Friday, November 24, 2006

From beastly to beautiful


WHAT A TRANFORMATION: The Asbo to Beauty Queen contestants
WHAT A TRANFORMATION: The Asbo to Beauty Queen contestants
IS it possible to change nine Manchester tearaway teens by giving them lessons in how to become beauty queens?

The thorny English roses were plucked from the streets of Greater Manchester to take part in a six-week TV project.

Asbo Teen To Beauty Queen (Five, Wed, 8pm) swapped anti-social behaviour for poise, polish and new life skills.

The teen troublemakers had no idea what was in store – and were shocked when former American beauty queen Michelle Fryatt met them at a Manchester community centre to reveal their mission.

One went on to represent England in the biggest teen pageant in America – Miss Teen International – and most have had their lives changed for the better.

Beauty pageant veteran Michelle set the group a series of challenges, designed to reduce them to three finalists who flew to Chicago, home of Miss Teen.

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Staley wins 2007 Coulee Region pageant


VIROQUA, Wis. — Melissa Leigh Staley, 22, of Grafton, a nursing student at Alverno College, was chosen as Miss Coulee Region 2007 Saturday at the Viroqua Temple Theatre.

The second annual at-large pageant open for any contestant from Wisconsin was hosted by former Miss Arcadia 2005-06, Sarah Marie Dotta, 20, of Arcadia. Eleven women competed in this year’s pageant.

First runner-up was dancer Kimbre Leigh Hart, 23, of Sussex, a student at Carroll College. She also won the Hostess and Spirit of Miss America awards. Second runner-up was UW-L biology senior Tracy Ann MacKinnon, 22, of Plymouth, while Tiffany S. Krohn, 20, of Wisconsin Rapids, a UW-L sophomore, was third runner-up. Sarah S. Chandler, 19, of Greenfield was fourth runner-up.
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Law Enforcement Prepare For Pumpkin Pageant

Law officials in Worcester County are getting ready to dress in drag. The Pumpkin Princess Womanless Beauty Pageant is being held to raise money for Trooper Heath Berkey. He was diagnosed this year with leukemia.

"Dressing up as women and they are competing as women in a beauty pageant, beauty being the word that could be used loosely," said Worcester County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ed Schreier.

The show is this Saturday at the Pocomoke Elks club at 6. Only 350 tickets will be sold; they are $35 each.


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PLAY: Pageant III in Austin, TX


Who will it be?

Miss Great Plains? Miss West Coast? Miss Bible Belt? Miss Industrial Northeast? Miss Deep South? Miss Texas?

It's your call - literally - to determine the winner each night in this musical comedy Beauty Contest where all of the girls have "That Little Something Extra."

Winner of Best Musical, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Production, as well listed in "The Top Ten Things To See" in Austin.

These big wig girls will ROCK your Christmas, even for the biggest SCROOGE!

Stuff your Christmas stockings with something more - the answer is this hysterical musical beauty pageant!

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Barre woman crowned Miss Vermont USA

Jessica Comolli, 21, of Barre recently won the 2007 Miss Vermont USA. Comolli competed against more than 20 women from across the state. Last year, Comolli was the first runner-up. Comolli will represent Vermont at the Miss USA 2007 competition that will be broadcast live on NBC this spring. Rutland teen wins Miss Vermont Teen USA

Olivia Hubbard, 17, of Rutland was recently crowned Miss Vermont Teen USA. Hubbard competed against more than 50 young women to win the title. Hubbard will represent Vermont in the competition for Miss Teen USA 2007 that will be broadcast live on NBC this summer.
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Clinton native to give invocation at NASCAR event




Jenna Edwards, Miss Florida USA 2007 and a Clinton native, will give the invocation for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Ford 400.

WLBT Channel 3, an NBC affiliate, will air the event at 2 p.m. Sunday.

While in Clinton, Edwards attended Central Hinds Academy and Morrison Heights Baptist Church. She founded Queen for a Day, a nonprofit for pediatric cancer patients.

In 2004, she competed in Miss America pageant as Miss Florida. She won a preliminary swimsuit competition and recognition for her nonprofit group.

Edwards, who now lives in Miami, will represent Florida again in April’s Miss USA pageant.

Source

Editor's Note: Jenna Edward was our guest on PageantCast 033.


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Global beauties vs global warming

By Giovanni Paolo J. Yazon

FOR six years now, the Miss Earth pageant, of Carousel Productions Inc., takes pride as the lone international beauty contest that brings together women from seven continents of the world that give beauty a more significant meaning—that which inspires people to make a stand on pressing issues pertaining to the environment.

