Blue Bell

Peter McAndrews, arguably Philadelphia's Sandwich King, is doing something sacrilegious by sandwich standards: At Paesano's, his fantastic Philadelphia shops, he is serving select sandwiches on gluten-free bread. Seriously. The same bread that is more often compared to hockey pucks than haute cuisine. But McAndrews isn't making concessions. He's using the fresh-baked products from Toté Bakery, a gluten-free bread bakery - a rarity in the region - which opened in the Italian Market a few months ago. "Gluten-free stuff is always horrible," says McAndrews, whose customers often request the alternative bread because they suffer from celiac disease (like his sons)

Rows of shiny new mailboxes line the streets in the northwest section of Whitpain Township, signifying a win for community residents. For more than 20 years, neighborhood residents wanted to shed their Norristown postal address and join their neighbors as part of Blue Bell. On Oct. 17, they officially became Blue Bell residents, adding the required curbside mailboxes outside their homes. About 1,400 residents finally penned Blue Bell to their postal script. And, to top off the struggle, they thought they would be served by a new Blue Bell post office on Township Line Road.

Unisys Corp. said yesterday that it will combine some of its Burroughs and Sperry U.S. sales and marketing activities at the company's Blue Bell, Montgomery County, operations. The activities to be based in Blue Bell would be for the recently merged company's commercial information processing systems. "The merger has given us a unique opportunity to accelerate our commitment to line-of-business marketing," said Joseph Kroger, Unisys vice chairman with responsibility for worldwide commercial marketing.

On a typical morning, Dr. Tom Meade wakes up sometime around 4:30, leaves his Blue Bell home by 5 and bicycles 20 miles to his job as an orthopedic resident at Jefferson Hospital. If he arrives early enough, he will put in a few quick miles of running. Otherwise, he will try to squeeze in a few miles in the hospital swimming pool, and save the running until after work. And then there is the bicycle trip home - that is, when he gets to go home. Meade's work week averages 100 hours and includes several nights of around- the-clock duty.

Six-year-old Sarah Churchill of Blue Bell met President Clinton last month. But what was really exciting was meeting the first feline, Socks. As the "Better Hearing and Speech Month Child of the Year," Sarah, with her parents, Edie and Chris Churchill, met with Clinton in the Oval Office on May 15. She gave him a card, and he gave her a hug. He signed a book, and she gave him a book - a limited edition by Alexander Graham Bell; the Bell Association...

The first to greet you at the Northern Liberties home of Sayde and David Ladov is Bear, the huge chocolate Lab who believes he's hospitality chairman. Like his owners, Bear has made the transition to this unique townhouse - "vertical space, not horizontal," as the Ladovs like to say - from a traditional Colonial in suburban Blue Bell. "This was definitely more Sayde's plan than mine, but she was right - it was a terrific move for us," says David Ladov, 56, cochair of the family law practice group of the Cozen O'Connor law firm and vice president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers' Pennsylvania chapter.

Workers at Tyco International Ltd.'s operation in Blue Bell learned Thursday morning that the former Yarway industrial valve factory would likely close sometime next year. Company officials told the plant's 220 workers that a final decision was expected Dec. 19, but several employees said yesterday that they have no reason to hope the plant would stay open. Tyco blamed the decision on the sagging economy. "Earlier this week, we completed a comprehensive strategic review and analysis of our operations, and, as a result, came to the tentative conclusion to consolidate manufacturing operations in Blue Bell to . . . Tyco facilities . . . in Texas over the next six to nine months," Tyco spokesman Peter Ferris said.

Frank Dobbs, Blue Bell assistant pro, rolled in a three-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to defeat Pete Oakley of Garrisons Lake in a playoff of the $21,500 Peoples Bank of Oxford Players Championship of the Philadelphia PGA yesterday at Wyncote Country Club in Oxford, Pa. Dobbs, recent winner of the Philadelphia PGA championship, earned $4,500. He and Oakley had tied at 2-under-par 70 on the 6,870-yard course. On Monday, Dobbs and Oakley tied for 13th at the Club Pro championship in Missouri.

