Comments by herenow

Written on Anderson community members react to Preston buyout:

I mistakingly used the wrong word to convey the word "complain". I will now attempt to get my point across without said adjective. What I said was: The money used to pay for the lawsuits between CW and JP could have been used to pay for some on these projects. Perhaps the whole council should have been replaced and a new government formed that enjoyed the trust of the people. I am sure there are many people in Anderson who are tired of the same old same old and they want to see their hard earned dollars going to something besides a continuous slinging match between the county administrator and council members who don't agree with the way he does the job. To those of you who would have been offended by the said adjective used to convey the word "complain" I do apologize.

Written on Anderson community members react to Preston buyout:

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Written on $45k in bonds holds Anderson man until alleged victim returns from Iraq:

Why not just send him up to Camp Lejeune and let the marines sort him out, or better yet, call his bluff.....send him off to Afghanistan or Iraq as a "marine" and let him take his chances. There is no punishment that will ever make up for the stealing of another person's identity and to pretend to be a marine is sacrilege!

Written on The Storyteller: One pastor's generosity:

Well, huzzah, you get the gong for spoilsport whether you wanted it or not. It just beggers believe that the only time some people want to read a newspaper is when it is full of murders or some other type of crime or tragedy. Sometimes people just want a "feel good" story to make all the other horrors happening in the world today seem a little less so.

Written on Honor our veterans:

I stand corrected. I have just moved on in my daily "read" of the paper and see that there was a program at the monument. I was too early to see it and I had to keep travelling on to my destination. Thank you Anderson for remembering those who have served past and present. We, veterans, also salute you for standing by us.

Written on Honor our veterans:

I was born in Anderson and had the pleasure of being there on Veteran"s Day. As a veteran what wasn't so pleasant was my inability to find the Veteran's monument. After several enquiries to numerous people I finally found it tucked in behind some government buildings off the beaten path. I found it looking lost and forlorn, without any flowers or signs of remembrance other than the plaques themselves. Maybe it was too early in the morning (9:30am) to expect anything to be happening so soon. I hope so. I don't understand why who ever made the decision to put the monument where they did didn't put it in a more easily accessible place to find. Most towns you go thru have their monuments right on the main entrance(Belton)in a place of pride. Why isn't Anderson's? Can someone tell me the story as to how it ended up where it is?

Written on Anderson Circuit City store won't be closing:

I hope they close the CC up here in Fayetteville. They have the worst customer service and you can't walk in the store without your ears being blasted off by the electronics/stereo department trying to sell yet another car system to people who will be deaf in 10 years time let alone the innocent people in cars around them who are subjected to the noise at intersections and homes nearby. I hope all their stores go out of business but I do hope those who are "good" at customer service find jobs elsewhere!

Written on None:

The US may not have any jobs but I bet a US dollar that China sure has all its people employed. Some day maybe the US will wake up and smell the coffee(that is if it isn't being produced elsewhere)and then realize that giving away all of America's resources to other countries for the sake of cheaper labor has left the US penniless and its people in "third world" status.

Written on Pickens County moves in to protect residents from "furren" languages:

Jeanne, I think you got this one wrong. I am all for people of other origins holding on to their birth culture but if they choose to live in a country that speaks another language than their native tongue then they should be required to at least learn that language if only at a basic level. Learning the language of one's chosen country doesn't mean that they have to give up their heritage, it means they can speak to be understood. For all sorts of reasons they need to be able to communicate. One example which will be forever in my mind is an incident that I witnessed back in Australia. A little child was playing along the sidewalk outside the mall while her mother chatted to a group of friends, the child wandered onto the road and into the path of an oncoming delivery truck, myself and others were shouting for her to "stop" but she just kept on walking, the delivery driver couldn't stop in time. She died. The mother screamed at everyone that she(the child) couldn't speak nor understand English!!! She wondered why someone didn't grab the child out of the way. We didn't have time and our question was why didn't the Asian mother, first of all teach her small child a few important words of English and secondly, why didn't she watch what the child was doing. No amount of blame would bring that child back, being able to understand a few words of English would have. As another poster commented there is a need to speak the language of the country you reside in. I am sorry it is such a hot issue for you but there are good reasons for it maybe some people and places go to extremes to enforce the reasons.

