波士頓市長推出"波士頓 311"

波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh）昨（11）日宣佈推出“波士頓311“，讓民眾更方便的向市府舉報諸如”塗鴉“，街燈壞了，要求市府服務等非緊急事務的平台。 馬丁華殊表示，這是簡化民眾和市府溝通的做法，既改善市府提供服務的效率，也方便市民和政府聯繫。 波士頓市民可藉由不同工具，在波士頓市內的任何地方使用“波士頓311“這平台。 用蘋果的iOS，或安卓系統手機者，可下載免費的BOS:311應用程式。 電腦上網可用Boston.gov/311，使用社交媒體推特是tweet @BOS311，撥打電話是3-1-1。 電話的311將取代市長的24小時熱線617-635-4500。使用語音服務，或從波士頓市以外地區撥打電話者，仍應繼續使用市長熱線617-635-4500。 波市府表示，市長的24小時熱線，平均每週接到5,762通電話，天氣很糟糕時更多。這些電話多半都和垃圾，回收時間，街道清理，電話維修，街燈壞了等有關。如今的市民，更加依賴數位管道，今年就有39%的要求是經由網路或手機程式提出的。 MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES BOSTON 311 BOSTON - Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today launched Boston 311, a platform to better enable residents of Boston to report non-emergency issues to the City, such as graffiti and broken street lights, and access City services. "I am thrilled to launch Boston 311 to better equip our residents with a direct line of communication to City Hall while at the same time improving our delivery of City services," said Mayor Walsh. "By streamlining communication to City Hall, we are building on our priorities to create a City government that is efficient and accessible to all of Boston's residents." Boston 311 can be accessed anywhere within the City limits from both landlines and cell phones, and should only be used for non-emergencies. 311 will be available through several different platforms, including: Mobile: download the free BOS:311 app on iOS or Android (previously known as Citizens Connect) Online: Boston.gov/311 Social media: tweet @BOS311 Phone: dial 3-1-1 (previously the Mayor's 24-hour hotline 617-635-4500. For those with VoIP and for calls from outside Boston, callers should continue to dial 617-635-4500.) With the launch of Boston 311, Mayor Walsh has taken another step to better streamline City services for Boston's residents. Each day, the City of Boston receives hundreds of reports of graffiti, burnt out street lights and missed trash collection over the phone, on social media and via mobile app. Starting Tuesday, Boston 311 will make it easier for constituents to report issues that help maintain and improve the neighborhoods. "Thanks to Mayor Walsh's leadership we are very excited to launch Boston 311," said Niall Murphy, Director of the Mayor's Hotline. "We lean on the residents of Boston to be our eyes and ears in the neighborhoods, and we encourage them to utilize the services we provide to make Boston the best city it can be. We now provide a more efficient service than ever before by tracking additional data, streamlining services, and creating accessibility and predictability for constituents. As part of the Boston 311 transition, the City completed several technological upgrades that improve our ability to listen to and respond to constituents. This new system will allow for the ability to manage calls, add additional reporting capabilities, eliminating redundancy as well as the ability to easily add additional resources in an emergency. Upgrades were also added to the City's mobile app (previously called Citizens Connect and now called BOS:311). Constituents now have access to an expanded set of service requests, such as missed trash pickup, in a more thoughtfully designed menu that prioritizes seasonal and high volume requests. On average, the Mayor's 24-Hour Hotline receives 5,762 calls per week, and more during times of severe weather. Calls typically concern matters of trash and recycling collection, street cleaning, pothole repair and streetlight outages. Additionally, constituents are increasingly relying on digital channels to report issues: this year, 39 percent of requests have been submitted online and through the mobile app. The launch of Boston 311 is one of many steps Mayor Walsh has taken to make City services more transparent and improve City operations. Service request data is publicly available on the open data portal and appears on the Mayor's dashboard in his office. For news and updates from the City, follow @CityofBoston on Twitter.

GOVERNOR BAKER APPOINTS MEMBERS TO UMASS AND HIGHER EDUCATION BOARDS

GOVERNOR BAKER APPOINTS MEMBERS TO UMASS AND HIGHER EDUCATION BOARDS

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker appointed Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D., as a member of the Board of Higher Education, and Robert Epstein and Robert J. Manning as members of the Board of Trustees for the University of Massachusetts (UMass).

“These new Board members have a strong commitment to excellence in higher education, and I’m confident that they will be catalysts for taking our public state and community college system to the next level,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “As President of Becker College in Worcester, Dr. Johnson understands how to lead and manage a career-oriented college that is responsive to the changing needs and demands of employers and communities. UMass Lowell alumnus Rob Manning has previously chaired the board with distinction and has shown an exceptional level of commitment to making our public universities world-class institutions. As a successful entrepreneur and graduate of UMass Amherst, Bob Epstein has already had a tremendous impact on our campuses, after launching the ‘Reason to Give’ Scholarship, which helps UMass students whose parents lose their jobs.”    

