DEAR SUN SPOTS: I think that I’ve seen someone asking about a leach field problem once and thought maybe you could help me with a problem we are having. We’re a low-income family and need help very soon with our leach field. Is there an organization somewhere that can help a low-income family with replacing the leach field or replacing some parts for our leach field? Any help we can get would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. — No Name via e-mail

ANSWER: You might want to visit http://mainesepticdesign.com/GreenEnvironmentalSepticQuestions.htm#Financial, which addresses this question. Some options include a loan or grant through the USDA Rural Development 504 Program, assistance from a Community Action Program or even a low-interest loan through your town.

Details about your situation (your town, age, income, etc.) are needed to provide a more definitive answer. You might start by contacting the local office of the USDA Rural Development, 254 Goddard Road, Lewiston, ME 04240, 207-753-9400, or visiting your town office, which also might be able to refer you to other sources for help.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Thank you, Sun Spots, for this service. As the music/worship leader in a little church, I am looking to buy or borrow a book of worship songs called “Worship Him III: We Have Come Into This House,” words and music edition (we have several words-only ones) published in 1995 by Tempo Music Publishers (since taken over by Lorenz). At present I have had very little success online. If anyone can be of help, our church would really appreciate it. — Janet Krapovicky, Advent Christian Church, Auburn

ANSWER: Sun Spots didn’t have any luck online either. Hopefully a reader will have some suggestions.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I just purchased a new dryer. The last one I owned for 15 years and never had this problem. Somehow a Jolly Rancher-like rock candy made it onto the dryer drum. I cannot get that candy off for all of my desperate attempts. — Laurie via e-mail

ANSWER: Sun Spots found the answer at www.howtocleanstuff.net (go to http://tinyurl.com/y4mawqo). It involves applying a blow dryer and plastic spatula, followed by using spray cleaner. The directions say not to spray the cleaner directly into the dryer, rather to apply it to a rag and then wipe with that. Then use a rag wet with clean water to rinse.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Hilton Garden Inn ran into a last-minute scheduling glitch for the Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin Letters for Literacy Scrabble Fest. They have kindly found us another venue — The Fireside Inn, 1777 Washington St., Auburn (next to Exit 75).

There is still plenty of room for teams to register for the 12th annual Letters for Literacy Scrabble Fest to benefit Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin. The Scrabble Fest is April 18, 12:30 to 4 p.m.

For more information, call 333-6601, ext. 1321, or check our Web site at www.literacyvolunteersandro.org. Preregistration is required. — Tahlia Chamberlain, executive director, Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin

DEAR SUN SPOTS: For Dave from Weld, please call me at 784-4106 after 4 p.m. I have quite a few violin books to share. — R.C., Auburn

SHINGLES CORRECTION: In a recent column, Sun Spots made the statement that shingles is not contagious. She should not have said that. The following is from www.medicinenet.com: “Shingles can be spread from an affected person to children or adults who have not had chickenpox. But instead of developing shingles, these people develop chickenpox. Once they have had chickenpox, people cannot catch shingles (or contract the virus) from someone else. Once infected, however, people have the potential to develop shingles later in life.” Hopefully most children today have been vaccinated against chicken pox, but some adults may not have not been vaccinated or had the chicken pox, and they would be at risk for catching chicken pox, but not shingles, from someone with shingles.

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). Please include your phone number. 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 e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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