Dream comes true for Manchester queen

Damion Mitchell, Assistant News Editor

Less than halfway into the coronation show of the 2010 Miss Manchester Festival Queen at the Cecil Charlton Hall in Mandeville last Saturday, 22-year-old university graduate, Johnnel Smith, presented a talent piece titled 'I Had a Dream'. She told of her wish for a Jamaica where teachers were well paid, where corruption was no more, where women were valued, and the 'dream' went on.

At the end of the presentation, she paused, sighed and probably made a silent wish that the original piece would help to place her in a commanding position to claim the coveted crown. That silent wish would come true as Smith stamped her name on the crown last held by the 2009 queen, Lanisia Rhoden.

But Smith, an educator, who also emerged the Most Culturally Aware contestant, had to contend with other keen aspirants like 24-year-old university graduate, Georgie-Ann Montaque, the Most Congenial contestant, who eventually emerged first runner-up; and Natalie Daley, the third-place winner and Best Performer.

Daley, a teacher at May Day High School, who had very strong crowd support from the outset, captivated her audience during the talent segment as she performed the original dramatic piece, 'I am Black'. Montaque also delivered a riveting dramatic piece titled 'A Woman's Struggle'.

The pieces by all seven contestants were consistent with the theme for the competition, 'Jamaican Woman ... Shaping Our Culture'.

But it was the interview segment that drew the most anxiety as fellow top-five contenders Rosalind Brooks and Chantal Jamieson joined Montaque, Smith and Daley in another test of intelligence.

Crowd favourite Daley was spot on as she sought to convince the judges how she would market the parish to tourists. So, too, was Montaque on the matter of the strike for retroactive salary payments.

Audience disappointed

But Smith elicited disappointment from the audience in only suggesting that to restore the economy in Manchester given the downturn in the bauxite sector, skilled employees who worked in the alumina sector should be employed in other sectors.

That disappointment would resurge at the climax when Smith was declared winner despite a reminder from the master of ceremonies that the prejudging exercise contributed to the final scores.

Smith will now move on to join other parish queens in the finals of the Miss Jamaica Festival Queen slated for July 17 at the National Indoor Sports Centre in St Andrew.

The other contestants were: 19-year-old student Kimone Keane and 25-year-old receptionist Nicola Miller.

damion.mitchell@gleanerjm.com

'Dem yah young people nah live so long, because dem a gwaan like seven devil in hell!'