\uFEFFMARK WAITE / PVTContestants in the Ms. Senior Golden Years Pageant include, from left, Arlene Harris, Kathleen O?Connor, Elaine Barkow, LaVerne Mantell, Beverly Turney, Kay Ferguson and Alice Saitta. Advertisement

Seven is the lucky number for the Ms. Senior Golden Years 2009 contest to be held at 7 p.m. June 13 the Saddle West Hotel and Casino.

The winner will take the crown from Eileen DeCosta, who will receive $1,000 as an outgoing present for her service.

Ms. Senior Golden Years represents senior citizens as a spokesperson for senior issues. She is a figure designed to instill senior pride and appears at numerous community events like ribbon cuttings.

The theme this year is "Everything is Coming Up Roses" by Ethel Merman, which will be the opening number.

This year's pageant is dedicated to Mitzi Sears, the 2004 Ms. Senior Golden Years, who is battling cancer, according to B.J. Hetrick-Irwin, founder of the pageant.

Three judges will judge the contestants in five categories: the interview, bathing suit, talent, platform and evening gown.

The seven contestants in their order of appearance include:

* Arlene Harris, a Pahrump resident for just a year, who fell in love with the community after riding quads in the mountains with her husband Dan Harris (no relation to Hollis Harris).

Harris is retired. Her hobbies include tole painting, weight lifting, quad riding, golfing, bowling and playing with her Yorkies.

Harris plans to do tole painting and a weight lifting demonstration during the talent show.

* Kathleen O'Connor has lived in Pahrump two-and-a-half years, moving here from Las Vegas where she was formerly a bartender.

Her hobbies include New York Giants football, gardening and gambling, particularly Texas Hold 'Em. Her dream would be to compete in the World Series of Poker.

She plans to do a song and dance number from the musical "Cabaret."

* Elaine Barkow moved to Pahrump in 2003 after living in Las Vegas 15 years where she managed three stores at the Las Vegas Hilton Resort including a flower shop. She works as a personal care attendant for Visiting Angels, an at-home alternative for seniors and the disabled to assisting living facilities.

Barkow's hobbies are floral design and arts and crafts. She plans to sing "I Remember You."

* LaVerne Mantell worked at K-Mart and the Northwest Emporium. She lived in Las Vegas for 20 years before moving to Pahrump four years ago.

Mantell enjoys sewing and gardening. She plans to sing and dance the hula to "Beyond The Reef."

* Beverly Turney has lived in Pahrump seven-and-a-half years with her dog Roxy, a Pomeranian. She retired as an administrator/resident manager/caregiver for an Alzheimer's support group in Las Vegas and California.

Her hobbies are knitting, crocheting and quilting. For her talent show she plans to pantomime and dance to "Roxy."

* Kay Ferguson is originally from Bolingbrook, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. She was a Realtor for 25 years and sang professionally at the Embassy Ballroom in Chicago with the Freddie Mills Orchestra.

Ferguson said she sings karaoke wherever she can and likes to take care of her dogs.

She plans to sing "At Last" composed by jazz singer Etta James.

* Alice Saitta was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., and moved to Las Vegas 30 years ago where she married car dealer Tom Saitta after she went to buy a new car and he ended up paying for it. She has lived in Pahrump for seven years.

Saitta managed the Valley Hospital laboratory and worked for American Pathologist Organization Laboratory.

Saitta's hobbies include riding motorcycles and quads, reading, cooking, and she is a fly fisherman. Her talent competition includes singing and dancing to "The Girl from Ipanema."

Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased from pageant contestants or at the Saddle West.