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Welcome back to a bright and crisp winter edition of About. In this December magazine we bring you details of your Christmas and New Year rubbish and recycling arrangements and our usual end of year accounts.
We've been bombarded with doom and gloom over the state of the country's finances and the credit crunch over the last few months. We will shortly start the budget-setting process for the next financial year, starting in April, so while we do indeed face some challenging and tough times, please be assured that my colleagues and I will be looking at making the very best of the resources we have got.
Looking back over the year, we've had some tough times and some great times. We faced the terribly sad death of student Mohammed al-Majed, but were buoyed by the reaction of the community, who pulled together to present a united front and who stood side-by-side with the al-Majed family in their grief.
On the other side of the coin, we also celebrated some fantastic events. The third Seafood and Wine Festival was surely the biggest and best so far. I was delighted to learn that we had won a prestigious award from Tourism South East, reflecting the popularity of the event and the amount of hard work that goes into organising it. It's back, of course, next year on September 19 and 20, so watch this space for more details.
Naturally, I'll be making my usual New Year's resolutions and next year I'm resolving to guide this council through rocky financial waters and get the best deal for the residents of our unique town.
I hope you enjoy this About magazine. Keep hold of it over the festive season to help keep track of your rubbish collection details, which are printed on the back page.
I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable Christmas and New Year and I'll see you in the summer edition of About.
Councillor Peter Pragnell
Leader of Hastings Borough Council
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This page last updated: 22/01/2009