Written on With top down and blue sky above, joy ride with friend was memorable:

Treasure those memories Salley, all too soon our elderly are taken from us. It is such a rich and rewarding experience to just spend a little time with older people. All too often younger people of today don't seem to have the same reverence for the sage wisdom that comes from these older treasures.

Written on Supporting Bryant for Senate:

I should think that if a person works for someone then they have an opportunity to get to know that person first hand. Are you saying in this article that just because she works for him her opinion should be disregarded? What about all the people who see Dr Meadors as a patient are they meant to disregard their opinion of him just because he treats them as their physician? The same can be said of those who do business with Kevin Bryant's pharmacy. How better to know what a person is like than to hear comments from those who are closest to him. I think the record of both men stands for itself and people will vote based on what that person has done to represent their values and ideas to the government they live under.

Written on Upstate butterfly migration in full flight:

I really enjoyed this article. It was informative and told me something I did not know. How refreshing it is to read the newspaper and read something that isn't just related to the latest crime or continuous council member bickering. Thank you for sharing this.

Written on T.L. Hanna athlete faces $1k fine for assault :

When I was in high school T.L.Hanna high was "the" school. It had the reputation of being the school of the upper class and the majority of students who went there went on to professional careers and wealthy lifestyles. Obviously it has changed. Putting aside the people who attended, the school had a top notch reputation in and out of SC. Shame its image has to change and its standards have been lowered to accommodate trouble makers for the sake of winning a football game.

Written on Meadors announces education advisory group:

After reading the lead story about lack of paper in the Anderson schools somebody needs to do something to help the people of South Carolina. Good luck in your campaign Dr Meadors and after you win perhaps you could downsize the administration department to cover the cost of providing progress reports.

Written on Horse illustrates problem for Anderson County:

in response to nwalukewicz#270262:

The fact that everyone has a clear understanding of the problem and many of us are working together to find a solution insures a positive outcome. Animal abuse, neglect and maltreatment are a sad occurrence in our nation. Those who work to address these problems face an uphill task, most especially in this economy.

The cost of materials and labor for the large animal facility we proposed was in the forty- thousand dollar range. Our plan did not include needs like grading the land or fill dirt and cement depending on what flooring the county ultimately decided upon. That is the reason for our statement the facility could be built for less than one hundred thousand dollars. We expect the project will come in well under that price. We do not expect that our rendition of what could be built is what should or will be built only that we offer a possible solution to each problem we identify.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting PEARL and the cost of rehabilitating the horses. Without your support we are hard pressed to be able to provide the county with this service. The cost of vets, farriers and feed are extremely high.

#34 formerly known as Tootsie is doing well. She will need to have her front feet x-rayed because of a mild lameness she is exhibiting. She has seen a farrier once and pending the outcome of the x-rays will hopefully have a program for her hooves to insure she is comfortable. Once her body weight is brought up and her health is improved she will receive her vaccinations and have her teeth filed. We have a possible adoptive home if the outcome is a healthy horse. She is all ready putting on weight and is on a parasite control program. Like all starvation cases as her health improves her personality comes out. As an Arabian mare, she is going to be both beautiful and fun.

Great article Ms. Carey. Thank you.

Nicole Walukewicz

I commend you on the work you are doing with these and other animals as you say times are hard and not everyone has a loving, caring nature towards animals who are not their own. Are there not situations where businesses could donate services and supplies to causes such as this and then write it off on their taxes as charity? I would hope that there is and that building supplies could possibly come from donations and therefore save the county hundreds of dollars and at a minimal cost to the suppliers who one would hope would do this out of the goodness of their hearts.

Written on Man fined for road rage:

He should have had his license revoked. Babies and children should not be allowed to drive cars. He seriously needs anger management classes!

Written on Grown-up or groan up? Caught woefully between geriatric and juvenile:

Jeanne, I can so relate to this story. I went thru the same thing with my sons. I chose to have a career first and then children. As you do. I have never regretted that and do still wonder when I see the younger Mums with their children at school whether I had done the right thing. I have learned to smile when "carded" and argue when I am wanting that Senior Discount even though the salesclerk is saying I just DO NOT look old enough to qualify for one. As you say, they are just doing their job. It is a shame that grey hair has such a stigmatism attached to it.

