DEAR SUN SPOTS: Where is Kalle Oakes? Oxford Plains Speedway is not the same on Wednesday night without him announcing. Since he left, we don’t get any race results in the paper. As Mr. Oakes knows, if it wasn’t for us drivers there would not be any Wednesday night races.

Let’s get going and do what Mr. Oakes did very well: Support the drivers and the fans. Thank you. — G.A.L., Auburn

ANSWER: Sun Spots asked Kalle to comment. Here is what he had to say:

“I thank the reader for his kind words. I made the decision to leave OPS after five years as track announcer, web designer and publicist for personal, professional and financial reasons.

“Since my departure, OPS does not typically e-mail Wednesday race results to the media until Thursday morning, at the earliest. It is the policy of the Sun Journal not to publish results of any event a day late unless there are deadline-related reasons. Since Wednesday night races at OPS are usually complete by 8:30 p.m., we would ask the speedway to report results in a timely manner for next-day publication.

“On a positive note for the readers, now that I have returned to the racing beat for the Sun Journal, we have brought our weekly “Around the Track” page out of retirement. It will appear on Page C2 every Friday through mid-August, and it will be packed with features and statistics from all over the local racing map, including OPS Wednesday night racing.”

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Telstar High School Class of 1980 will be celebrating its 30th reunion on Saturday, July 17, in Bethel. The class plans a get-together in the afternoon, and a barbecue that evening at the Bethel Inn.

Details can be found online at classmates.com and on our “Class of 1980 Telstar Regional High School” page on Facebook. For additional details, call Annemarie, 603-770-3522; Retta, 739-9619; or Karen, 392-4031. Thanks for spreading the word! — Karen Swan, swanmck@oxfordnetworks.net

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I hope you can help me again. I love Lewiston history, as I was born here and have lived here all my life.

Recently, I bought a vintage thermometer. It is 4 feet high and 10 inches wide, The glass tube with the mercury is no longer there. On the top it says “Read the Evening Journal” and at the bottom “The latest news both home and abroad” and underneath that “For sale by” and the name of the store which was selling the newspapers.

The wood looks like it could be over 100 years old. I really hope you can dig out some information. — Maurice Labrie, Lewiston

ANSWER: You have a promotional piece for the Evening Journal before it merged with the Sun to become the Sun Journal. This method of advertising at newsstands was one of the ways newspapers could advertise and promote their products. The thermometer was a clever touch — who wouldn’t stop to see what the temperature was and then maybe pick up a paper?

Sun Spots spoke to the Sun Journal’s Circulation Director Mike Theriault, and he said that in more recent times the Sun Journal used a large (about a foot high) metal thermometer as a subscription promotion, and that he still has one hanging in his office.

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.