Main Street: The Barber of Civility

Inc., August, 2002 by Ilan Mochari

Main Street

BATAVIA, ILL. If this is indeed the "city of energy," as its chamber of commerce proclaims, then Foltos' Tonsorial Parlor is something like the generator, with proprietor Craig Foltos turning the crank. "Haircuts" doesn't even begin to do justice to the role that the man and his barbershop play in this community of 24,000.

Foltos is "the cheerleader of Batavia," says chamber of commerce director Karen Hollenbeck. "He's the central anchor of Batavia. He knows everybody, and everybody knows him," agrees local doctor John Kefer, a regular.

At monthly "open mike" nights, scores of residents gather at the shop to do what they will: recite poetry, perform comedy, sing karaoke. An additional 1,500 townsfolk keep abreast of shop news through Foltos'...