DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am wondering who is the artist of the paintings on Luiggi’s exterior walls and the corner of Lisbon Street and street that leads into Auburn (not sure what the name is). They are very well done and enjoyable to look at. — No Name via email

ANSWER: There is some confusion here, because Luiggi’s, which a mural of Venice, is not on Lisbon Street. It is at the corner of Sabattus and Horton streets in Lewiston.

However, there is also a mural on Lisbon Street, but it is not on a pizza parlor, so Sun Spots is not sure which one you mean.

Sun Spots had help with the Luiggi’s mural from her colleague Heather McCarthy. She sent along a story Mark LaFlamme wrote when Clint Magoon painted the mural in 2006. You can read that story at sunjournal.com/node/717440.

As for the mural on Lisbon, Sun Spots guesses you might mean the one across from Fuel of a “traveling man.” That one was painted by exchange students through a Rotary Club project in 2010. (See story at sunjournal.com/city/story/942742.)

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Recently I received a bill from a local hospital for $59.31 for services rendered in 2010. I inquired about it but was told insurance had not adjusted it before now.

I would like to know whether I am still responsible for it or has it a passed a statute of limitations? I pay all bills that are current. Thank you. — No Name, Lewiston

ANSWER: Sun Spots had a very similar question this year, to which a knowledgeable reader responded:

“If the hospital did not submit to the insurance company in a timely manner, the patient is not responsible. There are a maximum number of days you can submit a claim, and if they did not do that, the patient is not responsible.

“If they did bill the insurance company and the patient either has a co-pay or deductible, then the patient is responsible for the balance of the approved amount.”

Several others wrote in and said that they had had similar situations but ended up not having to pay after bringing it to the hospital’s attention.

If you have your insurance statements from 2010, that would be very helpful, as you could see whether the hospital actually made the claim in a timely manner. If not, Sun Spots suggests that you go to the hospital’s billing office and ask to see the paperwork. 

Another possibility, albeit remote, is a math error. Numbers that are divisible by 9 can indicate a transposition (a switching of numbers). Divisible by 9 is an old bank teller’s trick that Sun Spots has never forgotten. She recently got a bill from Central Maine Medical Center which didn’t match the insurance statements by $36, which led her to believe it was a transposition and so inform them.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Concerning people with hearing impairment. A lady I know had the doorbell and phone fixed so a red light would flash when the phone or doorbell rang.

Special phones have a button one can push to make it louder so one can hear the speaker.

Profoundly deaf have a typewriter set up to communicate with others. See TTY Maine Relay Services 711 or 800-437-1220 or voice 800-457-1220. — Gabrielle De Moras

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Each year Safe Voices sponsors the Feed a Family program for Thanksgiving and the Adopt a Family program for Christmas.

These programs match donors with a family affected by domestic violence, and help make the holiday special for families who are struggling financially and wouldn’t otherwise be able to provide a holiday meal or gifts.

Donors are needed for both these programs; individuals, businesses and community organizations are all welcome. To get more information or to sign up, please contact me at Safe Voices. — Kathleen Auclair, 795-6744, ext. 10, kauclair@safevoices.org.

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 emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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