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  I had a conversation recently with a Realtor friend whose business is located in a very historical town that's filled with 17th- and 18th-century houses. She was trying to sell a house that dated to the mid-1800s, and she contacted the local historical society for information. She was told, "Oh, we don't really care about a house that's so recent. We can't help you." Wow! Ouch! Like many realtors, my friend is not a historian, nor is she a researcher in this area - nor, frankly, does she have the time to spend with her town clerk, public librarian, or register of deeds to find the information she needed. And yet, she KNEW that being able to tell the story of this house, its early residents, and the development of the neighborhood, and the house's connection to town history would help her make a sale. The house is not in stellar condition, but we all know that people fall in love with old houses every day - and it's the story that can push them over t

   There is no way around it, pets consume food, play with toys, and are groomed on a recurring basis. Pet owners want to know they are presenting the safest products for their furry family members. Americans spend over 13 billion dollars annually on pet products, making the market sizable and complex. Between 2006 and 2008, more than 23000 tons of pet foods were involved in a nationwide recall. It was from more than 100 different brands. Melamine-contaminated food caused severe, oftentimes, fatal kidney failure in cats and dogs. Ultimately, pet owners and veterinarians were left feeling insecure about the safety of pet food products. Since the incident in 2007, the Food and Drug Administration has implemented some Amendment Acts, however, safety still is a concern since there has been multiple recalls after the act was applied. Moreover, in 2009, a Washington Toxic Coalition tested over 400 pet products to find, what if any, toxic chemicals were in them thecityloo.com/ . The results w