Dear Sun Spots: The Rural Community Action Ministry has a holiday program aimed at assisting RCAM area families with limited financial resources who would otherwise be unable to afford holiday gifts. RCAM is a community-based social service agency that works with churches and other organizations to assist people in the towns of Litchfield, Monmouth, Wayne, Sabattus, Wales, Greene, Leeds, Turner, Livermore, Canton, Hartford, Sumner and Buckfield.

People desiring to apply need to contact RCAM directly by calling one of the numbers listed below. Deadline for requests is Nov. 24, but please get requests in as soon as possible.

People who would like to donate to this program can do so by contacting the RCAM. Help is needed in a number of ways: purchase of new gifts; donations of wrapping paper, tape and gift tags; and cash donations. RCAM is grateful for the past donations from all the caring people who have made this program possible.

Those wishing to apply for the program or who wish to make a donation can reach Rural Community Action Ministry at: RCAM, 81 Church Hill Road, Leeds, ME 04263, or by calling 524-5095, 524-3791 or 224-7505. – Pam Bell, Leeds.

Dear Sun Spots: I’m looking to buy a top hat. My school’s semiformal dance is coming up, and I am searching for a top hat to jazz things up. If you or any of your readers could inform me on where I might pick up such a thing, it could be new, used or old. If a reader has one they are willing to sell, perfect. Or I could use the name of a store in the Lewiston-Auburn or surrounding area where I could purchase it. Thanks for your help! – Benjamin Mawhinney, Auburn.

• To D.F., Mexico, Sun Spots request Nov. 4: You may want to contact Rich Wood of Mexico who is a piano tuner in your area. Wood makes house calls from Farmington to Norway and over towards Lewiston, stopping at Turner.

Wood has been tuning pianos for 30 years and started tuning pianos in Massachusetts. He says pianos behave differently down there than up here. Down there, you had to do a piano at least twice a year because of drastic changes in humidity. Up here, once a year usually does it. It depends, too, on whether the individual who owns the piano is serious about music. Wood does not charge for mileage. He will also check with the customer to see how frequently he or she wants to have the tuning done, and on the cards he keeps about each piano he makes a note to that effect. The base rate is $50 a unit, which Wood admits is probably a little bit low, but he wants his customers back. Pitch raises and other in-depth tuning is discussed with the customer prior to starting work.

Dear Sun Spots: We are looking for used tennis balls for the Madison Avenue Elementary School. These tennis balls are placed on the legs of our chairs to help decrease the noise level as chairs are moved on the tile floors. The ones which we are now using have been in place for over two years, and it is time to start replacing them. We would really appreciate the readers’ help in continuing to make Madison Avenue a school where learning is done in a quieter environment. – Ruth MacGregory, Oxford.

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