They shared glitter spray, hairspray and glue spray (to hold swimsuit bottoms in place). And here, honey, let me help - you need a little extra shot of sticky right here.

When Mrs. Arizona, Diane Tucker, won the crown and Mrs. Michigan was found sobbing backstage because she didn't even make the top 10, Mrs. North Carolina wiped her tears and made sure she didn't get mascara on her dress. No one plotted to harm Mrs. Texas in the night after spying her 30-carat diamond solitaire ring (yup), because the darling let everyone try it on.

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Miss Utah USA and Miss Teen Utah Crowned

September 23rd, 2006 @ 9:00pm

(KSL News) Several dozen girls competed tonight for the title of Miss Utah USA and Miss Teen Utah.

Our own Rod Zundel emceed this year's events.

Heather Anderson from Sandy took home the Miss Utah crown, and Kelsey Brigel from Juan Diego High School won Miss Teen Utah.

Anderson will compete for the title of Miss USA next April, and Brigel goes to the Miss Teen USA pageant next August.

Both pageants will be shown here on KSL.

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Miss Mississippi Comes Home

It was a happy homecoming Saturday as Miss Mississippi returns to her supportive community of Clinton.

Taryn Foshee has been on the go ever since she was crowned Miss Mississippi a couple of months ago. The ambitious 21-year-old just returned from Los Angeles where she met with other Miss America contestants. She is also working on her platform of improving the quality of life for the mentally challenged. Foshee won the title of Miss Mississippi competing as Miss Byram Tri-County, but says she has always valued the support and encouragement from her hometown community of Clinton.

"They have always rallied around me and given me the strength to compete for four years because it can get hard sometimes. So to know they were behind me all the way has allowed me to accomplish what I have accomplished," she said.

Foshee is now preparing for the Miss America Pageant that will take place in Las Vegas on January 29th.

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Miss Cover Girl featured

Courtesy photo

Shanica Thompson

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By Jacqueline McKnight

September 23, 2006

Thompson will be the feature beauty of the week in the September 11 issue of Jet magazine. Thompson, junior of West Monroe, came to Grambling State University on a band scholarship.

As Thompson recaptured the night of the pageant, the only thing she remembers was her contestant number being called. "I was in a state of shock. I was not expecting to win. It has been said in the past that whomever wins best interview wins the pageant.

"Well I did not win best interview, and I did not win first or second runner-up, but when I looked around they called my contestant number I felt like I won Miss America," said Thompson.

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The search for Miss Global International

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Miss Global International 2006, Ropafadzai Garise and Lachu Ramachandi.

With the Miss World Pageant just over a week away organisers of the Miss Global International are already recruiting young women from around the world to participate in the next international beauty event in 2007.

The pageant caters to any young woman between the ages of 17 and 26, with the right height, body, poise, awareness and personality.

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Judges sing Catherine's praises after winning Miss World Talent Show

By Lesley-Anne Henry 22 September 2006

Northern Ireland's Miss World hopeful is hitting the right notes at this year's competition in Poland.

Co Down beauty Catherine Milligan sang her way into the final after taking the top prize in the Miss World Talent Show on Wednesday night.

Dressed in beaded green silk Catherine wowed the judges and her fellow contestants with her rendition of the famous Irish folk song She moves through the Fair.

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Miss South Carolina Pageant Attorney Issues Statement

(Columbia) - The Miss South Carolina Pageant's attorney has issued a new statement about the inquiry into the program.

There had been accusations that some past winners hadn't gotten all of their scholarship money. Since then, the Secretary of State's office has begun an inquiry.

Here is the letter from the organization.

Dear Miss South Carolina Family:

Joe Sanders has asked that I write to all of you. My firm has had the privilege of serving as General Counsel to the Miss South Carolina Organization for decades. The Organization provides a truly amazing volume of charitable services to South Carolinians through Miss South Carolina, Miss South Carolina Teen, pageant contestants and Palmetto Princesses. We are all proud of the Organization’s 40 year commitment to instilling the spirit of public service into young women.

You have probably heard that the Secretary of State’s Office is reviewing filings of the Miss South Carolina Organization. Miss South Carolina is cooperating fully with the Secretary of State in the review, just as it does annually when filing the various reports that the state requires. The Miss America Organization has been fully supportive of the Miss South Carolina Organization throughout this process.

