Infamy infamy! They've all got it...

Fame at last!

Paakwa has at last achieved fame – or at least notoriety!

All praise to those who merely wait on table, and tend to bars, for they also have ears to hear, and eyes to see...

It has come to Paakwa's ears that Ian Lockwood, ex-editor of the American-owned Craven Herald, was the after-dinner speaker at Craven District and Skipton Town Councils' annual civic dinner last Friday. In what looks like an act of Olympic obsequiousness Lockwood decided to curry favour by attacking Paakwa and the CravenMatters website.

He started by patting himself warmly on the back, telling councillors how objective and fair-minded he had been during his tenure as editor of the newspaper.
Objective and fair-minded?
That's a statement some might question.
Especially as under Lockwood's helm, the Craven Herald exemplified the first word in its title when covering district council matters.

The Herald failed to condemn the 'Renaissance' debacle, when the council planned to carpet Skipton with multistorey car parks, chain stores and blocks of flats – even though nearly six thousand Skipton residents voted against the proposals by 71.5% in an independent referendum conducted by the Electoral Reform Society.

Neither, under Lockwood's stewardship, did the Herald attack – or even question – the council's approval of the HML plan to build a massive office block on a protected greenfield site. Despite, yet again, being against the wishes of the majority of those consulted – from the people of Skipton to the Environment Agency.

Interestingly, the impartial and objective Mr Lockwood also sits alongside the chief executive of HML parent company, Skipton Building Society, as 'independent' members of the committee that determines councillors' pay.
This committee of only three who are clearly "objective and fair-minded," were so impressed by councillors' efficiency that they sanctioned a fivefold increase in their attendance allowances between 2001 and 2005.

In another example of civic miasma, the Lockwood-edited Herald was the only newspaper not to criticize a councilor who thought it reasonable to live some 450 miles distant from the Craven ward he represented, continuing to draw his £90 weekly allowance although uncontactable by telephone or email.
This disgrace was roundly attacked by The Yorkshire Post, even in national newspapers such as the Daily Mail, but not the 'objective and fair-minded' Herald.
Which, although it possessed all the facts, failed to print even a single column inch about the matter until the councilor concerned finally quit.

Worst of all, in yet another potential scoop for the Craven Herald, Paakwa pointed out the incredible waste of money in North Yorkshire police force by giving superintendants leather trimmed and sat-naved Volvo V90's and Range Rovers for their personal use. Jane Kenyon
who heads the self selecting quango North Yorkshire Police Authority for a trivial £18,000 plus for attending 4 meetings a year, was taken to task by Paakwa originally 18 months ago, and then HERE as long ago as last July.
Did the Craven Herald use this scoop?
Not a chance!
The Yorkshire Post finally did catch up with Cravenmatters last week (article HERE) in calling for the resignation of the gorgeous and pouting Kenyon, the Craven Herald under Lockwood never would have.

With the Herald continuing to brown-nose Craven District Council, the CravenMatters site is an essential counterbalance to CDC propaganda handouts, handouts which the Herald continues to print without criticism – or even question.

Neither does this site exist solely to criticize, as Lockwood alleged in his speech. When deserved, Paakwa has been happy to dish out compliments.

Here's one.

A bouquet to Robert Heseltine, a councilor who has been criticized by this site in the past and has no cause to defend Paakwa, despite which he publicly condemned Lockwood’s attack on free speech.

Well done Councilor Heseltine!