DEAR SUN SPOTS: I have a queen-size mattress support/platform in perfect condition, used very little. I’d like to give it away. Do you have any ideas? — Carol, Lewiston

ANSWER: The Salvation Army has a large network of local sites that may accept this item, as well as mattresses in good condition. You can schedule a time for one of their trucks to pick up this item by calling the Donation and Thrift Store Center at 1-(800) 728-7825.

Another choice is Habitat for Humanity, a company that is dedicated to making sure everyone has a safe place to call home by working to offer affordable and sustainable accommodation for people worldwide. The organization helps those who have a pressing need for somewhere to live and for affordable household furniture and other items.

If you donate your item to Habitat for Humanity International it will be sold in a ReStore Center. Contact your nearest ReStore in Topsham at 126 Main St. (https://habitat7rivers.org/, 504-9340) to arrange pick-up or delivery.

Furniture Friends may take your item. They are in Westbrook so you may have to arrange delivery but contact them and see what they say: https://furniturefriends.org/donate-furniture/ or call 210-5797.

If you are involved with Facebook, you could also offer it up on that site. Sun Spotters, if you are involved with a local nonprofit or know of a family in need, please let us know.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: For years I’ve noticed piles of railroad ties next to the railroad tracks. Who should be contacted about taking them away, the municipality or the railroad? The ties are treated with a dark substance and I wonder about this leaching into the ground. Are they an environmental threat or just unsightly? — No name, no town

ANSWER: The dark substance you mention is creosote, a carcinogen that leaches into the soil and water over time. It is also flammable.

Start by contacting the municipality about your concern. They may have the information or may direct you to the Maine Department of Transportation or the railroad. Chances are there is a plan for the ties, but if it will ease your mind, it’s good to have some answers.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: An important day for Francophones and Quebec is June 24, St. John the Baptist Day or Fête de la Saint-Jean-Baptiste. France was one of the first countries to celebrate this holiday, and this tradition followed the first settlers in Canada. As explained in the Jesuit Relations, the first celebration took place on the banks of the St. Lawrence River on the evening of June 23, 1636, with a bonfire and five cannon shots. This festival became an integral part of French-Canadian culture.

The Franco Center is seeking photos and artifacts of St. Jean Baptiste parades and celebrations held in Lewiston-Auburn as far back as they have been celebrated. We will display these items at the Franco Center. For more information, call 333-3251 or email dscammon@francocenter.org. — Denise, marketing/development director, Gendron Franco Center, Lewiston

ANSWER: This sounds like an amazing project! Please keep us posted on the progress of gathering the materials. I’m looking forward to checking it out.

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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