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星期六, 12月 28, 2019

勒星頓中文學校2019滑雪 50家庭歡渡三天兩夜


勒星頓中文學校冬季滑雪合影。
                    (Boston Orange)勒星頓中文學校(LCS) 2019年冬季滑雪活動,由於現任副校長陳伯淯,校長翁卓毅,兩名前任校長陳式儀、黃冠群和策劃小組的精心安排,50個家庭,196位學校家長、師生在新罕布夏州Bartlett 鎮的 Attitash 滑雪渡假中心,開心了三天兩夜。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏瑋致詞。
122123日這幾天中,勒星頓中文學校師生和波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉,來自麻州的其他中文學校師生,以及僑界朋友們,白天滑雪、賞雪、跳Zumba、購物、游泳、洗三溫暖的各得其樂,晚上就不分老少的 匯聚,參加聯歡會。整整三天,參加活動的大、小朋友們,三五成群的在渡假中心各角落談天、說笑,天南地北的聊,此起彼落的笑。

家長代表徐昱瑋(右)和iPad大獎得主施心沛。
第一天晚上,前校長黃冠群應景的戴著紅色聖誕老人帽主持晚會,帶團康活動,辦抽獎,週到的讓每個家庭都沉浸在歡笑,驚喜中。學校的Lulu老師的帶大家一起跳Zumba,儼然已是滑雪晚會活動的一個傳統。

這冬季滑雪活動還為小朋友們安排了電影之夜,放映「The Polar Express」,「Home Alone」,「Elf」等影片;為愛唱歌的朋友,另外安排了一個房間,放上專業卡啦OK視聽設備,準備了各個年代的國、台語歌曲,讓不同年紀的家長及大、小朋友們,各自抒發心聲。

陳伯濟和九年級學生林永澤
第二天晚上,所有的小朋友輪流和聖誕老人合照,領一份神秘禮物後,學校的兩位助教,黃鈺文與陳緯嘉主持小朋友才藝表演晚會,包括歌唱、舞蹈、演奏、魔術、相聲、扯鈴,各種才藝精采紛呈。

壓軸的抽獎是今年活動的重頭戲,往年三份,今年加碼成七份的大獎,為晚會帶來更多歡喜驚呼聲!

主辦滑雪活動的副校長陳伯淯表示,滑雪活動很幸運,有許多家長志工及熱心人士幫忙。駐波士頓台經文辦事處徐佑典處長,僑教中心歐宏偉主任各自慷慨捐贈大禮一份,學校的家長代表,還有彭明玲、王雅惠、王嘉文、郭裕美、楊泓儀、林子琦等家長、老師,以及多位匿名聖誕老人,也紛紛捐贈活動禮品。

家長代表徐昱瑋(左)悍副教務主任吳宇懷。
陳伯淯很週到,還一一點名感謝幫忙籌辦活動的人,包括家長陳文斌與翁上千負責活動攝影;許順堯主任,Tony Kuo、陳式儀支援視聽器材;蔡孟儒提供 Zumba 課;王怡文、徐旻瑋、明順怡、吳宇懷、朱馨翎、何厚宜、黃玫如、徐依玲、蔡蓉、施心沛、葉鈺真、施宇昕、施宇皓、黃嘉琳、張美惠、黃冠群、鄧純芳等幕後英雄和許多學生、家長以及志工攜手合作,協助活動登記,禮物選購,包裝,運送,分發,設計晚會,安排才藝表演。她強調,活動順利圓滿,全靠許多學校及僑界大家庭成員熱心幫忙,歷任前校長的經驗傳承。(勒星頓中文文學校提供資料及照片)

蔡孟儒(中)和跳Zumba的學員們。

滑雪一景。

滑雪一景。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATION OPEN FOR FOURTH ROUND OF BOSTON AIR, CITY'S ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATION OPEN FOR FOURTH ROUND OF BOSTON AIR, CITY'S ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM


BOSTON - Saturday, December 28, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture announced that applications are now open for the fourth round of Boston AIR, the City of Boston's artist residency program. Through this program, a cohort of artists will collaborate with the City of Boston to explore, analyze, and re-imagine City initiatives at the intersection of civil service, social justice, and artistic practice.  

