Ashley Melnick, a 21-year-old Texas Christian University student, claimed the title of Miss Texas 2010 by singing “Circle of Life” at the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant, held earlier this month at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Competing as Miss Fort Worth, Melnick was crowned at Texas Hall on the UTA campus. In Miss Texas pageant preliminary competitions, Melnick won both talent and swimsuit awards. She will be the Lone Star State’s representative at the legendary Miss America Pageant.

The new Miss Texas was named during a week of special activities marking the pageant’s 75th celebration. Dozens of former Miss Texas titleholders performed on stage, and were joined by Phyllis George and Shirley Cothran Barret, two Texans who went on to win the Miss America title.

Named first runner-up was Jordan Johannsen, Miss Irving. Others in the top five were DaNae Couch, Miss Frisco; Kendall Morris, Miss White Settlement; and Cristie Kibler, Miss Arlington.

Also crowned was a new Miss Teen Texas. She is 15-year-old Madison Fuller, who represented Frisco.

For more information, check www.misstexas.org.

Miss Irving, Jordan Johannsen, and Miss Frisco, DaNae Couch, walked away with preliminary awards Tuesday night at the second night of competition for the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant (www.misstexas.org).

Johannsen won for physical fitness in swimsuit, and Couch, who twirls batons, won the talent award during the competition at Texas Hall on the University of Texas at Arlington campus. For Couch, it was the second night in the row to win a preliminary round. She captured the physical fitness award during Monday’s competition. Winning talent Monday night was Miss Fort Worth, Ashley Melnick, a singer.

A third round of preliminaries is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The Miss Teen Texas Scholarship Pageant is being held simultaneously. Preliminary winners for physical fitness were Miss Teen East Texas, Reilly Johannsen, the younger sister of Miss Irving, and Miss Teen Plano, Kaitlyn Wilson. The talent winners included Miss Teen West Texas, vocalist Jordan Sheets, and Miss Teen Ellis County, Kafarra Douglas. 

The Miss Texas 75th Celebration includes a reunion and a black-tie gala Thursday, followed by a brunch Friday. Many events are open to the public. http://esocialworld.com/2010/05/phyllis-george-to-headline-anniversary-celebration/

 The 2010 Miss Texas will be crowned Friday night at the finals at Texas Hall.  She will go on to compete in the Miss America Pageant, the world’s largest provider of scholarships for women.

Former Miss Americas Phyllis George and Shirley Cothran Barret will be special guests of honor at the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant’s 75th Anniversary Celebration, planned for July 1 and July 2 in Arlington, TX.

 George, Miss America 1971, and Barret, Miss America 1975, will serve as honorary chairs of the anniversary festivities.

A series of special events will pull former Miss Texas winners, state contestants and pageant volunteers to North Texas in late June and early July. The events, some which will be open to the public, will include three days of preliminary competitions and the July 2 crowning of Miss Texas 2010.

 Among the activities planned to commemorate the 75^th anniversary will be the Crowns and Gowns formal gala, featuring an archive exhibit of wardrobe pieces worn by former Miss Texas titleholders, and the Miss Texas Tribute Brunch, featuring George and Cothran as guest speakers.

George, a native of Denton, capitalized on her Miss America title by becoming one of the female pioneers in sports broadcasting. In 1975, she joined The NFL Today, co-hosting pre-game TV shows before NFL games. Other TV work followed, including a post as co-anchor of The CBS Morning News. Later she turned to commercial ventures founding both a poultry business and a cosmetic business. In addition, she served as Kentucky’s first lady while married to former Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown.

Barret, also a Denton native, has spent more than 30 years speaking to civic groups, national corporations, educational organizations and churches. She earned a doctorate degree in early childhood education and family counseling and couples her educational background with humor for her motivational talks. She has contributed to numerous magazines and has appeared on national TV programs.

A DVD and memorabilia book with pageant history is being compiled by pageant historian Randy Pruett. The book may be ordered online at www.misstexas.org.

Marvin Blum, Fort Worth resident and longtime pageant supporter, is serving as chairman of the 75^th anniversary celebration, and Carrizo Oil & Gas is on board as the event’s major sponsor.

