Rumford Falls Times

10/19/2025

Activity at Saturday's 1st annual Jack-O-Lantern Jubilee
at the Peru Town Office, hosted by Community Footprints.

10/10/2025

Dirigo High School homecoming parade Thursday night
Celebrating the decades: Seniors -- the 80s; Juniors -- the 70s;
Sophomores -- the 50s; and Freshmen -- the 90s

10/04/2025

Mountain Valley High School's Homecoming Thursday featured a Disney theme, with the float by seniors being Hercules, the junior float with Alice in Wonderland, sophomores with 101 Dalmations, and freshmen with Jungle Book. And for the first time, the staff had a float, filled with Disney Villains.
There were also floats from the middle school and AYF football, cheerleaders and flag football, and the GRCC gymnasts.

09/28/2025

Falcons girls soccer edged in double OT, 5-4

RUMFORD — In a hard-fought game, the Mountain Valley High School girls' soccer came from behind twice before losing a 5-4 decision to Carrabec in double overtime on Sept. 27 at Hosmer Field.

On a beautiful late-morning contest, the got very physical at times, with numerous stoppages in play due to bumps and bruises from the competitive play. Combine that with the fact the 8-on-8 contest was played on a football field, the players were very fatiqued from all the running involved.

The Falcons tied the game at 3-3 at the 21:29 mark when Madison Blanchard tucked a beautiful direct kick into the unreachable left side of the net.

And just when it appeared the Cobras were going to head to the bus with a 4-3 win, and everyone was getting ready to leave, the Falcons' Kaylynn Washburn connected with the tying goal with just 2.5 second left of the clock.

Carrabec won the game with a goal near the start of the second 5-minute overtime session.

The first two Falcon goals were scored in the first half by Kenzie Gammon, both with assists from Lily Boulanger.

09/26/2025

Back to School Fashion Show at Hope Association

Hope Association participants get real excited this time of year as Sept. 17 as time for the Back to School Fashion Show, when they get to be models and go down the runway in clothing that can be purchased from their What Not Shop.

And people in the community get excited to watch them as well in a tradition that's gone strong since at least 2008.

Adding to their modeling excitement is the accompanying music spun each year by Dan Richard.

After the show, attendees had the opportunity to the What Not Shop's fill a basket for $12 to get some of the clothing they watched displayed by their models.

The Hope Association provides leadership, residential, case management, vocational and community support services to individuals with intellectual and related disabilities and their families. Its programs enhance independence, dignity, choice and individuality.

The association operates outreach programs for people with intellectual disabilities as well as boarding homes for them.

09/26/2025

Rumford Community Forest celebrated as ‘symbol of Rumford’s resurgence’