"Artists-in-Residence implement projects that imagine and test new approaches to City of Boston policies, processes, and procedures with the help of various City departments," said Mayor Walsh. "This, in turn, helps to create a stronger and more equitable city."

Since the creation of the Boston AIR program in 2017, the City has had a total of 20 artists-in-residence. Previous years focused on examining City policies with a lens of resilience and racial equity, valuing proximity to people by pursuing an understanding of the impact of local government policy in the lived experience of Bostonians, and supporting collaborative and democratic creation of City policy, processes and practices. 

"As a writer, Boston AIR opened many doors for me. The opportunity to collaborate with other talented artists made me feel a sense of connectedness to other artists in Boston," said former Boston artist-in-residence Nakia Hill. "Boston AIR provided the resources for me to publish my first book of poetry Water Carrier and an intergenerational anthology I Still Did It. Now, that publication is available in Boston Public Library branches across the city--my city." 

Examples of past artists-in-residence include Karen Young, a Japanese taiko drummer who collaborated with the Age Strong Commission and worked with women at the Grove Hall Senior Center to form "Older and Bolder," an elder voice project that advocated for a safer crosswalk outside of the center. Another former artist-in-residence, Rashin Fahandej, collaborated with the Office of Returning Citizens and individuals ages 5-19 at the Blackstone Community Center in the South End to develop A Father's Lullaby, a multi-platform, co-creative project that highlights the role of men in raising children and their absence due to racial disparities in the criminal justice system in the United States. 

The following City of Boston departments are partnering on this round of Boston AIR: 
  • Mayor's Housing Innovation Lab
  • Mayor's Commission for Persons with Disabilities
  • Office of Emergency Management
  • Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC)
  • Mayor's Office of Recovery Services
  • Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement
  • Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement

"Boston AIR encourages City departments to take risks and think creatively about their programs and policies, as well as integrate creative expression into municipal work," said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture. "When we integrate artists into civic work we find ways to make Boston a better city for every resident."

Experienced artists ages 18 and over who work in all media are encouraged to apply. Each artist will receive a $30,000 stipend and up to $10,000 for project materials.

Building off of Mayor Walsh's record-breaking investment in Boston's arts sector, the City of Boston is investing $250,000 for the artist residency program, as well as an additional $200,000 FY20 investment in sustaining key grant making programs for individual artists.

The deadline to apply is January 22, 2020 at 5 p.m. Interested artists can apply here. Click here to see the summary video

MAYOR WALSH'S EVICTION PREVENTION TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES NEW ACTION PLAN ON EVICTIONS IN BOSTON

MAYOR WALSH'S EVICTION PREVENTION TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES NEW ACTION PLAN ON EVICTIONS IN BOSTON 
Eviction executions decline 10.1 percent over 3 year period; new goals set to further reduce evictions in Boston
BOSTON - Saturday, December 21, 2019 - Building upon his commitment to employ new strategies to preserve and create affordable housing and prevent displacement in Boston's neighborhoods, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today released An Action Plan to Reduce Evictions in Boston. This Action Plan presents the recommendations of the Eviction Prevention Task Force, a coalition of non-profit tenant advocacy organizations, housing service providers, legal aid organizations, the real estate community, and key City of Boston staff from both the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND). The report details the current landscape for evictions in Boston, and recommends expansion of programs and services that have made an impact in preventing an increase in the number of evictions in Boston, despite the competitive housing market. Nationally, Boston is ranked 178th in eviction execution rates for large US cities.  

