波士頓藍山大道1.63億重劃案麥特潘公聽會 近半出席居民嗆聲反對

藍山大道1.63億美元重劃按公聽會。 （周菊子攝）

        （Boston Orange周菊子波士頓綜合報導）波士頓市府和麻州地鐵（MBTA）的藍山大道（Blue Hill Avenue）1.63 億美元重劃案，12日（週四）晚在洛士百利（Roxbury）晨星浸信會教堂（Morning Star Baptist Church）召開公聽會，數百居民與商戶出席，強烈質疑該計畫損害商家權益並恐引發貴族化。

波士頓市長吳弭強調要聽取民意。（周菊子攝）

        波士頓市長吳弭（Michelle Wu）與麻州灣交通局（MBTA）總經理伍偉華（Phil Eng）這晚親自出席，聆聽民意，回答提問，說明政府規劃需綜合各方面因素。

MBTA總經理伍偉華親自出席公聽會。（周菊子攝）

        波士頓市府街道長Chris Osgood和MBTA代表稱，根據3000多人次的意見調查，他們已經修改了計劃案，不只把停車位從 675 個增加至 717 個、減少部分自行車道，並保留 14 英里中的 11 英里車道，還會植樹 200 株，更新照明設施，以改善該路段平均每三天即發生一次需急救車禍的安全問題。

        由於計畫方案仍堅持保留「路中央公車專用道」（center-running bus lane），市府認為每日約 4 萬名 的乘客，可因此獲益，很多出席民眾卻持反對意見，認為尤其是上下學的小孩子，經常會衝跑的穿越街道去搭乘巴士，很不安全。

吳弭市長解釋公車專用道路線情況。（周菊子攝）

        不少人質問，波士頓市府到底有沒問過住在晨星浸信會教堂附近的人，民意調查問的那3000人到底都是誰，意見怎麼和他們完全不一樣。

藍山大道計劃仍在聽取民意。（周菊子攝）

        也有來自敘利亞民眾及非洲國家移民質問，連開發中國家都在興建現代化的火車，甚至高鐵，為什麼波士頓市卻從1950年代拆除該地區路面電車道之後，再無重大建設，既不建高鐵，捷運，也沒提供比公車更有效率的交通途徑。

        教堂主教請反對者起立時，全場約半數民眾站了起來。出席商戶如 American Food Mart 老闆等，則憂心街道施工與車道變動將嚴重衝擊他們的生意；不少居民則控訴市府長期忽略黑人社區，強推政策恐將引發貴族化（Gentrification）現象。

藍山大道重建案規劃概要。（周菊子攝）

        現場僅有 5 位居民與自行車團體代表支持計畫。自行車倡議者托尼·巴埃斯（Tony Baez）指出，開車的人或許會因為車道變動，在路上多花幾秒鐘，但搭公車的人卻可能因為這公車專線，節省不下15 分鐘。

公聽會在晨星浸信會教堂（Morning Star Baptist Church）召開。（周菊子攝）

        波士頓市議員沃雷爾（Brian Worrell）與庫佩珀（Miniard Culpepper）在會中呼籲評估把橘線地鐵（Orange Line）延伸至地下等替代方案。

        波士頓市府官員指出，地鐵開挖需耗時多年且花費逾十億美元，伍偉華則表示，目前開闢公車專用道，不等於排除未來的討論其他交通辦法。

        波士頓市府預計於 9 月 22 日及 30 日繼續舉辦公開說明會與市民大會。

Advancing Justice | AAJC Raises Alarm on DHS Efforts Targeting Immigrant Driver

 Advancing Justice | AAJC Raises Alarm on DHS Efforts Targeting Immigrant Driver

Organization Calls DHS Actions Dangerous on the Eve of 9/11 Anniversary

WASHINGTON, DC — As we approach the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security's recent social media campaign targeting so-called "illegal aliens on American roads" raises serious concerns about profiling, discrimination, and public safety.

