IMAGINE BOSTON 2030 INTRODUCES FALL ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND ANNOUNCES LISTING OF ENGAGEMENT EVENTS

IMAGINE BOSTON 2030 INTRODUCES FALL ENGAGEMENT TEAM AND ANNOUNCES LISTING OF ENGAGEMENT EVENTS

BOSTON - Tuesday, September 27, 2016 - Imagine Boston 2030 today announced the creation of their new Engagement Team, building on ongoing engagement efforts to reach residents in every corner of the City of Boston.  Utilizing new engagement tools to encourage interaction and hands-on involvement, including Legos, the Imagine Boston Engagement Team will visit community events in Boston neighborhoods this fall to seek feedback from residents on refined strategies for guiding equitable growth through 2030. "I am excited to launch the next iteration of Imagine Boston 2030's engagement plan to make sure that all voices are included in our planning process," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "The best way to engage with residents is in their own neighborhoods, and by bringing the conversation to them we hope for many productive discussions that will help shape our city's future."   Over the past year, Imagine Boston 2030 has engaged with more than 12,000 Bostonians, learning about their visions for Boston in 2030. After recording responses and working extensively within the community, Imagine Boston sent out a call to action in early September requesting community organizations throughout Boston to host the team at local events, and received a high volume of positive responses. "We are excited to get Bostonians' input on how we should collectively shape Boston's future for 2030," said Rebekah Emanuel, Executive Director of Imagine Boston 2030. "The Legos make the choices we are looking at together both concrete and hands-on." At these events, Imagine Boston plans to host activities and discussions to engage with the attendees. These programs include:  Requests for resident input on areas where Boston can grow; A presentation on types of ways to protect the Boston waterfront from the impacts of climate change; An all-ages Lego activity to demonstrate key issues Imagine Boston is addressing The current schedule of events is planned for the coming weeks, and Imagine Boston will add more as requests are received. To add your event listing, please click here. All events are free and open to the public. The Engagement Team will be at events all around Boston from September 27-October 30, 2016.  A full calendar listing can be found here, and current event details are included below:  NEIGHBORHOOD DATE TIME LOCATION ADDRESS Allston Wed., Sept. 28 5-8 pm Aeronaut Beer Garden 267 Western Ave. Fri., Oct. 28 3-7pm Harvard Allston Farmers' Market 224 Western Ave. Back Bay Tues., Oct. 11 3-6pm Copley Square Farmers' Market 560 Boylston St. Tues., Oct. 18 3:15-5:15pm Girl Scouts Meeting 107 Marlborough St. Brighton Sun., Oct. 16 10am-12:30 pm Oaktoberfest 5K Oak Square YMCA Charlestown Wed., Oct. 5 2-4 pm Charlestown Farmers' Market Main Street & Austin Street Chinatown/Leather District Wed., Oct. 5 6:30-8 pm Chinese Residents Association Monthly Meeting 885 Washington St. Dorchester Fri., Sept. 30 3-7 pm Ashmont Peabody Farmers' Market 1900 Dorchester Ave. Sun., Oct. 9 11am-2pm Dorchester Irish Festival Florian Hall Fri., Oct. 14 11am-3pm Boston Job Fair BCYF Grove Hall Community Center, 51 Geneva Ave. Downtown Tues., Sept. 27 6-7 p.m. Mayor's Youth Council Meeting 1 City Hall Square Wed., Sept. 28 11am-2 pm HUBWeek's "Housing the Hub" Rowes Wharf Plaza Thu., Sept. 29 6-8pm pARTy on the Greenway (HUBweek) Ring Fountain, Rowes Wharf Mon., Oct. 3 6-8pm SPARK Council Meeting District Hall Mon., Oct. 17 7:30-9 pm Meeting of Downtown Residents Suffolk Law Library East Boston Sat., Oct. 1 10am-2pm East Boston Social Center Health & Wellness Fair 68 Central Sq. Wed., Oct. 12 3-6:30 pm East Boston Farmers' Market 209 Summer St. Fenway Coming Soon Hyde Park Mon., Oct. 24 6:30-8 pm Wakefield Washington Citizens Group Meeting Boston Police Academy, 85 Williams Ave. Jamaica Plain Coming soon Mattapan Sat., Oct. 1 10 am-1pm Mattapan Square Farmers Market 525 River St. Fri., Oct. 7 3-7pm ReVision Urban Farm Stand 1062-1068 Blue Hill Ave. Sat., Oct. 15 1-3:30pm Love Your Block 5 Mildred Ave. Wed., Oct. 19 7-8pm Mattapan/ Dorchester Civic Association Meeting Mission Hill Tues., Oct. 25 4-7pm Mission Hill Farmers' Market Roxbury Crossing MBTA T Station North End Mon., Oct. 10 12-4 pm Columbus Park Fall Festival Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park Roslindale Sun., Oct. 2 2:30 - 4:30 pm Roslindale Parade Fallon Field Sat., Oct. 8 9-1:30pm Roslindale Farmers' Market Adams Park Roxbury Mon., Sept. 26 5:30-8pm Roxbury Innovation Showcase Roxbury Innovation Center, 2300 Washington St. Tues., Oct. 4 11am-2pm Hispanic Heritage Luncheon Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center Thur., Oct. 6 2-4pm Gateway Outdoor Summer Series Ruggles Plaza (SW Corridor) Thu., Oct. 6 5:30-7:30 p.m. Nuestra Comunidad 35th Anniversary Festival Dudley Square Wed., Oct. 26 11am-3pm Boston Job Fair BCYF Shelburne Community Center Sat., Oct. 29 11am-8pm BuildBPS Open House Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St. Sun., Oct. 30 11am-8pm BuildBPS Open House Bolling Building, 2300 Washington St. South Boston Mon., Oct. 3 12-3 pm South Boston Farmers' Market 446 W Broadway Wed., Oct. 5 5:30-8pm District Hall Cafe Nights 75 Northern Ave. Thu., Oct. 6 10am-1pm Mayor's Walk with Elderly Commission 1005 Columbia Rd. South End Sat., Oct. 8 6-9 pm Future Arts Fest Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St. West Roxbury Thu., Sept. 29 7:30 - 9 pm Imagine West Roxbury 1885 Centre St. Residents are encouraged to share their ideas and connect with Imagine Boston 2030 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #ImagineBoston.