"As Boston continues to grow and with new residents and new opportunities, we must continue our hard work to ensure that our current residents are able to remain in the city they call home," Mayor Walsh said. "This action plan lays out a roadmap for how we can increase access to programs and services that are working, and reduce the number of evictions that are happening in Boston. I look forward to our continued work ahead to create strong, stable neighborhoods for all."'

The Action Plan presents an analysis of the current eviction landscape in Boston, and examines the data collected by the Office of Housing Stability and HomeStart, Inc. from the Eastern District Housing Court over three years, from 2015 through 2017. While the total number of eviction cases filed for those three years remained relatively level at approximately 5,000 cases per year, the number of eviction executions, or cases where the tenancy was ended by court order, declined by 10 percent over that same time period, to 1,952 cases in 2017 versus 2,172 cases in 2015. The 1,952 tenancies represents one percent of all rental households in Boston.  

The Action Plan provides an overview on the effects of evictions and the effective existing programs and services that are available, and sets a goal for reducing evictions by 33 percent in subsidized housing, and 25 percent in private housing over the next five years. These reductions will be accomplished by specific expansions of effective existing programs, as well as new initiatives. These recommendations are a blueprint for the work that the Eviction Prevention Task Force will undertake over the next five years.

"The success the City of Boston has had preventing evictions - through programs, property owner outreach, and legislation - is tied directly to the focus and energy of the Eviction Prevention Task Force," said Steve Farrell, Director of Communications and Policy for Metro Housing Boston. "Metro Housing has worked with the City of Boston and the Office of Housing Stability since the inception of the Eviction Prevention Task Force and we are committed to continuing on and enacting the City's action plan."

The blueprint implements eight key goals for reducing evictions in Boston in addition to the overall reductions mentioned above.
  • Increase housing production that is affordable to households with very low and extremely low incomes.
  • Increase, and make more widely known, the resources to reduce the number of evictions due to rent arrearages. 
  • Expand capacity and access to legal representation via new legislation and funding.
  • Improve and disseminate information on best practices and tenant and landlord rights and responsibilities.
  • Design early warning protocols and educate property managers and owners on how to utilize them to prevent eviction.
  • Improve data collection.
  • Replicate successful eviction prevention models.
  • Track results in collaboration with its nonprofit partners and continue to collect, make available, and analyze this data to evaluate plan progress.
"Maloney Properties appreciates the work that the City's Eviction Prevention Task Force is doing to prevent evictions in Boston," said Janet Frazier, President and CEO of Maloney Properties. "As a property management company, we understand the devastating effects of eviction on families and everyone in our communities.  We were honored to have been asked to participate on the Task Force. With Mayor Walsh's help we look forward to continuing to push for better resources to prevent evictions and create more stable housing for the residents of Boston."

The Walsh Administration is focused on ensuring that Boston is an equitable city by supporting thoughtful growth, building a housing supply that is affordable to residents across all income levels and creating policies and tools to protect residents from evictions. To that end, in 2016, Mayor Walsh created the City of Boston's Office of Housing Stability, the first of its kind in the nation. The office is designed to keep communities intact by helping tenants maintain their housing. The Office's work includes supporting tenants who are in crisis; creating and offering resources, programs, and information for both tenants and landlords to learn about their rights and responsibilities; and researching and creating policies that aim to prevent displacement.

The Office also oversees the Metrolist, a clearinghouse for income-restricted housing opportunities in Boston and neighboring communities. The office also hosts evening clinics to offer housing support for both tenants and landlords to understand their rights, resources available to them and to work to prevent eviction filings.  The Office also partners with the Community Dispute Settlement Center to provide mediation for landlord-tenant conflicts.

As part of the Administration's commitment to preventing displacement, Mayor Walsh also filed a legislative package to the State Legislature that includes anti-displacement proposals. They include measures that would allow tenants and non-profits the right of first refusal to purchase properties subject to foreclosure or short sale; the right to counsel for tenants in housing court; protections for senior tenants; and the creation of a state income tax credit for renting unsubsidized units at below market rates. Mayor Walsh has publicly testified at the State House to support passage of these proposals. 