Particularly troubling is that DHS promotional materials invoke stereotypes that many Sikh, South Asian, immigrant, Muslim, Arab, and Middle Eastern communities know all too well. The creation of a public hotline encouraging people to report drivers suspected of being undocumented or committing "CDL fraud" invites exactly the kind of profiling that civil rights advocates have spent years fighting. Most people have no way of knowing a driver's immigration status or licensing history, making such reports ripe for abuse based on appearance, accent, name, religion, ethnicity, or assumptions about where someone comes from.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC’s Sim Singh Attariwala, Director, Anti-Hate Program stated: "This is not just about immigrant truck drivers. When the government encourages people to report on others based on assumptions about who belongs, everyone on the road becomes more vulnerable to profiling and escalations of hate-fueled violence. Sikh Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Muslims, Arabs, and other communities that have long been targeted by bias may face the greatest impact. Congress must hold federal agencies accountable when they normalize suspicion instead of protecting civil rights and public safety."

We have seen where this kind of rhetoric can lead. In the aftermath of 9/11, Sikh Americans and many other communities experienced hate crimes, discrimination, and profiling fueled by fear and suspicion. Twenty-five years later, our nation should be learning from those mistakes, not repeating them. Anti-Sikh hate crimes continue to be on the rise and spiked following political rhetoric targeting Sikh truckers in 2025.

Congress must investigate DHS's promotion of initiatives that encourage profiling and examine whether the Department of Justice has effectively responded to discrimination, harassment, and hate targeting immigrant communities. Federal agencies should be held accountable when they normalize bias and suspicion instead of protecting civil rights and public safety.

共和黨麻州州長候選人Mike Minogue發表 AAOK 藍圖 麻州長Maura Healey質疑川普影響

麻州州長共和黨籍候選人米諾格（Mike Minogue）發表AAOK藍圖。(周菊子攝）

     （Boston Orange 周菊子麻州綜合報導）麻州州長共和黨籍候選人米諾格（Mike Minogue）9月10日在Amesbury的Shea Concrete水泥廠，以AAOK口號發表「更好未來藍圖」。奚莉州長（Maura Healey）隨後以視頻質疑米諾格未解釋作為州長，要如何抵制川普總統政策帶給麻州的經濟及公安傷害。

週四早上有近百人出席聆聽Mike Minogue發表政見。(周菊子攝）

    米諾格藉著“水泥”是帶有具體計劃（Concrete Plan）味道的雙關語，在Shea Concrete水泥廠，面向約百名支持者，發表他稱為AAOK計畫的「更好未來藍圖」，意味著他要問責（Accountability）、講究可負擔性（Affordability）、關注機會（Opportunity）與維護社區安全（Keeping Communities Safe）。

    米諾格在解釋AAOK內容時，還做出承諾，包括將用外部審計師來審計州議會和整個州預算，創建「麻薩諸塞州支出儀表板」（Massachusetts Spending Dashboard），讓2027財年預算透明化。他還表示將啟動全州競爭性招標程序，減少單一來源合同。

麻州州長Maura Healey質疑Mike Minogue的
支持川普。(周菊子攝）

    在可負擔上，他承諾上任首日就削減州政府規定的能源公用事業費用，在油價超過每加侖4美元時暫停州燃油稅，並「取消無資金、無法實現的淨零授權」—這是指麻州2050年實現淨零碳排放的法律承諾。他還提出一項以財政誘因換取地方配合，可增加房源的住房政策，承諾如果地方市鎮自願取消採用較嚴格的stretch codes（比基礎能源法規更嚴的建築節能標準），並將單戶住宅的許可審批時間縮短至45天以內，州政府就將返還給該市鎮的稅收比例從目前的26%提高至35-40%。

    在機會方面，米諾格表示將出租或出售非保護用途的州土地給專注於製造業、高科技、生命科學、國防、能源和太空開發的開發商與企業。他還承諾在第一任期結束前僱用25,000名退伍軍人，並通過稅收激勵和貸款償還計劃留住教師與醫療專業人員。

