Vendors are also welcome to sign up for the field day activities after the parade. For more information, contact Community Day Committee members Gloria Hall at 207-336-2385 or Eileen Hotham at 207-336-2336. Thank you.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I hate using chemicals on my lawn because my kids and pets play on it. What alternatives can I use to get rid of weeds and keep the lawn healthy? Thanks. — Healthy lawn in Lewiston.
ANSWER: Sun Spots checked with the Organic Materials Review Institute for product recommendations, as suggested by Consumer Reports. Corn-gluten meal is a natural weed killer that can prevent invasive crab grass. Releasing beneficial predators such as ladybugs and lady beetles into the yard can help control aphids and other problem insects. Organic fertilizers derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources are broken down by microorganisms in the soil. Visit omri.org for product information.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am caring for my mother who has dementia. Are there any groups or activities related to dementia caregivers in Lewiston-Auburn? Thanks. — No Name in Auburn.
ANSWER: Every first Wednesday of the month from 3-4:30 p.m. in the activity room at Clover Healthcare, 440 Minot Avenue in Auburn, a Memory Cafe is held where persons with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia can go with their care partners just to socialize and have fun with other people going through similar situations. A Memory Cafe has no real agenda or stated purpose except to enjoy each other’s company.
Sometimes the group may decide that it wants to have speakers or an educational component or do special activities like go to museums or music recitals. Some Memory Cafes are built around a concept like the arts or charitable acts. Each Memory Cafe around the country is different; all are grassroots efforts to assist the person with dementia and their care partner to have a good day.
The first cafe opened in the Netherlands in 1997 and in the U.S. in 2008. Admission is free. For more information, contact Sandy Robbins at 207-784-3573 or Sandy.Robbins@cloverhealthcaremaine.com.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: My daughter is interested in babysitting this summer. Are there any babysitting safety courses in western Maine? Thanks. — Babysitter’s mom, in Oxford.
ANSWER: Stephens Memorial Hospital Family Birthplace will host a Safe Sitter class in the Harper Conference Center, Ripley Medical Office Building, 193 Main St., Norway from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday, June 29. Safe Sitter is a national organization and the program offers medically accurate, hands-on instruction designed for young adolescents 11 years and older. The program instructs in how to handle emergencies when caring for children. Class fee is $50. Scholarships are available upon request. For more information or to register, call 207-743-1562 ext. 6951.
Use the QR code to go to Sun Spots online for additional information and links. 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 be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com, tweeted @SJ_SunSpots or posted on the Sun Spots facebook page at facebook.com/SunJournalSunSpots. This column can also be read online at sunjournal.com/sunspots. We’ve joined Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/sj_sunspots.
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