HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Eileen DeCosta was crowned Ms. Senior Golden Years 2008 during the sixth annual pageant at the Saddle West Hotel and Casino Saturday night. Advertisement

Eileen DeCosta, a 79-year-old retired beautician, who learned to dance and sew as a teenager, was crowned Ms. Senior Golden Years 2008 during the sixth annual pageant at the Saddle West Hotel and Casino Saturday night.

Lesley Stronach, who formerly operated a paralegal service for 10 years in Pahrump, was named first runner-up. Gail Davis, a retired Clark County District Court employee and avid bowler, was named second runner-up.

The contest, started by B.J. Hetrick-Irwin in 2003, the founder of the Nevada Silver Tappers, is open to women 60 years and older.

The queen will represent seniors of Nye County, be a credible spokesperson for senior issues and instill senior pride at numerous events throughout the year from local ribbon cuttings to the annual governor's ball.

"I was so surprised. It's nice to be queen," DeCosta said during a reception afterwards.

Asked whether it was an honor, she said, "Oh yeah, especially when I wasn't expecting it. I'm the oldest contestant in here. I was 79 and a lot of these kids are 63 to 68. When B.J. asked me, I said 'I don't think I should do that, I'm a little bit over the hill,' and she said, 'No way!'

"So I find I can still dance and I can still sing and have fun and it's wonderful."

DeCosta, who learned skit direction and screen analysis at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, outlined a platform to sponsor a theater group for seniors.

"There is so much talent that could be utilized, people who have musical backgrounds, artistic backgrounds and it would be so much fun to do skits," DeCosta said. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away. But you know what? Laughter is still the best medicine."

But contestant Nena Kelly, who is raising a 14-year-old granddaughter, won the award for best platform, proposing a support group for grandparents raising their grandchildren.

DeCosta was given an award for the best interview with the four judges.

The judges included Karen Cummins, who has evaluated over 100 contestants at various pageants; Debora White Boyd, who has been involved in every aspect of classical and music theater; Vicki Eckman, who operated a successful dance studio in Cincinnati before retiring to Mesquite, where she founded a tap-dancing troupe; and Alan Mann, a judge for the Ms. Universe Pageant in Las Vegas and financial analyst.

Davis won the vintage bathing suit competition, in which seven contestants hammed it up in old-time swimming suits to the music of the Beachboys hit "Surfing USA."

Stronach won the talent competition, belting out the Stevie Wonder hit, "For Once In My Life."

Rose Inman was voted Miss Congeniality. She evoked laughs when she rose from a granny's chair and stripped down to a seductive dance outfit.

Connie Alumbaugh won the award for best evening gown.

The outgoing 2007 Queen, Linda Turner, said her platform was to connect seniors by telephone, which resulted in some seniors without family nearby exchanging phone numbers to reduce their loneliness.

Turner said she acquired the confidence to speak in public with the title, having never spoken in front of a large group of people before, except in a school speech class and having only entertained a crowd in a church play as a 3-year-old.

She lauded her late husband Bob Turner, who died during her reign and supported her though he was unable to attend all the functions.