    社區安全方面，他主張取消麻州的庇護州政策，承諾要強制監禁暴力侵害執法人員的人，全面資助執法部門，並保護執法人員的合格豁免權（qualified immunity）。此外，他主張終止無現金保釋制度。

麻州州長共和黨籍候選人米諾格（Mike Minogue）。(周菊子攝）

Shea Concrete水泥廠。(周菊子攝）

    麻州在位州長奚莉（Maura Healey）藉著川普總統9月9日在德州達拉斯舉行的共和黨中期選舉大會中所說「假裝我在選票上」，質疑米諾格為競選公佈的施政藍圖到底說了什麼。奚莉表示，米諾格應該解釋他為什麼支持川普，解釋川普能夠怎麼幫助麻州，如果米諾格無法說明他當州長時，可以如何抵制川普總統政策對麻州居民，醫療體系及經濟造成的損害，那就不是一份藍圖。

    麻州共和黨籍候選人米諾格（Mike Minogue）畢業於西點軍校，1989年獲得工程學學位，曾任Abiomed這醫療器械公司執行長，當強生製藥（Johnson & Johnson）2022年以166億美元收購該公司時，米諾格收到約2.4億美元的離職補償金。由於他個人資產豐厚，還自掏腰包至少1500萬美元來競選州長，他一直被人形容為不諳政事的商人，但9日早上，他強調自己有軍事背景，曾於波斯灣戰爭期間在伊拉克服役，得過銅星勳章，深明紀律的重要性，還當過企業執行長，懂得管理，他絕對是個更好的州長人選。根據網路資料，他在19年間成功的把Abiomed市值從1.7億美元帶到170億美元。

    這是米諾格首次參選公職，並在9月1日的共和黨初選中，以76%的得票率擊敗Brian Shortsleeve，贏得共和黨初選。

    米諾格藉著在水泥廠發表施政藍圖，來強調他提出的施政方針十分具體，不過多家媒體指出，有不少米諾格的承諾，包括取消淨零授權，燃油稅減免，創建支出儀表板等構想，事實上都需要由民主黨控制的麻州議會批准，才能落實。他需要提供更多實施細節，才有說服力。

    根據麻州大學，新罕布夏大學等多項民調，在位州長奚莉（Maura Healey）佔明顯優勢，領先米諾格約20%。不過米諾格競選陣營表示，民調支持度比他們原本預期得好，現在距離11月3日的大選投票日，還有至少一個半月，局勢很可能翻轉。

Mike Minogue’s Blueprint for a Better Future

Accountability, Affordability, Opportunity, and Keeping Communities Safe. AAOK.

Massachusetts is working for some, but not all. We are headed down the wrong path. We elect a leader with integrity, common sense, and compassion to make Massachusetts the best place to live, work, and raise a family. We elect a new kind of governor with a blueprint to Accountability, Affordability, Opportunity, and Keeping communities safe. AAOK.

Accountability: 72% of our voters supported the audit, but the Governor does not enforce the will of the people. The political establishment is wasting your tax dollars and growing debt at a higher rate than ever before. Mike Minogue will stop the overspending, expose the waste and corruption, and provide transparency and balance to the one-party system.

• Audit the state legislature and the entire state budget with an outside auditor

• Utilize third-party healthcare auditors to find waste, fraud, and abuse to ensure the care and dollars get to the patient.

• Establish a statewide competitive bidding process that reduces single-source contracts and validates the integrity of lowest bidder compliance.

• Utilize Commonwealth Constitution (Clause 62F) to return surplus revenue back to the taxpayers. Ballot question number five supports taxpayer refunds.

• Create a Massachusetts Spending Dashboard on FY2027 budget for real-time transparency.

