Lynnette Letsky Piombo, Former Mrs. Connecticut United States 2008

Miss New Jersey USA

2011-10-27T14:31:00.003-04:00

What an incredible weekend judging and crowning the New Miss NJ and Miss NJ Teen USA!!!

Petite America Pageant 2011

2011-08-08T13:12:00.006-04:00

Another great year for this terrific pageant. I was honored to be asked to judge this past Saturday evening and WOW!, was I impressed with the caliber of women that competed. So sincere and compassionate. It was a hard to select the winners!!!! I can only see this system getting bigger and bigger. The Director does an outstanding job and created a fun and interesting weekend for all contestants.

I was also excited to see some former queens and personal friends of mine in the audience!!!

Petite America Pageant 2011

2011-08-08T13:12:00.003-04:00

I was also excited to see some former queens and personal friends of mine in the audience!!!

Miss Connecticut 2011

2011-07-05T08:52:00.010-04:00

Congrats to a job well done to our Miss Brass City Lexi Prieto!!! You were terrific and made us so proud!!

Congratulations to Morgan Amarone our New Miss Connecticut 2011 and Nicole Nemense our new Miss Ct Outstanding teen 2011!!

Way to go ladies!

Mrs New Hampshire & Massachussettes United States pageant

2011-04-11T10:53:00.004-04:00

Massachussetes had some amazing women competing for the titles. I was honored to be selected to judge both of these and had the opportunity to see some pageant sisters from the past!!! It was great to meet Jennifer Korzeb Mrs Mass 2010, super sweet and a great titleholder. Congrats to our two new New England Queens, Mrs Mass. Courtney Nappa and Mrs New Hampshire 2011 Nikoll Lauze!! Enjoy your ear ladies!!

Miss Greater Hamden MAO Preliminary

2011-03-07T08:49:00.002-05:00

I Had the priveleg of judging the Miss Greater Hamden Pageant, a preliminary to Miss Ct America . I also got to meet many of the Visiting Miss Contestants!!

Congrats to Casey DelBuono on Winning the title of Miss Greater Hamden! All the girls did an amazing job~

Hope to see everyone in June!!!

Mrs Ct and Mrs RI America 2011

2011-02-07T12:45:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful evening at Foxwoods Resort judging the Mrs RI and Mrs CT America Pageants! Shelly Carbone our beautiful Mrs America was on hand to welcome guests and participate in emceeing the event.

Winners this evening are Mrs Ct 2011 is Jen Begley and the New Mrs RI America is Sarah Richards Congratulations Ladies!

Miss Maryland and Miss Teen USA

2010-11-04T11:06:00.009-04:00

What an incredible weekend as we judged the Miss Maryland and Miss Teen Maryland USA Pageants. The girls were all incredible and everyone had a wonderful time!

I do have to say that the judges panel this year did a tremendous job in selecting this years winners.

Hope to see everyone in Vegas!!!

Petite America Pageant!

2010-08-07T20:54:00.004-04:00

What a super evening!! In it's first year I can really see this one becoming a major pageant!
Owner/ director Kimberly Geremia did an outstanding job for producing the show.
This is one to watch ladies!!! A superb panel of judges and terrific entertainment!!

National American Miss~ July 2-6

2010-08-07T20:35:00.004-04:00

Another fabulous Pageant weekend!! Thank you to Patti,Lou and Jerri James for having us!We love being your judge!

Laural Pageant and Festival 2010

2010-06-23T12:03:00.010-04:00

Once again, it was an honor

and privilege to judge the Laurel Pageant. These accomplished young women were incredibly impressive throughout the entire weekend. Outgoing Queen Maggi Muirhead had a wonderful year and looked radiant as she gave up her title to this year's winner...

Rebecca Nardi!!! Congratulations!!!

Mrs Connecticut America Pageant 2010!!!

2010-06-06T19:57:00.003-04:00

What an incredible pageant!!! Fierce competition as all the ladies were wonderful!!! I had an amazing day with some of my former pageant queen sisters. L-R: Laurye Natale the reigning Mrs. Earth, Jessica Bruenn Mrs CT 2009, Brianna Conway and Bernadette Lafrance both former Irish day Queens and me, Mrs CT 2008!

We also had a chance to meet the new Mrs Rhode Island and she is adorable!!! And our new Mrs Connecticut 2010 is..... Shelly Carbone!! Good Luck at nationals to our New England queens!!!

Little Miss New England pageant

2010-03-27T18:51:00.003-04:00

What a terrific Day! I got to drag out the 2008 sash one more time as I had the opportunity to Judge the " Little Miss new England " Pageant!

The little girls were adorable;e and so full of confidence! I also had the opportunity to meet the New Vermont USAteen and she is a darling! We will be watching her in the Bahamas this July!

This was really a well run and Fun pageant, all the girls seemed to have a great time! Hats off to owner and Director Christine Couto for such a fab prooduction!

2010 St. Patricks Day Parade Queen Judging!

2010-02-15T08:15:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful day and evening!!! I had a terrific opportunity to judge the 2010 New Haven St Patrick's day parade queen . All the ladies were amazing and ALL were deserving of the the title. This years winner was Lindsay Stamp and her Honor attendant is Kristina Conroy. Both women will be leading the parade in March!

Congratulations Ladies!

Zumba for Haiti Relief!

2010-02-12T17:45:00.005-05:00

Jessica attended the Zumba for Haiti Relief at Chase Collegiate on Sunday Jan 31. My Co Chair Cherrie Lamb and I put together a 3 hour Zumbathon to help raise funds for earthquake survivors. Everyone had a blast working out to the great latin music and over 3000.00 was raised! Thanks Jessica!

S.T.A.R.S Dog walk and Animal Festival! What a great day, so many dogs and thier owners showed up for this very worthy cause!

2009-10-17T12:16:00.002-04:00

Deal Or No Deal! Thank you Joseph Piers!!!

2009-08-30T14:51:00.003-04:00

What an amazing day Jessica and I had on the set of Deal or No Deal. We were the invited guest of Mrs. United States Photographer Joseph Piers.
We met Joe in the early A.M. and spent the entire day watching filming, meeting the entire cast and crew, yes, even the banker, the models and of course the very funny Howie Mandel!

Joe's generosity and hospitality was overwhelming, and he treated us royally the entire day. If anyone is ever in need of an amazing photographer give Joe a shout out!!!
THANKS JOE!!!!
http://www.avisualgroup.com/

National American Miss Massachussettes Pageant

2009-08-16T16:53:00.008-04:00

What a terrific pageant weekend!!

My husband Don and I were invited to judge a NAM Pageant in the great state of Massachusetts's, we had a ball! This pageant is incredibly well organized and had over 250 girls competing in 4 different divisions. My hats off to the directors Lew and Patti, and to Jerri James for all her hard work as the judges coordinator. This pageant was so incredibly inspiring to me. To see all these young women bring forth their intelligence,talent and enthusiasm, just reinforces faith in our youth. What a wonderful experience this young girls were given, no wonder so many of them return to continually compete. We also had a ball with the other 7 judges!!!

From choreographers to professional staging, this is a first rate pageant. Winners move on to nationals , which is held in Hollywood California and the miss winners compete for a brand new Ford Mustang along with a host of scholarship money.

WOW!

Laurel Pageant Parade and crowning

2009-06-24T09:04:00.007-04:00

The Rain held off for the 75th annual Laurel Pageant parade and crowning! Maggie Muirhead was crwoned as the 75th Laurel Pageant queen! She just shined throughout the day! first runner up was Katurah Hall. Their were many past queens in attendance including laurel pageant queens from 1936 and 1940!!

