The beauties with the brains

Source: http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/fullstory.php?id=14167120

By Pallavi Bhattacharya | Tuesday, 21 March , 2006, 15:39

Out of 25 finalists, the three lucky winners of the Pond’s Femina Miss India 2006 beauty pageant - Miss India Universe 2006 Neha Kapur, Miss India World 2006 Natasha Suri and Miss India Earth 2006 Amruta Patki - interacted with the media on March 20th, dressed in their dazzling crowns, exquisite saris designed by Ms. Nisha Sagar and stunning jewellery by Tanishq. The 22-year-old Neha, who is a five feet 9.5 inch ramp model from New Delhi with a degree in fashion designing, went on to win Pond’s Miss. Photogenic and Pantaloons Femina Miss Fresh Face, having the svelte looks of an international super model, will represent India at the Miss. Universe pageant. She said, “Though we won the crown, we are very ordinary people - we still do ordinary things.” When asked if her erstwhile statement that her ambition was to ‘make pots and pots of money’ was just beginning to come true with her winning the coveted Miss. India Universe crown, her answer was that ‘glitz and glamour’ was just a small part of the pageant, she was shouldering a huge responsibility of representing her country at an international level and ‘strongly believed in a couple of things’ that she’ll ‘definitely take up’ whether or not she goes on to win the Miss. Universe crown. Twentyone-year-old Natasha of 5 feet 8.5 inches frame, B.Com graduate from Jai Hind College, Mumbai, who won over the Press with her radiant smile and spontaneous answers, is definitely a promising candidate for the Miss. World beauty pageant. When asked what qualities made her win, she answered that besides retaining a presence of mind and having faith in herself she had managed to put humour into her answers. Unfortunately, Natasha’s wit and humour didn’t seem to impress the judges well enough to land her the Miss. India Universe title. When asked if the winners were eyeing Bollywood, they all candidly answered that though they were interested in acting, as of now they were going to concentrate on their forthcoming international beauty pageants. Besides stardom, what would they do for society? Neha answered that she planned to spread literacy, whereas Amruta wanted to bring happiness into the lives of elderly citizens, especially those languishing in old-age homes. The sweetest answer, however, came from Natasha who said that first and foremost she wanted to educate her neighbours about cleanliness and not dispose garbage carelessly. As she doesn’t like people dirtying the roads, she will start a cleanliness drive from her very own city- Mumbai. Rather than making incredible promises to reform the world, she pointed out that a young girl could after all just change a small part of the world!

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Miss Massachusetts USA 2006 to be Master of Ceremonies at The National Center on Family Homelessness Benefit; Phil Donahue to Keynote, Marlo Thomas t

Miss Massachusetts USA 2006 to be Master of Ceremonies at The National Center on Family Homelessness Benefit; Phil Donahue to Keynote, Marlo Thomas to Introduce Television Pioneer

Source: http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060321005712&newsLang=en

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2006--The National Center on Family Homelessness today announced that Miss Massachusetts USA 2006, Tiffany Kelly, will be the master of ceremonies at the organization's annual benefit dinner. Acclaimed actress and author Marlo Thomas will be on hand as legendary television personality Phil Donahue provides the evening's keynote address.

The event, "A Time to Make a Difference," is scheduled for Friday, March 31, 2006 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, 39 Dalton Street, Prudential Center, Boston, MA. All proceeds will benefit the work of The National Center on Family Homelessness.

"Having Tiffany Kelly, Miss Massachusetts USA 2006, as our master of ceremonies will make the evening even more special," said Ellen Bassuk, M.D., founder and president of The National Center on Family Homelessness. "We thank Tiffany for her generosity and kindness in bringing attention to the plight America's homeless families."

Tiffany Kelly was crowned Miss Massachusetts USA 2006 in November of 2005. Ms. Kelly is a dynamic multi-talented young woman who supports various charities while preparing for the USA pageant. A thriving fashion model, Ms. Kelly has a passion for life and is exploring opportunities in the entertainment industries.

Hundreds of thousands of families experience homelessness in the U.S. each year. More than one million homeless children face sickness, hunger, and fear. The National Center on Family Homelessness is the only national organization solely dedicated to helping homeless families. Its vision is a nation where every child has a place to call home.

