MAYOR WALSH AND THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION’S 100 RESILIENT CITIES HOST “KICKOFF” WORKSHOP MARKING BEGINNING OF CITY’S PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATIVE GLOBAL URBAN RESILIENCE INITIATIVE

MAYOR WALSH AND THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION’S 100 RESILIENT CITIES HOST “KICKOFF” WORKSHOP MARKING BEGINNING OF CITY’S PARTICIPATION IN INNOVATIVE GLOBAL URBAN RESILIENCE INITIATIVE

Workshop Brings Together Key Stakeholders to Develop City’s “Roadmap to Resilience”; Hiring of Chief Resilience Officer Will Ensure Strategy Responds to Overarching Issues Facing Boston

BOSTON – Tuesday, May 19, 2015 – Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) - pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation - to kick off the process of developing a comprehensive resilience strategy that will enable the city to better survive, adapt and grow no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks it experiences. The workshop brought together local officials and civic leaders, as well as engineers, architects, economists, faith leaders, academics and urban planners from around the city to participate in discussions on shared priorities and the essential elements for our preparedness plans.

“Thanks to 100 Resilient Cities and The Rockefeller Foundation, Boston has a real opportunity to address lingering social and economic impacts of our history,” said Mayor Walsh. “This workshop is a first step towards creating a tremendous resource and will move Boston towards a stronger, more resilient future.”

Boston’s initiative includes a unique focus on social resilience. Forty years after the busing crisis, Boston remains a city affected by divisions of race and class that undermine community cohesion. Gaps in health, educational and economic outcomes are evidence of how these fissures weaken resilience. The goal of the 100RC Initiative is to find ways to infuse the principles of resilience into all aspects of local planning, ensuring the city's ability to weather and recover from the physical, social and economic crises that are increasingly prevalent in the 21^st century.

In the months following today’s workshop, the city will continue to engage those stakeholders, resilience experts and 100RC staff in drafting the plan. As part of the process, Mayor Walsh is seeking applicants for the position of Chief Resiliency Officer (CRO) for the City of Boston to ensure Boston's resilience strategy incorporates and responds to the overarching issues facing Boston, including racial and socio-economic inequity, the lack of affordable housing, unemployment and underemployment, violence, climate change, flooding and terrorism. The position is funded through 100RC.

The CRO will report directly to the Mayor and will support the development of a resilience strategy and policy discussion in the city that includes an assessment of our social resilience opportunities and challenges. The CRO will also work with external stakeholders towards a shared vision on economic development, transportation, housing, climate change and the arts. Boston residency is required for this position. Interested applicants can apply at the City of Boston’s website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/ohr/careercenter/

In December 2014, Mayor Walsh announced that Boston had been selected as one of 35 cities from around the world to join the 100RC Network, which supplies its member cities with tools, funding, technical expertise and other resources to build resilience to the challenges of the 21^st century. 

“City governments are on the front line of dealing with acute shocks and chronic stress,” said The Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin. “Boston is part of a group of cities leading the way on resilience to better prepare for, withstand, and recover more effectively when disruption hits. Through this type of inclusive resilience planning cities can be better prepared for the unexpected. T hey can also realize the resilience dividend, the economic and competitive advantages that come from taking a resilience mindset. Boston’s commitment to resilience thinking, planning and action will set a global example.”

“Boston is helping fuel global momentum around building urban resilience, and leading by example,” said Michael Berkowitz, President of 100 Resilient Cities.  “The agenda workshop will clarify the city’s needs, surface innovative thinking, and give us a blueprint for engaging partners from across sectors to bring Boston the tools and resources needed to become more resilient.” 

About 100 Resilient Cities – Pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation:

100 Resilient Cities – pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation -- is dedicated to helping cities around the world become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges that are a growing part of the 21^st century. 100RC supports the adoption and incorporation of a view of resilience that includes not just the shocks but also the stresses that weaken the fabric of a city on a day-to-day or cyclical basis. Examples of these stresses include high unemployment; an overtaxed or inefficient public transportation system; endemic violence; or chronic food and water shortages. By addressing both the shocks and the stresses, a city can better respond to adverse events and is more capable of delivering basic functions in good time and bad, to all populations.