Affordability: Massachusetts, with eight taxes, takes more of its citizens’ money than 90% of America. Maura Healey is overspending, overtaxing, and overregulating. Young people cannot afford to start their lives here, and seniors cannot afford to stay. People, entrepreneurs, and businesses are leaving the Commonwealth because Massachusetts has the highest cost of living: energy, housing, health insurance, car insurance, and childcare in the nation. Mike is a proven leader in business, healthcare, and the nonprofit space and has the skillset to solve problems. 

• Cut taxes and spending by eliminating waste and fraud with audits and prioritization.

• Cut state-mandated energy utility fees on day one, which represent a third of utility bills

• Invest in safe, clean, and reliable energy that lowers monthly costs with natural gas pipelines and evaluate new modular nuclear energy options. 

• Implement Mike’s ‘Patients First’ healthcare plan that will provide access to affordable, quality care. Healthcare will be pushed back into the communities and out of the emergency rooms in Boston hospitals. This plan will support primary care physicians, stop burning out doctors and nurses in hospitals, push procedures and surgeries into lower-cost outpatient clinics and surgery centers, mandate all generic drugs through pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and move mental health care from the emergency rooms back into the communities. The ‘Patients First’ plan will address the mental health crisis by expanding community-based care with reimbursed support from counselors and primary care physicians. 

• Enact a gas tax holiday when gas prices reach over four dollars per gallon to provide people with relief during national spikes and work towards the long-term elimination of state gas tax.

• Cancel the unfunded, unachievable Net Zero mandate, which would cost taxpayers over $300 billion. Focus on energy innovation that would lower energy costs for our peopleand hospitals, stimulate manufacturing, and protect the ocean and our fishing industry. 

• Eliminate the enforcement of the MBTA Communities Act and provide legal support to cities and towns that do not accept the terms because of their limitations with water,sewer, infrastructure, and school resources. Doing this will empower towns to have the ultimate responsibility and decision-making to maintain the function and culture of their communities.

• Provide communities more of their tax dollars back, up to 35-40%, compared to the 26% they retain today, provided the towns and cities eliminate the building stretch codes and reduce permitting times for single-family homes to 45 days or less, compared to 1.5 years today. This will make it easier for Bay Staters to build and buy a home and reverse the trend making Massachusetts last in the nation in permits per capita.

Opportunity: Massachusetts is last in the nation for private sector job growth and second worst for debt per capita. The critical path forward requires entrepreneurs and businesses to stay in Massachusetts and expand operations and manufacturing. A strong economy will allow people to stay and build their lives here.

• Grow jobs by retaining and recruiting entrepreneurs and businesses.

• Lease or sell state land, not conservation land, to developers, builders, and companies, with a focus on manufacturing and investment in high tech, life sciences, defense,energy, and space development.

• Launch the BEACON plan for our military veterans, including hiring 25,000 veterans by the end of Mike’s first term.

• Invest in education by opting into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit and recruit over one million taxpayers, creating $1.7B in funding, to participate in Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) scholarships. Eighty-five percent of parents with kids in school will be eligible.

• Expand charter, tech, vocational schools across the Commonwealth.

• Appoint a DESE board that focuses on education, skills, testing, and results, not politics.

• Incentivize teachers and medical professionals to work and stay in Massachusetts with tax incentives and loan payment programs.

• Overturn the unconstitutional totality accounting rule that keeps people from donating to Massachusetts nonprofits when they relocate to another state. 

• Reduce Massachusetts’ traffic problem by utilizing AI and creating digital maps, coordinated with traffic command centers.

Keep Communities Safe: The fundamental role of the governor is to keep our communities safe and uphold the law. Maura Healey’s failed leadership has made the Commonwealth less safe by releasing known criminals back into the communities and not cracking down on fentanyl drug dealers. Mike will balance compassion and common sense, while upholding the law and prioritizing the safety of our people and law enforcement. 

• Recognize and value the contributions of immigrants who work, build businesses, and help strengthen Massachusetts. At the same time, Mike will prioritize removing violent criminals and drug dealers and end sanctuary state policies. With compassion and common sense, Massachusetts can be a place where everyone can live the American dream.