Major corporate sponsors of the 2006 annual dinner, "A Time to Make a Difference," include Century Bank and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation. The event will feature live and silent auctions of donated items ranging from exotic trips to rare sports and entertainment memorabilia.

For more information about attending or sponsoring the event, please contact Corrie Gianacoplos at (617) 964-3834 ext. 22. For media interested in attending this event, please contact Vic Beck, Peter Arnold Associates at (781) 239-1030 or vbeck@parnold.com.

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Pageant hopeful to greet her fans

Source: http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news705085.html

Miss USA contestant Lisa Wilson will be at the Super Kmart Center this Thursday. 03/20/06 By Lauren Gregory, Rome News-Tribune Staff Writer Respond to this story Email this story to a friend Lisa Wilson is the reigning Miss Georgia USA and was a semi-finalist on “American Idol” in 2004. As focused as Rome’s Lisa Wilson has become on winning the Miss USA pageant next month in Baltimore, she hasn’t forgotten her hometown fans. Wilson will make an appearance Thursday at Super Kmart Center on Hicks Drive for a meet-and-greet and autograph signing from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The first 200 attendees will get a free 5x7 signed photograph, and all others can take their own photos, according to event organizers. The 25-year-old Armuchee High School graduate’s love of horses will also be celebrated Thursday with free horse rides from 4 to 7 p.m. for children ages 3 to 18, and a simultaneous hot dog and hamburger cookout is scheduled to benefit the March of Dimes.Wilson, who became a semi-finalist on “American Idol” in 2004 and took the Miss Georgia USA title last November, is preparing to leave Rome on April 2 for the competition that she says is the most intense of her life. “This is like the Mac Daddy of everything I’ve ever done,” she said, “even compared to ‘American Idol.’” Wilson has trained extensively for the competition — both physically for the evening gown portion and mentally for the interview portion — and believes she is ready to take the crown. “I have full confidence I could go in and win it,” she said. She will participate in pre-pageant activities with all 51 contestants before preliminary competitions April 14 and 15 narrow the field to 15 women. The rest of the pageant will be televised live April 21 on NBC (Comcast channels 3 and 11).

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LINGO's Fifth Season Premieres April 3 Marking a First for GSN, The Network for Games

Source: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/060321/latu026.html?.v=47
Tuesday March 21, 9:00 am ET

Legendary Game Show Host Chuck Woolery Returns With Co-Host Shandi Finnessey at His SideA Progressive Jackpot is New for the SeasonWinners From GSN's Online Interactive Game Will Face Off Against Champions From Previous Seasons in Four Special Episodes

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- LINGO will premiere its fifth season Monday, April 3, making it the first original series ever to have a fifth season at GSN, the network for games. Legendary host Chuck Woolery returns with co-host Shandi Finnessey and the show will air Monday through Friday 7:30-8:00 PM, ET.

New to this fifth season is a progressive LINGO jackpot, which is won every time a winning team gets "Lingo" on the first ball. The jackpot starts at $10,000 and grows by $1,000 each time it's not won. The new season will also feature a series of episodes in which the champions of GSN's online game face off against the best players from previous television episodes.

Host Woolery is known by audiences worldwide for such popular classics as "Love Connection" and "Greed," both of which air on GSN, in addition to "Scrabble" and the first seven years of "Wheel of Fortune." Co-host Shandi Finnessey (Miss USA 2004), originally from St. Louis, has a degree in psychology and has written a children's book, The Furrtails, as part of her goal to integrate developmentally challenged children into regular classrooms. She is also currently at work on her second book, Suzanna the Banana.

During the first two rounds of LINGO, two teams of two contestants compete to see who can guess the most mystery five-letter words. When a team guesses a word correctly, they earn points toward the right to blindly select two numbered balls out of the 24 balls whose numbers match those on the team's bingo-style Lingo board.