Laurel Pageant Ball 2009

2009-06-24T08:53:00.004-04:00

14 Ladies competed for the Title of Laurel Pageant queen! My husband and I had the honor to be a judge , for the 2nd year in a row, and wow was the competition fierce! Interviews lasted all morning, and then Saturday evening, the girls had a "coming out". Attended by family and friends, the girls were each introduced to the audience and then proceeded to have an awesome time dancing the evening away!

Mrs Connecticut America Pageant 2009!

2009-06-08T18:33:00.013-04:00

What a beautiful evening for the Mrs CT America Pageant!!! Congratulations to Melanie Mudry this years queen!!!

It was great to catch up with some of the past America and United States Queens,

Pictured Above: Billie Jo Anderson Mrs CT US 2005 and Mrs CT America 2006, And I

Pictured Below: Mrs CT US 2009,Jessica Bruenn, Mrs CT Galaxy 2009 Jen Soto, Mrs CT America 2008 Melba Oren, Miss NY Galaxy

Michelle Bouchard (Mrs Rhode Island US '06 & America'05) and I

Below:
Michelle Sharp and Kimberly Geremia
Jessica Bruenn and Jennifer soto

The Girls: Laurye Natalye, Mrs Vermont US 2009, Jessica Bruenn Mrs CT US 2009, Me,Brianna Conway,Bernadette Lafrance

The Top 5 with our NEW MRS CONNECTICUT AMERICA!!! Melanie Mudry Varian!

Jessica in the news again!!!!

2009-05-29T22:26:00.003-04:00

Mrs. Connecticut is off and running!
Southington Observer 5/29/2009

This Saturday’s “KidsMarathon” event will attract students from
seven state schools to the track at Southington High School, giving newly minted
Mrs. Connecticut Jessica Bruenn another chance to draw attention to her goal of helping kids
stay in shape.Bruenn, a fifth-grade teacher at Strong Elementary School, will attend, along with members of her school’s running club, which she created. The “Kids Marathon” is a national fitness initiative that challenges students to run the equivalent of a 25-mile marathon over time (notall at once), keeping notes on their progress in a “runner’s log.” Bruenn said this event and other similar activities had the potential to keep kids off the couch and staying active.“I don’t want kids to just say ‘I need to exercise,’” she said. “The idea is to get them saying ‘I
want to run around and play tag.’” Unlike the “Miss America” or “Miss USA” pageants, which are primarily full of college-age women, The “Mrs. America” competition is focused on married
women with steady careers. It began in 1978 and the final competition is televised annually.
Another unique element of the Mrs. America competition is that there was no local contest to
win beforehand. Bruenn was able to walk into the recent Mrs. Connecticut competition in Bedford, MA, impress the judges, and walk out with the crown. Though she had been
in some pageants years ago, Bruenn said she got back into the competitions for the chance to
spread her message. “You can do a lot through pageantry. It’s like your own soapbox,”
Bruenn said. “Right now, the CDC [Center for Disease Control] says 1 out of 3 kids are obese.
That alone tells you something needs to be done. We need to be screaming out this.”
Her new title has already brought much more attention to her classroom, which she said
the kids have enjoyed. She recalled one incident where one of students asked another
teacher, “Do you know who this is? She won Mrs. Connecticut!” Staff members at the
school also seem impressed, and have various memorabilia about Bruenn’s pageant victory
on a whiteboard in central office. “I’m very excited she’s taken the initiative to develop a physical fitness club for Strong,” said Principal Linda Lackner. “Her energy and enthusiasm
has been transferred to the students and now they’re happy to run on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” The end of the school year will give Bruenn the chance to devote more
time and energy to various events, including the national competition in July. For now, she said she’s still getting the hang of balancing her new obligations with work in the classroom. “It’s a shock,” Bruenn said. “I haven’t been able to breathe.”
The Kids Marathon
event begins this Saturday
at 9:30 am, at Southington
High School’s track.
http://www.southingtonobserver.com/05_29_09/04.pdf

Jessica's first public Appearance! St. Lukes gernerations in Fashion with WFSB's favorite weatherman Scott Haney

2009-05-24T20:46:00.002-04:00

Jessica kicked off her year as Mrs. CT 2009 with an incredible appearance at the St Lukes Fashion Show in Cromwell. Over 300 ladies were in attendance for the fashion show, live auction and raffle to help raise funds for St. Lukes.

Jessica had the opportunity to meet and work the room with WFSB Scott Haney and together they had a ball!

With Scott who wouldn't have a ball???

It was really nice to be able attend and watch our new titleholder learn the ropes.

Jessica is going to have a great year as Mrs CT 2009!

Meriden Record Journal Announces New Mrs. Connecticut 2009 Jessica Bruenn!

2009-05-14T12:09:00.004-04:00

City woman now wearing pageant crown
By Stephanie O’ Connell Record-Journal staff MERIDEN — Jessica Bruenn wears many hats: wife, mother of two young boys, black belt in karate, actress in community theater and elementary school teacher. Now the lifelong Meriden resident gets to wear a crown. Bruenn was crowned Mrs. Connecticut 2009 earlier this month at the Mrs. Connecticut pageant at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Mass. Also crowned at the event were Mrs. Massachusetts, Mrs. New York, Mrs. New Hampshire and Mrs. Maine.“The Mrs. Connecticut pageantwas a great experience,” Bruenn said. “I had somuch fun. I had done some pageants in high school and I wanted to get back into it.”With a little push from her friends, Bruenn, 33, entered the pageant, which consisted of a panel interview, swimsuit and evening gown competition, and an on-stage question that Bruenn answered without hesitation.“They asked me what type of food best described me,” Bruenn said. “Of course, I said chocolate. It is sweet and reliable and always there for you when you need it. I think that it is me.”Those who know her don’t just think she is reliable, they know. As a mother to sons Clayton and Cohen and wife of the head football coach at Platt High School, Bruenn has managed to volunteer in the community— she’s focused on the fitness of youth by teaching karate classes at the Boys and Girls Club over the summer and organizing a Healthy Habits club at Southington’s Strong School, where she is a fifth-grade teacher. “We are very proud of Mrs. Bruenn,” Strong Principal Linda Lackner said. “She has organized an entire fitness program here at school. We are always focusing on physical fitness and talking about dieting. She is so enthusiastic about everything she does.”Her Healthy Habits club teaches young children the importance of physical fitness and proper nutrition. Bruenn heeds her own advice, hitting the gym six times a week in the months before the pageant.“Soon, one out of three children (nationwide) will be obese,” Bruenn said. “It causes so many health problems. If we can teach them when they are young, then we won’t see so many health problems. The pageant will really help me to get the word out.”Along with her passion for fitness, Bruenn makes room for her love of the stage. She acts in community theater once a year, leaving room for Saturday morning high school football. This year she starred in the Castle Craig Players’ production of “Pinky at Sea” in February.In July, Bruenn will head to Las Vegas for the national Mrs. United States competition. Mrs. Connecticut 2008, Lynette Letsky Piombo, has fallen into the role of Bruenn’s pageant coach, helping her prepare for the national event and organize her appearances, the first of which will be May 21 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. “There is so much to prepare and go over,” Piombo said. “She will be all over the state. Being crowned is like getting a part-time job that you have to juggle. Jessica is the perfect person for the job. She will take is seriously and have a great time doing it.”With everything that she does, Bruenn puts her family above all. Waking up at 5 a.m., shuttling kids to and from baseball games and planning family fun nights once a week take precedence over anything else on her schedule.“Of course we are so proud of her,” her husband, Jason, said. “She works so hard at everything that she does and this is a result of that hard work. It is exciting to watch her on the stage and hearing her name called is the most exciting part.”Bruenn will wear the Mrs. Connecticut sash for a year before handing it off to her successor, who will have some pretty big shoes to fill— in this case pretty high heels.“Jessica is the perfect, perfect woman to wear this crown,” Piombo said. “She is so sweet and approachable and has a down-to-earth aura about her. Some women are in it just to collect the crowns. She is in it to represent the crown and the state.” soconnell@record-journal.com (203)317-2235

Christopher Zajac /Record-Journal Jessica Bruenn runs on the playground behind Southington’s Strong School on Tuesday. Bruenn, of Meriden, is now Mrs. Connecticut 2009.