The 100 Resilient Cities Challenge was launched in 2013 as a $100 million commitment to build urban resilience. Officials or leaders or major institutions from over 700 cities have applied to the Challenge. The first cohort of 32 cities was announced in December 2013, and 100RC announced their second cohort of 35 cities in December 2014. Information on the Challenge itself is available at www.100resilientcities.org/challenge. 

An FAQ can be found at: http://www.100resilientcities.org/pages/100RC-FAQ#/-_/

Media Contact for 100 Resilient Cities: Maxwell Young – Myoung@100RC.org

塔醫和華康家護合作 六月辦平衡計畫

Tufts Medical Center, Multicultural Home Care
to Hold Boston-Based Program to Manage Patient Concerns About Falls

2015 (BOSTON) – Tufts Medical Center’s Trauma Center once again has partnered with Multicultural Home Care (MCHC) to offer A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls to Cantonese-speaking senior citizens in the Boston-area. The interactive program, which is taught in Cantonese, is designed to reduce the fear of falling and increase activity levels among older adults. Participants learn to set realistic goals to increase activity, change their environment to reduce fall risk factors and learn simple exercises to increase strength and balance. MCHC will sponsor the event by providing participants with a study workbook and refreshments.

Fear of falling can be just as dangerous as falling itself. People who develop this fear often limit their activities, which can result in severe physical weakness, making the risk of falling even greater. Many older adults also experience increased isolation and depression when they limit their interactions with family and friends. A Matter of Balance can help people improve their quality of life and remain independent.

A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls will be held at Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street in Boston, Mass. The program begins on June 8 and runs through June 18 from 10 a.m.-noon on select days. Class size is limited to 8-12 people.

For more information or to register, please call Janice Mei at 617-479-8880.

“平衡”計劃

解除對跌倒的憂慮

有很多長者因為害怕跌倒而限制自己的日常活動。“平衡”計劃可以 幫助長者提高警覺,防止跌倒和鼓勵長者增加日常活動。

平衡”計劃以實際行動來幫助

長者消除對“跌倒”所產生的

不安情緒。

你可以在這裏學到如何:

                          預防跌倒 


                          增加日常活動 


                          改變居家安全 


                          通過運動來增加“體力”與“平衡 
力” 
誰可以參加? 


                          擔心自己會跌倒的人士 


                          想增加體力,平衡力與身體柔韌性 
的人士 


                          曾經有數次跌倒經驗的人士 


                          因害怕跌倒而限制自己活動的人士 


時間:早上 10 點-12 點

地點:Tufts 醫療中心 Atrium 6002

日期:

6/8/15 星期一

6/10/15 星期三

6/11/15 星期四

6/12/15 星期五

6/15/15 星期一

6/16/15 星期二

6/17/15 星期三

6/18/15 星期四

任何問題請電: 梅小姐

(617) 479-8880 

Noah and Emma Top Social Security’s List of Most Popular Baby Names for 2014

Noah and Emma Top Social Security’s List of

Most Popular Baby Names for 2014

Agency Adds to Its Family with New Blog

Emma and Noah are America’s most popular baby names for 2014.  Emma returns to the top spot she held in 2008 and hangs out in first place with Noah.  There are a few new names in the top 10 this year—James (a former #1 from the ‘40s and ‘50s) on the blue side and Charlotte on the pink side, her first time ever in the top 10.  Makes you wonder if the Duke & Duchess of Cambridge got a sneak peak at the list, since naming their baby girl Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte (which lands at #10) Elizabeth (which fell from the top 10 to #14) Diana (#297) of Cambridge.  Social Security has a new addition this year too, Social Security Matters, the agency’s newborn interactive blog located at http://blog.socialsecurity.gov.

