for residents of the St. George's North constituency.

Several members of the public spoke to The Royal Gazette earlier this week about their concerns for the upcoming election.

With its combination of business and residential zones, and numerous historical sites, the area presents a unique blend.

The district also has the distinction of being one of only two constituencies to field six candidates in the imminent election.

For St. George's resident Junior Ming, the primary concern was clear. "Get that hotel opened,'' he said of the Club Med property. "That's the only thing right now.

And he noted that the area was "pretty dead'' once the cruise ships finished their season.

Beverly Ball also spoke of a lack of activity in the East End.

"We need more business besides tourism, besides a lot of T-shirt shops,'' she said. "We need more social activities. A lot of things happen in the other end, but nothing much here.'' Two commercial boat operators, Mike Strohofer and Jerry Correia, saw rising crime as a local concern. And they identified a group of young men who loitered and used drugs in the Town.

"There is nothing for them, nothing social,'' said Mr. Correia. "They -- the Government and Police -- are having problems with them. There are a lot of troublemakers.'' "They need something to divert them -- they fight on this stretch right down there,'' said Mr. Strohofer pointing to the upper Water Street area. "I've had a lot of vandalism.'' Roseanne Smith said St. George's residents suffered from the same problems which plagued other parts of the island.

"There are basically the same problems all over -- crime, drugs, and housing,'' she said.

She praised recent improvements to the youth centre and playground, but said housing for the elderly and education remained primary concerns.

"They keep telling us what they have done for us...where did their children go to school?'' she asked.

Roseanne Smith Jerry Correia POLICTICS PTL