Miss South Dakota 2009

Miss America Telecast Moves to ABC

2010-05-27T17:16:00.000-07:00

Although I'm excited that Miss America will be back on network television, it's sort of sad to see the end of the Miss America reality show. Read below for more details.

MissSD.org Post
"The Miss America Organization (MAO) is proud to announce it has reached a multi-year deal with the ABC Television Network to return as their network television partner for the 2011 Miss America Pageant that will be presented on January 15, 2011! The news was announced today by Sam Haskell, III, Board Chairman for the Miss America Organization and MAO President & CEO, Art McMaster. ABC aired the Miss America Pageant previously in 2004 and will once again retain the exclusive telecast rights through 2013.

"After thorough discussions and negotiations, we are confident that Miss America has reunited with the perfect network partner, ABC, which shares many of our same ideals and tradition," said Haskell. "Miss America's move back to network television is perfect timing as we celebrate our special 90th anniversary and look ahead to reach new heights and create a new path for the future of Miss America. Our brand is so rich in both philanthropy and history, and this new multi-year partnership will not only preserve this great institution, but it will also mark a new milestone in television with our friends at ABC."

“We’re thrilled to have the Miss America pageant back on ABC and for the opportunity to be a part of this historic tradition,” said Vicki Dummer and John Saade, Senior Vice Presidents, Alternative Series, Specials and Late-Night, ABC Entertainment Group. “We look forward to working with the Miss America Organization for years to come.”

Art McMaster, President and CEO for Miss America Organization stated, “MAO will maintain and oversee the creative direction of the pageant with the addition of the award winning production company, Tall Pony Productions with Anthony Eaton and Lauren Harris as the Executive Producers. McMaster added, “’Miss America is one of this country’s great enduring institutions, and creatively we are introducing new ways to honor the pageant’s rich tradition, while also producing a spectacular show that will offer true entertainment appeal to ABC’s viewers.”

Last year, the Miss America pageant telecast experienced new record growth, with its highest-ever ratings on cable television, and is now perfectly positioned to surpass that record with ABC on network television.

MAO proudly acknowledges Mark Pedowitz of Pinestreet Entertainment, John Ferriter of Octagon Entertainment, and Billy Goldberg and Kevin Kroos of The Buckeye Group for their efforts on this television partnership. Tall Pony Productions and the Miss America Organization are represented by Octagon Entertainment."

Miss University of South Dakota/ Miss Vermillion Pageant Scheduled!

2010-05-12T20:20:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars! The Miss USD/Miss Vermillion 2011 Pageant will be held at 2:30PM on October 3rd, 2010 in Farber Hall (in Old Main) on the campus of USD! Oct. 3rd is the Sunday following our USD Homecoming Football game, so if you're in town, make sure to stick around for the pageant on Sunday!

For information on becoming a contestant, please visit www.MissSD.org or email me at MissSD2009@gmail.com.

Miss South Dakota Pageant Judges Announced!

2010-05-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for this panel! They are going to do a phenomenal job! Check them out at the MissSD.org website!

TLC No Longer Home to Miss America Pageant

2010-05-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

TLC declines to renew Miss America TV contract

By OSKAR GARCIA

Associated Press Writer

March 1, 2010

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Miss America's three year run on TLC is over after the cable network chose not to renew its television contract with the beauty pageant.

TLC declined on Monday to say why it was cutting ties with the 89-year-old competition after the pageant's broadcast attracted 4.5 million viewers in January — the best showing ever for the pageant on cable.

Sam Haskell, chairman of the Miss America Organization, told The Associated Press that TLC executives indicated one week after the Jan. 30 pageant that they did not want to pick up a three-year option that was part of their previous deal.

Instead, Haskell said TLC wanted a new two-year deal for less money, which he was unwilling to do.

"They're not dumping Miss America," Haskell said. "They wanted Miss America — they just didn't want to pay the same numbers for it that they'd been paying."

Haskell said four networks, ranging from broadcast to cable channels, have expressed strong interest in airing the pageant and are willing to pay what the TLC option would have paid or higher.

"I'm a big boy, I've got broad shoulders — I'll find us another network," Haskell said. "I look at this as an opportunity. It doesn't depress me in the least. We have a great franchise, we have a great audience, we have a great organization."

