Keena Bonella is Miss Colorado USA, and she doesn’t think pageants are outdated, just misunderstood.
“Miss USA is a great one,” the 21- year-old Grand Junction native tells me. “Pageants help women come into themselves; it gives them self-confidence. I love it.”
This particular pageant has generated a lot of controversy recently – what with Miss USA making out with Miss Teen USA while drinking underage, then going to rehab and getting a second chance from pageant boss Donald Trump; Miss New Jersey USA resigning when she became pregnant; Miss Nevada USA dethroned for kissing girls and more on TMZ.com.
“If I get the chance to be Miss USA, I will not need a second chance from Mr. Trump,” Bonella says.
The contestant lives in Denver these days, a graphic-design student at the Art Institute of Colorado. But she doesn’t have a boyfriend, and she doesn’t party in LoDo. She helps her local hospice in Grand Junction, she sets an example for her six siblings, and you won’t see pics of her doing anything on TMZ.com. “Going out and partying isn’t worth it,” she says. “I’m too busy for any of that.”
She heads to L.A. on March 8; the pageant is on NBC on March 23. Go, girl!
Shut up and bowl
Concerts for Kids’ third annual Bowl-A-Thon comes down the lane at Denver Pavilions Lucky Strike on March 7 with 18 teams. Pay $10 to see these face-offs: El Salon’s “Dolls With Balls” vs. Salon Posh’s “Split Ends”; Kamlet Shepherd & Reichert’s “Lord of the Pins” vs. Donna Baldwin Talent’s “Wrecking Balls”; CBS 4’s “Britney Spares” vs. a pick-up team called “Spare Me”; Elway’s “Pin Heads” vs. Capital Grille’s “Lounge Lizards.”
Big bowlers include Mayor John Hickenlooper, Gov. Bill Ritter (Hick beat Bill Owens last year), Nuclia Waste, Josh Hanfling, Walter Isenberg.
Music makers
Dazzle made the roster in Downbeat’s Top 100 Jazz Clubs in the World. … Sammy Mayfield was booked Saturday night at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, but he can’t make it. Lucky you that the Freddi-Henchi Reunion Concert will come down instead. … “The O.C.” series ender tonight closes with “Life Is a Song,” a ditty written by Columbine High grad Patrick Park. … George Washington High grad Matt Buckstein was kicked off “American Idol” before we could vote for him – and he’s sad because he was the last country singer standing. So he’s starting “Lost Idol,” a weekly karaoke performance at the Old Hole Bar Sports Grill, 990 S. Oneida St. He’ll tape his performances Wednesday nights and post them at Myspace.com/mattbuckstein on the following Tuesday nights, right after “Idol” airs. And there you can vote for him. He can’t win anything, but country music ain’t for sissies.
City spirit
Veteran clothier John Jordan is back in Cherry Creek, running Men’s Wearhouse. … Lily, the Jack Russell who served for years as director of pet relations at Hotel Monaco, retires with a party March 1 in the hotel lobby. … Sez who: “The best mind altering drug is truth.” – Lily Tomlin
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at denverpostbloghouse.com/husted.