Such inspiration will soon find its “Mother Nature’s ambassador” among the delegates in this “search for a cause.” This year, global warming will be the environmental issue that they will concentrate on. Eighty-eight women will embark on a promotional campaign to change the people’s insight on global warming—from the abstract threat to the critical reality. The pageant hopes to educate everyone on the simple steps that one can take right now to alleviate global warming.

“As Miss Earth moves forward, it continues to attract more and more countries that want to send participants to this competition. It is very satisfying to be able to attract so many young ladies who want to get involved in our environmental mission. It proves that the youth today want to make a difference,” said Carousel Productions president Ramon Monzon.

“All the entrants will also be busy promoting the Philippines as a cutthroat and enviable tourist destination. They will stay and bring world attention to the beauty and attraction of the exotic island of Coron in Palawan; Golden Sunset Resort in Calatagan, Batangas; Trace Aquatic Center in Los BaƱos, Laguna; Villa Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon; Tagaytay City; and the Fontana Leisure Park and Casino in Pampanga,” added Lorraine Schuck, the organization’s executive vice president.

Meet the ladies

At the press presentation of Miss Earth 2006 held at the poolside of Traders Hotel in Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City last Nov. 9, all eyes and camera lenses focused on the beautiful faces and to-die-for bodies of ladies clad in sea-green bikinis and four-inch high heels as they introduced themselves in their respective languages and walked the runway. They also “protested” by waving placards bearing environmental messages and distributed plants to the crowd. Here are the top contenders in this year’s competition:

1. Marianne Puglia Martinez of Venezuela. This 21-year-old social communications student from Universidad de Sta. Maria who hails from Aragua State has the “pressure” of achieving one after the other victory for her country. Last year’s Miss Earth crown was worn by her fellow “Belleza Venezolana,” Alexandra Braun Waldeck.

2. Amanda Helen Pennekamp of the United States, a 25-year-old actress and model from South Carolina, is another frontrunner. In 2004, she was first runner-up to eventual Miss Universe first runner-up Shandi Finnessey. Many of her fans believe that her “moment of glory” has finally come.

3. Francys Sudnicka of Poland. This 26-year-old accounting major is a half-Venezuelan. Prior to joining the Miss Poland-Earth search, she took a shot in the Miss Venezuela contest and became a semifinalist. Her global titles include Miss Tourism World of 2003 and Model of the Universe 2003.

4. Amruta Patki of India is a 21-year-old model and commerce student from Mumbai University. Standing at 5-feet-11, this dead-ringer for Binibining Pilipinas-World 1997 and erstwhile TV host Kristine Florendo is one of the top three winners of this year’s Femina Miss India search.

5. Judita Hrubyova of Slovak Republic is a 21-year-old social work student who dreams of becoming a doctor someday. When she competed in this year’s Miss Universe pageant held in Los Angeles, she placed third runner-up in the “GB Miss Photogenic Universe 2006” contest conducted by www.globalbeauties.com. She resembles dethroned Miss Universe of 2002 Oxana Fedorova of Russia.

6. Catherine Untalan of the Philippines. Our hometown girl is one of the tallest among this year’s batch of candidates, standing at six feet. This 20-year-old psychology cum laude graduate from the University of the Philippines in Diliman wants to be recognized as the first Filipino and Asian Miss Earth winner. She plans to initiate environmental awareness programs that will instill responsibility to the youth.

7. Hil Yesenia Hernandez Escobar of Chile. This 22-year-old commercial engineering student is another “knockout beauty” that has the looks—a cross between Charlene Gonzalez and Miss Universe 1994 Sushmita Sen of India—and energy to compete for the Miss Earth crown. She is the top bet of pageant Web site www.opmb.com.

8. Melanie Boreham of Ireland is a 19-year-old model and psychology major from the University of Bath in England. This runway model of Carter, a high-end boutique in Belfast, is on the books of top model agent Alison Campbell. She was also a contestant in this year’s Miss Universe pageant.

9. Dina Fekadu of Ethiopia. This 22-year-old student is a batch mate of Precious Lara Quigaman in the Miss International 2005 beauty congress. When she competed in the Miss Universe pageant last June, she became one of the 20 semifinalists. For her, to be crowned Miss Earth, “is the ultimate accolade for femininity and beauty.”

10. Riza Santos of Canada is a 20-year-old pre-med student from the University of Calgary. Born and raised in Canada, her father is a native of Malolos, Bulacan, while her mother hails from Manila. She works as a news reporter for the Canadian Armed Forces Army Reserve.

