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Pageant News Bureau
Offstage Archive
People on PNB: July - September 2004

Pageant coach and author Jamie Swenson, who was Miss South Dakota USA 1997, gave birth to a son, Joseph Harold, on Sept. 23, 2004.

Venus Day, Ms. World 2004 and Ms. Worldwide 2004, has received a Point of Light Award from Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. It was presented by Daytona Beach Mayor Yvonne Scarlett-Golden. Ms. Day was recognized for her work under her platform, "Angels Amongst Us," donating and collecting food, medicine, and clothing for abused women and children around the world, as well as those orphaned or in foster care, and for her general volunteer work in the community and for cancer research.

Shari Murray has been selected to direct the Virginia American Coronet Pageant. For the 2004-2005 pageant, pageants will be held for the Teen, Miss, and Ms. contestants in Virginia. For the 2005-2006 pageant, she plans to direct all four age groups. Mrs. delegates will compete nationally, but will be invited to Ms. Murrays Virginia American Coronet events and are invited to make group appearances with the other delegates.

Tiffini Hercules, Miss Hawaii USA 1998, was arrested on Sept. 14, 2004, at her home in Kailua, Hawaii, and accused of dealing in illegal drugs. Her husband, John Limahai Jr., was arrested on similar charges.

Miss Vermont USA 1997, Lisa Jean Costantino, and Dr. Kevin Koloseus Palmer have announced their engagement. She is working toward her Ph.D., holds an M.S. in marriage and family therapy and is in private practice in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She also holds a B.A. in journalism and sociology, has been a reporter for NBC and CBS affiliates, and has worked at CNN and the White House. Dr. Palmer is a specialist in podiatric medicine and surgery. The couple will wed in August 2005 in Newport, R.I.

Agnieszka Zakreta, Miss Illinois USA 2003, has become engaged to her boyfriend of six years, Bart Iskra. They plan to marry in summer or fall 2005 in Hawaii.

Coronation, Inc. has announced that Debbie Harris of San Antonio is the new 2005-2006 Texas Galaxy state executive director. She has been with the system for the past several years as the San Antonio Galaxy local director.

Erika Howe has been named director of the Mrs Texas United States Pageant. She was Mrs Texas United States 2000, and is a former local director for Miss Texas USA and Miss Texas Teen USA.

Former beauty queen Dee Henderson was convicted on Aug. 9, 2004, on federal charges of fraud over $190,000 she collected in Social Security benefits while claiming disability. Mrs. Henderson, 44, who was convicted by a federal jury in Minneapolis, was Mrs. Minnesota International in 1999 and Mrs.Iowa International in 2001, and is a pageant director. She claimed serious pain from a 1995 auto accident. During her trial, prosecutors pointed to her many pageant appearances while she claimed to be disabled. Defense attorneys contended the pain was real and said her pageant appearances were not physically stressful.

Bob Geiszler, husband of Penny Geiszler, founder of the pageant publication Turn for the Judges, died Aug. 7, 2004, in Las Vegas after suffering a heart attack. The Texas couple had been in the city attending a pageant and taking a vacation. The couple's daughter Devon was a respected competitor in major Texas pageants. Mr. Geiszler was widely admired and affectionately regarded by those who knew him, and all the staffers at PNB extend their sincere condolences.

Vivian Austin Grow, a beauty queen, movie actress and supporter of charitable causes, died Aug. 2, 2004, in Los Angeles. She was 84. Born in Hollywood, she is listed in movie sources as having been named Miss Hollywood in 1943. According to her own account, she held the title for three years and the Miss Los Angeles title for two. After entering motion pictures in the early 1940s, she was variously credited as Vivian Coe (her maiden name), Vivian Austin (after her marriage to Glenn Austin) and Terry Austin. Increasing eye problems cut short her film career in the late 1940s, and she moved with her family to Palm Springs, where she became involved in charity work, including animal welfare and causes for children and the blind. Her first husband died in 1967. Her second husband, Dr. Harry Grow, was a physician who operated on her eyes. He died in 1993.

Carolann Hagemann, who as Carolann Connor was fourth runner-up to Miss USA 1955, died Aug. 2, 2004, in her hometown of Marietta, Ga. She was 68. Mrs. Hagemann had battled breast cancer for some years. Her pageant career began when she was Miss Pandora at the University of Georgia, and she went on to represent the state at Miss USA the year Carlene King Johnson of Vermont won. Mrs. Hagemann was the first Georgian to place as a semifinalist at the contest. She met her husband, Fritz Hagemann, when she was on a pageant-related USO tour and he was a military officer. She is survived by her husband, children and numerous other relatives.

