| Subject: New Miss California USA |
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KY FAN
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Date Posted: 11:26:17 08/31/03 Sun
Two win pageant titles in Fresno
Fresno woman finishes 2nd in Miss California USA.
By Doug Hoagland
The Fresno Bee
(Published Sunday, August 31, 2003, 5:31 AM)
 Ellen Chapman- Miss CA USA 2004
Two Miss Californias got crowned Saturday night in downtown Fresno.
Ellen Chapman, Miss San Francisco Bay Area, won the Miss California USA Pageant. Deventria Howard of Fresno placed second. Stacey Beltran of Ventura County won the companion Miss California Teen USA Pageant at Saroyan Theatre.
Like any competition, the pageants can stomp on the emotions of those who choose to play. Howard knows. Six times she has entered the USA pageants: three times in the teen category (she finished second in 2000) and now three times in Miss California USA, where she has been a finalist but never a winner.
The exuberant 20-year-old explained earlier in the day why she keeps coming back: "I'm telling you, I can't help myself. It's like a weird addiction. ...
"When I don't make the cut, I'm so mad -- of course, I'm happy for the winner, yada, yada, yada -- but there's only one winner, and what happens to the rest of us?"
Howard went to a private pageant trainer this year, and he sent her to a walking coach who told her to hold her head higher and not to swing her arms so much.
Howard is tempted to say this is her last year, but she knows better than to take the "never again" pledge.
"I've said that before and stuck my foot in my mouth. It's like the pageant calls me, 'De-ven-tri-a, you better start getting ready. Because you are going to compete.' "
Winners or not, contestants offered various reasons for competing.
Brittany Richardson of Fowler shed her usual persona -- soccer-playing tomboy with a school nerd streak -- to go for the rhinestones, and she said the process showed her something new about life.
"I got to experience being attractive, young and beautiful," the 17-year-old high school senior said with wide-eyed sincerity.
So how is it to be attractive, young and beautiful?
"Hard work," Richardson said. "I'm telling you, it's not easy to put on makeup and heels every time you go out in public. I'm telling you I'm even putting on makeup and jewelry to go to Grizzlies games."
Richardson, an "A" student, joined 118 other women from throughout the state in two pageants. The two winners will get $5,000 apiece and will represent the state next year in nationally televised pageants.
Jennifer Burch, 21, of Fresno competed in the USA Pageant. She packed weights in her suitcase so she could keep working out during the pageant, which began at midweek, and she tried to remember the words of her speech coach. "She says I say my 'ands' too nasally, and it's apparently not a good thing."
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