When the team succeeds in getting five numbers in a row (horizontally, vertically or diagonally), they achieve "Lingo" and win additional points. The goal of the game during the first two rounds is to earn points -- the higher-scoring team moves onto the final round where they attempt to correctly identify as many words as they can in two minutes. They earn $100 and the right to pick one Lingo ball for each word they guess correctly. If the team achieves Lingo, they win $5,000. If they achieve Lingo with their first ball pulled, they win $10,000 and the progressive jackpot, if applicable.

LINGO is produced by Laurelwood Entertainment. Phil Gurin ("The Weakest Link") and Marc Jansen serve as executive producers.

GSN, the Network for Games, is the only U.S. television network dedicated to game-related programming and interactive game playing. The network features game shows, reality series, documentaries, alternative sports programs and casino games. As the industry leader in interactivity, GSN features over 100 hours per week of interactive programming, which allows viewers a chance to win prizes by playing along with GSN's televised games via GSN.com. Reaching 58 million Nielsen homes, GSN is distributed in the U.S. through all major cable systems and satellite providers. The network is jointly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Liberty Media Corporation. For further media information, visit GSN's press website at corp.gsn.com.

Laurelwood Entertainment is a full service production company with credits, including reality, game, variety, holiday specials, magazine shows and documentaries. Owner Phil Gurin recently produced a New Year's Eve special hosted by Regis Philbin and he is in his fourth year as executive producer of the high-profile "Miss Universe," "Miss USA" and "Miss Teen USA" pageants for Donald Trump and NBC. He also produced NBC's "Weakest Link," "Twenty One" and the "United States Olympic Hall of Fame 2006" special. Gurin's credits also include "Test the Nation" reality specials, a new version of the classic reality show "Queen for a Day" and Lifetime's 5th Anniversary Special.

Shandi Finnessey was interviewed on PageantCast 004.

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PBS Kids Sprout Adds Four Staffers

Source: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6317574.html?display=Breaking+News By Rebecca Stropoli -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/21/2006 11:17:00 AM

PBS Kids Sprout, a 24-hour on-air, on-demand and online service targeted to preschoolers and their parents, has tapped Eileen Diskin as VP of marketing. Her new duties include leading a team in creating cross-promotional opportunities for advertisers, along with devising strategies for consumer, affiliate and interactive marketing.

Diskin comes to Kids Sprout from Comcast Cable, where she served as senior director, national brand management.

In addition to Diskin, Kids Sprout has named three new directors. Denice Dicarlo has been tapped as director of accounting, Jenni Glenn is director of public relations, and Annie Rex becomes director of interactive.

Dicarlo comes from Comcast Corp.’s accounting department, where she was manager of accounting and reporting controls.

Glenn was most recently director of communications for the Miss America Organization.

Rex comes to Kids Sprout with over 10 years of experience at different interactive agencies including Omnient, eBay and Comcast.

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Miss USA 2005 in Miss Universe competition

By clicking on the image below, video will be shown of Chelsea Cooley in the Miss Universe swimsuit and evening gown competitions.

Chelsea Cooley was interviewed on PageantCast 002.

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Miss Wisconsin makes promotional visit to area

Source:
http://www.ashland-wi.com/dailypress/index.php?sect_rank=1&story_id=209013

By RICK OLIVO
The Daily Press
Monday, March 20th, 2006 08:30:59 AM

Rick Olivo Reigning Miss Wisconsin Tracy Gest got a unique adventure, trying out a dog sled on Lake Superior last Wednesday with outfitter Jim Ryder of La Pointe.

There is a lot more to being Miss Wisconsin than just riding around in parades and waving at the crowd.

Sometimes you need to be photographed in a bikini in a sauna; sometimes the picture taking is out on the ice of Lake Superior on a dogsled.

It's all grist for the mill of current Miss Wisconsin, Tracy Gest, 20, of Menomonie Falls, who spent three days this week in the Bay Area, engaged in promotional activities for local businesses as part of her year-long reign.

"It's the farthest north I've ever been," she said Friday, in between appointments.

She said her time in the area has been "an adventure," even getting her feet wet during a sled dog demonstration on the ice of Lake Superior near Bayfield.

The event had been planned as a sled dog outing and photo shoot, but deteriorating ice conditions caused cancellation of the excursion.