• Appoint a strong parole board that prioritizes and protects the safety of our people and eliminates cashless bail. Create mandatory jail time for any convictions of violence against law enforcement agents.

• Provide girls fair and safe sports and a right to privacy.

• Protect our constitutional rights.

• Fully fund and protect qualified immunity for law enforcement.

• Ensure citizens’ privacy is respected while keeping communities safe.

DPU Advances New Rail Safety Standards

DPU Advances New Rail Safety Standards

Proposed regulations would strengthen oversight and help identify and address risks before they become emergencies 

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has opened a rulemaking to strengthen safety standards at railroad grade crossings across Massachusetts. The proposed regulations would establish clearer and more consistent requirements to help protect drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and rail passengers. 

The proposal would give DPU, railroads, municipalities and other entities a stronger framework for identifying safety risks and making improvements at grade crossings. It would also establish clearer procedures for evaluating crossings, recommending safety upgrades and ensuring that concerns are addressed before they result in serious incidents. 

The proposed regulations come as passenger rail service continues to grow across Massachusetts, including the opening of South Coast Rail in 2025 and continued planning for West-East Rail. The changes are part of DPU’s broader effort to modernize rail safety oversight and take a more proactive, risk-based approach to identifying and addressing potential hazards. 

“Every day, people across Massachusetts rely on our rail system to get to work, school, appointments, and home to their families. They deserve to know that their safety is our first priority,” said Chair McDiarmid. “Our proposed regulations strengthen our ability to identify potential risks, address safety concerns, and make sure our rail system and crossings are to the highest safety standards to help keep riders, workers, drivers, pedestrians, and communities safe for years to come.” 

“As freight and passenger rail use expands in Massachusetts, we want to strengthen our ability to identify and address safety concerns before they happen,” said Commissioner Staci Rubin. “These regulations would create a diagnostic team process led by the DPU’s skilled rail engineers that would improve our ability to identify and address safety concerns and create a more transparent process for making safety improvements. We look forward to hearing from railroads, municipalities, transportation agencies, and members of the public as we work through the rulemaking process.” 

“People should not have to think twice about safety whether they take the train to work, are on the road, or at a railroad crossing,” said Commissioner Liz Anderson. “Our job is to make sure strong safety standards are in place before something goes wrong. These rulemakings would strengthen accountability and oversight, giving us better tools to identify risks and address them immediately.” 

Railroad grade crossings are level intersections between railroad tracks and roadways, which may also include pedestrian or bicycle paths. The proposed regulations would establish practical and consistent safety standards for grade crossings, periodic evaluations of active grade crossings, and a formal process for overpass and underpass height waivers.  

The DPU will also be able to formally organize diagnostic teams to evaluate crossing conditions and recommend safety improvements, such as additional lighting, signage, adding or altering gates, adding pavement markings, and vegetation trimming. The formal height-waiver process would establish criteria and procedures for submitting and reviewing requests involving bridges over railroad tracks. The proposed regulations would also establish clear application procedures for the creation, modification, or closure of grade crossings, increase transparency, and strengthen compliance with railroad safety requirements.  

The DPU’s Rail Transit Safety Division serves as the state safety regulator for Massachusetts’ railroads for aspects that are not regulated by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The DPU and its predecessor agencies have exercised railroad oversight in Massachusetts since 1864.  

In a separate rulemaking on a different subject, the DPU is proposing updates to its rail transit safety regulations governing the DPU’s role as the State Safety Oversight Agency responsible for overseeing the safety of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) rail transit system (the Red, Blue, Orange, Green and Mattapan Trolley lines). The proposed regulations update existing state regulations to reflect modern federal safety requirements, expanding risk-based inspections, strengthening enforcement and corrective-action processes, and ensuring that the DPU has the tools and information it needs to identify and address safety risks before they harm riders, employees, or the public. 

