1998 Dairy Festival Queen

Leslie Powers

 

Vandals Mar Giant Holstein Cow
Before Dairy Festival in 1998

 

by: Bobby McDonald

 

It was members of the staff at the Southwest Dairy Museum that were busy "buffing" the giant Holstein Cow, that served as one of the symbols for the Hopkins County Dairy Industy, just prior to Dairy Festival in 1998. Someone had entered the parking lot of the local "dairy shrine" and spray painted the cow with white spray paint. Staff members were removing the paint and "touching up" the icon on Friday, May 22nd.

The Sulphur Springs ISD was found in 1998 looking for a new school superintendent, as Paul Glover had announced his retirement, as Walter Helm was being named to the Sulphur River Basin Water Board, in a move that would help protect water rights for Hopkins County residents in area lakes. Meanwhile, it was Chad Young, who was completing a family tradition, by running for the Hopkins County Memorial Hospital Board, along with local businessman, Joe Bob Burgin.

Both Como-Pickton and Saltillo had members of their track teams competing in the Regional Track Meet. They included Lindsey McClure, Raymond Petty, Matthew Bain, Haley Lawson, Jared Brumley, and David Kramer from Como-Pickton, and Cody Cristenberry, Kim Banks, Jennifer Payne, Mimi Van Ryn, Gina Bryant, Bekah Gregory, Amy Underwood, Haylee Payne, and Lisa Parris from Saltillo.

Keri Reed, a member of the Sulphur Springs ISD Tennis Team, was headed for Regional and State competition in that event. Michelle Champagne led the cancer survivors walk at the Relay for Life event, hosted at the Middle School track, in 1998, as her mom pushed her in a wheelchair.

And, local historian, John Sellers, was "ecstatic " over a stone that had been discovered at an estate sale that offered a connection to the city's early stagecoach service. The stone found in the Bergin Estate Sale was one that had been used by the T.J. Glasscock Stage Service in Sulphur Springs and had "1871" inscribed on it.

Meanwhile a high school murder plot, involving a 16 year old Waurika, Oklahoma, cheerleader, Heather Rich, was unfolding along the Red River, as her body had been discovered in Montague County, Texas, when she would have been attending her Warika High School Prom. The murder had the small Oklahoma town in shock, especially when they learned the murder plot was "hatched" by three of her fellow classmates.

And, Alan Matthew Hammons, a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, had returned to his alma matter, Sulphur Springs High School, to address the student body, while both Como and Cumby's mayors had been re-elected in spring ballot casting.  LaVerne Battle managed to win her seat in Cumby and Margaret Anderson defeated Billy Carpenter by 20 votes to retain her seat.

On the national scene, Microsoft had warned Wall Street that there were "negative consequences" if the Windows 98 program was not adopted by the financial institutions of this country. And, 55 year old math professor, Theodore Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, was sentenced to life in prison.

The North Hopkins High School won the District UIL title in 1998 and Sulphur Bluff was named third in the competition. Meanwhile, it was the Yantis Owls, the Como-Pickton Eagles and the North Hopkins Panthers that were advancing in High School Boys Baseball action.

On the Country and Western Charts for 1998, it was "Holes in the Floor of Heaven," by Steve Wariner, that proved to be among the most popular songs for the year. Tracy Byrd's "I'm From the Country," Tim McGraw's "Just to See You Smile," Faith Hill's "The Kiss," and "I Do Cherish You," by Mark Willis, were also popular. Toby Keith's "Deam Walkin'," George Strait's "I Just Want to Dance With You," and The Dixie Chicks' "There's Your Trouble" and "Wide Open Spaces," were other top songs. Garth Brooks made popular "Two Pina Coladas" and Shania Twain made it to the top with "Honey I'm Home."

On the Pop Chart for 1998, it was Elton John's "Candle In The Wind 1997" that proved to be very popular, as well as "The Boy is Mine," by Brandy and Monica. "You're Still The One," by Shania Twain; "My Heart Will Go On," by Celine Dion; Mariah Carey's "My All"; and Usher's "My Way" were popular hits, along with Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing," "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys, and "Frozen" by Madonna. Other popular songs included: "Been Around the World," by Puff Daddy; "I Don't Ever Want to See You Again," by Uncle Sam; "Sex and Candy," by Marcy Playground; and "Nice and Slow," by Puff Daddy.

