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JUNIOR MISS LAWRENCE COUNTY Allisen Rhinehart and 2009 Miss Lawrence County Samantha Kocher (center) pose with pageant royalty (pictured from left) Chelsea Bice, Amber Miller, Ashton Kerschner, Natasha Thomas, Rhinehart, Kocher, Venessa Steinkamp, Blaire Brinkman, Maci Roney, Megan Cooper and Gretchyn Sapp. (Photo by Barbara E. Allender)
County Fair Queen makes 'dream a reality'  Share
An expression of surprise lit up the face of newly elected Lawrence County Fair Queen Samantha Kocher as the results of the pageant were announced Sunday night. Kocher, the 18-year-old daughter of Steven and Susan Kocher, was selected from three contestants vying for the crown, Natasha Thomas, 17, the daughter of Tina Canady, and Blaire Brinkman, 18, the daughter of Kathy Brinkman and Brad Brinkman. Brinkman was the first runner-up, while Thomas was second runner-up and selected as ''Miss Congeniality.'' Kocher also won the ''People's Choice'' award. Kocher is a recent graduate of Lawrenceville High School. She will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study Elementary Education this fall. Her ultimate career goal is to become an administrator after achieving experience in the teaching field. In high school, she served as Beta Club President, National Honor Society Parliament, Dance Team co-captain, and Senior class Secretary/Treasurer. She is also currently serving as Russell Community 4-H Club President.
Kocher was the 2008 4-H Princess and had competed in prior years of the Miss Lawrence County Fair Pageant. In her pageant biography, she stated, ''I first became interested in participating in the Miss Lawrence County Fair Queen pageant as a young girl while watching county parades and seeing the former queens represent Lawrence County in a positive way. When I became oldenough, I decided to get a head start and participate in the Miss 4-H pageant. It is not like me to give up trying, so when I was not crowned the first year, I tried again. The next year I was crowned Miss 4-H of 2008. My diligence was very worthwhile because my year as Miss 4-H was an unforgettable one. During my experience as a Miss Lawrence County contestant, I hope to gain valuable skills that I can use in the future and make unforgettable memories. I know what an honor it is to be able to have the opportunity to be a positive role model to everyone in Lawrence County. It has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. Now, I want to make that dream a reality.'' Prior to the crowning of the fair queen, a new tradition began with the crowning of a Jr. Miss Lawrence County. Allisen Rhinehart, the 10-year-old daughter of Brandon and Jacee Rhinehart, was selected from the group of eighth contestants. The first runner-up was Venessa Steinkamp, the 11-year old daughter of Gilbert Steinkamp and Holly Fischer, while the second runner-up was Ashton Kerschner, the 10-year old granddaughter of Jerry and Sharon Kerschner. The night of ''Tailgates to Tiarras'' began with the singing of the National Anthem by one of the pageant judges, Julie Kinert. Welcome addresses were given by 2008 Fair Queen Casey Steffey and Fair Board President Mark Bowyer. Both the Jr. Miss Queen and Miss Lawrence County Queen contestants performed song and dance numbers with 2008 Queen Steffey. Judging for the fair queen commenced with the beauty of face and physical condition swimsuit, communication, and stage presence and question competition. Kocher's speech was based on her experience growing up with red hair. While she was not fond of it, her perspective changed when at the age of 13 a stranger told her that she had ''the most beautiful red hair she'd ever seen.'' At that moment, she said her burden became an asset. ''Don't be afraid of being different. You were born an original. So, don't die a copy,'' she challenged the audience. The statement posed to the potential fair queens: ''It has been said by a college professor that agriculture is not a real career.'' was presented to provoke a rebuttal from the contestants. Kocher's response related to Lawrence County's own agricultural connections from ''seed sales, technicians who work on farming equipment, and normal farming families.'' The Jr. Miss contestants were also given a question to answer as part of the judging criteria. It was: ''What is your favorite part of the fair and why?'' Following a recap of her year as queen with a power point photo album, Steffey expressed her appreciation of many involved in helping her throughout her reign as queen. Past fair queens were also recognized as they updated their lives after serving as fair queens. Several served as members of the pageant crew. The crew included: Shannon Miller, Trisha Stover, Johnna Thompson, Sandy Thompson, Linda Fisher, Kim Fisher, Roxie Hill, Cassie McClellan, Roy and Donna Lancaster, Dolores Lankford and Dot Walters. Marsha Heath was the pageant director, while Amanda Brashear was the Jr. Miss Coordinator. Bob Ulrich provided the music and audio system. Master of Ceremonies for the night was Bob Christy. Barbara E. Allender is editor of the Bridgeport Leader.
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