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星期三, 1月 27, 2016

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES RECOMMENDATIONS OF LATE NIGHT TASK FORCE

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES RECOMMENDATIONS OF LATE NIGHT TASK FORCE
BOSTON - Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced a set of recommendations made by his Late Night Task Force to help foster and grow a safe and vibrant late night culture in the City of Boston. The task force, which formally concluded its work in 2015, was comprised of a diverse group of students, restaurants and bar owners, law enforcement and business leaders from across the city.

"In the City of Boston we have an opportunity to create the kind of nightlife that visitors expect in a world-class city," said Mayor Walsh. "I thank all the members of the task force who came together over the course of several months to help us think about how to make Boston a more exciting and engaging place to live, work and play. I look forward to further exploring these recommendations to make Boston even more enjoyable for everyone."

"The MRA applauds the efforts of the Mayor and the City of Boston in moving forward these initiatives," said Bob Luz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association. "Common sense approaches, such as allowing small operators to serve food after 10PM and removing unnecessary regulations on downtown operators will continue to make Boston flourish. All neighborhoods of Boston benefit from increased restaurant vibrancy and occupancy. When the Mayor was first elected, he pledged to streamline the regulatory process and he has delivered on that promise."

Recommendations include:
  1. Extended Hours
    • Extend liquor license hours within designated downtown area with the proper hearing;
    • Allow restaurants that have 10pm or 11pm license citywide to extend to midnight with proper hearing and community process;
    • Activate pilot areas throughout downtown Boston to extend liquor license hours. This option requires legislative action.
       
  2. Operations
    • Establishments should be allowed to serve drinks on a patio or deck without the requirement to serve food, unless otherwise stipulated at hearing;
    • In an effort to make it easier for operators to renew their Certificate of Inspection (CI), inspections should be automatically scheduled by the proper departments once their invoice is paid for the new CI;
    • Streamline all licensing requirements to eliminate redundant licenses and requirements.
       
  3. Entertainment
    • Live entertainment and music played on patios should be able to extend later in the evening if local residents are not disturbed.
The Late Night Task Force was established in May 2014 with the goal of examining business districts and neighborhoods that are favorable for later closing hours; public safety requirements of expanded late night hours; existing liquor license restrictions; entertainment license expansion; late night transportation access; and how to effectively launch the expanded services. Rory Cuddyer, former Advisor to the Mayor's Chief of Staff and current startup manager, and John Fitzgerald, Deputy Director of Imagine Boston 2030, served as co-chairs of the task force, along with 24 individuals who were appointed by the Mayor.

四月下旬訪問新竹清華


RELEASE OF REPORT HIGHLIGHTING MAJOR IMPACT OF COMMUNITY-BASED JOB TRAINING IN THE COMMONWEALTH

RELEASE OF REPORT HIGHLIGHTING MAJOR IMPACT OF
COMMUNITY-BASED JOB TRAINING IN THE COMMONWEALTH

Independent Groundbreaking Report Documents Significant Taxpayer Savings

January 26, 2016- Today, members of the Job Training Alliance (JTA), a network of twenty non-profit, community-based, workforce development organizations, released the findings of a first of its kind study demonstrating that job training provides enormous benefits to recipients and significant cost savings to the Commonwealth. The report has major implications for those interested in assisting unemployed and underemployed individuals in Massachusetts as well as for those interested in cost-effective state government.

Under the banner, “Job training works, pays and saves,” the report found that 76% of the graduates of the 12 participating job training programs, examined over the course of one year, were employed following graduation.  These results are all the more impressive given that nearly all of the participants had significant barriers to employment such as limited English, inconsistent work histories and lack of computer and occupational skills.

Funded by a grant from Skillworks and conducted by nonprofit strategy and assessment firm Root Cause, the report found that on average, formerly unemployed individuals who found work following completion of a training program earned $13.95 per hour- a wage significantly higher than the current or even future Massachusetts minimum wage.

Moreover, the report found that job training also benefits those who are already employed in low-wage dead end jobs. Participants who were employed at the time of their training saw a 65% increase in their earnings following completion of their training for an average of $14.20 per hour. 

Employers who work with Job Training members explained why they support job training as well as the higher wage for graduates of these programs.  “I have found the experience with job training programs to be enriching from both a personal and professional standpoint,” says Mitchelle Frederick, Marketing Coordinator of Peabody Properties.  “Job training programs send us great candidates for hire.  And it is so rewarding to have such an impact on someone’s life, with the goal toward economic self-sufficiency.  A win-win for Peabody Properties!”  Carmine Guarino, Senior Vice President at Citizens Bank, felt similarly, “Job training providers send us well trained candidates that met all our hiring specifications, savings us time and money on recruitment.”  