"I was really looking forward to that," she said. "But it was a lot of fun just to be able to pose in a dogsled; that is something very different."

Gest said she, and her first runner up, Alexandra Kealey, who accompanied her on the trip have been warmly welcomed in the area.

"It's fantastic to be here, the city of Ashland has welcomed us with open arms," she said.

Her hosts for the visit have included Superior Sauna and Cabin and Ashland's Mobile Connection Cellular One dealership. She also made a public appearance at the Chequamegon Health and Fitness Center. Gest said it's been a busy visit, but one in keeping with her duties as Miss Wisconsin.

"There is a lot more going on behind the scenes that people just don't realize," she said.

It's a year-long lifestyle Gest says she is thoroughly enjoying. She is taking a year off from her college studies at Carroll College, where she is a junior, working towards a bachelor's degree in communications. She hopes one day to serve as a public relations spokesperson for a large company.

"This is an internship that just can't be matched," she said. "What better way to learn than to actually learn from life experience."

Once finished in Ashland, Gest is slated to visit Eau Claire where she will speak on diabetes awareness, her formal public service platform as Miss Wisconsin.

"My father has had diabetes for 49 years, so it's something I have a personal interest in," she said.

Gest trained with the American Diabetes Association to speak on the topic; she has also served as a diabetes camp assistant. She will also attend a number of Drug Awareness Resistance Education (DARE) graduations. "I'm a motivational speaker for these children, speaking about healthy lifestyles," she said.

And, yes, indeed, she does wave in parades.

"There is a glamour aspect to being Miss Wisconsin, but It's really a speaking tour for one year," she said.

She has also helped to raise funds for child abuse prevention, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy.

"It's a busy time," she said.

Gest's tour of duty as Miss Wisconsin ends in three months.

"It's hard to believe," she said. "It's been a fantastic career; they are going to have to fight me to get the crown off my head. I've gotten a great opportunity to tour Wisconsin. It's a beautiful state, but it's the people who make it a special and unique place."

Gest said once her term is finished, she plans to go back to Carroll College and complete her degree.

I will graduate next May, that's the next big thing," she said.

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Miss Maine USA makes rounds, including Harbor Hill

Source: http://waldo.villagesoup.com/community/story.cfm?storyID=69510

By Staff

BELFAST (March 18): Miss Maine USA Katee Stearns visited Wednesday with residents at Harbor Hill during her two-day tour through Waldo County.

Stearns, a University of Maine student, is raising money to help with the costs of a gown and a state gift that are required of contestants. The pageant will be televised April 21 on NBC.

Miss Maine USA Katee Stearns and Rosie Richardson at Harbor Hill. (Photo by Terri Mahoney)

Stearns was interviewed on WERU on Wednesday, and paid a visit to Searsport District Middle School to meet student Derrik Kenney, who has been diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a form of bone cancer.

Tim Murphy of Murphy's Coffee House on lower Main Street, one of Stearns' business sponsors, hosted the aspiring model and dancer. When she toured downtown Belfast, Stearns carried flowers from Holmes' Greenhouse and rode in a town car from Rockland Ford.

Ernie Chase, a resident of Harbor Hill in Belfast, chats with Miss Maine USA Katee Stearns. (Photo by Terri Mahoney)

Thursday, Stearns' scheduled stops included nursing homes and schools, along with Ducktrap River Fish Farm, where her mother works, as well as the Lookout Pub on the waterfront.

Stearns was named Miss Maine USA at a pageant in South Portland last November. She was Maine's Junior Miss in 2004. She had also won three national dance championships by the time she was 14.

She studies kinesiology and dance at UMaine, where she is a peer tutor along with her academic work.

The Miss USA Pageant features contestants from all 50 states and can lead to an appearance in the Miss Universe competition.

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Introducing the 2005 American Renaissance Pageant Titleholders

(from Left to Right)

Ms. Spirit American Renaissance 2005- Janet Remington

Ms. Classic American Renaissance 2005- Carol Lynn Pieper

Ms. Civic American Renaissance 2005- Nancy Bardwell

Ms. Royal American Renaissance (Lifetime) Karin Jenkins

Ms. American Renaissance 2005- Audrey Lorence

Mrs. American Renaissance 2005- Janice Oulton

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Miss USA jumps at an offer

Source: http://www.fayettevillenc.com/article?id=228599

By Jessica Banov
Staff writer

	2 Photos
Staff photos by Mike Spencer
Miss USA Chelsea Cooley talks with with Sgt. 1st Class Jerry Wolford, right, and other soldiers while visiting Fort Bragg on Tuesday.