Jessica Bruenn, in front, leads a group of students in the Healthy Habits Club on a Tuesday morning jog behind Strong School in Southington.Bruenn, a fifthgrade teacher, has been crowned Mrs.Connecticut 2009. Christopher Zajac / Record-Journal

Photo courtesy of Lynette Letsky Piombo Jessice Bruenn, left, wears the 2009 crown as Mrs. Connecticut, accompanied by the 2008 title holder, Lynette Letsky Piombo.

Meet the New Mrs Connecticut 2009~ Jessica Bruenn!!!

2009-05-03T12:46:00.004-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA!!!

Jessica Bruenn was the winner of This Years Mrs Connecticut 2009 Pageant.

Beautiful, Poised and confident, Jennifer is a mom and teacher, and will be working her platform on Fitness and Kids!

I look forward to working with Jessica as she appears around our wonderful state!!!

Mrs Connecticut 2009 Pageant~ An Elegant and Incredible evening!

2009-05-03T12:23:00.006-04:00

Lots of Pictures!!! Everyone had a ball at the New England Pageant!!! Held at Hanscom Air force base just outside of Boston, The venue was beautiful with a huge catwalk runway( The ladies got to strut their stuff ala Miss USA!!!), Marine escorts, live music, great MC and over 300 people in attendance!!! Our Directors Kathleen Campbell and Erika Baker did a wonderful job making the ladies feel special.

Lots of Royalty were in the house, Sheila Strassburg, Lori Donaudy (Who is gorgeous in person!!),Stacy Perrone Peta Mrs CT 1996, Miss Nutmeg CT 2009. Too many to name!!

Outgoing title holders were treated beautifully as they each made thier final farewell with Marine escorts. What an incredible ending.

I could not ask for a better way to end my year as Mrs Connecticut 2008.

Mrs CT 2009 Pageant Rehearsals~ Hanscom Air Force Base

2009-05-03T12:10:00.007-04:00

What a wonderful afternoon! I got to see all my pageant sisters from New England and it was wonderful to catch up and reflect upon our year!!!

We also met the 30 ladies who were competing that evening! A lot of laughs and hard work, but the pageant was amazing!

Hartford Hospital Meet and Greet at Cedar Mountain Commons

2009-04-25T11:16:00.007-04:00

I had a ball meeting the residents of Cedar Mountain Commons! We had a meet and greet and a discussion of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of pageantry".

Luther Ridge Volunteer Award Ceremony!

2009-04-25T10:44:00.004-04:00

What a beautiful day it was for a volunteer awards ceremony at Luther Ridge in Middletown.

I was on hand as the key note speaker on "Volunteers are Beautiful people" and I had the opportunity to meet many of the residents that were getting awards from the Point of Light Foundation for theier volunteer service. It was wonderful to hear that this one facility alone donated over 2500 hours of volunteer service.

I also was proud that I had the opportunity to "Pin" 6 people who were deserving of the Presidential Service Award, We had 2 bronze winners, 3 silver winners and one very determined young man recieved the Gold Award!!!

Absolutely wonderful!!!

Bouquet of Wishes Gala!

2009-04-20T12:46:00.006-04:00

What a wonderful evening

at Foxwoods Resort for the "Make a Wish Foundation" Gala

Mrs. Ct was on hand to assist with Auction and Raffle items. Over 300 people attended this incredible event to help honor the evenings "wish"recipient Kendra Schnip!

I was also impressed with the amount of volunteers this organization has. Hats off to all the commitee members for putting on an amazing event!

I will be looking forward to donating some of my time with this organzation!!!

This was my last formal event, before giving up my crown so this event was "extra" special!

Marriot Springhill Suites Grand Opening?Hemophelia Fundraiser

2009-03-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

What a beautiful evening in Windsor Locks as we all celeberated the Grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Brand new Marriot Springhill Suites!! The Hotel is absolutlely beautiful and the guest rooms are to die for! What a great place to stay if you are on an early morning flight!

Lots of different titleholders were out and about as we tried to help raise funds for the Hemopheliac Association! And raised them we did!!!!! In just under 2 hours we helped raise $2000.00! Whoo Hoo!!! The power of the crown!!!

Boys and Girls Village Annual Awards Dinner

2009-02-27T10:14:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful evening I had as a guest at the Boys and Girls Village annual awards dinner. I had the opportunity on behalf of Volunteermatch.org to congratulate the winners, for the their time, dedication and commitment to such an extraordinary organization.
Boys and Girls Village is a non profit agency that serves at risk children and families in CT since 1942.

With board member, Joseph Tramuta and his beautiful wife Meg, Mrs. Ct. and her wonderful husband Don.

New Haven Advocate Article, "May the best bill win!"

2009-02-25T18:37:00.002-05:00

http://www.newhavenadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=11529

Mardi Gras day at "The Gardens of Danbury"

2009-02-25T17:45:00.010-05:00

I spent a wonderful afternoon with the residents of "The Gardens", an assisted and independent living facility in Danbury. Yesterday was

"Fat Tuesday" and Recreation director Kathy Donaldson did an outstanding job with decorating and activities!!

The residents participated by joining in on a parade, games,food and the crowning of the "King and Queen" of the day, by Mrs Connecticut!

Smiles were boundless!!! I had an awesome time! The staff and the residents were absolutley warm and welcoming.

Some of the residents, getting into the spirit!!

My new friend "Lou" reminds me of my dad. Once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T09:02:00.002-05:00

May all my family and friends have a wonderful New Year. Let us all hope the upcoming year will be happy and much healthier than in 2008. As my family says, "All will be fine in 2009!"

Stroll of the wreaths

2008-12-03T20:21:00.005-05:00

What a wonderful evening! The first annual wreath stroll and auction was held at the Village of South Farms, an assisted living community. So many people turned out to bid on beautiful wreaths donated by local businesses and volunteers. Santa and Mrs Claus were on hand for the festivities along with an amazing choral group!I think it was a HUGE success. All the wreaths were bought and the proceeds all went to St Lukes Home in Haddam. Kudos to the entire team of volunteers who helped make this evening a wonderful success!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2008-12-03T20:20:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Dinner Give Away!

2008-11-25T13:10:00.007-05:00

I joined a host of volunteers for this year's United Way Turkey dinner Giveaway! Over 500 came through the doors, lined up and "shopped" for an entire Thanksgiving dinner. Many volunteers were surprised at the turnout and estimates placed for the day more than doubled last years turnout! The need is so great all over our country, Please don't forget to give to your local United Way!!

Volunteer Tea Party for the Girl Scouts

2008-11-14T09:12:00.002-05:00

A special "Thank You" goes out to Stacy Perrone Peta, Director of the Wolcott and Greater Waterbury "Connecticut Outstanding Teen Program" for bringing her junior queens to the Girl Scouts Volunteer Tea Party. Over 50 Girls scouts turned out to meet these "future" leaders,speak to them and have autographs signed. All the girls had a great time and the day was truly successful. I was not able to attend this function due to the passing of my wonderful brother in law Ronald Piombo, but I was there in spirit.
Way to go girls!

