DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to the Sun Spots request asking to share memories of WCOU on Nov. 12, the Lone Pine Mountaineers and Betty Cody used to air on that station and would bring their radio show to the Knights of Pythias Hall in East Stoneham in the 1940s. When the curtains on the stage opened they would be singing and playing their opening theme song, then they always played their closing theme song at the end.

You could send in for their picture, which I did. The last time I saw “Lone Pine” was when he came to Call of the Wild RV center in Oxford. I last saw Betty when she appeared at Blue Hill Fair. This was all many years ago. Recently, I had the chance to tell their son, Denny Breau, about it all when he came to Norway.

— Marilyn, Norway

ANSWER: For those who don’t know, Harold “Hal” Breau sang on the radio in the 1930s and led the trio, the Lone Pine Mountaineers. He first met Rita Cote in 1938, after her family moved to Auburn. She started her singing career as a vocalist with Curly and The Country Boys on WCOU and married Breau in 1940, changing her name to Betty Cody. The two worked together for more than 10 years as the Lone Pine Mountaineers on the radio, and in shows throughout New England and Canada’s Maritime Provinces.

In the early 1950s, they recorded solo and duet numbers for RCA Records, achieving particular success with their duets “It’s Goodbye and So Long to You” and “The Trail of The Lonesome Pine.” In 1953, Cody’s “Tom Tom Yodel” was a Canadian hit, while “I Found Out More Than You Ever Knew” reached number 10 on the U.S. country chart. In 1953, the couple became regulars on “The World’s Original Jamboree” based in Wheeling, West Virginia, where they performed for many years.

After relocating to Manitoba in the late 1950s, Breau and Cody divorced, but they separately continued to make music and record. Breau is remembered as the writer of two very popular Canadian country songs, “When It’s Apple Blossom Time in Annapolis Valley” and “Prince Edward Island is Heaven to Me,” both of which have been recorded many times by several artists.

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DEAR SUN SPOTS: Where can I buy a replacement for the brew basket for my “Mr. Coffee” coffee pot? My basket is tearing apart in places. Thank you. You do great work for everyone.

— Mary, Oxford

ANSWER: You may want to take your old basket along with you to the store or have the model number of your coffee maker to refer to. This brew basket comes in various sizes, but you should be able to pick up another one at Walmart, Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, or even a hardware store that sells small appliances. There is also a website www.mrcoffee.com/replacement-parts/brew-baskets/ where all the parts you need for your coffee maker are sold. Amazon sells them as well. There is the plastic basket and also a mesh basket that goes inside and replaces the need for the paper filters. The mesh basket comes in universal sizes to fit many brands. We don’t want you going without coffee!

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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