XN000022-1982-03-01 — Page 5

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1982

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SIR MURRAY WAS MET BY A WELCOMING PARTY HEADED BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, MR CHEUNG YAN-LUNG.

MR CHEUNG SAID THE OPENING FULFILLED THE DREAMS AND HOPES OF MANY YEARS OF RESIDENTS OF NORTH DISTRICT.

+WE HAVE LONG BEEN HAMPERED BY THE LACK OF A SUITABLE VENUE FOR PERFORMANCES AT ALL LEVELS, HE SAID.

+NOW WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A WELCOME AND MUCH-NEEDED EXPANSION IN ARTISTIC, CULTURAL AND RELATED ACTIVITIES.+

ONE OF THE SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PROJECT HAD BEEN THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, MR CHEUNG SAID.

DONATIONS OF OVER $2.5 MILLION TOWARDS THE $8.8 MILLION COST OF THE CENTRE HAD BEEN MADE BY LOCAL PEOPLE AND OTHER PROMINENT NEW TERRITORIES CITIZENS, UNDERLINING THEIR CONTINUING INTEREST IN THIS PROJECT.

MR CHEUNG SAID THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND SUB-COMMITTEES, WHICH WERE COMPOSED ALMOST ENTIRELY OF LOCAL RESIDENTS, WOULD ADVISE AND ASSIST IN RUNNING THE HALL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE WHICH CONTAINED AN AUDITORIUM, A DANCE STUDIO, LIBRARY, CONFERENCE ROOM AND OTHER FACILITIES.

MEMBERS OF NORTH DISTRICT ARTS ADVANCEMENT ASSOCIATION ENTERTAINED GUESTS WITH FOLK DANCES, CANTONESE OPERA AND A CHINESE ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE BEFORE SIR MÚRRAY UNVEILED THE MEMORIAL PLAQUE TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE COMMUNITY CENTRE AND 900-SEAT TOWN HALL WHICH IS IN LUNG SUN AVENUE NEAR SHEUNG SHUI RAILWAY STATION.

HE ALSO TOURED THE LIBRARY AND PREVIEWED A LOCAL HISTORICAL EXHIBITION WHICH WILL OPEN TOMORROW (TUESDAY) AND CONTINUE UNTIL MARCH 8.

ON DISPLAY ARE PHOTOGRAPHS, RELICS, ANCIENT TOOLS AND A REPRODUCTION OF A VILLAGE HOUSE.

THE POPULATION OF NORTH DISTRICT IS 130 000 AT PRESENT, BUT WILL GROW TO ALMOST 400 000 BY 1991.

AFTER LUNCH AT FANLING LODGE, ATTENDED BY THE CHAIRMAN AND SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, AS WELL AS BY MR AKER-JONES AND THE OTHER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICERS, THE GOVERNOR WENT TO SHA TIN,

HE WAS MET AT THE TOWN HALL SITE BY THE DISTRICT OFFICER, DR PATRICK HASE THE PROJECT MANAGER, MR KENNETH KWOK THE DIRECTOR OF CULTURAL SERVICES, MR DARWIN CHEN AND MR WAI HON-LEUNG, CHAIRMAN OF SHA TIN RURAL COMMITTEE.

MR WILSON SAID WHEN THE FIRST TOWN HALL WAS OPENED IN TSUEN WAN IN FEBRUARY, 1980, ITS FACILITIES WERE ALREADY IN HEAVY DEMAND, WITH AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE RATE OF 72 PER CENT FOR PERFORMANCES, AND THERE WAS NO REASON TO DOUBT THE SHA TIN TOWN HALL WOULD BE ANY LESS POPULAR.

/FACILITIES, LIKE