Meanwhile, the Hopkins County 4-H Dairy Judging Team, comprised of local young men reared on dairy farms had won the State Dairy Juding Championship and were headed for the National 4-H Dairy Judging Contest in Madison, Wisconsin. Team members were: Michael Lawrence, J.R. Fisher, Kody Koon, and Danny Lawrence. The foursome were honored at the Hopkins County Dairy Festival during the pageant competition. Coach for the judging team was Dr. Rick Allison.

 

State 4-H Dairy Juding Winners, front row, Kody Koon and J.R. Fisher,
and back row, Danny and Michael Lawrence.

Local postal carriers were conducting a food drive in Sulphur Springs, as the county began getting ready for the 1998 Dairy Festival activities. They were encouraging postal customers to leave their non-perishable food items beside their mailboxes for pick-up.

The 1998 Dairy Festival Board adopted "Once Upon A Time" for the theme of the festival, held June 12-20, 1998. Six young ladies entered the queen's contest. They included: Carroll Bonner, sponsored by Northeast Texas Farmers Coop; Molly Chase, sponsored by Mother's Culture Club; Jennifer Anne Cope, representing the Rotary Club; Casey Gregory, sponsored by Dial Study Club; Hopkins-Rains Farm Bureau sponsored Megan Wells; and Junior Waverly Club sponsored Leslie Powers. A seventh candidate, Amanda Brown, had entered the contest but was unable to complete the pageant, as an accident in the family prevented her from participation.

Mr. Tim Taylor served as president of the Dairy Festival Board in 1998, with Jim Thompson serving as vice-president; Melanie Helm serving as secretary; Judy Vanwinkle serving as treasurer; Carrie Crowson serving as reporter; and Lynda Hager as the pageant director. Other board members included: Kim Anderson, Talley Bell, Pam Black, Mike Blount, Mary Campbell, Larry Crowson, Bruce Fielden, Jason Dietze, Jill Dietze, John Deel, Tim Fuller, Jerry Gibby, Peggy Gibby, Allison Henderson, Clayton McGraw, Rafael Riojas, Barbara Taylor, Greg Walker, and Sandi Wallace.

Little children appearing as "Story Book Stars" included: Bradyn Burney, Christopher Hefner; Taylor Brown and Dillon Danheim; Jalie Eppars and Cody Morgan; Kristie Wallace and Wesley Mayeux; Katie Cooper and Connor Cooper; Lindsey McCormack and Ryan Henton; Zach Henderson and Justin Hager; Marissa Walter and Kolby Wimberly; Marissa Kelty and Jocob Rost; Gracie Cable and Reese Harred; Madison Walter and Kade Wimberly; Karlee Matthews and Kristopher Ford; and Taylor Henderson and Collin Henderson.

Special entertainment for the pageant was provided by Owen Bickford and Jemma Caudle. John Ginn served as the Master of Ceremonies.

 

Queen Leslie Powers is surrounded by runner-ups Carroll Bonner, Molly Chase, and Casey
Gregory.

 

When the judges completed their scores on the final night of Dairy Festival activities, it was sixteen year old, Leslie Powers, daughter of Larry and Marilyn Powers, that was crowned as the new queen. Powers had "wowed" the judges with her singing presentation of "Someone to Watch Over Me," the popular Whitney Houston song.

Comments from both the M.C. and pageant director, Lynda Hager, reflected that Powers had won the crown from a field of very, very talented young ladies. Molly Chase was the first runner-up in the contest, with second runner-up going to Carroll Bonner and third runner-up going to Casey Gregory. Bonner was selected as "Miss Congeniality" by her fellow contestants and won the ticket sales award.

Megan Wells and Carroll Bonner joined forces to win the Sweepstakes Award for their float, that featured the storybook character "Cinderella."

