Wearers of the crown - Wallkill Valley Times

June 17th, 2010
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Wallkill Valley Times

Move over, Miss America — it’s Little Miss and Mr. Montgomery. A dozen little boys and girls gathered at the Senior Center in the Village of Montgomery on Friday, all of them competing for the title of Little Miss and Mr. Montgomery, during the village’s historic bicentennial year.

The kids were interviewed by a panel of three judges on a variety of subjects, including their favorite toys (Legos, action figures and dolls), and their future career paths (president, astronaut and policeman).

The judges, comprised of current and former local town and village clerks, deliberated for some minutes before finally reaching a decision, stating it was very hard to pick and they felt that the kids were all winners.

Julia McKenna and Nathaniel Daley were crowned Little Miss and Mr. Montgomery,neither of whom had ever entered nor won such a contest before.

Julia was in some Neiman Marcus fashion shows through family, but this is the first official contest she has ever entered.  Her mother saw a flier for the event and decided to enter.

“She was super-excited and couldn’t wait until I got home from work,” said Julia’s mother, Amy McKenna.

McKenna said her daughter is very much into hair, makeup, and dressing up.  Julia was looking forward to having curls put in her hair.  While happy that she won, Julia seemed more excited about dressing up than the actual contest.

She’ll get the opportunity at least twice more this year as she graces a float with Little Mr. Montgomery in both the Bicentennial Parade and the Montgomery Day Parade.

Little Mr. Montgomery, aka Nathaniel Daley, on the other hand, didn’t seem as interested in dressing up, but was definitely enjoying the crown and scepter he received after he won, brandishing the scepter as he played in the grass outside the center.

His parents, Carol and Shane Daley, decided to participate in the event because Carol did some work with the Bicentennial Committee.

“I just thought it was a good show of support for the events,” said Carol.
Carol and her husband did not expect the win.

“I was tearing up.  I wanted him to win, but didn’t expect it,” said Carol.

Julia, who loves green beans and ballet recitals, and Nate, whose favorite movie is Star Wars and wants to be a policeman, also won $50 gift cards to Toys R’ Us.  The second and third place winners won $25 and $10 gift cards to the store, respectively.

According to Rose Griffith, the deputy village clerk for the Village of Montgomery, the contest was a special event tying in with this year’s Bicentennial Celebration.  The village does not plan to hold the event again next year.

While that seems to leave Julia and Nate’s reign unchallenged, several parents stated they would enter the contest again next year if it were held again.  Younger siblings like Nate’s sister seemed eager to try their own hands.

Some members of the committee said the event might be brought back next year, but only if interested village residents took it into their own hands.  After this year, the committee that created the event will no longer exist.

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