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Joanne Zapanta Santos, 20, representing the Philippines, was crowned Miss Tourism International in Macau on September 1. The lovely Filipina, who was also the 1995 Miss Philippines-Universe (Bb. Pilipinas-Universe), won over $10,000 in cash and prizes. The first runner-up was Lydia Lopez Balldaura, Miss Spain, and the second runner-up was Brigitte Lowry, Miss Australia. Delegates from 18 countries competed in this year's festivities.

Joyce Giraud, Miss Aguas Buenas was crowned Miss Universe Puerto Rico on August 23. Also the reigning Miss Venus Swimwear International, she will now represent the island at Miss Universe 1998. The first runner-up was Dinah Carrion, Miss Mayaguez, and the second runner-up was Miss Bayamón, Haylis Córdova. The three remaining finalists were Miss Caguas, Daphne Ramnath, Miss Juana Diaz, Antonia Alfonso, and Miss Guaynabo, Jazmin Ortiz. The four remaining semi-finalists were Miss Cabo Rojo, Nicole Figueroa, Miss Toa Baja, Ada Morales, Miss Ceiba, Rita Lopez, and Miss Cidra, Ana Isabel Rivera. In other awards presented at the pageant, the Miss Elegance award was presented to Miss Caguas, Daphne Ramnath, and the Most Beautiful Eyes award winner was Miss Aguas Buenas, Joyce Giraud, who also won the Most Beautiful Hair and Face awards. The Most Beautiful Legs award winner was Miss Juana Diaz, Antonia Alfonso, and Miss Congeniality was Miss San Juan, Vanessa Montalvo. The Miss Universe Puerto Rico site is open on the Internet and you can access it by visiting our links page. Our thanks to Jean Carlos Menendez and Papiro for this great info!

Problems with Internet connections have temporarily made the "Turn For The Judges" Web site unavailable for access. "TFTJ" publisher and site moderator Penny Geiszler told Jimmy's Pageant Page, "TFTJ would like to tell all its loyal viewers that we are experiencing temporary difficulty with our server. We hope to have this corrected today (if we get a miracle) or in the next few days at the latest. We are probably going to change servers but this takes a few days as everyone probably knows. This couldn't have come at a worse time for us. But we will have the opportunity again at the Miss America pageant next month! Thanks for your support and stay tuned." This is unfortunate for pageant fans, as the Turn For The Judges Web site is one of the only sites on the Net today reporting on the backstage happenings at and information about the Miss Teen USA Pageant.

In a little bit of pageant history, pageant fan Michael Knittel of Germany, in conjunction with Jimmy's Pageant Page, held a first-time-ever Internet poll to find pageant fans' favorite Miss Universe semi-finalist from the 1990s. Eligable for competition were each of the top ten from Miss Universe 1990-1997, excluding the winner of each year's pageant. The two-round poll, held over a period of two months, concluded on August 15, 1997 and found the winner to be Verna Vasquez, Miss Curacao 1997. The first runner-up was Carolina Gómez Correa, Miss Colombia 1994, and second runner-up was Carolina Izsak, Miss Venezuela from 1992. Rounding out the top 5 were Ali Landry, Miss USA 1996 in fourth, and Yulia Lemnigova, Miss USSR 1991. The poll, the brainchild of Knittel, was a huge success, with over 110 pageant fans from around the world submitting their ballots. Complete results of rounds one and two are available by clicking here. A similar contest for the Miss Teen USA semi-finalists is being prepared by Jimmy's Pageant Page, and we have been given permission of Mr. Knittel to use his easy, simple-to-follow format. Our thanks to Michael for running the best thing to come off the Internet in years! Our Miss USA Poll is now open! Click here to participate! Our thanks to Richard John Isa for the great photo of our winner!

A pageant fan and friend of Jimmy's Pageant Page, Papiro, has started another on-line poll where he's asking everyone to submit one vote for the most beautiful Miss Universe. The contest closes on August 31, 1997 and you can send your votes to b1014@hotmail.com. Round two begins with the announcement of the top 10 on September 1. You can find pictures of each Miss Universe winner on their Internet site.