For its grade crossing regulations, the DPU will hold two public hearings in September. A hybrid hearing will be held in Boston on September 22, 2026, followed by an in-person hearing in Springfield on September 23, 2026. Initial written comments are due September 21, 2026, and reply comments are due September 30, 2026. 

Governor Healey Expands Access to Shellfishing on the North Shor

Governor Healey Expands Access to Shellfishing on the North Shore

 Improved water quality will cut rainfall closures by more than half in most of Plum Island Sound, giving shellfishers up to 72 additional harvesting days each year

IPSWICH, NEWBURY & ROWLEY—Governor Maura Healey today announced expanded access to shellfish harvesting in Plum Island Sound after extensive testing by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) found significant improvements in water quality. The updated requirements are expected to cut rainfall-related closures by more than half in one of the most productive shellfish areas on the North Shore, giving more than 200 commercial shellfishers and hundreds of recreational shellfishers as many as 72 additional harvesting days each year.

Plum Island Sound includes some of the North Shore’s most productive shellfish areas in Newbury, Rowley and Ipswich. Historically, these areas have been closed to harvesting for an average of approximately 130 days each year because of rainfall. Under the updated requirements, most shellfish beds will remain open when the area receives less than one inch of rain, while closures following heavier rainfall will also be shortened.

“Shellfishing is an important part of the North Shore’s economy, culture and way of life, and we’ve been working to support our Massachusetts shellfishers and strengthen our working waterfronts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Because the water in Plum Island Sound is cleaner and the science says it’s safe, we can give more than 200 commercial shellfishers up to 72 more days a year to harvest. That means more certainty for their businesses, more local seafood on our tables and more support for a North Shore industry that has been part of these communities for generations.”

“Shellfishing is part of the identity and economy of the North Shore, supporting families, small businesses and working waterfronts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This is exactly the kind of progress we want to see – cleaner water creating more opportunity for the people who depend on it. By working with communities, investing in water quality and following the science, we can protect public health while helping this important local industry thrive.”

“The science shows how much water quality has improved across Plum Island Sound and gives us an opportunity to expand access for an industry that is important to our coastal communities,” said Energy & Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Shellfishers are an important part of our working waterfronts. These changes give them more opportunities to harvest while maintaining strong protections for public health.”

Shellfish are filter feeders, and they can quickly accumulate and concentrate pathogens and contaminants from the environment, which can pose hazards to public health. During heavy rain, stormwater can carry pollution from roads, parking lots, and buildings into waterways, creating potential public health risks. For that reason, some shellfish growing in areas are designated as “Conditionally Approved" areas and temporarily close when rainfall or other conditions could make shellfish unsafe to eat.  

DMF establishes these closure requirements through sanitary surveys, which evaluate potential pollution sources and test water quality under a variety of conditions. Plum Island Sound has been subject to rainfall-based closures since the 1980s. While those requirements have been important for protecting public health, recent improvements in water quality prompted DMF to conduct additional testing to determine whether the closure criteria could safely be updated.

The results show rainfall closures can be significantly reduced in the majority of Plum Island Sound, known asN4 – Area A. That area will now remain open when there is less than one inch of rainfall. When rainfall reaches one inch or more, the closure period will be five days year-round, down from an eight-day closure during much of the year under the previous requirements.

Rainfall requirements will remain unchanged in certain tributaries, known as N4 – Area B, and areas classified as Prohibited will remain closed to shellfishing under all conditions.

“This much-needed update will go a long way to support our shellfish harvesters who work tirelessly to provide iconic softshell clams and oysters on the North Shore,” said Department of Fish & Game (DFG) Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “We are grateful for our partners in the legislature, municipalities, industry leaders, and our state shellfish team, who have come together to identify solutions as we navigate challenges from stormwater pollution across the state.”  