The other favorites are Isabel Cornelis, an 18-year-old linguistics student from Belgium; Jessica Anne Jordan, a 22-year-old model from Bolivia; Maria Stahl Hurtado, a 25-year-old news reporter from Ecuador; Holly Ikin, a 19-year-old model from England; Anne Charlotte Triplet, a 19-year-old student from France; Sabrina van der Donk, an 18-year-old model from the Netherlands; Stefanie de Roux of Panama, top 15 semifinalist in the Miss Universe 2003 pageant; Elena Salnikova, an 18-year-old model from Russia; Cathy Johnny, a 19-year-old tourism management graduate from Saint Lucia; and Pathar Rungratanasunthorn, a 23-year-old designer from Thailand.

The coronation night of Miss Earth 2006 will be held on Nov. 26, Sunday, at the grounds of the National Museum in the city of Manila. It will be televised on ABS-CBN-2 at 9:30 p.m.

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Strange But True


By SAMANTHA WEAVER

+ The first Miss America pageant was held in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1921, and during the first decade of the competition, the bust of the average contestant measured 32 inches. Since then, though, times - and standards of beauty - have changed; perhaps unsurprisingly, the average bust size of contestants today is 36 inches.

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Thanksgiving Day Parade


When: 8:15 a.m. Thursday. Rain or shine. Sponsored by WPVI-TV (Channel 6) and Boscov's.

Special guests: Pat Sajak, Bianca Ryan, Paul DiMeo, Renee Goldsberry, Ashley Parker Angel, Paris Bennett, Ace Young, Martha Wash, Miss America 2006 Jennifer Berry, others.

Winter wonderland: Campbell's sponsors a tented area at Eakins Oval with hot food and drinks, games and activities. 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Televised coverage: 8:30 a.m. to noon on Channel 6. Cecily Tynan, Dave Roberts and Kelly Ripa will host.

Simulcast: 87.7 FM.

Source

Editor's Note: Please note this is a Philadelphia Thanksgiving parade. Tara Connor, Miss USA, is in the Macy's New York Parade.



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Scholarship pageant highlights contestants' brains, beauty

Nov. 17, 2006

22061117_pagent
Courtesy photo
Alicia Reyes, a 2005 alumna from Laredo, won the 2004 Miss Phi Iota Scholarship Pageant, in which participants are judged on beauty and academics.
pixel_shim

By LIZZA LOPEZ
Reporter

Elbow, elbow wrist, wrist. Smile all throughout. That's what a beauty pageant is all about.

Or is it?

The brothers of the Phi Iota Alpha fraternity are hosting the sixth annual Miss Phi Iota Scholarship Pageant.

"The Miss Phi Iota Scholarship pageant was designed to bring women at Baylor closer to achieving their goal of a college degree," said David Fisher, member of Phi Iota Alpha and co-pageant coordinator.

The 12 contestants will compete in five different categories: ad sales, achievements and goals (based on a resume and biography they sent in), interview with the judges, question-and-answer session and evening gown.

Fisher said scholarship money is funded strictly through advertisement sales.

"Every year we give more money in scholarships and prizes than we did the previous year," Fisher said.

"This year the prizes and money will prove to be exceptionally better than the past years. Last year we gave around $3,700 and this year we will be giving around $5,200 in scholarship money."

Each year the pageant has a theme. This year's theme is the diversity of the woman. Fisher stressed the diversity among the contestants.

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Brilliant Baraboo

Babes in Toyland, a giant rocking horse, Santa's elves with their reindeer, snow fairies and other icons of the season brought excitement to children and adults alike during the annual Holly Jolly Light Parade on the Courthouse Square in Baraboo Saturday.

. . .

Bob and Sharon Madland of Baraboo acted as grand marshals of the parade.

Portage resident Danni Hogan, 11, said he really liked the acrobatic displays in the parade, like clowns on stilts.

"I loved the giant wheel," said his uncle, Rorie Reichhoff of Baraboo.

Among the parade participants was Miss Wisconsin 2006, Meghan Coffey. She began her visit to Baraboo signing autographs at Specially Hers and said she had already been to one parade Saturday.

"I'm just beginning to get the holiday spirit," Coffey said. "I'm excited to make my first visit to Baraboo for the parade." She will compete in the Miss America Pageant in January.

Milwaukee residents Pilar Moller and Alissa Leischer-Rizzo were getting autographs, but said they were surprised to find Coffey in town. They came to the parade last year and decided to come back.

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Pageant has (Miss) Mass. appeal


By Herald staff
Monday, November 20, 2006 - Updated: 06:38 AM EST

About 58 young beauties from across the state converged on the Marriott in Quincy with their evening gowns and swimsuits yesterday - all hoping to be crowned Miss Massachusetts USA.
The competition consisted of three parts: evening gown, swimsuit and the interview. The winner of the pageant will go on to compete for the title of Miss USA and received a prize package that included $30,000 in cash.
The winner had not been announced by press time last night.
The pageant is organized by The Miss Universe Organization.


