DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Lewiston–Auburn Optimist Club, Gray-New Gloucester Optimist Club, and Tri Town Optimist Club for Mechanic Falls, Minot and Poland ask you to join us by volunteering for one hour on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, to pick up trash in your neighborhood.

Just commit to a minimum of one hour to pick up trash and possibly win a coupon for a meal from a local participating restaurant. Get your family, friends, schoolmates and neighbors to help you then contact any Optimist Club member, email gwmathews91@gmail.com, or call 783-5269 for more information and to register to win a restaurant gift certificate. The rain date is Sunday, April 23. – George, Auburn

ANSWER: Do you have your group pulled together yet? I’ve participated in the past with a similar activity and it was much more fun than I thought it would be. This is an opportunity to meet new people and do something good for your neighborhood and beyond.

Does your organization have Earth Day activities planned? Let us know!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: There was a recent Sun Journal article about the number of citizens getting COVID booster shots slowing down. However, the article did not say where the new updated bivalent booster shots are available, who exactly is eligible, when the shots are generally available, or how much the shots cost. For so many of us, that information would determine whether we go forward with the updated shot. — Janet, no town

ANSWER: If you are referring to this article (https://stage.sunjournal.com/2023/04/05/uptake-of-bivalent-covid-19-boosters-low-in-maine-but-still-higher-than-most-of-the-country/),it does have some of the information you’re looking for.

As  of March, all individuals 6 months and older are eligible to receive the current bivalent booster shot that was approved in the fall of 2022, regardless of whether they received Pfizer or Moderna for their primary vaccine series.

The article also states that in the coming weeks, the federal Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize a second bivalent shot for people who are at least 65 years old or who have weak immune systems, according to a report from The Washington Post. The booster will still need the federal Centers for Disease Control’s vaccination advisory panel’s recommendation and the director’s approval before it would become available for these eligible individuals.

I’m confident that the Sun Journal staff will be publishing new information as soon as we have it, but for now, you can go to the Maine CDC website regarding all updated COVID-19 information  (https://www.maine.gov/covid19/vaccines). On this site, you can find locations where vaccinations are given in your area.

You can also get this information from your health practitioner’s office, your local hospital/clinic, or ask at a nearby pharmacy.

As far as cost goes, some clinics are administering the current bivalent booster shots for free and may continue to do so.

If you have health insurance, all, or most of the cost of other booster shots going forward may likely be covered. You can always determine ahead of time what your out-of-pocket-cost, if any, will be by contacting your health insurance carrier or the pharmacy where you’ll be receiving your shot.

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.