By JOHN EBY
Dowagiac Daily News

Contestant 5, 5-foot-5 Katie Haneberg, is the 71st Miss Dowagiac since 1930, crowned Saturday night from 13 Union High School seniors at the middle school Performing Arts Center during Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce’s “A Masquerade Ball.”

When the final five were announced, as spotlights swirled to James Bond music, First Runner-up Taylor Gross simply walked onstage, green-eyed Katie entered second from the rear of the auditorium, Elisabeth Gokey came in a side door, Second Runner-up Alyse Pellow came from the back of the house on the other side and Miss Congeniality Marissa Tidey entered the other side door to answer a question posed by Master of Ceremonies Joe Krueger.

Taylor said, “I’m confident and I think I’m a great leader because I portray myself as poised.”

“I’m very open-minded,” Katie answered, “and a very determined person. It takes an open-minded person to be able to do anything they set their mind to.”

Elisabeth said qualities she possesses that would make her a good role model are confidence and trustworthiness.

Alyse said qualities that make her a good role model are confidence and responsibility. “I feel I’m very responsible.”

Marissa said her qualities to be a role model are that she’s confident and fun “and little kids look up to me because they like funny people.”

Katie, 17, is the daughter of Kim and Kurt Haneberg and has an older brother, Kurt, and a younger brother, Ian.

School activities include chamber choir, chorus, Drama Club vice president (Rizzo in the upcoming musical “Grease”), Humanities Club president, Student Senate, soccer, volleyball and cross country.

Outside school, the queen works at Round Oak, takes college classes at SMC and is active in her church youth group.

Her hobbies include painting, drawing, reading, singing, baking and sewing.

Katie won a prize package that included a $1,600 college scholarship for Western Michigan University and $400 for communication for her platform, “Seeing the Possibilities.”

First Runner-up Taylor Gross, winner of an $800 scholarship, is the daughter of Randy and Vicki Gross.

She has blue eyes and stands 5-foot-5. Taylor plans to attend SMC for a music degree, then earn a bachelor’s degree in audio production. One of her greatest accomplishments was her selection by the Young Americans.

Taylor belongs to National Honor Society, Humanities Club, Business Club and is Student Senate secretary.

She has been in chamber choir for three years and will be in “Grease.”

Taylor played basketball for one year, softball for two years and volleyball all fur years, including varsity co-captain senior year. She does volunteer work at Dowagiac District Library, has played travel volleyball and travel softball and enjoys music, sports, crafts, reading, babysitting and watching movies.

She has three brothers, Randy, Jeff and Matt. Contestant 8’s platform was “The Capabilities of Music.”

Second Runner-up Alyse Pellow, 17, is the daughter of Julie and Jeff Pellow. She stands 5-foot-2 with green eyes. She has three brothers, Logan, Link and Dean, and spoke on “The Importance of Self-Confidence.”

Alyse enjoys shopping, hanging out with friends, going to the movies, playing with her dog and helping friends and neighbors adopt homeless dogs or cats from local animal shelters.
After graduation she wants to attend Kalamazoo Valley Community College, then transfer to Purdue University to major in veterinary medicine.

Outside school, Alyse works at Blueberry Hill House of Pancakes and Driftwood Summer Shop and babysits. She was a basketball cheerleader and participates in the Career Academy program through SMC, attending Ross Beatty Junior-Senior High School in Cassopolis for college coursework. Contestant 11 received a $700 scholarship.

Marissa, 18, wearing a red dress she christened Ruby, stands 5-foot-3, with hazel eyes. Her parents are Tim and Gayle Tidey. She has two brothers, Collin, 16, and Ross, 14.

Throughout high school Marissa has participated in volleyball, softball, tennis, cross country, band and Student Senate.

She has been a counselor at Fitch Camp, receptionist at The Hairitage salon and, during the summer, works at a weekly farmer’s market in Chicago.

Marissa is accepted to Grand Valley State University to study medicine with an emphasis on physical therapy. Hobbies include yoga, swimming, reading, snowboarding, snowmobiling, staying fit, scrapbooking and photography.

Judges were Wayne Prillwitz, Cliff Fox and former Miss Edwardsburg Susanna Martino.
Drew Cripe and Bo Parsons escorted contestants.

Miss Dowagiac 2009 and Miss Congeniality Shelby Willis relinquished her crown. She has been attending Southwestern Michigan College, pursuing a degree in elementary education. The active queen most enjoyed reading at elementary schools. First Runner-up Elizabeth Kolden is a freshman at the University of Michigan in the Air Force ROTC program, majoring in international relations. She and Second Runner-up Olivia File both named the Rod and Roll car show as their favorite event. Olivia started college at the University of Central Florida and transferred to Hillsdale College.