| Pet ownership can be a pricey proposition
SAN FRANCISCO - Few pet owners consider the years of spending ahead of them when they first pick up that puppy with the limpid eyes, but the costs add up quickly. U.S. consumers spent $36.3 billion on their animals in 2005, up from just $17 billion in 1994, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. That jump hasn't been fueled so much by pet-cost inflation as by human shopping weakness. ''There's a whole lot of new ways to spend money that you don't need to,'' said Stephen Zawistowski, executive vice president for national programs at the ASPCA in New York. ''All of the basic stuff you need for your dog or cat, they haven't really changed,'' he said, pointing to good food and veterinary care. But ''all of the other bling that's come out - that's for you, it's not for your dog.
Mich. food aid soars
Contact the Center for Social Justice, a nonprofit advocacy organization that focuses on hunger issues, at (800) 481-4989, or on its Web site, foodstamphelp.org. The Web site has a calculator to help determine eligibility and the amount of aid.
Visit the state's Web site at michigan.gov/dhs and click on "assistance programs." .
Will ‘Frankenflowers’ take over your garden?
Petunias that survive frost. Impatiens that shrug off drought. Disease-free geraniums. They sound like dream plants for gardeners. But they also present a major challenge for the gardening industry. That's because these "miracle" flowers — now in the works, thanks to a new alliance between a German plant company and a California start-up — are the product of genetic engineering. Ornamental plants that have had their DNA juggled could spark the same backlash created by genetically altered food crops such as corn and soybeans. The broader debate over genetic engineering touches on science, politics and deeply held beliefs. And the last thing the horticulture business needs is accusations that it is selling "Frankenflowers." Sales by the U.S. garden industry have been flat to down the past few years, despite all those new houses with unlandscaped lawns.
Broome, Tioga schools to serve the same lunch menu
Starting in September, elementary school students in Broome and Tioga counties will eat the same school lunch on the same day under a plan being developed by food service directors in Broome and Tioga counties. A coalition of 12 food service directors, who administer programs in 15 public school districts in Broome and eastern Tioga, plan a single, coordinated lunch menu in September for all kindergarten-through-fifth-grade students, officials said. The directors will prepare the daily menus that will be reviewed by Molly Morgan, a certified dietitian-nutritionist based in Vestal, said Mark Bordeau, director of food services for the Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services. Financial considerations are one reason for the centralized menu, Bordeau said.
A foodie road trip: Victoria's burgeoning specialty food shops ...
When I first moved to Victoria from Toronto 14 years ago, what I missed most, beyond going to Blue Jays' games, was the city's ethnic neighbourhoods and the specialty food shops they contained. Over the years that longing has been sated by an ever-growing group of entrepreneurs who want to offer Victorians a taste of the world. Below are short profiles of 17 such establishments that I recently visited -- there are more, but I couldn't fit them all in. On a day off, use the map, take a spin and discover what a tasty place Victoria is to live in. Eric Akis's columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday. The author of the Everyone Can Cook series of books can be reached at ericakis@shaw.ca 1. Seven Valleys Fine Food and Deli, 2506 Douglas St. This well-established store is aptly named; it's packed with Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and European foods that could have easily come from seven valleys or more.
Damon's cuts the fat, lists allergens online
Damon's International Inc. is giving its customers healthier options, not only with new menu items and the elimination of trans fats, but also through a Web site that lists possible allergens in its dishes. Carl Howard, president of the Columbus-based restaurant chain, said the information is being supplied due to customer demand. .
Cycling News Roundup 09 February 2007
Team News: Discovery Channel to end Sponsorhip, Caisse d'Epargne for Mallorca, Lampre/Fondital Debut, T-Mobile for Mallorca. Tom Stubbe Site. Redlands Bicycle Classic Returns. Share The Road Petition California. Events:Track World Cup Classics in Manchester, NAHBS. Discovery Channel to End Sponsorship at end of 2007
Read complete article: USA TODAY
Manager Bill Stapleton told USA TODAY Friday that Discovery's decision not to renew for a fourth year is connected to Monday's firing of Discovery Network's president Billy Campbell by new Discovery Communications president and CEO David Zaslav. Campbell was the major force behind the company's decision to sponsor the team in 2004 and had pushed the team to sign Italian star and Tour favorite Ivan Basso this year.
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