Inqlings: Utley does an adopt-an-animal ad

Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has done an adopt-an-animal ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and he'll unveil it at noon April 4 at Seger Dog Park, near 11th and Lombard Streets.

In the ad, Utley poses alongside his adopted mutt Jack, whose parents were confiscated from a dogfighting ring. The copy reads, "Adopt, Don't Buy. Buying Animals Is Killing Animals. Save a Homeless Dog or Cat - Always Adopt and Never Buy." Utley and his wife, Jennifer, are major-league animal-rights patrons.

Roadside attractions

See those highway billboards for "Drainforest Crunch" and "Stumpy Chainsaw" that look like something from the studios of the Jim Henson Co.? They are. Know that the Philadelphia Zoo is partnering with the Henson folks on Xtinkshun, a live multimedia presentation that uses puppets to dramatize environmental and species-saving issues. The zoo will launch it April 9.

A 42-foot-high banner will be affixed on the I-95 side of Lincoln Financial Field on Monday to herald the return to the stadium on June 4 of Grave Digger and driver Dennis Anderson for the Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam.

Notes on food

After five years of racking up awards at their restaurant, James, in Bella Vista, Jim and Kristina Burke are preparing to pack up and move. Jim Burke told me that with their lease expiring at the end of June, they began thinking about the long term. Their conclusion: Set up in a high-traffic neighborhood that's better suited for fine dining. Meanwhile, James will be open at 824 S. Eighth St. at least through the spring.

At the movies

Philadelphia CineFest's big splash will be a red-carpet screening on April 10 of the Philly-shot drama Cost of a Soul, starring Chris Kerson and Will Blagrove as Iraq war veterans coming home to the mean streets. It was the first project from screenwriter/director Sean Kirkpatrick, a Norristown native, who filmed here over 19 days in April 2009. Tickets for the 7 p.m. screening at the Ritz East are on sale now. Producer Edward J. Eberwine III says Kerson and possibly Blagrove will walk the carpet, as will costars Mark Borkowski and Judy Jerome. The production, which cost less than $200,000, has gotten amazing bang for the buck. It recently won the "I Am Rogue/Big Break" movie contest, and will play 50 AMC theaters nationwide April 15.