Dear Sun Spots: I was wondering how I would be able to write to the Lewiston Little League to get a signed picture? – No Name, No Town.

Answer: Sun Spots has learned that there are two little leagues in Lewiston. You might consider contacting Steve Roy at the Elliott Little League at 782-7295 or by mail at 17 Fortin Way, Lewiston, ME 04240. Or, South Lewiston Little League President Erik Tiner at 462-9834 or via post at P.O. Box 1503, Lewiston ME 04241-1503. Tiner said there are 22 teams in the league and advises you contact him first so he’ll know which team you seek a signed photograph of.

Dear Sun Spots: I am wondering what the costs of U.S. first class postage stamps have been since stamping letters began. – No Name, Wilton.

Answer: According to the United State’s Postal Service Web site, www.usps.com, prior to the middle of the 19th century, rates were based on the number of sheets in a letter and the distance it was traveling. Beginning in 1863, domestic letter rates became “uniform,” that is, they were based solely on weight, regardless of distance.

Postage listed below includes the effective date and cost per ounce, unless otherwise noted:

First-class letter stamps in March 3, 1863, were 3 cents for a ½ ounce; On March 3, 1883, it cost 2 cents for a ½ ounce.

On July 1, 1885, rates per ounce cost 2 cents; November 3, 1917/ 3; July 1, 1919/2; July 6, 1932/3; Aug. 1, 1958/4; Jan. 7, 1963/5; Jan. 7, 1968/6; May 16, 1971/8; March 2, 1974/10; Sept. 14, 1975/10; Dec. 31, 1975/13; May 29, 1978/15; March 22, 1981/18; Nov. 1, 1981/20; Feb. 17, 1985/22; April 3, 1988/25; Feb. 3, 1991/29; and in Jan. 1, 1995, it cost 32 cents for a first-class postage stamp; Jan. 7, 2001/34; July 1, 2001/34; June 30, 2002/37; Jan. 8, 2006/39; and May 14, 2007, the cost of a first class postage stamp was raised to 41 cents.

You might be interested in noting that Congress passed an act to issue stamps on March 3, 1847. The first stamp issues of the U.S. were offered for sale on July 1, 1847, in New York City with Boston receiving stamps the following year and other cities thereafter. They consisted of an engraved 5-cent, red-brown stamp depicting Benjamin Franklin (the first postmaster of the U.S.), and a 10-cent stamp in black with George Washington. Although a number of philatelists have studied the stamps for years, much remains unknown about the details of the original contract, design process and the printing of the stamps.

The first American Post Office was set up in Boston in 1639. The New York City mail service to Boston, Mass., began in 1672. The first trans-Atlantic air-borne mail delivery by hot-air balloon from America to Benjamin Franklin in France in 1785. The U.S. Congress passed laws authorizing the death penalty for mail robbery in 1799. The Pony Express started in 1860. Parcel delivery began in 1913, and the first airmail stamps used were in 1918. Zip codes were introduced in 1963.

Dear Sun Spots: To those readers who are seeking alteration help such as mending, replacing zippers, hemming and more, I’d be happy to talk with you about your projects. I can be reached at 784-3028. Please leave a message if I’m not available. – Cecile, No Town.

Dear Sun Spots: I’ve previously read in Sun Spots about a class ring that was found after many years. Maybe I’ll be lucky too.

Mine was a 1944 Mexico High School class ring with the initials EMD inside. I would be happy to pay for postage or to pick it up. I can be reached at 364-4485. – Still Hoping in Mexico.



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 Advice section under Opinion on the left-hand corner of your computer screen. In addition, you can e-mail your inquiries to [email protected].