DEAR SUN SPOTS: I didn’t happen to read the Looking Back column on June 3, but am pretty sure Idyl Wilde was at the end of Church Street in East Auburn. The little settlement there was known to the community as “The Cottages.” My husband’s family home was there. In the 1950s and ’60s, two […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I understand that when we let gambling into Maine that a certain amount of money goes to our schools. How come we taxpayers are paying a higher rate of tax each year for the schools but we never hear or see how much of the gambling money is paid to the state […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Hartford Heritage Society will hold a yard sale on Saturday, July 22, at the Hartford Town Hall, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. We will also have baked goods for sale. If you have items to donate, please call Rosie, 597-2270, Doreen 224-7147, or Richard 597-2368, or deliver to the hall anytime after […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Sumner Food Bank Committee wants to thank anonymous and named individuals and organizations for donations: Tilton’s Market gives us great pricing on meat products. Lowell Lumber donates lumber, Sheetrock and other finish materials. Local residents and Hope Presbyterian Youth have provided the workforce. We work closely with Good Shepherd Food Bank […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I wonder if you could find someone to tell me what’s wrong with all my maple trees and also some others I’ve seen along the road. The crowns are extremely sparse and the lower branches, though more heavily leafed, have much smaller leaves than normal. There’s not much shade coming from these […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is accepting nominations for the 2017 Outdoor Achievement Award until 5 p.m. Aug. 7. Hunting, fishing and trapping are an important part of Maine’s heritage. This award celebrates the achievements of an individual and shares their experiences for the benefit of future generations. The […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Does the bubbling of homebrew delight you? Do you relish homemade pickles and fermented foods? If so, researchers at the University of Maine need your readers’ help. Scientists in UMaine’s School of Food and Agriculture and Cooperative Extension are recruiting Maine residents to take part in a study about fermenting foods and […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I read your July 5th piece about the Pleasant Street/Hill Sanitarium. I think the area around Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary was used as well. — Johanna, South Portland ANSWER: Thank you for sharing this information! I checked out the Androscoggin County Nature Preserves website you forwarded. This 372-acre property was once a farm belonging to the […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The YMCA of Auburn-Lewiston and YWCA Central Maine are hosting Maine’s Annual Color Me Rad 5K fundraiser on Saturday, July 15. Volunteers are needed to help throw paint, check in runners and sell merchandise. For every volunteer who pre-registers, Color Me Rad will donate $60 to either the YMCA or YWCA. The […]

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In today’s paper, there was a letter to Sun Spots with a question about what to do with computers. SeniorsPlus, at the Education Center, nearly every month has classes by a Tim Verrill. He answers lots of questions pertaining to computers. Most of them are free. Just to let you know. — […]