It took riding in the Craftsman Truck Series - the Double-A version of NASCAR racing, but Todd Bodine can finally claim something the rest of his family, including big brother Geoff, can't.
Todd Bodine is a NASCAR champion.

Although the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway wasn't spectacular, the New York native did what he had to do, finishing 21st to secure the championship. His closest pursuer, Johnny Benson, had mechanical problems himself and finished behind Bodine in 26th.
From start to finish, Bodine was the man. He took the lead after the fifth race of the year and didn't let it go.
I was watching with some interest when Benson's run at Las Vegas in September left him only 91 points off Bodine's pace with six races left, but when a miraculous win in the Casino Arizona 150 is your only real highlight, it's time to throw in the wrenches and call it a year.
After Mark Martin won his sixth trucks race of the year Friday, there's more reason to believe the series will be worth watching even more in 2007.
The next up-and-comer may be just around the corner. The old guys who love the thrill of the race will be there, too.

Posted by Tom Zulewski at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

It never ceases to amaze me just how much talent there is here in Southern Utah.

Last night I went to the opening of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" by the St. George Musical Theater. I had never been to an SGMT show before — I have seen enough amateur theater to last a lifetime, or so I thought. In my time in LA, I saw enough bad theater to definately sour me against non-pro productions. The LAST thing I want to do on one of my rare free evenings is listen to a wannabe opera singer warble her way through some musical I've seen a dozen times or listen to some gawky teen stutter his way through half-forgotten lines.

There was none of that here. I was totally, utterly wowed.

I'm not just saying that because they are a local theater and they gave me free tickets. I went to write a review and I have every intention of being honest and unbiased. I actually went expecting it to be at best so-so.

Never have I been happier to be proven wrong. These "amateurs" at SGMT did a better job than most professional troupes I've seen. The singing was strong and beautiful, the costumes were exquisite (although there is one I'm still trying to figure out what they were) and the sound and lighting was spot on.

My only gripe was with the audience.

It was opening night at the theater. There were ladies in business suits and semi-formal gowns and gentlemen is sport coats and suits. There was also a whole family in jeans and T-shirts — and was that one kid in basketball shorts? — and there were many others in tank tops, mini skirts and other non-dressy apparel.

What ever happened to dressing up for the theater? This isn't a movie, people. These actors and support staff have practically killed themselves to put on a beautiful performance and you can't put on slacks instead of jeans? You don't have to wear a tie, but at least put on real shoes, not flip-flops.

Let's have a little pride in our theater.

Posted by Kathryn VanRoosendaal at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

So they busted a woman in St. George for allegedly dealing pornography out of the back room of her shop.

Oh, yeah. We got a big fish on the line here! Better reel in before the morals of an entire community are tossed in the dumpster.

First off, we need a few clarifications.

It is not illegal to possess or view pornography in Utah. It is illegal to sell it, according to state statute. The felonies thrown at this woman and a young man at the shop are not a result of local ordinance offenses. They do not face St. George Municipal Code charges.

Now that we've got that clear, let's get to the heart of this matter.

Who is going to define whatever this woman had in her shop as obscene or pornographic? Even in straight-laced, red state Utah, that will be difficult. And, I mean no disrespect by that statement, nor do I mean to diminish anybody's personal beliefs. Utah is a very conservative state, top to bottom, period. We all know that.

Even so, coming up with a prosecutable definition of obscenity could be a challenge, even by St. George community standards.

The most obscene thing I've ever seen? The opening 15 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan," with the blood flowing vividly. It was so intense, so impactful. It offended my senses. It repulsed me in a way that two naked bodies would not.

There was a series of videos once called "Faces of Death," featuring, you guessed it, people dying in painful ways -- from a grizzly mauling to self-immolation. A neighbor had one of these videos and called me up to take a look once when I was still in L.A. It was horrible stuff, much more so than two naked bodies engaged in an intimate act.

And, that's my point. Why can we see vulgarity in a naked body, but not in a cruel or violent act?

We can be pretty sure that the materials found at this shop do not include child pornography. Had the cops uncovered any of that trash, which IS illegal anywhere in the United States, thank God, we would have certainly heard about it.

There were films. There were sex toys. OK. They weren't out front in a display case, they were not in the public view. They were handled in a seemingly discrete manner. What's the problem?

I heard that response: "It's against the law!" Well, so are the little house parties some local women promote to sell these same items.

