ANSWER: The Franco Center will host a special one-day trip to Castine to see a faithful reproduction of La Fayette’s ship, Hermione, on Wednesday, July 15. The tour bus will leave the Franco Center at 6:45 a.m. Coffee and breakfast snacks will be provided in the Heritage Hall starting at 6 a.m. The cost is $50 per person.
There will be time to eat lunch at one of the many food venues and to enjoy the several musical entertainers before the half-hour tour of the ship. Spaces are limited. To reserve and pay for a spot, visit or call the Franco Center, 46 Cedar St., Lewiston or call 207-783-1585, or email boxoffice@francocenter.org.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Please tell me where I can get rid of an old desktop computer. Also, I am looking for someone who can give me needlepoint lessons. Call 207-782-6673. — No Name, No Town, via email.
ANSWER: You didn’t state what city you live in. There is a Transfer site at 424 River Road in Lewiston for that city’s residents. Call 207-464-0241 if you have any questions. An annual electronic waste collection event for Earth Day is held in Farmington each April in the Aubuchon Hardware parking lot on Routes 2 and 4. If you are interested in seeing your community host a collection event, call E-Waste Recycling at 207-312-5700. Maybe other Sun Spots readers can offer information about other sources for electronics disposal.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: In the “Parade” section of the Sun Journal, July 5, there was reference to a pair of magnetic therapy gloves that they claim will ease the pain of arthritis. With your extreme talent of finding information for people requesting your help, could you find out if this is a legitimate company or a scam? Sincerely, No Name, Lewiston.
ANSWER: Consumer Reports says there’s little evidence if any to support using magnets and copper bracelets for arthritis pain. Their research includes other non-surgical arthritis relievers: “Acupuncture. Real acupuncture provided modest benefits over a sham procedure in relieving chronic pain, including pain due to osteoarthritis, according to a review of 29 clinical trials involving nearly 18,000 patients published in the Oct. 22, 2012, Annals of Internal Medicine.
“Heat and cold. Moist heating pads, a warm, damp towel, or a warm bath or shower can help relax and soothe stiff joints. Ice packs can help with acute pain and swelling.
“Massage. Although there’s not a lot of scientific evidence on the effectiveness of massage in treating osteoarthritis, the deep-tissue variety got high marks in a 2010 survey of Consumer Reports online readers who had tried it. Half of them rated it very helpful.
“Mechanical aids. A cane, crutch, or walker can take a load off painful hips and knees. Over-the-counter knee braces that slip on or fasten with Velcro may also decrease symptoms, and they’re often a better option than custom leg braces, which can be bulky and expensive.”
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