Following is a list of event highlights from the 75^th Miss Texas Celebration:

June 28, 29, 30           Preliminary Competition Nights

            7 p.m. Competition, University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Hall, 701 W. Niederman, Arlington.

                Tickets at centralticketoffice.com.

July 1                          Miss Texas Family Reunion

            2 to 4 p.m. Hilton Arlington, Grand Ballroom. Event open to all former contestants, families,

               guests and volunteers.       

                Tickets $10, sold at the door.

July 1                          Crowns and Gowns Formal Gala

            6:30 to 11 p.m. Arlington Convention Center, Grand Hall, 1200 Ballpark Way.

                Archive exhibit of wardrobe, seated dinner and dancing to Larry T-Byrd Gordon & Music People

                Luv Band. Black-tie event open to the public.

               Tickets $75, order from www.misstexas.org or by calling Vicki Slaton at 972-203-1847.

July 2                          Miss Texas Tribute Brunch and Autograph Session

            8 to 11 a.m. Arlington Convention Center, Grand Hall, 1200 Ballpark Way.

                Featured speakers: former Miss Americas Phyllis George and Shirley Cothran Barret. Open to

                the public. Tickets $60, order from www.misstexas.org or by calling Jean Magness 817-292-5269.

July 2                          Crowning of Miss Texas 2010

            6 p.m. Pre show featuring performance by former Miss Texas titleholders, UTA, Texas Hall.

                7 p.m. Final night of competition, selection of Miss Texas 2010.

                Tickets available at centralticketoffice.com.

Miss North Texas, 22-year-old Kristen Blair, sang her way to the title of Miss Texas Friday evening, winning the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The new Miss Texas wore a powder blue evening gown when she was crowned Miss Texas by outgoing Miss Texas, Rebecca Robinson. Blair now will compete for the title of Miss America at the Miss America Pageant Jan. 30 in Las Vegas, NV. Blair, a vocal performance major at the University of North Texas, sang Nessun Dorma in the talent competition. Her vocal talents made her a preliminary talent winner earlier in the week.

The Miss Teen Texas Pageant was held simultaneously at Texas Hall on the UTA campus. Miss Teen Frisco, Taylor Lowery, won the Miss Teen Texas title. She, too, had won a preliminary round earlier, but in the physical fitness category.

First runner-up to Miss Texas was Miss Carrollton, DaNae Couch. Others in the top five were Miss Grapevine, Ashley Melnick, second runner-up; Miss Fort Worth, Faith Bates, third runner-up; and Miss Frisco, Kathryn Dunn, fourth runner-up.

In the teen pageant, first runner-up was Miss Teen Texas Panhandle, Jordan Sheets. Rounding out the top five were Miss Teen Tarrant County, Destiny Velez, second runner-up; Miss Teen Harris County, Ali York, third runner-up; and Miss Teen Grapevine, Hadley Smith, fourth runner-up.

As Miss Texas, Blair will receive a $12,000 scholarship to the college of her choice. Blair graduated from high school in the state of Washington before entering the University of North Texas, according to Heather Edwards Bruce, the executive director of the Miss Southlake Pageant.

Friday’s pageant was dedicated to the late B. Don Magness. Magness, long associated with the Miss Texas organization, died last July, and his widow, Jean Magness, serves as CEO and executive director of the pageant.

[caption id="attachment_2324" align="alignnone" width="200" caption="Miss North Texas, Kristen Blair"][/caption]

Kira Morris, Miss Harris County, and Kristen Blair, Miss North Texas, won the preliminary competitions of the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant Tuesday night at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Morris was named the winner for “physical fitness in swimsuit, and Blair sang the classical piece Nessun Dorma to capture the talent prize during the second evening of competition at Texas Hall on the UTA campus.. Both are 22 years old and students at the University of North Texas. Dunn, 19, attends Baylor University and won the swimsuit competition. Nelson, a 21-year-old student at Houston Baptist University, took top honors in the talent competition for her vocal performance of “How Great Thou Art.”

This week 37 young women are vying for the Miss Texas title and the chance to go on to January’s Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas. The last preliminary event will be held Wednesday evening, with the finals scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday. The pageant will be broadcast live Friday via a webcast, and details are available at www.misstexas.org.

