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[MAY 25, 2001]  Just on the outskirts south of Lincoln sits a unique, small, yet world-famous family-run business. R & K’s Sutlery has supplied authentic reproduction Civil War-period clothing and associated articles for people all over the world. "You name it, from Australia to South Africa," Coons says. "I believe we are the largest sutlery in the world." The sutlery carries a full line of men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, as well as military uniforms, accoutrements and weapons.

The business flowed out of Robert Coon’s 30-year hobby, performing in Civil War re-enactments. When his 29-year job with the utility company ended due to a back injury, it was a natural transition for him to break into the sutlery supply business. His passion, knowledge and expertise have made the business grow in leaps and bounds. He’s been at it for 15 years now, and his business just continues to grow. "I can keep barely keep up with it," Coons says. "Sales keep increasing."

Robert’s wife, Kay, is an important part in running the business. She works mostly in the office, handling orders, making travel arrangements and taking care of many other details. The Coons have brought in two of their grandchildren to help handle the expanding business. Sixteen-year-old Mallory Coons will be in the office full time as soon as school lets out. Brian Baker has been working full time in the family business for some time now and is particularly valuable to his grandfather on the road. They travel all summer long, setting up the store at various re-enactment sites.

The family is looking forward to a big business trip together this summer. Oddly enough it is overseas to England. The English are hosting a large American Civil War re-enactment and have a weekend full of battles and other activities planned. There is a chartered plane taking a large group of military re-enactors over as well.

With their vast stock valued at about $70,000, R & K Sutlery has supplied costuming for a number of movies, re-enactments, two Broadway theater productions and even the opera. "We are capable of coming in and outfitting an entire regiment," Coons says with pride, "and that takes a lot of stock."

•  "C.S.Hunley: A story about the 1st submarine." It was owned by the Confederates and sunk by a Yankee ship. The movie was made by Turner Network.

•  "The Day They Shot Lincoln"

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•  "The Patriot," starring Mel Gibson. This movie is from an earlier time period than the Civil War, but R & K supplied the ladies’ undergarments because they were the same kind.

•  "Last of the Mohicans"

•  "Gettysburg"

•  "The North and the South"

It takes a lot of clothing and miscellaneous articles to fully equip a full military regiment, and then there are two sides to that story. Kay jokingly says they are a "nonpartisan sutlery." They stock military uniforms for both the North and the South. Northerners wore two tones of blue, and the South dressed in gray. The military divisions include infantry (on foot), cavalry (on horseback) and artillery (shooting cannons).

The sutlery carries a vast variety of items. You name it and you will find it. They have specialized buttons, footwear, swords and all sorts of authentic reproduction weapons, ladies’ fans and sun umbrellas, woolen stockings, hats, haversacks, camping gear, and tents.

They have clothing in stock or you can have clothing custom made to fit. With 14 people sewing, they manufacture most of what they sell. You don’t have to be going to a Civil War event to find articles of interest from their products. Many items are quite suitable for modern-day use. Thick, woolen socks are great for winter outdoor activities, and there are decorative and functional accessories like ladies’ fans and gloves.

Most of R & K’s sales are orders that are processed and shipped. The Coonses do invite people to their stock house to shop, though they prefer customers to call and make an appointment. Phone (217) 732-8844.

You can see many of the items the sutlery offers online at their website, http://www.sutlery.com. Their e-mail address is sutlery@sutlery.com.

[Jan Youngquist]

‘Touching Spirit Bear’

[JUNE 20, 2001]   ^“Touching Spirit Bear," Ben Mikaelsen. HarperCollins Publishers, 2000, 241 pages.

Cole Matthews is a violent teen who has been convicted of attacking a classmate, Peter. The attack was so vicious that Peter has neurological damage as well as psychological problems resulting from the attack. Cole is in the biggest trouble of his life.

Just when it looks like prison is the only alternative, he is offered Circle Justice: a system based on Native American culture, traditions and beliefs about healing for the offender and the victim. Cole cons the Circle into believing that he is sincere about the program, but in his heart he is still blaming everyone else for his situation, including his abusive father and alcoholic mother.

As the story opens, Cole is being delivered to a remote island off the Alaskan coast to begin a one-year banishment. He is accompanied by Garvey, his Native American parole officer from Minneapolis, and Edwin, a Tlingit elder who helped arrange the banishment.

When Cole is finally alone on the island he is so full of anger and rage that he immediately burns down the cabin they built for him and everything in it. He attempts to swim to another island, but the freezing water forces him to return. He is wet and cold, his body is sore and bruised, he has no shelter or supplies, and he is totally alone.

Garvey and Edwin tell Cole about a mysterious Spirit Bear of Native American legend. Cole’s anger is so controlling that he is even angry at the bear and decides to kill it if he has the chance. He attacks the bear and is brutally mauled and left for dead.