“These leaders bring an incredible level of experience and commitment to higher education in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Education, Jim Peyser. “I am delighted to work alongside these new members who will be innovative leaders on our boards.”

“I am honored to serve the people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D. “It is a pleasure to be a champion for ensuring our young people receive a quality higher education. This appointment presents a tremendous opportunity to advance higher education in this transitional economy, which will enhance the lives of not just our students, but all of our citizens.”

“I am delighted to be appointed by Governor Baker to be a trustee of UMass,” said Robert Epstein. “I am passionate about the university and hope to sustain its position as the crown jewel of our commonwealth.”

“I’m thrilled to be back as a trustee of UMass and I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for Governor Baker and I’m proud to be a part of his team,” said Robert J. Manning.  

Dr. Johnson will replace Maura Banta on the Board of Higher Education. Mr. Manning will replace the open UMass Lowell Alumni seat vacated by Zoila Gomez and Mr. Epstein will replace Ruben King-Shaw, Jr., who served two full terms and is not eligible for reappointment.  

About Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D.

Robert E. Johnson, Ph.D., became the tenth president of Becker College in July 2010. Under Dr. Johnson’s leadership, Becker College has been named one of the “best institutions for undergraduate education” by The Princeton Review for four consecutive years and the College’s game design program has been ranked by The Princeton Review for the last six years, including, in 2015, the 9^th best undergraduate program in the world. In 2011, Becker was designated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as home to the Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI), a statewide center for academic cooperation, entrepreneurship and economic development across the Massachusetts digital and video games ecosystem. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Trident University International (formerly Touro University International), a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Cincinnati, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Morehouse College. Dr. Johnson is a member of the Council on Competitiveness, a nonpartisan policy organization of chief executives, university presidents, and labor leaders, and serves on the boards of a number of state and local organizations.

About Robert Epstein

Robert Epstein was raised in Brockton and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Upon graduation he joined his family business and helped to take a small regional operation into the largest beverage alcohol distributer in New England.  Horizon Beverage Group has been in business for over 82 years and employs over 800 people in 5 states. Mr. Epstein remains active in numerous civic and charitable endeavors particularly Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Hospice of Cape Cod, and UMass Amherst.

About Robert Manning

Robert J. Manning is chairman and co-chief executive officer of MFS Investment Management and a trustee of the MFS Funds Board. Prior to that, he held the title of president and chief investment officer, as well as several leadership positions in the Fixed Income Division. MFS manages $450 billion in assets globally and employs 2,000 people. He received a Master of Science degree in Finance from Boston College and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. Mr. Manning is a member of the Investment Company Institute’s board of governors and a trustee of the Boston Medical Center’s Pension and Endowment Funds. In 2011, he received a Doctor of Humane Letters from UMass Lowell, where he endowed the Manning School of Business.  

About the UMass Board of Trustees

The University of Massachusetts is governed by a 22-member Board of Trustees that represents various interests of the public at large on a non-partisan basis. Seventeen members of the board are appointed by the Governor and five members are UMass students elected by the student body on each of the five campuses.

The Board of Trustees functions as a legislative body dealing mainly with general policies governing the University. The Board is not an administrative or management board.  The Massachusetts General Laws allows it to act as an appeals body in certain rare instances.

For more information about the UMass Board of Trustees, please visit: https://www.umassp.edu/bot. 

About the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education

The mission of the Board of Higher Education is to ensure that Massachusetts residents have the opportunity to benefit from a higher education that enriches their lives and advances their contributions to the civic life, economic development, and social progress of the Commonwealth. To that end, the programs and services of Massachusetts higher education must meet standards of quality commensurate with the benefits it promises and must be truly accessible to the people of the Commonwealth in all their diversity.

For more information on the Board of Higher Education, please visit:http://www.mass.edu/bhe/aboutbhe.asp

紐英崙客家鄉親會客家音樂欣賞會 8/15

紐英崙客家鄉親會將於8月15日辦“客家音樂欣賞會”，22日辦“全家福烤肉聯誼會”，慶祝成立五週年。

            紐英崙客家鄉親會新任會長周一男表示，為慶祝成立五週年，該會幹部籌備多時，將於 8 月 15 日 (週六）晚上7點30分，在中華藝術協會（ACS，29 Montvale Avenue, Woburn）活動大廳，舉辦 "客家音樂欣賞會"。

從台灣來的 "打幫你樂團 "及謝其國老師等一行人，將在結束紐約市演出行程後，於八月十五日趕到波士頓表演。

這場" 客家音樂欣賞會 "，共安排18個節目，包括 "打幫你樂團 "表演的16個客家音樂節目，以及紐英崙客家鄉親會余嘯喻老師所指導“客家舞蹈班”表演的2 支舞蹈。

