Rachel Lewandowski crowned Miss Rogers City as Nautical Festival begins

by Richard Lamb, Advance Editor

Rachel Lewandowski took home the crown as Miss Rogers City in the Nautical City Queen?s Pageant last Friday. In the first event of the Nautical City Festival, which continues through Sunday in Rogers City, Lewandowski won the evening gown and talent portions of the pageant. She is the daughter of Lori and Fred Lewandowski and will be a senior at Rogers City High School in the fall. For her talent she played a piano solo titled ?Fandango.? ?I could not even believe it at all when they called my name. It was crazy,? Lewandowski said.

She is a previous winner of the Presque Isle County Fair Queen and the Miss Tip of the Mitt titles, but this one had special meaning. ?This was different because I got to know the girls better. So it was harder to have competition against them because it was friends you were going against,? she said. ?It means so much more because it is my hometown and I have lived here all my life. I can?t wait to represent Rogers City.?

Emily Marx, the daughter of Scott and Mary Marx, earned first runner-up. She also won the coordination award, sold the most tickets and won the congeniality award. Leilani Kortman, the daughter of Rob and Lisa Kortman, earned second runner-up. Other contestants were Erika Kuznicki, Tara Smith and Stephanie Crocker. The pageant opened with a video presentation introducing the contestants by Richard Lamb. Then, after Julie LaBar, Miss Rogers City 2009, introduced master of ceremonies Joe Brewbaker, the contestants danced up the center aisle on a ?red c

arpet,? the theme for the pageant.

Brianne Jaeger and Lisa Coolman were co-directors of the pageant, which went off without a hitch. Miss Michigan 2009, Nicole Blaszczyk, performed a stunning dance routine and assisted Brewbaker in asking the contestants their final question. LaBar and Tayler Bannasch, who shared the talent award in the 2009 pageant, each performed their talents as the judges finalized their decisions. Ashley Basel and Kaitlin Klingshirn choreographed the opening dance to the song ?I Gotta Feeling? by the Black Eyed Peas. Rex Manning expertly handled the sound duties for the pageant.

Assistants to the directors were Theresa Kuchinski, Wendy Martin, Milissa Bannon and Cathy Wisniewski. Judges for the event were Cindy Griffor-Straley, Marlene Hanel, and Sandy Cunningham. Auditors were Joyce Brilinski and Kim Labrecque of Thunder Bay Accounting. The new queen will receive a $1,000 college scholarship from the Nautical City Festival while the first runner-up receives a $500 scholarship.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.