DEAR SUN SPOTS: The 2nd Chance Uke Band will be in concert at the United Methodist Church in Auburn at 439 Park Ave. on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Band members will perform with ukuleles, percussion, a banjolele, a harmonica, and bass, along with vocals. Their music covers classic country, light rock, pop, swing and blues, and appeals to all ages. Everyone smiles when the ukuleles play! Suggested donation is $10 for adults. Children under 12 are free. — Wanda, no town

ANSWER: Ukuleles are the best! I’m taking a moment here to encourage everyone to learn to play as it’s quite easy and can bring you much joy. There can never be too many!

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Poland Historical Society has been invited by Mike Smith, development director, to a presentation and tour of Agassiz Village, at 71 Agassiz Camp Road off Johnson Hill Road in Poland. The presentation will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Main Dining Hall. All are welcome.

Founded in 1935 and located on Thompson Lake in Poland, Agassiz Village continues to serve its original purpose of providing an outdoor Maine experience for children from under-resourced communities. Please join us! Call the Poland Historical Society at 998-5268 for more information. — David, Auburn

ANSWER: Agassiz Village serves nearly 500 children ages 8-17, from under-resourced communities in mostly from Maine and Massachusetts, every summer. Thanks to founders Mr. and Mrs. Henry E. Burroughs and to all those caring staff members who have come after, the camp is a haven where children can develop skills that will enhance their future, their families and their communities.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: There have been many recent reports on higher school budgets partially due to the cost of special education. Some students have to be sent to special education schools such as Spurwink. These costs can be tens of thousands of dollars per student. Do charter schools, public religious schools, and private schools have to absorb this cost or do the public school districts have to pay these costs for those students? — Stan, Poland

ANSWER: There is a lot to unpack in your question and the solutions for this issue are still ongoing, and I imagine they will be for quite some time. It sounds like you may have read this article published in the Sun Journal on Apr. 28: https://www.centralmaine.com/2024/04/28/as-costs-rise-dramatically-maine-schools-struggle-with-sending-special-education-students-to-private-schools/.

The school district budget is expected to cover the costs with the help of some state funding. Depending on the school district, shortfalls are handled in different ways so that already stretched budgets won’t be overburdened with impossible costs. Attempts are being made to keep these costs managed by hiring more special education staff and to make classroom space within schools so students can be in-house rather than sent to private entities.

As someone who has many family members involved in education in Maine, I know that we are in the throes of an extreme staffing shortage. If anyone in Sun Spots Land is thinking about becoming a teacher or is thinking about coming out of retirement to help out for a while longer, you are very much needed.

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