Written on Anderson police captain fired:

in response to mj1938:

Why is it that when a black person does wrong and admits his wrongdoing, the hue and cry is always "racisim"?? Why can't a person who chooses to live outside the law take responsibility for their actions? No, because it's always "whitey's" fault, no matter what the wrongdoing is. Respect is something you earn. It is not "given" to you in any race. Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that stated "The buck stops here". I am Native American and I don't whine about my ancestors mistreatment, nor do I expect repatriation from the government. I am responsible for my own actions and other races should do the same instead of playing the blame game. If you agree, I would like to hear a response. Thanks.

I agree! The uniform he wore was the same color as everyone else on the police force. The difference in this person's case was that he was in a higher position of authority and as such should have conducted himself accordingly.

Written on Community organizer speaks:

in response to quy:

(This comment was removed by the site staff.)

Thanks for letting me know a little more about the situation, quy. Just don't let the man ruin everyone else's health over it. I think you and all the people who want to make sure the public is aware should continue to do so because so many people like me who love Anderson and want to see it prosper can understand. Thanks again and hopefully come election day he will be gone. Just don't make yourselves sick over it okay.

Written on Community organizer speaks:

My goodness, does Joey Preston control and occupy the minds of the people in Anderson so much that not one single article can be written without someone bringing his name into it. I don't know the man and although I was born in Anderson I no longer reside there. I do know one thing though, I would NEVER let any one person control my mind as much as JP seems to control the people in Anderson who do not like him. He must be a powerful personality to have the control over the people who comment on the articles in this paper. Why do you all let him determine how you will react to every little thing that is written in this paper. It is as if people are obsessed with his every move. Whilst it might cause him stress and you may be happy about that I'll bet he rubs his hands with glee to know that he has the power to make you all hate him so much. If you want to get rid of him, take his power away thru elections and if you have legal proof of his crimes. Otherwise you are all just pawns on his chess board. And before you accuse me of working for him, don't, because I have not lived in Anderson for over 30 years. I don't have any informed right to comment for or against him but I do have an opinion on human behavior and it seems to me he has a lot of people tapdancing.

Written on Independent-Mail Editor Kausler to leave on Nov. 3:

Well said Nick. I for one have always been impressed with how the AIM has evolved. When I first logged on to read the AIM online from 10,000 miles away I was over the moon that the paper offered so much about what was happening locally in my hometown. Mr Kausler I wish you all the best in what ever your future holds and you can rest assured that this reader thinks you have done a fantastic job!!!

Written on Kohl’s announces grand opening of Anderson store:

We have a Kohls store here in NC where I live and it is fantastic. I LOVE shopping there. The bargains are the best I have seen anywhere and their turn over in stock with reduced prices cannot be beaten. NO, I don't work for them, I just shop there a LOT!!!! People you will love it.

Written on Happy Birthday Jake Grove:

Happy Birthday, Jake and many happy returns of the day.

Written on Two charged with child neglect in Anderson:

Yep, they sure must be stupid! BTW Welcome back, srpoppa3.

Written on Largest land gift in school’s history triples Anderson University’s size:

Nit picking I know but I was always taught " i " before " e " except after " c ".

Written on Gas prices jump in Anderson area:

Here in Fayetteville, NC we paid $3.79 a gallon for regular unleaded. There was a sign on each of the pumps requesting people to limit their purchase to 10 gallons because of a "shortage of gasoline" down the eastern seaboard of the US. Luckily for us our car only holds about 10-12 gallons. That was a Kangaroo Station but others had already started raising their prices. They know they will get the price they want even if they only sell 5 bucks or so at a time. Pity the people with the large 4 wheel drives.

Written on Cale’s mysterious angel called modern-day miracle:

in response to Sabby:

I thought this was a website for the news, not for religious propaganda?

Here you go again Sabby and I quote Mark Twain,"It is better to keep your mouth shut and "appear" stupid than to open it and remove all doubt. This is an online newspaper and I refer to the bar across the top...News,Sports,Weather,Life,Entertainment, etc. etc.

