"The last check box on the presidential election ballot should be 'None of the above. Start over.'"

"Remember President Ronald Reagan, who first promised to 'deregulate' and 'get government off our backs'? Reagan pushed for deregulation of airlines, and now most of them are going bankrupt. The deregulation and crash of savings and loans, with ensuing taxpayer bailout, happened on his watch. President Bush appointed the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, who ignored most of the shenanigans on Wall Street. In fact, Bush appointed most of the government officials who should (have) taken action long before they did. It's very difficult to sort out the truth, but even though some Democrats obviously helped pave the road to our present economic disaster, I believe Republicans were the primary architects of the plan and should, therefore, be given credit." - Hagerstown

"While traveling through Hagerstown today, three times you looked me square in the eye and pulled out in front of me so I was forced to slam on the brakes. Twice I set at a green light while you never looked my way and ran a red light, and once you didn't care and opened your car door, forcing me into the opposite lane. I'm going to get me a big, old, cheap boat anchor of a car, and the next time I will look you square in the eye and never touch my brakes."

"I went to the Mummers Parade Saturday night with my family. Everyone did a great job, but I do have a couple questions. When did it become OK for young girls to shake their chests and butts in public, calling it dance, and why are these parents supporting it? I'm embarrassed for these girls. It's gross. ... Also, for the record, I'm only 26, in case anyone wants to try to tell me I'm an old biddy." - Hagerstown

"Horse races: I read on Oct. 30 a person called in about the horse race coverage. I fully agree. You can cover sports for schools, college, and pro, but you don't cover the races properly. You don't put results on certain days and nights in first, couple of times, and sometimes, last couple of the races. We would really like the races covered the right way, and the results and the entries put in each and every time."

"I would like to say I'd like to know who changed the voting days. How come it's three weeks early? I don't agree with that at all, because you never know what those people are gonna do. They could be voting two and three or four times. We don't know, half those people could be dead by Nov. 4. The election day is Nov. 4, and that's when everybody should vote, except absentee ballots. " - Washington County

"I'm the one that called in the other day about the slots. Half of my article was printed in the paper, and you can't tell me these other articles are only 30 seconds long. But I won the day I was over there. I won $1,500, and if they do get slots in Maryland, at Pimlico and Cumberland, I'll never go there anyway. I'll still go back to Charles Town."

"Stink bug warning: I was getting ready to put my green sun shades away, from my porch into the basement for the winter. I unrolled them first, and found many, many stink bugs curled up in the rolls for the winter. Check this out before putting them away. You may find a lot of stink bugs waiting for spring." - Robinwood

"For what reason has gas not gone down the way that the barrel of oil has dropped? Gas in Washington County now averaging $2.53 a gallon; Winchester, Va., only $2.12 a gallon. Why?" - Washington County

"I'm calling on trick-or-treat night here. I just actually left the Salvation Army's trick-or-treat festival up there they had. It was wonderful. I want to let the girls know there that they did a great job up there. My daughter had a fun time, she got a basket full of candy, and I know it's all safe to eat. So once again, thank you, Salvation Army, for a wonderful Halloween night." - Hagerstown

"I'm calling to comment on Gov. Rendell's comments about the Republicans running the dirtiest, most despicable campaign. That's like the pot calling the kettle black. No one has been treated as despicable, for example, as Gov. Palin on the campaign trail. And also, the person talking about so much space being given to Gov. Palin at her visit in Pennsylvania Wednesday, I think that's terrible." - Kearneysville, W.Va.

"In this morning, Nov. 1st's paper, it talks about the cancellation of the arrival of the ... flying boxcar. We have friends coming from some distance away, and I wanted to notify them that it wasn't going to be this weekend - they were coming especially for this event, and it says the first week in November. In that this is the first weekend in November, I tried to call the newspaper, and for 10 minutes could get no one. When is the date?" - Clear Spring

"There's an old song out by country artist Billy Dean titled 'Only Here for a Little While.' I feel it's really a great song, and I feel most of the American people should listen to that song. Some of the words are 'Gonna hold who needs holding, walk what needs walking, mend what needs mending.' It says we're only here for a little while. The lyrics of the song really explain it all, I mean, because after all, we are only here for a little while. It may seem like we're here for a long time, but really we're not." - Greencastle, Pa.

