What can we do to get a phone book that we can read? The new one has such a small print that even a magnifying glass doesn’t help! I called the phone book printer back in December as they print a different version. I was told we would get one in about three weeks as they are back logged.

Can you find out if it is possible to have a cell phone number printed in the local directory? That way we can get rid of our landlines that are so expensive compared to cell phones these days.

We flew out of the Portland Jetport a couple weeks ago and when going through the metal detector we were told that if we were 75 or older we would have to remove all footwear. What’s up with that?

Thanks for all you do for so many of us. — An avid reader, submitted via email.

ANSWER: Last April, the Sun Journal published an account of dollar stores coming to the Lewiston-Auburn area. Addresses of these stores include, in Lewiston: Family Dollar at 964 Sabattus St. and Dollar General at 1079 Sabattus St. In Auburn: Family Dollar and Dollar General, both on Minot Ave. In Sabattus: Family Dollar is planning a store at the corner of Sabattus Road and Middle Street; Dollar General is planning a store at the Pleasant Hill Road corner. In Greene: Family Dollar plans to build a store on Route 202 near the IGA. And in Turner: Dollar General plans to build a store on Route 117 near the post office and the intersection with Route 4. Also, Dollar General is building in West Paris at the corner of routes 26 and 219. Dollar General plans to build at 409 U.S. Route 2 across from The Big Apple in Wilton. Sun Spots checked and does not see that any Dollar General stores have opened in New Hampshire. For more information, call 1-615-855-4000; or send mail to: Dollar General Corporation, Customer Service Department, 100 Mission Ridge, Goodlettsville, TN 37072.

Telephone companies publish phone numbers in specific locations per directory so one answer doesn’t fit all in this case. I have in front of me a FairPoint Communications telephone book from December 2014 which includes phone numbers from the Lewiston-Auburn area. This note is on the cover of the phone book: “Future editions of this directory will not contain Residential White Pages listings. For 2015 and all future issues, the Residential White Pages will be available upon request.” Sun Spots called  1-800-888-8448 (press zero for the operator), which is the phone number for Dex Media, the official publisher of FairPoint print directories. There were millions of complaints about the small print and the 2016 edition will have text two sizes larger.

Businesses can register their wireless phone numbers in at least one mobile carrier’s printed phone book. Sun Spots has not found any phone book publisher that includes personal cell phone numbers in its listings. There are companies that charge a fee to find a cell phone number but that is online, not in print. Maybe a Sun Spots reader knows of a source and can add to this answer.

The Transportation Security Administration states: “Passengers 75 and older receive modified screening procedures as part of TSA’s overarching risk-based security methodology. These procedures are similar to screening procedures for passengers 12 and under and improve screening by better focusing resources on passengers who may be more likely to pose a risk.”

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 be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com, tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots.


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