MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 1984
IN
5
BLENDING THE OLD AND THE NEW
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MORE THAN 100 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROJECTS WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN NORTH DISTRICT DURING 1984 IN AN EFFORT TO BLEND OLD AND NEW RESIDENTS INTO ONE COMMUNITY, THE DISTRICT OFFICER, MR IAN WOTHERSPOON, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).
ADDRESSING A MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF NEW TERRITORIES,
HE POINTED OUT THAT NORTH DISTRICT IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT HAS, SIDE BY SIDE, THE VERY OLD AND THE VERY NEW -- VILLAGES ESTABLISHED HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO AND THE SIX-MONTH-OLD FANLING NEW TOWN,
WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW TOWN AND THE POPULATION IN THE NORTH DISTRICT EXPECTED TO REACH 240 000 BY 1991, THERE WOULD BE MORE PEOPLE COMING FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE TERRITORY TO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, HE SAID.
+1 CONSIDER IT OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE THAT WE SEEK TO BLEND THE OLD AND THE NEW TO MAKE A VITAL, UNIFIED AND CARING COMMUNITY.+
MR WOTHERSPOON SAID THAT TO MEET THIS OBJECTIVE, THE DISTRICT OFFICE HELPED FORM MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IN EACH BLOCK OF FLATS, OR IN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS.
+THROUGH THESE MACS, RESIDENTS GET TO KNOW THEIR NEIGHBOURS AND, HOPEFULLY, BEGIN TO FEEL THAT THEY BELONG TO THE BUILDING IN WHICH THEY LIVE.
+ IF RESIDENTS RUN INTO DIFFICULTIES, THEY CAN GO TO THE MAC OFFICE BEARERS WHO CAN HELP THEM SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.
+ IF THEY CANNOT DO THIS THEMSELVES, THE MATTER CAN BE REFERRED TO THE DISTRICT OFFICE WHICH MAINTAINS VERY CLOSE CONTACT WITH MACS THROUGH MY LIAISON STAFF AND REGULAR MEETINGS WITH MAC CHAIRMEN, HE SAID.
THE DISTRICT OFFICE ALSO RUNS A NUMBER OF PUBLIC ENQUIRY SERVICE CENTRES STRATEGICALLY LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT TO HELP RESIDENTS WITH THE IR PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES.
MR WOTHERSPOON STRESSED THAT THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION SCHEME HAD ADDED A NEW DIMENSION TO THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS NOT ONLY ABOUT SOLVING PROBLEMS AND AIRING COMPLAINTS.
+ IT IS ALSO ABOUT MAKING THE NORTH DISTRICT A REAL COMMUNITY AND A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE IN. TO THIS END THE DISTRICT BOARD ORGANISES AND SPONSORS A LARGE NUMBER OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, HE SAID.
THESE RANGED