RUMFORD – Black Mountain Day for students at Virginia Elementary School has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 17. Grades two through five will go from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and grades kindergarten and one will go from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. School lunch will be provided at the mountain.

St. Pat’s dinner

RUMFORD – SeniorsPlus St. Patrick’s Day dinner will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 17, at the Rumford Dining Center, 50 Congress St. There will be entertainment at 11 a.m. The menu will include corned beef, cabbage, carrots, turnip, potato, corn bread, punch, leprechaun dessert and beverage. Cost is $3.50 for those over 60, their spouses, people with disabilities and volunteers; $5, under 60.

Benefit event

RUMFORD – Mary Dodds Beggs, a 38-year-old life-long resident of Dixfield, has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. In early January she was given a prognosis of three to six months to live.

Her 6-year-old daughter, Bethany, died of cancer, and 18 months ago, her husband succumbed to lung cancer. The Beggs have another daughter, Abby, an eighth-grader at T.W. Kelly Dirigo Middle School.

A benefit will be held from 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at the VFW hall on Waldo Street. Two bands will play and there will be a potluck supper from 4 to 6 p.m. The cost is $10 a person or $15 a couple. To donate a raffle item, call Laurie Xanthos at 562-7152 or for other information contact Maggie Dodds at 562-8053. Monetary donations can also be made to Oxford Federal Credit Union to be deposited into an account for Mary.

Society supper

MEXICO – The Mexico Historical Society will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, at the Calvin Lyons meeting room. A hot dish supper will be served. The meat and desserts will be provided. Members are asked to bring vegetables or salads.

The February speaker was Carol Wilson Schenk, a former resident of both Rumford and Mexico. Her parents are Ray and Mary Shaw Wilson. Schenk wore native clothes as she spoke of her work in Turkey, the people and their customs.

Schenk worked many years in the slums of New York City with alcoholics, drug addicts and less fortunate people. Before going to Turkey she spent more than 30 years in the Cass Corrider, the worst slum area with the same problems as in New York. She speaks Turkish, but is attending Istanbul University to improve the language. She recently returned to Turkey.

A public supper is being planned for sometime in May. Speakers are being lined up for the rest of the year, so anyone with ideas should call Bea at 364-2571.

Relay rally

RUMFORD – Rumford’s Relay for Life Rally will be held Thursday, March 24. The River Valley’s area relay to fight against cancer to be held on May 20 and 21 at the Hosmer Field Complex. The Relay for Life-Rumford Committee will host the rally at the Eagles Club on Oxford Avenue. A spaghetti dinner will be held at 5:30 p.m., followed by speaks, raffles and drawings. All cancer survivors, their families and the Relay for Life teams are invited to the rally.

Relay for Life teams of eight to 15 people take turns walking around a track for 18 hours. Families, corporations, clubs, hospitals, churches, temples and school organize relay teams.

For more information on to participate, contact Diane at 364-8358, Peggy at 364-4611 or Ray at 1-800-464-3102, press 3.

Welding class

MEXICO – Region 9 Learning Center will offer a beginning welding class from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays for seven weeks beginning Monday, March 28. Instructor is Pete Barlow.

Tuition cost is $225, lab fee is $30 and text cost is $6. Learn the basic skills using a Miller 250 amp welder, an AC/DC welder and the Idealarc SP 250MIG welder. Class is limited to five students a section. Call Region 9 Learning Center at 364-2012.