This report is part of the Walsh Administration's commitment to creating more affordable housing in Boston, and ensuring families are able to stay in their homes. To date, the Walsh Administration has committed more than $206 million in funding to the creation and preservation of affordable housing. Today's announcement builds on the City's preservation and anti-displacement goals, outlined in Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, Mayor Walsh's housing plan, with a focus on preserving and creating  affordable housing.

星期三, 12月 25, 2019

紐英崙養生舞協會歡慶聖誕

紐英崙養生舞協會學員合影。(黃周麗桃提供)
(Boston Orange)紐英崙養生舞協會2019年的聖誕歡聚,格外熱鬧,數十名會員和多名嘉賓在紐英崙中華公所大廳歡聚一堂,唱歌,跳舞,抽獎,聚餐,為又一年的健康,平安,快樂感恩。
紐英崙養生舞協會創辦人周美桃(右一),其姊黃周麗桃(左三)和嘉賓
合影。右二起,波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉,波士頓經文處處長
徐佑典,中華公所員工鄺坤珍,全美台灣同鄉聯誼會總會長馬滌凡。
(黃周麗桃提供)
紐英崙養生舞協會創辦人周美桃在丈夫馬偉輝,姊姊黃周麗桃及姊夫黃國麟的支持下,已一連8年免費教學,參加活動的學員們,不但學到強身健體怯病的運動、舞蹈、音樂,還得到和志同道合者交流,聯誼的機會,生活因此更加豐富。
養生舞協會成員合影。(黃周麗桃提供)
2019的聖誕歡聚,別具特色,是因為在會員們自己安排的演唱天滿月圓等歌曲,請來阮鴻燦扮聖誕老人增加氣氛外,還請到了駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典,波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉,以及全美台灣同鄉聯誼會總會長馬滌凡做嘉賓,出席同樂。他們帶到會場的禮物,紅包,讓人人有獎的抽獎環節有了更多的驚喜,歡呼。
養生舞協會成員練舞。(黃周麗桃提供)
皇后養津堂的老闆Amy,徵得協會同意,這天特意帶了罐裝鮑魚,現場烹煮,分享,以支持社區活動,也讓更多人認識該企業。




(黃周麗桃提供)

養生舞協會成員和經文處處長徐佑典合影。
(黃周麗桃提供)

抽獎。(黃周麗桃提供)

唱歌。(黃周麗桃提供)

歡聚一堂。(黃周麗桃提供)

星期一, 12月 23, 2019

Hamel-Lydon Chapel’s Seminar Series “Eye Health Matters”

Hamel-Lydon Chapel’s Seminar Series “Eye Health Matters”

QUIINCY, MA - Hamel-Lydon Chapel & Cremation Service of Massachusetts 安泰殯儀館 will offer a seminar on “Eye Health As We Age” at the Kennedy Center, 440 East Squantum Street in North Quincy on Monday, January 13, 2020 from 1:00-2:00pm. Dr. James P. Hahn, O.D., Ph.D., Optometrist at Atrius Health will lead us on a discussion on how vision and ocular health change with aging, how to best promote eye health and deal with various degrees of vision loss.  All are welcome to attend this seminar free of charge. Please RSVP to the Quincy Council on Aging at (617)376-1506. 

MAYOR WALSH SIGNS LOCAL WETLAND ORDINANCE

MAYOR WALSH SIGNS LOCAL WETLAND ORDINANCE 
Ordinance builds on the Walsh Administration's work to protect Boston against the impacts of climate change, and promote climate resiliency throughout the city 



BOSTON - Monday, December 23, 2019 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today signed the City of Boston Local Wetland Ordinance, an ordinance unanimously approved by the Boston City Council last week with the goal of taking another step to protect Boston against the impacts of climate change, and promote climate resiliency throughout the City. The Local Wetlands Ordinance gives the City greater authority to protect its wetlands, which are crucial to controlling flooding and protecting Boston's neighborhoods and green space. The ordinance directs the Boston Conservation Commission to consider future climate impacts like rising sea levels in applications for new developments, construction, or special events. This ordinance is stricter than statewide standards, and will help Boston protect its natural areas for years to come. 

