台學聯迎新烤肉250人大會合

新英格蘭地區台灣同學會聯合會（FTSANE）日前在水城兵工廠公園（Arsenal Park)烤肉迎新，將近250名來自十幾所本地大專院校的學生，寒暄問候，熱絡交流，處處歡聲笑語，人人開懷十分。

台學聯今年的會長，是身材嬌小玲瓏，在波士頓學院修讀臨床社工的李慧真。她這天扎著馬尾，穿著紅白相間的小蓬裙，在滿場人頭湧湧的同學中穿梭，十分可愛。

她透露，今年報名參加的人太踴躍，以致門票一早售罄，有些人沒能及時買到票，學聯幹部們感到很抱歉。

去年的台學聯會長，東北大學的林俞安，更前一屆副會長，已從布蘭岱斯大學畢業，目前在鴻海集團工作的樊長鑫等人，當天也都出席燒烤會。他倆感慨學生的流動性真的很大，放眼望去，幾乎全是新人。

由於水城兵工廠公園當天太受歡迎，台學聯還和波士頓清華大學校友會共用了一部分場地，也讓李慧真，馬儀庭等一眾學聯幹部及烤肉義工，煞費腦筋的安排分頭烤肉。

有部分同學見到一桶桶地的肉，有的棕黃，有的豔紅，詫異十分，探問之後才知道，一種是醬料醃的，一種加了紅麴，帶有甜味，上架火烤之後，香飄十里，引來排隊人龍。

台學聯為了幫助新生們認識朋友，現場玩的遊戲之一是要取得當天認識新朋友的簽名。

台學聯迎新烤肉這天，經文處教育組組長黃薳玉，秘書黃瑋婷，關心學生的波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文，紐英崙中華專業人員協會的前後任董事會董事長王世輝，張重華也都特地出席，和同學們交流，回答有關在紐英崙地區生活概況，求學要訣等一應問題。

台學聯表示，該會主要靠臉書聯繫，歡迎同學們到臉書上找他們https://www.facebook.com/groups/ftsane。

圖片說明：

            新英格蘭地區台灣同學會聯合會（FTSANE）大合照。（菊子攝）

            台學聯會長李慧真（右二），請長輩，右一起，波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文，經文處教育組組長黃薳玉，紐英崙中華專業人員協會前任董事長王世輝夫婦等人合影。（菊子攝）

HHS awards more than $295 million in Affordable Care Act funds to increase access to primary care at health centers

HHS awards more than $295 million in Affordable Care Act funds to increase access to primary care at health centers Funding creates an estimated 4,750 new jobs; Helps newly insured access care

Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell announced today $295 million in Affordable Care Act funding to 1,195 health centers in every U.S. State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Basin to expand primary care services. Today’s awards enable  health centers to increase access to comprehensive primary health care services by hiring an estimated 4,750 new staff including new health care providers, staying open for longer hours, and expanding the care they provide to include new services such as oral health, behavioral health, pharmacy, and vision services.  These investments will help health centers reach an estimated 1.5 million new patients nationwide, including over 137,000 oral health patients and more than 38,000 mental and substance abuse patients. “Health centers are a key part of how the Affordable Care Act is working to improve access to care for millions of Americans,” said Secretary Burwell. “These funds will enable health centers to provide high-quality primary health care to more people including the newly insured, many of whom may be accessing primary care for the first time.” Health centers are helping to implement the Affordable Care Act, not only as providers of care but also by linking individuals to coverage through outreach and enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace.  Recent statistics show that health centers provided enrollment assistance to more than 6 million people over the last year. “Health centers provide comprehensive primary and preventive services in their communities” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. “Today’s awards will be used to expand access to care, to the people that need it most.” Today, nearly 1,300 health centers operate more than 9,200 service delivery sites that provide care to over 21.7 million patients. Since the start of this Administration, health centers have increased the number of patients served by health centers by more than 4.5 million people. To see a list of award winners, visit www.hrsa.gov/about/news/2014tables/expandedservices/. To learn more about the Affordable Care Act and Community Health Centers, visithttp://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/healthcenterfactsheet.pdf. To learn more about HRSA’s Community Health Center Program, visithttp://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html. To find a health center in your area, visit http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

HHS Awards $3.2 million to Help Support Minority Enrollment in Health Insurance Coverage

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS), Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced $3.2 million in grant awards to 13 organizations to help support health coverage enrollment of racial and ethnic minorities.  The Partnerships to Increase Coverage in Communities (PICC) Initiative will help identify, assist and educate minority populations about the Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace) and coverage opportunities made possible by the Affordable Care Act.