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Holding baby fails to thrill


SHE wore the Miss Universe crown with style and has taken TV presenting in her pony-walk stride.

But when Jennifer Hawkins was left holding a baby at Sydney Children's Hospital yesterday she was the first to point out she was out of her comfort zone.

With boyfriend Jake Wall by her side, a giggly Hawko took to the nursing role readily, delivering a huge dose of excitement to the infants' ward at Randwick.

While clucking over each child, the 23-year-old dismissed questions about her own family plans. "No way," she wailed, echoed by Wall, who was quick to media manage the talk, telling us "Now, don't you write that".

The pair did the rounds with help from Sophie Delezio's head doctor, Jonny Taitz, handing out the stuffed toys Hawkins used in her recent raunchy Lovable lingerie campaign.

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Lindenwood student crowned Miss Missouri USA



Seyer to spend holidays helping others

Thursday, November 23, 2006 12:05 PM CST


As Amber Seyer stood behind the stage at the Miss Missouri USA pageant, she prayed to God that if he gave her the chance to live her dream, she would help other people.

Her wish came true. She was crowned Miss Missouri USA 2007 on Oct. 29.
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PAGEANT CALL

by RICKY JORDAN

BARBADOS HAS BEEN INVITED to host the world's most prestigious pageant, Miss Universe, in 2008.

A proposal sent to the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA) by the Los Angeles-based Miss Universe organisation a few days ago and obtained yesterday by the DAILY NATION, stated that the show, owned by billionaire Donald Trump, was "pleased to announce that Barbados is being considered to host the (three-week) pageant" that would include "a series of events that will promote tourism and showcase Barbados before a worldwide audience".

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China TV host jailed for illegal confinement of ex-boy friend

A former Chinese TV host and wannabe beauty queen has been sentenced to one and a half years in prison for holding an ex-boyfriend captive with the help of her husband.

Gao Lu, 24, runner-up in this year's regional Miss Universe contest in Jiangxi Province, and her husband Yan Shuyang were found guilty of detaining a man surnamed Chen for four days in several hotels around Beijing in April in an attempt to force him to repay 170,000 yuan (21,000 U.S. dollars).

Three co-defendants were jailed for up to one year for assisting the couple,including Gao's two former colleagues and one schoolmate.

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Why Dayanara Torres came back to Manila

By Isah V. Red
Former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres came to Manila, not for a visit, but to shoot a television commercial for Beverly Hills 6750 Cosmetic Surgery and Skin Institute, the newest treatment facility for beauty-related issues in Manila. The beauty business is becoming one of the best performing sectors of the country’s economy, and that is the reason the Department of Tourism formally launched “medical tourism” as a way of selling the country to the world.

The business is so good that the husband-and-wife business tandem of David Bunevacz and Jessica Rodriguez didn’t have second thoughts in hiring the services of Dayanara to be the facility’s spokesman. “No, we can’t say how much we’re paying Dayanara,’’ the former decathlete said during an impromptu interview at the facility’s holding area. And neither Dayanara was willing to divulge the amount she got for posing for the print layout of the company, the TV commercial, and the successive guest appearances on television to promote Beverly Hills 6750.

David Bunevacz, Beverly Hills 6750’s president and chief executive, said on the company’s decision to hire Dayanara, “When we were thinking of a name to take on this task of endorsing the facility, we got overwhelming response to the affirmative when we floated the name of Dayanara Torres. There is just no other celebrity with that face and image that could best suit the kind of commitment Beverly Hills 6750 is giving to its clientele. She’s world-class and she has this heart to do service. She is perfect for Beverly Hills 6750.”

Dayanara left Manila eight years ago, leaving behind a flourishing career on television (she was a contract star of ABS-CBN) and a romantic liaison with then one of the most eligible bachelors in show business, Aga Muhlach, who is married to former Bb. Pilipinas-Universe Charlene Gonzales.

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Thursday, November 23, 2006

Miss Universe 2006


Miss Universe 2006
Originally uploaded by beetho.
Just found this photo out on Flickr and thought I would pass it along. Nice shot of Tara Connor and some of the other 2006 MUO contestants.

Brittany Ryan Swann, Miss Georgia USA 2007

We have a photo of Brittany Ryan Swann, Miss Georgia USA 2007 with last years winner and others on our Flickr account.

Ms. Motorsports Replaces Miss America in Atlantic City

by Ernie SaxtonATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- In a city where the famous Miss America Pageant was presented, Ms. Motorsports will now be crowned as part of the Motorsports 2007 presented by VP Racing Fuels Race Car Show.

