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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,

Hot off the press! The latest issue of Outdoor Life magazine rated the “200 best towns for sportsmen” in the United States. Guess who came in at No. 47? That’s right, Seneca, S.C. The only other town in South Carolina was Beaufort at No. 108. Sounds like something to crow about.

Willie says:

Go ahead and cock-a-doodle-doo! You can also read about it on page _____ in today’s paper!

Willie,

I just read about the couple whose wallet was lost and then turned in at Wal-Mart. I want to add another example of people doing the right thing. My husband left his new cell phone at the Ingles Cafe Tuesday night. A nice young man called our home a few minutes afterwards to say he’d found it and was turning it into the Ingles office. I thanked him profusely of course, but it seems there are many Good Samaritans around!

Willie says:

Now that’s one young man Willie would like to congratulate for his caring and honesty!

Willie,

Many thanks to the recent Belk Charity Days. The Red Hats of the Red Hat Society were able to raise $405.26 for Hospice of the Foothills. A special thanks to all who donated and purchased Charity Day tickets.

Willie says:

That is a great community service for sure. It’s a win-win-win situation. Business, charity, individuals.

Willie,

I have just seen The First Baptist Church of Ivy Gap. Now what do you think of a preacher that directs something like that? Do his church members act like that?

Willie says:

Lighten up! Willie saw it and I thought it was pretty darn funny. It’s fiction, not real life. It’s a comedy. Don’t take it too seriously.

Willie,

This is for the three ladies that decided to hold a social gathering at the convenience center on Saturday afternoon. Please do your socializing somewhere else. There’s people that want to be in those parking places to empty their trash and be on their way.

Willie says:

Well, at least they have some friends to socialize with. Do you?

Willie,

Greg Bearden, Walhalla guidance director, was recently awarded a prestigious honor, The HEART award. It couldn’t be more deserved. His love of his job shows daily. As a parent of a child that attends Walhalla and one that already graduated, I would like to thank him for all his hard work for the students at Walhalla, especially the seniors; for his attitude; his excitement for education and for helping these students be the best that they can be when they graduate. Thank you, Mr. Bearden, and you definitely deserved the award.

Willie says:

I already knew that, thanks to the great write-up in the newspaper about him! Kudos, Mr. Bearden!

Willie,

Please pass along our profound thanks to the person who left the “Thirteen Stars in a Circle: A Tribute to Staff Sergeant Lewis G. Watkins USMC” by the Little River Band on my windshield in Applewood Shopping Center last Thursday. My husband and I greatly appreciate your kindness. May God bestow his many blessings on you.

Willie says:

Your thanks have been conveyed.

Willie,

I see where you said that the sidewalks in Walhalla were for bicycles and not motorcycles. That’s not quite true; it is also against the law to ride your bicycles or skateboard on the sidewalks of Walhalla, but who cares if the people can’t get by the bicycles or motorbikes to walk up and down the street. When motorbikes are parked on the sidewalks, ask the business owners to help out by telling them not to park there. It might help. But when you can’t get the police and the business owners to communicate, it won’t work. I know the police have a lot to do, but come on, how long does it take to visit once a week or so? You never know when you might need their help some day. The police officers there are a great bunch of guys and the business owners and citizens should know who they are. Maybe the chief and captain can work on this or maybe someone else can help like elected officials.

Willie says:

Sounds like you are talking about two very different problems (as you see it). Willie did not say to ride bicycles on the sidewalk. Willie was talking about parking bicycles. Lots of cities provide bike racks to park bikes that are on the sidewalks (not where people walk.)

Willie,

I saw in your Saturday issue griping about real estate sales. That’s just fine for those living on the lake in their million dollar houses. What about us working people? Where are we going to live now that there’s no place to work in Oconee County?

Willie says:

Your letter really has a lot of exaggerations as Willie sees it. You make it sound like any folk who live on the lake are not “working people.” False. Some are. Some aren’t. Those who aren’t now sure as heck were once upon a time. Their time in life came to retire, just like we all look forward to someday. Then to say “there’s no place to work in Oconee County” is not a fact. Our 14 percent unemployment is a serious problem but many, many businesses and industries are trying to hang on while the economy makes its way out of this recession. Don’t give up. People need to find out all the agencies that are out there to help them retrain for a new line of work; maybe they will have to work at something that is below their skill level or pays less than they made before until more jobs open up in the county.

Willie,

In regards to cutting down the trees at convenience center No. 10 in your Saturday, May 30 issue, I agree. It looks deplorable. What were they thinking?

Willie says:

Willie doesn’t know why they cut the trees. Maybe somebody who goes there could find out. Mine’s a different number center!

Willie,

I think practically every General Motors dealer, not General Motors itself, but every GM dealer in the Upstate deserves to go broke. During the Memorial Day weekend sale, I found only one dealer open on Sunday. Granted everyone should be able to go to church, they should be there for working people to try to buy a car.

Willie says:

Boy, you’re sure a harsh one. “If you won’t sell me a car on Sunday, I hope you go broke.”

Willie,

I drove into Seneca today and noticed how things are changing. We have such a good mayor and good leadership. People should realize we’ve got the hardest working mayor we’ve ever had.

Willie says:

I’m sure Mayor Dan will appreciate your compliment. Willie had his foot a-tappin’ at Meet & 3 for those great Bellamy Brothers and saw the way the Norton-Thompson Park project is progressing. The new landscaping looked super and made me proud!

Willie,

Regarding the complaint printed on June 3 about having their dog spayed and it cost more than they thought, I went to the animal shelter and paid the $60 for the form. Then I called around to three local vets to find out if they took this form for payment.

One vet, where I had previously taken my new dog after I got her, told me it would be an additional $110 along with the form. I called two other vets who told me they did take the form and there was only an additional charge for putting the dog to sleep for the surgery, which was based on their weight, but no more than $20.

Needless to say, I now take my dog to one of those vets — Seneca Animal Hospital. Not only was I not ripped off there but they were super nice people and made sure I understood everything that was going to happen. They even told me what time I could call to check on her after surgery. They also let me bring her in the afternoon before so I would not have to bring her early in the morning before I went to work (and did not charge for an overnight stay). So what good would it do to pay for the form then pay the additional fee the first vet charged? So if anyone is fixing to do this, call around and make sure before you go.

Willie says:

Shopping around always pays off.

Willie,

I would like to know why people try to make it hard on poor people. I have a trailer, and it’s hard to get it inspected. I have no job and need in my trailer to get out of an abusive relationship. Why do so many things have to be perfect as long as it is livable? Poor people don’t have much of a chance.

Willie says:

I’m sorry to say you are probably right. The inspections are pretty strict and if you have no money to do what they tell you that you have to do to meet the codes, Willie has no answer. Do you have any friends or family who might have any ideas about who might have some do-it-yourself skills to help you fix some things at little or no cost? My best to you for a good outcome in a hard situation.