1997 Queen Shelbi Charles received a standing ovation and rounds of applause, as she had been injured in an earlier automobile accident and was forced to make her last walk, with the use of a decorated cane! Taylor Brown and Dillon Danheim won the mini-float contest, with their golf cart entry in the parade, depicting Little Red Riding Hood.

 

Queen Leslie is escorted by her father, Larry Powers.

 

We found 1998 Dairy Festival Queen Leslie Powers, now living in Austin, Texas. Her parents, Larry and Marilyn Powers still make their home in Sulphur Springs, where her father is an attorney and her mother teaches in the Como-Pickton ISD. Leslie's sister, Julie lives in Austin, also, while her brother, Andy, makes his home in Sulphur Springs.

Following her high school graduation in 1999, Leslie attended Texas Christian University in Ft. Worth and earned a bachelor's degree in Communications, in 2003. She had a double major in Advertising and Public Relations and Theater. Following her college graduation, she was accepted into the Arts Management Internship at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington D.C.

"It was a great experience and one that allowed me to use all of my training and continue to learn," expresses Leslie, in regards to her work at the Kennedy Center. "And, following my internship, I was hired to help with the Kennedy Center's Spring Gala. Through the Gala, I worked very closely with the Development Office, which is in charge of fundraising. My preconceived notions of fundraising as 'dialing for dollars' were quickly set straight. I learned that fundraising is really all about building relationships and relies on strong communication skills. It was right up my alley, and when the Gala was over, I was hired full-time in the Annual Giving department of the Development Office!"

 

Queen Leslie promoting that Hopkins County product "milk!"

 

"Spreading my wings to leave my familiar surroundings and moving to Washington D.C. was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life," expresses Leslie. "I did not know a soul when I arrived, but I made some of my closest friends, while I was there. And, just living in our nation's capital was truly exciting. Everywhere you went, you would happen upon a piece of history....and everyday, you live a piece of history!"

Following a four year stay in the nation's capital, it was time for Leslie to move back home to Texas. "I had a desire to be closer to my family, especially my brother, Andy, who unknowingly dictated the next course of my career," explains Leslie. "After moving back to Texas, my destination was Austin, where I was hired as the first Developmental Director for the Rise School of Austin. The Rise School of Austin is a non-profit early childhood/preschool program for children with developmental disabilities or delays, as well as children who are typically developing. We have a nationally recognized curriculum, modeled after the Rise School of Alabama, in Tuscaloosa. But the true beauty of the program is the inclusive classrooms, where children with special needs and their typically developing peers learn side-by-side. Having grown up with Andy, who has Down Syndrome, this program struck a very personal chord with me. My sister and I both say that having Andy in our lives, has had a significant impact on our perspective, particularly toward people with differences. I'm very honored to be working on behalf of a cause that I believe in so passionately!"

When reflecting on her participation in Dairy Festival, Leslie allows, "Participating in the Dairy Festival opened my eyes to my own community, to how important the dairy industry is to Hopkins County, and to the hard working men and women who are a part of it. I didn't grow up on a dairy farm, but my grandfather did. My "Poppa" grew up on a dairy in Hinds County, Mississippi. He told me stories about how he and his brother would get up before dawn, to milk the cows, in the morning....all by hand, and then milk again, right after school! In fact, he could still flex a singular muscle just above his elbow, that he proudly called his 'milking muscle'!"

"I remember how excited he was when I told him I was participating in the Dairy Festival," remembers Leslie. "Unfortunately, he passed away just months before the festival. The dairy farm was everything to Poppa's family. We have the county trophy his family won for their prize-winning Jersey herd. That trophy stood proudly on Poppa's dresser. It now holds a place of honor on my own dresser, with my Dairy Festival crown, perched on top!"

"As Dairy Festival Queen, I was privileged to work with some incredible community leaders, including Jim Thompson, who was president during my year of reign, and Lynda Hager, who was tremendous help to me in all of my duties," states Leslie. "Billy Sam Elliot, who was director of the Chamber of Commerce, and of course, 'Captain Patricia Chase,' who was an excellent mentor through it all and has become a close family friend. Working with these community leaders and professionals, really helped me 'hone' my communication skills, which serve me to this day, especially with my profession. In my career, I've received compliments on being able to 'talk to anybody,' and I owe a lot of that to to the talents I learned in Dairy Festival!"

