DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’m hoping that one of your readers might be able to help. My daughter is getting married in October and would like to ride from the church to the reception hall (a 15- to 20-minute ride) in a classic car.
If anyone has a vintage car and they would be willing to drive newlyweds to their reception, I would be most interested in hearing from you. — Sue Miller, suemiller1216@yahoo.com, 576-7755
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I know who sold Simca automobiles (March 22 column). I bought two of them: the Simca Aronde and the Simca Vedette, which had a V-8 engine. They were sold by Roland Maheux at Auto Center, which was on Main Street in Lewiston, next to the Hotel Holly. — Hollis Bates, Lewiston
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Your March 18 column on heating costs was right on, but I would like to expand somewhat on geothermal. A geothermal system consists of a heat pump (a refrigerator run backward) coupled to the earth by having two deep wells from which to draw and reject water.
The water coming from a deep well has a temperature of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and this allows the heat pump to operate at a coefficient of performance of three. That is to say, it generates three units of heat energy for each unit of electricity used.
Since the March 18 column states that it costs $33.25 per million BTUs for resistance heating, that means that it costs $11.08 per million BTUs to operate the heat pump, a little more than coal and somewhat less than natural gas. On the other hand, the cost of a geothermal system is about $14,000.
The added bonus is that the same heat pump can serve as an air conditioner in the summer. — Dominique Casavant, Auburn, ldatcamp@roadrunner.com
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I’m having a hard time finding a grapefruit knife. Do you know where they are sold? — Joanne Brown, brownjoanne56@yahoo.com
ANSWER: Sun Spots does not know why you’re having trouble finding them at local stores — perhaps fewer people are eating grapefruit? — but there are plenty of grapefruit knives available online. Some of those sites include www.cooking.com ($11.95), www.pamperedchef.com ($8) and www.crateandbarrel.com ($5.95).
DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Leeds Community Church Deacons will be having a roast pork supper on Saturday, April 2, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the church on Church Hill Road.
The proceeds from this donation supper will go toward our matching funds with Good Shepherd Food-Bank. This will help us get more food for the Leeds Pantry, which is open at 6 p.m. on the first and third Thursday nights each month.
I enjoy reading Sun Spots; there is a lot of information. Thank you for helping everyone out. — Marilyn Tripp, secretary, Leeds Deacons
DEAR SUN SPOTS: The first-ever Lewiston Auburn Film Festival will debut on Saturday, April 2, showcasing work from around the world, including 26 Maine-made films.
From Lodz, Poland, to Poland, Maine, 110 films were selected among submissions from more than 12 states and 15 countries.
Organizers will be transforming downtown Lewiston and Auburn into a cinema lover’s dream, with more than 10 locations hosting movies, including the Hilton Garden Inn Riverwatch, the Auburn and Lewiston libraries, Fish Bones American Grill, Holly’s Own Deli and many more.
For more information, visit www.lafilmfestival.org or call 577-9746. — Sandy Marquis, sandy@lafilmfestival.org
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 e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
