Friendship leads the way to Miss Trelawny title

Richard Morais, Gleaner Writer

COOPERS PEN, Trelawny:

Wearing the sash of her community, Miss Friendship, 18-year-old student Lamoya Otasha James won the Trelawny Festival Queen crown at the Breezes Resort & Spa on Sunday.

Copping the heavily weighted sectional title Most Culturally Aware and nailing the interview, it was a foregone conclusion that she would have taken the crown.

The articulate queen got what some felt was the easiest question or the easiest thing to comment on, 'Sell two attractions in the parish'.

Her choices were the Luminous Lagoon and the relatively new Outameni attraction. She then went on to rattle off what made them unique.

"I am still in shock. I feel as if I am dreaming, but at the same time I am overjoyed, I am overwhelmed, I feel extremely blessed right now," the queen beamed.

The new queen's philosophy is: "With God all things are possible and do not aim for the star, aim far beyond." She loves to read and talk with her seniors.

background

She ultimately wants to be an attorney-at-law and is doing an associate degree in mathematics at the Montego Bay Community College. She attended the Friendship Kindergarten, Wakefield Primary and then the Muschett High School before. She is from a family of five with parents Delores and Everton James. The others are two brothers Alex and Lahane.

Second place went to Odette Hawthorne from Deeside, a community which neighbours the queen's, with Christina Minto from Falmouth coming third.

Minto won the sectional prize, Most Active in Community.

Miss Albert Town, Dadiere Ashman, did a dramatic presentation which won the Most Talented sectional prize, and rightly so, after she stole the hearts of her audience.

Her piece was about the windfall Trelawny is supposedly receiving. Her presentation, including expression, was most captivating.

It was one of the better productions. Hats should go off to the award-winning Positive Music Band and the excellent vocals of Sashae Evans. There were also some exceptional dance routines from the Trelawny Song and Dance Ensemble. The 2002 queen, Doneida Simpson, did an excellent rendition of an original song.

MC for the evening was the national Festival Queen for 2006, Kaysia Johnson.