Written on Two killed in Pickens head-on collision:

To quote Mark Twain "It is better to keep your mouth shut and APPEAR stupid than to open it and remove all doubt"

Written on 9-11 anniversary prompts vivid memories seven years after the event:

It was after 9/11 that I finally understood why the Australian Government insisted that if I wanted to accompany my husband on a posting to the Middle East(Syria and Israel) it was advisable that I become a dual citizen. So, in 1998-2000, much to my dismay I was unable to stand out and shout to the world I was an American because the people whose country I was a "guest" in might have tried to harm me or my family. It was only after 9/11 that realized the depth of the hatred some people have for Americans. I have grown accustom to being a "dual" but I know in my heart I will always love my home country. God Bless the USA!

Written on Council candidate says no discussion has taken place about getting rid of Balloonfest in Anderson:

Well, Ms Carey, it seems you have opened a nasty can of worms here, don't you think it is time to pull this story?

Written on Three women, defense attorney paint picture of troubled Inman:

If you have a rabid dog you don't sit back and watch it bite people, you put it down!


in response to 8000milesfromhome:

Man, y'all have too much time on your hands. Do anyone of you need a job?

8000milesfromhome I couldn't agree more! Some of these people would beitch if their ice cream was cold!

Written on Tight economy calls for borrowing, not buying, books:

The Anderson County Library is one of the best I have ever seen. Although I am not a resident of Anderson and therefore don't have borrowing privileges I do go there often to do research in the Carolina Room upstairs. It is so rich with the history of Anderson and to this old heart of mine, it is a blissful walk down memory lane. It is an attractive and well maintained building and is a real joy to visit. Thank you to the staff and volunteers.

Written on On Tap: Sometimes things aren't as exciting as you think:

Jake you should have invited Bobby Flay and had a Throwdown Challenge take place. At least you got to taste the BBQ. I missed the whole event and only had the AIM to fill me in on how it went. Next year maybe.

Written on Choose Obama, choose change:

"If I Could Turn Back Time.........." How I wish it were possible to do that but we all know we can never go back. I would take the good old Anderson days of going to The Chicken Shack with my friend Janice and dancing with all the boys from Oakway and Seneca. Now, all we have to entertain us is more and more arguments over who is the best politician. I hope the next President will have reason to pause and reflect on where the United States stands in the world today regarding its image, how its people are being driven to the poor house because of our over generosity to foreign countries, but most of all how most of the time the hand we extend gets bitten time and time again by countries who want our help and wealth but despise us as we give it to them. On the day, God help us, let the best man win.

Written on Anderson’s Waldrep enjoys first visit to GOP’s big show:

Actually, Comeon I did not call you a jerk and if you served in VN then I salute you. My brother also did 4 tours in VN and I myself served 10 years in the US Army of which I am very proud of. My husband has just finished serving his 28th year in the Army. Any person who has ever worn the uniform of the United States of America deserves respect for that service time and that is what I am pointing out to you. Denigrate the Republicans til the cows come home if you must after all that is what the fight for freedom of speech is all about. Just show a little respect for the man's time in service is all I am saying.

Written on Daughter's pregnancy, but not Sarah Palin, off-limits for discussion among some in Upstate:

In response to my own comment, after rereading it I realized how insensitive it must sound to others. I would like to clarify that I wasn't saying that "a pregnant teenager" wasn't something to be concerned about. What I mean is that the media should not try to use that against the Republican VP candidate in such a way as to throw a slur upon the daughter's or her mother's character. I think the fact that the family stood behind both teenagers says a lot for the parents.

Written on Anderson’s Waldrep enjoys first visit to GOP’s big show:

Well, I'm stumped! We all have our "senior moments" and guys you can laugh out loud. I just posted my comment about another article in the online AIM to the wrong article. That's what going without sleep for two days will do for you. Otherwise have a great conversation. I'm going to catch some zzzzzzzzzzzzz's!

Written on Anderson’s Waldrep enjoys first visit to GOP’s big show:


Written on Anderson’s Waldrep enjoys first visit to GOP’s big show:

in response to Comeon:

republicans are maggots. they feed off of others. go ahead and vote for john insane. he was brainwashed by ho chi minh and hasn't got over it "my friends".

By all means Comeon, have your political preferences but please, do not denigrate the man's five year prisoner of war incarceration. Walk a five year mile in those shoes before you mock him. Yes, that was the price he paid for you, your parents and the rest of America during the horrendous Viet Nam War. You should be ashamed of yourself.