Because of the health care law more minorities now have access to affordable, quality health care coverage.  However, gaps in health coverage continue to persist among minority populations. Data reported in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that two out of five Latinos and one out of four African Americans are classified as uninsured.

“Racial and ethnic minorities have lower rates of health insurance coverage than the national average and stand to benefit greatly from the Affordable Care Act,” said J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and Director of the Office of Minority Health.  “Grantees under the Partnerships to Increase Coverage in Communities Initiative will play a critical role in connecting eligible, underserved minorities to coverage that meets their needs and the needs of their families.”

The PICC Initiative awards will support organizations, partnerships and coalitions in developing culturally competent and linguistically appropriate services designed to reach racial and ethnic minorities and underserved communities.  Programs funded through PICC are intended to increase minority enrollment in health insurance coverage through the Marketplace, Medicaid and CHIP.  Information on financial assistance, education and translation services to support health insurance enrollment is also funded through the PICC grant awards.

The PICC Initiative awardees are listed below:
•       AltaMed Health Services Corporation, Los Angeles, CA -- $249,898
•       Benefits Data Trust, Philadelphia, PA -- $247,268
•       Bexar County Hospital District as University Health System, San Antonio, TX -- $236,394
•       Chicago Family Health Center, Inc., Chicago, IL -- $250,000
•       Gateway to Care, Houston, TX -- $250,000
•       Jessie Trice Community Health Center, Inc., Miami, FL -- $250,000
•       My Brother’s Keeper, Inc., Ridgeland, MS -- $250,000
•       National Alliance for Hispanic Health, Washington, DC -- $248,731
•       National Association of Hispanic Nurses, Little Rock, AR -- $250,000
•       Neighborcare Health, Seattle, WA -- $242,640
•       New Hampshire Voices for Health, Concord, NH -- $241,166
•       The Dannon Project, Birmingham, AL -- $250,000
•       University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA -- $237,816

GROSSMAN ANNOUNCES UPCOMING $350 MILLION “GREEN BOND” SALE Bond Proceeds will Fund Environmentally Friendly Projects

GROSSMAN ANNOUNCES UPCOMING $350 MILLION “GREEN BOND” SALE

Bond Proceeds will Fund Environmentally Friendly Projects

Treasurer Steven Grossman announced today that his office will be selling $350 million of Green Bonds next week, with the proceeds being used to fund environmentally beneficial projects across the Commonwealth. The transaction follows in the footsteps of the Commonwealth’s 2013 Green Bond Sale, the first of its kind in the municipal bond market.

“Many investors really care about how their money is used, and last year’s demand for Green Bonds was overwhelming.  People like the idea of investing with an impact,” said Grossman. “Green Bonds give individual and institutional investors the ability to invest directly in projects that will improve the environment and have a tangible and beneficial impact.”

The bond sale, underwritten by Morgan Stanley, is expected to begin on Monday, September 15^th. Individual investors only will have the ability to place orders from Monday through Wednesday, and institutional investors will be allowed to purchase the bonds on Thursday.  The Commonwealth has identified four categories of projects that are expected to be funded from the sale:

·       Clean water & drinking water projects;

·       Energy efficiency and conservation projects in state buildings;

·        Land acquisition, open space protection & environmental remediation projects; and

·       River revitalization & preservation and habitat restoration projects.

"As a leading underwriter of green bonds and a strong supporter of the Green Bond Principles, Morgan Stanley is proud to partner with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as they break new ground in the development of environmentally‑oriented capital investments," said Tom Nides, Vice Chairman at Morgan Stanley.  "Our firm is committed to helping clients pursue sustainable investing solutions that can address social, economic and environmental challenges at scale."

