Bark

Sure, bark-control collars and self-cleaning litter boxes may make your life easier. But does such pet-tech really do right by your four-legged friend? "More than looking at `Are they cheap?' or `Are they expensive?' or `They don't live up to the hype,' it's more important to look at the device from the animal's welfare, from that point of view," says Nancy Peterson, an issues specialist with the Humane Society of the United States. It's tempting to indulge in some sort of automated pet sitter, especially if you have summertime vacation on the brain.

Reisterstown is going to the dogs. Well, not really. But there will be plenty of them there when the Humane Society of Baltimore County hosts its annual Bark in the Park Canine Games. "Almost every breed will be represented," says Catherine Bereson, development and volunteer coordinator for the society. She begins to name them: "Mutts, dachshunds, Yorkshire terriers, pit bulls, Newfoundland hounds, Great Danes, German shepherds, spaniels. ... " Basically any dog - and its owner - can come.

As reporters, we're not supposed to fall in love with those we write about -- no matter how soulful a set of eyes they flash at you. So sue me. I was working when I first laid eyes on Ace, visiting the Baltimore Animal Rescue and Care Shelter, known as BARCS, on a Saturday in October for an article about people who spend their weekends volunteering. He was enjoying some outside time with a volunteer; later, I saw him again inside as I walked down a row of pens. He was in the first one, and unlike the rest of the inmates, he wasn't yelping.

The flower buds on my Cherokee Brave dogwood are dried out. Half the trunk is damaged from deer rubbing their bodies against it. Is it dead? When deer rub their antlers on bark, it damages the cambium layer beneath. The cambium layer transports nutrients and water. It appears your dogwood could not get enough water up to open buds. If the tree leafs out, it may survive the damage, though always suffer from losing so much bark. Water deeply during droughts and mulch (no more than 2-3 inches)

NEW YORK -- IF YOU'RE EVER LOOKING TO TAKE IN A tourist attraction where employees bark at you incessantly, herd you through one velvet-rope line after another and try to sell you cheesy, overpriced souvenir photos at the end of your visit, have I got the place for you. I know, I know. That pretty much applies to any tourist attraction in the country, doesn't it? But in this case we're talking about the world-famous Empire State Building and its 86th-floor Observatory, which towers nearly a quarter of a mile above Fifth Avenue and offers a spectacular view of Manhattan and beyond, assuming you haven't passed out from hunger during the wait to get up there.

PHILADELPHIA // The two stately blond actors are standing in a parking garage across from the theater when a minivan rolls by and slows down, the driver's mouth opening with the shock of recognition. The vehicle backs up and stops. The driver opens the doors so two little girls inside can get a look. ANNIE / / Tuesday through Sunday / / Hippodrome Theatre / / 410-547-SEAT or BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com ONLINE: To see a multimedia slide show of the dog stars, go to baltimoresun.com / annie The sun came out for all of Butler's tomorrows In addition to Annie and Sandy, another rescued orphan will appear on stage during Wednesday's production of Annie: Butler the dog. The exuberant Cairn terrier, who was adopted from the Humane Society of Baltimore County, will make a cameo appearance during that evening's performance at the Hippodrome.

When Guy Hawkins took in his in-laws' cat, he was not expecting to fall in love. Charlie is all white and an elderly 16 years old, but Hawkins and his wife "love him dearly" and hope to keep him around for a while. "The vet, she was adamant about getting a better quality of food than at the grocery store," said Hawkins, of Fulton. Quality cat food is what brought Hawkins to Bark!, a natural pet food store in Clarksville. Hawkins saw a difference in Charlie's coat with the change in diet.

MIAMI -- When the Chicago Bears' plane landed yesterday, the players let out a resounding cheer. Returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in 21 years, the Bears arrived with smiles and laughter, the portrait of a relaxed team. Bears vs. Colts Dolphin Stadium, Miami, Sunday, 6:30 p.m., chs. 13, 9 Line: Colts by 7

Will the Democrats' new control of the House and Senate shake things up that much abroad? They certainly will have plenty of opportunities to alter the present American course of the terrorism fight, the war in Iraq and our overall foreign policy. For more than three years, partisan opponents of the Bush administration have made two arguments against its conduct of the "global war on terror." First, they've argued, the absence of another 9/11-like attack has not been the result of anything our government has done, here or overseas.

Gerald Bark, a highly respected pitching coach who in his youth had perfected a devastating curveball on the playgrounds of Northwest Baltimore, died of cancer Saturday at Greater Baltimore Medical Center. The Pikesville resident was 61. Mr. Bark, who was known as Jerry, was born in Baltimore and raised on Towanda Avenue, not far from the playground where he began playing baseball -- a game that was to become a central part of his life. "Jerry and I played Little League baseball together.