The television audience for this year's pageant was 1 million viewers more than those for the 2009 pageant, but far below the 33 million who watched the pageant on broadcast TV in 1988.

The 2010 pageant — won by Miss Virginia Caressa Cameron — was No. 1 on cable the night it aired, excluding movies. It was held at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.

The pageant previously aired on Country Music Television and was last seen on network TV on ABC, which dropped the pageant after record-low ratings for the 2004 pageant.

The pageant, which celebrates its 90th year next year, was founded in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1921 as a bathing beauty revue.

___

AP Television Writer Frazier Moore contributed to this report from New York.

___

On the Net:

Miss America, http://www.missamerica.org/

TLC Network, http://www.tlc.com/

Article reposted from:http://newyork.metromix.com/movies/article/tlc-declines-to-renew/1793268/content

Pre-Pageant Weekend!

2010-04-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, 12 of the 13 contestants for Miss South Dakota 2010 converged on the state capital of Pierre, SD, along with me, several of our state board members and volunteers.

The unveiling of "A New Life" as this year's theme met with much admiration, and with songs like "Cowboy Casanova," "Bad Romance," and "I Gotta Feelin," it is sure to be a hit with audiences in Hot Springs!

GIGL by Stopping the Legislature from Eliminating Our Opportunity Scholarships!

2010-03-10T12:54:00.002-08:00

If you are a recipient of a South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship, or if you know someone who is, take a stand today by emailing your representatives in the SD State Legislature to tell them that you do not support the proposed funding cut for the program that keeps so many high achieving South Dakotans in the state for college.

As one of the many recipients of the SD Opportunity Scholarship, I was looking forward to the increase from $1000 to $2000 in my senior year. I understand that difficult decisions must be made by legislators this year as they attempt to reconcile the budget, but cutting or eliminating a scholarship that students depend upon will have dire consequences.

Please speak up now by emailing or phoning your representatives. You can find their information by using the link below. Thanks for GIGLing!

http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2010/MembersByDistrict.aspx

G

2010-03-10T12:54:00.001-08:00

Getting Involved in Government Locally Tip #5

2009-11-23T01:02:00.001-08:00

I'm sure many of you, while making merry in various South Dakota establishments this holiday season, will wonder what became of the smoking ban that was originally intended to go into effect last July.

A week ago last Friday, Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Trandahl ruled that petitions filed to refer the smoking ban to a public vote met the required number of signatures. Both the State of South Dakota and the American Cancer Society have decided not to appeal the decision to the South Dakota Supreme Court, likely due to the expense of such an appeal.

And so it seems that the smokey or smokeless state of restaurants and bars will be put into our hands next November. Make sure to register to vote in plenty of time (more than 15 days before a SD election) in order to vote your opinion and GIGL.

(Regardless of the ban's status, some restaurants and bars choose to be smoke-free. If you're interested, the following is a link to a list of smoke-free restaurants in eastern South Dakota.)

Getting Involved in Government Locally Tip #4

2009-10-14T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder if there is a warrant out for your arrest in Minnehaha county? Of course not.

But have you ever wondered about your neighbor with the annoying dog? Or the babysitter you hired, but don't know very well? Or what about the people who live in the apartment above yours and frequently have raucous dance parties?

Well, now you can find out online by checking out GotWarrants.org. Most of the warrants are for traffic offenses or driving without insurance. Not too serious. However, some are for robbery, rape, and other scary things. Helping the Sheriff's Office by tipping them off if you know the whereabouts of one of these individuals is a great way to GIGL.

Getting Involved in Government Locally Tip #3

2009-10-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

Several billions of dollars have gone out to the states this year in an effort to stimulate economic activity. Do you know how it is being spent? The information is just a mouse click away.

South Dakota operates a website to track state government's stimulus spending. At Recovery.SD.Gov, you can investigate the type of projects federal dollars are funding in South Dakota. It is fun to look out for the projects in your communities once you have read about them on the website. I'm sure many of you noticed the seemingly endless cone-zones across the state this year, and we can thank more than $77 million of the $183 million allocated for transportation projects for providing us with endless hours of amusement on the road.

Plenty of other states have similar websites to track their spending as well.

Check it out. It's a great way to GIGL!

Getting Involved in Government Locally Tip #2

2009-09-24T19:00:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of Nixle? Probably not, but it could save a life.

