浙江大學校友慶新春 七十餘人歡聚

浙江大學北美校友會波士頓分會日前在波士頓的Maki Maki自助餐廳，慶祝乙未羊年元宵。七十餘名校友歡聚，籌設獎學金，招募志願者，希望加強聯繫，未來更擴大校友交流，互助功能。

今年的這場浙大校友元宵聚會，由劉茁總責策劃，一早帶備湯圓，到會場現煮，當天讓每名校友一進會場，馬上就吃到一碗冒著熱氣的湯圓，心頭也立刻溫暖起來。

出席的浙大校友們，眼見到會芸芸眾生中，既有剛來大波士頓各大名校就讀的浙大新鮮畢業校友，更有高齡九十五歲的老校友郭以蓮，禁不住感到大波士頓的浙大校友也已代代傳承，頗有歷史了 。

當天的校友聚會由胡夢龍與趙妍卉主持，校友會會長倪繼紅、老校友郭以蓮，以及賀極倉教授等人先後致辭。

倪繼紅代表校友會祝福所有校友新年大吉，感謝籌備組織聚會的劉茁、於欣慰、王澄宇、羊洋，劉思源，郭玄宗等人，強調校友會就是靠這些熱心人，才更能發揮作用，更有向心力。

郭以連以她的人生經歷，向年輕人提出了許多建議，也分享了她對不同行業的一些看法。

賀極倉教授透露，為紀念光儀系一位教授，正在籌備設立獎學金，希望浙大校友們能大力支持、協助。

校友會外聯部的吳劍，當天也在會上介紹了校友會今後要新增辦理的服務項目，還現場招募志願者。

出席的浙大校友們接著逐個自我介紹，說明自己目前在哪個行業工作，當年那個系所畢業等等，讓許多原本彼此不認識的校友，感覺更加熟稔、親切起來。

聚餐之前，校友們還玩猜燈謎遊戲，爭相搶答，把現場氣氛帶得十分火熱。齊唱校歌時，幾代校友霎時融為一體，有如形成一股巨大力量。

聚餐後，校友們玩棋牌競賽，包括德州撲克，三國殺，鬥地主，升級等，各顯身手的興致飛揚，讓現場氣氛一直十分高昂。

倪繼紅會長還提供紅酒做獎品，發給玩遊戲的獲勝者們，讓校友們各個領得獎品，懷抱好心情的滿載而歸。

圖片說明：

            大波士頓浙江大學校友會參加元宵慶祝會的校友合影。（圖由浙大校友會提供）

Boston Living with Water organizers announce nine finalists in international climate change competition

Boston Living with Water organizers announce nine finalists in international climate change competition

Teams will compete for $20,000 grand prize to be awarded in June

BOSTON – Architects, urban planners, designers, climate change advocates, and policymakers got a unique glimpse into what a more resilient and sustainable Boston might look like in the face of sea level rise last night. One proposal envisions a sort of Boston Common in the Fort Point Channel that visitors would explore via canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. Another imagines elevating a section of Morrissey Boulevard and creating a living laboratory with marsh, aquatic grasses, and shellfish beds underneath. Others contemplate the potential for “water days” in the not-so-distant future where the city is challenged by frequent flooding.

These proposals were among the dozens of submissions entered in the ongoing Boston Living with Water competition, an initiative launched by the City of Boston, The Boston Harbor Association, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and the Boston Society of Architects last October to encourage planning for end-of-the-century climate conditions and rising sea levels. 50 teams composed of almost 350 individuals from eight different countries submitted concepts. While the entries showcase an impressive range of potential climate change solutions, they have one thing in common. They all embrace sea level rise as an opportunity to enhance, rather than detract from, Boston’s built environment.

“We issued an ambitious challenge through the Boston Living with Water competition, and I’m pleased that we received equally ambitious responses,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “It’s difficult to imagine what the world will look like in the year 2100, but we know for certain that now is the time to prepare for sea level rise. The proposals that came in from around the world demonstrate that a more resilient, sustainable, and beautiful future is within our reach if we work together.”