RUMFORD — Close to a hundred people gathered Saturday to inaugerate the 446-acre Rumford Community Forest at 161 Isthmus Road.
Betsy Cook, Maine State Director, Trust for Public Land, said, "Community forests are created and taken care of by the community for the community. Through all the work that you have done here and will continue to do, you are ensuring that Rumford Community Forest is going to provide educational benefits, environmental benefits, health benefits, economic benefits, but perhaps most importantly, is the benefit of community bonds that have been created and will continue to be."
She added, "These bonds are the fabric of the community and the work to strengthen them through this community forest project is going to have impact far beyond the community forest for decades to come."
The idea for the public forest began a couple years ago because Karen Wilson, a teacher and member of Inland Woods and Trails executive board, and her husband, Todd Papianou, a phys. ed teacher and Outing Club advisor, were tired of always traveling away from this area to enjoy the wilderness.
Town leadership and nonprofits got involved, with business owner Rich Calhoun and his business partner, Kara Wilbur, purchasing the 446 acres to protect the land while plans were finalized.
Also attending the opening was Governor Janet Mills, who said, "After decades of doubt over the future of mill towns like this area, it's only fitting that we're here today to celebrate another symbol of Rumford's resurgence."
She talked about legislation she signed to send out the Maine Trails Bond to voters and "they overwhelmingly approved that bond to provide additional funding to communities to support the longterm maintenance of multi-use trail projects like this one."
Mills said that originally, this land had been slated for significant housing development. "But developing this particular parcel of land would have threatening local water supplies and wildlife habitat, while worsening future flooding events in Rumford and Mexico."
She noted, "Instead, using funding from the State of Maine’s Land for Maine’s Future and the U.S. Forest Service Community Forest, the town of Rumford has been able to complete this conservation project and create the Rumford Community Forest in less than a year."
Mills said the community forest preserves easy access for multi-use year round trails, where people can go hiking, biking skiing, snowshoeing, hunting and fishing pretty close to town. "I'm also looking forward to seeing the new universal trail that people with wheelchairs, walkers and strollers can use to enjoy the beauty of this area of the great outdoors."
Travis Dustin, lands coordinator for Inland Woods + Trails, helped establish the Scotty Brook All Persons Trail, which most of the people attending walked following the grand opening.
Work is already well underway for a 1.5 mile hiking trail called the Porcupine Trail, with an elevation of about 600 feet. Four members of the Mountain Valley High School Outing Club arrived at 9 a.m. Saturday to work on creating a bog bridge for that trail.
Rumford Town Manager George O'Keefe said, "This is grassroots movement that is local to the community, doing the right thing and wanting good thing for the people here. I think about all the people who have worked so hard for so long to make something really beautiful like this happen on a wonderful piece of land."
With plans for two new parking areas close to town and connections to regional trail networks — including the Black Mountain trail network, Pennacook Area Community Trails at Mountain Valley High School — the land also will be maintained and improved for a wide variety of outdoor recreation uses including hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, hunting, fishing and motorized uses on designated trails.

09/04/2025

Do you remember? Photos from 2015

08/18/2025

Great memories were shared during last weekend's Mountain Valley Athletics Hall of Fame inaugural induction ceremony.
Athletic Director Jeff Pelletier, who put in so much time in research for this project, said Saturday, "This hall of fame is not only about celebrating the accomplishments of our past, but also a way to use these legacies to help inspire current and future generations of Mountain Valley athletes."
We get to honor the very best of our athletic history from across generations, schools and sports. Today is about our proud history of athletes, coaches, teams and contributors from Rumford, Mexico and Mountain Valley high schools.
From 1970 to the present, these individuals and teams have embodied the values that we strive for within Mountain Valley Athletics' programs. Whether it was under the lights on a Friday night, on a court or wrestling mat in packed gymnasium, or on the ski slopes, each inductee has placed a vital role in shaping the fabric of our athletic community.
Today, we will proudly induct (see graphic) 15 exceptional athletes who inspire teammates and left lasting legacies within our community with their performances. Three influential coaches whose impact on our student athletes stretched far beyond the sidelines. Two unforgetable teams who helped build pride within our community and garnered attention well beyond our town lines. And one devoted contributor, who's volunteer work and commitment to our area athletes help nurture the athletic successes that our community has come to enjoy.
To me, this hall of fame is not only about celebrating the accomplishments of our past, but also a way to use these legacies to help inspire current and future generations of Mountain Valley athletes.
The existence of this Hall of Fame will stand as a reminder of what is possible with hard work and dedication, regardless of what perceived limitations come with growing up in a small rural community like ours.
The legends that we celebrate today grew up on the same streets as our current students. They were labled mill town boys and girls and we likely not given the attention from the media that is so easily garnered from athletes from other regions in our state.
They had to earn it, and they did. And because they did, the student athletes that have come after them know that is possible.
Following the Award Ceremony, there was a reception at Black Mountain of Maine for all attendees.
On Sunday, the MV Athletics Hall of Fame Golf Scramble was held at Oakdale Country Club, with all proceeds going directly to Mountain Valley Athletics.

Committee members for Mountain Valley Athletics are Jill Bartash, Joe Bedard, John Bernard, Tom Danylik, Gary Dolloff, Jeff Garneau, Matt Kaubris, Rich Kent, Craig Milledge, Ryan Palmer, Jeff Pelleter and Jeff Sterling.

08/15/2025

08/15/2025