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Festival royalty
Strawberry Queen will be chosen during annual pageant
Four young women fromBelleville are vying this week to
become the queen of the 41st Annual National Strawberry
Festival.
It's a lot more than just a pageant, however. The Queen
Pageant has long been a major part of the annual festival
which is celebrated throughout the community.
Originally the Strawberry Queen Pageant took place on
St. Anthony's Catholic Church grounds under the direction
of 24-year coordinator and volunteer organizer Diane
Ferguson.
The Queen Pageant moved to Belleville High School
Auditorium in 1982 andHazel Bighamwas mistress of cere-
monies and continued in that position until 1992. In 1993
and 1994, Martha Piney took over those responsibilities and
then in 1995 and 1996 former Strawberry Queens Veronica
Watson and Angela Myers co-hosted the event. In 1997, for-
mer Queens Mitzie Herkimer and Shannon Tarris were the
ASHLEY EVERETT
Ashley Everett, 18, is a student at
Belleville High School and is involved
with varsity bowling, the marching
band and the symphony band at the
school.
She is the daughter of Lorie Everett
of Belleville.
She hopes to find a career working
with the federal government after col-
lege.
Her hobbies include bowling, band and volleyball and
her special interests are camping and amusement parks.
Currently, she is a volunteer and the Friends of Michigan
Animal Rescue.
For her talent performance at the queen pageant, she
hasn't yet decided whether to play the clarinet, twirl the
baton or sing.
See
Queen,
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Ashley Everett
