Newspaper Page Text
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♦ SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2006
Local resident appears as extra on soap
By KRISTY WARREN
Journal Staff Writer
There are parents of an
up and coming star in our
midst.
Kari Geddes, 20-year-old
daughter of Houston Springs
residents, Sandy and Sharon
Geddes, is living the life of
the struggling actress in
New York.
She was recently in an
episode of ABC’s “One Life
to Live”.
Geddes moved to New
York from Orlando the sum
mer after high school, as
her parents were moving to
Houston Springs.
In May, she graduated
from the School for Film and
Trick or treat - The sweet history of the tootsie roll
It’s that time of year
again when “beggars”
will be knocking on your
door for tricks or treats or
you will be attending a huge
festival at the church of your
choice.
No matter which way you
celebrate the fall season
with treats and candy, you
are likely to come home with
or give out a sweet little
piece of candy that has been
around for an astounding
110 years!
Whether you actually like
them or not, Tootsie Roll
candies are a time tested
tradition. Do you remember
going to the store as a child
Shoes that*!! take you to the front of the line
It’s all about the shoes.
High heels, that is.
For the first time in
my life, after hundreds of
flights, I missed a plane.
This was owing to the fact
that every parking space at
the airport was taken so the
lots were
closed
while ill
tempered
sec u -
rity men
blocked all
entrances
with their
cars.
I t
sounds so
ridiculous
that when
IBP ****
Ronda Rich
Columnist
I called the folks waiting at
the other end of the trip for
me that I added, “And just
so you’ll know: when I was a
kid, the dog regularly ate my
homework.”
But it happened.
I always dress up when I fly.
First, because it’s just what
I do and, second, because
I never know if I’ll meet
someone who I wouldn’t
want to meet while dressed
in anything but my best.
On that particular day,
I was dressed in cropped
pants, a chiffon shirt with
fluttery sleeves and very
high-heeled bronze-colored
pumps. Leaving the ticket
counter, after arranging
for another flight, I heard,
“Wow! Look at those stilet
tos!”
I turned to see a hand
some guy, obviously an air
line employee.
He grinned. “Looking
good in those stilettos!” He
circled his finger and thumb
together, to signal “okay.”
For the first time in two
hours, I smiled. “Thank
you!” I called out with a
wink as I headed toward my
gate.
After a stop for newspa
pers, I was walking to secu
rity when someone caught
up and fell into step with
me.
“You are killin’ me in
those stilettos.” It was the
guy from earlier.
I stopped. “You are so
sweet and you are really
making my day. It’s been
a bit of aggravation to this
point.”
“Really?” He paused.
“What happened?”
I explained and he listened
intently (something women
love).
Then, he delivered the
best pick-up line I’ve ever
heard handed to me.
Television in Manhattan,
N.Y. Moving from Florida
to New York was a huge
change for Geddes, but “I’m
starting to fall in love with
it,” she said.
“I love being able to go to
Broadway shows whenever I
want to.”
She has been entertain
ing for as long as she can
remember. In middle school,
Geddes would put on “little
performances” with friends.
She bought plays that she
would direct and produce
herself and perform with
friends at the local library.
When she was younger, she
said she vividly remembers
dressing up her friend’s
younger brother and putting
and purchasing “penny”
candy?
Amazingly enough, Tootsie
Roll candies still cost a penny
a piece.
This little round piece of
chewy chocolate candy was
one of the first candies to
be individually wrapped and
sold for a penny, it’s original
price.
Austrian immigrant Leo
Hirsfield began making this
family recipe for candy in a
small storefront and chose
to name his candy “Tootsie”
after his 5-year old daugh
ter.
His confection became so
popular that he opened a
“Hmmm,” he replied,
shaking his head and look
ing appropriately woeful.
“And on top of all of it,
you’ve gone off and left your
wedding band at home.”
He threw his hands up in
mock despair over my trail
of bad luck. I started laugh
ing.
You’ve got to allow your
self to be lured into a better
mood by such an ingenious
flirt. I played along.
“I didn’t leave it at home,”
I replied gamely. “I’m not
married.”
He threw his hands up
and looked heavenward.
“Thank you, sweet Lord
Jesus!”
That began a longer con
versation. Then, like the
well-trained flirt he was, he
asked, “Is there any way I
can help to make your day
\ Just Fill Out & Return The Form Below Or Call Our Office At 478-987-1823 '
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on a magic show.
In high school, Geddes
became more serious with
her acting, getting involved
with the high school theater
Mk ■%' \|
GEDDES
career.
She said she has “amaz
ing parents who are so sup
portive,” and she is grateful
four-story candy story nine
years later and the compa
H
Jillinda Falen
Antiques
The company begin to grow
and prosper and amazingly
survived the great depres
sion.
In 1931 the Tootsie Pop,
better?”
I glanced over at the long,
snaking security line that
was taking about 45 minutes
to clear then cut my eyes
back over to him.
