The Mayor’s Speech, 2023

Another step back to normality (after the restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic) was taken last night, as villagers gathered in our community hall to trade New Year’s good wishes; listen to the Mayor’s update on village life; and linger over a meal.

Much of the evening echoed previous events: a late start (convened for 6:30 p.m., the event actually started closer to 7 p.m. when the Mayor took his place at the microphone); a friendly, informal atmosphere; and a slide show to illustrate the Mayor’s comments (including the opening slide shown below):

The opening screen, as our evening began.

At the front of the hall was Mayor Pascal Dussol, with a number of the municipal counsellors. M. Dussol has been our Mayor since 2014, and is known for his local knowledge and his hands-on, no-nonsense approach to municipal governance. Here he is, addressing the crowd:

Daglan’s Mayor, with some of his team behind him.

This year’s review of municipal activities had a number of themes. One of the most prominent was the effort put into keeping Daglan an attractive place to live. So there were slides of volunteers cleaning out the Céou River and weeding flower beds and painting the memorials scattered through the village.

A significant part of the Mayor’s speech was devoted to the Villes et Villages Fleuris program, which is best described as France’s quality-of-life program for municipalities throughout the country. As I wrote in the March 22, 2022 posting, Daglan is the second smallest village in the Dordogne département with three flowers (out of a possible four) under the program. Signs highlighting this achievement are posted at the three main entrances to Daglan:

Highlighting Daglan’s success in this national program.

I won’t even attempt to cover all the programs and events of 2022 that were highlighted in the Mayor’s speech, because there were so many: From pruning road-side trees to prepare for the installation of fiber optics; to renovating the village’s primary school; to supporting the Octobre Rose campaign for breast cancer awareness. At the end of M. Dussol’s remarks, the applause of the villagers was enthusiastic.

And at the end of the program, there were some friendly, personal touches: New residents of Daglan were asked to stand and be welcomed; and awards for the best gardens in the village were presented. All this continues to make us feel happy we’re here.

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