Finalists in the Miss Kingston and St. Andrew leg of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) Festival Queen Contest. From left: Melissa Gibson, Miss Pario Solutions; Annice Webber, Miss National Outdoor Advertising; Sharon Hutchinson, Miss March's Drug Store; Jaydene Thomas, Miss Music Mart; Keri-Ann Brandon, Miss Cable and Wireless; Nelka-Jean Clarke, Miss Solid Life General Insurance Brokers Ltd.; Danieel Griffiths, Miss Dark and Lovely; Kerisha Dunkley, Miss KSA Engineering, Kerry-Ann Diviney, Miss Ballistic Security and Sashane McDonald, Miss Sunshine Auto Parts. Mising form the photo is Maria Robinson, Miss Cherubs Educational Centre. The sashing was held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston last Saturday. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
ELEVEN YOUNG beauties will, on Sunday, May 8, vie for the title of Miss Kingston and St. Andrew Festival Queen.
The preview for that event, the sashing of the contestants, was held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel on Saturday evening.
Dr. Marsha Barnett, Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2004 hosted the event which was attended by other past festival queens, including Ine Jones, Miss Kingston and St. Andrew 2002.
Ms. Jones, dressed in blue sleeveless blouse and a black pants, thrilled the audience with a rendition of Get Here If you Can, to bring the entertainment segment of the show to an end.
Before her, Dayon Gray, who trains the queens in performance added a humourous twist to a light, easy evening.
His take on the annoying practise of people chatting on cell phones at inappropriate times was well-received, having apparently struck a chord with the guests present.
Many of them nodded in agreement to the words of the skit. A cell phone rang at the appropriate moment during the presentation. A well-timed hoax, or a dramatic coincidence? Whatever it was, it worked.
Later on as another call rang out at the end of the performance, Marsha quipped, "It's o.k., Cable and Wireless is a sponsor."
Dayon's second piece about the 'benefits' of living on Spur Tree was even more humourous.
Residents of Spur Tree, according to the skit, benefit extensively from the many mishaps of distressed cargo vehicles. Katie wants to move to Spur Tree because she can live easy.
"Katie see har family pon TV a wash inna Guinness an' Beer/ Katie bawl di living eyewater because she wasn't dere", he said. "Mi gi har a list a tings. She promise mi faithfully/ If nuh grocery truck tun ova, she will sen de tings fi mi" Laughter erupted in the room.
PARTICIPANTS
Ten of the 11 who were present for the sashing, were a very charming bunch as they lined up for their photo-op and later mingled freely with the guests.
Sashane McDonald, a law school graduate 24 is sponsored by Sunshine Auto Parts; Kerry-Ann Diviney 23, a recipient of the University of Technology open scholarship is Miss Ballistic Security; and Kerisha Dunkley, 24 a graduate of the University of the West Indies will be sponsored by KSA Engineering.
Danielle Griffiths, 21, a graduate of Shortwood Teacher's College is Miss Dark and Lovely; Nelka Clarke, 21, a student of the Garmex Heart Academy is Miss Solid Life General Insurance Brokers Limited and Keri-Ann Brandon, 23, a UWI graduate is Miss Cable and Wireless.
Sharon Hutchinson, 18, Miss March's Drug Store is a graduate of Oberlin High School; Jaydene Thomas, 24 a Law student at the UWI is represented by Music Mart; Annice Webber, 23, Miss National Outdoor Advertising is a Experimental Biology student at UWI and Miss Pario Solutions is Melissa Gibson, 23 a student at the Edna Manley College of the Performing Arts.
Maria Robinson, Miss Cherub's Educational Centre, the 11th contestant, was absent for the sashing as she was away in France as a performing member of the University Singers.
The finals of the Miss Kingston and St. Andrew Festival Queen Competition will be held at the Lousie Bennett Garden Theatre on May 8, 2005.
