Arbuckle teen crowned Miss Colusa County

The Miss Colusa County pageant dominated Thursday’s opening of the Colusa County Fair with its usual mix of entertainment and glamour.

Anastasia Cristler, 17, of Arbuckle dazzled judges in a competition judged on personality, poise, beauty, community involvement and communication skills.

The 5-foot-2-inch blond escaped her usual fair duties as an active member of the Colusa County Fair Junior Fair Board to compete against five other contestants from around the county.

This year’s contestants, who also included Victoria Lopez, Ana Steinhoff, Lexi Kraft, Elise Nunez and Brittani Gomez, centered their speeches on the historical buildings in Colusa County.

Cristler’s rendering of the history of Pierce High School, told in the form of a ghost story, drew cheers from an audience of several hundred people in the grandstands.

While the former 1874 site of the former Pierce Christian College probably doesn’t have ghosts screaming in the basement, the voices in the hallways will always be heard, Cristler said.

The Pierce High School junior is the daughter of Annie and Richard Doyle of Arbuckle. As the winner of the pageant, Cristler received a $1,000 scholarship; she plans a teaching career.

Gomez, 17, of Colusa was crowned first runner-up. Gomez is the daughter of Kimi Kagehiro and Philip Gomez. Her title came with a $500 scholarship; she plans to major in business communications.

The pageant, which has been around for six decades, is in its 10th year as a scholarship program. Scholarships were introduced in 1999 by Joy Shifflett, 44th District Agriculture Association chairwoman, in memory of her late husband Chester, who died in 1998 after serving 22 years on the fair board.

Shifflett was appointed to fill her husband’s position in 1999.

“Chet loved the fair,” Shifflett said, “and because I loved him, I was involved too.”

Shifflett said the Miss Colusa County pageant was always a beautiful event, but the scholarships have given the event more meaning.

“The pageant helps provide the means for high school girls to continue their education ,” she said. “At the same time, it helps them become poised and gain confidence.”

Lopez, 17, the daughter of Lorena and Paul Lopez of Williams, received the title of Miss Congeniality. Gomez was selected by the other contestants prior to the pageant for being the friendliest. She will receive a $300 scholarship. All the contestants receive a scholarship based on the amount of donation to the scholarship fund, according to Jim Lemos, who served as master of ceremonies.

Cristler’s duties as Miss Colusa County includes representing Colusa County at other fairs throughout the summer and attending community events.

Gomez will take over those duties if Cristler is unable to continue.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com