We had a very positive, fruitful and cordial meeting with the representatives of the South Carolina Secretary of State's Office on Monday, September 18th. In that meeting, we identified a few open issues, all of which involved how Miss South Carolina should show certain things on the annual filings it is required to make.

For instance, although Miss South Carolina contestants and winners may become eligible for scholarships, they must also follow through on applying for those scholarships. We explained in detail how a contestant must apply for her scholarship funds, and the sources of scholarship funds. Some scholarships are made available through colleges; some are made available by corporations or even individuals; some are paid by the Spartanburg Foundation (as a donor directed fund of the Miss South Carolina Foundation); and some are paid by the Philadelphia Foundation (as a donor directed fund of the Miss America Organization). None of those funds travel through the bank accounts of the Miss South Carolina Organization, so those scholarship funds aren’t reflected on the Miss South Carolina Organization's reports.

The Treasurer of the Miss South Carolina Organization will also be consulting with a representative of the Secretary of State’s Office to clarify reporting of goods and services that are given directly to the Miss South Carolina titleholder by pageant sponsors.

Over the years, when the Miss South Carolina Organization has run short of funds for operations, people associated with the pageant made loans or did not insist on required payments being made. The Organization needs to better memorialize those loans, although the Organization may never be able to repay them. We discussed this in our meeting with the Secretary of State.

You may have seen several articles in the Spartanburg Herald. The reporter at the Spartanburg Herald frankly does not understand much about the Miss South Carolina Organization. She clearly does not understand that scholarship payments originate from several sources, not just Miss South Carolina Organization funds. Nor does she understand that the payments Miss South Carolina makes to the landlord of the building in Liberty include not just a building, but all office equipment, computers, filing areas, telephones, furniture, and everything else that's needed to run an office.

The Miss South Carolina Organization will continue to work with the Secretary of State, as it does every year, to make sure that its reporting is as clear and accurate as possible. We fully expect the remaining issues to be resolved in the near future. In the meantime, the Miss South Carolina Organization will continue as the South Carolina affiliate of the Miss America Organization, offering young women the opportunity to build self-confidence, learn the value of public service and win scholarship eligibility.

Cordially,
Natalma M. McKnew
Leatherwood Walker Todd & Mann, P.C.

Tony Santaella, New Media Manager

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VIDEO: Miss Universe 2005 Natalie Glebova

I thought for our other video selection today, we'd look at Natalie Glebova

Miss Virginia 2005 Crowning

Get a load of this reaction. This is like a highlight reel of every crowning I've ever seen.

Miss Universe Becomes New Ambassador in War against AIDS

By Cindy Saine Miami 21 September 2006

Miss Universe, Zuleyka Rivera, was named the International Ambassador for the Latino Commission on AIDS in Miami Thursday. In her first message, she urged people to get tested for AIDS.

Zuleyka Rivera

Wherever Miss Universe goes, there are usually plenty of cameras and microphones not far behind. Zuleyka Rivera of Puerto Rico has decided to use her title to let the world know how AIDS is devastating the U.S. Latino community, her native Puerto Rico and people around the world. Miss Zuleyka Rivera as the International Ambassador of the Latino Commission on AIDS," said Dennis deLeon.

Latinos make up 14 percent of the U.S. population, but account for 20 percent of all those living with AIDS in the United States today.

Eighteen-year-old Rivera said cultural sensitivities and taboos prevent many people from talking about AIDS as well as about sex.

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McNaught plans switch to comedy

September 21, 2006

AUSTRALIAN Miss Universe entrant Erin McNaught fancies herself as a comedian.

McNaught tonight returned to the catwalk for the first time since she represented Australia at the Miss Universe finals in the US in July.

She joined more than 20 of Queensland's top models at one of the state's biggest fashion events - the Wintergarden Spring Summer Gala.

About 550 guests eyeballed the latest collections from a host of fashion names including Wayne Cooper, Carla Zampatti, Lisa Ho and Veronika Maine at the Brisbane Hilton Hotel grand ballroom.

McNaught featured in one of the parades in a white swimsuit and a massive hat brimming with fresh white flowers

But she sees her long-term future in comedy rather than on the catwalk.

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Growing up in the spotlight: Pageant culture must face critics

Natalie Cammarata / For The Post / nc175305@ohiou.edu

Unknown / Provided Photo
OU junior Chelsea Ballint (right), with West Virgina’s Homecoming Queen Shayna Cowley, won the title of America’s Homecoming Queen in 2005 and will compete in the Miss Ohio pageant this weekend.