Sunny Schwartz of the Asian American Civic Association, a provider of job training services, said, “Without job training, our clients would be unemployed or stuck in part-time low-wage jobs. With job training, they launch excellent careers which dramatically increase their lifetime earnings, turning them from being reliant on unemployment insurance or public benefits into tax paying citizens.”

The report also found that the benefits of job training extend well beyond the individual participant or the employer who hire them. Not only did those studied see significant increases in the wages they earned, government saw a 515% increase in taxes paid and, perhaps just as notable, a 67% reduction in their use of public benefits.  The report comes a day after Governor Baker announced that his budget will provide grants to community-based organizations and others that partner with businesses to develop job training and employment opportunities for populations that face higher unemployment rates.

“One of the first Executive Orders Governor Baker signed created the Task Force on Populations Facing Chronically High Rates of Unemployment, which I chaired.  We, in the Baker administration, wanted to look at the reasons why certain populations, such as African-Americans, Latinos/Hispanics, recently returned veterans, and people with disabilities face higher unemployment rates,” Secretary Ronald L. Walker, II said.  “Through our work on the Task Force we reconfirmed the vital role community-based organizations play in helping people with barriers to employment get the skills they need to find good jobs.”

Shukrullah Fnu, a graduate of job training provider Asian American Civic Association, shared how he is now living his dream of working in the banking industry in Massachusetts.  Originally from Afghanistan, Fnu worked as an interpreter with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan during combat operations.  Fnu enrolled and completed AACA's Careers in Banking & Finance Training Program. "I learned a lot of things in that program about banking regulations, policies and procedures, cash handling methods, and customer service..." he said. "This was my dream to work in the bank. I love my job, I love the environment and job training helped me to reach my dreams."

麻大孔院 2/8 慶猴年新春


AG’S OFFICE TO HOST COMMUNITY ACTION HOURS IN CHELSEA

AG’S OFFICE TO HOST COMMUNITY ACTION HOURS IN CHELSEA

BOSTON – Building on her promise to bring the resources of her office to neighborhoods across the state, Attorney General Maura Healey‘s Office will be holding Community Action Hours in Spanish at the Chelsea Collaborative tomorrow.

Staff from AG Healey’s Office, including attorneys and mediators, will be on hand to answer questions from the community on a variety of topics including civil rights, workers’ rights, health care and insurance. Staff will also conduct a training in Spanish for community members on workers’ rights. 

WHAT:          Community Action Hours  


            WHEN:          TOMORROW, Jan. 27. 2016
                                    6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

WHERE:       Chelsea Collaborative
318 Broadway
Chelsea, MA

Community Action Hoursa new initiative under the AG’s Community Engagement Division, brings the resources of the Attorney General’s Office directly into communities at times that are convenient for working people and their families.

The event is open to the public and is being offered free of charge.

Unum Therapeutics Moves to New Headquarters in Cambridge

Unum Therapeutics Moves to New Headquarters in Cambridge, MA as It Continues to Expand and Advance its Cellular Immunotherapy Pipeline

Company Plans to Double in Size in 2016 as It Aggressively Expands Its Scientific Workforce
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--()--Unum Therapeutics, a company developing a universal cellular immunotherapy to treat multiple cancers, today announced its move into new office and laboratory facilities in Cambridge, MA. The company’s new headquarters, located at 200 Cambridge Park Drive, was designed to help facilitate Unum’s anticipated growth to more than 80 employees in the near future. As part of the program to recognize Unum’s recent progress and advancing drug development portfolio, Robert Coughlin, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Mike Kennealy, Assistant Secretary for Business Growth at the Executive Office of Housing & Economic Development, and Angus McQuilken, Vice President for Marketing & Communications for the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony earlier today.
“This new facility will allow the company to continue to grow and make important contributions to cancer therapeutics, one of the core strengths of our Commonwealth's life sciences ecosystem. The company’s growth is just one early return on the MLSC’s investment in the construction of LabCentral.”
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“I congratulate Unum Therapeutics on the opening of their new facility, and on the work they are doing to find new treatments and advancements in healthcare,” said Governor Baker. “I look forward to their continued contributions to job creation and innovation here in the Commonwealth.”
“We believe that our ACTR technology platform fuels one of the industry’s most promising immunotherapy drug development programs,” said Chuck Wilson, PhD, President & CEO of Unum Therapeutics. “To reach our full potential, we need to continue recruiting top-level talent. This move allows us to expand our hiring efforts within the world-class Cambridge, Massachusetts life sciences hub, to house a larger team of scientists, and to continue to leverage our proximity to leading research and academic institutions and healthcare companies. Unum is excited to be joining a growing biotech community in West Cambridge.”
Unum designed its new 33,000 square feet of space specifically to foster continued collaboration, including state-of-the-art laboratories and an open office design. Employees can easily access the centrally located facility via public transportation at The Alewife Reservation (including access to the MBTA Red Line) and local highways, including Route 2 and Route 16.
Coming just a year after the company’s launch, this move follows several major milestones for Unum including initiation of a Phase 1 study in B-cell malignancies in Singapore, a $65M Series B financing, and a major strategic collaboration with Seattle Genetics. Unum evolved from the LabCentral incubator program in Kendall Square, where it was located prior to the Cambridge Drive facility.
“We are pleased to celebrate the grand opening of Unum’s new headquarters in Cambridge,” said Travis McCready, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center. “This new facility will allow the company to continue to grow and make important contributions to cancer therapeutics, one of the core strengths of our Commonwealth's life sciences ecosystem. The company’s growth is just one early return on the MLSC’s investment in the construction of LabCentral.”
“We are thrilled to celebrate Unum’s growth as a great example of the opportunity presented to companies in the Massachusetts ecosystem,” said Robert K. Coughlin, President & CEO of MassBio. “As a company with great science and great talent that has taken advantage of the efficiencies provided by an incubator and the network provided by active participation at MassBio, Unum has provided a clear path to success for other startups here.”

