“Why not make trick-or-treating on the same night for Hagerstown and the surrounding towns? That way, the people who are taking their children to different towns to trick-or-treat would be stopped. A lot
of people are turning their lights off and not giving out candy, because so many cannot afford the cost of giving out huge amounts of candy, because of out-of-town trick-or-treaters. Just an idea.”
— Clear Spring
“OK, county commissioners, you got the traffic circle at HCC straightened out. Now have you considered getting the senior center a swimming pool? So that it can function for not only seniors but for the rec department and classes that have had to be canceled for water aerobics, for the general population of people in the evenings. So that would be great, another place for us to do water.”
— Hagerstown
“The other day while traveling on Robinwood, I stopped at the traffic light at HCC. Two young people crossed the street in front of me, headed for HCC. I thought then that, how will the pedestrians, young and old, get through a roundabout? I guess they will have to put a pedestrian crossing light up there. I think the traffic works there now, it works fine. I think they should leave it alone.”
— Washington County
“Are Republicans 4-year-olds? Ann Coulter said on national TV, ‘Our blacks are ... better than their blacks.’ What in the world is she talking about? This woman is nuts. And people listen to her? She needs to get married and get a life, that’s what she needs. Republicans ... I think it’s an absolute sin. And by the way, I’m a Republican. Quit listening to these talk shows, and think for yourself.”
— Hagerstown
“In Monday’s paper, Oct. 31, an excellent letter to the editor on what to do with newfound Social Security wealth. Mr. Coyle, you hit the nail right on the head. Thanks for that letter.”
— Hagerstown
“Re: The article in this morning’s paper about the meeting for the senior citizens at the girls club, I was there. I have talked to many senior citizens in all the groups that I belong to, and most of them do not want the senior citizens center to be at the college, nor do they want it downtown. Now there are enough empty buildings and all our county’s — four corners of Washington County, that a senior citizens’ could be made out of any one of those empty buildings.”
— Halfway
“With so many real needs, like firetrucks, the senior citizens center seems like a waste of money. I am 86, and the last thing I need is a place to go for companionship.”
— Hagerstown
“This is about Halloween in St. James Village North. I’ve lived here for 13 years, I’ve taken my grandkids Halloween trick or treating, and now it’s getting to the point where people are asking them, ‘Do you live in this neighborhood?’ So I told the one lady, I’ve lived here for 13 years. From where you live here in the neighborhood, you’ve lived here for at least five years. If you don’t want to give to the kids, which is a special time for them throughout the year, move back out of Washington County, go back down to the city, but don’t take it out on the kids, because other people bring their kids up here. It’s for the kids. If you don’t want to give, don’t give, but don’t ask kids, ‘Do you live in this neighborhood?,’ because it’s all for the kids.”
— Hagerstown
“I’m a senior citizen, and I’m calling about the article about the senior citizens center. According to the paper, the only two places to put it were either out at HCC, or downtown. Of course, the empty old food market beside Rite Aid wouldn’t even be considered, although that would be great lighting and there would be plenty of parking, and it would be convenient, and it would probably be less expensive.”
— Hagerstown
“I was at the senior citizens meeting yesterday at the girls club. Very impressed with the way it was handled, but it embarrassed me to hear that two of the poorest counties in Western Maryland have more senior citizens groups than we do. We have two and three. Also, I have heard that the reason they want to build at HCC, even though most senior citizens don’t want it there, is so that the college will have another building paid for.”
— Hagerstown
“I’m calling concerning Grandparents Day. Let me tell you something, when my grandchildren went into the school on Grandparents Day, I always knew about it, because their mothers or father, or maybe both, let them know to tell me it was Grandparents Day ... when the great-grandchildren ... I want to, but I don’t go to the others because I’m not being asked. So don’t blame this all on just the parents, the grandparents don’t want to go. It’s not that they don’t want to go, they’re not asked to go.”
— Boonsboro
“I would like to know if anyone knows what is going on on Route 65, Sharpsburg Pike, next to the McDonald’s. Bowman Development has been clearing it, and I wanted to know if something is going in there. Also, I have heard rumors of a Walmart going in on that end of town, and just wanted to know if anybody had any information on that.”
— Hagerstown
“I would like to thank you cat owners that let their cats roam the neighborhood day and night. I avoided running over your cat on the road, and I wrecked my car, I broke my leg, and now I’m out of work for months. Next time I’ll run right over your cat.”
— Martinsburg, W.Va.
“I realize it’s hard for some of you people out there to quit your habit such as smoking, but I would think that once some of you people go through open-heart surgery, bypass surgery, due to getting this disease cancer from smoking, that it would cause you people to wise up and not to do this habit of smoking anymore, but it don’t. I know some people in the past that got cancer from smoking, and they went through operations, and they still continued to do their habit. I mean, what’s up?”
— Greencastle, Pa.
“Hagerstown caller, just who are these supposed tea parties you claim are telling businesses not to hire anyone? Not me, nor anyone I know or have heard of. We need names, quotes and sources before anyone should believe your accusation. And the idea that business or entrepreneur who is planning to hire someone would decide not to do so just because ‘the tea party,’ as though a diverse group of millions of Americans speaks with one voice — what nonsense — or even tea partier told them not to, except in the imagination of a left-wing extremist like you, is laughable.”
— Frederick, Md.
“I was calling about the comments made concerning the senior center. This John Barr, ... of the county commissioners, said they were building it at the junior college because they had 240 acres. Your reporters in your paper always fail to mention who owns the land, who transferred land, how these people get these large tracts of land, and the favoritism that’s given. Why don’t your reporters put in who owns the land and who’s profiting from the taxpayers?”
— Hagerstown
“I attended the North/South volleyball last night. I would like to congratulate the winners, and the team that came up short on the scoreboard. Your show of sportsmanship and character didn’t go unnoticed. Even with the outcome written on the wall, you never gave up; diving on the floor until the last point was scored.”
— Hagerstown
“This is on heating oil prices. All these people out here protesting everything, in New York and all over the country and everything, I don’t understand why they ain’t protesting this heating oil prices. It’s price gouging. The oil companies is getting ... price gouging. The politicians aren’t going to do anything about it, so the American people are going to have to do something about it. The tea parties — I’m a tea party member in Washington County. All you have to do is look at the heating oil prices and see how much higher they are than gas. Why aren’t we out protesting? Why aren’t we doing something about that? Poor people can’t afford to pay $3.”
— Hagerstown
“This is to the person who wants to know how to contact the immigration board. My answer to you is ‘MYOB.’”
— Hagerstown
“I understand the city leaders are talking about ways to improve downtown Hagerstown, since it’s pretty much falling downhill, in my opinion. But the senior and state official meeting at the girls club, one of the outcries was that people were not going downtown for a senior center because they wanted well-lit, easy parking, free parking, and security, and that, all those is missing. So the answers to downtown city of Hagerstown’s problems was right there at that delegates meeting. And I for one don’t appreciate going downtown. I went to court on several occasions.”
— Hagerstown
“Do the commissioners read Mail Call? It is running 10 to 1 against senior citizens at HCC. This is the majority speaking.”
— Washington County
“Just want to say thanks to all of those hardworking Potomac Edison workers, for the long and tiring hours they put in restoring electricity after the recent storm. I lost power Saturday at noon and didn’t get restored until 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Remember, they do not control the weather. They have to deal with the aftermath.”
— Smithsburg