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We see the first sign of a change in Cole — now badly injured and fighting for his life — through his observations of a nest of baby birds and their mother. During a bad storm the tree is hit by lightning and falls very close to where he is lying, killing the baby birds. Cole mourns their death and reflects on his own life and meaning. He is eventually rescued and spends the next six months in the hospital and rehabilitation.

Cole is a different person after the attack both physically — he has limited use of one arm — and psychologically. He strongly desires to be allowed to return to the island and do it right this time. It takes quite a bit of convincing on the part of Garvey, Edwin and Cole, but the Circle finally agrees to let him return.

Garvey and Edwin stay with him for two weeks while he builds his own shelter and gets settled in. Edwin shares some Tlingit techniques for dealing with his anger, and Cole practices them faithfully. He eventually comes to the conclusion that he will not heal until he can help Peter, the boy he attacked, to heal. Cole’s plan to help Peter is an interesting and uplifting end to the story.

This story is a fascinating journey of self-realization, truth and healing through hardship, confrontation and ritual. Survival through touch love is another major theme.

Gross details about Cole eating worms and a live mouse will appeal to fans of the outdoor/survival genre.

This book is recommended for seventh grade and up.

For more information, visit the library at 725 Pekin St. or call (217) 732-5732.

[Linda Harmon, Lincoln Public Library District]

Released on video Tuesday, March 6, 2001

Rated R     Approx 127 Minutes     DreamWorks Home Entertainment -2000

Written and directed by Rod Lurie

Starring:

Jeff Bridges

Christian Slater

Sam Elliot

Joan Allen

Gary Oldman (also the executive producer)

This movie uses graphic language to describe sexual scenes and presents some nudity.

[MARCH 10, 2001]  The box said “two thumbs up” and “Thriller!”

In recent years, the "two thumbs up" endorsement has meant that I probably was going to find the movie to be a loser. "Thriller" usually means I may endure it but I’m probably not going to be thrilled with it.

However, in the case of "The Contender," both my thumbs are up too, and I am indeed thrilled.

"The Contender" is a gritty movie, a political "action" film of sorts. It is a thriller because you don’t have a clear shot at the plot until it is finally revealed for you. At the end, you look back on the film and say, "Yeah, I should’ve seen that coming."

"The Contender" is gritty because it focuses on a dirty fight between political rivals to appoint a new vice president of the United States. The president (played very aptly by Jeff Bridges) selects a woman, Sen. Lane Hanson of Ohio (Joan Allen), for the job, against the advice of party officials and his own advisers. The previous vice president died somehow in office — but "The Contender" never tries to explain his passing.

The whole plot is wrapped up in the confirmation hearings and the process of bringing an appointee to office or sending ’em off packing.

Gary Oldman plays Sheldon Runyon, the Republican chairman of the selection committee. The highly respected, powerful senator seems bent on not only denying the president his day in the sun but also destroying the very career of Sen. Hanson.

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Two things about this movie made a good impression on me.

First, the acting was excellent. Oldman plays a perfect bad guy in this film (he seems to have the bad-guy act down pat). Jeff Bridges, who I thought incapable of playing a convincing president, stepped up to the plate and delivered. Christian Slater played the part of a freshman congressman who was seeking to do the right thing on principle, and was perfectly cast for the part. Finally, Joan Allen was wonderful in her portrayal of the contender under siege.

Second, the plot was dynamite. This movie seems to make you move away from certain characters and make certain assumptions, but you find yourself making a couple of 90 degree turns before it’s done. In the spirit of "The West Wing," it is full of political intrigue and the power of the Washington scene. "The Contender" is a film about respect and dignity and the rocky road to realizing those two values.

The first hour of the movie has a single weakness: The lack of actors on the set portraying political operatives, appointees, devotees and those holding office makes you believe the story less. They needed a fuller cast to make it seem like Washington and government.

This is not a partisan film about the usual struggle between Republicans and Democrats. Instead it is a story about the dynamics of power, accusation and truth.

So, I recommend this film to you if you enjoy a good thriller, if you enjoy stories about the political struggles of this nation and if you like a good fiction about how truth prevails.

I give it 3½ stars (out of five).

[midge]

midge@lincolndailynews.com

[JUNE 21, 2001]  The newly formed Logan County Arts Association, meeting on Monday at Lincoln Public Library, set up a logo contest, continued to examine its proposed constitution and named possible early projects.

Local artists are asked to submit logo designs that include the name of the organization, Logan County Arts Association, and reflect its mission: "To enhance the quality of life by actively promoting arts dissemination, thereby making the arts an integral component of life in our community and the surrounding area." Designs must be submitted by July 16 to Logan County Arts Association in care of Lincoln-Logan County Chamber of Commerce, 303 S. Kickapoo, Lincoln. The winning logo will be used by the association.

One constitutional issue the group discussed was a privacy statement composed by Marshall Jacobs, acting president. The proposed addition to the constitution and bylaws was modeled on the privacy statement of the European Union and designed to set policy concerning personal information of people who will eventually become part of the organization’s database. The statement, which is more technical than the rest of the constitution, says there will be no unauthorized exchange of private information and, according to Jacobs, covers the association in situations that may arise years from now.

