Pageant News Bureau - Snapshots of 2002

Every day, someone calls or e-mails PNB headquarters and demands to know when "Snapshots" is going to change. "It hasn't been updated since 2001!" they say indignantly, as if their lives depended on it, or as if their tax money were paying for it.

We know perfectly well that "Snapshots" hasn't been updated lately. As with everything that happens at PNB, there was a reason, but for a long time we were not at liberty to say what it was. Now, as we unveil the 2002 version of "Snapshots," we can finally explain the delay.

In December 2001, a PNB staffer was driving through a desert area in a Western state. Late one afternoon on a lonely highway, he spied an elderly hitchhiker in tattered clothes. He didn't have the heart to leave the man in such a desolate place, so he picked him up.

The old man had skin like weathered parchment, a bird's-nest beard and a few tobacco-stained teeth. His voice was all wheeze and gravel. But he made good conversation.

The driver explained to him about PNB, about the difficulties of running the world's greatest pageant Web site after the big tech crash of spring 2000. The old man showed keen curiosity and remarkable business knowledge. He asked a lot of questions, especially about bikini pageants.

2002 Global America Queens (l-r) Shelena Lewis -- Jr. Miss Global America; Chelsea Crispin -- Teen Miss Global America; Lacey Cahlik -- Teen Miss Plus Global America; Shawn Meeh -- Miss Global America; Janice Oulton -- Ms. Global America; Holly Roberts -- Ms. Plus Global America; Tracie Rowe -- Global America Mrs.; Cheryl Grobelny -- Global America Mrs. Woman.

Photo courtesy of Global America Pageants

Just call her Jessica
Photograph courtesy of Glamour by Lee

Miss Volunteer America's national director, Kelly Witt, meets with Bill Martin, The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Bristol, England. She is participating in the Lord Mayor's Christmas Appeal for Children -- a holiday toy collection for less fortunate children.

Photo courtesy of Kelly Witt

Finally, at twilight, the old-timer asked the PNB staffer to pull the car over, though they were still in the middle of nowhere. "I'm headed to my secret gold mine in those hills," the old man said. "I'm going to write my will. If you'll leave 'Snapshots' untouched until late November 2002, I'll leave my gold to PNB!" He ambled off into the wilderness.

The staffer was suspicious, but what do you do? Sometimes you just have to humor a rich old man. We didn't update "Snapshots" for months.

Now, we're updating it, with delightful pictures from 2002. Unfortunately, we don't have any gold to show for our forbearance. According to a post card we recently received from the Italian Riviera, the old prospector is still alive. But we can always hope.

Ms. Senior Georgia, Avis Fox
Courtesy of Connie C. Rosenthal

Hazely Lopez and Dolie Figueroa

Hazely Lopez, Teen Globe Puerto Rico 2001 (left), and Dolie M. Figueroa, Teen Globe Puerto Rico 2002

Courtesy of Luis Rentas and Noemi Melendez

Long time, no see