星期二, 1月 13, 2015

波市趕工建成新流民收容所

波士頓市政府交通局位於南安普頓街(Southampton)的舊招牌製作店(old sign sho),將於今(十三)日搖身變成全新的流民收容所。
波市府斥資兩百萬元,以前所未見速度,在三週內鋪了新地板、石膏牆,粉刷油漆,修理水管,裝燈,防火警報器, 安裝電力及暖氣系統等等,把這兩層高的磚樓整修得煥然一新。
今年十月時,通往位於海港上波士頓最大劉民收容所長島的橋樑,在工程師的譴責聲中關閉了。波市府因此趕工建新收容所,今日先安排一百人入住,期望四月時,能把長島庇護中心原本收容的七百多人都安置在這兒。
波士頓市長馬丁華殊到波士頓新市場一帶,波士頓消防局總部對面,巡視這新收容所時說,波市將有最先進,很可能還是全美最好的流民收容所。他透露,照正常程序,這項翻修工程,單只是畫建築圖,就可能要一年多,完成整個翻修更不知要多久,但波市府必須盡快處理,那些人需要這個地方。
不過整個工程礙於猶豫不決,遲了兩個多月才開始,在那期間,數以百計以往在長島過夜的流民,得在南端體育館(South End gym),波市府舊停屍間,以及另一間收容所的飯廳,閣樓等地方,擠在小床或墊子上過了甚至長達六星期。
            波市府官員起初計畫在南端內州際公路93號旁的公共工程局(Public Works Department)土地上建收容所,但去年十二月時宣佈,將翻修位置更中間,有四萬五千平方呎的交通大樓。
            波士頓市長馬丁華殊巡視之後表示滿意。波市府的健康及人民服務長小阿若曰(Felix G. Arroyo),以及市府的新任公共衛生局局長阮惠(譯音,Huy Nguyen博士都讚嘆翻修工作能那麼快完成。

羅倫斯市設銅牌紀念二戰華裔美軍李伯榮

麻州羅倫斯(Lawrence)市政府十日早上為整修後的“李伯榮(David Buck Wing Lee)廣場”牌匾,舉行後重新揭幕儀式,藉以表揚在第二次世界大戰中壯烈犧牲的該市首名華裔美籍軍人。
        羅倫斯市政府退伍軍人服務主任梅蘭茲(Jaime Melendez)表示,陸軍一等兵李伯榮當年廿二歲,奉派到盧森堡(Luxembourg)的坦克營,在喬治巴頓(George S. Patton)將軍麾下服務。1945年一月十日時在著名的阿登戰役(Battle of the Bulge)壯烈犧牲,成為該市在第二次世界大戰中殞命的首名華裔美籍軍人。
            十日早上,波士頓華埠退伍軍人會和紐英崙李氏公所的共廿多人,和羅倫斯市長,市議員,警察及消防員等,冒著嚴寒天氣,在美國郵政局前面,公共(Common)街和漢普夏(Hampshire)街交界處的李伯榮廣場,為新銅牌舉行揭牌儀式,包括播放美國國歌,請牧師祈禱,安排羅倫斯市長瑞維拉,李氏公所主席李源沛及波士頓華埠退伍軍人會328分會會長司徒文信等人致詞,過程十分隆重
            羅倫斯市市長瑞維拉表示,該市在六十九年前就製作了銅牌,以李伯榮的名字為廣場命名,藉以表揚他的勇敢,但幾年前,羅倫斯市更新幾塊類似牌匾時,這塊牌匾不見了。
            2013年時,聖瑪麗墓園主任賈克伯(James M. Jacobs)在墓園裡的樹叢間發現這塊丟失的牌匾,因為記得廣場名字而認出這塊牌匾出處,還自己花錢整修,把銅牌再鑲回廣場旁的李氏公園裏。賈克伯表示,他認為人們應該不只知道廣場名字,更應該知道李伯榮的華裔美人背景,以及紀念他的意義。
曾任李氏公所主席的李奇舜指出,李氏公所為此十分感動,已邀請賈克伯今年出席李市公所春宴。
            根據重新獻牌的說明,李伯榮1922年三月十三日在中國廣東出生。在羅倫斯市,李家成員是“終生居民“,在廣場附近經營有投幣洗衣店等生意。
            紐英崙李氏公所主席李源沛,華埠退伍軍人會的黃阿旺(Al Ku'ahi Wong),黃國麟等人表示,兩機構都曾努力尋找李伯榮的親人,但就在找到一名可能是李伯榮親戚的人時,那人竟在他們能聯絡他之前去世了,以致當天沒有任何李伯榮的親人出席。
            李伯榮服役的第712坦克營。根據美國陸軍歷史,阿登戰役是第二次世界大戰中,美國經歷的最大,最血腥的一場戰役。
            有關人員表示,由於執勤表現傑出,李伯榮獲頒表揚勇氣,鑲有橡樹葉的紫心勳章,並安葬在盧森堡的美國墓地。
            李氏公所表示,由於無法找到李伯榮的親人,公所就等於是李伯榮的家,美國政府頒給他的家屬的獎狀和國旗,將由李氏公所代收,並放在公所大樓內最顯眼的地方,供後人永遠瞻仰。

