One Too Many Beauty Queens

Colorado had two reigning beauty queens after an arbitrator in Denver reinstated a woman who was deposed and contest officials refused to comply. Regina Flores, the first Latina named Miss Colorado, said she was fired without cause and replaced by her runner-up. She sued to get her title back and the rights to $11,000 in scholarship money. An arbitrator ordered her reinstated for the rest of her term, which ends next month. Later, the contest board of directors held a news conference with runner-up Gina Waegele, saying she is still Miss Colorado. Flores was fired Dec. 30 after pageant officials said she took a part-time job at a store without approval, let her mother book her appearances and missed an appearance in Russia.