DEAR SUN SPOTS: We have a spinet piano and bench that has been in the living room of our home since our children took lessons. It is in good condition, and we want to donate it to a worthy nonprofit.

The problem is that we are having new furniture delivered right after the weekend of the Fourth, and we were wondering whether or not you could offer the piano in your column before then? It would just need to be picked up.

We live in Auburn but divide our time between Auburn and our camp in Oxford, so our two phone numbers are 782-0934 and 539-9133. Our cell is 576-6575, but it does not work when we are at camp.

Thank you for any help you can give us. — Marion Rausch, prausch@roadrunner.com

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In the center of Sabattus village on Greene Street are two vacant facilities. To the south is an abandoned factory. I recall seeing some workers there about 20 to 25 years ago, but since then the place has been boarded up.

Across the street, next to the dam on Sabattus Stream, is another empty building of several stories. At one time there was a store on the bottom floor, but that building may also have been some kind of production facility.

Would you or anyone else be able to provide information on these two places — what they produced, when they were built, who once owned them and who owns them now, and what plans are there for future use or replacement?

They look like they were once important features of the community. It would be interesting to know something about their past. — Chris, Lewiston

ANSWER: Sun Spots called the code enforcement officer for Sabattus, who said it would be best if the town manager responded. However, Sun Spots has not been able to get an answer from him. So perhaps readers can help out.

GREETINGS, SUN SPOTS: I had a thought about Sheldon’s problem (package lost, June 17 letter).

He said that he had tracked the package to the North Waterboro address. How did he do this? I realize that he lost the tracking receipt, but if he tracked it online at the USPS website could the number possibly be retrieved?

If he uses the auto-fill feature, he might be able to recover the number. — Laurie McGilvery,  ljh95432@hotmail.com

ANSWER: That’s a good thought. Unfortunately, it’s also one that did not occur to Sun Spots.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I read the June 17 column with interest. A similar thing happened to me this year when one of my daughters sent me a present in one of the USPS pretty birthday-themed boxes.

I received the present with the box opened and only the neatly folded tissue paper inside. There were stickers on the box saying it had been received that way at the final destination. She neglected to insure the contents.

I asked the guys at the postal station where we get our mail what the story was. Their only response was a shrug and a “Ya, well. Take it up with the main office.” I said, “Someone in your system is a thief.” Another shrug.

Draw your own conclusions. And don’t forget to insure anything of value that you mail. — Snowbird via email

ANSWER: Sun Spots, who worked for one very long year at the post office, thinks the problem was more likely carelessness than theft. Packages get destroyed in transit for a variety of reasons, including poor packaging.

The official USPS box your daughter used should have held up, but lots of tape is necessary. Sun Spots was stunned at the way people shipped stuff and expected it to arrive intact. Flimsy boxes with one piece of tape across the top. When she was working the window, she often redid the packing for people — if they were nice.

Now when she ships, she makes sure that the item fits snugly within a sturdy box (air spaces are very bad), and she runs tape all the way around it going both directions.

Occasionally a package is well done, but it ends up on the bottom of a stack, under something heavy, and gets crushed. If your item is valuable, insure it!

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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