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‘Treemendous Tree’ Contest

[APRIL 9, 2002]  The Logan County Master Gardeners are springing forward with several activities to promote horticulture in the county. Mark your calendars for April 27, when they will have a plant sale, planned to become an annual event. Perennials and houseplants will be available for purchase at the Extension office located at 980 Postville Drive.

The group will celebrate Arbor Day by sponsoring several activities April 30 through the first of May. Kickoff of the Arbor Day activities will be on April 30. Larry Mayhan, author of "In Search of Big Trees," will be the guest speaker at the Logan County Extension building at 7 p.m. This meeting is open to the public, and you are cordially invited to attend.

The Master Gardeners are also sponsoring a "Treemendous Tree" Contest, searching out the biggest trees of Logan County. All residents and property owners of Logan County are eligible to enter. Entry forms will be available at local banks and businesses throughout the county. Entries will close May 3, with trees being measured the following week and certificates awarded. [See more information on the tree contest.]

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Don’t know where to put those plants you bought at the plant sale? The Master Gardeners will host a garden walk in Lincoln on June 8. Eight beautiful gardens in Lincoln will be featured. Highlights include gardens with water features, antique roses and the Scully estate. The gardens are truly inspiring and will give you many great ideas as well as an enjoyable day about town.

It is the goal of the Master Gardeners to encourage citizens of Logan County to develop a greater appreciation for horticulture in their community. Interested in becoming a Master Gardener? Classes will begin this fall. The group encourages all people who are interested in gardening to "grow" along with them.

If you have any questions, please direct them to John Fulton at 732-8289.

[News release]

[APRIL 10, 2002]  ^"Everything’s Eventual: 14 Dark Tales." Stephen King. Scribner. 459 pages.

Review by Bobbi Reddix

Stephen King’s latest work, "Everything’s Eventual," is currently on the New York Times bestseller list, and the reason becomes obvious after reading this collection of stories.

Generally when doing a book review, I like to review books by little-known authors in an attempt to introduce readers to some great new or little-known authors of fiction. But in the case of this book, I was compelled to urge the readers of short stories to give it a try.

A lot of us die-hard Stephen King fans have been a bit disappointed with his last few books, but I am pleased to say that he does not disappoint with this latest work.

"Autopsy Room 4" is a classic horror tale. It doesn’t need guts and gore to make it work. The suspense throughout keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story is classic and predictable, but it’s still a thrill to go along for the ride. In this story we meet Mr. Howard Cottrell, who awakens to find himself confused, in the dark and totally paralyzed. The sounds of the voices surrounding him suggest that the darkness is caused not by some temporary blindness but by the fact that he is currently inhabiting a body bag. As suggested by the title, that body bag is on its way to "Autopsy Room 4."

"Riding the Bullet" is the story of Alan Parker, who is hitchhiking across the country to see his dying mother and winds up taking a very different journey from the one he originally planned.

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"LT’s Theory of Pets" is a delightfully humorous story in which LT uses his theory concerning cats, dogs and their relationship with their owners as an indication of the owners’ relationship to one another. Unfortunately for LT, but fortunately for the reader, the story doesn’t remain humorous for very long.

"The Man in the Black Suit" is one of my favorites in this collection. It evokes memories of tales once used to scare little boys and girls into being good. A young boy goes fishing one day and happens upon the devil…

"The Death of Jack Hamilton" takes us to a day in the life of the infamous Johnnie Dillinger.

"The Little Sisters of Eluria" is an eerie tale that complements King’s "Dark Tower" series. It’s a must read for followers of King’s character Roland from that series.

"Everything’s Eventual" deals with an unpopular youth with a remarkable talent who is offered the chance of a lifetime — to help rid the world of evil. He soon begins to regret his choice.

In this collection of short stories Stephen King masterfully uses a mixture of humor and horror in a way that only he can. The subjects of his stories range from gunslinger to divorcée to salesman to nerdy teenager, but King manages to take each of these characters and put them in situations that quickly change from humorous to horrifying.

[Bobbi Reddix, Lincoln Public Library District]

• Lincoln Community Theatre

• Logan County Arts Association

Next exhibit at Lincoln College

[APRIL 11, 2002]  Lincoln College presents its annual exhibit of student photography from April 11 to 19 in the Layman Gallery of the McKinstry Library on the college campus.

The public is cordially invited to the opening and reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, April 11.

Regular hours are 3:30 to 9 p.m. Sunday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The gallery is closed on Saturday.

For more information, call (217) 732-3155.

[Lincoln College news release]

[picture by Brooke Huskins]

Hartsburg-Emden High School musical

[APRIL 10, 2002]  Hartsburg-Emden High School will be presenting "A Connecticut Yankee – The Musical," by Tim Kelly, on Saturday, April 13, at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, April 14, at 2 p.m. at the high school.