Nafisa Joseph, who was Miss India 1997 and a Top 10 finalist at Miss Universe, committed suicide in Mumbai on July 29, 2004. She was either 25 or 26, with sources differing about her date of birth. She hanged herself, reportedly after a dispute with her fiancé that led the couple to call off their August wedding. Originally from Banglaore, Ms. Joseph modeled from age 13. In recent years, she had been a TV personality and a Veejay on MTV-India. She had always had a melancholy side, as evidenced by her gloomy answer during the Miss Universe finals that "the greatest injustice in the world is to bring a child into the world and not be able to offer it peace." She had reportedly cut herself off from social acquaintances at the time of her death and was said to be suffering from depression.

Georgine Darcy, who as a teenager played "Miss Torso" in the 1954 Alfred HItchcock movie "Rear Window," died July 18, 2004, in Malibu, Calif. The classic thriller is about a temporarily disabled man, played by James Stewart, who passes the time by spying on his neighbors through their windows. Ms. Darcy's character was the sexy neighbor, whose exercises in a skimpy outfit were considered racy at the time. She was a model, dancer and part-time actress for decades.

Pageant emcee and TV personality Paul Ossmann won the shot put competition at the 2004 Georgia Games. Ossmann's career includes hosting the Miss Georgia (America) Pageant, the Miss Georgia USA Pageant and many others.

Soap Opera Weekly reports that Tami Farrell, Miss Teen USA 2003, will be on NBC's "Passions" on Aug. 9, 2004, shortly after handing over her crown to her successor.

    Coinciding with his 54th birthday in early July 2004, Pageant News Bureau founding editor Gerdeen Dyer is the subject of a profile in the July/August issue of Headliner, a publication of the Cox media empire.
    The article describes Dyer as a "king of beauty queens," a mainstream journalist who has gained unexpected influence in the contest business. It details his pioneering efforts to develop genuine pageant journalism and bring pageant information to the World Wide Web.
    Dyer, legendary for his remarkable range of knowledge and modest personality, had no comment on the article. But he reportedly may assume a more prominent role at PNB, perhaps as a columnist.

Dorothy Hart, who won Columbia Pictures' "National Cover Girl" contest in 1944 and went on to a brief but interesting film career, died July 11, 2004, at age 82. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, she died in an Arden, N.C., rest home. She beat out 20,000 other women to win the contest after a newapaperman submitted her photos. But she initially refused to go to Hollywood and instead studied drama in New York to prepare herself. When she did go to Hollywood, she worked in only a few films. They included the lead in the acclaimed "The Naked City," a major role in the cult favorite "I Was a Communist for the FBI," and the part of Jane in "Tarzan's Savage Fury." The latter role gave her the opportunity to wear a skimpy jungle costume, which she filled very ably. She drifted out of movies in the early 1950s, but continued on the stage and in television for a number of years.

Former Miss North Carolina contestant Beth Troutman is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 8th District congressional seat from North Carolina. She faces Mark Ortiz in the July 20, 2004, party primary, vying for the right to oppose Rep. Robin Hayes, a Republican. Ms. Troutman works on the production staff of the NBC drama "The West Wing." She is best known in pageant circles for claiming at the 2000 Miss North Carolina Pageant that the event was rigged against her. Some former pageant officials have since claimed that there was at least some bias against her, but others continue to deny it. Her claim at the time drew more amusement than sympathy.

Tara Tanner, an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader who was Miss Cherokee County (Ga.) 2003 in the Miss America system, has died. She was found dead at her Atlanta residence on July 11, 2004.

Miss Galaxy 2005, Kristin Howsley, will appear on the cover of the January 2005 issue of Supermodels Unlimited magazine. The magazine has also requested photo shoots with Mrs. Galaxy, Maria Torres, and Miss Teen Galaxy, Alysha Castonguay. All three will be featured in a formalwear fashion spread in the issue.

Diana DeGarmo, 17, former Georgia beauty queen and recent runner-up on "American Idol," will sing the national anthem on July 4, 2004, at Turner Field in Atlanta before the Atlanta Braves take on the Boston Red Sox. She is seen as one of America's hot new recording artists.

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