Common Cause may soon find its donations going a bit soft as its new president and former Maine Democratic senatorial candidate Chellie Pingree tries to explain her fund-raising history to an inquiring Federal Election Commission. It seems that Ms. Pingree’s campaign sent a letter to donors last summer that helpfully suggested, “If you have already given Chellie Pingree for U.S. Senate the maximum contribution ($1,000 for the primary election and $1,000 for the general election) following are some other ways to continue your financial support to the campaign.” One handy way offered in the letter was to give money to state and national party funds, which aren’t supposed to channel money directly to individual candidates. Common Cause, of course, champions campaign finance reform and now is in an uncomfortable situation with supporters. Fortunately, Ms. Pingree spun yarns for a living before entering politics, so there may be hope yet.

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In Hartford, Conn., last year the driver of a Mister Softee truck was charged with assault and breach of peace for allegedly attacking a belligerent critic of the music coming from his truck’s loudspeakers. In Bangor last week, one resident acted more responsibly by bringing before the City Council a complaint about the constant racket from a local ice-cream truck. The council referred the issue to its government operations committee, then quickly searched the council chambers for spare quarters and rushed outside to listen for “Turkey in the Straw.”

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Route 666, the Devil’s Highway, which touches New Mexico and Colorado before ending at Monticello, Utah, is no more, reports the New York Times. The cursed number for the highway was bad for businesses, according to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, referring to the number’s association with Satan, and has been renamed Route 491, a more saintly address. Route 666 was named

77 years ago as a spur to the famed Route 66, which should have helped businesses along the way as tourists used the well-known highway but apparently it did not. Anyway, the road to Monticello was paved with good intentions.

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A couple of readers called last week to comment on the faulty public-address system at the Bangor Auditorium during Bangor High’s recent graduation ceremonies. The inaudibility made the facility something of an oxymoron and rendered many of the platitudes unheard before they could be forgotten. A lack of funding to repair the well-worn auditorium is widely known, but here’s a low-cost solution. Remember the above object of complaint, that ice-cream truck? Bring it center stage. It’s plenty loud, its cargo would hold the attention of the graduates and, as far as anyone knows, its speakers have never failed.