Pink Partini Fashion Show for Midstate Medical Center

2008-10-29T09:17:00.002-04:00

Over 800 people attended Midstate Medical Center's , "Pink Partini" Fashion show to benefit Breast Cancer and Midstates Cancer Center. It was a night to celebrate Life and survivorship. Ladies were treated to gift boutiques, makeovers,massages and a magnificent room dressed in pink and black! "Bob Thomas of Hamden Ford" provided the "Warriors in Pink" limited edition 2009 v-6 Mustang black convertible! It was truly beautiful and I would love to see lots of these on the road next year! Scot Haney of of WFSB Channel 3 was master of ceremonies and all of the "novice" models did a wonderful job!

Hats off to the development commitee and the hospital Auxilary for putting on such a wonderful event!

Starbright Ball for Cherish the Children

2008-10-28T11:13:00.009-04:00

What a beautiful evening for the 7th annual Starbright Ball for the Cherish the Children foundation! Mrs. Connecticut was on hand to assist with the Diamond Necklace raffle courtesy of Glastonbury Jewelers. Partygoers were entertained by the Starlight Orchestra's Sarah Scott Band and everyone enjoyed ESPN's Neill Everett as the evenings master of ceremonies. The silent auction and ALL the raffle items were incredible.

The foundation has started a "teen" volunteer group within the organization and all the young girls wore tiaras to identify themselves and helped sell raffle tickets and assist with the event, what a wonderful way to get our youth involved with giving back!
CTCF is a 100% VOLUNTEER based organization made up of a dedicated board of directors, an army of enthusiastic volunteers, and generous donors, all of whom have identified CTCF as their charity of choice. CTCF serves a unique role in Connecticut as a direct resource for children who have a financial or medical equipment need, which often stem from a terminal or long-term illness and is not being met by traditional funding such as insurance. Please log onto thier website and donate to this very special organization! http://www.ctchildren.org/

Homeless Connect fair

2008-10-24T15:02:00.002-04:00

Today was a day for reflection. Sometimes we never even think about how much we have in our lives and are grateful to the wonderful family and friends that we all share.

Homeless Connect Fair took place in my hometown of Waterbury. It was a chance for people that no longer have anything, friend or family, a roof over thier head, to come inside and get a free haircut, a visit with a doctor or dentist, get a mammogram , pick up some free winter clothing and generally just have ALL the services that they need, under one roof.

The amount of volunteers it took to run this event was mind blowing! I am so inspired by the many people who took the time off of work to come out and lend a hand.I helped organize the food line for the event, and then helped people pick out a winter coat so they could better prepare themselves for life on the street. There were many tears an behalf of the volunteers. What many of us take for granted on a daily basis are actually life saving wonderful gifts for many of the people that attended today.

I am so proud of my city~

Bright Bold and Beautiful!!! Luncheon with Model and Business woman Stacy Schiefflin

2008-10-19T15:36:00.005-04:00

Model Stacy Schefflein helped kick off this years St. Mary's hospital Auxiliary "Enlightenment series" luncheon. Over 70 women participated ,had lunch, and listened to Stacy's vibrant lecture on "how to learn to be your own best friend"! She is not only a model but a successful business woman. She launched her own cosmetic line called "Models Prefer" and has just started a new company called "YBF" (Your Best Friend) . Her vivaciousness was contagious and everyone left feeling truly inspired!Check out her website at :http://www.ybfstacey.com/home.asp

Celtic Rock 2008!!!!

2008-10-19T15:22:00.012-04:00

A HUGE shout out to Bernadette and Briana for making me feel so welcome!!! Thank you for taking such good care of me!!!

The day was PERFECT for the first annual Celtic Rock event in East Haven! This all day event was held to raise money for the children's gaelic football team ! Bands played all day and a great time was had by all. Local dignitaries popped in throughout the day including The Irish parade Queen Brianna Conway,Attorney General Richard Blumenthal,April Almon the Mayor of East Haven, State Representatives and Majority speaker of the house Micheal Mooney.
Co host of this years event was TV actor Micheal Lombardi from "Rescue Me" . All the kids had a great time and hopefully a lot of money was raised so the whole team could get to play in Ireland!!!

Family Services Block Party!

2008-10-08T08:15:00.005-04:00

What a beautiful day it was for a Block Party!
Many neighborhood children turned out for face painting, touch a truck,dancing,snacks and a vist from Congressman Chris Murphy! Established in 1909, Family Services of Greater Waterbury, Inc. is a private, not-for profit 501 (c) 3, multi-service agency offering a range of social services involving behavioral health, employment support, and children's programs. They strive to strengthen and support families and individuals of all ages and at all stages of life regardless of their social or economic resources.
Throughout the years, they have continued to focus on the changing needs of children and families through professional therapeutic programs and support services designed around the vision, mission and core beliefs providing an important sense of caring, purpose, pride and ownership in thier clients' success. Hopefully, the l block party will become an annual event that all area children can look forward too!

David Capiello/Rudy Guiliani Fundraiser

2008-10-01T15:11:00.005-04:00

This afternoon I had the honor and the privilege of formally meeting former NY Mayor Rudy Guiliani at the David Capiello for Congress fundraiser. Many dignitaries turned out to hear David Capiello and Rudy Guiliani speak, including Lieutenant Governor Micheal Fedele. Needless to say it was an inspiring day to hear one of our countries great american heroes, speak to a crowd of 500.

Pictured~ David Capiello
and I

Lieutenant Governor Micheal Fedele & I

State Represenative, Rob Simmons & I

Miss America Scholarship Pageant ~ Judges Workshop

2008-09-27T16:00:00.003-04:00

Today I became an official "certified" Judge for the Miss America Scholarship pageant. Many of us spent the day learning about what it is like to sit on the "other" side of the table, and it was truly eye opening as to how judging works for MAO. I am looking forward to judging some preliminary state pageants in 2009 and hoping to be able to pick that one "special woman" who just may become our next "Miss Connecticut"!

Nikki's Walk ,Run and Roll for Pediatric Cancer

2008-09-07T17:04:00.008-04:00

Nikki's Mom and I, with a little "help" from "Build a Bear"! Read Nikki's story below!

After the remnants of Tropical storm Hannah, we all awoke to a truly beautiful sunny day!
Perfect day for the 6 annual "Nikki's run walk and roll" to support pediatric cancer, in Manchester.
I joined Miss Ct USA 2004,Shiela Waitr , Miss CT Earth, Tracy Harrison to help make this a truly memorable event.

Nikki Giampolo was a cross country runner at RHAM High School in Hebron, CT. In July of 2001, Nikki was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer that often affects young people.
Nikki's dream was to help other children with cancer by increasing awareness so that they would be diagnosed as early as possible. It was also her wish to give more children with cancer the hope of finding a cure by funding research programs. Nikki died just 6 months after her diagnosis, on New Year's Day 2002.

PLEASE! Support cancer research!

We saved our Heart Center!

2008-08-29T17:25:00.013-04:00

What a wonderful day!
Almost 200 people turned out at our state capitol to speak out about the future of our cardiac center. After 5 hours of testimony and public commentary, The Waterbury Heart Center was given a 6 month extension to remain open and eventually get it's permanent certificate!!!
All of our representatives and Senators spoke of the importance of the center remaining open. It services a population of over 300,000 residents and since it's inception it has saved thousands of lives. To all that signed the petition, I personally thank you and could not be more proud of all the people that made this thier personal mission!

Pictured with me above: My dear friend, State Rep. Kevin Delgaddo

Pictured: Mayor Micheal Jarjura,Me, and
Senator Sam Caliguri
Below: State Rep Anthony Damelio,Me,Senatore Joan hartley and State Rep Jeffrey Berger

Pups without Partners~ Bow Wow Luau to support Greyhound adoption!

