MelRay dance school holds recital;
local farmer wants it stopped

By Tracy Farr
Editor, The Daily Spittoon

Stinky Creek's MelRay Dance Academy put on the first night of its two-night dance recital Saturday, with the remaining performance scheduled for this coming Saturday at Crappie County Community College's Whitlow Performing Arts Center. But the show could be cancelled if an 84-year-old local farmer has anything to say about it.

Longtime Crappie County resident Roger Bedlow went to the first performance to see his granddaughter perform, but he was far from impressed.

"I saw things there that in my day would have been reason for the place to be raided by the police," Bedlow said. "And it's a shame that there are mamas and papas out there who would let their little babies do those sort of things -- and in front of strangers, no less. All those leotards and tutus. Somebody has got to put a stop to it, and that somebody's going to be me."

Bedlow has filed an injunction with County Judge Ellen Sanders to stop next week's show unless MelRay sensors the objectionable parts.

"Young men shouldn't be seeing the kinds of things I saw last night," Bedlow said. "When young men see those kinds of things, they start having ideas; and when young men have those kinds of ideas, well, it's just not right.

"There was nothing wrong with the little ones out there," Bedlow continued. "In fact, they were quite cute. Especially the little girl that picked her nose during the whole dance. But those older girls were just plain hoochy mamas, in my opinion. And some of them had about as much business in those leotards as I do."

According to Judge Sanders, she will look into the issue early in the week.

"Yes, I'll look into it," Sanders said, "but I have no doubt that what I'll find is that Mr. Bedlow is a bit of a fuddy-duddy. He'll also probably need to make an apology to all the mamas and papas out there for implying they're bad parents. And since my daughter is a high school junior and danced on Saturday, that means he'll owe me an apology as well. And I'll want mine in writing, thank you very much."