DEAR SUN SPOTS: The next open membership window to join the Auburn Community Concert Band is January 7-21. Membership requirements are owning your own wind instrument, knowing how to read music, and being able to commit to the band’s weekly schedule of Wednesday evening rehearsals and concerts. 

For the upcoming summer concert season, the band is particularly hoping to add members to our trumpet, trombone, tuba, and baritone horn sections. More information about us can be found at  https://www.auburncommunityband.com/.  — Milt, Auburn

ANSWER: For those who are interested, rehearsals take place every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at the High Street Congregational Church between High and Pleasant Streets in Auburn. The website also states that participants are asked to pay a nominal membership fee each spring. In addition, members are required to purchase a band vest to wear at all performances. The cost is $25.

For more information email band Director Milt Simon at [email protected] or call 782-3917. 

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The question about the reborn dolls in the Dec. 28 Sun Spots is prompting me to ask if the doll museum in Fryeburg is still open in the summer. My niece is very into dolls and I think it would be a fun activity to do with her when she comes to visit. She loves Barbies, American Girl dolls, and has taken an interest in vintage dolls too. — Em, no town

ANSWER: You’ll be happy to know that the Hazel & Owen Currier Doll Museum is available for touring every Wednesday in July and August from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are also opportunities for scheduling private showings. 

The museum is a unique collaboration between a private donor, the Fryeburg Historical Society and the town of Fryeburg. Hazel Currier began collecting dolls in 1970. By the autumn of 2015 her collection exceeded 10,000 dolls and they needed a new home. She approached the historical society about donating the dolls and her collection was accepted with the promise that a museum would be established. I had the pleasure of meeting Hazel at her home several years ago and also toured the museum with Director Sally Whitaker. 

The museum and collection are in the historic 1847 Fryeburg Town House at 103 Lovell Road. Contact information is  [email protected] or leave a message at 256-3001. Sally Whitaker can be reached at [email protected] to schedule a private showing during the seasonal hours. Find out more at https://www.currierdollmuseum.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=currier%20doll%20museum. 

Also, you can find a 2017 feature story written about Hazel Currier and her unique museum here: https://www.sunjournal.com/2017/12/10/10000-dolls-find-a-home-in-fryeburg/. 

And yes, the museum is chock full of all the types of dolls your niece is interested in! 

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 [email protected].