Jacobs said one underutilized program of the Illinois Arts Council supports arts education in schools, and he plans to contact county visual and musical arts teachers early in August to learn about their programs and needs. He hopes to locate possibilities for grants in time to get into the 2002 funding cycle for organizations and schools.

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Larry Steffens, a founding director of the association, recommended that the group undertake a visible project this summer, even before the constitution and other paperwork are finalized, to become an active force in the community. He suggested redesigning and painting the "O Lincoln" mural on the side of McEntire’s Home Appliance and TV at 403 Broadway.

Despite its name, the Logan County Arts Association does not limit its mission to Logan County. Jacobs said that virtually all surrounding counties have arts councils that help local arts organizations find grants and sometimes conduct arts programs. He described Logan County as "the hole in the donut" of surrounding associations; another hole is DeWitt County, which Jacobs hopes may join the Logan association. If that occurs, a name change is possible.

The Logan County Arts Association, officially incorporated on June 8, is seeking not-for-profit status. Six people attended the June 18 meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Public Library. The next meeting is planned for July 16 at the same time and place.

The association plans to contact potential members through Lincoln Community Theatre and Art Fair promotions.

[Lynn Spellman]

[JUNE 8, 2001]  Winners of two pairs of tickets to "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," Lincoln Community Theatre's opening production this summer, are Lisa Ramlow and Judy Kukuck. The ticket contest was sponsored by Lincoln Daily News. Congratulations and enjoy the show, girls!

[MAY 4, 2001]  Sixty-seven young people from second through 12th grades auditioned for Lincoln Community Theatre's upcoming children’s play. Thirty-nine have been cast in what promises to be a delightful rendition of "Tom Sawyer." Performances will be at 7 p.m. June 28 and 29 and at 2 p.m. June 30 and July 1 at the Johnston Center on the Lincoln College campus.

Cast / Characters

Alison Maske of Mount Pulaski — Susan Harper, school girl

Gracie Wood of Lincoln — Gracie Miller, school girl

Brian Welter of Lincoln — Muff Potter, town derelict

Joe Allspach of Mount Pulaski — Sheriff

Anthony Jones of Hartsburg — Injun Joe (dangerous)

Tom Swanson of Lincoln — Doc Robinson, young surgeon

Kaitlyn Przykopanski of Mount Pulaski — Mrs. Walters, Sunday School superintendent

Holly Phillips of Lincoln — Widow Douglas, Aunt Polly's friend 

Julie Wood of Lincoln — Mrs. Harper, Joe's mother 

Brianna Skaggs of Mason City — Amy Lawrence, school girl 

Kelly Dowling of Lincoln — Aunt Polly, Tom's aunt 

Ben Herrington-Gilmore of Lincoln — Tom Sawyer (always in trouble)

Spencer Harris of Lincoln — Huck Finn, Tom's friend (a free spirit)

Alison Kessinger of Lincoln — Cousin Mary, Tom's relative 

Doug Rohrer of Lincoln — Judge Thatcher (new in town) 

Emili Moneyhun of Lincoln — Mrs. Thatcher, the judge’s wife 

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Molly Mathewson of Athens — Becky Thatcher, daughter of Judge and Mrs. Thatcher

Shelby Voyles of Lincoln — Sally, school girl

Payton McVey of Atlanta — Ben Rogers, town boy 

Max Pozsqai of Lincoln — Joe Harper, town boy

Corey Moynahan of Sherman — Alfred Temple, town boy 

Nathaniel King of Lincoln — Mr. Dobbins, schoolmaster 

Patrick Perry of Lincoln — Reverend Sprague, minister 

Townspeople

Emily Berglin, Taylor Berglin, Tony Curcuru, Kelsey Dallas, Nettie Duncan, Stephen Duncan, Greg Gandenberger, Luke Hanger, Katy Reynolds, Moses Rogers and Todd Schumacher, all of Lincoln; Joel Rankin of Mount Pulaski; Jillian Nichole Dowell of Kenney; Darci Dixon of Athens; Tanner Milan of Sherman; and Emma Jo Schumacher of Springfield

Coleen McLaughlin-Moore is the director, Miranda Stone is technical director, and Rachel Washam is audiovisual technician.

The local production of "Tom Sawyer," by Tim Kelly, is presented by special arrangement with publisher IE Clark.

For more information see the LCT website, www.geocities.com/lincolncommunitytheatre. 

Lincoln Community Theatre’s (LCT) website is up and available. The site serves a number of functions, from providing information on becoming a season ticket holder to showing what new productions are being planned. Pictures from last season's productions are also posted.

If you are interested in joining a performance or just going to see one, visit LCT’s website at www.geocities.com/lincolncommunitytheatre/index.html, e-mail LCT at lincolncommunitytheatre@yahoo.com, or write to Lincoln Community Theatre, P.O. Box 374, Lincoln, IL  62656.

[LDN]

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