Seven Contestants to Compete for Title of Mardi Gras Queen

The Northern Rhode Island Council for the Arts has released the final list of contestants running for Queen of Woonsocket's 2012 Mardi Gras celebration.

The following women will be selling $1 raffle tickets to vie for the title. You can also vote for your favorite queen when your order your ticket to Mardi Gras 2012. Order your ticket by calling Lorraine Cloutier at (401) 762-9072 and tell her which contestant you support. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Jackie Boudreau was a resident of Woonsocket for many years before moving to North Smithfield. She has been employed at in Human Resources for 23 years. She is a member of the Woonsocket Health & Racquetball Club and Shape Up Rhode Island. Jackie's special interests are event planning and coordinating drives for the United Way and the R. I. Blood Center. Her hobbies are traveling, exercising and gardening. She enjoys being a grandmother and spending time with her family. Jackie has attended many Council of the Arts functions including the Mardi Gras Balls and would like to be Mardi Gras Queen to help fund what she feels is an excellent cause in the community. She is married to Rene Boudreau and mother of Jason Levreault of Handen, Ct. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Jean Bileau of Woonsocket.

Arianna Ciosek resides in Cumberland and is presently employed as a graphic designer at in Woonsocket. She also works as a waitress at on Cherry Street and Bucci's Breakfast Place in Albion. She belongs to Club 11 at Diamond Hill vineyards and has volunteered for the March of dimes. Her favorite interest is the dart league and has won an award for being #1 in total percentage overall in games in the Fall of 2010 and 2011. Arianna is presently taking classes at RISD in continuing education for graphic design. She is also creative in designing wedding invitations, save-the-dates and calligraphy. Her hobbies are skiing, dancing, karaoke and arts. She would like to be Mardi Gras Queen to help the Northern Rhode Island Council of the Arts continue bringing cultural events to our community as they have done for so many years.

Michelle Anne Couchon is a resident of North Smithfield and is employed as a security officer for R. I. Bureau of Investigation in Providence.  She is a longstanding member of Ocean State Baptist Church in Smithfield.  Michelle is author of the self-help book "I Will Fear No Evil", former journalist for Woonsocket Patch and the Christian Newspaper "The Good News Today".  She is currently working on her second novel.  She enjoys exercise, outdoor sports and spending time with her children.  She would like to be Mardi Gras Queen to participate in a fund raiser and become involved in the community.  Michelle and her husband, Chris, are parents of two children, CJ, age 15 and Sydney, age 10.

Chandler Madison Cross is a graduating senior at and works part time as a singer at TheFudgery at the Wrentham Mall Outlet in Wrentham, MA. She is a member of the National Honor Society, Mt. St. Charles Glee Club, Senior Choir, lead singer/band with SAVID, Senior Drama Club and "Paramount" Acapella Singing Group. Chandler has been performing since she was 4 years old and was a Hollywood finalist 2011 American Idol. She is interning at Providence Performing Arts Center with Disney Touring Co. of "Mary Poppins" and recently performed at Frozen Fenway Park 2012. Her special interests and hobbies are singing, song writing, playing guitar and the performing arts. She would like to be Queen of the Mardi Gras because NRICA is a great supporter of the arts and community and wants to help achieve their goals and continued support of the community. She resides in Woonsocket with her parents, Charles and Sharon Cross, has one brother, Barclay Close and grandmother, Barbara Cross.

Emily Forte has resided in Cumberland for 30 years and recently moved to Albion where she now resides. She has been a very familiar face at Eggs Up Restaurant in Cumberland for 18 years plus. Some of the things she enjoys doing are baking, cooking, reading, music, being with family and friends and working out as a member of Fore Court Fitness and Racquetball Club. She has been involved in raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society doing her first Triathlon in NYC and also raised money for The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk. Emily was very flattered to be recommended as a contestant in the Mardi Gras Queen Contest and said it will be a lot of fun to be involved, socialize and raise money for the Northern Rhode Island Council of the Arts to keep this cultural event in the community. She is the mother of two beautiful daughters, Alicia and AnnMarie who reside in Cumberland.

Ainsley Morisseau Cantoral is a proud resident of Woonsocket where she has lived on and off her whole life. Prior to moving back to the City in 2009, she attended RI College and lived in Texas for two years where she received her graduate degree from Texas A&M University. Moving back to Rhode Island to work in the nonprofit sector, she joined (NWBRV) in 2008 to convene a national pilot program called "Our Neighborhoods". In her free time, Ainsley works with the National Heritage Corridor, volunteers for the United Way Young Leaders Circle, participates in the RI Foundation's Emerging Leaders Mentor Program and serves as a 2007 class representative and regional rep for her alumni network at Texas A&M. Her hobbies include sewing, reading, learning Spanish and spending time with her new husband and their two dogs.

Tina Rivard is a partner in a specialty shop on Main Street in Woonsocket. She has worked in the food and beverage industry for more than 20 years and decided to shift her career to dealing in antiques. She enjoys reading and helping the less fortunate. Tina was a contestant in last year's Mardi Gras Queen Contest and wanted to run again because she is a strong supporter of the arts and would like to help NRICA continue to make Mardi Gras one of Woonsocket's major events. She and her husband Michael reside in Woonsocket and are parents of five children; Christopher, Matthew, Kathryn, Jacob and Tyler and grandparents of Madison and Nicholas.

The Queen's Coronation will be held at , 91 Main Street, Woonsocket on Sunday, Feb. 5 from 1 to 3 p.m. The 1st prize for the raffle drawing is $300. 2nd prize is an overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express and 3rd prize is a gift certificate to Coachmen's Lodge.