"This ordinance gives us greater power to protect our wetlands in the face of a changing climate," said Mayor Walsh. "We're using natural green space to protect our neighborhoods from storms, floods and heat waves. Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and this ordinance shows what we can accomplish when we work together, securing a strong, resilient future for Boston. This work has been a priority for my Administration, and I'm proud to sign this important ordinance with our partners today."

Previously, the Conservation Commission followed only the Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act, which requires that any work proposed in a wetland resource area or within 100 feet of those areas be reviewed and issued a permit by the Conservation Commission. Under the new ordinance, standards will be stricter than state law. The City ordinance will now protect isolated vegetated wetlands, vernal pools and vernal pool habitat. The ordinance establishes a Waterfront Area which will serve as a buffer zone and allow for the implementation of the Mayor's Resilient Boston Harbor Plan, as well as allow for the creation of Flood Resilience Zones expected to be aligned with the Boston Planning & Development Agency's flood overlay district.

"As a coastal city, Boston is extremely vulnerable to the threat of climate change with rising sea levels," said City Councilor Matt O'Malley and Chairman of the Environment, Sustainability and Parks Committee. "Policies such as this one ensure that we are protecting our current natural resource areas and local wetlands, while reducing impacts of global climate change."

"This ordinance is a big step toward regulating development to match the scale and urgency of our climate vulnerability," said Boston City Councilor At-Large Michelle Wu. "Boston should be taking every possible action to fight climate change, and I'm proud to have worked with community leaders to advance progress for climate justice." 

"Boston is viewed nationally and internationally as a leader in addressing the effects of climate change and the new local wetlands ordinance is an important tool in protecting and enhancing the City's valuable wetlands resource areas, which serve as important protections against sea level rise," said Michael Parker, Chair of the Conversation Commission. "The City is already seeing the effects of climate change and the ordinance will advance the goals of Climate Ready Boston by defending against sea level rise and strengthening floodplain protections. The Conservation Commission is eager to integrate the new ordinance into this important work." 
 
The major changes under the ordinance include giving the Conservation Commission authority to fully protect wetland resources including isolated vegetated wetlands, vernal pools and vernal pool habitat. These habitats are of critical importance because they provide many critical ecological services including the storage and filtration of stormwater, oxygen production, housing native plants and providing wildlife habitat.

The ordinance also allows the Commission to develop standards for projects in the floodplain to ensure future residents are protected from flooding, expressly directs the Commission to consider climate change, sea level rise, and climate resiliency in reviewing applications, and develop performance standards to ensure the City is adequately protected from those effects. 

Flood Resilience Zones are a new, additional layer of protection that will be established through the Ordinance. These Zones will protect residents who could become subject to the impacts of climate change. This additional protection will require projects within the Flood Resilience Zone to go through Conservation Commission review, preparing homes and businesses for future flooding events. The Flood Resilience Zones will be further defined within the regulations and adopted by the Commission. They are expected to be aligned with the Boston Planning & Development Agency and the 2070 Climate Ready Boston maps.

"This ordinance will continue to support Resilient Boston Harbor, the Mayor's vision for enhancing the waterfront and our city's natural spaces while protecting our neighborhoods," said Chris Cook, Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space. "Wetlands are a critically important component of this because they store and filter groundwater while acting as a buffer against storms and floods. With this ordinance, we are that much closer to achieving a connected and protective waterfront."

"The ordinance provides a critical foundation for protecting and mimicking natural systems as we develop coastal protection around the city and absorb the precipitation from increasingly intense storms," said Kathy Abbott, President and CEO of Boston Harbor Now. "These consistent and forward looking regulations assure that our wetlands and wildlands are our first line of defense against climate change and continue to help keep our citizens safe."