The candidates for the title of Miss Venezuela 1997 whose beauty queens made the country famous, will now go live on the Internet. Organizers report that the 29 contestants will appear in swimsuits and, based on these photos and audio and video clips of each contestant, Internet readers can vote for their favourite contestant. It's not clear whether the Internet voting counts in the final outcome of the pageant. The voting opens on August 18, and will close on September 11, the day prior to the internationally-televised final on September 12. You can find the Miss Venezuela site conveniently located at www.missvenezuela.com.

Enrique Miranda from Andalucia was elected Mr. Spain 1997 from among 50 other contestants. The 6'3" green-eyed model will represent Spain in the upcoming Mr. World pageant next September, to be held again this year in Istanbul, Turkey. The winner was "crowned" by the current spanish beauty queen, Inés Sainz. The first runner-up was Ibon Ivor from the Basque Country. Our thanks to Arturo Garcia for these last two updates.

Katty Fuentes Garcia, 20, has been elected Nuestra Belleza Nuevo León. The green-eyed, brown-haired model and future dentist has begun her way towards Miss Universe and will compete in September for the title of Nuestra Belleza Mexico 1997 with other 31 delegates representing Mexico's other states. No woman from Nuevo Leon has won the national title since 1981, when Judith Grace Gonzalez became the 1st and only woman to do so. However, in 1995, Alejandra Quintero Velasco finished as first runner-up and had the chance to represent Mexico in the 1995 Miss World Pageant. The best of luck!

The Miss Teen USA Internet site is now open. The pageant this year will be held in South Padre Island, Texas, the site for Miss USA 1994-96 as well as Miss Texas-USA 1994-98. Hosted by J. Eddie Peck of the soap opera "The Young and the Restless", the pageant will be broadcast on CBS on Wednesday, August 20 at 9 PM EDT, delayed PDT, and will be seen by upwards of 250 million people in over 25 countries. Pageant owner Donald Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump (a "supermodel") will be acting as co-host. Viewers and fans can again participate by casting their votes for Miss Photogenic until August 15, and submitting a question for possible use in the finalist round of competition. The pageant's site is located at www.missteenusa.com/teen97. Enjoy the show!

Miss Czech Republic, Petra Hlavacova was crowned Miss Globe in Istanbul, Turkey in late July. This is one of the lesser-known international swimsuit pageants, yet it still attracts over 40 countries, typically from the Europe, and it is one of the few pageants where you can find delegates from former Soviet republics, such as Azerbaijan and Armenia. The first runner-up was Miss South Africa, Carla Becker, and the second runner-up was Miss Kyrgyzstan, Jana Kiroga. (Kyrgyzstan is another former Soviet republic.) The four other finalists in the pageant were Miss England, Kelly Hudson, Miss Estonia, Ly Jurgenson, Miss Finland, Margata Voo, and Miss Holland, Carla van der Mungs. Our sincerest thanks to Roberto Macedo for providing us with this information.

The Miss Universe table of preliminary standings on Jimmy's Pageant Page has finally been updated to reflect the Miss Universe 1997 standings. We are profusely sorry for the delay, and thanks to all of you who e-mailed us and implored us to get that updated. Many thanks.

Jamie Converse of Gainesville won the title of Miss Florida-USA on July 28, 1997 in Davie on the campus of Broward Community College. She was selected from 40 other contestants at the pageant, which was broadcast live throughout Florida and will eventually be seen by viewers throughout the USA and Latin America. The 21-year-old is a University of Florida senior majoring in Political Science, with aspirations of a law career. The other four finalists were Jacqueline Briggs of Lantana, who was also Miss Photogenic and a finalist last year; Shannon Brooks of Orlando; Kimberly Decker of Ormand Beach; and Katy Johnson of Del Ray Beach. Converse, along with the $30,000 prize package, will now represent her state at Miss USA next February.

Rossana Tassone won the title of Miss Italia In The World-Canada on July 22, 1997 in Toronto. There were 18 contestants in the pageant. She will now represent Canada at the Miss Italia In The World Pageant in Naples later this year. The Miss Italia In The World Pageant strives to achieve recognition of the beauty of Italian people and culture throughout the world. The first runner-up was Sonia Boiavo, and the second runner-up was Nadia Dipoccio. Ms. Tasoni was crowned by the 1996 winner, Maria Christina Bruno.

Hoopa Cullin of Vancouver was crowned Miss India-Canada on July 20, 1997 in Toronto. She was one of 15 contestants competing to represent Canada in the Miss India-World Pageant in New York City in December. Ms. Cullin was crowned by Rishma Malik, Miss India-Canada 1996, of Thornhill, Ontario.