BSA Space, Boston’s leading center for architecture and design, hosted a special reception to announce the finalists in the competition. Guests enjoyed a lively panel discussion with the competition’s jury, moderated by WGBH’s Rupa Shenoy. Members of the jury included BRA planning director Kairos Shen, Matt Noblett, principal at Behnisch Architekten, landscape architect Jason Hellundrung of Sasaki Associates, land use attorney Matthew Kiefer of Goulston & Storrs, Marggie Lackner, deputy director of design for the MBTA, and Judith Nitsch, founder of Nitsch Engineering. Austin Blackmon, the City of Boston’s new Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space also spoke at the event.

The competition focuses on three unique sites in Boston that are vulnerable to sea level rise and present challenges at different scales – a building, an entire neighborhood, and a significant piece of city infrastructure. The sites were the Prince Building in the North End, Morrissey Boulevard in Dorchester, and the 100-acre neighborhood of Fort Point. Water levels in Boston Harbor are expected to increase five feet by the end of the century, putting these locations in particular jeopardy.

The jury evaluated each submission’s ability to solve multiple problems, including minimizing damage from chronic and episodic coastal flooding. Successful proposals mitigated adverse building impacts on the environment, enhanced climate resiliency, and demonstrated feasibility of implementation and replication.

An online gallery of all the submissions is available at www.bostonlivingwithwater.org/submission-gallery.

The jury whittled dozens of submissions down to three finalists per site category. These teams will move on to compete for a $20,000 grand prize, funded by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management and the Barr Foundation.

The finalists selected in the building category are:

• “The Prince Building Piers” – Rather than trying to prevent seawater from entering the city, this proposal welcomes the water and surrenders the outer streetscapes to a new urban seashore that is a focus of recreation, ecological reclamation, and new cultural experiences. 
• “Water FUN(d)” – Dubbed the Future Underwater Neighborhood district, or FUN(d), this proposal establishes a goal of creating a new urban area that skillfully interacts with an influx of water on an on-going basis. The team suggests that this plan could be accomplished, at least in part, by drawing on revenue from Boston’s tourism economy.
• “No Building is an Island” – One of the most creative aspects of this proposal is the Resilience Report Card, a simple, user-friendly method that would indicates a building’s vulnerability and allow the city to map risk and target investments.

The finalists selected in the neighborhood category are:

• “Bountiful Delta” – Guided by the notion that resilience alone is not good enough, this proposal envisions waterfront neighborhoods that “are not just persistent but prosperous.” The strategy calls for modular infrastructure, adaptable land (think of a community garden that could be transformed for fish farming), a lively and water-resilient pedestrian streetscape, and community spaces, restaurants, and retail establishments to provide a genuine neighborhood feel.
• “Resilient Linkages” – This proposal attempts to balance the immediate pressure for development in Fort Point with the long-term understanding that the area will be prone to regular flooding in the future. The plan would establish a new, elevated street grid and require developers to integrate supportive infrastructure for sea level rise into their projects, which could then be linked to form fully-functional, neighborhood-scale infrastructure.
• “Model Urban Waterfront District” – This proposal would raise the entire base and infrastructure of the 100-acre neighborhood by approximately twelve feet, matching the raised elevation of historic Summer Street and creating a resilient development area to serve as a model urban waterfront district for the 21^st and 22^nd centuries.

The finalists selected in the infrastructure category are:

• “The Hydrokinetic Canal” - This proposal for transforming Morrissey Boulevard and Harbor Point over the next 100 years draws inspiration from the topographic and land-use patterns of 17^th century Boston. A new system of waterways would be created to increase Columbia Point’s resilience to climate change, generate sustainable energy, and provide an expanded, improved public realm. A new Hydrokinetic Canal is this urban plan’s centerpiece.
• “The Omega Chain” – The Omega Chain would be a resilient network system around the Columbia Point peninsula that connects disparate areas with holistic mechanisms that transcend simple solutions and elevate quality of life for residents. It contemplates gradually converting the existing Morrissey Boulevard into a landscaped park and constructing a new elevated and curved roadway adjacent to the park to calm fast-moving traffic.
• “Total Resilient Approach” – This proposal considers the transportation infrastructure as a flexible element aimed at performing a wide range of resilient functions.  Raising Morrissey Boulevard and improving its connections to the adjacent neighborhood present an opportunity to redevelop Columbia Point through an overall strategy based on habitat restoration and sustainable urban landscaping.