This ordinance builds on Mayor Walsh's work to create a climate-ready, resilient Boston. In 2018 the City launched Resilient Boston Harbor, which shows how a network of accessible open spaces and climate-ready buildings and infrastructure will increase resilience to major flooding events, while also increasing access and open space area along the waterfront. Like all the City's current planning, it prepares the City for 40 inches of sea-level rise. Furthering the Mayor's vision are a series of detailed neighborhood plans for coastal resilience. Coastal resilience plans are complete for parts of East Boston and Charlestown, for South Boston, and are underway for Downtown, the North End, and Dorchester.

Earlier this month, Mayor Walsh signed an executive order requiring all new municipal buildings to target a Zero Net Carbon standard. Under the executive order, new municipal building construction must aim to be low-energy and fossil fuel-free, while meeting its annual energy needs from a mix of on- and off-site renewable energy assets. This action accelerates the City's leadership in climate action, keeping Boston on track to meet the goals outlined in the 2019 Climate Action Plan, as well as the Paris Agreement. 

In addition, earlier this year, Mayor Walsh released the Zero Waste Boston plan, which will divert at least 80 percent of the City's waste from landfills and municipal solid waste combustors by 2035. The City has begun implementing strategies, including expanding education and outreach campaigns around recycling in partnership with institutions like the New England Aquarium, and is currently developing curbside composting and textile recycling programs for residents.
 
In his FY2020 budget, Mayor Walsh nearly tripled the City's investment in Greenovate Boston to expand outreach to Boston residents and support community-level climate action. Since the investment, Greenovate launched a climate action guide for Boston residents to reduce their carbon footprint at home, at work, in school and in the city. Beginning this month, the City will host a series of trainings and dialogues throughout the community on climate change.

For more information, please visit boston.gov/environment

星期五, 12月 13, 2019

2020麻州所得稅降至5%


 Baker-Polito Administration Announces Massachusetts Income Tax Rate Dropping to 5% on January 1, 2020

Statutory income tax lowering process now completed


BOSTON — The Baker-Polito Administration today announced that the state’s Part B individual income tax rate will be reduced from 5.05% to 5% effective January 1, 2020. This upcoming tax cut represents the conclusion of the statutory process laid out in a 2002 state law to lower the income tax rate to 5% based on certain state revenue milestones, and will return $88 million in Fiscal Year 2020 and approximately $185 million in Fiscal Year 2021 to taxpayers.

“Starting in January, the income tax rate will be the lowest it has been in decades, allowing Massachusetts taxpayers to be able to keep more of their hard-earned money,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our Administration is working to keep the Commonwealth’s economy strong while maintaining fiscal discipline and now we are finally making happen what voters called for almost 20 years ago.”

“We are pleased that the necessary revenue benchmarks have been met and the income tax rate is being fully reduced to 5%,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “This tax cut reflects steady economic growth and will provide a well-deserved break to Massachusetts workers.”

The 2002 law provides that for each tax year in which certain inflation-adjusted baseline revenue growth requirements are met, the income tax rate will be reduced by increments of 0.05 percentage points until the rate reaches 5%. The legislation replaced a tax rate reduction schedule that had passed by ballot initiative in November 2000.

“Consistent increases in state revenue are triggering this final income tax rate reduction,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan. “This is excellent news for Massachusetts taxpayers, and it was incorporated into our assumptions for FY21 so there is no change in our revenue outlook.”

Part B income includes wages, salary, and many other forms of income, including self-employment income; business, professional and farm income; S corporation distributions; and rental income from personal property. The rate associated with Part B income is also applied to several other income categories, including interest and dividends and most long-term capital gains.

There are five revenue tests that determine whether a rate reduction is required, beginning with growth in revenue over the previous fiscal year, and including a series of four additional growth measures. If any one of the incremental tests is not met, the rate reduction does not proceed. With DOR’s certification of the most recent revenue measure, all five tests in 2019 have now been met.

