Published: August 28, 2008 12:24 pm            

Beauty Contest Turns Ugly

UPDATE: Board strips 2007 Miss McCrearyFest of title last week, reverses decision Tuesday night

UPDATE: In an often contentious meeting Tuesday night, three of four McCrearyFest Board members voted to allow DeYanna Owens to keep her 2007 title. A fourth member abstained and another left the meeting. For more details, see next week's edition of The McCreary County Record.



WHITLEY CITY — What began as a promising year of firsts for DeYanna Owens took a devastating turn last week as she learned of an effort underway to remove her as Miss McCrearyFest 2007.

The 17-year-old Revelo teen was just a month away for completing her reign as the current Miss McCrearyFest. Owens has been noted as the first minority winner as well as the first to advance to a national pageant following a win last April at the Miss Kentucky Teen United States pageant in Covington. But she could also go down in local history as the first Miss McCrearyFest to be dethroned with word that the McCrearyFest Board of Directors has opted to strip her of the crown.

Owens contacted The Record last week following an emergency board meeting held on Monday, August 18, which she and her mother Tina (who serves on the board) attended and at which secretary Kay Roberts resigned. By Thursday evening, Tina Owens had received an email from board president Shane Gilreath regarding what she called a petition to terminate her daughter's pageant contract.

Though all involved acknowledge that tensions have been rising since this spring, a billboard appears to have been at the heart of this latest action.

According to DeYanna Owens, Gilreath obtained a copyrighted photograph of her via the Internet for use on the billboard to promote the upcoming McCrearyFest. Owens says she was concerned because her family could not afford to purchase the photos themselves.

“I can get in trouble for that,” Owens said regarding the use of the image which she felt promoted the state pageant rather than McCrearyFest.

Gilreath acknowledges he used the Internet to obtain the photo but claims that the photographer had been “stoked” by the prospect of having her work used in the promotion.

Roberts told The Record that she also questioned the legality of the photograph and offered to take another one but was refused. She announced her resignation during the meeting and submitted the following letter to the editor on Friday:

“Dear Editor,

I am writing this letter to inform the citizens of McCreary County that I am no longer associated with the McCrearyFest & Parade, Inc. I have resigned my position as Secretary with the Board of Directors, effective August 18, 2008 due to personal conflicts.

Please not that from August 18th forward I am no longer associated with or responsible for, any issues, decisions or actions taken by the board members.

I regret that it has come to this, as I have enjoyed McCrearyFest and was looking forward to being a part of this festival.

Sincerely,

Kay Roberts”

Treasurer Corinda Toy maintains that Roberts was refused because the board needed a professional shot of Owens for the billboard in terms of blowing up the photograph. Toy also said that Owens knew about the billboard for two weeks before expressing any concerns and that the delay has cost the board $465.

“McCrearyFest is running low on funds this year,” she said, noting that for this reason she had voted against purchasing the billboard at all.

DeYanna Owens maintains that she was not aware that the photo had been used until Saturday, August 16, when her mother forwarded an email to her. While a copyright notice at www.deyanna.com indicates that the picture would belong exclusively to DeYanna Owens, she maintains that she never purchased the photos and were not given the opportunity to determine who rightfully holds the copyright.

However, Roberts said she learned later that a photograph of first runnerup Shana Ratcliff had already been submitted to the printer before the emergency meeting even took place.

Another item which had been in place prior to the August 18 meeting was a document Gilreath prepared with consultation from a lawyer to terminate Owens as the reigning Miss McCrearyFest. Provided by Gilreath yesterday, that document reads as follows:

“Miss McCrearyFest Termination

I, the undersigned officers and board members of McCrearyFest and Parade, Inc. and the Miss McCrearyFest Pageant director, making a majority of the board present, do agree on this Monday, the 18th of August, 2008, that as of this date and time, to be henceforth acknowledged as 6:30PM, in light of recent events pertaining to the use of the image of DeYanna Owens in advertising and promotions, in violation of previously signed contract, dated 6th February 2008, as well as prior contract breaches and setbacks in connection with the title Miss McCrearyFest, which may, as of the 18th day of August, 2008, cost McCrearyFest and Parade, Inc., an increased financial burden and days of advertisement and promotions, that the aforementioned DeYanna Owens is terminated form her Miss McCrearyFest obligations and contract and is no longer permitted to identify or be identified as Miss McCrearyFest 2007. From this date forward, Owens should cease using the title of Miss McCrearyFest, a title in ownership of McCrearyFest and Parade, Inc. immediately and altogether.

“As of this date and time, Miss Owens is requested to return all items associated with the Miss McCrearyFest title, namely the 2007 Miss McCrearyFest crown and sash to McCrearyFest and Parade, Inc.

As of this date, the 18th day of August 2008, the title of Miss McCrearyFest 2007, is to be used only by Shana Ratcliff, in agreement and confirmed with Miss Ratcliff as of this date with McCrearyFest and Parade, Inc.”

The document was signed by Gilreath, Corinda Toy, Sharon Toth and Marie Gilreath.

Shane Gilreath also provide The Record with a letter mailed to remaining board members informing them that “a majority of the McCrearyFest Board of Directors have voted that it’s in the best interest of the board to removed DeYanna as Miss McCrearyFest 2007, effective immediately, with the vote and papers (also attached) being signed on the afternoon of Monday, August 18, 2008, and that, as such, DeYanna is no longer permitted to use said title.”

While the document undoubtedly was signed by four members, the matter of the board voting remains very much in question.

Both Tina Owens and Roberts say that the document was not presented at the August 18 meeting and was never moved for and seconded. Gilreath acknowledges that he did not show the document to all members but that it was signed during the meeting, except for himself (he signed it beforehand).

“I didn’t want to fight,” Gilreath said. “I was hoping for a smooth transition. I knew that [four] was a majority of the board.”

Tina Owens said she is not surprised by the recent turn of events but she is saddened that they have occurred due to personal conflict rather than a professional breach.

“As far as I’m concerned she will always be Miss McCrearyFest 2007,” Tina Owens said. “The people here have shown her love and she keeps McCreary County in her prayers.”

“I’m very embarrassed by this,” DeYanna Owens said. “I wanted to be Miss McCrearyFest. I was proud when I won; my family was proud. I don’t do pageants to get the crown and say ‘Here’s my big sparkle.’ I want to be remembered as successful…Other girls need to know that they don’t have to let anyone take your confidence or dignity.”

As of Monday, Ratcliff was being featured on the official McCrearyFest website as Miss McCrearyFest 2007.

Though she said she had considered resigning, DeYanna Owens had hoped to address the board and public at the next regular meeting scheduled for this evening at 6:30 p.m. in the McCreary County Middle School Library.

However, Gilreath said he had spoken with two board members after he learned of The Record’s article, and that this meeting would most likely be postponed. The Owens, at press time, had not been advised of the cancellation and plan to be at the meeting as scheduled.

        

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