"Here at DMF, we work diligently to uphold rigorous public health standards for shellfish safety, all while supporting our industry and ensuring shellfish harvested in Massachusetts are the best in the nation,” said DMF Director Dan McKiernan. “This includes close work and partnership with municipal shellfish constables and harvesters to tirelessly monitor water quality and ensure shellfish are safe, healthy, and delicious. Through rigorous testing over the past two years, we are proud to see this hard work pay off and expand access to some of the most productive shellfish areas in the state.”

Since taking office, Governor Healey has taken a number of steps to support Massachusetts shellfishers and strengthen the state’s fishing and aquaculture industries.

In July, Governor Healey announced $300,000 in direct economic relief for North Shore shellfish harvesters and oyster growers impacted by emergency closures following the Haverhill sewage overflow. In 2024, DMF provided direct relief to commercial shellfishers impacted by the closure of the Newburyport Depuration Plant and awarded more than $91,000 for new high-efficiency ice machines to support shellfishers and aquaculture businesses.

The administration has also awarded $1.6 million in fisheries resiliency grants, including investments to expand shellfish seed production and improve oyster farm equipment and infrastructure. Most recently, the administration awarded Ipswich $201,490 to improve tidal flow and coastal habitat in Paine Creek, which connects to Plum Island Sound. 

Map of Plum Island Sound (N4) Shellfish Beds:

Description: Most of Plum Island Sound is classified as “Conditionally Approved”, highlighted in blue. The majority of shellfish areas (N 4.0) will now remain open when there is less than one inch of rainfall and the rainfall closure for one inch of rainfall or more will be reduced from 8 days to 5 days year-round. Rainfall closures will remain the same in tributaries (N 4.1, N 4.6, N 4.16, and N 4.7). Isolated “Prohibited” areas, highlighted in red, will remain closed to shellfishing under all conditions. This map is also available on DMF’s Shellfish Classification Areas website. 

Previous Rain Criteria	New Rain Criteria
No separately managed subareas	Greater Plum Island Sound  (N 4.0.)
Winter Season (Dec 15 - March 31):   ≥ 1” in 24-hour period, 5-day closure	< 1” in 24-hour period; No Closure   ≥ 1” in 24-hour period, 5-day closure, yr-round
	Tributary Rivers  (N 4.1, N 4.6, N 4.16, and N 4.7)  Classifications remain the same:
Summer Season (April 1 – Dec 14):   ≥ 0.5” <1.0”, 5-day closure;   ≥ 1.0”, 8-day closure	Winter Season (Dec 15 - March 31):   ≥ 1” in 24-hour period, 5-day closure
	Summer Season (April 1 – Dec 14):   ≥ 0.5” < 1.0”, 5-day closure;   ≥ 1.0”, 8-day closure

