Remember Debbie Tims? 1980 Dairy Princess– Mississippi Travel

Debbie Tims, R R I Almonte, was chosen Dairy Princess of Lanark County for 1980. The 21 year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs Joe Tims of the Clayton Road, was crowned Saturday at the first annual dairy princess ball, held this year in the Almonte community centre.

Debbie grew up and lives on her parents’ 275 acre dairy farm She has been working at Mississippi Travel in Carleton Place for the last year, but often goes home and helps with the farm work she said in an interview Monday. Debbie was one of the contestants vying for the honour of being an ambassadress for county milk producers.

Her position will take her this year to visit schools, service clubs, fairs, banquets, parades and other functions to promote better understanding of the milk industry. Debbie was chosen after a private interview and a short public speaking contest at the Almonte arena Saturday .

She was selected by a panel of three judges: Lanark-Renfrew Carleton M P Paul Dic,. Miss Fastern Ontario Tressa Kasian, and Lou Maiura. Special guest at the evening, which featured music by was Ontario Dairy Princess Arlene O ’Neill, who entertained the crowd with an account of her recent trip to visit the dairy producers of the United Kingdom Lanark County Dairy Princess for I979.

Amy Himmelman, also gave her farewell speech at the ceremony. Her last duty of the year will be to compete in the Ontario Dairy Princess contest in Toronto in August. Debbie graduated a year ago from a course in travel consulting at Algonquin College in Ottawa. She has since worked in Carleton Place She said she likes her job, which allows her to meet the public, and is always challenging.

She said the experience may have helped her in the private interview of the dairy contest. She did not feel nervous there, probably because she is used to having to talk to people all day long. Debbie’s hobbies are cooking, listening to music, bicycling, skating, and softball – when she has time. Having been to school in the country as a child, and later going to classes with children in Almonte, Debbie says she came to realize how little children and adults know about dairy farming. Her experience interested her in the job of improving the public’s understanding of the milk industry. As for finding time to be an ambassadress and travel agent at the same time. Debbie says her job has to come first, but she is look toward the challenge.