Miss Maryland

When she leaves Severn Friday, bound for South Padre Island, Texas, and the 12 days of events leading up to the Miss Teen USA pageant Aug. 28, Michelle Attai will leave knowing that winning is not necessarily the hardest part ahead. Being Miss Maryland Teen USA 2002 has taught her the real work comes after they set the crown on a girl's head. "I thought once you won, the pressure was taken off," said 18-year-old Michelle, who took over the title in November from her predecessor, Precious Grady.

Oh, don't you remember, a long time ago When two little babes, their names I don't know Were stolen away one bright summer day And lost in the woods, I've heard people say --Traditional lullaby As a mother, she would sing it to her children. As a child, she would sing it to her pets. And whenever the world came crashing down around her, as it often did for Mary Leona Gage, she would sing it to herself. Growing up in the Piney Woods of east Texas, her friends were mostly imaginary or four-legged - fairies, "weed people" and wildlife.

As she walked onto the stage at the Maryland Theatre in Hagerstown on June 24, Linda Yueh believed her third try for the Miss Maryland crown would be the charm.After winning preliminaries the week before in swimsuit, talent and interview competitions, it seemed the contest was hers to lose. Soon, she believed, she'd be heading for the glitter of the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.Instead, Ms. Yueh was named first runner-up -- a selection that has touched off a brouhaha of finger pointing and allegations involving lawyers, beauty queens and pageant officials from Washington to New Jersey.

Linda Yueh stood motionless on the stage, a band of sequins glittering on her deep blue evening gown and a wide smile locked on her face as she waited for her dream to be realized.This was it, the night the 23-year-old Yale graduate would be crowned Miss Maryland and get her shot at the real prize -- Miss America.Twice before, Miss Yueh had entered the Miss Maryland pageant, and twice before she had lost. This time was different. This time Miss Yueh, competing as Miss Laurel, was the pageant's acknowledged front-runner, leading the pack in the preliminary judging.

Tonight, catch one of Maryland's own, where the wild things are. Former Miss Maryland Megan Gunning makes her pitch for a new job, as one of the featured applicants on E!'s Wild On Wants You. The show, set for 10 p.m., is the latest chapter in the cable network's continuing search for a new host for Wild On, a televised tour of the world's coolest hot spots. Although Gunning, 24, was not one of a dozen finalists for the job, she'll still get her moment of cable-TV glory. Tonight, the Fallston resident will be seen at Lulu's Mardi Gras Club in Washington, part of Wild On Wants You: The Heartland.

Nine young women, dressed in sparkling sequins and shimmering satins, clasped hands in a colorful line across the stage at Liberty High Saturday evening.They anxiously waited to hear who would be Miss Carroll County 1992, and represent the county at the Miss Maryland competition in Hagerstown in June.Paul Balanger, executive director of the contest, quickly ended the suspense with "The winner is Marcie Bidinger."As Bidinger, a Frederick resident, took front stage amid congratulatory hugs from hercompetitors, Michele L. Martin, Miss Carroll County 1991, crowned her successor with a jeweled tiara.

A former Miss Maryland and spokeswoman for state agencies is the new special assistant to County Executive John R. Leopold, with her responsibilities including communications, media and policy, he announced yesterday. Marina Harrison, 26, began her job Monday. She will represent Leopold in the community and produce the weekly TV show Anne Arundel County Week in Review on public access Channel 98. Her salary is $70,000. A 1999 graduate of Meade High School, she served as the student member of the school board her senior year, and graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park.

One of the five judges in the Miss Maryland pageant said he was told to alter his scores in the June 24 contest because pageant officials believed the apparent front-runner was ineligible to win.David Kendall, a pharmacist in Tulsa, Okla., signed a statement saying he was told by the chief judge three hours before the competition to "reverse the scores" so that Miss Laurel, Linda Yueh, would not win.He said that he was told by the chief judge that the pageant director, Charles Skinner, had said Ms. Yueh was ineligible to win and "you'll have to change your scores."

direct from the Eastern Shore.The winner of the Fifth Annual Miss Howard County Scholarship Pageant, crowned two weeks ago at Howard High School, is Mia Johnson of Cambridge.Her first runner-up traveled even farther -- Penny Austin lives in Salisbury.Truth be told, the winners and first and second runners-up of previous pageants weren't Howard County residents either.In fact, what makes this pageant particularly notable is that it marks the first time in Howard's pageant history that a countian ever won anything.

Brandy-Lynn Reese changed her tune from fantasy to country and won a spot in the Miss Maryland contest.The week-long pageant opens Monday in Hagerstown and culminates in the selection of a winner to represent the state in the Miss America contest.In March, the 17-year-old Westminster High graduate entered the Miss Carroll County contest and was chosen second runner-up. Although judges gave her high marks for her musical portrayal of "The Little Mermaid," they suggested she try a more mature theme.