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Note: Comments posted at the bottom of this page are not submissions for the print version of Tell Willie and are for online readers to discuss today's Tell Willie column in real time. To submit a question or comment to Willie for the print newspaper click here or call 864-882-0903 and leave Willie a message. He checks his voice mail daily.

Willie,

I would like to say thank you to The Booksmith for what they did. They held a meet and greet with Hello Kitty. My two daughters absolutely enjoyed the event. They had their pictures made with Hello Kitty and received a breakfast along with the parents. When the kids were finished and on their way out the door, they turned in their tickets and the girls received a huge gift bag full of Hello Kitty goodies that equal way more than the price of the ticket. Thank you so much and hopefully they will come up with a great idea like this for those with sons. It is well worth the money and time. They did a great job with the event.

Willie says:

Willie adds his thanks to The Booksmith for making reading fun and wonderful for children and adults alike!

Willie,

I would like to give a thumbs up to the Fair-Oak, Oakway Intermediate and West-Oak schools for their response to the bad weather situation. They kept our kids safe and we are thankful that our kids were not on the roads in buses when that crazy weather hit. They may have been a little late getting home, but late is far better than hurt.

Willie says:

You can’t see me, but if you could you’d see my thumb joining yours!

Willie,

I would like to congratulate the Simpsonville Little League Softball Team for winning the World Series! It is a shame that Clemson does not have a team when there are so many local players who would be eager to play!

And …

Willie,

I applaud the Simpsonville Stars for their great win at the Little League World Series. My first question is why are they called the Simpsonville Stars when players come from other areas? My second question is how can someone in middle school play on an area high school team?

Willie says:

They are called the Simpsonville All-Stars because the majority of the team is from the Simpsonville area. Carley Hoover is the young lady you are talking about. The South Carolina High School League allows athletes to start competing at the high school level as seventh graders. It is not uncommon to see softball players and female basketball players start their high school careers in the seventh grade. Every once in a while it will occur on the boys’ side as well, but not as often.

Willie,

Could you find out why the Walhalla Middle School can force their students to tuck in their shirts and to keep their hair cut above their eyebrows? Also, is it true that next year the school will be a pilot school for students to wear uniforms? If so, how can they force students in public school to purchase uniforms because not all students can afford them. My guess is that students who have free or reduced lunch, which is based on the student’s family income, will get theirs at a reduced cost or free and the taxpayers will get to foot another bill that is really not for the good of everyone. I am not for all these kids running around with their pants hanging down below their underwear or hair covering their face. I believe these instances are where the shirt tucking and haircuts are coming from. Also, did our school board approve these new rules and if so, why didn’t it become a rule in all the Oconee County schools?

Willie says:

Here’s the scoop from Oconee School District Director of School and Community Relations Kay Powell:

“Thanks for asking questions regarding dress code procedures. The dress procedures at Walhalla Middle are to encourage students to tuck in shirts for a neater appearance. However, students may wear shirts outside of pants as long as the pants are worn at the natural waistline. Students need to be able to see; therefore, it is expected that hair stay out of the eyes of students at the school.

“The school is examining practices related to dress code and uniforms this year. Schools that have incorporated uniforms do not typically purchase items of clothing for students (or sell them), but parents are expected to outfit students based on the school guidelines from local retailers. School uniforms generally identify colors and types of clothes to be worn. For instance, it may be that Khaki pants and a white shirt is identified as ‘the uniform’ for the student.”

Jenn,

If you’re “Tell Willie,” why is Willie shown as a picture of a white man? Do all people feel it is the white man that is the expert or is it that he is seen as a troublemaker? I think it’s sort of like stereotyping would you not agree? The white man is the minority now every race attacks him, all the time. Give us a break. It seems like the more we try to please and bring peace, the more we are attacked. I myself would like to see you change name of the column to PAT with no picture, that way no one would know if Pat stood for Patricia or Patrick.

Willie says:

Are you playing with poor ol’ Willie’s mind on this one? Who’s Jenn? My column is called “Tell Willie” ’cuz that’s what my momma named me. The picture shows a white fella ’cuz that’s my color and gender (last time I checked). So, until I kick the bucket, the newspaper won’t be renaming my column PAT or SAM or anything else.

Willie,

I think the truth is starting to come out about Clemson-Central Recreation Center. Most workers there seem to be doing the best they can with limited resources, but when the town council won’t help as much as they were, it’s an uphill battle. Here is to hoping the council will reconsider.

Willie says:

With the Rec Center set for a major cleaning and getting some new equipment things should be looking up. The workers there will be glad you appreciate their efforts.

Willie,

This is for the women who are afraid to walk down the sidewalk in Walhalla. If they are that nervous as to walk in broad daylight in the li’l ol’ town of Walhalla, they might need to just stay in their office. And besides, if she goes to Wal-Mart shopping someone will look at her. If she is afraid of someone looking at her, she needs to stay inside.

Willie says:

You seem to have a short fuse today, my friend. As you probably well know, the issue was not someone merely looking at the ladies; it was they “way” the person was looking. A lot can be conveyed in body language and facial expressions without saying a word.

Willie,

Just want to say thanks to our Seneca Police Department for all their fine work. They’ve been quick to assist me when I’ve had vandalism and safety concerns. They’ve also even checked on me (unsolicited) when I’ve been out running or walking at weird times. As a single female who works crazy hours as a nurse, it’s nice to know that I can feel safe no matter what time it is or where I am. A special thanks to Sgt. Johnson for consistently going above and beyond — THANKS!

Willie says:

That’s high praise for public servants that devote their time to keeping us safe and provide a sense of security. Willie’s sure they’ll appreciate it!

Willie,

I am a retired New Jersey detective responding to comments from a mother whose daughter was reprimanded in public by an officer for swearing on a Sunday after being shoved by a stranger. Situations like these separate the well-trained from the poorly trained officers. A well-trained officer would have responded calmly, recognizing this was a knee jerk reaction, but seizing the opportunity to guide these “kids” (and yes, 22-year-olds in my opinion are still kids that need guidance) on appropriate language in public and behavior. He did not earn their respect and should he run into them in the future, is guaranteed to have them snickering behind his back.

Willie says:

Thanks for sharing your insight on this situation; I’m sure it’s based on lots of experience working in the field of law enforcement.

Willie,

While polls show that 70 percent of the American public wants to drill for our own oil, our Congress continues to “know better.” A “Gang of 10” senators, led by our own Lindsay Graham, continues to try to circumvent our will. The compromise they are proposing will limit drilling to beyond 50 miles off shore and only in four states. It will give huge subsidies to alternative fuels. None of these have proved successful yet — remember ethanol? (Not to mention Nancy Pelosi’s substantial personal investment with the Big Wind Boone-Doggle of T. Boone Pickens.)

It raises taxes on big oil. Guess who pays these? Blaming Bush, as your column suggests, is ridiculous. It is the Democrats who refuse to drill and the “go along to get along” Republicans that are preventing us from using our own resources.

Willie says:

There’s plenty of blame to go around when talking about present and future energy needs, sources and prices. Whoever ends up in power in The White House and Congress will have to

find a multi-faceted solution — we can’t depend on oil alone — no matter where it comes from.