» Miss Hispanidad USA Chatter:

What a great afternoon of pageantry it was as the grandee theater of Miami, Gusman Hall saw one of the oldest pageant traditions in Dade County as the 27^th annual Miss Hispanidad USA Pageant was last Sunday. With such diverse and amazing acts as flamenco, stilt walking, circus soleil type acts and even a salsa concert greeted this reporter. It was so much fun to see such a diverse group of people whom all knew about Miss Florida USA!

Stilt dancers!

The salsa concert was muy caliente!

Miss Carnavale USA 2007 Nathalie Pozo joins her pageant friends during intermission

So many alumni were in the audience! From this past July we had Yazmin Navarro; Melissa Hernandez and Claudia Santiano who was Miss Hispanidad USA 2004. All of who looked fantastic and are excited about the upcoming pageant season. We also caught up with alumni Mariam Isa (t-15 FLUSA ’01) along with her family, she looks fantastic and has just recently finished college. A big congratulations goes to pageant director Eduardo Mendoza who put together a truly first class afternoon of entertainment and pageantry. Enjoy the pictures!

Miriam Isa with her family at the pre pageant VIP reception

Ms. Navaro with pageant coach Alicia Faccio onstage after the crowning (left)

Melissa Hernandez with her very proud Mother (right)

» Miss Florida USA Welcome Home Party!

A perfect summer day awaited our Miss Florida USA!

While we were enjoying the salsa in Miami our good friends The Leading Ladies of North Florida were throwing a welcome home to Panama City Beach Party for Miss Florida USA 2006 Cristin Duren. The afternoon was beautiful as The Edgewater Beach Resort hosted this special day. Several of our titleholders were there to say congratulations to OUR state representative. With such a beautiful setting our Ms. Duren was greeted by her fans and rewarded them with signed autographs from the former Miss Emerald Coast USA!

Ms Duren signing for her fans!

Sam and Amanda with their Leading Lady!

Thank you so much Sam & Amanda for putting together such a wonderful party for this very special lady. Also thank you Sam & Amanda for letting us borrow your pictures to show Ms. Duren’s many fans throughout the state was a fun afternoon it was! Enjoy the pictures.

How cool is that?!!!

» Teddy Allen: Oh, Baby, What A Pageant!

Shreveport Times

On the high school stage before a thinning audience, the Young Reigning Beauty Queen read the question to the Young Hopeful Beauty Queen Contestant, who stood at ease, in sportswear. "What," the queen asked, "is the greatest challenge facing women today?"

At this point it was "the heat," which in the auditorium was reaching equatorial levels. It would also be informative to note here that the pageant had lapsed into its third hour; it lasted four, breaking all pageant records past, present and future. This was the Tour de France of beauty pageants. Instead of a program, they should have given you a calendar.

Despite these mind-numbing factors, I was still "into it!" and I knew this answer! I wanted to help, to scream it, just like I used to do at the television set when Regis would ask a Millionaire contestant which Great Lake held the most gallons of water. "That real big one! ..."

But I didn't. I sat there quietly since this was a "pageant," and inwardly I begged her to say the right answer, which was roaring like Niagra Falls in my head and which is obviously "CHOCOLATE! CHOCOLATE IS THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FACING WOMEN TODAY!"

Had it been "the greatest challenge facing men today," the answer would have a little harder; the contestant would have had to choose between "BEER!," "WHICH SPORTS TO WATCH ON CABLE TELEVISION!" or probably the most obvious, "BEAUTY PAGEANT WINNERS!"

But the question was about women, and each gender being blind to its own faults, she understandably missed it. I think she answered something about a "glass ceiling" or "signing on to the Internet without a high-speed connection."

Nice try, under the circumstances. We clapped with appreciation -- it's only right -- but she didn't win. Maybe next year!

There will be a next year, even a next pageant this year for teenaged contestants, eligible to compete in certain pageant systems for scholarships until their 20s.

Not so with some of the others. Girls in the Baby Miss category have to move to the Tiny Miss category quick as they can walk unaided. (People had to carry the Baby Miss contestants onto the stage. Honestly.) Then there were Tiny Misses and then Little Misses. Finally we got to contestants who could dress all by themselves.

Though lacking pageant savvy, even I took the following as a sign we push some girls into competition too early: the 2004 Baby Miss Beauty Queen missed her "farewell speech" at this year's pageant. Prior engagement, I guess. With diaper rash? Or maybe she was teething. What would Baby Miss say in a farewell speech anyway? If she could actually talk, I mean ... "It's been an exciting year serving as your queen. Me's almost potty trained!"

» Pageant News Wanted!

Are you a titleholder or at large delegate who is making appearances or doing good things in the community? We would love to tell all of the Miss Florida USA Family your story. Send pictures and updates to telair@aol.com as we feature everything Miss Florida USA on Friday’s at Faces & Places.

»Alumni News Wanted!

If you know of any Miss Florida USA alumni in the news please drop us an email to feature them in future articles. Email all info to info@missfloridausa.com! Until next week here to good pageantry!

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!

One of our biggest weak spots is beauty-queens helping children in need. Here is a picture

of our Miss Universe in Montreal visiting a patient at the local children’s hospital.

Moral of the story……titleholders really can make a difference!

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