DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Edward Little High School Class of 1946 will host its 73rd reunion on Thursday, Aug. 15, at 11:30 a.m. at the Lotus Restaurant at 279 Center St. in Auburn. A choice of menu items will be available as well as a buffet featuring American and Chinese cuisine.
Members planning the reunion are Grace Piscelli Keene, Don Fyfe, Inez Davis Buck, Alden Macomber, and Beverly Libby Morris. Anyone who has not yet made a reservation and wishes to do so, or has questions, may call Inez before Aug. 13 at 783-0196. — No name, Auburn
DEAR SUN SPOTS: In response to the July 19 Sun Spots where Ray requested information regarding the inability to see the dashboard dials in his vehicle during daylight hours, we have two Subaru Foresters, a 2013 and a 2018. Both have this same problem as do other newer vehicles. This is an engineering issue that one would think would have been fixed many years ago. My solution is to keep a small pen light in my vehicle that I use to read the dials during daylight hours. Try this! It works, but keep your eyes on the road!
Years ago, if you will remember, dashboard indicators were quite different than they are today. There were fewer displays and they were much easier to see. As I recall, most were on a light-colored background and not at all difficult to read. Night viewing was another issue, as lighting of the dials was rather poor.
Just think, when the tire went flat, you knew it. An onboard computer did not tell you. If you were out of gas, you knew this, too. Since there was no AAA, you walked to the first farmhouse and asked for help. There was no computer to tell you which direction you were traveling in, which direction the sun would come up or set and what the temperature was.
In 1960, I had a 1936 Ford Tudor, 65 horsepower V-8 with a standard shift, mechanical brakes, crank-out front window, one windshield wiper on the driver’s side, no heater, and no radio. There wasn’t a computer to control anything. You drove by the seat of your pants. The windshield wiper worked by vacuum off the carburetor and was best when slowing the engine down. Driving that car was all but fun! I wish I still had her today! — No name, Auburn
ANSWER: I really got a kick out of this letter and found it to be quite interesting. Not only did it cause me to fondly reminisce about some of the old vehicles owned by older relatives that I rode around in when I was a kid, but it also made me realize how complicated we’ve made our lives and how we depend on all our many gadgets, whether they be related to our vehicles and our homes, or just our plethora of devices in general. Life used to be so much simpler in so many ways. Technology is great until something goes wrong, then it just makes life frustrating. Remember, the more bells and whistles, the higher the average of something not living up to our expectations.
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