In the past year, Miss USA Chelsea Cooley has swum with dolphins, hobnobbed with celebrities and jetted around the country with Donald Trump in his very own gilded 747.

It has been a life-changing year for the Charlotte native, but she may have topped all of those experiences Tuesday morning. She jumped tandem with the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport.

“This by far is the coolest thing I’ve done,” Cooley said later in a dining hall on Fort Bragg.

“It was awesome. I could sit here and say the same five words to describe it over and over again.”

Her visit Tuesday was part of a two-day tour of North Carolina military bases coordinated by the North Carolina USO. Besides jumping with the Golden Knights, Cooley took part in weapons and combat simulations. On Monday, she visited Camp Lejeune.

When she was invited to jump with the Golden Knights, she eagerly accepted.

“How do you pass up an opportunity to do tandem with the Golden Knights?” she asked. “They’re the best of the best.”

Later Tuesday, Cooley ate with soldiers and signed autographs at the 3rd Brigade Dining Facility. Except for her sequined Miss USA sash, she wore casual dress: jeans, a red-and-white striped shirt and trendy brown suede boots. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she didn’t wear a tiara. But she stood out in a room full of men dressed in BDUs.

The soldiers were excited to meet her and pose for pictures.

“They just wanted to see her,” said Command Sgt. Major Donovan Watts of the 1st Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Division. “They like girls. They jumped at the chance.”

Even the cooks, who are accustomed to making cakes for change-of-command ceremonies and dignitaries, were honored to make Cooley’s cake. They spelled out “Welcome Miss USA” in chocolate letters and confessed they felt a little more pressure to make it look good.

“We took a little bit of extra care and made sure it was a bit better than usual,” Spc. Justin Perez said.

Cooley is 22. She graduated from Independence High School in Charlotte and attended UNC-Charlotte for two years. She was a fashion marketing student at the Art Institute of Charlotte when she won Miss USA in April 2005. She is the first North Carolina contestant to win the pageant.

After she gives up the crown April 21 at the pageant, she plans to pursue a career in entertainment and acting. She already has an agent and is apartment hunting in New York.

“As a person, I’ve definitely become fearless,” she said, reflecting on the past year. “There was a lot of things as a kid I was afraid of and would never do. I went skydiving today. If I can do that, I can do anything in the future.”

Staff writer Jessica Banov can be reached at banovj@fayettevillenc.com or 486-3562.

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Anti-smoking groups try to sever RJR ties with pageant winners

Source: http://www.wwaytv3.com/Global/story.asp?S=4638022&nav=menu70_2

WASHINGTON Anti-smoking groups want to break up the special relationship Miss America hopefuls and North Carolina-based tobacco giant R-J Reynolds Tobacco company have.

For the past few years, the Number two cigarette maker has been giving winners of Miss America state pageants five-thousand dollars a year to promote the company's youth anti-smoking campaign.

Public health officials say that campaign is a sham.

A coalition of health groups is asking the association that runs the state pageants to quit working with the Winston-Salem-based company.

R-J Reynolds currently is teamed with 29 state pageant organizations. An R-J Reynolds official says the company offers the beauty pageant participants anti-smoking materials to use in middle schools.

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Here's the scoop

Source: Charleston Post & Courier

The ice cream that's a favorite of President Bush and the reigning Miss America will make its debut today in the Lowcountry.

Blue Bell, a premium ice cream made in Brenham, Texas, is available in 16 states. Until now, the closest markets selling the brand were Columbia and Savannah.

Local retailers who will carry Blue Bell include Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly, Publix, Walgreens and Wal-Mart. Half-gallons will sell for about $5.49 to $5.99 and pints will range from about $1.79 to $1.99.

