By By ERIN VER BERKMOES / Niles Daily Star
Niles - March holds true and enters like a lion.
Over the last 24 hours a lake effect snow storm has dropped a large amount of snow on Southwest Michigan, thus making driving on the slick roads, and digging out cars quite difficult.
The weather even prompted 39 Southwest Michigan schools to be closed for the day.
When a large amount of snow falls at one time, and then there continues to be flurries through out the day and the wind makes it drift in many places, it can make going about your daily business difficult. Many people don't like to go outside when it's like this.
Many of the downtown businesses said that due to the weather and being located where they are, with the large hill on Main Street, customers don't venture down there.
Mardy Grezgorek of Majerek's Hallmark and Readers World said, "With the weather being as bad as it is, we aren't getting a whole lot of customers, and ones we are getting are having a hard time going up the hill on Main Street when they leave."
Bernice Strotter owner of Sentiments Bridal Shop downtown Niles said, "People don't like to do a lot of traveling when the weather is this bad, and therefore we don't have a ton of business on days like this."
People also tend to stay in for their meals when the weather is so bad, and the restaurants don't see the amount of business they usually do.
Some businesses operate as close to normal operations when the weather is bad, because they know that the service they provide to the community is vital.
Phillips stresses the fact that you don't have to be severely injured to use their service, because people often take the word emergency too seriously in this case.
And yet there are a few businesses that actually benefit from this type of weather. Grocery stores benefit because people don't know what to expect with the weather, and want to stock up on supplies in case they are unable to go out and get things.
Video rental stores frequently get slammed with business in times like these because people are stuck in their houses and don't want to be bored.
Ben Cowe a clerk at Family Video in Niles added, "We usually get slammed pretty hard on days like today, if people don't have to go to school or work, they tend to come in and rent videos and games."
When Niles area residents were asked how the weather effected their day and what they were doing to cope with it, they had this to say;
Ted Bakeman of Niles added, "With my grandson home from school, I had a little help with the shoveling, and the roads are pretty good out there."
He got his wish, as Niles and Brandywine schools were closed again today.