DEAR SUN SPOTS: Our family watches “Wheel of Fortune” all the time. We frequently see the contestants spin a bankrupt over and over during a single show, but we have never seen Pat Sajak get a bankrupt when he spins the final spin.

He doesn’t appear to spin the wheel faster or harder at any time. What’s his secret? Or is the wheel rigged in some way?

Also, what has happened to weatherman Keith Carson on WCSH Channel 6? And where is Dr. Lisa on the NBC show “The Doctors?” — Just Wondering, No Town

ANSWER: Sun Spots found a lot of interest in Pat’s good fortune online. The most reliable and likely answer is at parade.com, which says:

“Sajak does land on the two slots, but the show edits those turns out. ‘We have no braking system,’ says the host, 64. ‘It’s a crime to rig a TV game show, and as much as I like our players, I’m not going to prison so someone can win a trip to the Bahamas.’”

One of the many benefits of advanced taping is the ability to edit out the things that don’t go the way the producers want them to.

As for Keith Carson he left Channel 6 for the Weather Channel at the end of July.

Sun Spots did not find a creditable explanation for why Dr. Lisa left the show, other than she would be pursuing “other projects.” It is not unusual for producers to “shake up” the cast of a show, but they rarely explain their reasoning.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to the possibility of reusing old tombstones (Dec. 12), at Arlington National Cemetery a few years ago, reuse of headstones was part of real and perceived problems at the cemetery. The Washington Post covered the ongoing issues. I found a link in their archives, but apparently one needs to purchase the full article: http://tinyurl.com/l2rtkb6.

Arlington replaces a headstone when a new name or date is added. Apparently, over the years the old headstones were used for a variety of purposes, including making a patio at an employee’s home and controlling erosion in a stream. Citizens were outraged. — No Name via email

ANSWER: Sun Spots does not see the harm in reusing a tombstone that is no longer needed, but the purpose should be carefully considered. Reuse can be more respectful than dumping it in the trash or letting it sit and molder away, as in the next letter.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: We also found a tombstone in our 1850s farmhouse. We don’t know how it got into the dark corner of the basement, but next spring it will go into a new garden as a symbol of respect for the wife of the first homesteader of our land. — memclaire1@gmail.com

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Please thank all the readers who responded to the Center for Wisdom’s Women’s request for hygiene items. They helped restock our supply of things we give away.

It has come to my attention that a reader asked where they can send things to us. Our mailing address is P.O. Box 1016, Lewiston, ME 04243. If mail is addressed to our street address, it might get to us, if the mail is delivered during our open hours, which doesn’t happen often. It is better to send things to the post office box. — Klara Tammany, cww@oxfordnetworks.net

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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