Shannon Rumage, 13, makes a festive mask during the Markham Place School Eighth-Grade Carnival on Feb. 25. *****

Red Bank Council No. 3187 Knights of Columbus will hold its annual corned beef and cabbage dinner March 12 from 5-8 p.m. at the council home, 200 Fair Haven Road, Fair Haven. The cost is $14, $7 for children. Tickets may be purchased at the door. For more information, call (732) 747- 4680.

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Red Bank Charter School will host a St. Patrick's Day breakfastMarch 15 with seatings at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. at the school, 58 Oakland St. Tickets are $10. For tickets or more information, call (732) 450-2092.

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Two sixth-grade students at St. James School in Red Bank organized a community service project for wounded U.S. soldiers during the month of December. Madalyn Cannon and Connor Smith wanted to send holiday wishes and encouragement to the wounded and recovering American soldiers at the Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center inWashington, D.C. They organized a Christmas-card collection for which fellow students created their own holiday cards expressing their appreciation to the troops supporting our country along with their wishes for a happy holiday and speedy recovery. There were hundreds of creative cards collected from St. James students in all grades who went all out designing and crafting cards with well wishes, holiday messages and themes, prayers and beautiful words of encouragement supportingAmerica's sons and daughters who are making hard sacrifices for our precious freedom.

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Emily Kosinski, a seventh-grade student at St. James School, Red Bank, earned a perfect score in the first meet in the national WordMasters Challenge in December. Only 61 seventh-graders nationwide earned perfect scores.

***** Oceanport United Methodist Church, 50 Main St., will host an Italian dinner March 8 from 5-7 p.m. Cost is $7, and $5 for children ages 3-11. For more information, call (732) 229-4641.

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Sylvia's Children, Holmdel, a nonprofit that supports orphans in Uganda, has announced the 10 finalists for the Grandmother of the Year award. Local finalists are Elizabeth "Betty" Martin, Aberdeen; Eleanor Mitchell, Oceanport; Elizabeth Ruberg, Fair Haven; and Maria Van Gilson, Lincroft section of Middletown. The winner will be announced at a brunch March 2 at Lakeside Manor, Hazlet. The award honors grandmothers who make a significant contribution to their families and the community.

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The Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School's Casey Players will perform "Once Upon a Mattress" in the Broad Street auditorium Feb. 28 and March 6 at 7 p.m. and March 1, 7 and 8 at 8 p.m. For tickets call (732) 747-1774. Tickets are also available at the door, or at the RBC bookstore, which is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

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On Feb. 28, music students from Rumson and Fair Haven elementary schools will take part in the Annual Tri-District Music Festival at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.

The event gives incoming music students the chance to experience the high school music program. The visiting students will join together with the high school musicians in a combined concert at 12:30 p.m.

For more information, contact Don Swinchoski at (732) 842-1597, ext. 254, or via e-mail at dswinchoski@rfhrhs.org.

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Coast Boating School will conduct a personal watercraft and safe boating course under New Jersey State Law March 10 and 11 fro 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Brookdale Community College, Lincroft section of Middletown. For fee or to register, call (732) 224-2315.

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The Garden State Depression Glass Club will host its 26th annual show and sale March 7 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., and March 8 from 10 a.m. t o3:30 p.m. at St. Lawrence Church Parish Center, 109 Laurence Parkway, Laurence Harbor. Featured will be depression glass and kitchenware from the Depression era through the 1960s and door prizes. Admission for both days is $5 per person for age 12 and older. For more information, call Lynn at (609) 240-3765 or e-mail thelegantable@ verizon.net.

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The Shrewsbury Towne-Monmouth Chapter of the Daughters of theAmerican Revolution (DAR) announced that Caitlyn Hoeflin, a seventh-grade student at Oak Hill Academy in Lincroft, is the winner of the chapter's American history essay contest. Her essay will be entered in the DAR state competition.

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsors the American history essay contest every year. This year's topic was "I Spy - Espionage During the American Revolution." The contest is first held at the local chapter level, where winners at each grade level (grades five through eight) then advance to the state competition. The state winners' essays are judged within their division, and winners advance to the national competition.