By Karen Lanning

Be on the lookout as twenty-two beautiful young women, ages 14-25, converge upon Lawrenceburg this weekend for the 2008 Miss Liberty Scholarship Pageants! The two day event will be held to determine which two of these beauties will be crowned and hold the position of our 2008 Miss Liberty and our 2008 Miss Teen Liberty, and along with their court will reign over the Liberty Day festivities this summer!

The excitement is building among these young ladies from Lawrence County and across the state vying for one of the two positions with the Miss Liberty Pageant Organization.
Chelsea Barker, our 2007 Miss Liberty, and Kaylin Mongan, our 2007 Miss Teen Liberty, will preside over the pageant festivities this weekend and will crown their successors for 2008. The pageant evening will begin Saturday, January 12th, at 6:00 PM at the Historic Crockett Theater in downtown Lawrenceburg. The competition consists of a preliminary panel interview with the judges on Saturday morning and a private swimsuit review before the judges later in the day. Saturday eveing will be a great deal of fun not only for the delegates, but for the audience as well.

The show will begin with a lively number choreographed by Judy Copeland-Tetz of the Art of Dance Studios here in Lawrenceburg. This will be followed by a delegate introduction, and then evening gown competition in each division, with on stage interview. A beautiful evening gown parade of all delegates will ensue prior to the announcement of the finalists. Each finalist must answer an on stage question from the panel of judges and complete her final walk before the winners are crowned.

Each winner will receive a $1000 college scholarship made possible by local contributors such as First Farmers and Merchants Bank, with various other anonymous donors making contributions to the fund held at the Lawrence County Education Foundation. Suntrust Bank is sponsoring a $250 college scholarship awarded to the Miss delegate that has the highest personal interview score, in order to encourage and foster good communication skills. Other generous contributors to the winner?s prize packages are Community Bank of Lawrence County, Dr. Atiyah and Cosmetic Lasers, Bank of America, Lawrenceburg Federal Bank, Bank of Frankewing, Mac Brown Photos, J.S. Fields and Co. of Brentwood, owner Steven Fields ,Occasions Florist, Little Gold Mine, Massey Jewlers, the Outlook of Pulaski, and Fox Sporting Goods.
Other pageant sponsors include The Brass Lantern, The Richland Inn, Rick?s Barbecue, and the Chamber of Commerce. The Lawrenc County Advocate and WDXE Radio has been our voice to the community and Miss Liberty Scholarship Pageants would have no record of our events if it were not for the one and only mr. Howard Johnston, HOJO,. Photographer.