Congratulations to those elected, now the hard work begins. I mentioned last week that the number of informal votes was alarming, being almost 8% in the Hilltops area, equating to about 920 informal votes.

I did get it wrong thinking a 1 in the group square may have been the reason, but 1 alone constituted a valid vote. I did also say there may have been an element of protest. There was more than an element, disturbingly many ballot papers contained untoward, unwarranted comments and drawings that had poll booth workers feeling sick and disillusioned.

Henry Ward Beecher said, “A man without a vote … is like a man without a hand.” This may explain why the quality of drawings was so poor.

Seriously, Hillary Clinton did say, “Voting is the most precious right of every citizen.” Consider the fight endured over many for people to have that right. Women, not so long ago, had no such right.

Many places in this world are still denied this right to vote, yet here in this wonderful country, people utilized this democratic right to express their discontent in vitriolic, crass ways.

So, so sad.

                    WITS

Boorowa did not comprehensively heed the call for the local vote with 229 votes cast outside the group, thank goodness 720 did vote for the group. Add the 57 informal votes to the 229 means 286 votes were lost to the group. Does this mean that 28.5% of Boorowa’s population don’t care about our town and district? I’m sure Jack Ryan and Chris Corcoran would have appreciated those votes.

                    WITS

Boorowa firies faced a spike in emergency calls week before last.

Neil Stuart and a soil con expert were looking at soil remediation at the old Kangiara mine site Monday morning September 11. On looking down an old vertical mine shaft they saw an echidna clinging to a ledge, in water and about 4 metres down.

After a few phone calls and seeking advice on 000, time passed until someone got through to the Boorowa firies and explained the situation.

The Boorowa boys arrived about 4pm, rigged up a ladder and John Barton descended but the echidna wanted no part of that.

Determination took over and John went back down. With a little coaxing with a crowbar, John grabbed a leg and the little might was dropped into a canvas bag.

Neil said it was great to see the concern displayed by John and his crew, all in all, a fabulous effort. One happy echidna and a ‘spike’ in our firies’ rescue drills.

                    WITS

We have seen it from the respective sides of the marriage debate, we see it socially, on the roads, in the neighborhood. Violence. People seem to have lost the ability to communicate in a civilized verbal manner.

Everyone seems to be glued to a phone, a tablet, some technological creation that is having a detrimental effect on our power to communicate, especially debating differences of opinion.

Handwriting skills have deteriorated to a shocking level, so reliant are we on technology.

Time is rapidly approaching when the ability to communicate verbally will need to be improved. Consider:

“The more we elaborate our means of communication, the less we communicate.’ (J B Priestly)