DEAR SUN SPOTS: My neighbor works for a company that services generators and passed some important information on to me that I want to share. What better way to do it then through Sun Spots.

With all the snow and ice we have this time of year, it’s really important to keep a path cleared to your automatic generator, as well as an area a few feet wide around its perimeter to allow for technicians to have room to work on it if need be. Another reason to remove snow and ice from the generator, propane tanks and the immediate area is because the air vents and intake can become clogged and the engine will not operate properly. This can cause your generator to overheat and shut down. With all the crazy weather we’ve been having, who knows when we’ll lose power and be really grateful that we have our generators cleared off and in good working order.

— No name, Auburn

ANSWER: Thanks for this tip; we have to be vigilant about these things. While you’re out there moving snow around, be sure to keep a good path open for the oil delivery person, the mailman and any other visitors who might happen by to check on your welfare. Being snowed in can be cozy, but you never know when you might have an emergency and need to leave the house quickly. Get your sidewalk, driveway and vehicle cleared off as soon as possible.

If you help others with snow removal and you would like more customers, let us know. We’ll list your contact information in Sun Spots. You can also take out a classified ad. Call 784-5411.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I would like to know the name of the company that advertised with the photo of four women: Hope, “Hope you can have the chores done before I get home.” Carrie, “Carry the firewood to the hearth, and then carry the laundry outside.” Patience, “Have some patience, there are only 62 more windows to be washed.” Bea, “Be a dear and have the dinner on time tonight.”

Thank you for all the answers you find for your readers.

— Billie, Greene

ANSWER: Well, we’ve come a long way, baby. This is how Virginia Slims used to sell cigarettes to women in the mid-1980s! The company wanted to depict how the women of 1910 had to live up to the names they were born with.

Oh, brother!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Are there any schools or nonprofits in Lewiston that collect the tabs from aluminum cans for fundraising?

— No name, no town

ANSWER: OK readers, this is your big chance to help out. If you know of a school or organization in town that collects these, send me a note. I do know that The Ronald McDonald House in Portland at 250 Brackett St. collects them. If you need more information, their number is 780-6282.

Another nonprofit that is known for cashing in these tiny gems for good works is the Shriner’s Hospital for Children at 51 Blossom St. in Boston (617-722-3000). Call the Shriners toll-free at 1-800-237-5055 and they’ll help you get your tabs to the hospital. Let’s get those recycled tabs on their way to making a difference in the world!

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 also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.