DEAR SUN SPOTS: I would appreciate it if you could ask Channel 8 why they report on the weather news that Berlin, N.H., and Bethel, Maine, have the same temperature 100 percent of the time? I live in Bethel, so I know this is erroneous. — No Name, Bethel.

ANSWER: Sun Spots reached out to WMTW Channel 8 News on your behalf, and the station’s Chief Meteorologist Roger Griswold responded. He explained that the temperature information that scrolls in a ticker at the bottom of the screen during a newscast is automatically gathered from a reporting site, or from the nearest reporting site to the listed location. The closest reporting station with a set of National Weather Service instruments to the town of Bethel is Berlin, N.H. — about 17 miles away.

Griswold says, “Although not perfect, it is the closest approximation possible, and is intended to supplement the lack of data from Bethel.”

During their on-air weather presentation, Griswold says they do report temperature data for Bethel that is, in fact, taken from the airport in Bethel. But because the instruments in Berlin provide the automated data that the ticker uses, those numbers are what you see scrolling across your screen.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: SHAREcenter in Auburn would like to provide items this upcoming school year for teachers to use in their STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). We are looking for pipecleaners, clothespins, straws, toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, tongue depressors, tape of any kind, scissors, and balls of string.  SHAREcenter is a nonprofit organization that takes items businesses and the general public would throw away and provides them to our members who consist of schools and other nonprofit organizations.  We are always looking for children’s books, craft and office supplies, clean containers (such as baby food jars, coffee cans, yogurt containers, boxes), school supplies or just about anything, since our mission is to reduce, reuse and recycle. If you are a business, we would love to hear from you because we take office furniture, file cabinets, and other items that you may be getting rid of because you are downsizing, remodeling or going paperless. We would also like to talk to you about what you might be throwing away because it may be something our members could use in their classrooms or programs. If you have items you would like to donate or have any questions, please contact Paula Thibodeau (SHAREcenter director) at (207) 333-6671.  You can also learn more about us by visiting our Facebook page at auburnsharecenter. —Pat Pelliccia, Auburn.
 
DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am a beginner in the field of photography. I would like to speak to photographers to see if I have any talent as a photographer. I am looking for input — things I need to do to improve, making my pictures stand out, making them something that someone would want to see. I can be reached at (207)210-2126 or by email at jesse5017@gmail.com. Thank you for your time. — Jesse, No Town.

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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