Week ending 10th July

Leading by bad example award of the week goes to Boston Borough Council. Having lumbered itself with a loan of £1m over fifty years it then proceeded to lose all the paperwork. Now it is demanding that the lender produces a copy of the agreement and the full terms and conditions, and is refusing to pay the latest installment until it does. Imagine what would happen if Boston punters treated the council in the same way. They'd be in court in pretty short order. We have to say we find it hard to believe that no mention of this loan can be found. Or is the council claiming that all its minutes have gone missing as well? It seems to us that the council is at fault here, and not the company that loaned it the money.
Left hand right hand award of the week. Boston Borough Council's invites us to discover the borough on foot with a series of walking leaflets setting out some of the great walks which people can enjoy around the borough. When we visited the library on market day we found a massive display of walk leaflets. Great planning? No, these leaflets are part of a county council display and offer strolls all around the county -- pretty well everywhere except Boston!
Living in the past award goes to the late lamented best Boston bedmate, Modus Properties. Despite going into administration, the Merchants Quay project remains on their website with a 2012 completion date - along with the Lidongate development in Lincoln, which has also left local traders fuming at its demise.
Challenge of the week comes from borough councillor Myles Larrington, who is publishing details of his allowances on his blog. "I would like to challenge any of the other councillors on Boston Borough Council, especially members of the BBI, to do this! In my view, transparency is always the best policy!" he writes. We suggest that he doesn't hold his breath, as transparency and Boston Bypass Independents are not normally words that sit well together.
Proof that blogging works comes from Councillor Raymond Singleton-McGuire, who reports 91 visitors in eight days. Take a look at his comments on an alleged unscheduled cabinet meeting held on a Saturday and the apparent use by the leader of the Data Protection Act as an excuse for refusing to discuss council business with opposition leaders. What on earth do they think they're doing, we wonder?
Not for the first time, our waffle of the week award goes to Boston College. We hear that the college and Boston United are teaming up in a venture to offer new academic courses ahead of the forthcoming football season. All courses will comprise a mixture of academic qualifications and football training and coaching activities. College principal Sue Daley says: "It is great to see two local organisations working together for the benefit of learners and sporting achievements. The partnership will provide great opportunities for all those involved." We've heard this line so many times that we assume that she has it printed out on a crib sheet for whenever the need arises. It reeks of gimmickry, and nothing more.
Time moves on award of the week. April and May are now behind us for another year. In that case it might be a good idea to amend the borough website what's on/events pages. If Boston is as vibrant as everyone says, how come there's apparently so little to tell visitors about? And many of our criticisms made some weeks ago have not been noted. The section "how to get here" has no information, and "the great outdoors" demands authorisation and a login requirement. This is Boston ... and you're welcome to it seems to be the message!

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