The fire which did serious damage to the building housing Piggly Wiggly the last weekend in June affects many people adversely.
Most obvious is the Carlson family, which owns the business. Nancy Carlson is the daughter of the Al Suhlings, who opened the grocery store over
two decades ago. She and her husband Chris now own it.
They have made Piggly Wiggly one of the biggest and best locally owned businesses. They've done it through hard work and good service to the
community. People who shop at The Pig know the profits are staying home.
When Wal-Mart announced plans for its new SuperCenter a few years ago, it meant increased competition for existing grocers-- huge competition.
Houchens closed its store across from Russellville High School. Piggly Wiggly not only stayed in business, but Chris and Nancy Carlson built themselves
a new home, an indication they were here to stay.
The Carlsons say they will rebuild the store. Plans were underway for a major remodeling already, so this will mean remodeling will be done while
the store is closed, not while business is going on.
The fire also affects my long-time friend Jon Paul Stuart, whose family owns the part of the Bethel Shopping Center that is still standing,
including this building.
The loss of The Pig for a while, however, has a negative multiplier effect. Several people are employed there, either full-time or part-time. This
isn't good economic news for them or for the businesses at which they spend money. One of the first of these employees I thought about was Rita Stuart,
with whom I worked several years at the N-D&L. Customers are comfortable with Rita. She has two children to provide for. The Carlsons have been
good about hiring teenagers, and some kids who thought they were going to have money to spend on their cars now probably find themselves short-handed.
The remaining businesses in the Bethel Shopping Center continue to have their efforts to draw customers blindsided. First came Crabtree
Furniture's decision to move out of the center for a larger space in downtown Russellville, which became available when the existing Dollar Store
merged into the Dollar Market on the north side of town.
The First Southern National Bank purchased the north side of the shopping center and razed it. At least half of the businesses in the shopping
center had to find new locales. Rusty Clark, who is Regional President of FSNB for Western Kentucky and a member of the First Southern Bancorp Board of
Directors, says a new bank is being designed for that location, but work will not begin immediately.
Now the south side of the shopping center has lost one of its anchor stores (Walden Tire is the other) for the next few months. That reduces the
other businesses' potential customer base, at least those who might stop in their stores while they're in the area of Piggly Wiggly. Just ask the
people at Fox's Pizza Den what it means to lose an anchor, as they did when Goody's went out of business.
The closure of The Pig for a while will also affect the tax revenue for Russellville and Logan County. A reduced work force will lessen payroll
taxes, and while the new building may eventually generate additional revenue for the store, for the moment that profit is going to flatline, which also
affects tax revenue for governments.
Also affected will be the businesses which supply Piggly Wiggly, including some independent vendors who operate their own shelf-stocking
operations.
Piggly Wiggly's loyal customers are also affected. They have to find new places to get their groceries and other supplies that they previously
routinely purchased at The Pig. And, of course, the Carlsons' challenge will be to lure those customers back when the store does reopen.
On the other hand, the crews which do the remodeling work will either be local or they will have to buy business licences here. Let's hope they
hire lots of Logan people to do the work, and that they buy as many materials as possible locally.
The Lo Jo has great admiration for the Carlson family and Piggly Wiggly. We wish them a speedy recovery from this setback and great success when
they reopen their doors.
The Lo Jo
In other business news:
*First Southern has closed its Northside branch on the Lewisburg Road. Clark said it has never been a profit center since his company purchased
the Citizens National Bank. He said FSNB has had very few complaints about its closing. The ATM at the site is still operational, however.
*The Russellville Electric Plant Board has taken an option to purchase the old BG&H bus terminal adjacent to its Fourth Street office. The
Fuqua family ran the bus line, which was very busy in the middle of the 20th century. After the bus line closed, the building at Fourth and Summer has
been used for a number of purposes, including Printers Plus before it moved to the Clarksville Road. Churches have met there, and Judge William G.
Fuqua is one of the attorneys who have maintained an office in the building at times.
The Fuqua family owns the building. Former N-D&L Publisher Randy Fuqua, who now lives on the East Coast, was home recently helping his dad
move out items which have been stored there over the years.
EPB Superintendent Larry Wilcutt confirmed to The Lo Jo that the utility has taken the option to buy, but Wilcutt did not announce what
will be done with the location if the purchase is completed.
*With the massive new UK Agricultural Extension office open on the 68-80 Bypass open, the building on North Spring Street has been for sale.
Having had no takers at the asking price, the building is now to be be put up for bid. Tim Haley will conduct the auctioned in mid-July.
Many people have thought the facility, which has a large parking lot across from the KP Hall, would be an ideal location for a branch of
Hopkinsville-based Gamble Funeral Home. Gamble has been conducting several funerals in Russellville each year, getting much of the business which
previously went to Winston Funeral Home. Gamble currently conducts the services at local churches, but that tends to limit time for visitation.
The Gamble family has Logan County roots and also has ties with the Russellville-based Benton family.
The old extension office would also make a good location as an office building for either private or government use.
*Construction of government facilities has been one of the biggest sources of capital outlay recently. In addition to the new extension office, Ag
Extension Agent Chris Milam is also leading the effort to use a huge hunk of Tobacco Settlement Funds for his favored activity, a show and sales
facility for livestock. The building also would be used for the Dream Riders organization, whiich provides therapeutic horse riding for special needs
youngsters.
That project has suffered a setback because state law would require the payment of artificially inflated labor costs through the prevailing wage
law.
The new Justice Center on West Fourth Street has changed the landscape on that side of town. The city of Russellville is building a new park on
Armory Drive and has undertaken major improvements to Herndon Lane adjacent to Russellville High School. That has led to work on improvements to U.S.
79 at its intersection with Herndon Lane.
The Russellville school system has been involved in the construction and destruction of its facilities. That has included additions to Stevenson
Elementary School and RHS to accommodate students and teachers who formerly were housed at Russellville Middle School, including a second gymnasium.
The athletic facilities at RHS have undergone a huge upgrade with a new track and six tennis courts, a brick retaining wall, and an indoor training
facility, all on the southern side of the campus.
Of course, expenditures have involved the demolition of almost all of the RMS facility on East Seventh Street, leaving only the media center. A
large storage building has been constructed on the east end of that site.