Proof at Stone’s Throw.

Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre will present as its upcoming performance Proof, by David Auburn, winner of 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play.

The story is about Catherine, a troubled young woman who has spent years caring for her father, a brilliant and famous mathematician who grew increasingly unstable. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father who hopes to find valuable work in the scores of notebooks that her father left.

The production stars veteran actress Rachel Stanley as Catherine, with Doug Dickey as her father, Robert and Shelley Wilson as her sister, Claire. Mike Smith returns to the stage in his first major role as Hal, the young professor looking for the truth – and maybe a little more.

This show does include mature themes.

Performances will be held on March 18-20 and March 26-28, 2010. Thursday-Saturday doors open at 6:00 pm, dinner at 6:30 pm and show begins at 7:30 pm.

NASCAR THIS WEEK

By Monte Dutton

Sponsored by Curry Automotive

Where Will Harvick be Next Season?

Kevin Harvick can be a free man at the end of the 2010 season if he so chooses.

That might be a tough call. Harvick, who has never driven in the Sprint Cup Series (or its predecessors) for anyone other than Richard Childress, has the right to leave the historic team.

As of Harvick’s second-place finish in the Auto Club 500, he is leading the point standings, and his teammate, Clint Bowyer, ranks second. Harvick won the Budweiser Shootout in Daytona. If his success continues, he might not be inclined to leave RCR.

Though wisely reluctant to talk about it, Harvick relishes the options he will have.

"I’m going to do my job, and that’s to drive the car and the rest of it," he said in Fontana, Calif. "There are so many unknowns this year. What’s going to happen when we switch to the spoiler? I think that’s going to throw a whole monkey wrench in there."

NASCAR officials are expected to replace the wings on the backs of cars with spoilers, most likely in late March.

The results of the first two races suggest that the engines built in a consortium between Childress and EGR (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing) are the most powerful in the sport. Jamie McMurray won the Daytona 500 with such power under the hood, and Harvick and Jeff Burton from RCR finished second and third, respectively, in Fontana.

Harvick downplayed the engine angle and preferred to talk instead about the spoiler.

"You’re either going to be really happy or really sad," he said, "because it’s going to be really hard to turn it around (i.e., make a change) 10 races into the season."

Still, it’s so far, so good, for Harvick, who didn’t win an official race in 2009 and failed to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

And, yes, he’s happy with the power under the hood of his No. 29, Shell-sponsored Impala.

"They (the engines) are really reliable, they make a lot of power and they’re constantly pushing forward," said Harvick. "In our competition meetings, we honestly don’t even talk about engines anymore because they’re just such a non-factor for us. They just keep clicking along and do a really good job."

In short, Harvick’s current situation might be a tough one to leave.

I was sortin’ through over the weekend and happened to find the four or five Ted Williams baseball cards that remain from my childhood collection.

At one time I had close to all of the Williams cards. That is until a former relative saw that ad offerin’ to buy baseball cards. I got home from work one day and was gleefully presented with a ten dollar bill. I was supposed ta be happy that the guy paid a nickel a card for my collection.

I hadn’t thought of that situation for several years. I don’t know how these remainin’ cards escaped the sell-off, but I almost wish they had gone the way of the rest. They now just act as a reminder.

No, they ain’t for sale for a nickel. They prob’ly aren’t worth a lot, but they do have some pleasant memories attached.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

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CLICK and CLACK

TALK CARS

Dear Tom and Ray:

I need your help! My significant other has been placing a blanket over her engine for years now. During spells of extreme Minnesota winter weather, she’ll go out and throw the blanket over the engine and close the hood. She’s done this on a variety of vehicles, and the only constants are that the engine has to be pre-warmed, and there has to be a threat of bad weather the next morning. Is this actually doing anything to help the car?-Tony

Ray: Well, it works for horses, Tony.

Tom: Right. The difference is that horses create heat, and the blanket helps retain the heat they create. Once an engine stops running, it’s no longer creating any heat. It’s only losing heat.

Ray: So, any insulation - a blanket included - can help slow the loss of heat. But can it prevent an engine from losing all of its heat for, say eight or 120 hours, overnight? Seems unlikely.

Tom: Remember the cold air has full access to the engine from underneath, too. You could surround the engine on all sides with insulation.

Ray: We call that "a garage," Tony.

Tom: A better approach is to install a block heater. Or a block heater AND a blanket. A block heater is a small heating element that’s inserted into one of your radiator hoses.

Ray: A block heater not only makes the engine easier to start on very cold mornings, but since your cabin heat comes from the coolant, it warms your tootsies faster, too.

Tom: And saves your significant other from tucking in the car for the night. Make it her next birthday present, Tony.