jsimp

Suitors say `I do!' to a mom's proposal

by Jennifer Rosinski
Monday, August 18, 2003


Kimberly Devlin and her parents have a message for the lovelorn: Make it a contest and the men will come.


The 22-year-old's parents opened their Southbridge home yesterday to a dozen suitors from Boston to Clinton. The men came armed with essays and head shots, all hoping to walk away with the love of Devlin and her 4-year-old daughter, Kara, in one month.

Twenty more from as far as California and Pennsylvania called or wrote Devlin for a chance at love.

``At first I thought she was crazy. Now I'm glad she watched the TV show,'' Devlin said of her mother, Donna Wood, who got the idea after watching NBC's ``Who Wants to Marry My Dad?''

The reality-show based contest will end with Mr. Right - chosen by the five-member selection committee - taking Devlin on a romantic trip to a Cape Cod bed and breakfast.

``She would never have met any of these gentleman otherwise. And I found it very safe,'' said Devlin's mother, Donna Wood. ``The guys were great that came. We didn't get any weirdos or sickos.''

Even so, Wood said some of the outdoor barbecue guests were lacking. One man looked as though he hadn't seen the inside of a shower in a few months. Another had trouble with the English language - and he spoke no other.

``I asked one guy if he had any siblings. He said no, but then he said he loves his sister very much,'' Wood said. ``Her standards are low, but not that low. We actually got a couple guys worse than what she's brought home.''

The worst the Woods have seen was Devlin's last boyfriend - a scruffy, tattooed man with multiple piercings. Her daughter, Kara, was petrified of him.

Two men were eliminated because they didn't meet the criteria. All suitors must be between 21 and 30 with no criminal record, a love for children and animals, a steady job and transportation.

Extra credit goes to men who share with Devlin a love of horses, movies, long walks and dogs.

Although 10 men will move on to the next round of outings this weekend, Devlin and the panel of judges already have their collective eye on one man they refuse to name.

``I already have a favorite,'' Devlin said. ``I am already taken with him.''

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Tinseltown via Southbridge: Mass. hubby hunt made for TV

by Jennifer Rosinski
Tuesday, August 19, 2003

A mother's quest to marry off her daughter will send a Southbridge family to Hollywood next month for 15 minutes of fame on a new television talk show.


The Wood family and their love-deprived daughter, Kimberly Devlin, will be flown to Los Angeles at the end of next month for a stint on a brand new show hosted by Sharon Osbourne - the potty-mouthed brains behind metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne. ``I'd love to meet Sharon Osbourne,'' Donna Wood exclaimed with delight yesterday, one day after hearing from the show's representatives.

Donna and her husband Peter, their 22-year-old daughter, 4-year-old granddaughter, Kara, and the five judges - who will whittle the 10 hopefuls down to two finalists - will be winging their way west at the end of September. The winner will be chosen on air, but it's unclear who will do the picking.

Early yesterday Donna Wood said she expects to sign a contract that will bar them from discussing their contest - ``Who Wants to Marry My Daughter?'' - with any other media outlets until the show airs.

Last night Donna Wood said a contract had arrived, but when asked if the family will be paid for their television appearance, she laughed and refused to answer the question.

She did say, however, that the family will be making two trips to Hollywood, but wouldn't say why.

The contest began when 12 suitors showed up at the Wood home Sunday morning. Two were asked to leave by day's end. The remaining hopefuls will continue on several group and individual outings over the next month.

Some neighbors were appalled by Sunday's spectacle, while others laughed it off. Many don't understand why a 22-year-old needs help to find a man.

``It's not like she's 50. It's not like she's on her last leg,'' said one Lebanon Street neighbor. ``I think it's crazy.''

Not to the men who showed up.

Bill Deck of Clinton - one of four Bills to vie for Devlin's heart - said the opportunity to try something new and meet new people brought him to Southbridge on Sunday.

``My friends said, why not just go for it? Worst case scenario you don't get picked, but you meet some new people and have fun for a day,'' said Deck, 24.

``I'm not desperate. Maybe some other guys might be, but I'm not. At least I have the guts to do it. People can laugh all they want, but at least I tried it.''

For Rick Clancy of Ware, the contest is a way of putting an end to his mother's impatience.

``This just seems like something my mother would try to do for me,'' he said. ``I get a lot of slack from my mom and sister that I'm 30, not married and have no kids. Maybe this will shut them up for a while.''

When asked his thoughts on Devlin, Clancy got a little tongue-tied.

``Oh, she's very cute. A little, tiny petite thing,'' he said. ``Really cute.''

Next-door neighbor Bruce Larochelle never thought the Woods would have the audacity to pull the contest off. While it's not the way he'd like his 11-year-old son to meet women when he grows up, Larochelle said he wishes Devlin and her family the best of luck.

``Nowadays, pretty much everything goes because you've seen it on TV. But this is an original,'' he said. ``When I first saw the sign I said to myself, (Wood) must be mad at her daughter to put this stuff out there.''

What surprises Larochelle and his neighbors the most is how popular the story has become. His business partner called from Virginia a few days ago to say the Wood family and its contest were on the news.

``Do you think Jerry Springer is next?'' Larochelle said.

Brenda Nardone of Dudley - one of the five judges - says Wood has the best intentions for her daughter.

``This is a mother trying to help her daughter,'' she said. ``I don't think it's wrong. Even if it don't work out, what harm is there in it?''