16 |February 4, 2010 | www.newsandcrier.co.uk | NEWS&CRIER
MAYOR of Godmanchester
Cllr Malcolm Cohen has
resigned midway through his
term in office, leaving mem-
bers of the town council
stunned.
Cllr Cohen stepped down
from both his post as the
town's first citizen and also as a
member of Godmanchester
Town Council with effect from
Tuesday, January 26.
His departure came just
days after a mayoral concert
raised �1,000 for his charities
Help for Heroes and an appeal
for the special care baby unit
at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
Cllr Cohen, a former soldier
with 43 years of service to the
army and Ministry of Defence,
said: "I was getting tired, really.
I was thinking about it through-
out the weekend and by
Tuesday I thought `That's it'."
He said that he had always
acted quickly once he had
reached a decision, although
he had considered staying on
until his term of office was up
in the spring.
Godmanchester Town Coun-
cil will decide how to replace
Cllr Cohen, both as mayor and
as a councillor, at a meeting on
February 11.
It is unusual for a mayor to
step down in mid-term and
deputy mayor Cllr David
Brown will stand in for Cllr
Cohen in the meantime.
Cllr Cohen said his decision
had nothing to do with local
politics.
He said: "The town council
has never been a political
council. Politics has never been
an issue in the town council as
far as I am concerned. It is not
the place for it."
Cllr Brown paid tribute to
Cllr Cohen, saying: "He had an
enormous amount of respect
afforded to him. It will be sad
to see him go.
"His decision, which could-
n't have been easy, was a great
disappointment to all of the
town council and we shall miss
him."
Cllr Brown also praised Cllr
Cohen's other work with the
Soldiers, Sailors Airmen and
Families Association Forces
Help and Help for Heroes mili-
tary charities.
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HOCKEY was the name of the game at a
festival which aimed to encourage children
to give the sport a go.
The hockey skills festival took place at
Longsands College in St Neots and involved
pupils from Priory Junior School and
Overhills Primary School, based at
Kimbolton.
Longsands PE teacher Neil Watts, who is
also the school's sports co-ordinator from
the Hunts School Sports Partnership
(HSSP), said: "The aims of the hockey
festival were to increase competition and
awareness of hockey, create a link with St
Neots hockey club, and increase
participation in hockey.
"It went really well and I was very
impressed with the children's enthusiasm
and excitement for hockey."
The winning team was the Priory
Panthers, from Priory Junior School.
HHoocckkeeyy ffeessttiivvaall
STICK LESSONS: Sports leader Shannon Watson, Priory Junior School teacher Rosey Durham
and Longsands School sport co-ordinator Neil Watts with pupils from Priory Junior School at the
hockey festival. Picture: Warren Gunn 623855
BY JULIAN MAKEY
julian.makey@newsandcrier.co.uk
Recycling boost for region
WASTE chiefs hope a
new contract will
boost recycling levels
and cut carbon
emissions.
Viridor has signed a
five-year deal to sort
and market rubbish
which can be turned
into new products from
Cambridge, Hunting-
donshire and Fenland.
The agreement to
handle an estimated
34,000 tonnes of
"recyclates" at the
firm's base in
Peterborough.
The councils hope
the contract will help
them meet their target
of recycling 55 to 60
per cent of household
waste by 2020.
STEPPING DOWN:
Malcolm Cohen.

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