Massachusetts Named Most Energy Efficient State for Sixth Consecutive Year

Massachusetts Named Most Energy Efficient State for Sixth Consecutive Year

Shares Top Spot with California on American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Scorecard

BOSTON – September 27, 2016 –The Baker-Polito Administration today announced that the Commonwealth has been named the most energy efficient state in the nation by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for the sixth consecutive year. This year, Massachusetts is joined by California at the top of ACEEE’s annual scorecard that ranks states on their energy efficiency policies and programs. Earlier today Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Judith Judson joined her California counterpart, Commissioner Andrew McAllister of the California Energy Commission, on a national conference call to announce the 2016 ACEEE State Energy Efficiency Scorecard.

“The Commonwealth continues to lead the nation in energy efficiency, which remains the most cost effective method of reducing ratepayer costs and lowering emissions,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The recently signed comprehensive energy diversification legislation will build upon our nation leading success by providing new opportunities to embrace clean energy and energy efficiency.”

“From combined heat and power to electric vehicles and energy storage, our administration is committed to embracing innovative technologies and policies that will continue to allow us to build a resilient, clean and affordable energy future,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Our continued success in this ranking wouldn’t be possible without our policies that support energy efficiency as a way to reduce energy costs and address challenges like peak demand and building a flexible, resilient energy grid.”

