Maureen Dahill, a state Senate candidate from South Boston, on Friday called for the traditional St. Patrick’s Day parade in her neighborhood to include gay and lesbian groups. The candidate from Dorchester, state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, agreed, saying in a statement she will march on March 17 with supporters from the gay and lesbian community if the groups are included.  Read more

City Councillor John Connolly and his wife Meg at his announcement on Tuesday. Connolly for Boston image

John Connolly didn’t get much sleep on Monday night. A few hours, tops.

On Tuesday morning, before driving to Brighton for the announcement of his mayoral bid, the 39-year-old city councillor at-large drove his kids to school and then headed back to his West Roxbury home to practice the speech in front of his wife, Meg. Then, shortly after 10 a.m., with about 30 Boston parents behind him outside of Brighton High School, Connolly took the plunge, becoming the first heavyweight to enter in this year’s race for mayor and opening up one of the four at-large seats on the council.  Read more

An advisory panel on the city’s school assignment system on Monday night signed off on a plan providing students with a minimum of six choices. The plan uses an algorithm and students’ home address to determine the set of choices, which will also include schools within a mile radius of the address, on top of new citywide schools.  Read more

Awash in data and comments from the school department, parents, and outside groups, the panel tasked with revamping the city’s school assignment system will meet at City Hall for a Saturday morning (Feb. 23) discussion. A vote is still planned for Monday night (Feb. 25) at Suffolk University.

The 27-member panel appears to be leaning toward the “home-based” models as they look to make a recommendation to Superintendent Carol Johnson and the School Committee, according to its members.  Read more