Pageant News Bureau

Former Argentine President Carlos Menem says he will marry Chilean TV personality Cecilia Bolocco before the end of May 2001. She was Miss Universe 1987.

Former PNB cover girl Kelly Willyard, a beauty queen and actress in Beverly Hills, was a specially invited guest at the premiere of the film "Sweet November" in February 2001.

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The March 20, 2001, issue of Mira! magazine looks at some of South America's most colorful beauty queens.

The March 19, 2001, issue of US Weekly magazine contains an article about the alleged decline of beauty pageants, based on poor ratings for the 2001 Miss USA Pageant. A PNB editorial will soon address this alleged decline.

The March 12, 2001, issue of Time magazine contains an essay by staff writer Joel Stein, who was a preliminary judge at Miss USA 2001. He takes a mocking view of the pageant and its participants.

A news brief in the Feb. 27 edition of the National Enquirer outlines a contest in conjunction with the Miss USA 2001 Pageant. Viewers of the live broadcast can log into the pageant's official Web site (www.missusa.com) and enter to win by giving the name of the winner of the Miss Congeniality award. A randomly drawn winner will receive air fare and accomodations for two in addition to two VIP tickets to the Miss Universe Pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A color photo of a bikini-clad Miss California USA, Jennifer Glover, accompanies the article.

Dorothy Benham, Miss America 1977, has recently released two recordings. One is a sacred song collection titled "The Lord Is My Light." The other, simply called "Christmas," contains her favorite Christmas selections. She has also launched a Web site (www.dorothybenham.com). Ms. Benham, who once appeared in the Broadway production "Jerome Robbins' Broadway," will be a guest performer on the "Hour of Power" religious broadcast on May 27, 2001.

The October 2000 wedding of Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Henry and former Miss America Heather French is reportedly under investigation by federal authorities. The concern, based on information passed along by state auditors, is whether any government employees or funds were used for the lavish event. The mere fact of an investigation is not proof of any wrongdoing, and none has been alleged thus far.

Kelly Hu, known for her action role in TV's "Martial Law," is starring in the feature film "The Scorpion King." Production begins in mid-March 2001 in Los Angeles. Ms. Hu, originally from Hawaii, was Miss Teen USA 1985.

TV alert

"Texas Child Beauty Pageants" will air on the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) Network on March 24, 2001. Check local listings. The program originally aired late in 2000.

Patti Dunn, who was Miss Georgia USA 2000 and a recent participant on "Temptation Island," married Don Crocker on March 5, 2001. The wedding took place only two days after the funeral of the bride's mother, Patsy Dunn. Mrs. Dunn's fatal illness was diagnosed very shortly before her death, and in her final days she urged her daughter not to cancel the nuptials.

Patsy Dunn, mother of former Miss Georgia USA Patti Dunn and model Heather Dunn, died on Feb. 28, 2001, in suburban Atlanta. She was 58. Mrs. Dunn was active in the business end of modeling for a number of years, and was known as a gracious and self-effacing booster of various young women. She was a friend to PNB from the beginning.

Melanie Patterson, a former national beauty queen who has been prominently featured on PNB, will be included in the June 2001 issue of Women's Day magazine in a story about "Mothers of Invention." She has developed, patented, manufactured and begun marketing and distributing her product, a high-quality disposable paper bib on a roll. It is on Giant Eagle store shelves in several Midwestern cities. Mrs. Patterson has been featured in articles by The Associated Press and dozens of other media outlets.

Former PNB cover girl Kelly Willyard, a beauty queen and actress in Beverly Hills, was a specially invited guest at the premiere of the film "Sweet November" in February 2001.

Gail Fisher, a former Miss Black New Jersey who was a history-making actress in American television, has died. Her death, in December 2000, was not officially announced until February 2001. Ms. Fisher was chosen in the mid-1960s for a supporting role in the crime drama "Mannix." Some studio executives opposed the move because she was African-American, though the part was not otherwise controversial. There were fears that many Americans would oppose seeing black and white performers interacting. The fears proved groundless, and Ms. Fisher became a popular TV personality.