The ACEEE Scorecard measures states on six categories of energy efficiency policy and programs, including utility programs, transportation, building energy codes, combined heat and power, state government policies, and appliance standards. Contributing to Massachusetts’ ongoing leadership is its utility-run nation-leading energy efficiency programs. The Baker-Polito Administration recently announced that the state’s 2013-2015 Three-Year Plan Energy Efficiency Plan exceeded its savings goals and set a new savings record in 2015. The current 2016-2018 Three-Year Plan, approved earlier in 2016, sets nation-leading goals for energy savings, with goals of 2.94% of electric sales and 1.24% of gas sales.

“As we look to our clean energy future, Massachusetts’ ambitious current Three-Year Energy Efficiency Plan is a clear commitment to ensuring that we continue to lead the nation on energy efficiency,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “We are committed to building upon our longstanding partnership with utilities to ensure that all ratepayers, from residential and commercial to low-income, are able to access greater energy efficiency.”

“The Commonwealth continues to lead by example in embracing energy efficiency in state operations, from LEED certified state building requirements to providing technical assistance for government to maximize the energy savings benefits of performance contracting,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson.  “Additionally, by adopting the most recent national model building energy code and the Massachusetts’ stretch code, we’ve given our construction industry and local municipalities the tools they need to continue to incorporate energy efficiency into the next generation of buildings.”

The 2016 ACEEE scorecard recognized the continued leadership of the Commonwealth on embracing energy efficiency in state operations and facilities. Massachusetts currently has over 55 state buildings across 29 state agencies that have achieved LEED certification recognizing advanced energy and environmental design. The LEED standard, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), awards certifications in Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels for clean energy, energy efficiency and environmental design integration. Over 60% of the state certified buildings are certified at the top two levels of Gold or Platinum.

“Massachusetts has led the nation in energy efficiency for the past six years. This year the Bay State showed continued commitment reducing energy waste by increasing its savings targets for utilities to close to 3%, the highest in the nation,” said ACEEE Executive Director Steven Nadel. “By setting ambitious goals, Massachusetts helps keeps energy bills low for residents and businesses, fosters economic opportunity, and ensures a cleaner and more resilient energy future for the state.”

In July, the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards voted unanimously to adopt the latest national model building energy code together with a streamlined update to the Massachusetts stretch energy code. This code update keeps the Commonwealth on the leading edge in adopting the latest national model energy code, allowing Massachusetts to attain full points in this ACEEE Scorecard category, as well as offering towns and cities the opportunity to adopt a stretch energy code. To date 178 municipalities have elected to adopt the Stretch energy code, a key component of receiving a “Green Communities” designation. 

“Certainly we are making great strides toward energy efficiency and a brighter renewable energy future,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce E. Tarr (R-Gloucester). “This rating confirms our progress, and should motivate us to continue moving in a positive direction.”

“Massachusetts’ designation as the nation’s most energy efficient state by the ACEEE is a testament to the strong leadership the Baker-Polito Administration has demonstrated on this issue,” said House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading).  “With the recent signing of a comprehensive energy diversity bill, the adoption of a new Three-Year Energy Efficiency Plan, and other environmental initiatives promoted by the Governor’s office, the Commonwealth is well-positioned to continue to lead the way in providing consumers with access to clean, reliable and affordable energy sources.”

“Energy efficiency brings great benefits to our Commonwealth, both by saving ratepayers money and providing clean energy jobs,” said Representative Thomas A. Golden, Jr. (D-Lowell), Chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy.  “I applaud the administration’s work with the utilities and the energy efficiency advisory council.  In addition, the recently signed energy legislation not only includes a commercial property assessed clean energy program, but also contains provisions regarding energy storage and fuel cells, allowing us to utilize our existing resources to the fullest extent possible.”  

The recently signed comprehensive energy diversification legislation includes support for commercial ratepayers by establishing a commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program. The PACE program, facilitated by MassDevelopment and the Department of Energy Resources, will enable commercial and industrial property owners across the state to finance comprehensive energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades that are repaid through a property tax assessment on their building.