I smiled slyly. “Is there
any way you can get me to
the front of that line?”
He slapped his hands
together.
“Absolutely, lovely lady.
You just come with me.”
In less than two min
utes, he delivered me to the
metal detector after hold
ing my arm and weaving
me through the crowd while
saying, “Please clear the
way. We have royalty coming
through.”
Embarrassing, yes.
Especially when some of
the folks fell for it. But it
worked.
And, since I didn’t want to
P.O. Box 1910 • 1210 Washington Street • Perry, CA 31069
478-987-1823
LOCAL
her mom let her go all the
way to New York to pursue
her dream.“l know she was
scared,” said Geddes.
Her parents had the
opportunity to visit her in
New York for her graduation
in May.
The ceremony was held
at a movie theater where
the class’s final reels were
shown. Shots for the final
reel were shot on location
with a real director, real film
crew and hair and make-up
artists.
Geddes said her favorite
part of school was the oppor
tunity to work in the indus
try.
She took part in intern
ships that provided her with
department
and per
forming in
community
theater.
When the
time came
for college,
Geddes
decided she
would like
to pursue
acting as a
a hard candy lollipop with
a Tootsie Roll center was
developed. You kids that
grew up in the 70s remem
ber the commercial with the
“wise owl” who answered
the boy’s question of how
many licks does it take to get
the the center of a Tootsie
Pop by taking the kids lolly
andlicking it three times and
then chomping it in half!
Tootsie Rolls and Pops
became a staple of World
War II rations for the troops
for “quick energy” and in the
1950 s became commercially
marketed on kids shows like
Howdy Doody, Rin Tin Tin
and Rocky and Bullwinkle.
ny name
became
“The
Sweets
Company
o f
America”
and was
registered
with the
New York
Stock
Exchange.
miss a second flight in the
same day, I didn’t complain.
Of course, it all started
with the high heels. The
spiked heels started it all,
turning a disastrous day into
a delightful one.
A couple of Weeks later,
a woman, wearing sensible
shoes, approached me after
a speaking engagement.
“How on earth do you
stand in those shoes?” she
asked. “You surely are ruin
ing your feet and legs.”
Irritated, I glanced despair
ingly at the drab, low-heeled
loafers she wore.
“Let me ask you some
thing. Have those shoes ever
gotten you to the front of an
airport security line?”
Puzzled, she blinked. “I
don’t know what you’re talk
ing about.”
I smiled smugly. “You
connections at CBS, where
everyone was so helpful in
answering any questions she
had about the business.
As extra theater experi
ence, she helped in the plays
her teacher produced.
Since graduation, Geddes
said she is “the typical strug
gling actor,” working at a
restaurant, taking delivery
calls.
She is also working with a
theater company behind the
scenes doing sound, hoping
to get a part later this year.
“My passion is in theater.”
Geddes said. Other than her
parts in “One Life to Live,”
since in New York, she has
been an understudy for the
character of Nina in the pro
The company grew and
expanded through the 60s
and 70s, opening operations
across the globe and in 1978
named Ellen Gordon, only
the second woman to be
elected president of a com
pany listed with the New
York Stock Exchange.
The company acquired the
Charms Company in 1988
and added the Charms and-
Blow Pops candies to their
portfolio becoming the
world’s largest lollipop pro
ducer.
In the last couple of
decades, the company has
acquired other candy mak
ing companies and has major
would, if you had ever worn
shoes like this!”
Ronda Rich is the best
selling author of What
Southern Women Know
(That Every Woman Should)
and The Town That Came
A-Courtin ’.
Bonaire Church of Christ
“Speaking Where The Bible Speaks. ”
Visitors Always Welcome!
Sunday Services:
Bible Study 10 a.m.
Worship 11 a.m.
Evening Worship 6 p.m.
Wednesday Bible Study 7 p.m.
PHILLIP STUCKEY, Evangelist
459 South Highway 247, Bonaire, GA
HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL
duction of “Dracula.”
She is also continuing to
tuke classes to stay current
and to keep developing her
craft.
“I feel like I have a lot more
to learn,” she said. “I’m so
excited because I’m studying
with the renowned acting
teacher, Freddie Kareman.”
Kareman studied under
the famous acting teach
er Sandy Meisner at The
Neighborhood Playhouse
School of Theater.
“For me it’s a dream to
study with hi m, ” said Geddes.
“He’s brilliant because you
can tell he knows how to
teach. I can’t even explain
how happy it makes me to be
in his class.”
production facilities in the
U.S. Canada and Mexico.
They now produce over 60
million Tootsie Rolls a day
and more than 20 million
lollipops daily!
Think about that when
you are chomping on those
chewy little chocolates this
time of year!
Jillinda Falen is the owner
of Carrie Lynn ’s Antiques in
Perry and has been collect
ing and selling antiques for
over 22 years. She is also
an estate liquidation expert.
You may contact her via
the Houston Daily Journal,
carrielynnstci alltel.net or
www.antiquesingeorgia.com
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