Monday night, the first night of the pageant, Kathryn Dunn, representing Frisco, and Adrianna Nelson, representing Texarkana, were named preliminary winners. Dunn, 19, attends Baylor University and was awarded the swimsuit honors. Nelson, a 21-year-old student at Houston Baptist University, took home the talent award for her vocal performance of “How Great Thou Art.”

The Miss Teen Texas Pageant is being held simultaneously with the Miss Texas competition. Winning Tuesday evening were Reilly Johannsen, Miss Teen Ellis County, for physical fitness and Micayla Merrifield, for talent by playing My Heart Will Go On on the harp. Monday night preliminary winners for the teen pageant were Miss Teen Frisco, Taylor Lowery, for physical fitness and Miss Teen Plano, Madison Fuller, for talent with her ventriloquism act.

The Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant will crown a successor to Rebecca Robinson, Miss Texas 2008. Robinson, a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Spanish, performed a high-energy tap dance to “Hey Pachuco!” to win the Miss Texas title. Among her many accomplishments this year, she was chosen to sing the National Anthem at The Cotton Bowl and was selected as the subject of a United Way of America video promoting education.

To become Miss Texas, a contestant must first win a local competition within the state. During preliminaries, the competitors are broken into three groups, with each group presenting a different part of the competition for the judges’ review. Those scores will be used to select finalists to compete in Friday’s finals.

The Miss Teen Texas Pageant, a competition that began in 1990, also will crown a new title holder Friday evening. The current Miss Teen Texas is Sydney Capello.

Tickets are available from Central Ticket Office. Check CentralTicketOffice.com.

Preliminary winners will be updated this week at www.eSocialWorld.com.

Miss Texarkana, Adrianna Nelson

Kathryn Dunn, representing Frisco, and Adrianna Nelson, representing Texarkana, were named preliminary winners in the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant Monday night at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The two received the honors after the pageant’s first evening of competition, being held for the first time at Texas Hall on the UTA campus. Dunn, 19, attends Baylor University and won the swimsuit competition. Nelson, a 21-year-old student at Houston Baptist University, took top honors in the talent competition for her vocal performance of “How Great Thou Art.”

They are two of 37 young women vying for the Miss Texas title and the chance to go on to January’s Miss America Pageant in Las Vegas. Preliminary competitions will continue Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with the finals scheduled for 8 p.m. Friday. The pageant will be broadcast live Friday via a webcast, and details are available at www.misstexas.org.

The Miss Teen Texas Pageant is being held simultaneously with the Miss Texas competition. Preliminary winners for the teen pageant were Miss Teen Frisco, Taylor Lowery, for physical fitness and Miss Teen Plano, Madison Fuller, for talent with her ventriloquism act.

The Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant will crown a successor to Rebecca Robinson, Miss Texas 2008.  Robinson, a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Spanish, performed a high-energy tap dance to “Hey Pachuco!” to win the Miss Texas title. Among her many accomplishments this year, she was chosen to sing the National Anthem at The Cotton Bowl and was selected as the subject of a United Way of America video promoting education.  

To become Miss Texas, a contestant must first win a local competition within the state. During preliminaries, the competitors are broken into three groups, with each group presenting a different part of the competition for the judges’ review. Those scores will be used to select finalists to compete in Friday’s finals.

The Miss Teen Texas Pageant, a competition that began in 1990, also will crown a new title holder Friday evening. The current Miss Teen Texas is Sydney Capello.

Tickets are available from Central Ticket Office. Check CentralTicketOffice.com.

Preliminary winners will be updated this week at www.eSocialWorld.com.

With some sort of weird attempt to update Miss America, last night’s Miss America Pageant set it back a good 30 years.

Televised live on the TLC network, the Miss America Pageant crowned Miss Indiana, Katie Stam, the winner. She seems a reasonable choice, given what we saw, but what we viewed on the way to the winner made me cringe.

First, let me explain. I’m a pageant convert. After thinking the Miss America Organization was an affront to feminism, I’ve since done a 180. I think the Miss America Organization trains young women to put their best foot forward. The winners of the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant, the state’s stepping stone to the Miss America title, have been intelligent, polished, talented and, yes, certainly attractive women.

