Sound Off highlights anonymous, brief takes on the news offered via telephone by Daily News readers.

Mr. Clayborne wrote a fine article about the lab called Clint Eastwood. We also have a lab who was a rescue dog. We call him John Travolta because he is in love with the lady next door and he slinks over as soon as possible to go see her. Those rescue dogs are wonderful.

Can someone advise us on why we are paying $500 more a year on our homeowner’s premium because a local volunteer fire department has not received certification. We need information on this. This is about a half-million dollars a year that it is costing us in insurance premiums for fire departments not having the upgrades.

Pinetown does have an all-volunteer rescue squad, and it would appreciate more volunteers from the community.

I live in Macswoods, where we were badly damaged by Irene. David Gibbs and the city crew have worked long hours in heat for days, yet are always courteous and professional. They are doing a fantastic job.

People in the City of Washington need to quit whining about their trees. Pay someone to clean up for you. City workers are already putting in 12 hours a day, seven days a week. Thank you, city workers.

The county commissioners need to get off this bickering and arguing, which amounts to nothing, and spray for mosquitoes in Beaufort County.

Thank you to the Hyde County Department of Social Services for its long hours worked in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene to try and meet the needs of the residents in Hyde County.

Why, on Monday, did the people who went to get their emergency food stamps could not get them because officials had started to verify income? It was supposed to be the last day, and it should have still been the same for everybody.

Could Bartow Houston tell us more about the Washington High School alumni luncheon every month? There are some of us who would like to come, but we don’t know anything about it. Editor’s Note: Friends of Old Washington High Schools meet at Hog Heaven Restaurant from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. monthly on the third Wednesday.

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