-News from July 16, 2009 issue

Local News
The Crittenden Press Full Version (PDF)

Tabor's tanks running dry;
Other services to continue
When the Tabors started pumping gas on the corner of Main and Gum streets, there were 13 other filling stations in town.
“There was one on every corner right here," said Jimmy Tabor, pointing across the street to where other stations were located. “And another right down there where Convenient Car Care is located.”
Naturally, times have changed since the late 1960s.
Scott Tabor and his wife Melissa are the second generation to own and operate the service station where U.S. 641 converges with U.S. 60. On Friday, an era will come to pass as the fuel pumps there go idle.
“I hate it,” Scott Tabor said Monday as he stood inside the air-conditioned office next to three gas pumps and three mechanic bays. “This is what I grew up with. It’s what my dad did, and I always thought it was the neatest thing in the world to pump gas.”
A changing regulatory system along with high overhead and low profits for retail fuel sales have triggered the end to Tabor's gas pumps.
"There is no way we can continue to pump gas and survive," Scott Tabor continued. "Businesses have to adjust in order to remain viable, so we're going to stop selling gasoline. There have been times we've paid more for it wholesale than what we charged at the pump. You just can't keep doing that."
When the pumps run dry later this week, Tabor's will continue to offer its other services, including wrecker, tire sales and repair, mechanic work and oil changes. He projects that those sales will increase as his staff starts concentrating on such offerings.
Tabor's Chevron has been on the same street corner since 1967. It started out with Jimmy Tabor and his brother-in-law, Tom Teer, running the business, but Doug Tabor, Jimmy’s younger brother, later joined the business. Now, it's just Scott Tabor, his wife, who works part-time doing the books, and three full-time employees, Joe Frazer, Kenneth Guess and Zac Conditt.
"And I guess dad if you count him as part-time," said Scott.
Jimmy admits he had rather be home taking care of his wife Betty's honey-do list, but he still gets summoned at times, like the wrecker call in the middle of the night last weekend.
"The wrecker business helped keep us going when things were slow," Jimmy said.
When the Tabor family first entered the service station business, there were more than a dozen similar businesses in Marion and others sprinkled throughout the area from Mattoon to Dycusburg and Shady Grove to Salem.
"There has been a gas station on this corner ever since I was a kid," said Jimmy, who turns 75 later this year. "This was the Standard station, over there where the auto parts store is was the Sinclair station, the Shell station was on that corner where the Pantry was and Gulf was over there where Randall's Repair was located."
What's ironic is that more traffic passes through the same intersection today than it did 40 years ago, but fewer cars are stopping to buy gas. The convenience stores – with more pumps, easier access and a variety of drinks and food – have harvested all of the customers, the Tabors say.
Fuel was 32 cents a gallon when the Tabors started, now it's about $2.50 and was at $4 a year ago.
"The timing is right to get out," said Scott Tabor. "Our volume has continued to drop and drop and drop. Some weeks we were pumping 200 or 300 gallons and sometimes not even that much."
A few years ago, the station was pumping three times that amount each day.
"There are so many new regulations and rules that we were going to have to change everything out and put in a new system with new tanks," Scott continued. "There is no way that we could ever recoup our expenses."
The underground fuel tanks will be removed in August and after a soil sample is taken and approved, there will be no island for the pumps, leaving an open lot. That, said Scott Tabor, will improve his other business. He will start offering on-demand oil changes while customers wait in the lobby. The more traditional appointment for service will continue to be accepted as well, he said.
When the final drop of gasoline leaves his pumps this week, Marion will settle for just three fueling stations. Liberty Fuels on the south end of town and Ideal on the north end are independent stations. Five Star Food Mart in downtown, will be the lone dealer of branded fuel, selling Marathon gas.

