City businesses keep their doors open even as snow piles up
Several inches of snow that fell hard and fast Wednesday morning didn't deter most businesses on Main Street from opening, but the snowfall kept private plow truck operators occupied.
“A little busy today,” Mark McCaw of Butler said with a chuckle as he plowed a church parking lot.
A retired landscaper who plows snow as a side business, McCaw said he clears parking lots for several businesses and driveways for homeowners, and he was busy with all of his customers Wednesday.
“It didn't start snowing until about 6 (a.m.). Businesses want to be up and running by 7 or 8,” McCaw said.
Customers began showing up as the morning progressed, forcing McCaw to maneuver his plow between vehicles.
With freezing rain in the forecast for later in the day, he said it was a good idea to leave an inch or two of snow on the ground to make walking and driving easier than it would be on an ice-covered lot.
Most businesses on Main Street opened, but customer traffic was slow in the morning before the snow stopped.
“We're here,” said Patty Mann of A.B. Mann. “It's almost like Main Street is dead.”
No customers came in by 11 a.m., but people were calling, she said.
James Chiprean, Butler's parking manager and owner of Miller's Shoes on Main Street, said city parks department workers cleared the parking lots and all garages were open.
“Butler parking is 100 percent operational,” Chiprean said.
He commended parks department foreman Rod Huey and streets department foreman Tom Shuler — whose department was busy plowing and salting streets — for their efforts.
Al Rosenberg, owner of The Workingman's Store, welcomed the snow.
“I want more. It's good for business,” Rosenberg joked.
Rosenberg said the weather brings more customers out to his store in search of winter gear.
“People are downtown. That's one thing about downtown Butler, there's always walkers,” said Grace Wright, owner of Second Time Around.
She said she would stay open all day despite the weather. Because classes were canceled at schools, she said she was expecting students to drop by to shop for their prom attire.
Oesterling's Concrete of Butler had four of its plows and salt trucks working Wednesday.
“We do commercial lots. We have about 27 to 30 lots we take care of in the city of Butler,” said owner Bob Osterling.
“I was presalting at 5 o'clock,” Oesterling said. “Scrape the snow off and keep them salted is all you can do.”
Plow trucks go first and are followed by trucks with salt spreaders, he said.
He estimated that four inches of snow fell in the morning and he had already plowed some lots twice. Some business owners asked him not to start plowing until after the snow stopped, he said.
Temperatures started warming by noon, and Oesterling said he and his workers would deal with whatever Mother Nature delivered in the afternoon.