台灣經濟部攬才團請各界善用Contact Taiwan

經濟部投資業務處副處長王劍平(左)送禮物給駐波士頓台北經濟
文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，感謝他接待攬才團。(周菊子攝)

經文處處長賴銘琪(右)和道會的哈佛大學醫學院魏曉英博士交換
聯絡資訊。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 臺灣經濟部投資業務處與外貿協會率廠商及機構代表，9月26日到波士頓舉辦攬才洽談會。波士頓經文處經濟組長石大玲稱波士頓為生化、金融重鎮，建議攬才團每年都來波士頓。

            駐波士頓經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪為確保來自台灣的年輕人都知道，善用這一機會，25日晚在波士頓龍鳳酒樓設宴，以龍蝦餐為攬才團接風，並邀請台商會，專業人員協會及同學會代表等出席。

            經濟部投資業務處王劍平副處長率領的「2016年美國攬才團」，今年走訪矽谷，波士頓兩地。波士頓這一站，有鴻海精密，廣達電腦，信邦電子，台新金控，益邦製藥，台新金控，工業技術研究院，資訊工業策進會等逾14家廠商參加，帶來100多個職位。

            設址麻州的北美祥茂企業(醫療器材)，E-Ink，以及紐約的金石娛樂等美國本地公司，也都派人到場面試。

經文處經濟組組長石大玲說明台灣攬才團9月26日在劍橋市Le Meridien
酒店的Hunsaker Ballroom舉行。(周菊子攝)

            經文處處長賴銘琪表示，波士頓的金融業佔全美27%，生物科技業在全美排名數一，數二，攬才團到波士頓，絕對是明智選擇。

李政欣博士分享他對台灣攬才團應關注事項的意見。

            王劍平指出，台灣的經濟及企業發展現正面對少子化，人才外流等挑戰，政府因而訂定「攬才」、「競才」、「留才」等三大策略。攬才分兩部分，一是針對台灣五大創新產業等，向歐美尋求高科技人才，一是新南向政策，需要會當地語言的各方面人才。台灣政府為加速攬才效果，也已於今年6月18日設立了”聯絡台灣(Contact Taiwan)”，http://www.contacttaiwan.tw/main/index.aspx?lang=2，這能夠發揮自動媒合功能的網站，現在已有800多家企業，3000多人才在這平台上交流。

            中華經濟研究院所長陳信宏曾經和當年的次長尹啟銘一起到波士頓攬才。如今台灣的政治、經濟都有變化，人才需求也略不同於以往。他以”台灣轉型契機，人才商機舞台”為主題做了闡述。

在麻省理工學院念企管碩士的廖威宣指出來自台灣，在美國念過
MBA的人，已在網上組成群組，可以幫攬才團做很多事。

            陳信宏表示，根據InterNations，台灣對外籍人士來說是最好的國家。英國大廠到台灣建研發中心，日本高鐵要走進國際，找台灣做夥伴等，都是台灣軟實力的證明。目前台灣的新產業政策是5+2，包括綠能科技，亞洲矽谷，生技醫療，智慧機械，國防產業，以及關注農業科技與食品安全的新農業，關注6R經濟永續發展模式的循環經濟。新南向政策則是要開發互利共贏的新合作模式。

            在鏈接矽谷上，台灣有意向物聯網做包括軟硬體的全面轉型升級發展，希望仿效矽谷或麻州128公路精神，來強化台灣的努力和國內外連結。

            陳信宏指出，台灣生技產業經過廿，三十年來的發展，已經進入收割期，台灣在國內外進行臨床階段的產品，已高達158項，獲得美國FDA許可進入臨床實驗的廠商新藥也有73項。

