DEAR SUN SPOTS: As the start of another school year is just around the corner, we are reminded of how many students and families in our neighborhoods are struggling in this challenging economy.

Lewiston High School’s The Store Next Door project is ready once again to stock its shelves with items intended to eliminate barriers to education. We help with new backpacks and all school supplies, sports gear, school clothes and underclothes, hygiene products, food, snacks — a no-cost shopping experience for students experiencing homelessness, full of respect, integrity and encouragement.

Each year well over 300 students gain educational support through this great work, which also includes tutoring, mentoring and referral to other necessary resources.

Monetary donations are also welcome, with 100 percent of the money going directly toward meeting students’ needs. Contact me at 207-795-4190, ext. 2214, or Jamie at 207-795-4190, ext. 2289, for more information about how to become a supporting member in this ever-growing village of ours! — Mary Seaman, mseaman@lewistonpublicschools.org

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’ve noticed that Concord Coach Lines serves many of the cities in Maine but not Lewiston-Auburn. For example, they offer six buses each day from Bangor to Portland, six from Augusta and 22 from Portland to Boston.

Since Greyhound only provides two buses per day from L-A to Boston, I’ve wondered why Concord Coach Lines doesn’t see an economic reason to serve Maine’s second largest community.

I wrote to them asking for a rationale for this decision but didn’t get an answer. Can you shed any light on this? — Joe, Auburn, jpellicc@yahoo.com

ANSWER: Sun Spots gets a lot of questions like this one, asking why a certain store or service is not available in L-A. Those businesses are no more likely to tell her than you. They would rather have you wonder why than risk a headline that says something negative about the company.

However, Sun Spots can speculate as to possible reasons, which all basically come down to money and profitability.

First and foremost, since Greyhound is already established locally and only has two routes, Concord (based in New Hampshire) probably figures if there were money in more trips, Greyhound would run them. Concord has little reason to enter a fare war for a couple of doubtfully profitable routes a day.

Another reason might be the lack of a bus station. Greyhound and Concord are separate companies. If Greyhound owns the station that bears its name, it probably doesn’t want to share with Concord, so the company would have to build a new station or pay fees to Greyhound, if it was willing.

Sun Spots does not see the lack of a Concord route to L-A as a snub. She doubts Concord would have a special route to Augusta, which is smaller than L-A, but it does see a need to get to Bangor. Going to Bangor via L-A is 73.2 miles (according to Google maps). Via Augusta the distance is 59.2 miles.

There is also the matter of tolls. Bus riders are very price sensitive, so just adding a few dollars to cover tolls on the Turnpike might be an issue.

Readers who have worked for bus companies might have other ideas or inside knowledge. Please share!

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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