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Pittsburgh merchants love free parking

PITTSBURGH, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Merchants in downtown Pittsburgh truly love the city's gift of free parking during the holiday season, crediting it with increasing their business dealings.

Despite the resulting loss of income for the city, Parking Authority Executive Director David Onorato said the free parking offer was a positive move for downtown during the busy holiday season, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

"It takes away an excuse that people can use for not coming downtown and it encourages them to come downtown," Onorato said. "I do feel it is perceived as a good thing."

The free parking offer only includes Saturdays during the weeks before Christmas, but previous instances of the offer were met with an increase in the number of parking tickets dispensed at downtown parking garages.

Store owners downtown told the newspaper the increased parking numbers translate to an increase in shoppers and overall sales.

"It's such a good incentive. I'm glad for that. It never occurred to me they would ever do that. This has been very good, though," S.W. Randall Toyes & Giftes owner Jack Cohen said.

Pet gifts fly off store shelves

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Some U.S. pet owners spare no expense when it comes to Christmas favors for their furry friends, a report said.

Giving Fido a rawhide bone or throwing the kitty a catnip-stuffed animal no longer does the trick for many pet owners, The Los Angeles Daily News reported.

For Elizabeth Weems, only Burberry would do for her Pomeranian pooch: a $255 classic Burberry check dog sweater, a $200 collar or a $200 haymarket dog leash.

"We'll see. I think my husband will spring for some Burberry combination thereof," said Weems, 47, of Sherman Oaks, Calif. "I remember going in (to pet stores) and saying, `Who the hell would spend money on stuff like that?' ... and here I am."

More than half the nation's dog owners will buy a present for their pooch, while four in 10 cat owners will have gifts for their feline friends, industry surveys indicate.

At findgift.com, pet gift searches for the holidays are up by one third and business is expected to triple at Three Dog Bakery in Sherman Oaks.

"We definitely expect a rush," said bakery owner Chad Kurtz. "We're starting to see a lot of people come in to purchase gifts for their pets, or their friends' pets."

Ticketed parrot focus of Greek legal fight

PATRAS, Greece, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- A parrot facing a parking ticket in Patras, Greece, is at the center of a legal dispute regarding the bird's alleged extroverted nature.

Pet store owner Lambros Michalopoulos said he put Coco the parrot in a metered zone so the bird could thrive in the busy thoroughfare outside his shop, the BBC reported.

Michalopoulos said even after the bird got a $650 parking ticket, he refused to bring it inside for fear the animal would die without constant interaction.

Patras Deputy Mayor Spiros Demartinos told the BBC the city council was very concerned for Coco's safety, but was also concerned the situation might draw international attention.

"The parrot's security is of paramount concern to the council," Demartinos said.

The case will move into a court of law, where Michalopoulos reportedly hopes the legal matter will simply fly away.

No more special barbeque for elder Bush

HOUSTON, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Former U.S President George H.W. Bush will no longer be able to enjoy his favorite barbecue spot as Houston's Otto's Barbecue and Hamburgers is closing.

After enjoying some notoriety as the elder Bush's favorite barbecue eatery in the United States, the original Otto's restaurant is closing its doors and shutting off its grills for good, The Houston Chronicle reported.

The restaurant will become a casualty of a construction project that will raze the entire block.

A spokesman for Bush said the former president expressed disappointment at the news, saying Otto's was "a special eating place for my family and many friends (and) will be truly missed."

The eatery even created the Bush Plate, featuring beef ribs, beans, leaks and potato salad.