CITY OF BOSTON ADOPTS SMALL CLEAN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE ZONING BOSTON - September 10, 2026 - The City of Boston Zoning Commission this week adopted new zoning for Small Clean Energy Infrastructure to comply with the Massachusetts State Climate Act. This new zoning establishes a ‘Consolidated Local Permitting process’ in line with State law and Boston’s own climate resiliency goals. The new zoning and permitting process is an effort to decarbonize and transition our energy sources to be fully electric in the coming years. The new zoning also introduces regulations on dimensions and use for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).  “As our communities continue to grow, so does the need to transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy sources. This new zoning will help expand our electric capacity, lower costs and ensure that current and future generations can enjoy our beautiful city,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. ”Boston has set clear goals to reduce carbon emissions by 2030, and we will continue taking big swings to improve quality of life for all our residents.” “Not only is this a win for meeting our carbon neutrality goals, but it’s also another example of how we continue to reform our permitting process,” said Chief of Planning Kairos Shen. “Streamlining for clarity and predictability is essential to creating a more energy efficient city.” "The benefits of clean energy and battery storage are clear: more affordable electricity, less pollution, and local control over our energy production," said Chief Climate Officer Brian Swett. "Improving how we permit clean energy infrastructure is a critical step in reducing Boston's emissions and achieving our shared climate action goals" The State is requiring cities and towns to provide this opt-in consolidated permitting process for this type of infrastructure by October 1, 2026, aligning with the energy resilience goals of Boston’s 2030 Climate Action Plan and our goals of reducing carbon emissions by 2050. This kind of infrastructure can include things like solar panels, wind energy turbines, battery energy storage, and short energy transmission lines. "Solar and storage are some of the cheapest and fastest energy we can build," said Massachusetts Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. "The City of Boston is taking an important step forward in bringing more clean energy into Massachusetts to lower costs and reduce climate-warming emissions." This new zoning and permitting process supports the City’s efforts to increase Boston’s grid capacity to keep costs low and reduce pollution for a healthier community. The Planning Department will now focus on creating design guidelines for this type of infrastructure that will ensure it is always consistent with neighborhood context and enhance the safety of public spaces. In April, Mayor Michelle Wu announced the release of Boston's 2030 Climate Action Plan, a roadmap for how the City will achieve its carbon emissions reduction and climate resilience goals. These targets include reducing community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. The Plan includes 22 metrics that the City will track over the next five years through its Climate Action Plan Implementation Dashboard. In the Plan’s creation, the City of Boston prioritized community engagement in its environmental justice communities and will implement strategies to ensure that every neighborhood receives the public health, economic, and resilience benefits of climate action.

麻州文化委員會撥245萬元將資助490個人創作者 10/27截止申請

        （Boston Orange編譯）麻州文化委員會（Mass Cultural Council）2027會計年度個人創作者(Creative Individuals)資助計畫今（10）日起至10月27日正式開放申請。總金額約 245 萬美元，預計可資助至少 490 個項目，規模之大創歷年紀錄。

        這計畫旨在促進在地文化多樣性與經濟活力，每名獲選的麻州藝術家及創意工作者可獲得 5,000 美元用途無限制資助金。凡活躍於文學、音樂、戲劇、視覺藝術、民俗傳統及原住民藝術等各類文化領域的麻州居民均可申請。

        麻州文化委員會將於 9 月 22 日舉辦線上說明會，提供手語翻譯與即時字幕服務，另設有西班牙語場次。查詢詳情可上官網，或發電郵，creative.individuals@mass.gov。

Funding Opportunity: Mass Cultural Council Launches FY27 Grants for Creative Individuals

BOSTON – Applications are now being accepted to Mass Cultural Council’s Grants for Creative Individuals FY27 grant round. This funding opportunity provides unrestricted grants of $5,000 to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners to equitably advance creative expression throughout our diverse communities. This will be the largest cycle for this program to date, as Mass Cultural Council expects to invest $2.45 million, supporting a minimum of 490 grants this year. As the Commonwealth’s independent state arts agency, Mass Cultural Council is charged with bolstering the cultural sector, thereby advancing economic vitality, supporting transformational change, and celebrating, preserving, and inspiring creativity across all Massachusetts communities. These grants are available for Massachusetts residents who are active in any artistic/creative discipline. This is Mass Cultural Council’s primary grant program to support individual artists, with eligible disciplines including: community-based arts, crafts, design, digital, film/video, folk/traditional arts, Native/Indigenous arts, literature, music, performance, photography, theater, visual arts, and other diverse cultural practices. Key dates for the FY27 Grants for Creative Individuals program include: Application Opens - September 10, 2026 Info Session - September 22, 2026 (ASL interpretation and live captions will be provided) Próximamente estará disponible una sesión informativa virtual en español. Applications Due - October 27, 2026 (11:59PM) Prospective applicants are encouraged to review the program guidelines for more information, including eligibility rules and instructions on how to apply. Questions can be submitted to creative.individuals@mass.gov.   For information and to stay up to date on other Mass Cultural Council funding opportunities this fiscal year, prospective applicants are encouraged to follow the Agency on social media - @MassCultural – or sign up to receive the monthly Power of Culture e-newsletter.