In addition to the jury-selected finalists, Boston Living with Water organizers announced People’s Choice Award winners for each site category, as determined by online voting over the past two weeks. Those distinctions went to “Living Threshold,”“Open Circuit: Traveling Water,” and “Reconnect-Resist-Slow-Collect.”

Honorable mentions were also presented to several other competition entrants.

The finalists will continue to develop and refine their proposals before submitting more extensive plans at the end of May. This spring, BSA Space will display a small exhibition of the finalists’ proposals, along with an educational component on sea level rise.

People can follow the latest news about the competition on Twitter @BostonLwW.

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Organizers

City of Boston

The Boston Harbor Association

The Boston Harbor Association educates, advocates, and celebrates to achieve our vision of a Boston Harbor that connects coastal communities from Winthrop to Hull. The waterfront is both a lively destination for cultural and recreational offerings, and a robust center of maritime economic activities. Boston Harbor’s waterfront provides a gathering place and welcoming front yard for everyone. Our people and places are prepared for a rising sea, living with it where possible, and protecting or retreating where necessary. For more information, visit tbha.org.

Boston Redevelopment Authority

As the City of Boston’s urban planning and economic development agency, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) works in partnership with the community to plan Boston’s future while respecting its past. The agency’s passionate and knowledgeable staff guides physical, social, and economic change in Boston’s neighborhoods and its downtown to shape a more prosperous, sustainable, and beautiful city for all. The BRA also prepares residents for new opportunities through employment training, human services, and job creation. Learn more at www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org, and follow us on Twitter at @BostonRedevelop.

Boston Society of Architects

The Boston Society of Architects (BSA) is committed to professional development for its members, advocacy on behalf of great design, and sharing an appreciation for the built environment with the public at large. Established in 1867, the BSA today consists of nearly 4,000 members and produces a diverse array of programs and publications, including ArchitectureBoston Expo and ArchitectureBoston magazine. A chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the BSA is a nonprofit, professional-service organization. Its partner organization, the Boston Foundation for Architecture, supports the civic and public outreach of the architectural community. For more information, visit architects.org or bfagrants.org.

Sponsors

Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management

The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is the lead policy and planning agency on coastal and ocean issues within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Through planning, technical and grant assistance, and public information programs, CZM seeks to balance the impacts of human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources. The agency’s work includes helping coastal communities address the challenges of storms, sea-level rise, and other effects of climate change; working with state, regional, and federal partners to balance current and new uses of ocean waters while protecting ocean habitats and promoting sustainable economic development; and partnering with communities and other organizations to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats. Learn more at www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/czm.

Barr Foundation

The Barr Foundation’s domestic work focuses on providing quality education, mitigating climate change, and enhancing cultural vitality. Our education and arts investments are focused on Boston. Our climate work includes statewide, regional, and some national investments. Since 2010, Barr has also been exploring opportunities for global investments. The Barr Global team is building a portfolio of projects that delivers measurable improvements in the interconnected areas of livelihoods, health, environment, and education, predominantly in rural areas. Investments are currently focused in sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti, and India. Learn more at www.barrfoundation.org.

海外民俗文化種子教師培訓班五月起美加六地舉行

『海外民俗文化種子教師培訓班』全新課程

強勢登場

104海外民俗文化種子教師培訓班」即將開跑，於美加地區12個城市巡迴開課，並於3月15日開放網路報名，想提升華語文教學軟實力，千萬別錯過！全新培訓課程分為二梯次在美加12地區辦理培訓，預計培訓600位民俗文化種子教師。

