first language. Residents aspire to having a concrete masonry house (CMU), associated with security and wealth. Middle-class families may also wish to save enough money to emigrate with their children from the struggling country. Some observers think the struggle for survival for most families works against joint goals for the city and nation. Attractions Going to the beach is a popular activity for families and friends on the weekend. The most popular time to go is on Sunday after church. The most important beaches in St. Marc are Grosse Roche and Amani-y. Amani-y beach is a white sandy beach. It was abandoned for more than 25 years before being acquired by the current developer. It is the site of a noted "Zombie hole", a 200-meters-deep reef that features large "Elephant Ears" fan coral, sponge tubes, black coral, blue tang, sea urchins, and many more. Near the beach are some of the region's noted historical sites, such as: the Palace with 365 doors and 52 windows in Petite Rivière de l'Artibonite; the forts in Marchand Dessalines; the pilgrimage site of Saut d’Eau; and the port of Saint-Marc. An experienced diver has described the diving at Amani-y as follows: Media FM Radio Radio Saint-Marc (4VLF) - Saint-Marc music (local), news 104.5 FM Stereo 3.0 kW Radio Max FM - Saint-Marc (Portail des Guêpes) 99.1 - RTC-Radio Tele Caleb - Saint-Marc 99.9 - Radio Vision 2000 - Saint-Marc 101.3 1 kW Radio Super Gemini - Saint-Marc 102.9 - Radio Tète a Tète - Saint-Marc 104.5 - Radio Max FM - Saint-Marc 105.7 500W Radio Delta Stereo - Saint-Marc (FM) - Radio Sonic Plus - Saint-Marc 105.5 Radio Megalexis 97.9 500w Radio L'Union Stéréo-Saint-Marc Notable people Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (before 1750): First permanent non-Indigenous settler of what would later become Chicago, Illinois, and is recognized as the "Founder of Chicago." Pierre Toussaint (d. 1853): Former slave, famous hairdresser and philanthropist in New York, and Catholic venerable. Nissage Saget (1810–1880): Tenth president of Haiti. The first Haitian president to serve out his term of office (1869–1874) and retire voluntarily. Marc Louis Bazin (1932–2010): Minister of Finance and Economy, fourth Prime Minister of Haiti and provisional President of Haiti. Garcelle Beauvais (1966–): Haitian-American actress, television personality, author, and former fashion model. Sister cities Lake Worth, Florida Savannah, Georgia See also List of lighthouses in Haiti References Populated places in Artibonite (department) Populated coastal places