Fair features mower derby
Nick Stone was thrilled to find a cheaper outlet for one of his hobbies, crashing things with motors.
Since he was 16, Stone has put time and money into prepping cars for the demolition derby, the featured event each year at the Crittenden County Lions Club fair. This year, with two children and an economy where every penny spent seems to be magnified, he’s turned his attention to crashing something cheaper – lawn mowers.
Yep, that’s right; the same mowers Stone may otherwise be seen riding on a Saturday afternoon to cut the grass. But on the first Saturday in August, he’ll be riding that mower looking to crash into something inside the event ring at the fairgrounds.
As one of two new events at this year’s fair, the Lions Club has enlisted Anthony Wallace of Marshall County to put on a riding mower demo derby heat. It will take place prior to the crunch of the more traditional automobiles during the Aug. 1 finale of the county fair.
If you’ve never heard of crashing lawn tractors into one another, you’re not alone. Wallace admits is a pretty new phenomenon, starting in western Kentucky in 2008, but one brought on largely because of the rising cost of prepping cars for destruction.
Stone agrees.
“It’s easier and cheaper to fix up a lawn mower,” said Stone, who says he’ll have only about $100 in his green Statesman lawn tractor when it’s done.
Stone and his cousin Junior Hardesty spent much of Tuesday afternoon this week at the family’s shop outside of Marion, welding on two mowers headed for destruction.
“They’re a lot easier to find, too,” Hardesty said of mowers versus cars.
Wallace said forming Kentucky Destruction, the organization that heads up mower derbies across Kentucky and other states, was born out of finding new and more feasible ways to compete in derbies. And it has done even more.
“It has escalated into something awesome,” the 26-year-old said.
It’s not as brutal as it might seem. Wallace said a list of safety equipment and rules have so far prevented anyone from leaving a mower demolition derby injured.
And, whether it’s an Statesman, Murray, Husqvarna or even Craftsman prospective participants have been calling about, Wallace said the response for this year’s debut at the Crittenden County Fair has been overwhelming.
“My phone has been ringing off the hook with questions,” he said Monday.
Jared Belt, a Lions Club member and regular organizer of the county fair, said most people seem to be excited about the new event.
“Everybody likes something different,” he said. “I do.”
Belt said a new truck heat in the derby was a big hit two years ago. After a year’s absence, he said there is enough interest to again this year have another round of trucks getting their licks in on one another.
Mud bogs on July 31 will be another new event at this year’s fair. The event will be modeled from the monthly mud bog meet John Carter of Union County has at his farm in Sullivan. In fact, Carter is in charge of putting on the Friday night event at the fair.
Carter said mudding enthusiasts from those who want to show off their stock four-by-fours to those who spend thousands on custom mudders are welcome to participate. Like the cost to compete in the mower demolition, the entry fee for custom trucks is only $10. Modified trucks require a $25 fee to compete.
Carter can be reached at 704-2224 for more information on the mud bogs.
Wallace and his mower-crashing organization can be found online at KentuckyDestruction.com or by calling 625-4023.

Berry, 39, picked to head Farmers Bank
When the torch passes at Farmers Bank and Trust Co., later this year, there will be no chance that the speed of the deal will extinguish the flame. And that's just fine with everyone involved.
Wade Berry will become the new president of the local bank on Jan. 1. Gareth Hardin, who has been at the controls for 15 years, will gradually ease into retirement. For a guy who is sincere when he says that he loves his job, the evolutionary process will be much easier than quitting cold turkey.
"It would be tough to just stop and one day not go back," said Hardin, who began as a senior loan officer at the bank in 1987 and moved up to become chairman, president and CEO. "I will miss a whole lot of things about this job, and this way I can kind of wean myself off of it."
Hardin, 60, says grandchildren, boating, fishing, golfing and some light traveling are where he'll spend his retirement hours. But all of that will have to wait a while as he will continue on full-time at the bank through 2010 as CEO. His term as chairman of the board runs through March of next year and he plans to remain on the board of directors. Hardin will also continue in a part-time, senior advisory role starting in 2011.
Berry, 39, becomes just the 12th president in Farmers Bank's 110-year history. Hardin's tenure as head of the bank is the third longest.
A graduate of Western Kentucky University and Louisiana State University's Graduate School of Banking, Berry is a lifelong resident of Crittenden County where he and wife Krista (Blackburn) are raising their two children, Lauren 16, and Hannah, 11.
For Berry, the transition should be seamless. He has been part of the management team for years and currently serves as executive vice-president and senior loan officer.
"I am blessed to be able to come in and continue building on something that has a very solid foundation," he said. "Farmers Bank has been on this same street corner in Marion for 110 years. We have a very professional staff, a great management team, a highly supportive board and a good shareholder base. My plan is to continue moving forward with the intention of serving our customers and our community the best we can."
Farmers Bank, with almost 50 employees, is one of the community's largest private employers. Outside of the manufacturing sector, it has more employees than any other private entity.
Among the greatest challenges for Farmers and other community banks, Berry says, is continuing to meet federal regulatory requirements. In the face of increasing government scrutiny because of mismanagement at some larger banks and mortgage companies, community banking is getting tougher and tougher, he explained.
"We have not been part of the economic crisis, but we seem to get painted with the same broad brush," Berry added. "Sure there are challenges ahead, but Farmers Bank is adequately positioned and well prepared to meet them."
During Hardin's leadership, Farmers Bank has expanded onto the Internet, built two branches and increased its assets to $135 million. Both he and Berry stress the positive impact its expansion into Livingston County has had on the bank. Farmers opened a branch in Salem in 2003.
After 35 years in banking, Hardin says he's ready to start winding down and says Berry, with 18 years banking experience, is the obvious choice to take the torch.
"I have been very supportive of the board's choice and he was my pick, too," Hardin said.
Berry, like Hardin, has been active in community affairs for many years and anticipates becoming even more engaged as president of the community's largest, locally-owned bank.
"Our intention is to remain an independent, community bank," Berry said. "That's where we think we can best serve our community."

Farmers Bank presidents
1994-2009 Gareth Hardin
1970-1993 H.D. Sullenger
1960-1970 Sam Guggenheim
1960-1960 Homer McConnell
1959-1960 Hollis Franklin
1947-1959 John Querterous
1937-1947 R.F. Wheeler
1937-1937 R.G. Fowler
1930-1937 O.S. Denny
1929-1930 W.T. McConnell
1899-1929 William Fowler