Miss Maryland

Miss Smithsburg, Lindsay Karroll, front, performs during the kickoff Thursday night of the Miss Maryland pagaent at The Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown.

Twenty-four women will compete for the title of Miss Maryland 2006 in pageant events Wednesday, June 28, through Saturday, July 1, at The Maryland Theatre. The winner will go on to compete for the title of Miss America. In order to be eligible to compete, contestants must be: a resident of Maryland for at least six months prior to the local competition; a high school graduate by June 30, 2007; between ages 17 and 24; never married or pregnant; a U.S. citizen; and registered as a full-time student or employed full time.

katec@herald-mail.com Miss Germantown Felicia Curry received the artistic expression in talent award Thursday night as preliminary competition for the Miss Maryland title began at The Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown. Miss Cumberland Katrina Emerick received the physical fitness in swimsuit award. Curry sang "Fools Fall in Love" from the Broadway musical "Smokey Joe's Cafe. " The daughter of Clarence and Brenda Curry of Parsippany, N.J., Curry is a senior at the University of Maryland.

When the new Miss Maryland and Miss Maryland Outstanding Teen are crowned this weekend at The Maryland Theatre, two young women know exactly the kind of worldwind journey the newly crowned queens will be up against. And they both said they've enjoyed the ride. Lives will change when Miss Maryland Outstanding Teen  and Saturday night when Miss Maryland will be crowned. It was last June when Carlie Colella of Hagerstown stood on that very stage and had her name called as the new Miss Maryland.

chrisc@herald-mail.com Capping a week of pageant activities and three days of competition, a new Miss Maryland was selected by a seven-judge panel Saturday night. Miss Burtonsville Marina Harrison of Severn, Md., will serve as Miss Maryland for 2003-04. She will be a goodwill ambassador and spokesperson for the Miss Maryland organization to school, civic and government groups within the state through her tenure. She also will represent Maryland at the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City in September.

Miss Maryland 2006 Brittany Lietz, 21, was recently honored with a send-off celebration Jan.7 at the Elks Club in Hagerstown. About 135 family, friends, pageant officials and other supporters gathered as Miss Maryland left to compete for the crown of Miss America. Lietz is a cancer survivor having been diagnosed with stage two melanoma in 2005. She has worked to bring awareness to the prevention, detection, treatment and research of this disease. Guest speaker was Robert Nicolay from the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation.

Miss College Park Keri Schrader was crowed Miss Maryland 1999 Saturday night at The Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown. Schrader, 23, of Rockville, Md., was crowned by Miss Maryland 1998 Heather Noelle Davis before a packed house. "I am just elated. It still hasn't quite sunk in yet," Schrader said. "I want to be Miss America. I know what a difference one woman can make with this crown. " Schrader is a third-year student at Georgetown University Law Center. She is the daughter of Leon and Patty Jo Schrader.

In the more than 20 years Barbara Carson has been with the Miss Washington County/Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Pageant, she has seen her share of changes. Most noticeably, the dwindling numbers of young women as contestants. "There are so many things out there for young women to do and different ways to get scholarship money," said Carson, president of the organization. "They're choosing other avenues. " Yet scholarship money continues to be one of the biggest draws to participate in the scholarship pageant.

A newcomer burst onto the scholarship pageant scene Saturday night at Hagerstown Community College's Kepler Center. Sporting a coral leotard and a smile, Paige Dutrow, 18, of Boonsboro, wowed the audience and the judges, baton twirling to Escala's “Requiem for a Tower.” The freshman mathematics education major at the University of Maryland Baltimore County won the title of Miss Washington County at the 2013 Miss Washington County/Miss Western...

The Miss Washington County/Miss Western Maryland Scholarship Program is seeking contestants for their upcoming pageant. The event will be Saturday, Feb. 16, at Kepler Theater at Hagerstown Community College.  Four titles for 2013 will be awarded: Miss Washington County, Miss Washington County Outstanding Teen, Miss Western Maryland, and Miss Western Maryland Outstanding Teen. Contestants will compete in one of two levels: Miss and Outstanding Teen. Miss contestants must be between 17 and 24 years old, and teens must be 13 to 17 years old, but not a high school senior.

The fifth annual Miss Appalachia competition is Saturday, Jan. 19. Young women ages 13 to 17 may enter the Outstanding Teen competition, and those ages 18 to 23 may enter the Miss competition. There is also a sign-up for girls ages 3 to 9 for the Princess program, and 9 to 12 for the Preteen program. The Princess program is a mentoring program only. The winners will compete for the title of Miss Maryland in June in Hagerstown. Deadline to enter the Miss Appalachia competition is Sunday, Dec. 30. The winners will  serve as a role model for young women and  as an ambassador for The Miss America Organization.

Jessica Madden is a beauty queen without a float. The 18-year-old Hagerstown resident and reigning Miss Chesapeake State Teen 2012 said she was disappointed recently when Alsatia Club officials told her that she wouldn't be allowed to participate later this month in the organization's 87th Mummers Parade. “It's my hometown,” Madden said. “I remember being there when I was little watching all the queens go by. I just always wanted to be in it.” Parade Chairman James G. McCleaf II said the Alsatia Club denied Madden's application because the Alsatia Club only offers space to queens and princesses who are affiliated with the Miss Maryland Pageant.

1. Wheels and more Thunder in the Square will be from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in Public Square, downtown Hagerstown. Hosted by the Alsatia Club. Cars, trucks, motorcycles and tractors will be on display. There will also be a special Wind Down Friday. The Hagerstown Dance Band will perform in the square from 7 to 8 p.m. Other special guests will include Hub City Lindy Hop and Miss Maryland 2012. All proceeds will benefit the Alsatia Club. Call 301-739-2044. 2. 'No one else on Earth' Wynonna Judd will perform with her new band, The Big Noise, 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept.

Valerie Mason represented Washington County in the 2012 Miss Maryland Agriculture program at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, Md. Sponsored by the Maryland Farm Bureau and Maryland State Fair, the two-day competition culminated with an on-stage contest Aug. 24. Phyllis McKenzie of Carroll County was named Miss Maryland Agriculture. Twenty-one county farm bureaus were represented during the annual event.

When the new Miss Maryland and Miss Maryland Outstanding Teen are crowned this weekend at The Maryland Theatre, two young women know exactly the kind of worldwind journey the newly crowned queens will be up against. And they both said they've enjoyed the ride. Lives will change when Miss Maryland Outstanding Teen  and Saturday night when Miss Maryland will be crowned. It was last June when Carlie Colella of Hagerstown stood on that very stage and had her name called as the new Miss Maryland.

Miss Smithsburg, Lindsay Karroll, front, performs during the kickoff Thursday night of the Miss Maryland pagaent at The Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown.

Contestants for this year's Miss Maryland pageant checked in Sunday at Valley Mall, a ceremonial kickoff to the annual competition. Master of ceremonies Thomas B. Riford, president and chief executive officer of the Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, read aloud the name of each contestant, the local pageant she won, what her pageant platform is and what talent she will display. The women stepped up to the makeshift stage at the mall's food court, signed their names on a map of the state and introduced themselves to the crowd.