It's the third-best-selling ice cream in the country, according to the company. The most popular flavor is Homemade Vanilla.

The president often serves Blue Bell at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, especially when foreign dignitaries or other guests are in town, the company says.

During a recent talk-show appearance, Miss America 2006, Jennifer Berry of Oklahoma, named Blue Bell as a favorite treat.

Founded as a butter creamery, Blue Bell will celebrate 100 years in business next year.

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Miss Universe 2005 on You-Tube!

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PageantCast.com website open

The internet’s only podcast regarding beauty pageants just made another stride toward their goal of making reliable beauty pageant news readily available: they have officially launched their website at http://www.pageantcast.com.

The website has links to important pageant webpages and includes many ways to listen to the PageantCast podcast.

The PageantCast has already interviewed such pageant celebrities as Miss USA, Miss Galaxy, Miss International and the Beauties of America. New programs generally come out weekly.

Podcasts are time-shifted radio programs distributed on the internet. They can be listened to online or downloaded. Using a program such as Apple’s iTunes, podcasts can be automatically subscribed to so new content is delivered directly to your computer. All TKPN podcasts are free of charge.

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PRESS RELEASE: 2006 MRS. ARKANSAS AMERICA PAGEANT

2006 MRS. ARKANSAS AMERICA PAGEANT

CONTESTANT SEARCH

For Immediate Release- ( February 24 , 2006)

HOT SPRINGS-Contestants for the June 10th, 2005 Mrs. Arkansas America Pageant in Hot Springs, are now being sought throughout the state, according to Lynn DeJarnette, Arkansas State Director. The phases of competition will be interview, swimsuit, evening gown and on stage question. The contestants will also get an opportunity to promote their personal platforms at the pageant and throughout the year as a local or state titleholder. The winner of this pageant will win an all expense paid trip to Tuscon, Arizona to compete in the only nationally televised pageant for married women in September, in addition to an array of prizes. The pageant will be nationally televised on the WE network . The winner of Mrs. America will then go on to compete for the title of Mrs. World.

The 2006 Mrs. Arkansas America chosen, will travel the state and promote not only the role of the married women today, but her platform, in addition to making television and radio appearances. The 2005 Mrs. Arkansas America, Jill Cady, will crown the 2006 Mrs. Arkansas America at the Hot Springs Convention Center June 10 at 7:30pm.

For more information about the pageant, or booking Jill Cady for an appearance, contact Lynn DeJarnette at 1-501-520-4243 or e-mail Ldejar8122@aol.com. or go to www.mrsarkansas.org

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Pageant flap is city's latest drama

source: Orange County Register

City Council could be called on to settle the matter of 2 Miss Anaheim contests.

By MIRA JANG --

The Orange County Register

March 11

ANAHEIM, CA - The new Miss Anaheim will be named today. And then again on March 19. If you're confused, well, join the club.

For the first time in 15 years, there might be two Miss Anaheims, young women who will represent the city at various civic events.

Or so they think.

"There can only be one Miss Anaheim," Mayor Curt Pringle proclaimed at last week's City Council meeting. "What stops them from having 10 Miss Anaheims?"

The mayor appointed Councilman Richard Chavez to meet with the feuding pageant directors and referee the matter. If Chavez can't broker a deal, the entire council will take it up.

Anaheim has a history in this arena. In 1981, the city decided there was room for two Miss Anaheims in town - Miss Anaheim USA and Miss Anaheim America. In 1990, Miss Anaheim America was designated the city's official beauty queen.

The current confusion erupted when Martha Rosmus resigned as director of Miss Anaheim America after seven years. A new director was named, and then Rosmus came up with the Miss Anaheim Program.

Rosmus left Miss Anaheim America after being placed on pageant probation for referring to a black former Miss Anaheim as a "wonderfully chocolate girl."

The term "was very endearing for her," Rosmus said. "She never thought of it as racist."

Officials from the Miss America pageant didn't agree. And they don't want Rosmus anywhere near the Miss Anaheim name.

Until she consults her lawyer, Rosmus said she will call today's winner Anaheim Miss.

There's always the solution pioneered by Angel owner Arte Moreno: Miss Anaheim of Los Angeles.