圖片說明:

            紐英崙李氏公所主席李源沛(中)代表公所致詞,為李氏有此英勇先烈倍感驕傲。(圖由李奇舜提供)


            紐英崙李氏公所宗親們和羅倫斯市長合影。右一為李壽泮,右三起為李奇舜,李源沛,李廖認寬,羅倫斯市長瑞維拉,以及,左一起,李錦堂,李天生。(圖由李奇舜提供)

2015開年 中華耆英會為八壽星慶生

中華耆英會白禮頓樓九日舉辦慶生會,近七十人參加,祝八名壽星生日快樂,會場一片歡欣氣氛。
            2015開年第一個月就有八名壽星,耆英們開玩笑說,顯然中華耆英會今年要發達啦,紛紛向黃華、余維新、何佩榮、黃惠卿、周陳妹、蕭俊、杜之光、李綺慈等人獻上“福如東海年年在,壽比南山日日高”等祝福,個個滿臉笑意盎然的說要沾光了。
            慶生會在白禮頓中心主任梅麗梨致詞,給壽星發生日禮物,請工作人員送上生日蛋糕,點亮蠟燭、唱生日歌,吹蠟燭、許願後,開始表演慶祝。
在司儀趙令瑜、馮婉芬主持中,耆英們輪流上台表演。趙令瑜率歌唱班演唱”掀起你的蓋頭來“,”蘭花草“,”萬水千山總是情“等歌曲後,在波士頓已有歷史的馬仕威樂隊主唱梅凱生這天也來捧場,邊彈吉他邊演唱”生日快樂“,”月亮代表我的心“。
耆英中愛唱歌,聲音好的人不少,每次生日會,耆英們自娛自樂的節目,也都相當有水準。
當天的其他表演包括,李勣秀獨唱”勇敢的中國人“,張秀蘭、陳策生合唱”在那桃花盛開的地方“,周玉韶獨唱”祝福“,陳策生獨唱”永遠跟你走“。
慶生會最後在抽獎中結束。

圖片說明:

            壽星們,左起,杜之光、黃華、黃惠卿、余維新、周陳妹、肖俊、何佩榮接受出席者的祝福。(圖由中華耆英會提供)

僑立中文學校說故事比賽表揚48學生

紐英崙中華僑立中文學校日前在昆士小學舉行20142015學年度故事演講比賽頒獎典禮,表揚48名獲獎同學。
僑立中文學校表示,說故事演講比賽雖是學術活動,但在家長,校董紛紛撥冗參加,校方精心佈置場地下,會場歡慶氣氛十足。
當天先由48名獲獎同學上台表演,有唱兒歌、講故事、詩歌朗誦和表演小品,花樣繁多。其中的預備班同學年紀雖小,表演起來毫不遜色,舉手投足充滿童趣,逗得出席觀眾樂呵呵的報以陣陣喝彩。星期日三年級的江卓睿在表演講故事時發音準確,動作唯妙唯肖,把《小猴子下山》這故事講得精彩有趣極了,博得最熱烈的掌聲。
表演完畢後,校董梁添光,鄺青鋒等人還與獲獎學生,在場嘉賓、家長代表和老師合影留念。
僑立中文學校老師表示,演講說故事比賽不僅鍛煉和培養了學生們的自信心,也讓他們從故事中學到待人處事道理,更重要的是學以致用,把學到的中文知識運用到表演中。