今年共開設5大類兼具理論與實作文化課程，包括深受大、小朋友喜愛、隨手即可摘取編織的草編童玩實作課程；中華居地文化探險與您所不知的趣味清明節。居地文化用運教具的呈現，帶領學員了解多樣的居家建築風貌，深入了解中華文化獨特的特質與意涵。而清明節課程除融合靜態「家庭樹」，也安排介紹拔河、種豆苗、畫蛋……等活潑的傳統活動，帶領學員感受不同風貌的傳統節日。拓印藝術是印刷術的起源，亦是歷史紀錄的傳承，將帶領學員製作具有傳統風格的創意拓印畫。在民族舞蹈課程中，安排了阿美族熱情勁捷的竹竿舞與古典的羽扇舞，介紹兩支舞蹈的歷史背景及舞曲特色，並融入創新構想，呈現更為活潑鬧熱的舞蹈元素。除上述豐富文化課程外，培訓班還規劃行政事務課程，帶領學員研討文化教育活動之辦理要點、流程與實務應用，理論實作並重，讓學員更能發揮所長傳揚文化。

本培訓課程內容協助學員結業後可立即上手教學，不僅能充實中文課程的內涵，更提升教師競爭軟實力，歡迎美加地區從事華語文與文化教學的老師參加。培訓班課程與教材均免費，學員只需自行負擔交通、食宿。名額有限，敬請把握網路報名時間，以免向隅。

詳細開課資訊請見下表或http://ocac.wceoprogram.org/。

期待您的加入，與僑務委員會一同耕耘、推廣海外文化教育。

敬祝

順心　愉快

海外民俗文化種子教師培訓班承辦單位 敬啟

預定辦理培訓地區與日期:

第一梯次	西雅圖	金山灣區	溫哥華	洛杉磯	芝加哥	休士頓
日期	5/8~5/10	5/11~5/14	5/16~5/18	5/19~5/21	5/23~5/25	5/29~5/31
名額	40	65	45	55	70	60
第二梯次	紐約	波士頓	華府	亞特 蘭大	多倫多	邁阿密
日期	7/24~7/26	7/28~7/30	7/31~8/2	8/7~8/9	8/11~8/13	8/14~8/16
名額	55	35	55	40	40	40

報名辦法:

1.本培訓班僅接受網路報名，欲報名者請至官網http://ocac.wceoprogram.org/報名。

2.為達培訓效果之完整性，參與者須全程參加所有課程，無法單一選課。

3.報名經錄取後，須繳交100美元（加拿大為加幣100元）保證金支票。結訓時數達90%(21.5小時)以上的學員保證金支票將返還。

4.錄取學員在退課截止日前，放棄參加研習者，保證金恕不退還。

5.參加培訓學員須自行負擔交通及住宿，午(晚)餐可自備或請文教中心代購。

BRA Board approves $131 million in projects at March meeting

BRA Board approves $131 million in projects at March meeting

New hotel will transform historic building in Charlestown Navy Yard

BOSTON – The Board of Directors for the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) approved five development proposals at last night’s meeting. Combined, the projects represent over $131 million of investment in Boston’s economy, and they are projected to create nearly 500 construction jobs. New housing projects were approved for East Boston, Brighton, and South Boston, and a new hotel in the Charlestown Navy Yard also won approval. Several of the proposals on the agenda involve adaptive reuses of existing buildings.

Below is a summary of the projects that are set to move forward.

Historic building in Charlestown Navy Yard to be rehabilitated for new hotel and restaurant

Total Project Cost: $85,000,000

Total SF: 180,000

Construction Jobs: 353

Kavanagh Advisory Group received approval to redevelop the Chain Forge Building, also known as Building 105, in the Charlestown Navy Yard as a 230-key limited service and extended stay hotel with 6,000 square feet of restaurant space. The site, part of the Navy Yard’s Historic Monument Area, has undergone extensive environmental remediation for asbestos, lead paint, and contaminated soil and piping to make way for the new Chain Forge Hotel.

The developer will construct within the existing footprint of the vacant building to create several interior floors as well as an additional floor on one side of the property. The hotel, designed by BH&A Architects, will manage approximately 200 off-site parking spaces for guests with the help of a valet parking service.