The media should be more concerned with how America hopes its next president will pull them out of the downward spiral that the last two parties have landed us in. The two Democrat terms of office with Clinton saw a large number of military installations stateside as well as overseas shut down and the defense force downsized. Along come the two Republican terms in office with the Bush administration and due to bad foreign policy planning the US has ended up at war in two foreign countries. Soldiers are dying left and right because of the need to put a "hasty, large quantity Army together" to fight terrorism and all that is newsworthy these days is " a pregnant teenager", please give me a break.

Written on Local politicians see pros and cons to choice of Palin:

in response to srpoppa3:

maybe herenow can remember it but i do --remember my dad talking about a liers bench where they all set around before work or during breaks at the old anderson mill shooting bs well the way i see it all politicians need a bench because none are going to do what they promise especially graham

Yep, srpoppa3, I can see it in my mind's eye right now. I think you're right. It is a good thing we all still have that memory in our minds because more and more politicians are outsourcing America's resources to overseas countries while good hard working Americans are living on diddly-squat. Anderson was a thriving town back when our daddy told whoppers on that lier's bench and hey, I bet when the mill shut down he took that bench home with him, don't you. Hopefully the next president will start bringing back to the US all the manufacturing and other industry it has sent overseas to cheap labor-exploited foreign countries.


If you can permit me to have an "outsider's" opinion here(although I was born in Anderson)based on someone who no longer resides here, I would tread wisely on your vote for the next president of the USA. Any Commander-in-Chief can surround himself/herself with a bevy of knowledgeable people without having the right knowledge themselves. The difference here is in the power that the person has to accept or ignore that advice and how to act upon their decision. It is not just America who will need to interact with this person but also the rest of the world. Of course, the person chosen should be first and foremost 100% focused on what is best for America and its people. Your country still has to maintain its place in the rest of the world and right now there are too many countries who want to bring this great nation down. Choose wisely and vote for someone the rest of the world can deal with on all foreign policy issues and who can keep America strong and in the #1 spot it stands in today.

Written on Without food, Good Neighbor Cupboard in Anderson closes temporarily :

in response to newsdog:

Let's do more than talk. I am contributing $100 today to Good Neighbor Cupboard. How about it FLASH,HERENOW,NIBLITS. Ya'll write everyday about solving problems. The challenge is will you do something to help solve this problem.

I think that is a grand idea newsdog. I shall be in Anderson the week of September 16th and DO intend to go by and make a monetary donation to the food cupboard. Thanks for suggesting it. All the other suggestions I have made, alas, I have no way to actively help or change, sorry. I am only here in the US until the end of the year and then I return to Australia. BTW I was born in Anderson and have benefited many times in my youth from these types of charities because I had a father who walked off and left my mother and her six children, aged at that time from 14 months to 12 years. My mother did washing and ironing for people to buy us food and clothes. Been there done that and now intend to do the same to try to help others.


Sadly, it is a sign of the times. There was a time when a box was put in the school classrooms and children were asked to 'anonomously' drop something in the box and when it was as full as the teacher thought it was going to get it would go to the school office to be collected by a charity group, same with used clothing. Now you see people out in their fine, new cars going to feed there already oversized bodies at the one hundred and one restaurants around Anderson and they could care less if someone else is going hungry that night. A lot of people would say, "well, they brought it on themselves, they should have saved for a rainy day". That is not always the case and who are we to sit and judge who should receive help when they need it. The old morals and values of compassion and helpfulness have been replaced with suspicion and greed. People just don't look beyond their own noses anymore and no amount of professing to be a Christian and giving to the church fund can make up for what we as human beings should be feeling for our fellow man. So come on Anderson, take 'theflash' advice and step up to the plate(no pun intended) and show people you are one of those who care!

Written on Spittoono celebrates 28 years in Clemson:

Can someone please tell me what 'funnel cake' is? I have seen it mentioned in lots of the articles about local celebrations and I'm curious to know what it is. It sounds like everybody loves it and I sure do want to try it before I return to Australia.

