It's time again for one of West Duluth's most anticipated events: Spirit Valley Days. The annual Miss West Duluth pageant is an exciting part of the Spirit Valley Days lineup.
The 22nd annual pageant will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 4, in the Laura McArthur School auditorium. The event is free to attend.
It will be an evening of anticipation, as Miss West Duluth 2009 Stacie Krause and Miss West Duluth Princess 2009 Janelle Berg await the crowning of the new Miss West Duluth and Princess.
This was a busy year as these two represented West Duluth in area parades and volunteered for the United Way Chili Cook-off, Bentleyville, Animal Allies' Fur Ball, Lighthouse for the Blind's Mardi Gras Gala and Grandma's Marathon -- just to name a few.
"Stacie and Janelle were outstanding ambassadors for the West Duluth community this year," said Kim Holland, pageant director and former Miss West Duluth (1991). "They participated in so much this year and represented West Duluth in a wide variety of events. I am very proud of their efforts; they took their year as royalty seriously and made it the best for themselves and their community."
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Five contestants will compete for Miss West Duluth and Princess 2010. Contestants must be between the ages of 14 and 18, live in the Denfeld School District and have a grade point average of at least 2.5. They will be judged on several criteria including an essay on why they want to be Miss West Duluth, commentaries on modeled casual outfits (courtesy of Fashion Bug), formal gowns (courtesy of Always and Forever Bridal Emporium in Superior), personal interviews with judges and responses to the spontaneous question the night of the pageant.
This year's judges are Anne Bubacz Hamann of Visit Duluth; Kevin Chick of the Edgewater Resort and Waterpark; Stephanie Sinnott Wehr, owner of Zoe's Boutique; Chris Resberg of Lake County Masonry; and Miss West Duluth 2004 Reba Marana. Essay judges are Ivan Hohnstadt of Duluth~Superior Magazine and Kim Chick of The Inn on Lake Superior. Duo Tones and Hairapy by Erin Vigen have graciously offered their salon services in making the contestants look fabulous on pageant night.
This year's contestants
Anna Bolgrien will be a senior at Denfeld High School. Anna is team captain for the Denfeld varsity swim team. She is also a member of the Denfeld dance team and varsity track team. She was an ARC 2007 family volunteer, participated in the Buddy Walk and is a soccer referee. Her interests are photography, travelling, reading and studying Russian, Spanish and Chinese languages. Anna's favorite food is warm chocolate chip cookies. Her favorite music is from the show "Glee" and her favorite book series is "Harry Potter." Anna's current goal is to enjoy her senior year in high school. In five years she sees herself finishing college and looking at job options or considering grad school.
Roni Lewandowski-Gibby, 16, will be a senior at Denfeld High School. Roni volunteers at the Haunted Shack in Morgan Park and with Special Olympics. Some of Roni's talents are singing and dancing, and she loves to cheerlead. Her interests are dancing, texting and babysitting young children. Her favorite movies are "Dear John" and "A Walk to Remember." Her favorite music is country and her favorite meal is her mom's chicken enchiladas. Roni's current goal is to graduate and become a registered nurse so she can help others. She sees herself in five years as a nurse in a hospital working in Minneapolis.
Elisabeth Glowacki, 17, will be senior at Denfeld High School. She is a member of the Link Crew and Denfeld Student Council and was junior class president. Elisabeth volunteers for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Kids Voting. She participates in theater at school as well as Students for the Future. Elisabeth's interests are acting, singing and photography. Her favorite movie is "Moulin Rouge," and her favorite band is the Beatles. John Wayne is her favorite actor. Her current goal is to start assistant directing the high school shows next summer after she graduates. In five years Elisabeth sees herself as an intern at the United Nations.
Michelle Mudek, 17, will be a senior at Denfeld High School. Michelle is a member of St. Elizabeth's Church in New Duluth. She received an Honor D this past year at Denfeld High School. Her hobbies and interests are dancing, (Hawaiian) camping with her family, baking, taking care of her dog and bike riding. Her favorite foods are lasagna and pizza. Her favorite band is Rascal Flatts and her favorite actor is Adam Sandler. Michelle's current goal is to receive at least a 3.0 GPA throughout her junior and senior year -- which she has reached and hopes to maintain. In five years she sees herself finishing college and being a successful adult.
Danielle Urness, 17, will be a senior at Denfeld High School. Danielle is involved in Pyramid and on the math team. She plays the piano and cello and also likes to dance and tutor advanced math (calculus.) Her hobbies are mixed martial arts, drawing, painting and babysitting. Danielle's favorite food is caramel apples. Some of her favorite movies are "White Christmas," "The Notebook" and "Pearl Harbor." She also likes music from the 1980s, like Duran Duran. Her current goal is to become a biomedical engineer and would like to invent a new kidney dialysis filter. In five years she sees herself receiving degrees in biomedical engineering. She would also like to become the youth director at her church and start an all girls mixed martial arts/self-defense program.
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Source: Miss West Duluth Pageant