Sara Engerman, Miss Limberlost, 19, was crowned Miss Indiana on June 28 in Michigan City. Ms. Engerman also won Thursday's preliminary talent and Friday's swimsuit competitions. She wins a $6000 scholarship and will represent her state at the Miss America Pageant on September 13. The pageant, now in its 41st year, lost the support of the mayor of Michigan City, Sheila Brillson, who does not approve of pageants of any sort; the mayor of Michigan City has traditionally held a luncheon for all contestants involved in the pageant: this year there were 12 local representatives competing. The mayor has been criticized for using her office as an outlet for her personal beliefs, most notably by CEO of the Miss America Organization, Leonard Horn. Back to the competition, in front of a packed house, last year's Miss Indiana and Miss America semi-finalist, Shani Nielsen, expressed her desire to provide a wardrobe account, an additional scholarship, and a crown ring to the winner, something she did this year and hopes to make an annual tradition. Ms. Nielsen departed on July 12 for New York City, where she is pursuing a career in entertainment; she was a preliminary talent winner at Miss America last year, so it's easy to see why! The first runner-up was Miss Vincennes University, Julianne Hackney, who was the Friday night talent winner and wins an additional $2600 scholarship. The second runner-up was Miss North Central, Gretchen Hall, who wins a $1400 scholarship. The third runner-up, Kara Combs, Miss Ball State, wins a $1200 scholarship. The fourth runner-up, hometown favourite Cami Lowrence, Miss Duneland, a Michigan City native, who won the Thursday night swimsuit competition, wins a $1000 scholarship. The three remaining finalists each won a $600 scholarship. Miss Central Indiana, Courtney Casteel, and Miss North Central, Gretchen Hess shared the John Richard Price Award for Community Volunteerism.

Miss University of North Florida, Christy Neuman, was crowned Miss Florida on June 28 in Orlando. The first runner-up was Miss Tampa, Jennifer Alvarez, and the second runner-up was Keri Schrader, Miss Manatee County. The third runner-up was Merry Kristi Sheffield, Miss Orlando, and the fourth runner-up was Robin Sprague, Miss Boca Raton. The remaining semi-finalists were Miss Seminole, Lea Lanier Miss Azalea, Stephanie Erica Dutting Miss Clearwater, Susan Holsonback Miss Jacksonville, Michelle Robinette and Miss Mount Dora, Meredith Miller. The non-finalist talent awards went to Miss Winter Park, Janette Zilloli; Miss Miami, Christina Tucker; and Miss Hillsborough County, Courtney Michelle Stangry. The Don Baker Interview awards were presented to Miss Florida State University, Candace Rodatz; Miss University of Miami, Luci Ann Dow; and Miss Ponte Vedra Beach, Kelly Whitehead. Another interview award, the Mary Petrie Morgan Award, went to Miss Orlando, Merry Kristi Sheffield. Miss LaBelle Swamp Cabbage Festival, Inez de Deugd, won the Burma Davis Posey Christian Service Award. And, three community service awards were awarded to Miss University of North Florida, Christy Neuman, who was the Winner and received $2000; first runner-up and winner of $1000, Miss Boca Raton, Robin Sprague; and second runner-up and winner of $500, Miss Tampa, Jennifer Alvarez.

Danielle House, Miss Canada International, has lost her title following her being found guilty of assault in a St. John's, Newfoundland courtroom on July 9. House, who was accused of punching another woman, the new girlfriend of an apparent ex, in a university bar last October, was sentaced to one year of probation and mandatory attendence of anger management seminars. When the charges were brought against House in late October, the Miss Canada International Pageant allowed House to keep her national title, but having been found guilty, her title was revoked; the main reason for doing so was justified by the pageant CEO saying that House was to be a role model for children, and a convicted criminal would not be appropriate. House was scheduled to crown her successor in Toronto on August 11.

