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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Beth Giese - (573) 874-7465

Flat Branch Park fall festivities
Press Conference: Aug. 25, 9:30 a.m. in Flat Branch Park 
(Rain location: Convention & Visitors Bureau) 

COLUMBIA, MO (August 18, 2004) -- The Columbia Parks and Recreation
Department and the Convention and Visitors Bureau will host a variety of
new events in Flat Branch Park at 4th and Cherry Streets this fall. The
events include a "circus;" bands performing during the Twilight
Festival and on Wednesdays in October during the lunch hour; an outdoor
cinema; and a special fun day with children's performers, the movie
Shrek II and the Midnight Bike Ramble. Partners include The District,
Ragtag Cinema and the MKT Trailhead Committee. Lorah Steiner, director
of the Convention & Visitors Bureau, states, "This is kind of
partnering is what makes tourism work and what will make downtown and
the district a great tourism and community destination." The purpose
of the events is to encourage use of the park and to develop the
park's potential for tourism in downtown Columbia.

Flat Branch Park Circus
Sept. 2, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Free
During the Twilight Festival, enjoy rousing circus music by the Big Top
Circus Band, complete with ringmaster! Ann Gafke's performing dogs,
jugglers and clowns will perform to the circus music. 

Flat Branch Park Twilight Music
Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30, 6 - 8 p.m., Free. Enjoy great music in the park
during the Twilight Festivals. 

Flat Branch Sack Lunch Music Series
Wednesdays in October, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Free
Leave the fast food lines behind. Bring your lunch, a lawn chair, a
friend and enjoy great music in a beautiful park setting. Sponsored by
the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Flat Branch Park Fun Day and Midnight Bike Ramble
Oct. 9, (Rain date Oct. 16)
Children's entertainment 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Outdoor movie Shrek II 7:30 - 10 p.m., sponsored by the Convention &
Visitors Bureau.
Bike Ramble 10 p.m. to midnight - enjoy a late evening bike ride
through downtown and college campuses. Event proceeds benefit Flat
Branch Park building projects. Registration forms available
mid-September at Parks and Recreation 1 S 7th St, CyclExtreme; and
online at www.discoverthedistrict.org.

Flat Branch Park
Flat Branch Park, located at Fourth and Cherry Streets, serves as the
trailhead to the MKT trail. It is a green haven where people can enjoy a
beautifully landscaped creek in the hustle and bustle of the city and
serves as an inviting gateway into downtown Columbia. The park also
preserves and revitalizes an area that is an integral part of the
city's history and early commerce. The park and MKT Trail, when
complete will provide a portal to the downtown via the MKT and KATY
Trails - a great opportunity for outdoor tourism development.

In 1997, the planning for the development of this park began when the
city received a $40,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural
Resources for the construction of a trailhead park. To assist in the
planning of the park, Mayor Darwin Hindman appointed a citizens
committee, the MKT Trailhead Committee, to work with the Public Works
and the Parks and Recreation Departments. The committee has also played
an extraordinary role in fund-raising for the park project. Over
$270,000 in private donations has been secured by the committee.

In October 1997, a deteriorated warehouse located on the Fourth and
Cherry site was torn down, and soil contamination was found.
Construction was put on hold until clean-up was completed. Completion of
the extensive cleanup made way for Phase I of the park construction.
Phase I development featured restoration of Flat Branch Creek, as well
as the addition of a gazebo, benches, tables, walkways, landscaping,
historic markers, and green space. Construction of Phase I was completed
in the fall of 2001 and was formally dedicated on Nov. 15, 2001.

Phase II plans for the Flat Branch area include the expansion of the
greenbelt/park to the city-owned property located south of the existing
park between Locust and Elm Streets. The MKT Trailhead Committee is
currently raising funds for the final section of the park and trail
development, the area along Fourth Street in between Elm and Locust. The
Parks and Recreation Department's plan is to route the MKT under
Providence and Stewart Roads. A grant has been received for $75,000 from
the Recreational Trails Program for this development and planning and
engineering work is underway. 

An environmental assessment of the Phase II site revealed the presence
of contaminated soil on this property as well. Park planners applied for
an Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Clean-up Grant and
received $200,000. This grant will allow the Parks and Recreation
Department to proceed with the clean-up of the site in preparation for
the eventual redevelopment of the property as an integral component of
the city's Flat Branch Park and MKT Trail.

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