Amherst News-Times, 2001-08-08

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Wednesday, August 8, 2001
Amherst, Ohio
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Suds for success
The Lady Comet soccer team held a car wash last Saturday and
spent the day washing away grime while building up their finances.
The ladies, who are coached by Sam Jacob, were very successful
in raising money to help offset the cost of their banquet and program book.
Nordson to *
workforce; to
consolidate
business, too
Nordson Corporation is poised to cut 10 percent of its global
workforce, and 90 percent of that will be employees in North
America.
According to Nordson spokesperson Kristin Atkinson, the company is currently evaluating on a department by department basis
what cuts need to be made.
Those evaluations will be completed and recommendations as
to which people need to be laid off will be announced by Aug.
10, Atkinson said.
It is uncertain where that leaves Nordson employees in
Amherst
The reduction in labor is a result of the slowed economy, Atkinson said. Nordson president and chief executive officer Edward
P. Campbell said in a press release that the layoffs are a "difficult
but necessary decision."
Atkinson said that she could not speculate on when or if released employees would be called back to work. According to
Atkinson, the actual layoffs will be handled on a person by person basis.
"They will be given assistance and they will be treated ir/a (air
and respectful manner," Atkinson said.
In addition to the layoffs, Nordson will combine many of its
existing business. Included in this will be the Amherst businesses.
These businesses will be combined with other Nordson businesses
that share common technologies or product lines. '
Family
fued:
Sqiis sue
for mom's
legacy
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
A jury reached a verdict on
Friday, July 27, ending a
nearly four-year legal battle
between two prominent Lorain
County families. Grace
Cowling, formerly Grace
Sprenger, was awarded
$255354 to be paid by the
children of her deceased husband, Garnard Cowling.
In a lawsuit filed in October, 1998. the Sprenger
family, who owns Amherst
Manor and other retirement
communities, claimed that
Garnard Cowling transferred
funds from his -and his wife's
joint accounts into accounts in
his name. The lawsuit claimed
that he then passed the money onto his children, Gary
Cowling, Richard Cowling
and Sandra Reddington.
Gary and Richard Cowling
own the Cowling Funeral
Homes in Oberlin and Wellington. They referred comment to their lawyer, John
Keyse-Walker, who did not
return phone calls.
"(The verdict) was partially
fair," said Tony Sprenger,
Grace Cowling's son. According to Sprenger, his family's
court costs are about
$125,000. After subtracting
that from the jury award,
Sprenger said his mother will
get only half of what was taken from her. That is not the
only problem the Sprenger
family had with (he verdict,
"We felt Gary Cowling
conspired with his father,"
Sprenger said. "We thought
there was sufficient evidence."
In the original lawsuit,
Gary Cowling was accused of
aiding and abetting Garnard
Cowling. That part of the
lawsuit was dismissed by
Judge Lynett ML McGough.
CONTINUED on page 3
Hot days
bring on
cool dips
of cream
by ERIK YORKE
News-Times reporter
Ice cream in the summer. It's as
automatic as jelly with peanut
butter.
During this, one of the hottest
summers in recent memory, ice
cream is as popular as ever, despite
the occasional increase in price.
"If you're craving it you're obviously going to go out and purchase
it," said Heather Siegenthaler, manager of the Dairy Queen on die corner of Middle Ridge Road and Ri_ "I
don't think (the price increase) affects the consumer."
Ice cream costs have increased
this summer as a result of a lower
than usual production of milk fat
Milk fat is an ingredient vital to the
production of ice cream as well as
many other dairy products such as
butter and cheese.
The shortage of milk fat has
caused an increase in production
costs of all products in which it is an
ingredient
According to Siegenthaler, the
companies that distribute the ice
cream to Dairy Queen may change
their prices monthly, where as Dairy
Queen itself changes prices on a
yearly basis. They may consider
changing the prices twice a year, but
that is rare, Siegenthaler said.
Siegenthaler said that this summer has been a good one for ice
cream sales.
"We always do very well in the
summertime," Siegenthaler said.
"This is all based on weather."
Scott Foss. acting manager of frozen foods at the Amherst Giant Eagle agrees.
Foss said that although the increase in the price of ice cream may
have caused customers to switch to
a less expensive brand, it has not
caused them to buy less ice cream.
"I think this summer, ice cream
sales have been a lot more steady
Buyers
sought for
Moore's
properties
by ERIK YORKE
Garrett Dalton (left) and Bethany Davis enjoy some ice cream at the Dairy Queen.
than previous ones."
According lo Foss the old favorites are still popular. Foss said that
the most popular flavors are vanilla
and chocolate, although many specialty flavors are popular as well.
Foss cited a particular flavor called
"moosetracks" which is a blend of
chocolate fudge with vanilla.
"One guy asked, 'Do you have it
in the poor man's ice cream,'" Foss
said regarding the customer's preference for a lesser known brand.
At Dairy Queen, Siegenthaler
said, customers tend to prefer the
specialty items to the traditional
cones and sundaes. Siegenthaler
said that Dairy Queen has introduced some new specialty items to
the menu this year.
One young Dairy Queen customer, Bethany Davis, agreed saying that her favorite flavor of ice
cream is chocolate chip cookies.
Davis's young companion Garrett
Dalton seemed to think that the attraction wasn't the ice cream at alL      OiamCapocasaohtootjtwtilepicldngouthff^
"I like the sprinkles." Garrett  at the Amherst Giant Eagle. Rising prices of the cold treat have not
scared off customers.
News-Times reporter
In the midst of an effort by Amherst city officials to revitalize the
historic downtown area, two prime
business locations sit vacant The
former Grapevine Coffee House on
Park Avenue and Mojo's restaurant
on Milan Avenue are currently up
for grabs.
Both properties are owned by
Lorain County commissioner David
Moore, who also runs Lenders Diversified in downtown Amherst According to Moore, there is interest in
the properties and he is being conscientious as to what types of businesses he feats will best fit ihe
downtown area.
"I want to make sure it's the right
use for the building," Moore said of
the Mojo's building in particular.
Mojo's restaurant has been closed
since May of 2000, but the bar remained open for some time after
that, Moore said. There were approximately 25 employees at
Mojo's before it was closed.
Moore cites both the lethargic
lunchrime sales and his interest in
the businesses as strictly an investor
as reasons for selling them.
"I'm not a restaurateur," Moore
said. "I did it as a hobby and it became a very expensive hobby."
Moore said that he felt the businesses, to succeed, needed an
owner/operator.
According lo Moore, there is currently some interest in bringing a
new business to the Conner Grapevine location. Moore said that the
possible buyer of the Grapevine location did not want him lo comment
on what the new business would be.
Fat shortage causes price increase
Ice cream prices are on the
rise, but not everywhere.
Don Buckley from Ihe National lee Omm and Yogurt
Retailers ATTlf*'iw Mid that
despite the high coat of the
owners an absorbing that
said.
milk fist needed lo make ice
cost, Buckley said.
The coat of milk mt.
cream, many ice cream cus
"What I've found is Am
Buckley said has gene
tomers are not necessarily
may of them have not in-
out SO percent since lu
paying more. Mom parlor
cmejed their prices," Buckley
CONTINUED on pm
Moore said that he hm a few dif •
fere* options for the old Mojo's. including two franchise ■■—nrirm
He could not comment on what
franchises those are, but said that he
has a meeting with possible investors soon.
"An anchor restaurant would he
terrific," said Judy Bfykaatel.
of the Mermaid's Trie and
Of*
Mojo's Wldmg an aamt to dm
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