Junior Miss contestants display talent and poise before full house

HANK DEWALD, HERALD STAFF WRITER

ROANOKE RAPIDS - A full house at the Roanoke Rapids High School auditorium witnessed another stellar Junior Miss program Saturday night, as Hannah Moore was selected Roanoke Valley Junior Miss for 2008 from 12 contestants.

The evening program was called “We Are Dream Girls,” after the theme song for a Broadway show.

The host and emcee was Gary Hackenburg, the operations manager and morning radio host (known as Alan Garret) of WZRU 90.1 and 90.5 in Roanoke Rapids.

Heather Edwards Merrit and John G. Davis choreographed and produced the show, which, from audience member accounts, was one of the best Junior Miss programs in the past 18 years.

The panel of judges for this 2008 program consisted of Gail Strickland, Connie B. Moseley, Stacie Carr, Jackie Walton, Rhonda Owens and Lynn Walton. However, part of the judging was done before the event even started. Twenty percent of the total score is based on scholastic achievement, which was determined by a panel of qualified educators. The panel for 2008 was made up of Bob Davis, Jessie Warren, Erin Gall and Heather Johnson.

The 2008 contestants were Elizabeth Ashton Gaskins, Roanoke Rapids High School, Samantha Paige Meinsen, Roanoke Rapids High School, Tabitha Lace Myrick, Halifax Academy, Kaitlyn Rae Taylor, Ridgecroft School, Lori Nicole Coggins, Northeast Academy, Magan Latrice Walker, Roanoke Rapids High School, Natalie Anne Riddick, Ridgecroft School, Casey Ray Dixon, Roanoke Rapids High School, Sara Lynn Grooms, Roanoke Rapids High School, Hannah Paige Moore, Roanoke Rapids, Jessica Paige Bolton, Ridgecroft School, and Stephanie Lillian Brown, Roanoke Rapids High School.

Reigning Roanoke Valley Junior Miss Cierra Piggott was a large part of the evening show, both performing and explaining to the audience what it meant for her to represent the Valley in the North Carolina Junior Miss program in Greensboro.

She performed twice during the evening, first with a dance and gymnastic routine to the tune of “The Pink Panther,” which she thanked her father for teaching her by his playing the saxophone around the family home. Her second routine was performed with her sister Jaslyn Piggott.

Also performing was 2007 North Carolina Junior Miss Jane Chaffee, who performed a beautiful ballet. Chaffee was Piggott's roommate during the 2007 North Carolina Junior Miss Program in Greensboro.

Several past contestants made appearances during the program, and were affectionately referred to as “has beens,” with all the young women joining in to say, “Its better to be a has been than to have never been at all!”

The veterans all showed great poise and had an air of confidence the younger contestants have yet to develop. According to Roanoke Valley Junior Miss Program Chairwoman Mildred Dotson, that is what the program is all about. Contestants make their personal strengths stronger and they develop their weak areas to levels they never dreamed possible.

As the evening program ended with the naming of the runners up, Stephanie Lillian Brown, second runner up and Sara Lynn Grooms, first runner up, and finally 2008 Roanoke Valley Junior Miss Hannah Paige Moore, the torch of representing the valley was passed from Piggott to Moore, who will now go on to Greensboro to compete in the North Carolina Junior Miss Program.

“It's a bittersweet feeling,” said Piggot after leaving the stage, “I'm really going to miss it (representing the valley) and all the great people. It really brought out my confidence. I learned so much about myself.” Surely the 11 dream girl contestants learned a lot about themselves and will continue to shine, but now it is Hannah Moore's turn to shine as the Roanoke Valley Dream Girl.