Chamber Board Votes Funds To Assist With Derrick Restoration

The Board of the Kimball-Banner County Chamber of Commerce voted unanimously at their meeting Monday night, December 10, to help out the local efforts to get the oil derrick put back up through a donation of an unspecified amount of funds.

“We have money set aside that was given to us by the state of Nebraska when they took the oil derrick down from its location,” said Jennifer Provance, President of the Chamber board. “When that happened, we put that money into some CDs with the intent of putting the oil derrick back up.”

The amount has been waiting for a decision.

“We still have that money, and we voted last night to give that money to the group that wants to put up the derrick,” Provance added.

This decision was made because of a desire to put the money to its originally intended use.

“We felt that, because somebody’s trying to put it back up and they’re trying to raise money to do so--that money was earmarked for the derrick. The only way we could have used the money is if the derrick was truly scrapped and dismantled and never put back up.

“We as a board wanted the derrick to be put back up. We just couldn’t find anybody to take it on before,” Provance said.

The money will not be released to the local effort to get the derrick put back up just yet, but it will be given over once all the particulars of getting the oil derrick erected, including transportation and securing a foundation for the structure, have been figured out.

“We will give the money to them once they get approval from the state, city and county for the location they want to put it,” Provance explained.

“Once we know that they’re ready to go as far as pouring concrete or whatever they’re going to do, then we will release that money to them,” she continued.

Oil is a big part of Kimball’s history with the derrick symbolizing the oil boom days that helped shape Kimball into what it is today.

This act by the Chamber of Commerce puts the derrick one step closer to regaining its former glory as a memento of that time.