MEXICO – Selectmen voted Wednesday night to reserve the Mexico Recreation Park on Aug. 21 for a concert to raise money for the Moontide Water Festival.
Greg Viger of Rumford, who heads Big Vigs Productions, asked the board to set aside the park and the date so he could line up bands. He is trying to secure REO Speedwagon to headline the show. Another group in the planned five-band concert is Night Ranger.
The concert would take place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Selectmen were working out details Wednesday night, including the recreation department’s percentage from the concert.
Viger is working with the nonprofit Moontide Water Festival Inc. committee, which organizes the annual festival in Rumford.
The festival will be held July 2-4, committee Chairman Joseph Roberts of Rumford said Wednesday night.
He said the festival costs as much as $50,000, including fireworks, and is starting this year with a deficit.
“We still owe, and we’re paying off as much as we can,” he said, adding he didn’t have an exact amount of the deficit.
Former festival President Matthew J. Plante of Rumford pleaded not guilty March 31 to stealing more than $5,000 from the committee. His case is pending in Oxford County Superior Court.
Roberts said Wednesday that the committee has received $10,000 from the town of Rumford this year and has asked for a $10,000 loan from the town.
The committee has also received donations from other sources, he said, and would use its share of the concert proceeds to pay for the festival and “set back funds for next year.”
Committee member Matt Gallant said an estimated net profit from the concert, if 5,000 people attend, would be $107,500. Tickets would be $32.50 each.
Most of the money would go toward fireworks. He said break-even attendance would be 2,300 people.
“We figure we’d have money left for next year,” Gallant said.
Viger said the town’s extra security costs would be borne by the concert take, as would portable toilets. The production company would also be responsible for setting up the day before the event and cleaning up the day after. He estimated about 100 food and other vendors would also set up at the recreation park field.
“This is a great thing,” Selectman Barbara Laramee said. “A lot of eyes would be on this, and it could be profitable for the future.”
Town Manager John Madigan said the town requires a letter from the production company assuring that the recreation park would not be liable.
In other matters Wednesday, the board awarded the contract for replacing the Mexico Recreation Center floor to O’Sullivan Flooring of Quincy, Mass., for $7,558.
The floor was damaged last year when a steam pipe leaked.
Keeping the building in good condition is important to the town, said Madigan.
“The Budget Committee and the selectmen want that building to support itself,” he said.
O’Sullivan Flooring recently replaced the Puiia Gymnasium floor at Mountain Valley High School and is known for its work in high school gymnasiums throughout New England, he said.
The board also approved a hawkers and peddlers license for Barbara Tremper to operate a hot dog wagon, known as Hot Diggety Dog, next the the Mexico Public Library. She ran the small business last year as well.
Staff Writer Mary Delamater contributed to this report.
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