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St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com  |
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 Riverport Amphitheatre Is Now UMB Bank Pavilion ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) Feb 13, 2002 - Clear Channel Entertainment, has announced that Kansas City-based holding company UMB Bank has acquired the name-in-title rights to Riverport Amphitheatre in St. Louis, MO. One of the most successful amphitheaters in America and one of 45 owned or operated by Clear Channel Entertainment, the popular Mid-Missouri outdoor venue now carries the name UMB Bank Pavilion. Built in 1991, the 21,000-seat UMB Bank Pavilion is a state-of-the-art outdoor amphitheater that is in its second decade of providing the most talented and eclectic entertainment of its kind. Artists that performed at the venue in 2001 included the Backstreet Boys, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Tim McGraw and Destiny's Child. "This is a very exciting day for Clear Channel Entertainment, UMB Bank and St. Louis music fans," said Clear Channel Entertainment's Dave Lucas, Central-Region CEO - Music, in an announcement. "The UMB Bank Pavilion is one of America's premiere concert venues, and we are thrilled that UMB Bank recognizes the abundant opportunities provided by having its name connected to a venue famous for attracting the biggest names in entertainment." "UMB Bank has had a longstanding presence in the St. Louis community," said Peter J. Genovese, president of UMB Financial Corporation. "With our Clear Channel partnership we hope to not only help bring great entertainment to St. Louis, but to help make concert attendees aware of the high-quality financial products UMB Bank has to offer both business and individual customers." UMB Bank Pavilion is located in Maryland Heights, one mile West of I-270 off of 1-70 at Earth City Expressway South. UMB Bank, n.a., is a wholly owned subsidiary of UMB Financial Corporation, an $8.7 billion multi-bank holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., offering complete banking and related financial services to both individual and business customers. It owns and operates 170 banking centers throughout Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Clear Channel Entertainment currently owns, operates and/or books 135 live entertainment venues, including 44 amphitheaters in the U.S. and 28 venues in Europe. Each year, more than 62 million people attend approximately 26,000 events promoted and/or produced by the company.  IRS Pushes to Expand E-Filing ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com) January 31, 2002 - The Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service have announced new efforts to reduce taxpayer burden through expanded electronic filing opportunities. "I believe that the current tax code is an abomination that cries out for vast simplification and reform. Until that vision can be accomplished, we need to reduce the burden on taxpayers in the short term by rapidly expanding opportunities such as e-filing, and making it free to those who choose it," stated Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill in an announcement. "No one should be forced to pay extra just to file his or her tax return. To accomplish this goal, this Administration is committed to taking a new approach. I've asked Commissioner Rossotti to reach out and work in a new partnership with the private sector. I don't intend for the IRS to get into the software business, but rather to open a constructive dialogue with those who already have established expertise in this field. In the end, this effort should come up with a better way to save time and money for both taxpayers and the government," stated O'Neill. The President's budget will contain two proposals aimed at increasing the number of taxpayers who choose to e-file:
Currently, e-filing is the product of a public-private arrangement where taxpayers use e-filing vendors which must be approved by the IRS. Today, over 40 million taxpayers take advantage of this process. However, that leaves the more than 90 million taxpayers who don't. Research shows there are many factors that influence this decision. One is cost: while it only costs 34 cents to mail a paper return, e-filing is sometimes offered for free, but can sometimes cost up to $10-$12. Another is privacy: some taxpayers don't want to send their personal tax information to the IRS via a third party. Taxpayers who file returns electronically, and opt for Direct Deposit, get their refunds in half the time. Electronic returns are far less error-prone and cheaper to process. Regional Park System Becoming a Reality ST. LOUIS, MO (SLFP.com) January 31, 2002 - The Metropolitan Park and Recreation District has collected $4 million to fund regional projects and is accepting proposals through March for a round of funding to develop parks, trails and greenways in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. The regional park system is becoming a reality," said Anne Zerr, president of the Metropolitan Park and Recreation District board of directors. In an announcement Zerr stated that "We fully expect to hold a progressive, three-county-wide series of ribbon cuttings on projects this fall. Counties, municipalities, not-for-profit groups and other entities were invited to propose and request funding for park and trail projects that would promote, preserve and enhance a seamless system of interconnecting parks and trails. Preference also will be given to projects that provide their own funding for overhead, operating and planning costs. The District will review and discuss responses to the RFP at their February 4 and March 4 public meetings. Voters in three Missouri and two Illinois counties passed a tax initiative in November, 2002, to create and fund regional parks districts, whose goals are to improve water quality, increase park safety, link community assets through trails, restore and expand existing and new local parks, provide expanded access to recreational areas for people with disabilities and protect wildlife habitat. The District began collecting a one-tenth of one cent sales tax in April, 2001. Half of the sales tax collected by the District is allocated for regional trails, parks and open space. The counties and municipalities within District boundaries share the remaining half. The District previously committed $36 million over four years to develop the Missouri side of The Confluence, a planned bi-state greenway along the Mississippi River. See archived story: Mississippi River Trail Dedicated  The Saint Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan Saint Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group . |
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