Parochial issues in the westernmost electoral district of the Island include roadworks, cleanliness of hedgerows and hedges and perennial flooding on Cambridge Road, say residents.

And for working or middle class voters chances are that at the top of the list of concerns are groups of youth idling their time away on walls and around the public phone booths.

Sandys North, or constituency 36, has about 1,080 eligible voters, according to the Boundaries Commission Report.

About half the physical space of the old Sandys North, the district is one of four named after the parish and, candidates agree, has the highest concentration of the parish's 1,822 white residents.

"We're all mixed up in terms of parties, we're a real rural area with everything we have a mixture of farmhands, dentists, school teachers, businessmen and retirees. I would not hazard a guess in terms of overall political persuasion," said J.C. ( Kit) Astwood in a recent interview.

The district contains one school, three churches and two community centres which has "reasonable facilities" but are too small and don't provide enough for the young people to do, according to Mr. Fubler.

Both Mr. Cox and Dennis Lister, who is running in the neighbouring district 35, disagree with that and other comments made by Mr. Fubler. But they declined to respond specifically saying they did not want to be perceived as making a personal attack on Mr. Fubler.

Tonya Estelle MacPhee, 31, a resident of 12 years, was quite taken by Mr. Fubler when he came knocking on her door recently.

The UBP candidate has promised to provide the youth "representation you can trust".

Mrs. MacPhee, a first generation Bermudian, said the youth problems stem from rapid development which has stripped the area of open spaces over the last 12 years.

"They have nothing to do and without having any land around them they can't play soccer in a field or in the backyard."

Mr. Fubler fits the bill in other ways too for Mrs. MacPhee. He questions the need for an Unemployment Insurance Scheme - a PLP work in progress - for example, she said.

But like many other residents, Mrs. MacPhee's concerns are mainly national.

Government expenditure is a "key concern" she said. And she thinks it's "ludicrous to hire someone with no experience" for the Berkeley school project.

"It's one big fiasco that's being swept under the table.'

On tourism she says "we are beating a dead fish" because the industry is not coming back.

"We are better off doing things for the community and Bermudians. I'm not 100 percent sure what we are doing but I know we can do a lot more for our senior citizens. I think it's atrocious that they don't get more."

Needless to say she will be voting UBP.

She wants to vote out a "racist" government.

"Too many of their members say they are for black Bermudian males," she said. "Either you're for Bermudians or you shouldn't be in politics."

Randolph Doers a 48-year old Cambridge Road resident who works as a superintendent at an electrical company, would probably agree with Mrs. MacPhee on the youth issue but on little else.

The father of two said that he will ask his candidates to see if they can't move the phone booths on Cambridge Road, where a number of youths hang out at all hours, down to Long Bay.

And he wants a "lot more road sweeping". But he will be voting for his current representative.

"I think so, but maybe the Premier needs to step down. I've nothing against the woman but she needs to be more visible. I guess we're used to seeing John Swan," he said.

Like other residents he complained about open drug dealing in the neighbourhood and the fact that he had not seen any of his MPs.

"Both of them are ministers - I guess they have a busy life."

Somerset police station had been renovated but policing in the area is "not that great", he

said when asked whether he had noticed any positive changes in the last five

years.

"Generally I'm pleased with the Government. Not everything should be blamed on government," Mr. Doers said.