Some win, some lose when snow hits area

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Shoppers were out for snow blowers and shovels but not candy.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
Gary Wynn loved every minute of the past two days of snow.
The unemployed Struthers man placed an ad in The Vindicator, hitched his plow to his pickup truck and worked nonstop.
"I've made 500 since the phone started ringing at 7 a.m.," Wynn said about noon Wednesday.
He also worked through the night Tuesday, mostly on driveways of homes and apartment buildings.
"It's very busy. I can't keep up," he said.
The snow hasn't made everyone happy, however. In fact, it ruined Valentine's Day at Gorant Candies' store in Austintown.
Feb. 14 usually brings in so many customers that there are lines at every register, said Peggy Myers, store manager. On Wednesday, only a few younger customers braved the snow.
"It's not good. People are just staying in," Myers said.
She added that she'd been hoping all winter to see a good amount of snow.
"I just wish it would have come on a different day," she said.
Customers are finding their way out to buy their winter supplies, however.
Hot items
"Ice melt's been going out the door, and snow shovels have been going out the door," said Jay Curry, manager of Do-Cut True Value in Canfield.
A month ago, Curry was lamenting the lack of demand for snow blowers when temperatures were mild and the grass was green. The past two days, however, snow blowers have been selling and the demand for repair work is way up.
Curry said he's scheduled extra workers to make sure he can get customers' snow blowers back on the job as soon as possible.
Leo's Ristorante in Howland closed early at 4 p.m. Tuesday because of the snow and opened five hours later than normal Wednesday.
The shorter operating hours and the snow didn't stop people from scheduling a night out with their valentines, however.
"We're still getting reservations," Fran DelGarbino, one of the restaurant owners, said about 1 p.m. "I think they're going to come out."
Besides, she said, "They had one day home. That's enough."
At Patrick's Chop House at Lock 24 in Elkton, manager Shawn Chrystal said Wednesday afternoon she had had a couple of cancellations.
"But I had no problem replacing them," she said.
At Pondi's Restaurant in Lisbon, employee Bonnie Burcham said the weather wasn't putting the damper on Valentine's Day dining.
"I have a page and a half of reservations," she said Wednesday afternoon. The turnout for lunch was also good, she added.
White roads have meant a lot of business for towing companies.
"We've been swamped," said an employee at Crump's Towing in Boardman who said he was too busy to talk further.