The rate reduction was last triggered on Jan. 1, 2019, when it dropped from 5.10% to 5.05%. Previous rate reductions included:
o   Jan. 1, 2012 (rate reduced from 5.3% to 5.25%)
o   Jan. 1, 2014 (rate reduced from 5.25% to 5.2%)
o   Jan. 1, 2015 (rate reduced from 5.2% to 5.15%)
o   Jan. 1, 2016 (rate reduced from 5.15% to 5.10)

The state budget for Fiscal 2020 accounted for the income tax rate change, which is projected to reduce tax revenue by approximately $88 million in Fiscal Year 2020 and approximately $185 million in Fiscal Year 2021.

By statute, the state charitable deduction will also be re-instituted effective the following tax year, or January 1, 2021, because of this income tax rate reduction. The estimated cost is $64 million in FY21 due to this change, and approximately $300 million on a full fiscal year basis.

星期二, 12月 10, 2019

真的一票之差 波士頓不分區市議員仍是Julia Mejia當選

茱莉亞梅佳(Julia Mejia)。(檔案照片,周菊子攝)
               (Boston Orange編譯)每一票,都重要。是真的。波士頓今年的市議員選舉成了擺在眼前的事實,一名不分區市議員候選人在重新計票後,真的以一票之多,贏了。

             第一次參選公職的茱莉亞梅佳(Julia Mejia),以22,492票,僅比亞莉珊卓古倫(Alejandra St. Guillen)22,491票多一票的票數,贏得波士頓市四席不分區市議員席位中的第四席。
            這是波士頓市選舉委員會經過一連三天,重新計算67,011選票後,129日,週一時宣佈的結果。古倫很可能再上法庭,提出挑戰。
亞莉珊卓古倫(Alejandra St. Guillen)(左二),(檔案照片,
周菊子攝)
             11月大選結束時,計票結果是梅佳以8票領先,古倫宣佈退讓,但數日後,古倫在支持者慫恿下,要求重新計票。波士頓市選舉委員會週一重新計票,宣佈票數差距從8票縮減為一票,贏家仍是梅佳。
            重新計票時為接小孩,古倫提早離開了,但她的競選團隊表示,她們會重新檢視計票結果,以及她可有的後續動作選擇,包括是否要到州級法院挑戰這結果。
            梅佳在計票結果宣佈時,激動得眼中含淚,但仍然說,有二就有三,她們已準備好接受第三輪挑戰。她也說這真印證了她們一直在宣導的,每一票都重要。
            梅佳是多明尼加共和和國移民,社區活躍份子,也是第一個當選波士頓市議員的拉丁裔女性。
            梅佳和古倫在重新計票結果宣佈前的數小時,曾分享她們的看法,都說她倆任何一個人贏了,都是波士頓的勝利,因為她們支持彼此,有同樣的價值觀。
            今年的這場波士頓市議員選舉,十分戲劇化。在選舉夜那晚,古倫在知道她落後200多票時,宣佈退讓。然而,當晚的計票結果是她倆的差距只有10票,波士頓選務局計入暫時選票(provisional ballots)及軍人選票後,差距只剩8票。
            古倫和梅佳各自從波士頓市的22個選區收集來50個選民簽名後,都要求重新計票。
            波士頓市政府選務工作人員為此擺出20張桌子,來整理選票,計算了2天半之後,週一下午3點,才算出結果。
            古倫團隊的一名律師,Gerry McDonough要求選舉委員會重新考慮對十多張票的決定。他認為選民填寫選票的方式有問題,例如有些選票既圈選了梅佳,又同時在填寫成候選人(write-in)欄寫了梅佳的名字,依照州法,應該算無效票。
            古倫在週一晚發推特,說她們相信如果上法庭挑戰,會有足夠的未計算票可改變選舉結果。她們週二時會決定是否上法院提出挑戰。