This year’s Miss Texas, Rebecca Robinson, is among the brightest and most talented, and I’m stunned she didn’t make it to the top 15. That’s just one part of what was at best a disappointing evening and at worst a train wreck of a TV show.

Last night’s version of the Miss America Pageant was a frightening trip to the final crowning. After years of striving to choose women to be taken seriously with platforms on serious issues, we witnessed talent befitting a Saturday Night Live skit. Miss Hawaii, in a wild costume, was a caricature; some singer hit 50 percent of the notes. If the swimsuit competition is about “physical fitness,” someone please explain to me the poor posture of one of the top finishers.

Worse than the lukewarm talent that would have had Simon Cowell stroke out was the way the non-winners (I won’t call them losers) were treated. Instead of calling out the names of who would advance, the show’s producers seemed to delight in hanging these young women out for public humiliation. Why else would you rush them into their talent costumes only to leave two contestants photographed on national TV when they wouldn’t be advancing to the next round?

If you wouldn’t treat the dorkiest kid on the playground that way, it’s just as wrong to treat the winner of a state contest in such a demeaning manner. It’s mean, and it’s reverse discrimination.

TLC in its “Countdown to the Crown” TV show repeatedly touted its re-making of the Miss America image. The network wanted to make Miss America the new “it” girl. Okay to the concept but back-handing young women on national TV isn’t the way to do that. It wasn’t hip and happening; it was cruel.

The young women, many of whom are top university students, worked long and hard for their chance to be in the national spotlight. In the name of Bert Parks, they deserve better than what TLC offered.

Tons going on with the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant. I can’t decide what to tell you first…

Okay, heads wins. We’ll go with the local angle. The annual pageant, for years and years held in Fort Worth, is packing up its sequins and moving to…Arlington! Isn’t everything? First the Cowboys, and now Miss Texas. Actually Miss Texas will beat Da ‘Boys because the pageant is held in July, way before football season. Look for the new Miss Texas to be crowned at the University of Texas at Arlington’s Texas Hall.

The actual dates are up in the air because–again, this could be exciting–it could be televised this year. So, if it is televised, the finals will be July 3. If it’s not televised, the finals will compete with fireworks on July 4. Pageant people seem to be excited about the switches, and happy to be working with the City of Arlington.

And the other piece of Miss T info is that Rebecca Robinson, the current, four-lingual Miss Texas, will depart for the big Miss America Pageant Thursday. Just to make Bert Parks mad, it will be held again this year in ‘Vegas. Even though she did sing the national anthem at The Cotton Bowl earlier this month, she’s a tap dancer.

TLC is the network carrying the Miss America Pageant. Meanwhile the network’s running a pretty silly show “Countdown to the Crown” on Fridays until the pageant, which is scheduled for Jan. 24. If you watch the show, you can vote for your fave.

Should you want to send Rebecca a note of good luck, Lydia Hall, Miss Texas pageant VP and associate director, says now’s the time. Write to Rebecca Robinson–Miss Texas, c/o Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Las Vegas, NV 89109.

Times change. Death and taxes still only two things you can count on.

Miss America, once upon a time, always was crowned the weekend after Labor Day in Atlantic City. Years ago, it was a way to extend vacationing along the boardwalk. Bert Parks singing, high heels with one-piece swim suits–tradition! But in our new millennium, we crown Miss America in January in Vegas with the help of–what else?–reality TV. Throw 52 young women together, and we get to play pageant judge.

So our cute, smart, wonderful Miss Texas, Rebecca Robinson, will be showcased tonight on the first installment of the TV show, “Miss America, Countdown to the Crown,” at 9 p.m. on TLC. Evidently we get to vote on who we like.

I’ve had the pleasure of spending some time with our tap-dancing Miss T, and I can tell you she is a winner. Her TLC bio claims that she’s “bilingual,” but that misses her languages by two. Rebecca speaks FOUR! That blows that dumb-blonde stereotype all to pieces, doesn’t it?

Just as the Miss A TV show takes off, we’re on a roll for the local pageants. Heather Edwards Bruce, herself once a runner-up to Miss Texas, tells me the Miss Southlake and Miss Teen Southlake Pageant is set for 7 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 3) at Carroll Senior High School in Southlake. Admission is $15.