The cheapest, and quickest fix for the needle sticking problem is to by a "pipecleaner" from a hobby shop (the kind you made stick men out of in kendergarten) and dip it in alcohol, thread it through the holes made for the trip push button and/or clock set buttons and brush it back and forth across the pegs to clean off the sticky residues that are gooping up the pegs. This will get you out of taking the cluster out of the dash until and unless you have to replace the bulbs.

If you are taking it out to replace the bulbs, or do any other service on it, then scrub off the coating on those pegs to avoid this ever happening again.