"I would recommend to any young lady who is considering entering the Dairy Festival to definitely make the choice to enter," exclaims Leslie. "Aside from the fun and camaraderie, hometown festivals like the Dairy Festival are truly American treasures, and the experience will give you memories that will last a lifetime. Johnny Wells put it best when he said, 'The Dairy Festival is a slice of Americana!'"

"I can still remember Barb Julian, who was my kindergarten teacher, calling to ask me to be the Junior Waverly Clubs representative in Dairy Festival," expresses Leslie. "I hesitated for just a moment, but then jumped in with both feet and had an incredibile time!"

 

Leslie Powers competing in the Milking Contest in 1998. She won second place.

 

When asked about her talent presentation, Leslie remembered, "I sang Someone to Watch Over Me, by George Gershwin, for my talent presentation, with Mark Beggs accompanying me on the piano. Mark was such a pleasure to work with. I was going for the classic nighclub singer look, complete with the grand piano and quintessential black gown. I still have that gown, that is affectionately know as my 'Gershwin gown,' as it hangs in my closet!"

"Carol Allen also worked with me to prepare my song," remembers Leslie. "I remember rehearsing with Carol and Mark, turning the living room rug into the civic center statge. I had been involved in plays and musical theater since Middle schol. Because of that experience, and thanks to great training from Dawn Doyle, I was lucky to feel right at home, on the stage!"

When asked to recall some of her favorite memories from serving as the 1998 Dairy Festival Queen, Leslie denotes, "My best memories from the experience goes back to the sense of community the festival gave me. Nothing brings families closer together than working on a float. We worked with the Chase family to create our Wizzard of Oz 'Follow the Butter Brick Road' float. We began working on it in Pat Chase's barn and eventually moved it to an airplane hangar, at the Municipal Airport, thanks to Dick Caldwell. It was pretty hilarious having a parade float parked next to an airplane! While working on the float, Patricia Chase quickly earned the nickname, 'Captain Patricia,' which proved even more fitting as she helped coach me through the actual pageant process, advising me on wardrobe, preparing me for the judges' interview, and teaching me how to maintain proper poise and grace, especially when walking the stage in shoes that weren't designed for comfort!"

"Almost a month before the festival, my mom ruptured a disk in her back and had to undergo major surgery. At that point, we were fully immersed in the pageant procees, and I remember she worried we wouldn't be able to pull it together, exclaimed Leslie. "But we have an incredible community of friends, who stepped in an helped out! A triumvirate of ladies became my 'fairy godmothers,' taking me to Dallas to select my pageant wardrobe. Mary Cable helped me find my interview suit; Prissy Massey helped me find my causal outfit and talent gown; and Carol Allen took a break from my voice lessons to help me find my pageant gown. Meanwhile, Charles Dawson was my personal trainer in milking. I wasn't half bad either....I came in 2nd place in the milking competition. And, Gary Spraggins put the finishing touches on our Wizzard of Oz float, making steam come out of the cow's nostrils, and then rode on the float with us, as the 'man behind the curtain,' as we wove through town!"

"As you can see, it took an entire village to get me ready for Dairy Festival!" states Leslie. "My family was so grateful for all the help and the preparation brought us all closer together, showing me that good friends are priceless! At the Civic Center, Dad and I diligently rehearsed walking down those infamous steps, both of us petrified of 'wiping out' in front of all of Hopkins County! Luckily, all the practice paid off! On the night of the pageant, I was so happy when my mom was able to walk up the steps to the stage and hug me, once I had won the queen's title!"

"As you can see, Dairy Festival and my participation in it represented a 'dream' time for me!" exclaims Leslie. "The next year, when I was Queen, my dad had been elected mayor of Sulphur Springs and the two of us riding in the same parade, still holds special memories for me! I'm looking forward to returning to Sulphur Springs for the 2009 Dairy Festival and representing my era as Queen. I look forward to seeing all of my friends and the many, many people that were instrumental in making my year special!'

 

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