PNB has learned that recent cover girl Farah Farrowfield will represent Cheju, the resort island of South Korea, at Miss Hawaiian Tropic International in April 2001. The Korean-born Miss Fallowfield apparently will be the first Cheju representative ever at Hawaiian Tropic.

Former Miss America Heather French Henry has revealed that preliminary tests indicate her first child will be a girl. Mrs. Henry, who is married to Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Henry, is due to deliver in July 2001.

For the second consecutive year, a pageant contestant in the Miss America system has placed among the Top 20 of USA Today's annual USA All-Academic Team, which was published in that newspaper on Feb. 15, 2001. Former Miss Fort Worth Marshawn Evans, 21, a baton twirler from Richardson, Texas, was named one of the 2001 finalists. She is a senior at Texas Christian University and was the third runner-up in the 2000 Miss Texas Pageant in July 2000. Last year, Rita Ng, Miss Los Altos, who later became Miss California 2000 and then second runner-up to Miss America 2001, was on the list. She was a graduate student at Stanford University.

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The 1984 "American Beauty Family Feud Special" is airing on the GAMESHOW Network during the week of Feb. 12-16, 2001. Miss America winners play against Mrs. America winners for charity in this historic piece of entertainment.

Elaine Munson, director of the All American Pageants, gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Anna, on Feb. 7, 2001, in an emergency caesarean section. Both mother and daughter went through the procedure well and were later able to go home. Ms. Munson and her husband, Gerald, already have one daughter, Carolyn.

Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universe 1987, has confirmed that she and former Argentine President Carlos Menem are engaged to be married. She refused to confirm rumors of an exact date. Ms. Bolocco is a TV personality in Chile.

Former Miss District of Columbia USA Zanice James, a PNB columnist, is launching her own pageant. It will be called Miss Metro Pre-Teen and Teen, and it will debut in Atlanta in August 2001. It is a scholarship competition focusing on at-risk girls. On a personal note, Ms. James and her husband are expecting their first child in June 2001.

Dayanara Torres, who was Miss Universe 1993, gave birth to a son on Feb. 5, 2001, in New York. This is the first child for her and her husband, singer Marc Anthony. Both are from Puerto Rico, and have been expanding their careers into acting.

Patti Dunn, Miss Georgia USA 2000, has been kicked off "Temptation Island." She was one of the alluring women meant to test the relationships of unmarried couples on the Fox TV reality show. Ms. Dunn continues to have a successful modeling career. She currently is appearing as "Sally from Nalley" in commercials for an Atlanta auto dealership.

William Shatner, actor and pitchman, will be the host of the Miss USA 2001 Pageant. Shatner gained fame as the skipper of the Starship Enterprise in the 1960s television series "Star Trek," and has reprised the role several times in feature films. In the late 1990s, he became known as the zany spokesman for Priceline.com, in ads that took comic advantage of his notoriously poor singing. Most recently, he appeared as a pageant host in the movie "Miss Congeniality." Among judges announced are Daniel Baldwin, Karen Duffy, Roy Jones Jr., Ananda Lewis and Martha Stewart.

Erika Howe, Mrs. Texas US 2000, was a guest on "San Antonio Living with Tanji Patton," a live television talk show, on Jan. 30, 2001. It was broadcast throughout south Texas. The topic was "Up and coming models from Texas." She has been selected from among numerous models to be an haute couture mannequin at a VIP gathering of Target Stores executives in March 2001.

Spotted in a gym (in an undisclosed location) Miss Kansas USA 2001, Kristie Knox, working out with model Danielle Boatwright, who was Miss Kansas USA 1996 and first runner-up to Miss USA.

Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996, debuted her lastest snack food commercial during the Super Bowl on Jan. 28, 2001.

Lynnette Cole, Miss USA 2000, is appearing on the ESPN program "Life."

Singer Jade Esteban Estrada has signed to host the Miss Black World National Pageant 2002 in New York City on Feb. 25, 2001, and the Miss New Jersey Latina USA Pageant in Newark, N.J., on April 1, 2001.

Callie Northagen, Miss North Dakota 1980, a regular host on the Home Shopping Network (HSN), is doing Super Bowl reporting all during the last weekend of January 2001 in Tampa. The 14-year broadcast veteran will do feature reporting and cut-ins.

