Ten Girls are seeking Fair Queen title

By Erin Stubblefield

CUBA–Entries for the 2007 Crawford County Fair Queen Contest were due no later than June 4, and since then, candidates have stayed busy preparing for pageant activities.
Orientation in June was the first meeting of all the 2007 queen contestants. After an overview of rules and scheduled events, the 10 candidates introduced themselves. The pizza for the event was provided by Domino’s.
Since the orientation, first year coordinator Danielle Shafferkoetter has organized one activity per week for those participating in the contest.
“I decided to bring back the activities they provided for contestants when I ran in 2002,” Shafferkoetter commented. “It helped me bond with all the girls, and I really enjoyed (spending time with) them.”
On June 16, the girls went to Elan Day Spa, where they received a professional makeover and took part in a photo shoot. The pictures were taken by Melissa Albright, the 2002 Crawford County Fair Queen, and Miss Photogenic will be determined by the judges using the top 10 photographs of each contestant.
Candidates became better acquainted during the events following the photo shoot, including the luncheon, pool party and float trip.
The Chamber of Commerce treated the girls to lunch at Country Kitchen on June 18, and each contestant gave a short speech as a way of introducing themselves to the Chamber. The pool party was held at Cuba Municipal Pool on June 21, and a party sub was donated by Subway for all the candidates to enjoy.
The float trip, sponsored by Bird’s Nest, was the final activity designated for the Queen Contest.
Each event drew the candidates closer together, and on July 9, the girls took it upon themselves to schedule a movie night at Sullivan 6 Cinema.
Retiring Queen Carrie Macier has given her support to the candidates by attending several of these events.
Although the upcoming pageant has given her no worries of her own, Macier is “nervous for the girls running.”
“I’m good friends with many of the candidates, and I’ve come to know all of them,” she said. “I’m just excited to see how they place.”
The contestants will not meet again until Sunday, July 15 for the start of pageant rehearsals.
The 2007 Crawford County Fair will hold the parade on Wednesday, June 18, and each candidate is required to ride on their sponsor’s float. The voting for Miss Congeniality will be taking place prior to the parade.
Opening night of the fair will be a busy time for the contestants, as they compete in the talent portion of the contest. This will start at 9 p.m. on Hood Park’s Main Stage.
“We have a lot of singers this year,” Shafferkoetter remarked.
And along with singing, the audience will see an array of talents from photography displays to solo ballroom dances.
Thursday will be another day of chaos for the girls, with an early morning rehearsal, an afternoon interview with the judges, and the evening gown pageant at 8:30 p.m.
The 2007 Fair Queen will be crowned on the Main Stage at this time. Before the judges can make their decision, the candidates must perform their choreographed dance and respond to the question they pulled from the basket.
The 2007 Crawford County Fair Queen will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the Fair Board. The first runner up will receive a $300 scholarship from Cuba Banking Center, and the second runner up will receive a $250 scholarship from Peoples Bank. First Community National Bank will provide Miss Congeniality and Miss Photogenic each with a $50 savings bond.
The 2007 winners must be present at the livestock barns when awards are given, and the 2007 Queen will make her appearances at various events throughout the year, such as the Harvest Festival Parade and Christmas Parade.
The 2007 Crawford County Fair queen contestants, their parents, and their sponsors are as follows: Christine Robben, daughter of David and Betty Robben, sponsored by Change of Heart Fellowship; Charlie Smith, daughter of Don and Judy Smith, sponsored by Schmidt-Hardy Chevrolet; Jaclyn Gilliam, daughter of James and Debra Gilliam, sponsored by ALPS; Shayna Ardnt, daughter of John and Delilah Osborn, sponsored by Mace Supermarkets; Tenise Martin, daughter of Ricky and Cindy Martin, sponsored by Steelville Chamber of Commerce; Sarah Foster, daughter of Troy and Kim Foster, sponsored by Cuba Banking Center; Jillian Libhart, daughter of Don and Lisa Libhart, sponsored by Peoples Bank; Linnea Ising, daughter of Carolyn Sanazaro, sponsored by Meramec Electrical Products; Jenni Lewis, daughter of Randall and Mary Lewis, sponsored by Wallis Oil Company, and Aimee Bridgeman, daughter of Rodger and Brenda Bridgeman, sponsored by First Community National Bank.