In addition to those four categories, one large project has been identified that will be funded with proceeds of the Green Bond sale, the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal project.  The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal will be the first facility in the nation designed to support the construction, assembly, and deployment of offshore wind projects.  As part of construction, the project is expected to include the dredging and removal of approximately 250,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment caused by industrial waste generated during the 1930’s and 1940’s as well as the creation of environmental and habitat restoration areas.

The Green Bonds are general obligation bonds of the Commonwealth secured by the state’s full faith and credit pledge.  The bonds will be assigned the same ratings as other Massachusetts general obligation bonds. Updated ratings are expected to be released on Friday, September 12^th.

For more information on the Green Bond sale, please visit www.massbondholder.com. Please note the financing schedule is preliminary and is subject to change.

麻州、波士頓市同悼九一一

麻州州長派區克（Deval Patrick），波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh）昨（11）日分別舉行儀式，紀念十三年後仍銘記人心的“九一一”事件。

            十三年前的九月十一日這天，恐怖份子挟持兩架飛機，直撞位於紐約的世界貿易中心大樓，令三千多人失去生命，美國，甚至全世界的保護飛航安全做法，也從此改觀。

            派區克昨早在州政府大樓正門前的階梯長廊上，主持每年一度的九一一儀式，朗讀 210人的姓名，紀念和麻州有深厚關係的這些人，在那天失去了性命。

            昨日下午，派區克加入了麻州軍隊英雄基金在蘿斯甘迺迪綠路上舉行的“母親徒步行”活動，支持他們的“九一一服務項目”，和義工們一起組裝護理包，以送交正在服役的工作人員及士兵。其中有500個會交給在海外服役的士兵，500個要給麻州內無家可歸的退伍士兵。

            麻州軍隊英雄基金還在活動中收集捐款，用以幫助在持久自由行動（Operations Enduring Freedom），伊拉克自由（Iraqi Freedom），高尚老鷹（Noble Eagle）等軍事行動中喪生的軍人的家屬。

            昨晚，派區克還參加了在麻州政府大樓Ashburton公園舉行的第七屆麻州殞命消防員紀念會。今年，紀念的消防員又增加了29人。

            波士頓市長馬丁華殊表示，九月十一日這天對那些失去子女，配偶，兄弟姐妹或父母的人來說，都是個讓人情緒激動，感傷的日子，也提醒那些親人還在身邊的人，自己有多幸福，每一分鐘都值得珍惜。

            他說，那些普通人在面對恐懼，恐怖時的英勇行為故事，是震撼人心的。波士頓警察局持續保持警覺，大家也都知道，從那天起，波士頓和整個世界一樣，都從此改變了。如今，大家也都知道，在悲痛中，人們仍然抱有希望。

圖片說明：

            波士頓市長馬丁華殊（前左）協助擺放紀念花圈。（圖由波士頓市府提供，Isabela Leon攝）

            麻州長在州政府大樓前的階梯長廊上，舉行紀念九一一儀式。（圖由麻州政府提供）

            

華埠牌樓電影節今晚起連映三部功夫片

成龍在笑拳怪招中的劇照。(圖片取自ACDC網站)

(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)亞美社區發展協會（ACDC）和街道實驗室（Street Lab），電影研究者 Jean Lukitsh 合作的“華埠牌樓電影節（Film at the Gate）“，今年跨入第七屆，將於九月十二日至十四日間，在華埠牌樓旁放映三部功夫影片。

黃奕在競雄女俠秋瑾中的劇照。(圖片取自ACDC網站)

            在這三天間，每天下午六點半，先安排武術示範，音樂演奏，爆玉米花，娛樂陸續到場觀眾，接著從七點半起，依序放映“笑拳怪招”，“競雄女俠秋瑾”，“大醉俠等”等三部影片。

 鄭佩佩在大醉俠中的劇照。(圖片取自ACDC網站)

            今年的這電影節，有堡壘村租戶組織（Castle Square Tenants Organization），戴維斯廣場建築師（Davis Square Architects），祖克公司（The Drucker Company LTD ），東波士頓儲蓄銀行（East Boston Savings Bank），國際地產公司（Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation），李貝瑞嘉（Rebecca A. Lee ），梅文森（譯音，Vincent Moy），華人醫務中心（South Cove Community Health Center）等機構及個人贊助。