Miss Lake O' The Pines, Reagan Hughes, 23, of Odessa was crowned Miss Texas Saturday, July 5 in Fort Worth by outgoing titleholder Michelle Martinez, 24, of Dallas on her fifth attempt at the title. Last year, Ms. Hughes was Miss Hurst-Euless-Bedford and was named first runner-up. Before last year's competition she vowed that 1996 would be her last year of competition, however, she decided to make another try again this year. "Yeah, those are my famous last words," said a laughing Miss Hughes through tears of joy while being surrounded by friends and family soon after being named the 62nd Miss Texas at the Fort Worth/Tarrant County Convention Center, which has been the home of the Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant since 1962. "But then I went to the Miss America Pageant [in person] last year and I saw that Miss America really does make a difference in other people's lives" said Miss Hughes, who will now make another trip to Atlantic City, NJ in September, this time to represent the Lone Star State in the 77th annual Miss America Pageant. Crowned Miss Lake O' The Pines, an "at large" program, on October 13, 1996 in Garland, TX, this gave Miss Hughes a fifth try at the Miss Texas title. During preliminary competition, she was the Friday night preliminary talent winner by singing a Christian vocal "Via Dolorosa", made famous by Christian singer Sandi Patti and later by Miss America 1995, Heather Whitestone, who used the song to perform her famous ballet en point dance at the 1994 Miss America Pageant. Miss Hughes is employed as a worship leader and will use her "Power of Mentoring" plattform during the coming year as Miss Texas 1997. First runner-up was Miss Burleson, Kim Masters, 24, of Arlington, a student at the University of Oklahoma. She won the Thursday preliminary swimsuit competition, and performed a baton twirl routine to "Last Dance" during the talent competition. Her twin sister, Kelli Ann Masters, also a baton twirler, was crowned Miss Oklahoma 1997 on June 7 in Tulsa. Had Miss Masters won the Miss Texas title, it would have been the first time two sisters and set of twins would of competed together at the Miss America Pageant. Miss Masters now has the opportunity to compete in the 1997 Miss National Sweetheart title in Hoopeston, Illinois. The second runner-up was Wednesday preliminary swimsuit winner, Miss Arlington, Leigh Gettman, 22, of Dallas; third runner-up was Miss Rio Grande Valley, Valorie Raquel Burton, 24, a graduate of Florida A&M University and a one year Air Force Academy student who was appointed by then-President George Bush. Fourth runner-up was Miss Hurst-Euless-Bedford, Angela McCulley, 19, a long-time horse competition competitor. She did a ventriloquism act with her dummy, Jake, to "Row, Row, Row" & "Dueling Banjos" a fast pace song with many difficult tongue-twisters and won the Wednesday night preliminary talent award. Other winners were Miss Amarillo Area, Katina Thomas, 20, of Pampa who won the Friday preliminary swimsuit competition; Miss Angelina County, Jasmine Bates, who's ballet performance to "Carmen" won her the Thursday preliminary talent award and the non-finalist talent award. Miss Bexar County, Carey Jean Parsons won the other non-finalist talent award with her classical piano performance of "Prelude In D Minor". The non-finalist interview winner was Miss Dallas County, Stacey Smith, 21. The five semi-finalists were: Miss Dallas, Tatum Hubbard, 21; Miss Texarkana, Ashley Guilbert, 20; Miss Oak Cliff, Brooke Bigelow, 21; Miss Garland Area, Marshawn Evans, 18; and Miss Colin County, Holly Graves, 23. There were 45 contestants in the pageant. Our thanks, as always, to Jeff Ripp.

Anthy Priovolos, Mrs. Greece was crowned Mrs. Globe in the U.S. Virgin Islands in June. Mrs. Globe is Miss Universe-type contest for those married women who seek glamour with a pageant title. The first runner-up was Svetlana Sharapova, Mrs. Russia, and the second runner-up was Vivian Colon, Mrs. Puerto Rico. Mrs. Slovak Republic, Sona Mosna was third runner-up, and Mrs. U.S, Dawn Foley was fourth runner-up. There were twenty contestants in the first annual pageant.

Cheri Alexander, 17, was crowned Miss District of Columbia Teen USA on June 1, 1997. She will represent the district in the Miss Teen USA Pageant on August 20 on South Padre Island, Texas. Our thanks to the Pageant News Bureau.