Nixle is a community alert service that sends you email, text, or automated phone messages when the government agencies in your area put out public notifications.

For example, any registered Nixle users in South Dakota would have received a message about the Endangered Persons Alert put out for a Pennington County woman last week. They also would have been notified when she was found and the alert cancelled.

Think of it as an Amber Alert for your phone or computer.

The best part? It's free to users, making it a great way to GIGL.

Getting Involved in Government Locally Tip #1

2009-09-13T22:56:00.001-07:00

When I think back on what my hometown of Sioux Falls was like just ten

or fifteen years ago, I'm always surprised at how much it has changed.

The southeastern part of South Dakota has grown tremendously in

recent years. As we all know, change doesn't come easily, and our

region's growth has brought with it added challenges. Luckily we've had

some smart, forward-thinking citizens and administrators at the helm,

helping to plan our city's growth. The time has come to look to the next

25 years and think about how we'll keep up with the increasing demand

for housing, utilities, schools, and everything else citizens of the state's

largest city expect. Participating in discussions with Shape Sioux Falls!

is a great way to GIGL!

Not from Sioux Falls? Check out these other websites for some of

South Dakota's premier cities. They'll usually have a calendar of

upcoming events where you can learn about what's going on

in your community and voice your opinion.

My Recent Activities

2009-08-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Aug. 17th, I traveled over to Parker, SD, where I was able to attend the Turner County Fair. I visited Old MacDonald's Barn, sampled the SD Pork Producers offerings, befriended some of the 4-H fair workers, cruised the streets in a Gator (and struck fear into the hearts of the foottraffic) with my escort DJ, and addressed the crowd in the Grand Stand as they eagerly awaited the begining of the tractor pull. It was definitely a good night.

On Friday, Aug. 21st, I helped entertain at the Autumn Rocks fundraiser for Holy Spirit Church in Sioux Falls. Other performers included the children's choir, adult choir, John Parezo, Andy Hey, Hannah Johnson, and the always fabulous Tonic Sol-Fa! Although it was a little chilly, the evening was a total success!

MAOT Recap

2009-08-21T16:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a week since the crowning of Miss America's Outstanding Teen 2010 Jeanette Morelan, but I'm still buzzing from the excitement of my Orlando expirience.

On Friday, the interim night between prelims and finals, I filmed my TLC interview that will be posted online (make sure to vote for me on the TLC website! More details later...) and attended the 2nd Annual Miss America Fundraiser at the home of time-share magnate David Siegel. The house was spectacular, with hundreds of original works of art, a beautiful yard (complete with peacocks) and a grand staircase to rival Tara. The event itself was just as impressive, gathering hundreds of the area's philanthropists to dine on some of the most delicious and varied menus I have ever encountered. I really wasn't prepared to have the amount of fun I had with the other Miss America contestants. Once again, they took me by surprise with the depth of their good humor. I don't quite know what I expected, but I didn't expect to find what I did.

Following our night of mayhem, we had a business meeting on Saturday morning, where we discussed the necessary though slightly less exciting topics of ticket sales, sponsorships, and production elements for January.

Saturday night brought the announcement and competition of the top 10 Miss America's Outstanding Teen contestants, and the crowning of our 2010 titleholder. Jeanette Morelan from Racine, Wisconsin became our new MAOT!

After a lovely week of floating on Cloud 9, it was time to return to reality on Sunday morning, when my flight out of Orlando was delayed almost two hours. :P Oh well. Such is life.

MAOT Pageant: Part 2

2009-08-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hello, and greetings from the final night of preliminary competitions!

Today was a much more relaxed schedule. Although we had a photoshoot and filming at 7am, I was finished by 8am. Following filming, I lounged around the hotel, ate breakfast with some other contestants, and checked out the Trade Show. Vendors came in from all over to showcase their finery, and sell items that every pageant girl drools over.

Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant: Day 1

2009-08-12T20:14:00.001-07:00

My first day in Orlando was absolutely amazing. First, almost all of the 2010 Miss America contestants traveled to Seaworld for some promotional photos. After that, we went to Universal Studios, where we were given our VIP passes and met our tour guides. We then toured both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, riding rides and eating a delicious lunch at Thunder Falls. I must say that my favorite ride was the new Simpsons ride. While touring Islands of Adventure, our guides informed us that they are in the process of building a new island entirely dedicated to -get ready for this- Harry Potter! It's going to be incredible! From the pathway, we could see the giant replica of Hogwarts, and the island will even feature a functioning Three Broomsticks Pub! I can't wait to come back and see it after the park opens in 2010.

