Chenango chooses new teen queen

NORWICH – In a twist of fate Tuesday, the final round of the Miss Chenango County Teen-Ager Pageant became a family affair.

Standing on stage during the final round, five contestants held their breath and their smiles as the runners-up were called – when it came down to the final two, sisters Gina Rosa and Boyan Cox of Norwich were left on stage. The siblings stood and smiled through the nervous tears as they waited to see who would be crowned the next Miss Chenango County Teen-Ager.

The events taking place in the entertainment tent at the Chenango County Fair are part of the 38th annual pageant extravaganza. Throughout the summer, Pageant Director Dick Gillespie travels from county to county, fair to fair, and crowns the winners who will in turn represent their county at the upcoming state pageant held in Norwich later this month.

Yesterday, following the ‘Beautiful Baby’ and ‘Pageant of the Stars’ competitions, 11 young women took to the stage to compete for the Mis Teen-Ager title. Contestants included girls from in and out of Chenango County, with one traveling to Norwich from Oneonta to compete.

After the initial five minute interviews with the panel of three judges, the girls arrived on stage with their casual attire followed by the formal wear competition. After presenting themselves in their formal gowns, five young women were asked to step forward and pick from either a one minute speech or an interview with Gillespie. The five chosen to speak included Kerry Martin, a 17 year old student from Mt. Upton, who chose the interview, Gina Rosa, a 16 year old from Norwich, spoke about the dangers of anorexia. Billie Joe King, a 16 year old from Norwich, chose a speech about following one’s dreams. Boyan Cox, a 15 year old from Norwich, spoke about wanting to be in the WMBA and not be a bench warmer. Carley Harris, a 16 year old from Sherburne, stated she was not expecting to get picked into the top five and was excited to be chosen.