Coming up Tuesday

Read about this on Tuesday:

Chester County's unemployment numbers are in for last month. Unemployment remained the same in May as in April in Chesco, at 3.0 percent. The local economy continued to cool off but did not show the precipitous drop that other metro area economies have endured, in recent months.

In Chadds Ford, the old Christopher‘s Chocolate store in the Olde Ridge Village shopping center has gone to the dogs, at least in a manner of speaking. In that location now is a new venture called GiggyBites, a bakery for gourmet dog biscuits. Stephanie Rossino and Rosemarie Richardson began the company as an on-line business from Kennett Square.

See you in Paris

Tracking down Thad Fortin, chief executive of the Westtown-based Haas TCM, a chemical management services company just awarded two juicy new contracts, I finally found him in Paris, at the biennial Air Show there. He was looking forward to seeing the new Airbus A350-XWB glide low overhead, anticipating it will be an "awesome sight" if there ever was one.

No wonder. The wide-body Airbus is a monster, seating 550. It is going head-to-head with Boeing's jumbo jets offerings.

I didn't ask Fortin how the French bordeaux, escargots and tarte tatin taste this year at those fancy dinners in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. Probably, I already know the answer -- magnifique! -- Sarah E. Moran

Coming Thursday: a dog of a story

Oscar went to Chili‘s restaurant at lunchtime but not for lunch.

So did Maski, Clancy, Buckley and a dozen or so other four-legged friends but there were no margaritas or baby back ribs for them.

On Wednesday, 14 people with disabilities and their newly acquired service dogs ventured into the everyday world of dining out for the first time as a team.

Read about their experience in Thursday's Daily Local News Business Section.

Also Thursday: A look at Vanguard profit sharing and an update Mittal Steel's attempts to sell a mill.

Coming Tomorrow: Funding crisis could put brakes on Chester County bus service

Bus transportation for Chester County lines could come to a grinding halt if state funding is not restored or replacement funding found by June 30, the Transportation Management Association of Chester County said Tuesday. At risk are the SCCOOT line in southern Chester County and the Coatesville Link in western Chester County.
Read Gretchen Metz's report in Wednesday's Daily Local News Business Section.

Tips to stay cool, save money

With summer's heat set to bear down, PECO is offering tips on staying cool and reducing utility costs. Here's some of them:

· Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply drawing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat gain to your apartment or home.
· Turn off all unnecessary lighting and appliances.

· Keep your thermostat set at a constant, comfortable level. On the hottest days of the summer with temperatures greater than 90 degrees, raising the thermostat setting just a few degrees will save money.

· To reduce heat and moisture in your apartment or home, run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late evening hours when it’s generally cooler. Use a microwave to cook, or barbecue outside if possible.

· Use fans to circulate cooled air. This will more evenly distribute cool air and ease the strain on your air conditioner. For those without air conditioning, be sure to partially open windows for cross ventilation.

· If you use window air conditioner units, place them on the north or shady side of the apartment or house to avoid overworking the unit in the hot daytime sun.

· Check the condition of your air conditioner’s filter monthly .

-- Brian McCullough

Cephalon drug gets an OK

Cephalon Inc. said Monday it won FDA approval for Nuvigil, its second-generation prescription drug to treatexcessive daytime sleepiness associated with three medical conditions: obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy and shift work sleep disorder. Nuvigil contains an improved formulation of modafinil, the active ingredient in Cephalon's Provigil, its flagship drug.

Sarah E. Moran

Recognizing 3 departing 'pros'

As we here on the Daily Local business desk start a new venture, this blog, we wanted to take a moment to note the departure of some of the good guys on the "other side" who we'll miss.

In the past few weeks, three public relations professionals who we've dealt with for years have told us they're leaving for new ventures.

Walt Rubel at Acme in East Whiteland, Richard Wells at Main Line Health and Larry Bowman at the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce all will be moving on from their long-held posts.
Rubel and Wells will go into private consulting, while Bowman is set to become the president/CEO of the Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, based in his home town of Lebanon.

There are times in the day-to-day world of news gathering that public relations people and reporters butt heads -- Why don't we cover this story, why are we taking this angle and not another, etc.?

These three have always been very respectful of what we try to do, however, and for that we thank them and wish them well in their new endeavors.
-- Brian McCullough