Written on Anderson Free Clinic stops taking new patients because of overload:

I wish the USA would adopt a system like we have in Australia called Medicare. It might sound like socialized medicine to some but whatever the system it works. Every citizen in Australia who has a job and earns money pays 1 cent(a penny) of every dollar into Medicare regardless of what you earn. You could earn millions or minimum wage it would not matter. However, as you can see the person earning millions is likely to pay more into Medicare because they earn more. A person must be a citizen or a legal resident of Australia to benefit from this program and if you do not have a government issued Medicare card then you have to pay for your medical treatment or hospital costs. When a person goes to a doctor and this also includes any specialist doctor they present their Medicare card and the center will then advise them of any gap that is due and they will send them the bill for it or the person can choose to pay up front.If the person has no money to pay the bill then the center does whats called "bulk billing" and the person pays nothing at all. For example, I need to see my doctor because I have a bad cold. I call and make the appointment, see the doctor, upon leaving I choose to pay the scheduled $35.00 fee up front. I leave the doctor's office, walk across the street to the Medicare Office and present my receipt and I am refunded $30.00 because Medicare covered all but $5.00. If I had no job or no money to pay the next time I went then I would be bulk billed and pay nothing. Every person in the whole of Australia has access to medical care and no one is ever turned away from casulty because of no insurance. Hence, a healthier society and a workable solution to health care issues. Not saying the system is perfect there are still those who complain about the 1 cent of the dollar they have to pay. If a person chooses to have private insurance then the government gives them a rebate at tax time for providing more coverage to their health plan. I don't know how that would work in the US because there are those who won't see the value in a plan like this, but it sure works in Australia. BTW medical students in Australia can choose to be subsidized by the government and given a free education in return for working in remote or small rural towns for a certain period of time. A lot of doctors choose to do this and it solves the doctor shortage problem.

Written on Driver’s language an issue in seizure of 500 pounds of pot on I-85:

Language was not the issue for stopping the vehicle in the first place, according to the officer's testimony, driving "suspiciously" was. As far as D. White "getting" the officer to admit that Vargas-Luna didn't understand English when read his miranda, that is a blatant insult to the officer's authority to carry out his job. Vargas-Luna was stopped for a traffic offence and if the officer had a reason to search the vehicle then it doesn't matter whether the driver spoke English or not if he had nothing to hide he should have allowed the search. People who travel thru airports or cross borders all over the world are subjected to security searches regardless of the language they speak or understand IT IS THE LAW. For an attorney to represent his/her client by trying to denigrate that law is shameful and the biggest shame of all is that the accused is here illegally anyway and the officer is somehow made to sound as if he broke the law.

Written on Cancer, and a choice: Actress believes decision right for her:

What a brave choice she made and hopefully it will encourage others to push for further testing. Sadly when an insurance company has control over what test a person can or cannot have it reflects on society's greed as a whole. There is also another form of breast cancer that is seldom mentioned due to lack of publicity and public awareness and that is Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC). This is a form of cancer that has a greater chance of being detected by an MRI. It doesn't present with "breast lumps" and can be missed by the routine breast exam as well as a mammogram. It has different symptoms all together and I would encourage everyone to look this up on the internet, talk to their doctor, get as much information as they can find. The most recent death reported from this disease was of a 16 year old girl. Not trying to be a scare-monger here, just wanted to add more information about the types of breast cancer out there.

Written on On Tap: Today's youth are not the devils we old folks make them out to be:

in response to tdr1945:

I grew up in Anderson in the early 60's. I remember the boys drinking beer when they got a chance, usually girls that I knew didn't. Drugs I never heard of but they may have been around some.
I know we were more scared of teachers. I still quote Miss Cathcart at Mccants Jr. high. I tried getting out of trouble in her room by talking back only one time

tdr1945, I know what you mean! Miss Cathcart could freeze you with just a stare. I also talked back to her once and once was enough for anyone who knew or was taught by her. Having said that, she was a good teacher and so were other teachers at McCants back in those days. Teachers could show children they cared without being worried about it being misconstrued or mistaken for something more sinister. Children were taught to respect and be guided by teachers, now they look more to their peer groups for what is acceptable behavior and how they should "act" to fit in. There are some really good kids out there today who genuinely care about respecting others and how they themselves behave in order for people to have respect for them. We just have to remember to praise when praise is due and show love and guidance when a child goes astray.