Hastings welcomes 25 new citizens

<p>Hastings will welcome 25 new New Zealanders at a citizenship ceremony to be held on Wednesday February 1st, 2012, from 6 pm in the Te Aranga Marae, 18 Boston Crescent, Flaxmere.<br /> <br /> The candidates&rsquo; nationalities are as follows:<br /> South African 1<br /> British 3<br /> Swiss 4<br /> Samoan 9<br /> American 2<br /> Indian 1<br /> Zimbabwean 2<br /> United States National/<br /> Samoan 1<br /> Malaysian 2<br /> <br /> A Kaumatua will welcome those present on behalf of tangata whenua. Hastings District Council Councillors will present each candidate with a kowhai tree to symbolise &ldquo;putting down roots&rdquo;.</p>