PHILIPSBURG:--- United People's (UP) Party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, this past weekend commenced with his district observation visits in his capacity as MP to see where and how he can assist Sint Maarten communities.
MP Lake said he started his back to basics district visits 2015 with his home district of St. Peters.
"I may not be Minister of VROMI anymore, but as a duly elected MP, I have a responsibility to all Sint Maarteners with respect to the governing and development of this country. As an MP I also plan to make a contribution as well.
"I have made several observations in the district of St. Peters where I see certain things need to be addressed. As I have always said in the past while Minister, it is the small things that count for the residents and they make a world of difference for them, and this is where we should start.
"I have already sent an email to the Acting Minister of VROMI seeking his assistance based on the observations that I made while going through the district of St. Peters. The residents can expect to see MP Lake in their district in the coming months speaking with them to hear about their concerns and how these can be addressed", MP Hon. Maurice Lake said on Monday.
MP Lake considers himself a community spirited person, and is also one of the founders of the St. Peters Community Council. The MP would like to seek an audience with the community council with respect to learning about their plans for 2015.
"Based on my observations, a general clean-up of the district is needed. I call on the residents to also work to keep their home district clean and not to discard debris and other household waste throughout the district.
"We need to come together and instill community pride and respect in our neighbourhood. Every resident has a role to play as part of individual responsibility to keep your yards clean.
"I admire St. Peters resident Rene 'Koto' Wilson of Lime Road with respect to the pride that he takes in cleaning up the area. He is an active member of his community," MP Lake pointed out.
MP Lake in his correspondence to the Acting Minister of VROMI Hon. Marcel Gumbs, asked that the ministry have the respective department continue with the district maintenance plan which would entail inspectors going out to the different districts and making note of what needs to be repaired or addressed.
MP Lake also pointed out the condition of the road and debris in the vicinity of the Prins Willem Alexander School which parents and students have to go through every school day, as well as the situation at Sugar Apple road and Lime road where drainage is concerned.
"A structural plan is needed to deal with the drainage for Sugar Apple road intersection instead of a quick fix. Residents of the area brought their concerns to the newspaper January 21/22 and a quicker response time is needed in dealing with situations," MP Hon. Maurice Lake said.