Do I detect a double standard or is it selective enforcement?

Some of the Story Chat comments I've seen posted are pretty scary, equating porn with drug addiction, crime, etc. How would those posters know? I haven't seen those statistics. How do they know the impact of these films if they haven't seen them? How would they know if they are offensive, titillating or just plain boring?

Bottom line is that the quality of life in St. George is no better or worse now that the cops have confiscated this stuff.

Posted by Ed Kociela at 01:18 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

Jimmie Johnson said it best in the post-race interviews Sunday after he collected another runner-up finish, this one at Phoenix.
"I'd rather be racing at Homestead today," was his paraphrased quote.
Call the season too long, call the races too long, but the 2006 Nextel Cup title has come down to 400 miles and 267 laps, even as the calendar closes in on Thanksgiving.
Johnson's chances to win the title come Sunday night are looking awfully good right now.

One of the interesting factoids I heard from the ESPN folks after Phoenix is that the largest deficit surrendered by the leader heading into the season's final race is 30 points. As they head to Homestead, Johnson has a 63-point edge on Matt Kenseth and is 90 up on both Kevin Harvick (who's going for the historic Busch-Cup double) and super-rookie Denny Hamlin.
Just to review - Johnson needs to finish 12th or better without leading a lap, 13th if he leads a lap, and 15th if he leads the most laps to win the title, regardless of what any of the other drivers do.
Five are eligible for the title. Qualifying for the Ford 400 begins Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. on Speed Channel (cable channel 51 in St. George, channel 150 on Dish Network and Channel 607 on DirecTV).
With all the attention that's awaiting him starting on Thursday, Johnson has been able to make time for himself with the help of none other than last year's champion, Tony Stewart.
The basic message: Have fun.
The most fun will probably be had once Johnson straps himself into the No. 48 Lowe's Monte Carlo. Considering the roll he's on, only disaster will prevent him from claiming the trophy.

Posted by Tom Zulewski at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

We at The Spectrum & Daily News have decided that we definately need a blog on Southern Utah's entertainment scene.

What entertainment scene? you ask. That's exactly my point. There really is stuff going on here, but no one ever hears about it.

We're hoping to change that.

First, we need your help. There are a lot of things happening that we don't hear about until after the fact. If you have an event, a concert, a play, whatever, drop us a line at features@thespectrum.com.

Then a couple times a week, Lisa Larson and I will log on here and let you know some of the smaller events going on - those events that don't make it into the newspaper but still are worth mentioning.

Also keep an eye on TheSpectrum.com. Every Thursday or Friday we will post a news update with our top entertainment picks for the weekend.

There really is an entertainment scene in Southern Utah, and we'll let you know Where It's @.

Posted by Kathryn VanRoosendaal at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )

It was with great disappointment that I read a letter to the editor today in our newspaper that implied Democrats are evil and Republicans are good.

I realize this is blood-red Utah, where the little "R" next to a candidate's name makes him or her a virtual shoo-in for office.

But, I didn't realize that one little letter could determine the quality of the human life attached to it.

When I see such utter irrationality, I realize why so many people view this state as being unfriendly, hypocritical and "closed." It's also why, at times, I'm almost happy I work too many hours and don't have the opportunity to "socialize" with my neighbors. Notice I said, "almost."

I recently moved. Since my wife and I moved to our current address, the only person who has welcomed us to the neighborhood was a little Hispanic girl who lives around the corner.

I've made overtures to those who live around me, said hello, tried to be friendly, but other than a nod and a shrug, nobody except for the neighbor across the street whose dog got loose and ran into my yard, has said more than five words to me.

Except for the little girl.

What, is there some secret handshake I don't know about? How can they know I am not a Republican or whatever else it takes to become "accepted" here?

It was the same in the neighborhood I moved from, with the exception of a young, kind family with a relative who I work with.

OK. So maybe because I don't like war, I'm evil. Maybe because I don't like George Bush, I'm evil. Maybe because I want everybody to live without being spied upon by our government, I'm evil. Maybe because I really don't care where you worship, who you sleep with, how you live your life, I'm evil.

I'm not going to apologize, however. And, I'm not going to change, even if that means the only real social acceptance -- or, should I say tolerance -- is in the workplace as I trudge through the years until retirement, which is beginning to sound better every second.

Disgust? No.

Disappointment? Yes.

Posted by Ed Kociela at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 10 ) | TrackBacks ( 0 )