“飞虎队”历史对美中民间交流的深远影响

轉載AACYF

 
“飞虎队”历史对美中民间交流的深远影响
华裔知名收藏家、昆明市荣誉市民陈灿培先生和夫人123日在洛杉矶中国城,向到访的云南腾冲滇西抗战纪念馆代表团捐赠610件“飞虎队”文物,其中包括文献、徽章、图片、仪器等各种实物。多名年逾九十高龄的飞虎队老兵本人以及华裔美国国会议员刘云平参加了当天的捐赠仪式。
陈灿培表示,去年曾经回国参观滇西抗战紀念館,馆内设有飞虎队的展区,但是展出的文物不多,自己捐赠这批文物,希望让参观纪念馆的人们,在缅怀先烈的同时了解更多关于飞虎队的故事。腾冲有国殤园、云南最大的抗战纪念馆-滇西抗战紀念馆。
云南腾冲市滇西抗战文化研究会秘书长李启山表示,陈灿培先生的捐赠为抗战纪念馆研究飞虎队在腾冲和云南边界的抗战历史提供了实物佐证,再现了当年美中两国人民对和平的共同追求和携手合作将会对捐赠文物认真研究,让捐赠的文物发挥更多和更大的作用。
飞虎队老兵Mel Mcmullen展示了自己去年赴中国参加阅兵仪式时获颁的勋章,他表示,参加阅兵仪式后,曾经赴云南参观有关的飞虎队以及抗战纪念馆,对展览感到非常震撼。
专程从旧金山来参加捐赠仪式的加州艺术大学建筑设计教授Lisa Findley讲述了自己的父亲当年曾经驾驶飞虎队飞机迫降云南腾冲附近,被当地村民救援并护送回飞虎队腾冲基地的故事。她表示,就是受父亲这一段终生难忘经历的影响,她已经到访云南9次了。去年她在云南开设了暑期旅行工作室,带领学生赴云南游历、学习。
美国华人公共外促进会会长任向东认为,飞虎队的老兵们都已步入了高龄,但是他们的事迹和精神仍然令人感动,参加捐赠仪式的老兵们都是在家人和子女的陪伴下出席,而他们的家人和子女都对飞虎队、对中国有一种非常特殊的情感。而美国民间的各种飞虎队纪念机构和相关组织,则汇集和凝聚了许多社会有识之士。
当天参加活动的Diane Smith女士的父亲,当年就是自美国从事飞行表演,为飞虎队筹款的飞行员。现在Diane女士仍然在飞虎队的纪念机构从事义工服务。
腾冲代表团成员包括,腾冲市文化广播电视体育局局长、滇西抗战文化研究会秘书长李启山;腾冲市归国华侨联合会主席、腾冲市人民政府侨务办公室主任王根映;腾冲市国殇墓园管理所所长、滇西抗战纪念馆馆长杨素红;滇西抗战文化研究会副秘书长李根志;腾冲市国殇墓园管理所副所长、滇西抗战纪念馆副馆长马娟。

中国驻洛杉矶侨务领事孙卫东、美国空军退役少将William Cohen、华裔飞虎队老兵黄煜臻、甄崇运、陈科志、以及美国飞虎队传播协会会长许绍理、南加州云南同乡会杜天、袁雨等参加了当天的捐赠仪式。(AACYF洛杉矶讯)