Week ending 16th April

Our Friday miscellany of the week's news and events
Flying the flag ... The decision to fly the EU flag at half mast over Boston's Assembly Rooms as an act of condolence following the death of the Polish President Lech Kaczynski in an air crash was a touching gesture, but one that should have been given a little more thought. We are told that as many as 64 foreign languages are spoken in Boston - which in turn tells us how many nationalities are represented in the town. Earlier this week there was a major earthquake in China, and before that others in Haiti and Mexico, as well as flooding in Bangladesh, Tajikstan and Brazil. If Boston's powers that be fly a national flag every time there is a disaster of some kind in the world, we may never again see the Union Jack flying at full mast over the town.
Chinese whispers ... after Wednesday's blog about press releases from Boston Police, even we were surprised at the naivete of our local papers in their treatment of these "stories." The Boston Standard took a routine summer warning about the dangers of climbing and turned it into a "Rooftop Rampage." The dictionary defines the word rampage as "a course of violent, frenzied behaviour or action," which we scarcely feel is not really le mot juste in this case. Not to be outdone, the Boston Target takes a prosaic handout about the issue of yet another free car to local bobbies, and turns it into: "A new weapon in the fight against nuisance behaviour was unleashed on the streets of Boston on Monday." The italics are ours.  For pity's sake, it's a Skoda Roomster, not the Batmobile! In the old days hacks could claim "journalistic licence" when they produced such written excesses. We think it's high time some penalty points were handed out to a few local reporters. If the the police follow their usual schedule, their next summer handout will be about the dangers of young people playing in our rivers and drains. What will the papers turn that into we wonder?
Poet Scorner - 2  ... Our piece this time last week has brought out the poet in at least one reader. If you recall, we were challenged to come up with a modern take on the 17th century rhyme (sung to the tune Lillibullero) about English rule in Ireland. The trick was to come up with something about Boston under BBI rule, and we think our poet has done rather well. Try this for size ...

"There was an old prophecy found in a rick;

'Boston will be ruled by the thick and a Dick'

Seeing our Cabinet is lead by a Dick,

So much for that prophesy found in that rick."

We're still open to contributions if you'd like to send them.

Sum hopes ... Interestingly, the writer adds "PS: Have you yet had it drawn to your attention that the BBI party's accounts reveal that the person who drew them up could not recognise the difference between Debtors and Creditors? Was it one of the thick or Dick? Writing seems to indicate/identify Dick." We're not very good with balance sheets, but we do see from the BBI's accounts for the year ending 2008, that membership has fallen to 47 from 69 in 2007. The list of councillors also spells the husband and wife team of Ramonde and Sheila Newell as "Ray Newall and Shieela Newall" with the second "e" in Shieela struck out. No wonder people are leaving!  Click on our photo  to enlarge it... 
It's my party ... The BBC has finally acknowledged that the British National Party is contesting parliamentary seats in Lincolnshire, and has also recognised a number of independent candidates. But not in Boston for some peculiar reason. When last we looked (0600 today) neither David Owens for the BNP, nor Independent candidate Peter Wilson got a mention. Ironically, the omissions come as the trade paper for hacks, UK Press Gazette reports Caroline Thomson, the chief operating officer of the BBC, expressing concern about the quality of some bloggers versus journalists who are "trained to keep within ethical guidelines." We think that omitting parties from constituency lists - whilst perhaps not unethical - is certainly not good journalism.
Back of a fag packet politics ... A flashback to the Policy and Projects last week, and the mysterious Appendix 2 (see Week Ending 9th April.) Someone who was at the meeting said members were told that Appendix 2 was merely the notes of the chairman of the working group looking into the formation of an appropriate forum to replace Boston Area Regeneration Committee, and were to be ignored. There was no satisfactory explanation as to why this document, if it was to be ignored, had been appended in the first place. However, as the possible recommendation to the committee was very much in line with apparent proposals within appendix 2, members had to remove this recommendation and substitute a further one requiring formal consultation with all groups on the council as to the make up of any such body. This was supported by all parties/groups present and voting at the meeting. A further point regarding the necessary early role of Scrutiny Committees to allow all members (as against just the cabinet) the chance to discuss possible regeneration schemes was also, after some resistance, included in revised recommendations - again with support from all groups present. Policy and Projects, as a Scrutiny committee, has only an advisory/recommending role to the Cabinet. Our fly on the wall reports: "One will have to wait and see whether the Cabinet is prepared to accept members' revised recommendations on these matters. It will be quite interesting to follow the fate of these recommendations, because present at the meeting was the Head of Lincolnshire County Council's Democratic Services, Debbie Cook - attending as an observer - with a remit to report back to the mainly externally populated Improvement Panel operating at Boston Borough Council to discover what is wrong within the present governance at West Street."

Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, sir ... It may be our suspicious nature, but when we saw the photo  on the right on the BBI's blog, a wicked thought crossed our minds. Having seen some of the volunteer litter collectors trooping around the town, we've noted that - despite the fact that Boston is by and large a very filthy place - not one of them had anything like a full collection bag. Yet here we see Council Leader Richard Austin and BBI colleague David Lingard with three neatly tied plastic bags positively jam-packed with litter. Could it be possible - no, perish the thought - that these bags were some that someone else filled earlier? Whatever the answer, it makes a change to see Councillor Austin apparently collecting rubbish rather than spouting it.
Twit of the week award ... goes to Labour Party general election hopeful Paul Kenny. With all the issues to go at he commented the best he could come up with after Tuesday Tory manifesto launch on this Twitter site was: "Tories played Keane music at manifesto launch - pity they didn't ask the band's persmission (sic) first - just lost some more voters." We're sure he's right,  and just that bet voters are deserting the Tories in their droves because of this petty oversight.

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