Under Burroughs Corp.'s announced plans to smooth its merger with Sperry Corp., the new company will have executive offices at both Burroughs' Detroit headquarters and Sperry's main office in Blue Bell, Montgomery County. But that unwieldy arrangement is likely to be a short-term one, according to management consultants, who say the headquarters will almost inevitably be consolidated in one place after a few years. "Over the long term, the split isn't feasible," said John Arnold of John Arnold ExecuTrak Systems, a merger consulting firm in Waltham, Mass.

George E. Eckert, 82, a retired engineer, died Wednesday of prostate cancer, 12 hours after the death of his wife, Catherine, 82, who was stricken by an aneurysm while visiting him. The couple, who had been married 11 years, resided at Normandy Farms Estates, a retirement community in Blue Bell. Mr. Eckert was undergoing care in the medical facility on the first floor, and Mrs. Eckert had been back and forth from their third-floor condominium all day Tuesday. She was at his side that evening.

Golf Association of Phila. U.S. OPEN LOCAL QUALIFIER At Back Creek; par 71. Qualifiers Steven Cuzzort, Grosse Ile, Mich. . . 67 (a) Greg Matthias, Wilmington. . . 71 Alternates (in order) Eric Onesi, Bear, Del.. . . 71 (a) Sean Fahey, Villanova. . . 72 Other Scores Billy Stewart, Devon. . . 72 Stephen Boyd, Danville, Va.. . . 73 David Taraschi, Haddonfield. . . 73 (a) Mike Meisenzahl, Medford.

James W. Stratton, 75, of Blue Bell, a retired investment adviser, died Wednesday, April 18, from complications of lung cancer at a hospital in Boca Grande, Fla. Mr. Stratton founded Stratton Management Co. in 1972 and ran it for 35 years. He created the Stratton Holding Co. for a variety of mutual funds the same year. The best known is the Stratton Growth Fund, a no-load mutual fund. Stratton Management advised individual and institutional clients on investment and wealth management, and was known for its value-oriented investment philosophy, meaning it advised putting money into companies with long-term growth potential over those anticipating quick market gains.

It's been almost 11 years since we sold our last house, and my memory tends to be cloudy on some of the details. Apparently, however, I was not the easiest home seller to work for. At least, that's what my wife and our last listing agent have told me. I find this difficult to understand. I'm too easygoing, and I choose compromise over confrontation every time. That's the reason why, whenever our listing agent called to suggest something to make the house more marketable, I would hand the telephone to my wife.

In Concert 3680 Walnut St.; 215-898-6701. www.annenbergcenter.org . DanceBrazil. $20-$50. 3/23. 457 Shirley Rd., Elmer; 856-358-2472. www.appelfarm.org . Southside Johnny & The Poor Fools. $30. 3/24. 8 pm. 2301 Boardwalk, Atlantic City; 609-348-7000. www.boardwalkhall.com . Van Halen. $29.50-$149.50. 3/24. 7:30 pm. 6815 Emlen St.; 215-843-8051. theirishcenter.com/. Philadelphia Swing Dance Society: Swing Dance. $15-$18. 3/24. 421 N. Seventh St.; 215-569-9400.

Peter McAndrews, arguably Philadelphia's Sandwich King, is doing something sacrilegious by sandwich standards: At Paesano's, his fantastic Philadelphia shops, he is serving select sandwiches on gluten-free bread. Seriously. The same bread that is more often compared to hockey pucks than haute cuisine. But McAndrews isn't making concessions. He's using the fresh-baked products from Toté Bakery, a gluten-free bread bakery - a rarity in the region - which opened in the Italian Market a few months ago. "Gluten-free stuff is always horrible," says McAndrews, whose customers often request the alternative bread because they suffer from celiac disease (like his sons)

UniTek Global Services Inc., of Blue Bell, said it won a three-year contract to provide infrastructure services in the Northeast to a major wireless telecommunications company. The contract, slated to begin next year, is expected to generate at least $150 million in revenue for UniTek over the three years. UniTek, whose shares traded for $5.13 this morning, up 5 cents, on Nasdaq, said it expected revenue for the year ending Dec. 31 to be about $440 million.    - Harold Brubaker