84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 25, 2002
Sarah Dell Reigns As Blair County Dairy Princess
KRISTIN RUSSELL
Blair Co. Correspondent
TIPTON (Blair Co.) Sarah
Dell was crowned Blair County
Dairy Princess and Lydia Dively,
alternate, on Saturday, May 18 at
Delgrosso’s Amusement Park
outdoor stage.
Temperatures hovered only in
the mid to lower 40’s throughout
the evening’s festivities, making
the 2002-2003 Blair County
Dairy Princess pageant one of the
coldest on record.
Despite the miserable outdoor
conditions, the contestants pres
ented their speeches with profes
sionalism and enthusiasm to the
crowd of about 150.
Mistress of Ceremonies for the
pageant was TV-10 morning and
mid-day news anchor and former
PA Alternate Dairy Princess
Amy Mearkle-Sylvester.
Outgoing Blair County Dairy
Princess Emily Kirsch presided
over the evening’s events along
with her Alternate Princesses for
the year, Jessica Gorman and
Karyn Stone.
Sarah’s presentation, “Agro
terrorism: The Next 9-11?”
gripped the listener as she ex
plained how an attack on Ameri
can agriculture could be as life
changing as the events of Sep
tember 11,2001.
Sarah spoke with confidence
and ease, stepping away from the
podium to deliver her message,
one of both concern and a posi
tive call to action.
During the impromptu ques
tion, Sarah was asked the follow
ing question: “Many people are
critical of youth today. What is
one way you feel you can have a
positive impact on our American
society?”
Sarah responded that she felt
that presenting a wholesome
image, whether she was promot
ing milk and daily products or
just out in the public, would be
her way of having a positive im
pact on society.
Sarah is the 16-year-old
daughter of Leon and Elaine
Dell, Martinsburg. The Dells are
dairy farmers in the Clover
Creek area of Blair County.
After receiving her new tiara
and sash, Sarah was presented
with a check for $2OO from Allied
Milk Producers by secretary Jan
Itle. This money is given by Al
lied to help the princess and her
family offset travel and wardrobe
expenses for the year.
Sarah was also given a chance
to address the audience. She
Childcare Providers Workshop
COLLEGEVILLE (Mont
gomery Co.) Childcare...for
Mixed Ages is the title of the
workshop being presented by
Penn State Cooperative Exten
sion. All childcare providers
and interested parents
can participate in the
workshop at 7 p.m. on
Thursday, June 6 at
the Montgomery
County 4-H Center on
Rt. 113 in Collegeville.
Nancy Stevens,
Penn State Coopera
tive Extension family
living agent in Mont
gomery County, says
“childcare providers
will get ideas on how
to make caring for
children of different
ages work. They will
discuss some of the
problems that arise
when caring for chil
dren in a mixed age
group.”
Childcare providers
can receive two De
partment of Public
Welfare training cred
Pennsylvania Dairy Princess Rebecca Mowrer, left, and
previous Blair County Dairy Princess Emily Kirsch, right,
congratulate new royalty in Blair County. Second from left
is Alternate Lydia Dively with Biair County Dairy Princess
Sarah Dell.
thanked everyone for coming out
to the pageant and pledged to do
her best to promote the dairy in
dustry in Blair County during
her year as princess.
Lydia’s speech, “We are one”
was a look at how other English
speaking countries promote their
dairy industries. She shared with
the audience information about
dairy promotion in Canada, the
UK, New Zealand and Australia.
Using pictures of their logos and
examples of their tag lines and
promotional campaigns, Lydia il
lustrated that dairy farmers of
the world share a common inter
est in promoting the sale of their
products. For Lydia’s impromptu
question she was asked how the
events of Sept. 11th personally
affected her or changed her life.
Lydia shared that she has a
friend in New York City and a
cousin that works at the Penta
gon, so she was very concerned
for their safety initially. She also
told the audience that she is still
in disbelief that something like
that could happen in America.
Lydia is the 17-year-old
daughter of Andrew and Lenette
Dively of Claysburg. The Dive
ly’s have sold their dairy farm
due to health problems, but con
tinue their connection to the
dairy industry through Andrew’s
employment at Mill Hill Agway
in Williamsburg.
The judges for the evening
were Raylene Russell, agriculture
its for participating in the
workshop.
