 My fellow St. Lucians, particularly the residents of Grozily and members of the Grozily Diaspora, I would like to extend from me and my family to you and your family wishes for a safe and joyous festive season and a peaceful and prosperous new year. As we stand at the dawn of 2017, this time really has flown. I, as your parliamentary representative, would like to share with you my hope for the coming year. Hope it is said is not a game plan. I accept, but I will share my game plan with you shortly. In fact, I would rather consider it to be our game plan because some of the exciting ideas generated by you, the residents of this forward-looking community. My optimism for 2017 is grounded in some of the developments that are at an advanced stage. Those projects are expected to have a significant impact on the unemployment situation that confronts us. I refer to Royalton and Harbour Club hotels. From my vantage point, I can disclose without being too specific for now that there are other major hotel projects to be undertaken in the district of Grozily in 2017. Those, along with a number of small and medium-sized projects, should create the economic buzz that would have our working population engaged and our businesses doing better. A key component of our plan is the creation and development of institutional capacity in the community. By that, I mean simply the creation and support of community organizations. We know the benefits that accrue from having young people in particular organized and engaged. One essential part of this is the establishment of the Grozily Credit Union. Securing finance for small and micro-business ideas can be difficult. Our credit union is expected to help in that regard. We are also going to pursue with pointed purpose the development of cottage industries. That is, people establishing small workshops and workspaces to generate economic activities, thereby creating employment for themselves and others. This is a growing sector and one that holds tremendous promise which we intend to harness. In 2017, we are going to dust off our idea for the kitchen garden. This is driven by our desire to produce more of what we consume. I hope that the movement will spread to other communities as well. 2017 will mark the year of the return of competitive cricket in Grozily following a four-year absence. We shall begin the process of getting athletics, table tennis, football, netball and volleyball back to their glory days. We will be embarking on a program to create more open public spaces throughout the district. In some cases, we will work with landowners to convert neglected lots into beautiful functioning open spaces. In the community of Grand Riviera, for example, we have airmarked an area for the creation of a park and will continue the construction of the basketball court which was begun some six years ago. My cherished ICT centers, I love them for the share impact they have on life, particularly in the more rural parts of the constituency, are now being reopened. They are invaluable to students whose homes are not equipped with internet connection and a major asset for people setting up businesses. The HRDC in Grozily will be the focal point for the creative arts and a model not only for Saint Lucia but for the region. It will be instrumental in developing and promoting the creative talents of the community in film, performing arts, craft, dance, music, comedy to name just a few. This institution also will assist those creative people in marketing their talents locally and overseas. Security is of paramount concern to me and very early in the new year, we will fashion a comprehensive and practical plan that seeks to make our communities safer for all. Our roads need urgent attention. I know that because like you, I commute daily. We have begun the potholing project which will be intensified in the coming year. More extensive road repairs and construction are also in the works. We know that some of our secondary roads are in a poor state. This is a costly undertaking but we will dedicate time and resources towards addressing those genuine concerns. The condition of our secondary roads is one area of concern and so is the management of the traffic on our roads. That has to be addressed to create relief for road users. Some of the frustration on our roads is caused by road users not exercising discretion or consideration for others. My fellow residents of Grozily, I would like to declare 2017 the year of the community. It is no longer acceptable to confine our contribution to the development of our community to the odd criticism of what is wrong. Passive criticism has had its day. It has not and will not work. We are a resourceful people and we have to dedicate some of our time and effort towards making our community better. I will work tirelessly towards creating the enabling conditions for each one of us to make our contribution to have this community become cleaner, safer and more functional. It requires our collective efforts. Yes, I will use the organs of government to make life better but each one of us must strive to make this district of Grozily a better place to live, work and play in 2017. Once again, I wish you and your family a safe and enjoyable Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year. I thank you.