Dear Sun Spots: How long does it take for a background check? Early last month I took the course through Community Concepts to become a volunteer driver, and I am still waiting to be called. – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Sun Spots spoke with Brenda Dyer at Community Concepts who says the agency does three types of background checks: an FBI search; search of driving records and a Department of Human Services check in case the potential employee is going into homes where there are children. Dyer says a good rule of thumb for a time frame is two to four weeks.

• Readers looking for copies of Gérard Robichaud’s “Papa Martel” featured in Friday’s column should note the Lewiston Public Library only had copies for sale as part of the book signing and literary presentation at Lewiston-Auburn College held Thursday night. They no longer have copies.

Dear Sun Spots: I was wondering if you could get me the address of Hillary Clinton at her home in New York. – Jean Doherty, Rumford.

Answer: You can e-mail Sen. Clinton from her Web site at clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html or contact one of her offices: (585) 263-6250 or (202) 224-4451.

Dear Sun Spots: I have a VHS home videocassette that is broken and cannot be played in the VCR. Is there anyone in the local area that can put the tape in a new cassette to make it playable again? – N. Buck, Buckfield.

Dear Sun Spots: I have two reproductions of paintings: one is of a bowl of lemons, mounted high with one cut lemon on the bowl and the other half on a stand which holds the blue-on-white bowl. The signature is on a white slip containing an E.

The other is a beautiful, breaking large wave, blues and whites, with two, white large seabirds in flight over the background ocean; signature in white paint is Waugh.

I am a semi shut-in and go out for medical appointments only. Can you please help me identify the paintings and painter? – No Name, Litchfield.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, Sun Spots has learned that the second painting is likely by Frederick Judd Waugh (1861-1940) who spent a summer studying on Bailey Island in 1908 or 1909. Born in Bordentown, N.J., he was the son of noted portrait painter Samuel Bell Waugh. He studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts with Thomas Eakins and Thomas Anshutz, and in 1883 enrolled in the Academie Julian, Paris. However, it was a visit to the Island of Sark, off the French coast that proved to be a decisive turn. Waugh remained for two years, studying the rocky shoreline, making notes, sketches and studies. He traveled to St. Ives, Cornwall, England, in 1895 where he continued intensive analysis of the seascape subject. He left England for the U.S. in 1907 in an effort to establish his reputation as a marine painter on his native continent.

Sun Spots has no idea based on the information you have provided how to start identifying the signature on your other reproduction. Perhaps you could provide more information. Or perhaps other readers are familiar with this artist and might be willing to share their knowledge with you.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be posted at www.sunjournal.com in the Inform Us section under Press Release.