After a day of fun with the other contestants, I had a short break, and then it was off to the MAOT pageant's second night of prelims.

It was certainly a long day, but well worth the exhaustion. I had no idea how much fun spending the day with all of the other women would be. They are such an incredible group!

Excitement Ahead!

2009-08-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

After this Monday's Miss Sioux Empire Fair Pageant, I will be headed to Orlando, FL, to accompany Miss South Dakota's Outstanding Teen 2009 Jessica Dyk to the Miss America's Outstanding Teen Pageant! Many fun things are in store for me and the other 52 Miss America contestants, so I will try to keep you posted on everything that happens during the week!

July 24th- August 6th

2009-08-08T15:13:00.000-07:00

I'm back! My extended absence was due to technological malfunctions.... I cracked my computer screen and had to have it replaced by the Geek Squad.

Despite the lack of blog updates, I have been busy for the last few weeks, so I'll start where I left off.

July 24th- I spent Friday in Canton, SD judging the interview portion of the Little Miss Canton & Junior Miss Canton Pageant with Miss South Dakota USA 2008 Jessica Rowell and Mrs. South Dakota 2008 April Kelling. The interviews took place at the Canton Pizza Ranch, during a pizza dinner. Yum!

That evening, I attended Relay for Life in Sioux Falls, where I had the honor of crowning Miss Relay for Life 2009 at the conclusion of one of the night's many mini-competitions.

July 25th- In the morning, I judged and performed at the Little Miss Canton & Junior Miss Canton Pageant. Gabriella Isais was crowned Little Miss Canton 2009, and Mackenzie Halverson was crowned Junior Miss Canton. Little Miss Canton director Jessie Brower and her volunteers are to be commended for putting together a very fun experience for all of the contestants.

In the afternoon, I traveled to Madison, SD, where I was a guest performer at the Miss Prairie Village Pageant.

July 26th- Thanks to the generosity of the National Guard Recruiters, I was able to sign autographs and watch the spectacular feats of daring pilots from the shade of the Recruiting Tent at the Sioux Falls Air Show.

August 1st- I traveled to Burke, SD for Dog Days 2009, where I participated in the Dog Days Parade, signed autographs at the Root Beer Float Social, and performed at the reunion banquet. My grandma, great aunt, and great uncle were all in Burke as well, participating in reunion activities as Burke alumni.

August 6th- I attended the Sioux Falls Truck and Trailer Customer Appreciation Golf Tournament, meeting people from all over South Dakota and Minnesota as I toured the golf course on the beverage cart.

July 17-19

2009-07-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

July 17 & 18- I had the privilege of spending Friday and Saturday in Garretson, SD, at the first ever Miss Devil's Gulch/ Miss Palisades State Park/ Miss Siouxland Pageant. With a field of 15 Miss contestants, we were able to award 3 titles! In conjunction with the Miss pageant, we also held the first Miss Split Rock Creek's/ Miss Laughing Waters' Outstanding Teen Pageant.

You might wonder how it was possible to recruit so many contestants to a brand new pageant. Well, folks, I can tell you that it was through the efforts of the wonderful local director Callee Bauman-Wachter and the many volunteers from in and around Garretson. (Side note: If you ever find yourself in Garretson, be sure to make a stop at Annie's Coffeehouse. Great sandwiches.)

July 19- Tonight I had the opportunity to perform at Yankton Idol, a Children's Miracle Network fundraiser held by the employees of Yankton's Walmart.

July 2-8

2009-07-02T22:16:00.000-07:00

July 2 - Theresa Knutson, Miss Brookings 2009, and I judged the Miss Toronto Pageant in Toronto, SD. The pageant was part of the town's 125th anniversary celebration.

July 4 - I will be returning to the city of my coronation, Hot Springs, SD, for the annual Fourth of July Parade!

July 7 - I will have my official portrait session with Evans Photography.

2009-06-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

I am so incredibly excited to be Miss South Dakota 2009, and I'm looking forward to the many appearances I already have scheduled for July!