For more information on the
program, support materials and
other services from “Better Kid
Care Program,” call the Mont-
teacher at Southern Huntingdon
High School and former Sullivan
County Dairy Princess; Ronnie
Reese, dairy fanner from Centre
County, and Mike Mowrer, dairy
farmer from Huntingdon County
and father of the reigning Penn
sylvania Dairy Princess, Rebecca
Mowrer. Each contestant had an
interview with the three judges
and ate dinner with the judges
before the pageant.
Toward the conclusion of the
pageant 2001-2002 Blair County
Dairy Princess Emily Kirsch
shared her closing remarks with
the crowd. She stated that her ex
perience as dairy princess had
been wonderful and challenging.
She cited the friendships
made with other county
dairy princesses and her
experiences at the Pennsyl
vania Dairy Princess pag
eant as some of the high
lights. Emily was chosen as
a state finalist and award
ed honorable mention for
both her speech and skit at
the Pennsylvania Dairy
Princess Pageant last Sep
tember.
Chairwoman Twila Big
elow presented Emily with
a scholarship for complet
ing the second level of in
centive during her reign.
Her alternates were also
given scholarship money
and the 2001-2002 Dairy
gomery County Extension Of-
fice at (610) 489-4315. Visit the
Better Kid Care Website at
www.betterkidcare.psu.edu.
Maids and Misses were presented
with “Got milk” duffle bap as a
thank you for their work in
promoting the dairy industry
throughout the year.
Reigning Pennsylvania Dairy
Princess Rebecca Mowrer was
also in attendance. Rebecca
spoke briefly the audience, con
gratulating the outgoing dairy
princesses for a successful year of
dairy promotion and encouraging
the new royalty to make the most
of every opportunity. Other spe
cial guests included Pennsylvania
Secretary of Agriculture Sam
Hayes and State Representative
Jerry Stern.
During the pageant other jun
ior promoters were introduced.
The youngest group are the fu
ture dairy princesses and their es
corts the future farmers. These
are children between the ages of 4
and 8. Their main event for the
year is the pageant.
The future princesses include
Lindsay Knab, 8-year-old daugh
ter of David and Genee Knab of
Hollidaysburg; Caroline Smith is
the 7-year-old daughter of Doug
and Veronica Smith of Martins
burg, Melinda Dively is the
8-year-old daughter of Andrew
and Lenette Dively of Claysburg.
Carrie Russell is the 7-year-old
daughter of Rusty and Kristin
Russell of Martinsburg, Tiffany
Pheasant is the 6-year-old daugh
ter of Wayne and Tammy Pheas
ant of Williamsburg, Alexis
Pheasant is die 7-year-old daugh
ter of Dale and Jodi Pheasant of
Williamsburg, and Candis Baker
is the 5-year-old daughter of
James and Anita Baker of Mar
tinsburg.
Escorts were Adam Russell,
son of Rusty and Kristin Russell,
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Martinsburg; Colton Kensinger,
Denny and Jody Kensinger;
Joshua Russell, son of Rusty and
Kristin Russell, Martinsburg;
Jake Bigelow, son of Randy and
Twila Bigelow, Williamsburg;
Andrew Brumbaugh, son of Mar
tin and Diane Brumbaugh of
Curryville; Brandon Negly, son
of Mark and Christine Negly,
Martinsburg; and Ben Russell,
son of Rusty and Kristin Russell,
Martinsburg.
Dairy Misses are between die
ages of 9-11 and help with
promotions primarily during the
summer months. Dairy Misses
for the year will be Jeri Baker,
11-year-old daughter of James
and Anita Baker of Martinsburg;
Kristy Bigelow, 11-year-old
daughter of Randy and Twila
Bigelow of Williamsburg, Tara
Brumbaugh, 10-year-old daugh
ter of Martin and Diane Brum
baugh of Curryville; and Desteny
Ramsey, 9-year-old daughter of
Brenda and Ellery Amick of East
Freedom.
Dairy Maids, between the ages
of 12-15, serving this year are
Emily Baker, 14-year-old daugh
ter of James and Anita Baker of
Martinsburg; Katy Bigelow,
12-year-old daughter of Randy
and Twila Bigelow of Williams
burg; Jenna Smith, 13-year-old
daughter of Max and Jeannie
Smith of Martinsburg; Shasta
Miller, 12 year-old daughter of
Steve Clapper and Amy Miller of
Williamsburg; Shanda Pheasant,
12-year-old daughter of Dale and
Jodi Pheasant of Williamsburg;
Tara Sollenberger, 12-year-old
daughter of Earlyn and Lynette
Sollenberger of Curryville, and
Kelly Over, daughter of Glen and
Cathy Over, Williamsburg.