IT'S ALL ABOUT MOXIE - OR IS IT ? ? ?

Congratulations to Jordan Fox, the Lisbon High School senior who designed the logo for the 2011 Town of Lisbon's Moxie Festival t-shirt.

IT'S ALL ABOUT MOXIE - OR IS IT ? ? ?

At the May 17 Town Council meeting, Gina Mason, who is on the 2011 Moxie Festival committee, had one of the new t-shirts, held it up proudly

and announced that they, the Moxie Committee, has ordered five hundred (500) of the t-shirts to sell.

That is FIVE HUNDRED in case you missed it in the line above.

It would seen that the Town of Lisbon and the Moxie committee forget who is responsible for the Moxie Festival, who put the Town of Lisbon

on the map, with the Moxie Festival!

If it were not for Frank Anicetti and his Moxie Store, aka, Kennebec's, we would not have a Moxie Festival.

The Town of Lisbon would be totally unknown, except for the famous Worumbo Mill, now closed and looking for new life.

A little Lisbon history:

I was a member of the former Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce. What? You didn't know that Lisbon had a Chamber of Commerce?

It was formed around 1980 or 1981. Pete Hunter, George Janosco, Albie Martin, Mike Sayer, former local attorney, Joe Graziano, and

several other local business owners got together and formed the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce. To promote the Town of Lisbon

and it's businesses.

In 1981, Frank Anicetti had a book signing, Frank Potter was at Kennebec's to autograph his book, the Moxie Mystique. That was the first actual, unofficial Moxie Festival.

Frank Potter also was at Kennebec's in 1982, 1983, and 1984 to autograph The Moxie Mystique.

A lot of people were in town, with nothing to do after meeting with Frank Potter and chatting with Mr. Moxie, Frank Anicetti.

In 1984 the Lisbon Area Chamber of Commerce picked up on it with a Chicken BBQ and firemen's muster.

In 1985 a parade, venders and street dance were added, AND, 
the Moxie Festival was born ! ! ! ! ! ! !

AND WHAT A HIT IT WAS - - - - - AND STILL IS ! ! ! ! ! !

Lisbon had been in the news with bad publicity. Due to poor management we had unpaid bills, the town was about to go into foreclosure.

The State of Maine was about ready to take over and run the Town of Lisbon, it was that bad!

We were badly in need of good publicity.

What better way to self-promote, bring people to Lisbon and promote local businesses than a MOXIE FESTIVAL ! ! ! ! ? ? ? ?

Did I say, promote local businesses ? I most certainly did ! ! ! !

The Moxie Festival Committee seems to have lost sight of why the Moxie Festival was created. To Promote local businesses and non-profits.

Now, I know it costs a lot to put on the Moxie Festival. The town does kick in $2,500 towards expenses,

but, for the town to go into direct competition with a local business, the business that is responsible for the Moxie Festival, is, to me wrong ! !

Frank Anicetti of the Moxie Store, designs and sells Moxie memorabilia.

The most popular is his famous, original each year, Moxie t-shirts.

While Moxie is not his only business, it is his major attraction.

He has one opportunity each year to make a profit.

And what does the town of Lisbon do?

Go into direct competition with the Moxie Store.

So much for Town of Lisbon supporting and promoting local businesses ! ! ! ! ! !

Makes me wonder why we're paying for a Development Department, when the town goes in direct competition

with a local business. The one that put the Town of Lisbon on the map ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Dot Fitzgerald

A Town of Lisbon Concerned Citizen