DEAR SUN SPOTS: Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine will hold its first Fall for the Kids fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 20 at the Auburn clubhouse, 43 2nd St.
Members of the community are invited for an evening dedicated to the children and teens of Lewiston and Auburn. Come enjoy cocktails, a silent auction, dinner and a program from club leaders and members. Tickets are available at https://www.bgcmaine.org/fftk. — Deidre, no town
ANSWER: This sounds like a great time and in case you don’t know, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine’s Lewiston Teen Center in the Lewiston Armory provides young adults with programs to support their academic success, arts, health and wellness, and leadership skills. Substance abuse prevention strategies, nutrition and college readiness programs are available.
The Auburn/Lewiston clubhouse offers after-school programs for children and teens, ages 6-18. Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine provides a safe environment for elementary, middle and high school students to learn, build character, explore the arts, get active and be with friends after school and during the summer. With an annual membership of only $5, members can enjoy the learning center for homework assistance, the art room to create something exciting, get active in the club’s gymnasium, and enjoy a nutritious snack and dinner each day.
For more information about the teen center and the clubhouse, call 782-2446 or contact Gary Violette at gviolette@bgcmaine.org.
DEAR SUN SPOTS: Regarding the Oct. 4 Sun Spots about energy usage, there’s a device called SENSE that can be purchased. It clamps on to the power supply in the breaker box and will monitor every individual electrical device’s power usage. I got mine on Amazon.
I had very high usage in the winter months and the issue was outside my home. I have an underground power supply from my meter to my house and in the 1980s the line was buried without using conduit. After several years of high winter bills the problem became evident when one leg of the service failed and registered 80 amps. The line had to be replaced and the issue resolved by an expensive 300-foot new cable. Have an electrician check it out! — Cal, Litchfield
ANSWER: What would I do without my loyal readers? This is very valuable information, Cal! Thank you!
I went to Amazon and read the information that I summarized below. (https://www.amazon.com/Sense-Energy-Monitor-Electricity-Usage/dp/B075K6PHJ9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1XJULS2IPXR8P&keywords=sense%2Benergy%2Bmonitor&qid=1696451405&sprefix=SENSE%2Caps%2C320&sr=8-1- ).
These devices range in price from $170-$375 and have a payment plan. SENSE saves energy and money by providing insights into your home’s energy usage and activity and supports time-of-use rate plans.
The amount of electricity you’re using can be tracked and will also give you information like what time your kids got home, or when someone leaves the basement light on. SENSE identifies patterns in your energy usage to help you be more efficient, informed and secure.
You can monitor your home’s energy use from anywhere using real-time data through iOS, Android, and web apps and set custom notifications for critical appliances like your sump pump and well pump.
When you’re on the Amazon site, scroll down and you’ll see other brands besides SENSE. This device sounds like something we should all have!
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