麻省理工學院媒體實驗室的鄭昭仁分享看法。

            台灣還在打造創新綠能科技園區，已訂在台南沙崙建研發中心。台灣也因離岸風力發電廣受矚目，正在發展千架海陸風力機計畫。

            為了”讓人才走進來，留下來”，台灣也推出許多政策，包括設立連接海內外的攬才窗口，發創業家簽證，放寬僑生居留就業條件等。

            經文處經濟組組長石大玲指出，他到波士頓五年多以來，這才是第二次接待攬才團，希望攬才團今後每年都來波士頓，才能奠定台灣攬才這品牌的名聲，更有效的吸引大波士頓的各類人才。

            E-Ink公司投資管理長張嗣源，祥茂企業副董事長黎煥忠，企業項目主任林朝仲，麻省理工學院媒體實驗室研究員鄭昭仁，企管碩士研究生廖威宣，創辦了電子醫療病歷公司的陳立洋等人，當晚分別為台灣將來攬才進言。

經濟組組長石大玲(立者)介紹邀請到會的本地社團首長，波克萊台灣
商會會長蘇鴻昌(坐者左二)等人。

經文處處長賴銘琪強調攬才團這類活動，他儘量邀請年輕人出席。

BPS Celebrates Twelve Schools Rising to Level 1 Status in New DESE Accountability Data

BPS Celebrates Twelve Schools Rising to Level 1 Status in New DESE Accountability Data

District reaches a major milestone as 46 schools are designated in the state's top two tiers