Miss White River, Stacy Freeman, 21, of Sheridan, was crowned Miss Arkansas Saturday, June 21, in Hot Springs, Ark. She is a 1997 graduate of Oklahoma City University with a degree in dance performance and will now represent Arkansas in the 1997 Miss America Pageant on Sept. 13, in Atlantic City, N.J. She was the second consecutive Miss White River to win the title; last year's winner was Melonie McGarrah. Miss Freeman was also Miss Arkansas Teen-USA 1992, and credits Miss America 1990 Debbye Turner, an Arkansas native, with her involvement in pageants. One of Ms. Turner's speeches inspired her to believe she could do anything she set out to do, which is the reason why she has participated in so many pageants. She turns 22 on June 30th. First runner-up was Miss Little Rock, Chrisna George, and second runner-up was Miss Arkansas Valley, Kerry Jucas. The third and fourth runners-up were Miss Sebastian County, Martha Hall and Miss Hot Springs, Brandy Rhodes, respectively.

Miss North Central West Virginia, Eisa Megan Krushansky, 24, of Westover, was crowned Miss West Virginia on June 21 at the Robert C. Byrd High School in Clarksburg, WV. She is a student at West Virginia University in Morgantown, and won the title on her sixth attempt. She succeeds Kari Ann Safford, 23, of Point Pleasant, WV, and will represent the Mountain State in the 1997 Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City on Sept. 13. She is a teacher in Monangalia County. The winner of the Interview Award was Miss Marion County, Katherine Thompson, and Ms. Krushansky won the Community Service Award, with her involvement with Alzheimer's. During the pageant she noted that with West Virginia's aging population, funding for Alzheimer's research and awareness of the disease is essential.

The first Miss Western Wisconsin, Nicole Jean Locy, 22, of Fremont, was crowned Miss Wisconsin in the Civic Auditorium at Oshkosh West High School in Oshkosh on Saturday, June 21. She is a 1997 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in broadcast journalism. She is a former member of the UW-Madison "Wisconsin Singers" and has interned at WMTV-NBC Channel 15 in Madison. She was crowned Miss Western Wisconsin 1997 in April and was also Miss Appleton Area 1994 and a semi-finalist in the 1994 Miss Wisconsin Pageant. Her platfrom is "dealing with divorce", and knows firsthand about it due to her parents divorce several years ago. A scandal erupted soon after her crowning with the news that she has posed for Playboy Magazine's "Women of the Big 10" issue. Locy's participation in the magazine's screening process was "an error in judgment" says Sue Captain, Miss Wisconsin Pageant Co-Executive Director. Locy said she "has always wanted to be in Playboy since seeing a copy of a Playboy Big 10 issue" when she was about 10-years-old. Playboy photographer David Chan photographed Miss Locy on May 5, 1997 while she was Miss Western Wisconsin at the Concourse Hotel in Madison, Wis. No word yet from the pageant board if Miss Locy will have to resign the title. She would be Wisconsin's delegate in the 1997 Miss America title on Sept. 13 in Atlantic City, N.J. Miss Locy succeeded Oshkosh's Jennifer Streblow for the title. The first runner-up was Miss Arcadia, Jill Marie Patzner, 21, of Arcadia, who now has the opportunity to represent Wisconsin in the 1997 Miss National Sweetheart Pageant in Hoopeston, Illinois. She is a 1997 graduate of Saint Mary's University in Winona, Minnesota, and graduated along-side with new Miss Minnesota 1997, Jennifer Ostergaard. The second runner-up was Miss Green Bay, Jill Corinne Persick, 19, of Green Bay; the third runner-up was Miss Milwaukee, Rebecca-Jean Kurucz, 22, of Cudahy; and the fourth runner-up was Miss Oshkosh, Kristin R. Tielens, 21, of Oconto. Thursday preliminary winners were Miss Locy in talent for singing "This Is The Moment" and Miss Patzner won the swimsuit award. Friday night Miss Patzner won the talent award for singing "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and there was a three way tie for the Friday preliminary swimsuit award in Wisconsin between Miss Oshkosh, Miss Western Wisconsin, and Miss Wisconsin Rapids, Sarah Ruth Doerrler, 18.

Kelli Jones, from Benton, was crowned Miss Kentucky Teen USA on June 21. The first runner-up was Natalie McDaniel of Bowling Green, and the second runner-up was Kristin Rae Ward of Tomahawk. The third runner-up was Krystal Gayle French of Morganfield, and the fourth runner-up was Jessica Carlene Trammell from Pine Knot. Miss Photogenic was Kristin Rae Ward, and Miss Congeniality was Amber Nicole Clark from Somerset, KY. Our thanks to Alisa Sandusky.