DEAR SUN SPOTS: Contestant applications are now being accepted for the 19th annual Miss Farmington Fair Pageant, to be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at the Farmington Fairgrounds. Preparation, rehearsals and interview competitions will take place that day beginning at 1:30 p.m. Snacks and pizza will be provided.

Young women who reside in Franklin County and the surrounding area, and are between the ages of 7 and 22, are welcome to participate and compete for the titles of (new this year): Miss Farmington Fair Collegiate (19-22); Miss Farmington Fair (15-18); Junior Miss Farmington Fair (11-14); Little Miss Farmington Fair (7-10); and Miss Hospitality, (for the young lady who is most active in participation in the fair itself). Prizes will also be awarded for each category of competition in each age group as well as for essays and Miss Congeniality. There will also be prizes for runners-up. Contestants will be judged in interview, talent and formal presentation. Cash prizes will be awarded from the Franklin County Agricultural Society.

For an application, please call Lisa Bird at 207-839-5578 or send an email to lbird@maine.rr.com. The deadline for applications is Friday, Sept. 14. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/MISSFARMINGTONFAIR.

Past pageant winners are encouraged to attend and wear their crown and banner. They are also welcome to perform in the opening number and in their own talent.

Anyone who is interested in participating as a judge should send a letter of interest to lbird@maine.rr.com for details.

—Lisa, no town

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’m looking for an old-fashioned wooden clothes dryer. Please call me at 207-402-4811. I like Sun Spots. Thank you.

—Cecile, Lewiston

ANSWER: I have one myself and don’t know what I’d do without it. Aubuchon Hardware at 572 Lisbon St. in Lisbon Falls and Reny’s at the Topsham Fair Mall sell these great contraptions in various sizes. If memory serves me correctly, I’ve also seen them at those great woodworking businesses that have gazebos, etc. on Route 196 between Lisbon Falls and Lewiston.

Readers, if you have a wooden clothes drying rack you no longer use, here is your big chance to get rid of it! Give Cecile a call.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I want to let you know I had a great response to my request for a spider plant. I now have two plants and a cutting so I can watch one grow. As a caller said, “Sun Spots is like a big neighborhood of friends who help each other.” Thank you for the opportunity to share with others and thanks to all the responses to my request.

—No name, no town

ANSWER: Thank you so much for letting me know the results of your request in Sun Spots! Isn’t it wonderful that even in this age of the internet, social media and instant gratification, the power of a simple note written to your local newspaper connects you to what you need?

Back when I was a teenager reading The Washington Post, my favorite part of the paper was the advice column. I thought how fun it would be to have a column like that one day. Your letter reminded me how proud and happy I am to be Mrs. Sun Spots!

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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