The huge three-day show takes place at the Atlantic City, N.J., Convention Center starting at 11 a.m. on January 12 and continues through 5 p.m. January 14, 2007.

$1,500 waits for the new Ms. Motorsports who will be selected from an array of ladies in the U.S.Smokeless Tobacco Co. sponsored pageant taking place at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Unlike past years there will be no preliminaries with the entire pageant being presented in one “crowd-pleasing” session.

The swimwear competition will reward the winner with $500. The audience will decide who gets the top prize in the swimwear competition.

In addition to the first-place money there will be $500 for the first runner-up and $250 for the second runner-up. Golden Pleasures Jewelers of Bordentown, N.J., will provide gifts to several of the ladies and there will be special presentations for best in swimwear, best in sportswear and most congenial.

There is no entry fee but all ladies must be at least 18 years of age. Entry information is available at www.aarn.com.

It will be a huge motorsports weekend with the Atlantic City Gambler’s Classic Indoor Races being presented on the same weekend at the nearby Boardwalk Hall.
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Miss America brings her message to FB

“It’s so good to be home,” Miss America Jennifer Berry told Oklahoma Farm Bureau members at their annual convention last weekend.

The Jenks native told her story of the road to Miss America and promoting her platform of intolerance against drunk driving and underage drinking.

Berry has always wanted to be a teacher and has completed her internship. She said the pageant system allowed her to earn more than $30,000 in scholarships.

Miss America’s platform came from an incident in her own personal life. When she was a teenager, a friend named Kristin went to Grand Lake with five other teens. Kristin was killed when the driver, who was drunk, lost control of the car.

“She died from a decision, not from a disease,” Berry said. “That was a hundred percent preventable.”

Berry joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving at age 17. That year, she also won fourth runner-up in her first pageant and “a little scholarship.”

In Berry’s second year of pageant competition, she entered the Miss Oklahoma contest.

“I didn’t win, but I kept working on my platform. I realized I was having an impact in Oklahoma (on teens drinking and driving).”

The third year of her pageant career, Berry again went to the Miss Oklahoma contest.

“Do you think I won? No.

“I had to think about what I was doing. I had spent three years on one goal, and I wasn’t getting there,” Berry said.

“But, I was paying for college with pageants.”

So she entered the Miss Oklahoma pageant a fourth time.

“I didn’t win,” Berry said.

“I’d been third runner-up twice. I wasn’t even getting better! But, I thought, no matter if I won or not I was doing great things for the state.” For those four years she had continued to develop her platform, speaking to groups and students all over the state and helping MADD promote their message.

On the fifth try, Berry won the Miss Oklahoma title.

As Miss Oklahoma, she created a school program called “The Choice is Yours” for elementary school students.

“I challenged first and second graders to learn to make choices for themselves. I went to 85 schools.”

Then Berry won the Miss America title.

“I never went there expecting to win. My goal was to become Miss Oklahoma, so Miss America was just icing on the cake.

“I wanted the judges (at the Miss America pageant) to see my platform is timely and needed,” Berry said.
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American beauty



Suzanne Shelley's beauty philosophy is simple.

"I think the most important thing is just to be active, to have an interest and a passion for life," she said.

Ladies may want to take note because the radiant Shelley, a 60-year-old retired psychometrist, was crowned Ms. Senior America on Saturday at the national pageant in Las Vegas, beating out 32 other contestants.

The Ms. Senior Mississippi was her first pageant -her husband entered her while she was out of town - but she went straight to the top of the competition that honors women over 60, judging them on talent, poise, interviews and a short speech.

Now, Shelley, a Lamar County resident, has begun her yearlong reign of traveling -she may be heading off to New York City to ride in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, although she has to juggle a family trip at the same time. In March, she'll ride with Miss America in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

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Miss Racine participants take home scholarships

By Journal Times readers

RACINE COUNTY - A sell-out crowd attended the Miss Racine Scholarship Program Saturday night at the Gifford School Auditorium. Eleven contestants competed for the title of Miss Racine, and 19-year-old Britani Denise Madala won the crown along with a $2,500 scholarship and the opportunity to represent Racine County at the Miss Wisconsin Pageant in Oshkosh next June.

The daughter of Greg and Denise Madala, Britani attends the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, pursuing a master's degree in business and a minor in communications. For the talent competition, she performed a tap dance and her platform issue is called "Be A Hero - Blood Donation Matters."

"It was a thrill for me to win the title of Miss Racine on Veterans Day because my heroes are the men and women of the U.S. military," said Madala. "My short-term goal is to encourage blood donation for our veterans and all Americans. And my future ambition is to give back to my heroes by traveling overseas to entertain and encourage them, and thank them for all they do for us."

