DEAR SUN SPOTS: A recent Sun Journal article said that Maine lobster fishermen got $2.69 a pound for lobsters last year. Here in Alabama a pound-and-a-quarter lobster in a seafood restaurant is about $25 to $26 apiece ($21 a pound).

What is the breakdown of costs between the lobsterman’s price and the restaurant? I know shipping plays a large part. — Robert Wellander, rwellander@elmore.rr.com

ANSWER: For this query Sun Spots turned to Graffam Brothers in Rockport, which ships lobsters across the country and sells them locally.

The employee, Rae, told her that to begin with lobster is very expensive right now, with a difficult season and lobster in short supply. But, she said, even when the price was down around $3 very few people actually paid that price. To get that price you had to be standing on the dock, dollars in hand, when the lobstermen pulled in.

Rae said you need to keep in mind the middlemen that buy off the dock and the cost of storing and moving the lobsters to the retail outlets. She said that the best they did when prices were that low was about $6 or $7 each. Currently they are paying about $10 for a small lobster.

If you wanted Graffam Brothers to ship two 1 1/4-pound lobsters to Tuscaloosa, Ala., the price for the lobsters would be $15.95 each. Overnight shipping of the lobsters, which is necessary to keep them alive, would be $61.53, for a total of $93.43. Makes that $25 dinner look like a pretty good, doesn’t it?

Speaking of a lobster dinner in a restaurant, Sun Spots also asked what a single-lobster dinner would cost at the Graffam Brothers’ Harborside Restaurant in downtown Camden. The answer: $26.95.

For comparison, she also called the Weathervane in Belfast, figuring it might be a little less. It was, with the price for a small lobster at $20.95 and $27.95 for a 1 1/2-pounder.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to the April 4 question, there is a Golden Corral in Springfield, Mass. The address is 436 Parker St., Springfield, MA 01129.

I have never been there but my grandson lives in Auburn, Mass., and told me there was one so I googled it and found it. Hope this helps the person inquiring.— D. Gardner, Monmouth

ANSWER: Sun Spots went back to Golden Corral’s locator to check. It turns out that their locator does not work well if you put in the city and state and look for the nearest franchise, but there is a drop-down menu that lists the number of restaurants in each state. Springfield shows up that way. 

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Sometime ago the Sun Journal published a story that listed famous folks who lived or summered in Maine. I think it was one or two months ago but could not find it on the archives. Could you please let me know how to find the article? Thank you. — Mary via email

ANSWER: Sun Spots guesses you are referring to her column about celebrities from Maine, but it was longer ago than you remembered. “Many famous people live in Maine” was published on Oct. 4, 2012. You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/bwum2ca

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have several Taste of Home magazines and Maine Rebekah cookbooks (1958 and 1964) to give away. Call 782-6673. — No Name via email

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