By Stefan Vilcins
“Utter shock was the first reaction,” Clement says of the backlash the city experienced when it was announced as the pageant site last March. “People were amazed that Gary would even have the audacity to compete for the honor of hosting the pageant.”
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While the specifics of the bid that he assembled are still confidential, he says that other than the promise of hotel accommodations, food, and transportation for the Miss USA delegates and staff–“no-brainer stuff,” as Clement puts it–there were few contractual guarantees made by the city. Along with the $1.2 million the basics would cost, Gary would also have to pay the $800,000 ‘site fee,’ a fee that Clement says is standard for the host city each year.
That each side might benefit is what makes this odd marriage so ideal. Clement is the first to acknowledge, though, that this three-year contract is just another puzzle piece in his master plan for Gary, which is to get back what has been lost over the past 30 years. He thinks the real value of the event lies in the publicity that it can create.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Nathan Mandell.
