For readers interested in purchasing a season park pass from the State of Maine Department of Conservation, please note that Sun Spots provided incorrect information in Thursday’s column. To order a pass, call Charlene at (207) 287-2209; please leave a message if she is not available. The other phone number is not monitored year round and to ensure your request is processed, it should not be used. Additionally, passes can be purchased on line at www.MaineStateParkPass.com.

Dear Sun Spots: In the Nov. 22 Sun Spots column, a reader asked about the availability of tax credits for families who installed new, energy efficient, wood or pellet-burning stoves this year. Unfortunately, the credit does not exist this year, but it will become effective in 2009. That’s because Energy Tax Extenders legislation, recently signed into law, contained a provision authored by Sen. Susan Collins that creates a $300 tax credit to help individuals and families purchase efficient, clean-burning wood and wood pellet stoves next year. Sen. Collins wrote and supported this legislation because she understands that the tax credit will go a long way in helping families better afford a newer, more efficient wood or wood pellet stove, and it will provide an affordable alternative for heating our homes. – Kevin Kelley, press secretary for U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

Dear Sun Spots: I was wondering if you could help me. I need the name of the place in Auburn/Lewiston that will take an old 8 mm movie and put it on a DVD. Thank you very much for your help. – Martha Nichols, No Town.

Answer: In addition to responses from readers, contact Via Vision Productions, 18 College St., Lewiston. They can transfer your 8 mm movie reels to a standard DVD for 15 cents a foot plus $10 for the DVD. Your reels can be transferred to an archival DVD for $15. Each DVD comes with a label and a case. They offer many other services, including film cleaning and color correction. You may call the business at 783-2550 to arrange a time to drop off your film, or download an order form at their Web site, www.viavisionproductions.com and mail in your request.

Dear Sun Spots: I am hoping Sun Spots can help me. In September I bought a Magicjack – they advertise that with their jack you can have phone service, everything and free calls everywhere for only $20 per year. I paid for the service and I am unable to make certain calls, like to my doctor’s office, etc. I can receive calls, but am limited on outgoing calls. The customer service has been horrible, they will not give me any contact information for me to write to a supervisor and I have spent hours online with them to “fix” the problem. Do any readers have Magicjack? Can Sun Spots find out the corporate offices of this item as I have searched the Internet and cannot find it. I want to report them to the Better Business Bureau but have no company name, or actual physical address or name. Contact me at (207) 951-9532 or kaileigh@kaileighatara.info. Thank you. – Kaileigh, Lewiston.

Answer:
Sun Spots corresponded with a representative from Magicjack and recommends e-mailing rikard.bone@magicjack.com. Richard is the tech support manager and will be happy to assist you with your problem. However, requests for a mailing address for the company went unanswered by our contacts.

We located the following company information from the Better Business Bureau’s Web site, www.bbb.org: the physical address is PO Box 6846, West Palm Beach, FL 33405. Phone number is (561) 594-2140 and the Chief Financial Officer is Peter Russo. BBB notes that they have received a significant number of complaints against this company.

Dear Sun Spots: Words are not enough to express our sincere thanks to all of our family and friends, for all their hard work and precious time in putting on such an amazing benefit for Larry “Boo” Jr. A special and loving thank-you to our son Larry III and daughter-in-law, Jenna, for the caring and giving children they are to take on such a quest, and the many family and friends who helped them make it possible. Our special lifelong friends, Mike and Kim Chiasson, for putting on a delicious spaghetti supper, and, to our Dad, Frankie Downs, who has given us so much support throughout all of our trying times, we really appreciate all you have done for us.

We further extend gratitude to the Eagles Club in Rumford for donating the hall, a great friend Randy Deroche and his band, One Step Ahead, for giving of their time and playing such great music; to our community, your generosity is beyond words. We have been truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends and live in the community that we do. Again, thank you from the bottom of our hearts, to all who have helped make this such a successful and very appreciated benefit. We love you all. – Larry – “Boo” and Jayne LaPointe, Dixfield.


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 sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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