Anaheim’s Treatment of Deaf Pageant Contestant

May I take this opportunity to applaud your article?

I attended the Miss Anaheim Scholarship Pageant, along with my daughter, a former professional entertainer. We both applauded the selection of Jill Niemela as Miss Anaheim. Indeed her talent was outstanding. However, we sat stunned as the runners-up were announced.

The outstanding talent, poise, and beauty that Lynne Lochrie presented were apparently not enough. She was obviously an audience favorite; even the clacks for the other contestants recognized her talent, stood and roundly applauded.

There were whispers among the audience when her name was not even announced as a runner-up. As my party exited, we heard comments such as: “I wonder why she (Lynne) didn’t even place,” “Boy, I thought she had it made,” “Gee, she was good, I wonder what happened,” etc.

We all found out when your article appeared. We all felt the injustice of the judges in denying Lynne her right to an interpreter during the interview. The Miss Universe Beauty Pageant and the Miss International Beauty Pageant have no such restrictions. I believe that it is time that the local contest rules be reviewed, with thought to revision.

Thank you so very much for championing this issue!

B.R. Wiley,

Adult Adviser Oral Deaf

of Orange County

Fullerton