"Councilperson Nigh is concerned about safety, but no one else is going to be, until the first person actually dies because a safety rescue vehicle could not get through the closed streets. Having a heart attack and surviving it as a vegetable - or a stroke - isn't going to count. Somebody's blood is going to have to be out there for the rest of the community to understand." - Hagerstown

"I agree with the caller that had called in saying that the city election should coincide with the presidential election, so that we can save $60,000. I think it's actually offensive that they think that the older people won't be able to tell the difference between the different elections." - Hagerstown

"I think it's time for the county government to stop throwing more and more money into teachers' salaries. The teachers work only a partial year, they make a good starting income for this area, and I believe the money should be thrown toward the students, where it's needed, and their resources. I think the only reason teachers are always considered for more salaries is because they're a large voting block. And by the way, my son is a teacher, and two of my daughter-in-laws."

"I just received my new Medicare prescription plan booklet for 2009, with a nice $5 raise on my already monthly premium that I have to pay each month. I think this is one of the worst things the government got through. What do they want to do, take it all?" - Mount Lena

"I just want to comment on the many deaths, murders, homicides, break-ins, drug dealings going on in Hagerstown. I've been here my whole life. We have got to do something. You better stop and think before you go to those voting polls. You know, if we don't get the death penalty, there's gonna be a lot more murders going on, because of the fact that they know there's no repercussion, that they have nothing to lose. - Hagerstown

"I just want to say thank you to the street department or whoever it was that came out last night after the parade littered all the streets, and as I'm driving through town now, it's just beautiful. I don't see any trash, and they did a wonderful job, and they should be thanked. We're proud of them." - Hagerstown

"Does opposition to the Patriot Act make a person unpatriotic?" - Halfway

"What did they do with all of the rubble from the old Maugansville school building? Did they put that in the landfill, with the old Wal-Mart and the old Martin's buildings?" - Clear Spring

"So it's Monday morning, and I see you did not print my letter about ... all the money to another fountain in Hagerstown. I didn't think that you would, because you're so biased. Also, about the raises for the County Commissioners, why not put a place in the paper where we could vote and see what we want? We are the ones that are paying for all of this and paying your salaries." - Hagerstown

"I'm calling to respond to Chewsville, about why we should have to pay University of Maryland to be in our Mummers Parade. I agree with him 100 percent, because they had to come up here anyway to participate in that thing out at North High. So why should we waste our money paying that big college to come to our town, when they can afford to do it themselves? " - Hagerstown

"I would like to thank the Alsatia Club for a great Halloween parade. It was awesome, and the University of Maryland band was just awesome. When they come by where we were standing ... everybody was standing up clapping. Great job, Alsatia Club." - Chewsville

"A heartfelt, huge thank you to the wonderful person who turned in my credit card at Martin's the 31st. I've never lost my card before. I was beside myself. I'll always be grateful to you. Thank you again." - Hagerstown

"I was over in West Virginia on Route 45, and I saw about 25 deer ... and one crossed the fence, and he was so beautiful, and if he had a sleigh hooked to him, he'd have been really, I mean nice. He looked like Santa's reindeer. And it's something else to see nice things like that." - Hagerstown

"I'm so tired of hearing about the teachers. When they got into that business, when they went to college to learn to be teachers, they knew what they were getting into, so they have no right to complain. And I'm tired of them asking for raises." - Falling Waters, W.Va.

"I'm calling about the commissioners' $8,000 raises. I know this won't be printed; I've called about raises before. But why don't they take that $40,000 and give it to retirees who have no other jobs? All the commissioners have other jobs, don't need this raise. The retirees don't get a cost of living, haven't for quite a while. Everything's gone up. When I retired, I had one prescription. I now have three prescriptions."

"I'd like to congratulate the Hagerstown Community College volleyball team for their fine season, and also the coverage by Jack Hill, from your paper. They're on their way to the nationals, Congratulations to all the players and all of the coaches, and the splendid operation of HCC - the sixth year in a row that they're going to the nationals. Thank you for your coverage." - Hagerstown

"I'm just calling to thank the paper for making the crossword puzzle bigger for us people that have trouble seeing. I'm really, really appreciative." - Funkstown

"On Oct. 31, our mother fell at the Smithsburg shopping center, and we'd like to say thank you to everybody who helped get her up. May God bless you all." - Smithsburg

"I'd like to mention that is these economic times, it's smart for shoppers to buy green or buy recycled if they can. There are several recycling shops and recyclable places in the neighborhood. ... Check these places out. Buy local, buy green." - Waynesboro, Pa.

"I would like to thank Rehoboth United Methodist Church for the Angel Food program that they have started. The food is wonderful, and quite a bargain. It helps us with our food budget. I personally want to thank Sadie Fox for her service to others. You will be rewarded." - Smithsburg