ORDER OF COUNCILLOR TOBIN

WHEREAS: In the City of Boston there are 18 charter schools; and

WHEREAS: The Board of Education has recently voted to close the Frederick Douglass Charter School, which serves 349 students in grades 6-10; and

WHEREAS: On March 8, 2005 the Boston Renaissance Charter School notified ...   more »

Monday March 28

10:00 – Health & Human Services Hearing on War on Drugs 11/15 (2:47)
2:00 – Public Safety Hearing on assaults at clubs by bouncers/doormen (Live)
4:00 – Joint Environment and Government Ops Hearing on BU BioSafety Lab (Live)

Tuesday March 29

10:00 – Joint Environment and Government ...   more »

Jamaica Plain Centre/South Main Streets invites you to a community forum –

JP’s Creative Economy: Enhancing Neighborhood Vitality Through Arts and Culture

Thursday, April 7, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Eliot Hall (home of the Footlight Club), 7 Eliot Street

A panel of artists, residents, and business people will look at how Jamaica Plain and other communities are already working to leverage the economic impact of arts and culture. Panel and audience members will then, together, explore new strategies for developing and promoting JP’s creative economy.   more »

The West Roxbury Neighborhood Council (WRNC) met last night at the Area E-5 Police Station at 7:30. It was a relatively short agenda, highlighted by the Council's approval of a beer and wine license for Dave Komejko, the hopeful proprietor of Avanti! Italian restaurant to be located at 1866 Centre St.   more »

Boston City Councillor John M. Tobin, Jr. and the Parkway Family Day Task Force recently kicked-off the planning process for the 3rd Annual Parkway Family Day, which will be held on Saturday, June 25 at West Roxbury’s Millennium Park.   more »

Monday March 21

10:00 – Education Hearing on two-way bilingual programs 9/8 (0:52)
11:00 – Health & Human Services Hearing on War on Drugs 11/15 (2:47)
2:00 - Government Ops Hearing on deregulation of public street performances 3/18

Tuesday March 22

10:00 – Ways & Means Hearing on EMT worker’s ...   more »

Brendan Watson writes in the Post-Dispatch, Podcasting: the 21st century soapbox and interviews Jay Dedman who mentions John Tobin's blog:

Jay Dedman, who works at a Manhattan community television station, organized the first conference on video blogging last month in New York City.

Dedman says that as the technology for video becomes easier to manage, there is an increasing number of creative uses for video on the Internet, such as... the video blog of Boston city councilman John Tobin.

"We might see the day when I don't vote for you unless you have a video blog," said Dedman. "I want you to put yourself out there and let me comment. There's a real demand out there and a need for completely unmediated information."

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Councillor Tobin and his staff are always researching for new ideas on how to improve the quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors of the City of Boston. If you have any ideas or thoughts, please join Team Tobin in brainstorming for a better Boston. Your comments and suggestions ...   more »

In today's Boston Herald Dave Wedge writes, Park at your own risk: Motorists appeal fines over confusing signs

City Councilor John Tobin said colors, text and lettering on parking signs sometimes differ from street to street.
``Signage is definitely an issue,'' Tobin said. ``You'd like to see that uniform, if ...   more »

John Tobin on NECN being interviewed about Baby Safe Haven.   more »

ORDER OF COUNCILLOR TOBIN

WHEREAS: In 1991, State legislation was amended changing the Boston School Committee from an elected membership to seven members appointed by the Mayor; and

WHEREAS: The members of the Boston School Committee must always be Boston residents; and

WHEREAS: Chapter 108, section 2 of state law ...   more »

Bostonist reports:

Bostonist has listened to the high school students rapping safe haven for weeks. An article in the Dig showed up a little while after the ads started to catch on more than we would like. The Safe Haven Law passed last October has finally made the first baby ...   more »

CBS4Boston has a video report entitled: "An unwanted baby girl is being called the first success safe haven baby" on it's homepage under the heading, Watch CBS4 Video.

I'd link directly to the video, but they don't provide a link like that on the CBS4Boston site.   more »

Dissident Vox :: "You never know who might be watching!"

Some of the Video webloggers are proving to be really original and engaging at the moment. Vlogs are still in their infancy, but its great to see such a sense of fun and potential in the way that video is being used over the web... You might also want to say hello to Boston City Councillor John Tobin who is the first US elected official with a vlog.

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Baby Left At Hospital Under 'Safe Haven' Law:

"A baby was surrendered in Merrimack Valley at a hospital and taken to a pre-adoptive foster home. Thanks to safe haven and all the work that was done that this child is safe and healthy," Department of Social Services spokeswoman Denise ...   more »

In the Boston City Council meeting on 3/2/05, Councillor John Tobin offered a resolution strongly urging the Boston School Committee to consider increasing the Public School's walk-to preference for elementry and middle schools from 50% back to 75%, allowing more of the city's ...   more »

In the Boston City Council meeting on 3/2/05, Councillor Tobin requested a hearing to discuss exterior lighting and lighting regulations for the city.   more »

"Safe Haven" Program Dubbed a Success
NECN (3/7/05 12:54 p.m.)

Massachusetts officials are calling it the first successful test of the new "Safe Haven" program for newborns. A baby was safely surrendered by a parent over the weekend. NECN's Ally Donnelly has more from Boston.

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In the Boston City Council meeting on 3/2/05, Councillor Tobin requested a hearing to assess the feasibility of televising all Boston Public school Committee meetings.

We're talking about a billion dollar school system and people have no idea what's going on.

If we want people to be involved and see the decision making process and what's going on, and to get them involved in the decision making... we have to make the School Committee accessable to the genteral public and that means putting them on cable televison live and then repeated during the week.

Boston School Committee.   more »

On Wednesday, Councillor John Tobin sent a video greeting to videobloggers of the Norwegian Liberal Youth political party in Norway.

Now, the Mayor of Bergen sends greetings to Boston.   more »