            九月十二日（週五）晚七點半將放映的是1979年拍成，片長 90 分鐘，由成龍，曾江導演，成龍，田俊，石天，李昆演出的喜劇動作片“笑拳怪招”。廣東話發音，有英語字幕。影片內容描述一名住在鄉下的年輕人，跟隨他的武術大師祖父學工夫，因師傅遭清廷殺害，從此勤練武功，為師傅報酬。

            九月十三日（週六）晚七點半放映2011年拍成，片長115分鐘，邱禮濤導演，黃奕，杜宇航，黃秋生，夏文汐，熊欣欣，鄭嘉穎等人主演的 “競雄女俠秋瑾“，國語發音，有英文字幕。內容為革命女烈士秋瑾在安徽省對抗清廷的波瀾壯闊一生。

            九月十四日（週日）晚七點半，放映1966年拍成，片長 95 分鐘，胡金銓執導，鄭佩佩主演的“大醉俠”。國語發音，英文字幕，邵氏兄弟出品。許多人認為這是香港電影中拍得最好的一部。

            “華埠牌樓電影節“連辦七年後，在亞美社區發展協會網站上的資料也越來越豐富。由於這一活動的發起人之一Jean Lukitsh，在波士頓華埠早年僅有的三家電影院中，擔任其中兩家的放映師，其後持續研究功夫電影，為功夫電影部落格撰文，後來還自己出書。

            亞美社區發展協會表示，因為有 Jean Lukitsh，以及許多的熱心贊助商，該會得以繼續舉辦“華埠牌樓電影節“，不但給華埠民眾一個露天免費看電影的機會，也讓許多老華僑重溫早年鄰居串門子，端個板凳，一起在屋外聊天的熱鬧。

麻州參議員 Petruccelli 出席華埠社區聯盟會議

波士頓華埠社區聯盟（TCC）昨（11）日開月會，邀來麻州參議員白楚立（Anthony Petruccelli）匯報議政概況，另排四項社團報告，並無議題討論。

            白楚立（Anthony Petruccelli）在會中同意張潔茵的談笑說法，初選結果似乎真是‘麻州要變天“，“女人出頭天”，包括競選州長的柯克莉（ Martha Coakley），競選麻州總檢察官的奚莉（Maura Healey），競選財政廳廳長的高柏珂（Deb Goldberg）都是女性。

            白楚立在匯報議政概況表示，在剛結束的為時兩年這一期議會中，他們通過了永久性雙語選票法案，家務工人法案，提高了最低時薪，修訂了濫用毒品法案，增撥一千五百萬元來提供更多服務，包括以五到十二年級學生為對象，編撰這年齡層看得懂的教育材料。白楚立表示，議會相信這樣做可把以防患於未然的打擊濫用毒品努力，帶到一個不同的層次去。

至於七月底通過的管制槍支法，容許地方警察在民眾申請持有槍枝牌照時，享有否決權，將可使得社區更安全。

昨日的出席者有人問安全駕駛法，賭場等問題，白楚利坦言，語移民有關的議題，近來都很敏感。

根據其他來源資料，華盛頓州，猶他州（Utah），新墨西哥州等都已實施安全駕駛法，一些非牟利團體今年三月也在麻州開始推動這一法案。白楚立表示，波士頓市似乎已同意這麼做，但麻州議會目前還未能通過這一法案。

在回答劉衛恆的有關動用州政府已增撥的六百多萬元，改善家居護理工人福利，包括提高時薪，准許享有支薪病假等等。白楚立坦言他不清楚該法案內容，得先花時間了解再說。

白楚立談及選舉時，還坦言他本人原本支持杜文（Warren Tolman），但在奚莉（Maura Healey）主持，有關“取消貸款贖回權（Foreclosure）“的委員會中，對奚莉的能力印象深刻，沒想到奚莉贏得那麼多票。至於柯克莉，由於今年不是總統大選年，她和查理貝克之間的競爭，可能會比較辛苦一些。

            波士頓華埠社區聯盟計劃下次月會邀請聯邦參議員卡普阿諾（Mike Capuano）出席。

圖片說明：

            麻州參議員白楚立（Anthony Petruccelli） (左)離席前，和出席會議者晤談。（菊子攝）