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Dayanara Torres lands in hospital

source: Miami Herald

Dayanara Torres, the beauty queen ex-wife of Marc Anthony, endured a rough landing after her latest flight from Los Angeles to New York, reports E!Online.

The former Miss Universe was rushed to a hospital March 1 upon landing at JFK International Airport. On Friday, she underwent three-hour surgery to remove scar tissue blocking her intestine.

A friend said she was in stable condition and would be ready to go home in about five days.

''She's in good spirits but a lot of pain,'' her friend said.

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Miss Montana featured on New York Times’ front page

source: sidneyherald.com:

"Miss Montana featured on New York Times’ front page

By Bill Vander Weele

Sidney Herald

While Miss Oklahoma came away as the new Miss America, Miss Montana Sophia Steinbeisser, Sidney, might have attracted as much publicity as any of the 52 contestants.

On Saturday morning, a photo featuring Steinbeisser and Miss Texas, Morgan Matlock, preparing for a dress rehearsal was front-page material for the New York Times.

Steinbeisser said her brother Lance, who lives in Miami, called her Saturday morning about the photo. “Of course, I called all my friends and said, ‘find The New York Times,’ ” Steinbeisser said.

Although having people shooting photos of her was a constant during the pageant held in Las Vegas, Steinbeisser remembers the New York Times photographer because she was taking photos in the dressing tent, and that usually wasn’t allowed.

Why was she the lucky one to have her photo taken? “I happened to be looking at myself in the mirror for a long time. I don’t know,” she laughs.

The photo marked the second time that Steinbeisser attracted special media attention during the week. On Wednesday, she was featured in a column in the Las Vegas Review Journal about the pageant. The column outlined how Steinbeisser remained calm despite having her wardrobe, valued at $8,000, lost in the mail for several days. “We’ve been amazed that she’s remained so composed,” Miss Arizona Audrey Sibley was quoted in the story."

Miss Montana was interviewed about this very subject in PageantCast 006

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Miss America Pays her Annual Post-coronation Visit to New York

Miss America Pays her Annual Post-coronation Visit to New York:

NEW YORK (AP) -- The title of Miss America was five years in coming to Jennifer Berry, who won it Saturday night.

But now that she's finished with beauty pageants, she can't think of any part of them that she's happy to give up.

Berry says people ask her, 'Are you glad you don't have to walk around on stage in a swimsuit anymore?' But she says she 'actually enjoyed that.'

Berry, a 22-year old aspiring teacher from Oklahoma, paid Miss America's annual post-coronation visit to New York City today.

She says she used to play Miss America with her big sister when they were girls. Jennifer always got to be Miss America. Her sister Kim played the emcee."

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Our view: Miss America contest gets back to basics

Norwich Bulletin - www.norwichbulletin.com - Norwich, Conn.:

The Miss America Pageant gets a new start beginning today. And we have a stake in it.

Fifty-two young women begin preliminary competition in Las Vegas, Nev., including Miss Connecticut -- Norwich's Dianna Baitinger. The telecast is Saturday night.

The pageant, an American tradition since 1921, has fallen on rather hard times. Network TV ratings have dropped dramatically and its longtime home, Atlantic City, N.J., withdrew its invitation. This after the pageant -- which hugged tradition through the feminist uprising of the1960s and '70s and beyond -- has tried very hard to be relevant, going so far as to make a game show part of the proceedings.

This year, despite the megawatt glitz of Las Vegas -- Mohegan Sun was once mentioned as a possible site -- Miss America is getting back to basics. Gone are the 'quiz show' and 'casual wear' elements of the judging. The Miss Congeniality award, which hasn't been a part of Miss America since 1974, is back. The swimsuit, evening wear and talent portions remain. The broadcast is now on CMT, a country music channel that has a growing viewership and likely a very strong base in America's heartland.

Despite the transition, Miss America this year still has more than $45 million available to local, state and national contestants in cash and scholarships.

The other constant is the contestants -- young women of quality and substance. Miss Connecticut is no exception.

Baitinger, a Norwich Free Academy graduate and Norwich native, is a talented and trained singer and has the dedication and love of her family. "

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