Dear Sun Spots: Your Sun Spots column generates a community informational center which is read and appreciated by many.

St. Martin de Porres homeless shelter is celebrating its 16th year of humanitarian local service this year. Thank you all for your support over the past 16 years. It truly has made the difference in many lives. We look forward to continuing our relationship with you all.

We would like to remind readers and others interested in our shelter that we offer beds on a referral basis only. If you have a caseworker, or are participating in another program please have them contact us to make arrangements.

We are centrally located, at Bartlett and College streets here in Lewiston, and are open Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

In addition, our Bargain Basket Store provides household items, some furniture and bedding such as blankets, sheets, pillow cases, bedspreads and towels at a minimal cost. On occasion, furniture is picked up, however, phone arrangements are necessary to arrange this. We no longer accept clothing, shoes or boots.

We could always use the help of volunteers. If you have some time and energy that you’d like to share with us, we can be reached, via phone, at 786-4690. – St. Martin’s Bargain Basket Store.

Dear Sun Spots: At a recent gathering, a question arose that needs your assistance.

On the old “Ozzie & Harriet” television show, what was Ozzie’s occupation? – No Name, No Town.

Answer: It seems, from all Sun Spots has read or gleaned, Ozzie’s occupation was kept secret. A posting online by his nephew, Michael Griffin, at www.geocities.com, notes a discussion with both Ozzie and Harriet where he’s wondering what Ozzie did for a living. Ozzie admits that he was never seen at work or going to work or coming home from work. Also, none of the other characters ever mentioned what he did.

Griffin notes that when the TV series was on the air, in real life Ozzie was the producer and director and one of the stars of “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” As Griffin realized, Ozzie was already at work, and couldn’t leave work and come home, because the set was a duplicate of his house. Had he showed himself at work or at home, the audience couldn’t have told the difference and would get confused. And none of the rest of the cast could talk about it because Ozzie was the only one playing himself. The others didn’t play themselves – Harriet was a housewife.

Perhaps you and other Ozzie and Harriet fans might enjoy learning a little more about this well-known TV family:

Despite many accomplishments, Ozzie Nelson’s grave at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills cemetery is marked with an unassuming plaque that simply reads, “Oswald G. Nelson, Beloved Husband and Father, 1906-1975.”

Because of a contract that gave him broad creative powers, Nelson was able to control many production details on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” For example, he and his wife shared the same bed on camera, unheard of on TV in the 1950s.

Though an honor student, a notable athlete, a musician, and later – a TV star and producer – Ozzie Nelson originally wanted to be a professional cartoonist.

Nelson and his wife got their first real acting breaks when they performed occasional skits on Red Skelton’s radio program. When Skelton left the airwaves temporarily for military service in 1944, these comedy segments became the nucleus for the radio version of “Ozzie and Harriet.” Ozzie Nelson was listed as No. 21 on TV Guide’s June 20, 2004, list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time.”

Nelson played the ukulele, banjo, and saxophone. His band, The Ozzie Nelson Orchestra, recorded over 30 hits that made top 20 in sales – including the No. 1 song “And Then Some.”

According to Nelson’s nephew, Michael Griffin, Ozzie loved most types of music, from classical to rock-and-roll, though he was annoyed that the “British Invasion” may have hurt his son Ricky’s career.

Harriet Hilliard was a singer in Ozzie Nelson’s swing band when they married in 1935. They had two children, Ricky and David, both of whom starred on “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.” Ricky Nelson also achieved fame as a pop singer and David established himself as a director.

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].