Here are the top 10 boys and girls names for 2014:

            Boys: 1)  Noah                                  Girls:   1)  Emma

                       2)  Liam                                               2)  Olivia

                        3)  Mason                                           3)  Sophia

                        4)  Jacob                                              4)  Isabella

                        5)  William                                          5)  Ava

                        6)  Ethan                                             6)  Mia

                        7)  Michael                                          7)  Emily

                        8)  Alexander                                       8)  Abigail

                        9)  James                                             9)  Madison

                        10) Daniel                                           10) Charlotte

For all the top baby names of 2014, go to Social Security’s website, www.socialsecurity.gov.

Social Security Matters, the agency’s new bundle of joy, launches as we celebrate 80 years of serving the American public, and is an addition to our communications family where people can find information on retirement, disability, Supplemental Security Income, online services, and much more.  It also is a place where the public can engage in conversations with the agency about what matters most.  The blog encourages discussion and offers important solutions.  Much like being a new parent, making benefit decisions can be overwhelming.  The blog is the latest in a long line of tools Social Security offers to help educate the public about their benefits and how to access agency services.

The birth of a child is a special time for families. While having fun with the baby names list, Acting Commissioner Carolyn W. Colvin encourages everyone to visit the agency’s website and create a my Social Security account at www.socialsecurity.gov.  my Social Security is a personalized online account that people can use beginning in their working years and continuing throughout the time they receive Social Security benefits. 

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries can have instant access to their benefit verification letter, payment history, and complete earnings record by establishing a my Social Security account.  Beneficiaries also can change their address, start or change direct deposit information, and print a replacement SSA-1099 online.

Individuals age 18 and older who are not receiving benefits can also sign up for a my Social Security account to get their personalized online Social Security Statement.  The online Statement provides workers with secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information, and estimates of future benefits they can use to plan for their retirement.

The agency began compiling the baby name list in 1997, with names dating to back to 1880. At the time of a child’s birth, parents supply the name to the agency when applying for a child’s Social Security card, thus making Social Security America’s source for the most popular baby names.

Each year, the list reveals the effect of pop-culture on naming trends.  This year’s winners for biggest jump in popularity in the Top 1,000 are Aranza and Bode. 

Aranza jumped an amazing 3,625 spots on the girls’ side to number 607, from number 4,232 in 2013. The Latin soap opera “Siempre Mi Amore” was aired on Univision from 2013 to 2015.  The show featured a young lead character named Aranza, and obviously had its effect on naming trends last year.

Bode raced ahead 645 spots, from number 1,428 in 2013 to number 783 in 2014.  This might have had something to do with the Winter Olympics in early 2014, where Bode Miller continued his outstanding alpine skiing career by collecting his sixth Olympic medal.  Not only is he the most successful male American alpine skier of all time, he is considered by many to be an American hero.

  

The second fastest riser for boys was Axl, a nod to both rock legend Axl Rose of Guns N’ Roses and Axl Jack Duhamel, son of Stacy Ann “Fergie” Ferguson and Josh Duhamel.  For girls, Montserrat, the lead character in a very popular Latin soap opera, was number two, joined by another Monserrat (spelled just one letter differently) at number three.  

Visit www.socialsecurity.gov to view the entire list.

Falchuk: Senate must debate bi-partisan amendment on Olympics

Falchuk: Senate must debate bi-partisan amendment on Olympics

BOSTON – Following the news that Republican Senator Bob Hedlund (R-Weymouth) and Democratic Senator Michael Moore (D-Milbury) had filed the language of the United Independent Party’s "Act for a Private Sector Funded Olympics" in the Massachusetts Senate, UIP chairman, Evan Falchuk, called on the Senate to debate the measure this week as it takes up amendments to the budget.

"Only weeks after the House rejected this measure, and with billions of dollars at risk, it is up to the Senate to protect taxpayers,” said Falchuk.  “Taxpayers should be grateful for the leadership of Senators Hedlund and Moore, and should call their state senator and give him or her a simple message: debate this amendment.”

Evan Falchuk ran for Massachusetts governor in 2014. He is the founder and chairman of the state’s new United Independent Party, and is pursuing a statewide vote on “An Act for a Private Sector Funded Olympics,” which would bar the use of taxpayer money to support the proposed Boston 2024 Olympic Games.