This year’s May Festival Royalty are (L-R) Princesses Kelsey Hughes, Kylie Richardson, Naomi Peters and Queen Madison Hatch. The girls, all juniors at Oroville High School, had personal interviews from a panel of judges and then on Selection Night last

OROVILLE – Madison Hatch, the daughter of Bill and Moya Hatch, was chosen as this year’s Oroville May Festival Queen at the annual Selection Night held last Monday.

Hatch, Kelsey Hughes, Naomi Peters and Kylie Richardson were all vying for queen’s crown. Prior to the start of Selection Night, each girl had a personal interview before a panel of judges that included Helen Casey, Pat Davisson, Kevin Terrace, Kathy Jones and Nancy Roberts, according to Oroville School District Superintendent Steve Quick, the emcee for the evening.

Following introductions of the judges, ballot officials and stair escorts, as well as Reigning 2010 May Festival Royalty Queen Brandy Range and Princess Cheyanne Sharp, the four girls each gave their candidate’s speech.

Candidate Hughes, the daughter of Jack and Mary Hughes, said one of her best memories of May Festival was getting to act as a stand-in for one of the princesses when she was a little girl at a rehearsal and getting to stand-in for the queen and “pretend that she was the May Festival Queen” was the best.

Among Richardson’s “May Day Moments” were participating in the May Pole Dance and having a quilt she made displayed during May Festival. Her father and step mother are Tod and Sharon Richardson and her mother and step-father are Silvie and David Hilstad. Peters, whose parents are Laara and Stephan (Thomas) Kessler, said she loved to watch the May Festival Parade each year. Hatch recalled when she was Eighth Grade Princess.

While the girls changed for their next event, emcee Quick asked if there were any past May Festival Queens in the audience and five or six could be seen standing up in the stands.

The girls then had the Modeling and Poise Competition, where one at a time gowned candidate walked across the stage, down the stairs and along a lighted “catwalk” in front of those gathered to vote for their festival queen.

Hughes had the first impromptu question. She was asked what was the best advice she ever got from her parents. “They told me to always stick up for what I believe in and if I want to do something I should do it,” she said.

Kylie was asked what changes she would make if she were principal. Her answer, “I would change the school lunch, because I don’t think it is very wonderful” got a laugh from the audience and from Quick, the former high school principal.

Peters was asked where she would take a visitor around the county. “I would definitely take a visitor to our lake… it is such a great attraction, there is something for everyone to do there.”

Hatch was asked what advise she would give a sixth-grader about to enter junior high regarding peer pressure. “Always be true to yourself and stand up for what you believe in,” she said.

As the audience was asked to cast their vote and the votes were gathered, Quick explained that each girl had signed a contract stating the responsibilities and behavior expected for May Festival Royalty. He also explained that the panel of judges’ votes would count toward 65 percent of which candidate would be selected queen and that the community ballots counted for 35 percent.

Ballot officials Erin McKinney, Carrie Allie and Shay Shaw took the ballots to the high school office to be tallied. After a short intermission Quick announced that Hatch had been selected this year’s May Festival Queen. 2010 Queen Brandy congratulated Queen Madison with a bouquet of roses and all four members of the royal court posed for pictures and mingled with their family and friends following the announcement.