2008-08-25T09:15:00.012-04:00

Had an awesome day supporting Greyhound adoption! KC101.3 and I were on hand to help raise awareness and $$$ for these fabulous retired racing dogs. Did you know that Greyhounds are called the 45MPH couch potato? They love to sleep and curl up, They are great with kids, they require LITTLE EXERCISE and they are low shedding. These are affectionate, friendly and quiet dogs.
If you are considering getting a dog, Please look into adopting one of these beautiful animals! Just log onto thier website and check out all the dogs ready to be adopted!!

http://www.pupswithoutpartners.org/

2008-08-22T10:09:00.003-04:00

Time to get back to work!

To my pageant sisters. My city is facing a crisis.Our 2 hospitals are facing the closing of our shared Cardiac Heart Center. The center covers a large region of 300,00 people and the next closest heart center is approximatly 45 minutes away. Before our heart center opened, you would be taken by ambulance to Bridgeport (60 minutes away ) or Yale New Haven Hospital (45 minutes away) that is if you survived the trip. Since our heart center opened 3 years ago, we have saved thousands of lives but we did not meet the number of treated patients that the state set for the center.We have performed 1800 angioplasties exceeding the states assigned target of 1200+. We performed over 600 open heart surgeries falling BELOW the states target of 950. The difference of 350 open heart surgeries is the reason for the propsed shut down.

I am asking ALL of you to please fill out the petition on the attached link. It is sooo important for my city that critical cardiac care is not taken away from us.

http://www.heartcentergw.org/content/22/414/417.aspx

No More Make-up, Hair products and High Heels!!!

2008-08-01T17:08:00.018-04:00

After a 2 day journey from Vegas, We arrived to beautiful sunshine and turquose water for a much needed rest from the National Pageant.
My home is in Punta Cana,Dominican Republic and is available for rent.

To all my pageant sisters of Mrs United States 2008, I am offering a discount on the rental price. Click on the link below and email me if your interested!!!

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p184692

I am off to get a much needed Mojito!
Buenos Dios! Lynnette

Leaving Las Vegas!

2008-08-01T10:44:00.005-04:00

LIVE,LOVE,
LAUGH, & DREAM!

This is the perfect description of my week at the Mrs. United States Pageant in Las Vegas. I really got to LIVE it, I absolutely LOVED the experience, I spent an entire week getting to know and LAUGH with my pageant sisters, and I made a childhood DREAM come true for this 45 year old!!!!!
It was worth every aching muscle, sore feet, hungry tummy and every penny expended and If I were younger & given the opportunity, I would do it again in a heartbeat!

To my pageant sisters, Thank you for your grace, friendship and sisterhood. I will remember and cherish this week for the rest of my life.
I am off to a well needed vacation!!!!

BYE BYE VEGAS!!!!!

And the winner is............Mrs South Carolina!!!

2008-07-25T03:12:00.014-04:00

Mrs South Carolina Wins!!

Congradulations Gerianne Gunter! I had the time of my life!! What an experience, one I will never forget. I have a new found respect for ALL women that compete. It is quite honestly grueling and stressful
but wonderful experience. I did not make the top 12, but all 12 women were very deserving.

This was anyones game, and we were all truly happy with the outcome.

Many of these pictures were taken before and after the top 12, hence the red dresses!

To my wonderful husband and the best "Pageant Partner" a girl could ever have. I LOVE YOU, for standing proudly by my side and always cheering me on. You will always be my king~ Lynn

To my family, I am sooooo tired, Yes, I finally ate some food after 2 days!!! I have many more photos that I will post to all of privately.
I AM GOING TO SLEEP!!!!!!!

Day 5~ Morning Rehearsals

2008-07-24T15:58:00.004-04:00

What a great night! Everyone had a ball and was incredibly helpful to one another. NO DIVA'S in the house! Yeah!!! This morning I think most of us dragged ourselves to rehearsal!! The production Number for the eveing ilooks great, the music is upbeat and Fun and it is truly turning out to be a 1st class production!!!!

Mrs. NJ and I take a down moment during a 5 minute break.

Dancers in rehearsal...

Mrs. Colorado gets to see her kids for the first time!! She is so sweet!

Preliminary night!!

2008-07-24T02:09:00.005-04:00

Ok Ladies, from this afternoon, a few rehearsal phot0s and then this evening Preliminaries!!!
Everyone had a blast!!!

Some of the "girls" helping me to promote my Platform!

The entire Preliminary production went off flawlessly, thanks to some amazing choreographers who were so patient with all of us!

Interview Night

2008-07-23T01:20:00.004-04:00

Sorry I do not have more pictures!! Interview were staged every 15 minutes so we did not get see many of the ladies.

Interviews were very organized. The Judges were creative in thier questioning and the 4 minutes breezed by. Wish we had more time!

Back to rehearsals in the a.m!!!

Day 3~ Rehearsals!!

2008-07-22T19:24:00.002-04:00

Pageant rehearsal this afternoon. Off to the interview this evening !

Day 3~ Poolside in the Early Am

2008-07-22T19:09:00.004-04:00

Everyone looked great for 7:30 am! We had fun at the Pool and did the group photo in the pool. Off to rehearsals and then onto Interviews this evening. I am fortunate to have an early interview and I am then free for the evening! Sleep here I come!

Night 3~ Planet Hollywood Outing

2008-07-22T01:25:00.003-04:00

This evening was on outing to Planet Hollywood. We all got to meet many of our state "fans" and take pictures. Yes, exhausting after such a long day, but it was a great boost for all of as as we had our states cheering for us! Time for bed
Photos at 7:00 am!!!!!

Day 3~ Rehearsals!!

2008-07-21T19:43:00.005-04:00

What a Day! Rehearsals started and boy did we rehearse!Started at 8:30 and went straight through to 4:00! Everyone is pretty much wiped out but we are all having a blast!!! This is a wonderful group of women and everyone of them deserves the title! I have a renews respect for the women of pageantry, This is hard work!!!!! Mrs NY finally made it after being bumped from her flight. She ended up in 3 different states before she made it here. Mrs North Dakota is hospitalized and will not be in the pageant.

This evening we are off to Planet Hollywood, time to get dressed!!

Day 2 ~ Delegate Dinner

2008-07-21T01:24:00.005-04:00

What an amazing experience this has been!
All the ladies are wonderful and we all got a chance to know one another this evening during dinner.
All of the New England gals are terrific . It has been a long day and many of us have hit the sack. Tommorow we start rehearsals. Good night all!

Day 2~ Registaration

2008-07-20T20:47:00.006-04:00

The ladies are wonderful!!! So many of them look soooo much more beautiful than thier headshots! Everyone is so nice and seem really sincere. Registration was from 3:00 to 5:30 and this evening we are off to our orientation dinner. Will post more after dinner!

I've Arrived!

2008-07-20T02:25:00.003-04:00

Boy, am I pooped! Las Vegas is HOT!!! 104 when we arrived!!
We had an uneventful but long flight from Hartford today. My sweetie surprised me with a limo from the airport ( He's the best!). All checked in and unpacked looking forward to the start of pageant week. We officially register tommorow at 3:30 I will be posting, hopefully ,on a daily basis. Until then...

Leaving for Vegas!!

2008-07-19T09:17:00.006-04:00

The day has finally arrived! My husband and I leave for the Mrs United States Pageant! I am truly excited to meet all 53 of the ladies that I will be competing with!!

There are so many people who encouraged me not to give up and to keep competing for my title as Mrs. Connecticut. First and foremost a huge shout out to Stephanie Mclain who first watched me compete 3 years ago, you truly are an inspiration to ALL women and I would not be where I am today without your support!

Bill Hall, words cannot express my thanks to you. Your wit, humor and advice has carried me through these last few months. You are not just a pageant coach but a "life" coach as well.

And to my wonderful husband Don and amazing children Gina and Donny, Your love and support during these last 3 years has made my dream become a reality. I love you all so very much.