The first runner-up and winner of a $1,500 scholarship is 17-year-old Rachael Clare Faulds, a senior at St. Catherine's High School. The daughter of Chad Faulds and Mary Gramza-Faulds, Rachael also performed a tap dance for the talent competition. Cynthia Grimal, daughter of Addie Grimal, placed second runner-up. A 21-year-old student at Gateway Technical College, Cynthia sang a vocal solo for the talent competition and will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

Melissa Maggart, a 19-year-old sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, placed third runner-up and won a $900 scholarship. The daughter of Janet Maggart and the late Mark Maggart, Melissa performed a jazz dance for the talent competition. The fourth runner-up was Sarah Tanner, a senior at Washington Park High School. The daughter of Virginia and Todd Schuh, Sarah performed a vocal solo for the talent competition and will receive an $800 scholarship.

The other participants in the competition, including Monique Bates, daughter of Johnnie Bates; Mary Collum, daughter of Rudy and Mona Collum; Courtney Ladd, daughter of Mark Ladd and Jodi Ladd; Zenaida Maldonado, daughter of Javier and Martha Maldonado; Heather Neau, daughter of Larry Neau and Diane Reeves; and Ashley Steeves, daughter of Pam Steeves, will all receive a $500 scholarship. In total, the participants are eligible for more than $10,000 in cash scholarships and more than $40,000 in in-kind scholarships - a new record for the local Miss America affiliate.

Other special recognition awarded through the Miss Racine Scholarship Program this year include the non-finalist talent award which was given to Heather Neau and the non-finalist interview award earned by Courtney Ladd. Miss Congeniality was Cynthia Grimal and Miss Racine 2007 Britani Madala also earned the Spirit of Miss America Award. Zenaida Maldonado received a special award for selling the most ads for the program book, and the top ticket sales award also went to Madala.

One of Madala's first appearances will be at the Festival of Trees on Nov. 24 when she will be a featured guest in the Miss Racine Outstanding Teen Program at 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall.

On Nov. 25, she will also appear during the Miss Festival of Trees Program at 2 p.m. at Memorial Hall, and she will ride in the Downtown Racine Christmas parade that evening at 5:30 along with the new Miss Racine Outstanding Teen and the newly crowned Miss Festival of Trees. For tickets to these pageants or more information, visit http://www.missracine.org


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Brittany Madala, Miss Racine 2007

Photos from the Miss Racine 2007 pageant are now available on our Flickr account!

Monday, November 20, 2006

Miss USA sick of Paris stealing her men

Thursday, November 9 2006, 15:41 UTC - by Matt Houghton

Miss USA Shana Moakler has spoken out against Paris Hilton because she is sick of her stealing her boyfriends.

Shana and Paris have been arguing over recent reports that the hotel heiress snogged Moakler's boyfriend, Travis Barker of Blink 182.

Paris also dated boxer Oscar De La Rosa after he split up with the Miss USA winner.

Moakler told The Sun: "For her to do it not once, but twice was in the poorest of taste."

Commenting on her boyfriend's infidelity, she said: "I think it was all done on purpose and it absolutely devastated me. It was really painful.

"For him to go with her was probably a very vindictive, spiteful thing to do."


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Miss S.C. Pageant pays higher-than-market-value price for office space

RACHEL E. LEONARD, Staff Writer
Published September 21, 2006

A lease the Miss South Carolina Organization pays to its own president and CEO for office space in Pickens County appears significantly higher than area market values.

In 2004, the last year for which tax filings are available, the state pageant paid $63,000 to rent part of an 1,896-square-foot, one-story brick building at 124 W. Main St. in Liberty, a small town that's home to about 3,000 people. The building is owned by pageant president Joe Sanders III through the now-defunct Sanders Financial Group LLC and also houses the Sanders family business, American Family Mortgage Services.

Complaint

The nonprofit pageant organization, run for years by the Sanders family, is under investigation by the S.C. Secretary of State's Office after a complaint alleged that promised scholarship funds were never disbursed. Tax records indicate the pageant paid out $32,620 in scholarships in 2004. The office rent was almost twice

as much for the same period.

While tax returns show no sign of office expenses from 1996 through 1999, the lease costs total $245,000 between 2000 and 2004. The lease amount for 2004 equates to more than $33 per square foot per year, assuming pageant offices filled the entire building.

"That's a generous amount of money for that space," said Century 21 real estate agent Eddie Beaver of Easley, an agent for 28 years.

The building was constructed in 1962 to house medical offices and has a taxable market value of $158,173, according to records from the Pickens County Assessor's Office. Beaver estimated that the property and building -- furnishings excluded -- could be leased for a maximum of $15 per square foot per month after viewing the building from the street.

