Miss Ellis County and Ellis County's Outstanding Teen Scrapbook Memories 2006

FRIDAY morning comes around bright and early and we up for a special “Breakfast With Miss America”. Looks like another “self portrait” of Faith, Lana and Meghan before breakfast.

Three of my favorite former and current titleholders, Faith, Lana and Meghan after there “self portrait”.

There was plenty of royalty represented at the Friday morning breakfast as can be seen here. Pictured (l to r) are Amelia Skye Brock ~ National American Miss Jr. Preteen 2007, Faith Bates ~ Miss Hunt County 2008, Lana Thomas ~ Miss Ellis County 2008, Rebecca Robinson ~ Miss Longview 2008, Adelia Acker ~Southern California Sweetheart 2007/2008 and the cutest little red head girl who is also a National American Miss winner, but I didn’t get her name or full title.

Our group picture of all the royalty created a lot of interest and several up and coming princesses and queens wanted their picture made with them.

One more picture of Lana, Callie, Rebecca and Meghan before they start serving breakfast.

At the conclusion of the breakfast several of the former Miss America titleholders hold an autograph signing session in the same ballroom. The first autograph Lana received was Lee Meriwether who was Miss America 1955 and then Vonda Van Dyke, Miss America 1965.

Lana was excited to get to chat with Jane Jayroe, Miss America 1967.

Lana gets an opportunity to also chat for several minutes with Katie Harman, Miss America 2002, Ericka Dunlap, Mss America 2004, Deidre Downs, Miss America 2005, and Jennifer Berry, Miss America 2006. She got some very interesting feedback from all the former Miss America’s on what to prepare for when she becomes Miss Texas.

As we finish up the Miss America autograph session at the Planet Hollywood Hotel, Lana and several other local titleholders get ready to go over to Niemen Marcus for a luncheon with several of the former Miss America titleholders, but we hear that the Monte Carlo Hotel is on fire and heavy black smoke is coming from the roof so Sherry and I make a “bee-line” down to the Monte Carlo which is only about 4 blocks from the Planet Hollywood and sure enough look what we find…

Diablo’s Cantina and Mexican Restaurant in front of the Monte Carlo Hotel adds a little “satire" to the entire fire scene.

As the fire grows so does the amount of fire equipment and fire fighters at the scene along with police and news helicopters. I counted at least 35-40 pieces of fire equipment including engines, ladder trucks, heavy rescues and ambulances and about 200 fire fighters from the City of Las Vegas, Clark County and the City of Henderson. There could have been more that I didn’t see.

Meanwhile on the back side of the hotel we find more than smoke…

The “BIG PICTURE” on the back side of the hotel…

And a little closer shot of the top floors of the hotel.

And just when you think you have the fire almost out, it flares back up. All that decorative “limestone” around the building is not really stone at all. It’s all a fake façade to save weight and is made out of highly flammable polyurethane that burns really well and produces toxic black smoke. I have way TOO MANY pictures to even post on our web site, but Jim was EXCITED to get to see all this today.

The fire fighters actually had to fight the fire from the top of the building and also break out room windows so they could hang out of the window and direct their fire streams onto the fire on the outside of the hotel. The fire actually started on the roof and spread to the polyurethane fake façade around the top and the outside of the building. As the façade was burning, it melted and started breaking away only to fall down onto the over hangs and ledges and catch more of the fake polyurethane façade on fire.

After all the excitement at the Monte Carlo Hotel fire we wander into the M&M Store on Las Vegas Blvd. and who should we find, but “Miss M&M’s World”. How cool is this during the week of the Miss America Pageant?

It seems like the building NEVER stops in Vegas. What “GRAND” hotel will be across the street this time next year?

While we are at the Monte Carlo Hotel fire and wandering the streets of Las Vegas, Lana, Faith and several other titleholders and Moms are at Niemen Marcus at a luncheon with several of the former Miss America titleholders. Here Lana is getting Phyllis George to autograph her book for Sara, Lana’s little sister.

A great photo op for Faith, Phyllis George, and Lana during the Friday afternoon luncheon at Niemen Marcus.

Lana was also lucky enough to get Jennifer Berry’s autograph for Sara and have her picture made with her at the luncheon on Friday.

When we get back to the Planet Hollywood Hotel we have an appointment to look at evening gowns up in Sherry Hill’s suite on the 15^th floor. Since I can’t take pictures of the dresses I take pictures of the fountains over at the Bellagio Hotel across the street.

These are always so impressive to watch….. Especially from way up here.

We head back down to the Miss America Trade Show and find Mike and Donna Berry and their Teen, Jayce Keil and grab a quick picture with Jayce and Erika Dunlap, Miss America 2004.

Heather French, Miss America 2000 is also in the area promoting her books so we take the opportunity to introduce Jayce to Heather.

While waiting for dinner at our favorite “Cantina” I shoot some pictures of some of the performers from the “V Theater”.

As we get ready to leave the hotel to head back to our condo we run into several of the State Teen titleholders on their way to the Hard Rock Café for the annual Las Vegas Teen party on Friday night.

Meanwhile at the Miss America “Evening of Dreams” black tie dinner being held at the Planet Hollywood Hotel, Lana and her Mom along with 200 special guests and Lauren Nelson with the 52 State titleholders are being treated to a sumptuous dinner on the eve of the Miss America final night of competition. They also experience special live entertainment by Destino, the new “popera” tenor sensation in a private performance. The $1,000 per plate donation will benefit Children’s Miracle Network, which helps kids in children’s hospitals throughout North America, and the Miss America Scholarship Fund. Included in the cost of their donation was a VIP ticket, with preferred orchestra level seating, to the 2008 Miss America Live! event on Saturday night.

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Copyright © 2008 Ellis County Scholarship Organization and JK Web Design
Web Site Design and Maintenance - JK Web Design. E-mail Webmaster. All rights reserved.