Las Vegas, Here I come!!!

Volunteermatch puts spotlight on Mrs. Connecticut and the Mrs. United States Pageant!

2008-07-11T09:24:00.007-04:00

I am so honored to be endorsing this great organization. Click on the link below, to read about my Volunteer spotlight and find a great place to volunteer!

http://www.volunteermatch.org/volunteers/stories/spotlight.jsp?id=27

Hartford Advocate Article

2008-07-10T11:14:00.004-04:00

Things are Tough All Over.

Thursday, July 10, 2008 By Andy Bromage
Kathleen Cei

Mrs. Connecticut, aka Lynette Letsky Piombo: "We're going back to a Depression-era mentality."

Mrs. Connecticut is worried sick.
The sash-draped, brown-haired, middle-aged beauty queen is practically barking at two members of Congress, seated beside her at a ring of tables, about the people in trouble that she can't help. Mrs. Connecticut owns a company that fixes furnaces. Her customers call her up desperate: They can't get heating oil because suppliers won't deliver less than 100 gallons. Her customers can't afford 100 gallons.
"What do you expect me to say to these people?" Mrs. Connecticut, aka Lynette Letsky Piombo, demands of U.S. Reps. Chris Murphy (D-5) and Rosa DeLauro (D-3). "Wait for the U.S. government to act next March?"
Murphy is silent. He wrings his hands. Then replies. "I don't have a great answer for you."
Mrs. Connecticut is not encouraged. In her travels around Waterbury, she sees families skimping on heating oil and instead huddling in a single room around a space heater they bought for $18 at Home Depot. Oil might be out of reach, but utilities can't turn the electricity off in winter—state law doesn't allow it.
"We're going back to almost a Depression-era mentality," she says. "I never thought in my lifetime I would be witnessing something like this. It's honestly shades of 1929."
On this day, four dozen social service providers are assembled at New Opportunities Inc., a Waterbury community service center, to share horror stories about how the cost of gas, food and pretty much everything else is pushing the vulnerable to the breaking point. One participant says he tells kids to join the Army. "You're putting your life on the line but at least you'll eat." A food pantry worker says longtime donors are coming back as clients.
Gov. Jodi Rell's $160 million in state budget cuts spare few parts of state government—even the programs that serve the neediest cases. Among the worst were: $464,238 from Community Health Services; $395,328 from AIDS Services; and $24,545 from the Needle and Syringe Exchange Program. From the Department of Social Services, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families lost $1.9 million and Housing and Homeless Services lost $2.1 million.
Social service providers were already feeling pinched because the state denied them annual cost-of-living increases this year—even as the cost of operations hits the roof. Ron Cretaro of the Connecticut Association of Nonprofits (CAN) says the outcome could be program cuts, layoffs or both. CAN is an alliance of 530 nonprofits, many of them state-funded health and human service organizations, and many of them located in, or serving, large cities. The groups are still absorbing the impact of Rell's cuts, but already the news looks bad. A Hartford-based drug recovery center is laying off three employees.
Shelley Geballe of Connecticut Voices for Children says the cuts are "pennywise and pound foolish." Leadership, Education, Athletics in Partnership (LEAP), the highly successful New Haven?based program that keeps kids off the streets year-round, but especially in summer, is losing $42,500. "If LEAP takes a cut and you can't serve as many kids, you risk having greater juvenile justice costs," Geballe says.
Robert Genuario, Rell's secretary of policy and management, admits the cuts are "a difficult pill to swallow" for social services, but insists the decreases are "modest and measured." Genuario says some cuts are coming from departments that got more money than they spent last year. Private provider programs "aren't losing a dime," Genuario says, because the governor knows they can't sustain it.
"There's nothing draconian here," Genuario says. "Connecticut has a solid infrastructure for its poorest citizens. It has become more solid during Gov. Rell's tenure."
Rell did give social service providers a four percent cost of living adjustment her first year in office, and three percent in years following. But this year's flat funding will hurt, providers say. Asked about that, Genuario blames the legislature. "The governor has no authority to provide these [increases] in the absence of legislation."
True, Cretaro says, but the cutbacks Rell did make are "going to put extreme stress on the community system."

Ct. Conference on rising food and fuel costs within our state, with Congresswoman Rosa Delauro and Congressman Christopher Murphy.

2008-07-01T17:27:00.008-04:00

I was invited to attend this afternoons session with Congresswoman Rosa Delauro and Congressman Christopher Murphy,regarding rising food and fuel costs within our state.Due to the economy, many food pantry's have seen an enormous increase in thier clientele. No longer feeding just the homeless or lower income, they are now serving middle income families that use the food pantry's to supplement thier houshold groceries. Needless to say, with higher fuel costs this winter, our state is going to see a dramatic erosion of our middle class. Congresswoman Delauro has achieved so much with the Farm Act bill that got passed recently. She understands that much more funding needs to become available NOW . She has been an amazing congresswoman fighting for our residents well being for the last 18 years.

Mrs. CT America and I , had the opportunity to speak to the Congressmen about this issue and voice our concerns.

Melba and I had the opportunity to catch up, as we had not seen each other in almost a year! We both competed together in the America system last year, and I was so happy to have found out that she took the title this year!

Congratulations Melba!

Pictured L-R

Melba Oren, State Representative Reggie Beamon, and Me!

Read the article in the Hartford Advocate and Fairfield weekly!http://www.fairfieldweekly.com/article.cfm?aid=8669

http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=8651

Laurel Festival Parade and Crowning!

2008-06-16T14:02:00.006-04:00

The skies dried up for the annual Laurel Parade and the crowning of the new queen! All of the girls got very creative with thier floats and this year's theme which was, "Going Green". Incorporated into each float was our state flower the Mountain Laurel. At the end of the parade, the City of Winchester turned out to see Courtney Kane become the 74th Laurel Queen!
Congrats to all the ladies that competed! You all are winners!!!!

2008 Laurel Pageant, Ball and Parade

2008-06-16T13:35:00.006-04:00

What an honor it was to be asked to judge
one of Connecticut's oldest pageants, The Laural Pageant.
It was a fun filled weekend!!
Saturday, I had the opportunity to actually sit on the"Other" side of the table and interview 28 beautiful high school seniors.Interviews lasted over 6 hours and I was truly astounded by how accomplished these young women were! The pageant itself is not based on beauty but on the delgates academic and community service accomplishments. Not only did I learn about the girls , I learned how difficult it was, as a judge, to narrow it down to a top 5!
During the evening, the annual Laural ball commenced, and all the girls were intoduced to the public. This portion of the competition was also judged. The girls were scored on thier poise, the ability to mingle with the public, and how well thier evening gowns accented them. Again, it was a very tough decision, but we had narrowed it down to the top 3!

Pictured: 1)The judges
2)Geisha Ahles
3)Delegates having fun!

My dad passed away on June 5, 2008

2008-06-16T13:30:00.003-04:00

My dad passed away at age 87, unexpectedly on Thursday June 5, 2008. He was an amazing dad and an unbelievable grandfather.

Dad was one of my biggest supporters and an inspiration in my life.

I am who I am because of him.

Miss you daddy.

Hospitals need volunteers!!!

2008-06-01T19:01:00.005-04:00

What a beautiful breezy day it was for the St. Mary's hospital Auxilary volunteer membership tea party. Our hospitals are in dire need for more volunteers. Over 100 women turned out to listen to keynote speaker WTNH channel 8 anchor woman Ann Nyberg speak about the importance of volunteering within hospital auxilary's.

Ann is the founder of Yale New Haven Hospital Childrens Toy Closet, so she understands the need for a larger auxilary membership.

During the course of the year, I have had the opportunity to work with the auxilary in a "rebranding" marketing effort to help recruit new volunteers, and I think after today, my job was successful!