Chilean TV personality Cecilia Bolocco, Miss Universe 1987, is having a very public romance with former Argentine President Carlos Menem. The relationship has fascinated the Argentine media. There are rumors that the two will marry in June 2001.

TV alert

TNT will air the "Pensacola Wings of Gold" episode titled "Vertigo" on Jan. 30, 2001. It has Burner and Spoon volunteering as beauty pageant judges. Another episode, titled "Blue on Blue," will air Feb. 8, 2001. It has Miss USA 1996, Ali Landry, as a guest star. Check local listings.

Jade Esteban Estrada, the singer whose name has been universally associated with pageant entertainment, has released his new "Angel" CD. Details are available at www.cdnow.com.

TV alert

An episode of the program "Behind Closed Doors" on the Arts and Entertainment Network (A&E) will focus on the first 48 hours of Miss America's reign. It will on Jan. 25, Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, 2001. Check local listings.

Carol Hirata, owner of the Creation Station, a popular Colorado-based pageant wardrobe source, has announced that the business is for sale. Mrs. Hirata, who has directed the Miss Montana USA Pageant for five years, is now in line to direct the Miss Colorado USA Pageant as well. She has decided to devote herself to pageants full time. Those with a serious interest in the business can contact her at cr8sta@aol.com or through PNB.

Miss Kansas Achievement, Stacey Cronan, achieved something unforgettable during the Christmas holidays of 2000. While driving in Virginia on Dec. 20, she was caught in a traffic jam and learned that it was caused by a roadside emergency. An 11-month-old boy seemed to be having unexplained seizures. Ms. Cronan, a member of the Air Force with training in emergency procedures, determined that the child was choking on candy. She called 911 and took measures that saved the boy's life. He was breathing normally when emergency personnel arrived. All in a day's work? Not exactly. The experience reduced Ms. Cronan to tears of joy and relief.

Pageant Royalty Productions has released its list of the Top 5 most influential people in the pageant world in 2000, based on votes from members of the pageant public as well as people in the business. The list includes two pageant directors, Lori Sikorszky of Coronation Inc. and Sarah Boothe of Mrs. United Nation, and three members of the pageant media, Carl Dunn of Pageantry magazine, Penny Geiszler of Turn for the Judges and Gerdeen Dyer, founding editor of the Pageant News Bureau (www.pageant.com).

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Of the "10 hottest couples" profiled in the February 2001 issue of Ebony magazine, three have a pageant connection. Actress Halle Berry, the lady love of singer Eric Benet, is a former Miss Teen All American and former U.S. competitor at Miss World. Football star Emmitt Smith is married to Patricia Southall Lawrence, a former Miss Virginia USA. And football great Barry Sanders was introduced to his wife, Lauren Campbell, by former Miss USA Kenya Moore.

The February 2001 issue of YM magazine features a story about Miss Teen USA, Jillian Parry.

The February 2001 issue of Stuff for Men magazine has a pictorial feature on former Miss USA Kim Pressler.

Erika Howe, Mrs. Texas United States 2000, is on the cover of the debut issue (Dec. 2000 - Jan. 2001) of Les Avenues magazine. The magazine also contains a feature story and photo spread focusing on her duties as a titleholder, wife, mother and model/actress. She will also be the guest speaker at the magazine's inaugural reception. Ms. Howe also can be seen on the inside front cover of ME (Male Ego) Magazine as an "ice princess" in ads for Belvedere and Chopin Vodkas.

Former Miss America Vanessa Williams appears on the cover of the January 2001 issue of Black Enterprise magazine. Inside, she gives her personal tips on investment.

Ms. World 2000, Effie Horning, is featured in a photo spread in the December 2000 issue of the magazine "Decor & Style."

Former Miss Georgia USA Patti Dunn is one of the temptations on Fox's new series "Temptation Island," premiering Jan. 10, 2001.

Lauren Michelle Hill, who won the Summer Savage competition in Knoxville, Tenn., in August 2000, is Playmate of the Month in the February 2001 issue of Playboy magazine.

PNB offstage archive