Heard on the Street

40-UNDER-40 JUDGES

Five previous 40-Under-40 honorees have been named as judges by SBJ Publisher Dianne Elizabeth for this year's recognition event. They are Brad Bodenhausen, of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, and Amy Horst Ruggeri, City Utilities engineer, class of 1999; Michelle Baltz, owner of The Copy Shoppe, class of 2000; and Troy Kennedy, of Springfield Trust Company, and Steve War-lick, an architect with Warren Bates Co., class of 2001. It's not too late to nominate an outstanding young businessperson. Debra Fick-bohm, SBJ special projects coordinator, said nominations are being accepted through Feb. 18. Call her at 417-831-3238, e-mail her at dfickbohm@sbj.net, or drop by the SBJ office, 313 Park Central West to pick up a nomination form. This year's event will be held April 25 at Wonders of Wildlife The American National Fish & Wildlife Museum.

SFG AUCTION RESULTS

An auction of office equipment, computers and furnishings of the Stevens Financial Group grossed "a little over $62,000, a little more than we expected," said Jerry Fenstermaker, SFG president and chief executive. He said they predicted the sale would bring in $50,000. "We got very good prices for things like office chairs, computers, desks, modular furniture some computers for as little at $40." Everything was sold except some of the artwork by Jackie Warren, local artist, most of which was withdrawn by Fenstermaker. Warren's work will be sold on E-bay in order to get a fair price for the pieces, Fenstermaker said. More than 320 people registered to make bids, but the crowd on hand ogling the bankrupt business's equipment was between 750 and 800, he said. The monies from the sale "will be a new start for us." Fenstermaker said he expects the reorganized business to come out from under bankruptcy supervision in about 60 days and begin operating as Freedom Financial Group, with new stock being issued to shareholders. "We're ready to get going. The market is right, we've downsized and cut costs. We've got our software employees." Fenstermaker, appointed by the court, has 30 years' financial experience and five or six "turnaround deals" under his belt for the bankruptcy court.

IRS URGES E-FILING

Providers authorized by the Internal Revenue Service can help customers file their income tax forms faster by e-mail and have their refunds directly deposited into their bank accounts. A list is provided on the IRS Web site at www.irs.gov/elec_svs/parters.html. Individuals can have their tax returns completed and filed within 20 minutes for less than $10. To pay the fee, some companies accept credit cards, a refund loan or take it directly from the refund. No software purchase or download is required, although those items are available for those who want to do their taxes on their own computers.

CITIZENS AND THE ARTS

The Missouri Arts Council will Feb. 13 honor and recognize those who have made contributions to the state's cultural environment in conjunction with the annual Citizens' Day at the Legislature in Jefferson City. The 2002 Missouri Arts Awards will be at 2 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. Festivities begin at noon with musical performances. Citizens' Day features art advocacy activities and is sponsored by Missouri Citizens for the Arts, the state's grassroots arts advocacy organization. The Missouri Arts Council provides technical and financial assistance to Missouri nonprofit organization. A division of the Department of Economic Development, it is the second oldest state-funded art organization in the nation. Its board comprises 15 citizen volunteers from across the state appointed by the governor.

SLICE OF NICE

It's Sertoma Chili Cook-off time again, and team entries are being sought for the 21st ann-iversary event. Teams can represent businesses, organizations or even just chili-loving buddies who want to get together 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 16 to cook chili, raise money and compete for prizes, all for a good cause to equip a modern new kitchen in the new Boys and Girls Club on North Fremont. Additional information about the event is available online at www.serto machilicookoff.com.