Pictured From left to right: Beverly Bucari Auxilary President, Ann Nyber, Me!

St. Lukes Elder Care Solutions of Central CT

2008-05-29T20:47:00.011-04:00

What a wonderful evening! Over 300 people attended the St. Lukes Elder care
"Timeless" fashion show at River House in Haddam CT.
Pictured with me are Diane Cummings, Chairwoman of the event and Connecticut's favorite funny man and WFSB Channel 3
weather anchor, Scott Haney who emceed the
show. I was a special guest and had the opportunity to meet some of the ladies that modeled in the show. The ages of the "models" were anywhere between 25 and 100!!!!

St. Lukes is an incredible organization. They are dedicated to helping our seniors in central CT with housing, trips to the market,minor home repair, education and advocacy,transportation to medical appts and the list goes on and on!!

They have a great motto~ "You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing."

CT Food Pantry's desperatly low on donations!

2008-05-21T09:10:00.008-04:00

What a great day! The soup kitchen that I have been volunteering for these last 3 years held a pasta dinner fundraiser to help stock thier food pantry. Food Pantry's across our state are at dangerously low levels due to the economic slump occuring across our nation. No longer just for the homeles and disadvantaged, many more middle income families are starting to use the food pantry as a way to stretch thier food dollars,leaving the shelves empty and bare.

Barbara Dublin,Executive Director, pictured with me here, made the call to Mrs. CT asking for HELP! We both worked together to get a huge amount of press for the event and more than 200 people turned out with food in hand and monetary donations! WTNH channel 8 turned out with thier camera crews to help gain exposure to this statewide problem.
Just click on the link and watch the video!
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=8355276

Many volunteers worked the event including some very talented "Chefs" who cooked up a great meal for everyone!

Mrs. Connecticut helps Collect food and personally thanks everyone for coming!

Let's fill these shelves!!! Don't forget to donate to YOUR local food pantry!

CT. Miracle Ride for Connecticut Children's Hospital

2008-05-18T15:30:00.013-04:00

What an AMAZING DAY!!!!! I was asked to be the lead "Rider" for the Connecticut Childrens Hospital "2008 Miracle Ride". Thousands of Motorcycle enthusiasts from around the state joined in as we rode from Newington, past the children's hospital and then onto Bristol CT. where the ride ended at Lake Compounce amusement park. This year, the "Miracle Ride " hopes to net over $125,000!!! My fingers are crossed that they achieved it!

I have never been on a motorcycle before so for my first time out, I could not ask for better company! What a sight to see! Motorcycles for miles and miles!!!
Pictured with me is the event Charperson Gary Gillette. He has worked tirelessly to put this event together and he did a stupendous job!

A special shout out goes to my amazing driver, Tony, AKA "Slider" who coordinated all the mapping of the routes, and worked with local towns to bring this wonderful event to fruition!

Slider, you look great in a crown!!!!

Hat's off to all the local and statewide law enforcement who volunteered thier time for this wonderful event!

Look Mom, no hands!!!!

Red Cross Blood Drive!!

2008-05-17T12:23:00.015-04:00

GIVE BLOOD!!!!
This morning, I was on hand to greet blood donors at the Waterville Firefighters Blood Drive!
I got to meet some amazing volunteers and speak with some of the donors. I also learned that there is a HUGE need for blood in the State of Connecticut.
Pictured with me is Vicki Krampets the Team supervisor of the day. She told me that our State needs a minimum of 650 pints of blood A DAY, to keep up with demand. There are between 12 and 15 blood drives scheduled Monday thru Friday across our state, every week of the year!

There were also some terrific volunteers working the event and helping with refreshments.

I also had the opportunity to give out the "I Gave blood stickers" and spoke with with some of the donors. Mike, Pictured left, always gives blood and what I found to be consistent with the entire morning, is that many donors not only give thier own blood, but they volunteer within our communities,raising funds, building playgrounds and supporting other area organizations.
Now that's what I call volunteering!!!!
For the nearest blood drive nearest you, please call 1-800-Give-Life.
Just get out there and GIVE BLOOD!!!!!

MS Walk 2008 ~ Litchfield site

2008-05-04T12:50:00.006-04:00

Cold and misty this morning for the over 10,000 walkers throughout the state, that participated in the MS walk 2008. Once everyone started walking I think that we all warmed up pretty quickly! I met up with a former Mrs. Hartland US, Geishza Ahles, and walked for her team. It was great seeing Geizha again and I hope to see her compete for Mrs. Connecticut 2009 next year!
Also in attendance were "Forever Team Michaela", walking in honor of Micheala Pettit who was murdered in Cheshire along with her sister and mom last July. It was really inpsiring to see all the children that are keeping Micheala's spirit alive.
The weather did not dampen anyone's spirit!!!!

St. Peter and Paul School Fashion Show!

2008-05-04T12:41:00.011-04:00

I had a great time modeling in the St. Peter and Paul school fashion show! Over 175 ladies turned out for the event and everyone had a great time!!! Fashions were sponsored by the Dress Barn of Bristol and all the "models" looked wonderful!

Pictured above is Chairwoman Linda Galvin with her assistant to the models, Micheal Ryan.
The "Red Hot" red hat society ladies were in attendance as well and dressed in all thier colorful finery!

Mayor Jarjura proclaims "Waterbury Volunteer Week" ...Mrs.Connecticut United States 2008 receives the Presidential Volunteer Service Award!

2008-04-28T17:09:00.023-04:00

This afternoon, the Honorable Mayor Micheal Jarjura, Mayor of the City of Waterbury, proclaimed National Volunteer Week, the week of April 27-May 3 , now to be known as
"Waterbury Volunteer Week"!!

I am very proud of all the wonderful and caring volunteers that Waterbury has. Without our volunteers,where would any community be??

Thank you Mayor Mike!!!!

Mayor Jarjura also presented me with the Presidential Service Award. The award recognizes dedication to volunteer service and signifies that you have served your community and country with distinction.
Thank you to the certifying organization, The Junior League of Greater Waterbury,
I am incredibly honored to have received it.

Mrs. Connecticut Walks for March of Dimes!~

2008-04-27T12:12:00.009-04:00

What a terrific morning! The weather held out for almost 500 walkers for the annual March of Dimes,March for babies walk. I was invited to participate with the Alliance Medical Group ladies.Not only did they achieve thier goal of raising over $2000.00 but our group was part of the first place finishers!!!! We did the 4K walk in just under 1 hour!!!

Pictured with me is Team Captain Deborah Conda,Way to go Debbie!!!

Kicking Off The Meriden Daffodil Festival

2008-04-26T10:00:00.004-04:00

4/23/2008- This evening I had a wonderful time in assisting with the the "crowning" of Little Miss Daffodil and her Escort.

Mayor Mark Begnini and I had the task of randomly selecting, out of a hat, this years winners. 22 children from the Meriden school system participated. All the children received a "daffodil" corsage and Mrs. Connecticut provided each and every contestant a small crown pin as a remembrance of the evening.

The "winners" of the evening are Derek Potter and Guinevere Lady Lawson. Both children will be riding on the float during the Daffodil Parade. All the children were absolutely adorable and loved participating in this historical pageant.
http://www.myrecordjournal.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19512982&BRD=2755&PAG=461&dept_id=592754&rfi=8

Mrs. Connecticut Meets Governor Rell

2008-04-26T09:52:00.003-04:00

4/23/2008- This afternoon I was honored and humbled to personally thank Governor Jodi Rell for proclaiming April as "Connecticut Volunteer Month". She was lovely and gracious as we discussed all our volunteers throughout our state, and how it was important for her proclamation to create a month in which area organizations could thank and award their tireless volunteers for their service.

