Youngsters join the baby carriage/wagon parade at the River Valley Fourth of July celebration Wednesday in Rumford. From left are 3-year-old twins Joshua and Jacob Buono, and Kiki Stuart, all of Rumford. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

Peter Orino of Rumford deadlifts 525 pounds during a weightlifting contest at the River Valley Fourth of July celebration Wednesday. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

JT & Kitty perform at the River Valley Fourth of July celebration in Rumford on Wednesday. Because of the heat, they stopped mid-song to get water. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

All decked out in red, white and blue, Ridge Duguay, 8, of Mexico was the first-place choice in the bike parade at the River Valley Fourth of July celebration Wednesday in Rumford. (Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times)

RUMFORD — From decorating contests for kids to musical entertainment for adults, there was plenty to see and do at the River Valley Fourth of July celebration Wednesday.

With high humidity and temps in the mid-90s, probably the best place to be was in the dunk tank. But for others, there was a hose in back of the snack shack for anyone who needed to get a good, cool soaking.

Perhaps because of the hot weather the crowd was slow to arrive, but by 7 p.m. people started picking spots around Hosmer Field to view the fireworks display at dusk.

New this year was a weightlifting contest organized by Gary Dolloff of the Greater Rumford Community Center.

Five people competed in the hourlong event of bench press and deadlift. Tom Burgess edged out Peter Orino. Both are from Rumford. In combined total, Orino bested Burgess by 825-760, but Burgess won because personal weight (105 pounds less than Orino) is also a factor.

Judging the event was eight-time world powerlifting champion Richard “Dick” G. Austin, 89, of Rumford. He was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1999, and into the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters Hall of Fame in 2012.

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