The public is invited to come along on a tuneful journey to Camelot to experience the thrilling days of King Arthur and the knights and ladies of the Round Table, seasoned with the delightful humor of Mark Twain. Hank Morgan, a teenager who works on his school’s stage crew, is knocked out by a co-worker and finds himself in Camelot, England, where he predicts an eclipse of the sun and is hailed as a great wizard. After being knighted as "Sir Boss," he sets out to modernize Camelot, much to the dismay of the king’s wicked half-sister, Morgan LeFey, who has been plotting against Camelot and is planning an invasion with her own army. Will "Sir Boss" overcome the evil plot and find his way back to Connecticut?

Toe-tapping tunes include "There’s Gonna Be a Show Tonight," "Have No Fear Lancelot Is Here!" and "Let’s Rock Around the Court." It’s time for laughter during "Go and Fetch the Bone," and people may find themselves cheering for the villains in "He’s In the Way." Then there’s the love song, "Are You a Dream Come True?" A few surprises are also along the way. This is truly one musical that has a little something for everyone.

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‘Anything Goes’

[APRIL 10, 2002]  Theatre 7, Decatur’s Community Theatre, will present "Anything Goes," a deliriously witty festival of songs and rollicking humor. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. April 12, 13, 19 and 20 and at 2 p.m. April 14 and 21 at the Decatur Civic Center Theatre.

The story unfolds on a luxury ship making the Atlantic crossing in 1934. A society girl is caught between her fiancé and her boyfriend, a nightclub queen, a bevy of Times Square sirens and a slightly nervous gangster.

Songs include "I Get A Kick Out of You," "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" and "You’re the Top."

Music and lyrics are by Cole Porter. The book was written by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse.

Auditions for summer shows

[APRIL 9, 2002]  Lincoln Community Theatre is looking for local talent to sing, dance and act in its summer 2002 productions. Singing and non-singing roles are available.

If auditioning for a role in one of this summer’s musical productions, individuals should have a song prepared. An accompanist will be available. Individuals should also be prepared to learn a few basic dance steps at the audition.

Those auditioning for non-singing roles will be required to do cold readings from the script. Scripts may be viewed at the Lincoln Public Library two weeks prior to each audition. Library scripts may not be removed from the building.

All auditions will be conducted at St. John Church of Christ, 204 Seventh St. in Lincoln.

Production and audition dates are as follows:

•  "Hello, Dolly!"

Performance dates: June 14-22

Auditions:

•  Friday, April 12, 6 p.m.

•  Saturday, April 13, 10 a.m.

•  Sunday, April 14, 2 p.m., callbacks only

You will be asked to sing a song, your choice or one from "Hello, Dolly." You will also be taught a simple dance (you do not need to prepare one). The director is looking in the age range of 25 to 60, but all are welcome to audition.

•  "Dearly Departed"

Performance dates: July 12-20

Auditions:

•  Friday, May 10, 6:30 p.m.

•  Saturday, May 11, 10 a.m.

The director is looking for actors age 20 and above. There will be four to six men, six to eight women, a trio of singers and a part for one teenage girl. There are lots of parts for older mature actors. People auditioning should plan to be there for entire audition session (1½ to two hours).

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[Judy Rader, LCT publicity chairman]

[MARCH 14, 2002]  Boston Brass is, as they sound, a quintet of brass instrument players. The brass instruments themselves were numerous. They include a French horn, a trombone, a tuba and various trumpets (such as the tiny piccolo trumpet). The players’ costumes — bright purple suit jackets — seem to be their signature.

The members of the group include Richard Kelly, trumpet player from Juilliard School of Music; Jeff Conner, trumpet player from Boston University and Boston Conservatory; J.D. Shaw, French horn player from the Eastman School of Music; Ed Clough, trombone player from Boston University; and Andrew Hitz, tuba player from Northwestern University and Arizona State University.

Many of their musical numbers were originally written for other instruments but were arranged by J.D. Shaw, their talented French horn player. This includes their opening piece, "Tournament Gallop," by the first American piano virtuoso, Louis Moreau Gottschalk. When asked why it took five instruments to play the one-instrument piece, Shaw explained that Gottschalk had 10 fingers, and between the five of them, they have 10 lips.

Other Shaw arrangements included Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8, Op. 110 (also in the first half) and Duke Ellington’s "Caravan."

The rest of the first half consisted of "Danza Finale" from Alberto Ginastera’s nationalistic ballet "Estancia," Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 (made famous by Bugs Bunny) and Henry Fillmore’s "Circus Bee."

The mood was light and classical. The pieces were fun but inspired reverence, as most classical pieces will.

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Lincoln Community Theatre’s website is at www.geocities.com/lincolncommunitytheatre/index.html. Pictures from past productions are included.  The LCT mailing address is Lincoln Community Theatre, P.O. Box 374, Lincoln, IL  62656.  E-mail: lincolncommunitytheatre@yahoo.com.

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