DEAR SUN SPOTS: Several years ago, the Androscoggin River Watershed Council asked Sun Spots readers to volunteer to do water quality monitoring on the Androscoggin River. Readers were an immense help, but a few have had to move on to other endeavors.

We need a few more volunteers to help as part of the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Voluntary River Monitoring Program.

The process is quite simple. An instrument probe is dropped into the river and the hand-held instrument is read and the data recorded. Parameters include dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and temperature. Volunteers will have a couple of hours of training in May and sampling starts anytime between mid-May and mid-June and finishes at the end of September, depending on the volunteer’s schedule.

Sampling is done twice a month before 8 a.m. for reasons that will be explained during the training. Volunteers may sample at one or more sites. It can be helpful to have two people in a sampling team just to handle the equipment and ensure safety around the water. We will help pair volunteers as needed. Sampling is done at designated locations and is generally done from the shore, although sampling from bridges, kayaks, or other boats can be done as well.

We are seeking volunteers to test along the entire river as well as testing its major tributaries. Those interested may contact me by emailing flea.arwc@gmail.com or by calling or texting 240-3143.

Readers can learn more about the Watershed Council and its upcoming Watershed Conference on May 16 at the Poland Spring Resort in Poland at www.androscogginwatershed.org. – Ferg, no town

ANSWER: I certainly hope Sun Spotters come through for you again because this is important work that needs to be carried out on a regular, timely basis. It’s a different type of volunteer work that involves a little adventure and is another way to enjoy our area’s beauty, discover new spaces and perhaps make a new friend or two.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Now that Cumberland Raceway is open for the season for racing, I want to know why the Sun Journal sports column does not print the entries or harness racing results anymore. I miss that. I was hoping it would come back. — No name, Lewiston

ANSWER: The Sun Journal doesn’t receive Cumberland Raceway results and hasn’t in the past to everyone’s recollections. We used to get the Scarborough Downs racing results, but of course, you know that venue has closed.

We also used to get results and the next day’s schedules from the fairs in the summer and fall, but last year all we received were news releases with photos. That’s not really what we needed and the writeups were a day old.

If you go to this website: https://firsttrackscumberland.com/, you’ll find all the information you’re looking for, as well as video clips of the races. If you don’t have access to the internet, perhaps a friend or family member can get the information for you so you can get keep up with it all throughout the season.

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.