By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Marcellus High School senior Lindsey Brooke Weaver Saturday night at Southwestern Michigan College won the 2005 Miss Heart of Blossomtime crown.
She advances to the Miss Blossomtime Pageant March 7 at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center.
Lindsey, 18-year-old daughter of Randy and Judy Weaver, was crowned by 2003 queen Amy Lynn Flavin of Lawton to cap the "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" pageant revived by Angeline Matson of Sister Lakes.
No contest took place in 2004.
Miss Heart of Blossomtime, supported by a volunteer committee, was sanctioned by the Blossomtime Festival in 1992 to give young women ages 17 to 21 who live in communities which lack preliminary pageants an opportunity to compete.
Miss Heart winners also came from Marcellus in 2002 (Jessica Thompson), 2001 (Carrie Chiddester) and 1992 (Lisa Koshar).
Whitney Nicole Jerz, 17, of Dowagiac, finished first runner-up. She is a senior at Michigan Lutheran High School and the daughter of Gregory and Tammy Jerz.
The self-described "drama queen" and class president identified managing the volleyball team as the most important of her many activities.
Whitney wants to attend the University of South Carolina to major in international business and minor in political science.
Second runner-up is Dowagiac's Homecoming queen, Ashley Beth Keesler, 18, a Union High School senior. Her parents are Robin and Forest Headley and Robin and Mike Keesler.
She has five brothers and a sister.
Ashley, who volunteers at Dowagiac Nursing Home, said, "I visit a lot of people there, and they really enjoy the company. I play a lot of games with them."
Ashley won the $100 Entrepreneur Award and two tickets for the Grand Floral Ball for selling the most tickets and program ads.
Loyalty and honesty are characteristics which help make Ashley a positive role model. Ten years from now, Ashley would "like to be graduated from college, starting a family and, hopefully, own my own house."
The Master of Ceremonies noted on her resume that she is treasurer of the National Spanish Honor Society and asked her to say something to him in that language. He surprised her by responding in Spanish.
She plays in band at school. What instrument best represents her personality? "I play clarinet," Lindsey said, "so I suppose that would have to be the one that best represents me. It has a high range as well as a low range. My energy can go low as well as very high."
Lindsey plans to attend Siena Heights in Adrian to major in music business. In 10 years, "I'll definitely be graduated from college. I see myself settling down, starting a family - maybe having a child or two by then - and being successful in the business I choose."
All three contestants are lifelong residents of their hometowns.
They were asked, "If I were new to your town, what one place would I have to go to get the best experience?"
Lindsey said Drop Anchor, a new restaurant featuring live bands. "It's fun to hang out with your friends."
Whitney and Ashley both answered Beckwith Theatre.
Ashley said, "They have a lot of great plays and a lot of great people."
All three wished more activities for their towns' young people, such as a community center, to keep them in town and out of trouble.
Amy Flavin and Nick Bertuca of Watervliet served as emcees in the theater of the Dale A. Lyons Building on SMC's Dowagiac campus.
The 2000 Mr. Blossomtime first runner-up is an SMC graduate and earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and sociology from Western Michigan University. He is now a sales representative for Alliance for Affordable Services, a division of Midwest National Life. He lives in Kalamazoo.
Flavin attends Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
For their first modeling presentation, the young women came out in in outfits meant to reveal their personalities.
Whitney, in a magenta boa and a bold-print necktie, said her clothes "show I'm not only smart and I try to study hard, but I also love to have fun and I'm very unique in the fact that I don't know many people who would get on stage wearing what I'm wearing right now."
Ashley, in a shirt decorated with notes and carrying a boom box, said, "My outfit reflects on my fun-loving attitude and my interest in music. I love to sing, dance and go to concerts. I can't imagine my life without music."
Lindsey, carrying bags in both arms, said, "Like most women, I love to shop. But I also have a passion for fashion."
Introductions followed the first segment. Judges included Mike Ryan of St. Joseph, Chuck Salvano of St. Joseph and Anne Brockway of Baroda.
Ryan, a 1975 St. Joseph High School and 1979 Central Michigan University graduate, has worked for American Express for the past 20 years. He belongs to St. Joseph Catholic Church, Cornerstone Alliance and the St. Joseph Baseball Association. He has three children. He has judged 12 other community pageants.
Salvano is a retired educator and middle school principal. He coached for 32 years in varsity football and tennis. In 1994, he was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame. He received a Michigan Education Association award for public relations and in 2002 was awarded Lakeshore Public Schools' Educator of the Year. He is married to Sally, a retired teacher. They have two daughters, also teachers, and five grandchildren.
Anne and David, her husband of 55 years, have a 30-acre farm in Berrien County. She has resided in southwest Michigan since 1979 and was employed as a registered nurse until retiring in 1990. She has been active in the symphony league and on the symphony board for several years. After a brief transfer to Battle Creek, the Brockways moved to Baroda and bred Morgan horses for several years. They enjoy traveling in the United States and abroad. Anne has been active in the Blossomtime Central Queens Committee and the Baroda pageant for many years. She has three daughters and five grandchildren.
Chris Matson, Ethan Matson and Sarah Matson were the pages, who deliver judges' decisions to the tellers for accurate counting. Sarah opened the evening by singing "God Bless America."
Visiting royalty included the reigning Miss Blossomtime, Brittney Brown, Benton Harbor's first bud queen in 51 years; Miss Edwardsburg First Runner-up Amanda Woodill, Mr. Edwardsburg Josh McNeely and 2004 Bud Prince Andrew Boyer.