L’Observateur / August 12, 1998

One of the best things about St. John the Baptist Parish, without a doubt,is our Sugar Queen Pageant. This year’s show, the 50th annualpresentation, also likely capped the history as the best ever.

The pageant’s contestants were equally poised, elegant and exemplary – any of these young ladies could have proudly represented St. John Parishanywhere. The judges had a hard task.The show itself was non-stop entertainment and excitement, with never a dull moment in two and one-half hours – a truly difficult feat to pull off, done here without apparent effort.

This year’s pageant rightly paid tribute as well to its own history, honoring every queen, many of whom attended this special anniversary.

Applause and congratulations are certainly due to chairman/director Suzanne Entremont Cancienne (herself the 1983 Sugar Queen), and assistant directors Maria Anne Hotard (1989’s Sugar Queen) and Alison Blanche Hotard.

Choreographers Stefany Savoie, Claudette Henry and Maria Anne Hotard kept the evening moving with toe-tapping music representative of each decade of the pageant’s history.

Kara Keller, daughter of Albert and Kaye Keller and sponsored by Sheriff Wayne L. Jones, earned the title of St. John Parish Queen Sugar for 1998.We at L’Observateur congratulate and salute her, as we likewise honor all our past queens.

This fortunate young lady will represent St. John Parish at the annualLouisiana Sugar Cane Fair and Festival in New Iberia, competing in the Louisiana Queen Sugar Pageant as one of 17 contestants.

St. John Parish has a long history of providing state Queen Sugars,including Iris Millet Hargroder in 1950, Fay Coco Roussel in 1953, Karen Fancher Fleischer in 1975 and Marci Ann Ayme in 1996.

However, the task of selecting a parish sugar queen also involves presenting a professional-quality, first-class evening of thrilling, non- stop entertainment. This year’s pageant took much hard work, dedication,talent and commitment and the results are evident. With their continuedsupport, the committee and directors will continue to present quality pageants which are the envy of pageants statewide.

The committee includes Angie Abate, Kevin Babin, Tracey Burger, Karen Duffy, Wendy Galatas, Gerry Hotard, Greer Millet, Barbara Oncale, Stefany Savoie, Sterling Snowdy, Jewell Aucoin, Robert Beadle, Duaine Duffy, David Forth, Emile Hotard, Phyllis Madere, Kevin Millet, Vicki Parker, Hope Snowdy, Natasha St. Pierre and Ronnie White.Special thanks are also due the pageants sponsors, whose contributions and support help make the St. John Sugar Queen Pageant one of the best inLouisiana.

And a special thank-you is due to Robert Beadle and Lillian Millet Carter, who served as Master and Mistress of Ceremonies, for their exemplary job.

We wish all the contestants good fortune and especially wish for an exciting, memorable and sweet reign for Queen Kara Keller.

We are proud of each and every one of the persons involved in this year’s pageant. Thank you for a wonderful evening.

L’Observateur.

Copyright © 1998, Wick Communications, Inc.

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