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Kudos to Neighborhood Board voters
The good news: Voting in Oahu’s Neighborhood Board elections is up, surpassing a record for the number of digital ballots cast that was set in 2013.
The not-so-good-news: As of Thursday afternoon, with about a day left to vote, that record turnout stood at a whopping 9.5 percent.
More than 90 percent of eligible voters were sitting out on the decision to select grass-roots leaders who help shape city policy. Still, kudos to the more than 18,500 engaged citizens who cast their ballots. A government of the people, for the people, only works when the people participate.
Helping others sometimes problematic
It’s getting harder to be a Good Samaritan without putting personal safety at risk. Just after 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, a University of Hawaii dorm student was robbed at gunpoint by a man asking to use the phone. Once inside the dorm room, police said, he robbed the student at gunpoint, then fled with an accomplice.
At 1:38 in the morning, by all means, agree to help by making a phone call — but it’s probably best done from behind your locked door.