Kokua Line June Watanabe

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Bulky items block driveway of water tank

Question: A neighbor has been putting his bulky items in the driveway of the Board of Water Supply water tank. This has happened four times. One month, a freezer, with the doors unsecured, sat for a month before our scheduled pickup date. Now, he's put out a refrigerator, again with the doors unsecured, along with a chair and tire. Along with the danger to children with the appliances, it makes the whole neighborhood look like a junkyard. I've called the Board of Water Supply, bulky-item pickup and illegal dumping, and they all replied there's nothing they can do to prevent this. Can you help?

Answer: Shortly after we contacted the Board of Water Supply in August, you informed us action was taken to secure the refrigerator.

A security officer for the agency also spoke to the neighbor who allegedly was responsible for the illegal dumping, but he and his family denied any responsibility, said Board of Water Supply spokeswoman Su Shin.

The immediate situation was resolved; however, Shin took the opportunity to ask for people's help if something like this happens again or if, as in recent incidents, they see someone marking agency property with graffiti or stealing copper gutters or other materials.

"We can't press charges unless (the culprits) are caught in the act," Shin said. "So we really need the help of the community at large ... to be vigilant and to report these incidents."

Shin said witnesses should call police at 911 immediately. After that, she said they can also call the Board of Water Supply's Security Office at 748-5911.

In the case of illegal dumping in your neighborhood, the board recently sent letters to residents in the immediate area pointing out the violation. It also provided options for getting rid of unwanted items, including recycling and bulky-item pickup.

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Q: With the threat of identity theft so prevalent these days, is it safe to give out your Social Security number when applying for an absentee voter ballot?

A: He can't speak for what might happen in transit, but once the ballot gets to the city Elections Office, "it is maintained in a secure environment," Glen Takahashi, city election administrator, assures you.

That kind of personal information is not sold or given out and is not printed on any document that leaves the office or is placed on the Internet, he said.

Security measures also are in place to protect personal information.

As recently as about four years ago, Social Security numbers were printed in poll books, Takahashi noted, but that is no longer the case.

Social Security numbers are required for voter registration under state law to prevent possible fraud in registration or voting.

"It is an integral part" of the election process, Takahashi said, "so that we don't mail out duplicate ballots and things like that."

Social Security numbers are "used purely for in-house purposes to ensure the integrity of the election," he said.