She helps them

`Figure it Out'

By MANDY WHITE
KINGSVILLE TOWNSHIP - Llamas, sweaters, slime and Christen Amidon all have
something in common.
You can see them on TV in April, courtesy of the Nickelodeon Network game show
"Figure It out," which searches countrywide for kids with a talent for the unusual.
Amidon, an eighth-grade student at Braden Junior High School, definitely fits that
category.
She works on Windy Ridge Farm, where her family breeds llamas. She does the training.
Christen has two champion llamas to her credit. She shows them at llama shows, is the
Ohio State and Eastern Regional Youth Performance champion (meaning she can run a
llama through an obstacle course with her eyes closed), and also shears the furry mammals
for thread. Of the 18 llamas on Windy Ridge Farm, Amidon loves to shear Calico Kid, a
beautiful multicolored llama, the best.
After shearing the llamas, the wool is cleaned and dyed. Amidon's mother, Nancy, said a
common way to dye wool is with Kool-aid. Nancy then takes the wool and spins it into
thread with a spinning wheel, Christen then takes a loom and weaves the thread into a
colorful, warm, 100 percent llama wool sweaters.
It's only natural considering Christen's penchant for Peruvian pets that she thought she'd
be a natural contestant for the show.

CHRISTEN ON the set of "Figure It Out."

She wrote the producers at the address flashed at the end of the show and then promptly
forgot about it. Within a few weeks, she was contacted by the producers and asked to
send a video of herself working with llamas. Amidon sent the video and was soon notified
that she was to be a contestant on "Figure It Out."
"I was so excited I was just jumping up and down when I first heard," she said.
Amidon and her family were flown to Universal Studios in Orlando for the segment, so
they decided to make a vacation of it and stay the week. The Amidon family toured
Universal Studios and the "Figure It Out" set, which father Bill said Christen and sister
Kelsey - both Nickelodeon watchers - enjoyed.
"They kept pointing out the sets and saying, `Oh look at that!' But I had no idea where this
stuff was from," he said.
"Figure It Out" airs 6 p.m. nightly and has a simple premise: a group of actor panelists has
a certain amount of time to guess the special talent of each guest contestant. If they don't
succeed, they're slimed by the contestants.
For Amidon's segment, the producers couldn't decide exactly what her featured talent
should be. Finally, it was decided Amidon's talent would be making sweaters out of llama
hair. The next problem was where to find a llama.
"It would be too hard to bring a llama all the way from Ashtabula," Amidon explained.
"So they had to rent one in Florida."
Silky, the chosen llama, worked very well, Amidon added. Many llamas don't seem to
mind the attention and bright lights, as horses or other nervous creatures would.
"It didn't even blink," Amidon said with a laugh.
Amidon wasn't too worried about being on TV. "I wasn't really nervous because everyone
made it so enjoyable," Amidon said. "Everyone was really very nice. It's not how you hear
about people on shows never getting along."
Some of the other contestants had pretty interesting talents also. Amidon said that the
program included kids who were hot dog testers, had dogs who jump rope double-Dutch
fashion and who invented super-duper fly swatters with sticky covers.
Amidon got to slime one of the panelists. No, we won't give away who. You'll have to
watch it yourself. Even better, she got autographs from each contestant, which she said
was the best part, especially Taran Noah Smith, who plays Marc on "Home
Improvement."
"I liked meeting the panelists who were really nice. Taran Noah Smith, he's so tall!"
Amidon also received lots of goodies for being a contestant. Sketchers, a tennis shoe
provided by the sponsor (Dad said she hasn't taken them off yet), an 18-speed bicycle and
a $200 gift certificate from a sporting-goods store were included.
That, along with some happy memories from Florida and a great story to tell about llamas
and slime. Pretty cool? You figure it out.

CHRISTEN AMIDON (left) at Nickelodeon Studios with mom Nancy and sister Kelsey.

STUFF

Spotlight

"BRRRING, BRRRING!"
If that's the telephone, it just may be for Kim Norris.
Norris is a freshman at Jefferson Area High School. But she's better known to patrons of
the Jefferson Community Center, who will recognize her as a part-time staffer.
"On certain days, I come in and answer the phones and stuff," Norris said.
How did Norris latch on to this part-time vocation? Well - turns out she's got some real
big-time connections. She met Rec Center Director Marc Glotzbecker when they both
were working in Jefferson's Safety Town program.
When the community center opened, Norris asked Glotzbecker to put her to work. Now
she hangs out behind the check-in desk after school and on Saturdays.
Norris is busy in school, too. She plays clarinet in the Falcons marching band, sings in the
choir and videotapes basketball games.
She also hopes to make the majorette squad next year. But - like that baton - her
long-term plans remain up in the air.
"I haven't decided yet," she said when asked about her career plans. "I'm still thinking."

In concert

Everybody's favorite local bands Spill and Mosquito Bitten Bastards, as well as Elegy, will
be rocking Saturday from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Geneva Civic Center.
Money will benefit the Geneva Food Pantry and JOGS. No, that isn't a group of runners.
It stands for Jobs for Ohio's Graduates.
Cost is $4, or a measly, tiny, itty bitty $2 with a canned good. Hey, that's no more than the
cost of a Diet Coke at the movie theatre.
Oh, and as for those canned goods, don't make them all kidney beans or generic lima
beans.

All about fashion

Ursuline College in Pepper Pike recently hosted a fashion and interior design fair for high
school students and among those attending were Megan DePetro and Megan McCoy of
West Geauga High School.
Not only did they get to speak with luncheon speaker Kristine Haiflich, who does
displays at Nodstrom at Beachwood Place, but it confirms our belief most - if not all -
West Geauga females are named Megan.
It's the fashionable name.

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Appearing in March 12, 1998 STAR BEACON

ROBERT LEBZELTER / Star Beacon