"I can't see $63,000 a year," he said. "I can see ($34,000), I can see ($32,000), but I might not be seeing something inside."

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Miss S.C. pageant inquiry widens

RACHEL E. LEONARD, Staff Writer
Published October 24, 2006


The State Law Enforcement Division has joined the S.C. Secretary of State's Office in an investigation into the Miss South Carolina Organization, which has been accused of failing to properly distribute scholarship monies, financial irregularities and sexual misconduct by the pageant's director.

SLED spokeswoman Bobbi Schlatterer confirmed Monday that the state's top law enforcement agency is investigating the nonprofit organization, which holds its annual pageant each July in Spartanburg. The Secretary of State's Office launched an investigation into the pageant earlier this year after receiving a complaint that contestants did not receive promised scholarship money and that the organization was falsely reporting income.

Sexual misconduct?

After receiving complaints from the public and local pageant officials in September, Susan Rose, general counsel for the Secretary of State, referred the allegations to the state Attorney General's Office. One of those accusations was that a contestant caught a pageant official engaged in sexual activity with another contestant in an Atlantic City hotel room.

The Attorney General's Office forwarded the allegations to SLED for investigation, said Attorney General spokesman Mark Plowden.

In a Sept. 15 memo to the Attorney General's Office, Rose writes that representatives of her office met with

Eddie Payne and Margaret Powell, former Miss Golden Corner directors, who raised suspicions of financial discrepancies in the Miss South Carolina Organization's tax filings, including underreporting of more than $100,000 in income since 1996 and inflated expenses. Payne and Powell also made allegations that would fall outside the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State's enforcement powers. Those accusations, according to the memo, include:

• Sexual misconduct by pageant producer Joey Sanders

• Excessive field operations, road trips and meal expenditures by pageant CEO and comptroller Joe and Gail Sanders and excessive benefits to board members

• Joey Sanders receiving a $35,000 salary without formal board approval

• That the Webmaster for the organization was asked to falsify invoices

• Legal fees from a 2002 trademark case were not reported on tax filings and that Joey Sanders, under oath at a deposition, made false statements about his salary and ownership of the organization's office.

Payne and Powell requested that the state organization conduct an independent audit, a request that was rejected. They also accused the organization's board of failing to hold regular meetings or oversee the activities of its members. The Sanderses could not be reached for comment Monday. For past stories by the Herald-Journal regarding pageant issues, board members and the Sanderses have refused to speak on the investigation on their attorney's advice, but board member and accountant Dale Keown said in a previous interview he could not say how many times the board of directors had met during the past five years and that there is no set meeting schedule.

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Salman Khan walks the ramp with Miss Universe!

Salman Khan
08th Nov 2006 16.45 IST
By ApunKaChoice


Bollywood actor Salman Khan seems to have gotten along very well with Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera, who is currently in India for an AIDS awareness campaign.

Just a few days back, the Puerto Rican beauty was a special guest at Salman’s Eid party after which the actor himself dropped her to her hotel on his motorbike. Zuleyka had said then that she is impressed by Salman’s physique and his sense of humour.
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Miss America officials: Bids coming in to replace Watertown

November 8, 2006, 4:36 PM EST

WATERTOWN, N.Y. (AP) _ The Miss America Organization has begun receiving bids from New York communities seeking to become the new home of the Miss New York State Scholarship Pageant, which has been held in Watertown for the past 27 years, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.

The national organization decided last week that it would not renew its annual contract to hold the event in Watertown, a decision that came as a shock to state pageant officials.
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Minnillo discovers ugly side of fat


NEW YORK, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Former Miss USA Vanessa Minnillo says she learned the other side of beauty after wearing a fat suit for a TV series.

For her role as a correspondent on "Entertainment Tonight," the 25-year-old model wore a fat suit while traveling around New York to learn people's reactions to those with weight problems, the New York Post reported.

Whether she was being shoved on the subway or denied entry to a trendy club, Minnillo quickly learned that beauty plays an integral role in how many people treat you.

"At times, the discrimination against me in my ugly disguise was almost too much to take," said the current girlfriend of pop singer Nick Lachey.

The Post said that the project that covered the model in prosthetics and tacky clothing is part of a seven-part series that "Entertainment Tonight" is running through Thursday.