Chelsea Ballint stands on stage with 10 anxious girls, looking out into the audience. She sees her dad and her boyfriend sitting together, smiling eagerly at her. With no time to prepare herself, the announcer calls her name over the loudspeaker. Seventeen-year-old Ballint has just won her first pageant title, Ohio’s Homecoming Queen.

Tonight, the junior public relations major will compete in the Miss Ohio USA 2007 pageant in Portsmouth.“I never thought I’d be in a pageant,” Ballint said of her late adolescent start in the pageant world. When her childhood friend competed in pageants, Ballint was playing outside like most other kids.

Ballint entered the pageant arena when she first decided to compete in Ohio’s Homecoming Queen. She continued on to the national pageant and won the title America’s Homecoming Queen. After this, Ballint was inspired to join the Miss USA pageantry circuit.

“Everything happened by the seat of my pants,” she recalled.

The Miss USA organization has a platform for breast cancer, which intrigued Ballint because of her grandfather’s lost fight against lung cancer. As the public relations chair for Colleges Against Cancer, Ballint maintains an active role in the fight against cancer.

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Shanna Moakler Takes Her Last Dance

Shanna Moakler Takes Her Last Dance
September 21, 2006

America booted Former Miss USA Shanna Moakler from "Dancing with the Stars" in round two Wednesday night, but Shanna wasn't too surprised. She revealed to "Extra" that she knew her fate was about to be sealed.

"When they called Harry, we were like, ‘Thank you, it's been real, it was fun,'" the beauty queen admitted.

But Shanna has no regrets. "I enjoyed it all. I enjoyed the working out and the sweat," she told us.

The biggest shocker of the night was Jerry Springer springing into round three, as the week's lowest scorer.

"We really appreciate it, but enough," Jerry joked. "I can't learn another dance!"

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Miss America runner-up back to savour beauty of Malaysia

By JO TEH

View video
Media PlayerReal Video

KUALA LUMPUR: Monica Pang Li Pinn, Miss America 2006 first runner-up, has two loves in her life – boyfriend Chris Rogers (pictured with her, below) and Malaysia.

Pang has been a busy bee since arriving here two weeks ago.

Not only has she been receiving numerous offers from television networks, production houses and potential advertisers, but Pang, an Asian-American, has also been busy working out at the gym and taking Mandarin classes.

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Erin rocks Jordan's world

SHE'S Miss Universe Australia but Sydney schoolboy Jordan Avramides was king of the world when his formal date Erin McNaught popped over to his house to say hi yesterday.

The enormity of meeting McNaught for the first time wasn't lost on the Year 10 Trinity Grammar School student, who will become the envy of his mates when he escorts the beauty queen to his formal in November.

"My palms are sweaty and my heart has been going boom boom boom all afternoon,'' Jordan told Confidential.

"I just can't believe Miss Universe is standing in my living room - I just never dreamed this would all actually happen,'' he said.

Jordan's original formal hopes were dashed when another Miss Universe - Seven star Jennifer Hawkins - had to decline his written invitation because of filming commitments.

But the boy got the girl in the end when Hawko's understudy, 24-year-old McNaught, graciously agreed to step in to fill his dance card.

While his parents Michael and Margaret and brother Zac looked on, Jordan resembled the cat that got the cream as he and McNaught discussed outfits, corsages and pre-formal drinks at his Drummoyne home.

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Aaron Carter soon to tie-knots with his Playmate lover

The Singer Aaron Carter has engaged to his Playmate lover Kari Ann Peniche who used to date his elder brother “Nick Carter”.

The 18 years old singer made his proposal to Peniche on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada while they were on stage in front of 200 people during “Playboy Comedy Tour” at the Palms Casino Resort. His fiancée excitedly told People Magazine that “Aaron is one of the most sincere persons I have known, he is kind, cute and I really love him very much.”

The 22 years old, Peniche said that she felt shocked by Carter’s proposal “I never thought that he could do anything like this, but I am very happy that he did. I don’t really know what happened, I am all blurred”. The two deeply exchanged kisses. They have planned to marry in the next 6 month. The Managers of Playboy and comedian Court McCrown said “he told us that he would proposed to her but we thought that he was just kidding, but noticed that he wasn’t at ease”.

Peniche rises from Miss USA 2003 but she has given up her title after she has taken the job as model for Playboy Magazine. Carter was placed in the Realty Show a new program relating to his family “House of Carters” which will be broadcast next month on E Channel in USA.

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