New Haven Animal Shelter- Beauty to Benefit the Beasts Fundraiser

2008-04-20T18:36:00.015-04:00

Dogs, children and lots of ladies came together to help the New Haven Animal shelter raise funds at the "Beauty Benefits the Beast fundraiser".

Co-Chairs Delette and Amanda (Above),did a fabulous job of getting area vendors and shops to display and sell their "Beauty" goods. Mrs. Connecticut assisted by announcing the over 50 raffle prizes generously donated by so many merchants. A great day was had by all and a great deal of money was raised for the shelter.

This is why every good dog needs a home...Pictures are worth a thousand words

Mrs. Connecticut promotes National Volunteer week on Connecticut's #1 Rock Station WPLR!!!

2008-04-17T12:28:00.006-04:00

Had a crazy and FUN morning today with Chaz and AJ from WPLR 99.1, promoting National volunteer month and Volunteermatch.org. These guys are a trip!!!Both of them start their mornings EARLY (at 5:00 am!) and end at 10:00am. Luckily I got to do my guest appearance at 9:00!!! A major THANK YOU to both of them,for helping me promote my cause!!!

American Liver Foundation Gala

2008-04-02T10:22:00.041-04:00

What a magnificent evening!
The Connecticut Chapter of the American Liver Foundation held it's annual fundraiser in Southington last night. I was invited as a special guest and could not believe what a beautiful event it was. Restaurants from all over the state cooked for over 300 guests.
Every table was "assigned" a restaurateur and the chef created a gourmet wine dinner for each table.
Tables were decorated individually by the corresponding
restaurant creating a wonderful ambiance within the ballroom.
A live auction ensued during dinner and the food kept right on coming.
I was fortunate to be seated at the Mohegan Sun table and their chefs cooked up a scrumptious meal. Hats off to all 7 chefs!!
I basically "rolled" out the door! The goal was to raise $150,000 and I know that they must have succeeded that amount!! Kudos to the Committee and the Chairwoman Marla Sadler who worked so hard to make this event a success!

Pictured From Top to Bottom:

WFSB Channel 3-Al Terzi & I
Decorated Tables
My table mates Lynn and Ellie, boy did we eat!
Andrew and I at the front door~The Peace Corps is waiting for you!

Commissioner Piombo gets sworn in!

2008-04-01T13:39:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I was apponted to the City of Waterbury Arts and Tourism commission and sworn in at city hall by assistant city clerk, Victor Diaz. I am honored by this appointment and look forward to helping my city move forward on a positive path to prosperity!

WATR Radio Interview

2008-04-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

This morning I had a great interview with Barbara Davitt of WATR Radio. It gave me the opportunity to not only speak about the Mrs. United States Pageant, but help kick off Connecticut Volunteer month! We spoke about the importance of volunteering and my platform of endorsing Volunteermatch.org. Hopefully many listeners tuned in and turned on to the benefits of volunteering! If just one person today started volunteering, my job as Mrs. Connecticut is done!

Mystic Day Parade!

2008-03-30T19:37:00.006-04:00

Better late than never! The town of Mystic enjoyed beautiful sunny skies and a balmy 48 degree temperature as marchers and bands set off for the "last" St. Patricks day parade in Connecticut.
The crowds were out in full swing as families from all over the state came to enjoy the parade and all that Mystic Seaport has to offer. Special thanks to Center Groton Fire Department who really knew how to bring attention to "Mrs, Connecticut". I never knew how loud firefighters can be!
Once again, Loehman Blasius Chevrolet sponsored a beautiful Mitsubishi Eclipse Convertible for me to ride in. Thanks Guys!!!

Governor Rell Proclaims April as "Connecticut Volunteer Month"!

2008-03-25T15:42:00.017-04:00

Mrs. Connecticut 2008 was on hand at the state Capitol in Hartford, to accept from State Representative Kevin Del Gobbo, Governor Jodi Rell's proclamation stating that the month of April will become "Connecticut Volunteer Month". Mrs. Piombo And Representative DelGobbo have been working together to create a higher awarness of National Volunteer Month.

By signing the proclamation and creating "Connecticut Volunteer Month", Governor Rell will give statewide organizations the opportunity to recognize and thank volunteers who work tirelessly to improve our communities, during the month of April.

Mrs. Piombo hopes that this proclamation will motivate others to volunteer their time and talent to help Connecticut's most vulnerable residents- the homeless, the hungry,the elderly, at risk youth and the disabled.

New Haven St. Patricks Day Parade!!!

2008-03-09T17:30:00.018-04:00

What a great day in New Haven!

The sun was shining as the St. Patricks parade kicked off on a chilly and blustery day. Mrs. Connecticut got to ride in style with a new 2008 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible sponsored by Blasius Chevrolet.

Over 200,000 people attended Connecticut's largest parade and huge smiles were everywhere! This was my first parade EVER, and it is a memory that I will cherish for a lifetime!

Thank You to My sponsor~ Blasius Chevrolet

2008-03-09T17:22:00.006-04:00

A HUGE Thank you goes out to Blasius Chevrolet for providing me with vehicles to use throughout my reign!

Mrs. Connecticut with Manager Jon Kelly

My New Headshot!

2008-02-25T13:44:00.007-05:00

Thank You! To Viso Bello Day spa of Middlebury for doing my make-up! http://www.visobello.com/ and to my favorite photographer, Ed Ruchman of Middletown, for putting up with me! http://www.emrphoto.com/

Valentine's day Visit at Abbott Terrace

2008-02-15T16:10:00.004-05:00

This afternoon I had the opportunity to personally visit over 200 wonderful residents of Abbott Terrace nursing home. All residents recieved carnations and many of the women tried on my crown. I spoke to one woman who was in tears after seeing the crown and we all wondered why. She explained to us that she was a former contestant in our state in the 1940's and that it brought back such wonderful memories for her. The smiles from that day will be forever in my heart!

What a Great Valentine's Day!

2008-02-15T15:46:00.026-05:00

I Started my morning off bright and early as a special guest at the "Money follows the Person", Legislative event. This Federally funded bill will help people choose wether they want to have home health care or to reside in a nursing home. Currently, the cost of a nursing facility is double the price of a person being treated in the comfort of thier own home. Connecticut has been one of the first states to enact and implement this bill.
Pictured from Left to Right:
Joe Stango, who spearheaded the bill, State Represenative Jeff Berger, Me, State Represenative Kevin Del Gobbo,& State Representative Anthony D'Amelio

Over 300 people attended the event including Donna Palomba founder of "Jane Doe No More" and radio personality Barbara Davitt. All guests were treated to Valentine day roses and had the opportunity to hear in detail about this very important piece of legislation.

With State Representative Selim Noujaim and Mairead Phillips Office of Long Term Care

Miss CT and I at the Palace Theater Marquee Moments Fundraiser!

2007-11-17T11:57:00.000-05:00

I had a great time meeting Miss Connecticut 2007 Dana Daunis! She is great representative for ALL young women in our state ! Her talent for Miss America is singing and WOW what a voice. She appeared in the theaters Poli Club room and belted out some fabulous songs!
We will be cheering her on in January at Nationals!!!
Go Dana!!!

Oscar winning director Ken Burns and I

2007-10-26T13:27:00.000-04:00

The Mattatuck museum luncheon raised over $20,000 in just 2 hours! Mr Burns was in town promoting his newest documentary "The War" which highlights the city of Waterbury. I was proud to be chairing this event and raising so much money for such a great cause!!

My first Appearance with best selling author Alexandra Stoddard

2007-10-25T18:44:00.000-04:00

St. Marys Hospital enlightenment series luncheon with Kick off speaker Alexandra Stoddard. What a great day!! I am the chairwomen of the entire series which helps promote happy healthier women!