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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1980
+CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE AND I HOPE THE LOOSE STONES IN THE WALLS WILL BE ALL CEMENTED AND STABILISED BEFORE THE NEXT RAINY SEASON. BUT THERE IS STILL A GREAT DEAL OF WORK TO BE DONE ESPECIALLY IN THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE WALLS.*
+OUR AIM IS TO RESTORE THE FORT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO EXCAVATE THE INTERIOR SO THAT ANY REMAINING FOUNDATIONS OF STRUCTURES ARE EXPOSED AND TO OPEN IT TO PUBLIC AS A HISTORICAL RUIN, DR BARD SAID.
DHA OPENS +KWUN TONG TODAY+
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THE DIRECTOR OF HOME AFFAIRS, MR GRAHAM BARNES TODAY (SUNDAY) OPENED THE +KWUN TONG TODAY, THE TWO-WEEK COMMUNITY EVENT IN THE DISTRICT.
SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR BARNES SAID THE EVENT JOINTLY ORGANISED BY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS IN THE DISTRICT, HAD DISPLAYED THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT OF KWUN TONG,
HE SAID: ITS UNDERLYING MESSAGE IS THAT WHILE LIVING CONDITIONS FOR MANY REMAIN FAR FROM IDEAL IN THE DISTRICT, THE RESIDENTS OF KWUN TONG WILL NOT ACCEPT DEFEAT BUT ARE PREPARED TO DEMONSTRATE COMMUNITY UNITY AND WILLINGNESS TO OVERCOME THE DEFICIENCIES OF THE DISTRICT AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WHICH WAS SET UP A YEAR AGO.+
HE POINTED OUT THAT KWUN TONG HAD BEEN AN IMPORTANT PRODUCTION CENTRE. OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, ITS CONTRIBUTION TO HONG KONG'S EXPORTS HAD NEVER BEEN LESS THAN 15-17 PER CENT, AND EVEN HIGHER IN THE SIXTIES. AND YET, LIKE OTHER INDUSTRIAL TOWNS PLANNED AND BUILT OVER A SHORT TIME, KWUN TONG HAD NOT ALWAYS HAD THE BEST ENVIRONMENTS AND FREQUENTLY SUFFER FROM A SHORTAGE OF AMENITIES.
MR BARNES SAID THAT THE DISTRICT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE WOULD BE TOTALLY ABSORBED IN MAKING KWUN TONG A BETTER PLACE, AND WOULD BE STIMULATED FURTHER BY THE DISTRICT BOARD, TO BE FORMED EARLY NEXT YEAR. HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR FULL COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WHETHER THE DISTRICT BOARD WOULD INCLUDE DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS WAS NOW UNDER CONSIDERATION. MUCH OF THE SUCCESS OF THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION WOULD DEPEND ON THE LOCAL COMMUNITY'S DETERMINATION TO MAKE THE DISTRICT BOARDS WORK.
+LIKE OTHER URBAN DISTRICTS, KWUN TONG HAS A STRONG LOCAL COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH MAKES UP THE TOWN, MR BARNES SAID. IT IS AGAINST THE SOCIAL BACKGROUND THAT THE RECENT GREEN PAPER ON DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION BEGINS WITH A RECOGNITION OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY LOCAL ORGANISATIONS IN PROVIDING LOCAL FOCUS, STIMULUS, SUPPORT AND CRITICISM, WITH SUBSTANTIAL BENEFIT FOR LOCAL ADMINISTRATION AND FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT',+ HE SAID.
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ABOUT 3 000 PARTICIPANTS ATTENDED THE OPENING CEREMONY WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF PERFORMANCES INCLUDING A DRAGON DANCE, LION DANCES, FOLK DANCES, CYCLING SKILL DISPLAY AND MUSIC PERFORMANCES.
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