Boston, MA. - Monday, September 26, 2016 - Working toward closing the achievement gap in the Boston Public Schools, several schools around the city demonstrated improved performance in various key assessments, according to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's 2016 accountability results. Altogether, 12 schools in the Boston Public Schools system this year rose to top Level 1 status for meeting assessment targets, bringing the total number of BPS schools presently in that top accountability level to 21. In addition, BPS now has 25 schools designated as Level 2. The combined 46 schools in either Level 1 and 2 are the most for the district since 2012.   The newly designated Level 1 schools include: Boston Arts Academy, Boston International and Newcomers Academy (BINcA), Bradley Elementary, Fenway High, Harvard/Kent Elementary, Umana Academy, McKay K-8, Mildred Avenue K-8, Mozart Elementary, New Mission High, Otis Elementary, and Quincy Elementary. "Our top priority is creating a public school system that gives all of our young people an opportunity to succeed," Mayor Martin J. Walsh said. "I am proud of the improvements we have made across so many of our schools as a result of the hard work of our students, teachers and staff. We will continue working everyday so that every single one of our schools has the resources to prepare our students for a bright future." Six schools moved from Level 3 to Level 1, the state's top accountability designation for schools: Boston Arts Academy, the city's public high school for the visual and performing arts, experienced strong gains in the performance of Hispanic/Latino students, who outperformed 94% of students in similar schools statewide in English Language Arts (ELA)  and 92% of students in Math. Boston International Newcomers Academy, a Dorchester high school, achieved an increase of 7.8 points over the past year in ELA in the Composite Performance Index (CPI), which measures the performance of a given group of students. This helped boost the school's proficiency rate in ELA by 23 percentage points, from 66 percent to 89 percent. Harvard/Kent, a Charlestown elementary school, increased its overall CPI in ELA by 11.9 points and its overall Math CPI by 10.1 points. In ELA, every student subgroup experienced "high" levels of growth, indicated by a median Student Growth Percentile (SGP) of 60 or higher. McKay, a K-8 school in East Boston, increased its overall CPI in ELA by 10 points and its overall Science CPI by 13.6 points. Every student subgroup in this school similarly experienced "high" levels of growth. Mildred Avenue, a Mattapan K-8 school, continued to meet performance targets for all students and the high-needs student group for the second year in a row. Mozart, a Roslindale elementary school, was formally commended by the state for narrowing proficiency gaps. In ELA, the "all students" subgroup experienced an exceptionally "high" level of growth, achieving a median SGP of 70. The overall CPI for every subgroup increased by more than 10 points, with economically disadvantaged students showing the greatest gain, moving up 16.8 points to 85.2. "Our most improved schools are serving some of our most vulnerable populations, which shows that Boston Public Schools is a leader in this work," Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael O'Neill said. "Our teachers in all of our schools are fearless in tackling challenges and doing everything possible to close the opportunity and achievement gaps." Guided by BPS' three core values of equity, coherence and innovation, schools are continuing to find ways to support students throughout the district. "Our schools are empowering talented teams of educators who consistently collaborate to ensure every student succeeds," BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang said. "Our newly designated Level 1 schools serve as bright spots for the district as we enhance student achievement." PARCC, MCAS, and ACCESS Scores The district also saw improvement in its PARCC, MCAS, and ACCESS scores. The English Language Arts proficiency rates for all 10th-grade BPS students on MCAS improved to 83 percent, part of a promising 19-percentage point increase since 2009. Proficiency rates improved across most subgroups, including economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners (ELLs), and students with disabilities. The increase in the percentage of ELLs scoring Proficient or Advanced on MCAS jumped 7 percentage points in 2016 to 58 percent, making the proficiency rate 42 percentage points higher than in 2009. In addition, 61 percent of ELLs made progress toward attaining English language proficiency, as measured by preliminary results from the ACCESS for ELLs Assessment. The median student growth percentile for ACCESS (SGPA) was 60 in 2016, indicating "high growth," continuing an upward trend of a 50 SGPA in 2014 and 54 in 2015. Grade 10 Black and Hispanic students also experienced gains in 10th-grade ELA MCAS in the 2015-16 school year, helping to close the achievement gap. The proficiency achievement gap in ELA between White and Latino students shrunk from 16 percentage points in 2015 to 10 percentage points in 2016, while the gap between White and African American/Black students narrowed from 15 percentage points to 7 percentage points during that same period. In the lower grades, the district also continued an improvement trend. The percentage of grade 3-8 students in the district "meeting" or "exceeding expectations" on PARCC increased from the prior year, rising to 40 percent in ELA and 37 percent in Mathematics. More School Accountability Results While a number of BPS schools have made significant strides, some have experienced setbacks. DESE has chosen to move Brighton High School and Excel High School in South Boston into Level 4 status, which will require the Superintendent and his team to develop turnaround plans for rapid improvement at both schools. The Mattahunt Elementary School in Mattapan has been deemed "Level 4 -- under review." Mattahunt has been in Level 4 status for the past three years and has not experienced the rapid improvement necessary in order to exit that status. The district awaits further communication from DESE Commissioner Mitchell Chester and his team regarding next steps. The English High School, which had made significant gains in MCAS scores in the 2014-15 school year, did not improve enough this past school year to exit Level 4 status. The state moved the school into underperforming status in 2010. Any Level 4 designation is at the discretion of the DESE commissioner. Additionally, the accountability levels for Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy, and Clap Innovation School dropped from Level 1 to Level 2 because each school tested less than 95 percent of students in one or more student subgroups, in one or more subjects. In order for a school to be classified as Level 1 - in addition to meeting gap-narrowing targets for all students and "high needs" student groups -  the test participation rate for all groups in the school must be 95 percent or higher. For Boston Latin School, White students had test participation rates of 94 percent in ELA and 93 percent in Mathematics. The low participation rate for the White student subgroup in both subjects is primarily due to 13 students whose parents/guardians requested that their children be opted out from PARCC testing and two students who were absent during PARCC testing due to medical reasons. At Boston Latin Academy, students with disabilities had a PARCC test participation rate of 97 percent in ELA and 90 percent in Mathematics. The low participation rate is due to absences from three out of 29 students in the students with disabilities group. For the Clap School, two out of 29 students did not take the PARCC ELA test, resulting in a 93 percent assessment participation rate, which is below the 95 percent threshold. Boston Public Schools has formally appealed to DESE to reconsider the lower classifications of Boston Latin School and Boston Latin Academy, at the request of those schools.

新英格蘭台灣學聯BBQ