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Salman and Katrina Meet Miss Universe


By Kkomal Seth & Gautam Seth

Both Katrina and Salman walked in together at the Miss Universe event last evening at Park Plaza Zuleyka Rivera Mendoza, as part of the campaign to India in October - November 2006 to twelve cities across the country. The supporters include Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Dia Mirza, Madhavan, Mani Ratnam, Suhasini and many more. Miss Universe Zuleyka meanwhile was teased by her crew for her love for gulab jamuns which she called as sweet bowls! Since October 22nd, 2006, Sanjana Jon has been leading an eclectic team of people including Miss. Universe 2006, Zuleyka Rivera, 12 Top Models from New York City, and other supporters around India for an AIDS AWARENESS TOUR. They have visited places like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Goa and more in such a short time-span trying to spread aids awareness among sex-workers, children from orphanages, etc. They have even visited Old Age home during their visit to Mumbai. Sanjana has been leading this Tour for the past four years, since she is of Indian Origin she feels it is her duty to give something back to the people of her motherland which she loves so much. This evening she Hosted a fashion show where the likes of Miss. Universe, 12 Top Models from New York, last but certainly not the least Mr. Salman Khan himself. Katrina Kaif also made a brief appearance and said a few words to show her support. Salman too, has been a supporter for years and believes that there should be more people like Sanjana Jon, who are willing to dedicate their time and effort to this noble cause.


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Youngest Miss Pakistan makes history!

Sonya Zia, from Lahore, Pakistan, has made history in the world of pageants for Pakistan, as being the youngest Pakistani girl to participate in a beauty pageant.

Toronto, Ontario, CAN, 2006-11-11 19:26:49 (IndiaPRwire.com)
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This year has been a history making year for Pakistan in beauty pageants. We had the first Miss Bikini Pakistan, then Pakistan winning four titles in International pageant in just 3 years and now there is a new addition to the beauty pageant scene: the youngest Miss Pakistan is making history in the World Miss University 2006 pageant - Sonya Zia.

Sonya Zia, from Lahore, Pakistan, has made history in the world of pageants for Pakistan, as being the youngest Pakistani girl to participate in a beauty pageant. Sonya Zia, World Miss University Pakistan 2006, has now entered into the world of beauty pageants and has represented Pakistan. At a young age of 18 years, Sonya Zia, a student, studying Law and Security, represented Pakistan on the basis of her University. Having fast tracked high school and receiving her high school diploma at age 16, year 2005, she took part in various fund raising events in the community to support various organizations.

In her words, Sonya Zia, “I would like to carry out my Pakistani culture and represent my country around the world. Being World Miss University Pakistan 2006 is a personal achievement which I cherish.” Sonya Zia, also won the Miss Photogenic 2006 title in the Miss Pakistan World 2006 pageant. Sonya is now preparing to take part in more pageants representing Pakistan.

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Crowning moment


Click the image to blow it up !
Zach Tarrant/O’Collegian
Margaret Edwards, a nutritional sciences junior, won the 2007 Miss OSU Scholarship Pageant. Not new to the pageant world, Edwards placed first runner-up in the Miss Oklahoma City Pageant and second runner-up in the Miss Tulsa Pageant. In June, she will go on to compete in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant.
Miss OSU taking steps to prepare for Miss Oklahoma pageant

Abby Taylor
Features Writer

After months of preparation and hard work, 11 women stand on stage waiting anxiously for the results of the 2007 Miss OSU Scholarship Pageant. Each hopes that she will become the next Miss OSU. At the end of the night, only one contestant can walk away with the crown.

The winner of the pageant qualifies to compete in the Miss Oklahoma Pageant in June. If she wins the Miss Oklahoma title, she will then go on to the Miss America Pageant. This is an opportunity to not only win scholarship money but also gain experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

Growing up in Texarkana, Ark., Margaret Edwards, a nutritional sciences junior, never imagined she would be a contestant.

“I never thought I would be competing in Miss Oklahoma, but I’m excited about it,” Edwards said. “It’s wonderful to be able to represent Oklahoma State University in this way.”
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Miss Marianas' father cries foul

By Marconi Calindas
Shequita Bennett 2006 Miss Marianas-Universe Shequita Bennett is back on island from China and Japan, bringing with her more knowledge and international experience. Her family, however, seems unhappy about her reign as she is being asked to terminate her role right now.

Ambrose Bennett, Shequita's father, wrote pageant organizer Stellar Marianas early this month, asking the group to “extend or terminate” Shequita's reign as 2006 Miss Marianas-Universe. Bennett said his daughter's reign should have ended in October but she is still participating in activities “with virtually no additional support or compensation.”

Bennett said, “Our family has made many sacrifices with our time and money to support our daughter. We have spent well over $10,000 since she joined the contest.” He said the family also spent when Shequita was in China and Japan.

He said his daughter's reign should have been completed but the organizer has asked Shequita to stay on until February next year. Bennett said that before his daughter continues her service, Stellar Marianas should provide the earnings and awards due her.
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