圖片說明:

            中華僑立學校演講說故事比賽得獎同學和嘉賓合影。(圖由中華僑立學校提供)

            獲獎學生之一現場表演。(圖由中華僑立學校提供)

MAYOR WALSH EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH TICKETZEN

MAYOR WALSH EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH TICKETZEN

7,000-plus tickets paid with mobile-based payment feature during 3 month pilot

BOSTON – Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that the City of Boston has extended its partnership with TicketZen for one year, following a successful three month trial period. During that time over 5,000 individuals used the mobile-based parking ticket payment app to pay more than 7,000 tickets – a total of nearly $250,000 in revenue. This project of the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM),  and Boston-based TicketZen, Inc., is one of many steps being taken by the City to improve customer service delivery for Boston residents.

“The numbers show brisk demand for this service,” said Mayor Walsh. “Thanks to a common sense innovative solution, paying a parking ticket is a little bit easier to take care of. I’m thrilled that the City is able to partner with the homegrown talent at TicketZen to get this done.” 

"BTD's Office of the Parking Clerk accepts parking ticket payments by mail, by phone and by web.  We are pleased to partner with TicketZen, Inc., to further improve customer service by providing yet another option for making the task of paying a parking ticket as convenient for Boston drivers as possible," said Boston Transportation Department Commissioner James E. Gillooly.  

"TicketZen has seen strong citizen adoption throughout our pilot program with the City of Boston. Thousands of Boston citizens have used TicketZen to pay for their parking violations and over 50% of those people have used TicketZen more than once. As one of our pioneer partners, the City of Boston has demonstrated a commitment to mobile innovation, benefiting the city and its citizens. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Boston to make paying for parking tickets a stress-less experience," said Ryan Neu, TicketZen Co-Founder.

TicketZen, a smart phone app available for both Android and Apple devices, utilizes the smart phone camera to scan the bar code on a parking ticket and connect the user’s payment details with the City of Boston’s payment network. The app provides a smoother user experience than navigating to the City’s parking ticket payment website from a mobile phone. In addition, by prompting users to make timely payments, it helps them to avoid late fees that are routinely added to the original fine after 21 days. During the 3-month pilot period, more than one quarter of tickets paid through the app were paid in three days or less. 

A reference to TicketZen is featured at the bottom of every computer-generated parking ticket issued by the Boston Transportation Department to guide those with parking tickets through this new option for making payments. The TicketZen service will be provided at no cost to Boston users beyond the standard credit card processing fee associated with the City’s payment portal.

Since the Boston launch of TicketZen, the product has been implemented in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Cambridge, Somerville, New York, State College, and Nottingham, United Kingdom.

The City of Boston continues to innovate to make government processes more accessible through digital channels. Recent efforts include: HubHacks, a civic-minded Hackathon to reinvent the City’s online permitting experience; the installation of digital kiosks at several agencies across the City to connect constituents within two business days to City of Boston business development specialists; and the expansion of Wicked Free WiFi, providing free wireless internet across Boston’s Main Street districts.

Smart phone users with questions or comments about the app are encouraged to contact the Mayor’s Hotline at 617-635-4500.

Mayor Walsh Announces State of the City Pre-Program Performers

Mayor Walsh Announces State of the City Pre-Program Performers

BOSTON - Mayor Martin J. Walsh will deliver his first State of the City address on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at 7 p.m. in Boston's Symphony Hall. The pre-program will begin at 6:30 p.m. 
  • Music by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra
  • Music by the Kenny School Elementary Marching Band
  • Greetings from Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director Andris Nelsons
  • Invocation by Sister Patricia Andrews, CSJ
  • Boston Police Department Honor Guard
  • National Anthem performed by Elijah Rock
  • Pledge of Allegiance performed by newly naturalized citizens and future citizens 
  • Reading by Boston's Poet Laureate Danielle Legros Georges