Given the historic nature of the building, which once provided chain for the U.S. Navy, the National Parks Service, Boston Landmarks Commission, and Massachusetts Historical Society have all vetted and expressed support for the project. It has also received support from the Charlestown Waterfront Coalition, Boston Preservation Alliance, and the Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Former Gate of Heaven School to be redeveloped for housing in South Boston

Total Project Cost: $7,350,000

Total SF: 33,238

Construction Jobs: 31

After a lengthy community process, the BRA Board approved Ornamore Enterprises’ redevelopment plans for the former Gate of Heaven School in South Boston. Redevelopment of the property has been in discussion since the Archdiocese of Boston closed the school in 2008. While some community members pushed for another school to fill the vacant building, no viable option was found.

Ornamore’s proposal involves an adaptive reuse of the existing four-story building, which will contain 26 condominium units, with a mix of one-, two, and three-bedroom residences, when complete. Three of the units will be designated as affordable, in conformity with the city’s affordable housing policy. There will also be 40 on-site parking spaces.

The project, which has been under review by the BRA for over a year, will include renovation of the existing façade in order to preserve the historical details of the building. The bulk of construction will occur within the building’s interior, where new mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire alarm, and sprinkler systems will be installed. The roof will also be retrofitted with a garden for residents.

The developer hopes to begin rehabilitation of the property by the fall, with the goal of finishing construction within a year.

Boston Teachers Union set to construct new headquarters in Dorchester’s Columbia Point

Total Project Cost: $23,000,000

Total SF: 52,469

Construction Jobs: 40

The Boston Teachers Union (BTU) will replace its existing headquarters in Columbia Point with a brand new building and parking structure as part of a two-phase project. The first phase of the BTU Building Replacement Project entails demolition of the existing building and construction of a new three-story building to be used for the BTU Health and Welfare Fund Offices, union offices, an optical shop, a credit union, meeting spaces, and a function hall supported by 135 surface parking spaces. A 300-space, two-story parking facility will be constructed in phase two, which will alleviate BTU’s current need to utilize parking on the nearby University of Massachusetts Boston campus.

The project will include a pedestrian walkway in the direction of Carson Beach that could serve as a future connection to the Boston Harborwalk. Designers also incorporated a 6,500-square foot outdoor event plaza. Permeable paving blocks, rather than traditional asphalt pavement, will be used for aesthetic appeal and to filter storm water runoff. BTU hopes the project will achieve at least a LEED Silver designation for its sustainable elements.

BTU expects phase one construction to last from December 2015 to February 2017, with phase two likely occurring after the first phase is completed.

80 New apartments slated for 1505 Commonwealth Ave in Brighton

Total Project Cost: $9,000,000

Total SF: 67,000

Construction Jobs: 37

An underutilized five-story office building will be transformed into 80 new apartments at 1505 Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. Partners Propoerties, LLC will renovate the existing building and construct a new 8,000 square foot addition within the current footprint of the site. The developer anticipates a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units, and one-bedroom lofts. Ten of the units will be designated as affordable in accordance with the city’s policy.

There will be 80 on-site parking spaces for residents as well as a landscaped plaza that opens onto Commonwealth Avenue. The developer will make a voluntary contribution of $25,000 to the City of Boston’s Fund for Parks to help maintain green space in the neighborhood and a $5,000 donation to the Brighton Youth Soccer Program.

Construction is anticipated to begin in the third quarter of this year and last for 12 to 14 months.

New housing approved for East Boston’s Jeffries Point neighborhood

Total Project Cost: $7,000,000

Total SF: 36,275

Construction Jobs: 27

The site of a former gas station that has sat vacant for many years will be redeveloped with 33 units of housing in Jeffries Point, a short distance from the East Boston Greenway and Maverick Square MBTA Station. The project, located at 320 Maverick Street, will contain a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, as well as 32 on-site parking spaces. Four of the units will be designated as affordable.

Residents will have access to a courtyard in the rear of the building, and six penthouse units will include rooftop terraces that overlook Boston’s skyline.

About the Boston Redevelopment Authority

As the City of Boston’s urban planning and economic development agency, the BRA works in partnership with the community to plan Boston's future while respecting its past. The agency’s passionate and knowledgeable staff guides physical, social, and economic change in Boston’s neighborhoods and its downtown to shape a more prosperous, sustainable, and beautiful city for all. The BRA also prepares residents for new opportunities through employment training, human services, and job creation. Learn more at www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org, and follow us on Twitter @BostonRedevelop.