周一男表示，這場音樂欣賞會是紐英崙地區介紹及宣揚客家文化藝術的創舉，入場免費，但需憑票，歡迎各界聯繫該會理事索票。

會場將放置有捐獻箱，歡迎各界捐款贊助該會承辦音樂會的支出。

該會另將於8月22日（週六）上午11點至下午3點，在牛頓市的 Auburndale Cove公園，舉辦全家福烤肉聯誼活動。費用每人15元。

查詢或索票，報名烤肉，可洽周一男  (617-965-0867, georgeinchou@gmail.com)；林上田 (617-610-1153， sts_lin@hotmail.com)；林展輝 (617-281-8633，jhlin15@yahoo.com)；曾秀梅 (617-553-0388，meihsu168@gmail.com)；

許炳煌 (617-792-7996，pinghsu66@gmail.com); ；張桂英 (857-928-8268，kueiingchang@gmail.com)；陳裕逢 (617-816-6622，terrenceychen@gmail.com)。

            紐英崙客家鄉親會音樂會海報。（圖由客家會提供）

MAYOR WALSH FILES ORDINANCE ADDRESSING DISRUPTIVE USE OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

MAYOR WALSH FILES ORDINANCE ADDRESSING DISRUPTIVE USE OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES

BOSTON - Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh has filed an ordinance to address the hazardous operation and storage of recreational vehicles and motorized conveyances. "We are committed to creating safer streets for our officers and for our residents and visitors," said Mayor Walsh. "I look forward to working with the City Council to pass this ordinance, and end the inappropriate and dangerous use of recreational vehicles to better protect our communities."   If approved by the Boston City Council, these regulations would take effect immediately. The ordinance prohibits a person from engaging in hazardous operation of a motorized conveyance, including recreational vehicles, upon any public space in the City of Boston. Prohibited stunt or truck riding includes, but is not limited to, riding with the front, side or rear wheels raised from the surface of the road or ground, riding with a passenger's feet or knees planted on the seat, and operating a vehicle with a passenger riding on the handle bars. According to this ordinance, officers are allowed to issue immediate fines for a violation  and to impound the vehicle pending compliance. "Recreational vehicles have become both a nuisance on our neighborhoods disrupting the quality of life and genuine public safety hazard," said Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy. "This ordinance, filed by Mayor Walsh, will go a long way to giving the Boston Police Department the necessary tools to keep the public safe and streets peaceful in the City of Boston."   The ordinance also addresses instances when groups of riders congregate on a property without the property owner's knowledge or approval or cause a disruption to nearby tenants, by requiring written permission to operate, maintain or possess a recreational vehicle on someone else's property. Additionally, the ordinance bans a person from placing or storing more than one unregistered recreational vehicle upon public or private land. A recreational vehicle includes, but is not limited to, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, dirt bikes and recreation utility vehicles. Any person found in violation would be fined $250 for the first offense and $300 for a second or subsequent offense.

麻州長查理貝克響應第二輪“冰桶挑戰” 點名馬丁華殊，Gina Raimondo接戰

麻州州長查理貝克（中，Charlie Baker）為自己接受了冰桶挑戰歡呼。他右邊是Peter Frates，左邊是麻州財政廳廳長高柏珂（Deb Goldberg）。（周菊子攝）

舉冰桶澆頭後，麻州州長查理貝克（左，Charlie Baker）和副州長白莉
朵（右，Karyn Polito）回答問題，表示穿“放過布萊迪”T恤一舉，
事前徵求過Frates家人同意。（周菊子攝）

    (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)麻州州長查理貝克（Charlie Baker）昨（10）日和州府員工、政要，將近300人，站在州政府大樓前一起接受“冰桶挑戰（ice bucket）”，繼續為治療漸凍人症（ALS）盡力。            
     查理貝克此舉是為響應ALS協會所發起的行動，從今年開始，每年八月舉行“冰桶挑戰”，為治療ALS籌款，直至此病找到治療方法為止。

            查理貝克表示，他希望每個人各隨心意捐款，不要有壓力。說起冰水澆頭滋味，直說“真冷”。

            在舉起冰桶，澆上自己的頭頂之前，查理貝克點名波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh），羅德州州長雷蒙朵（Gina Raimondo）接受冰桶挑戰。

麻州企業發展助理卿范文南（Nam Pham）（左）昨日也
接受冰桶挑戰。（周菊子攝）

            查理貝克昨日下午穿著“放過布萊迪（Free Brady）”字樣的Ｔ恤，面向記者群鏡頭表示，他“不知道記錄是什麼，但今天有300人在這“，而且竟然還有人穿著西裝，站在接受冰桶挑戰人群中。

            和查理貝克一起接受冰桶挑戰的麻州政要，包括副州長白莉朵（Karyn Polito），財政廳廳長高柏珂（Deb Goldberg），企業發展助理卿范文南（Nam Pham），麻州眾議員黃子安（Donald Wong）等人。

麻州眾議員黃子安（右一）昨日也站在人群中接受冰桶挑戰。
（周菊子攝）

            根據肌萎縮性脊髓側索硬化症（Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis，簡稱ALS）協會網站，“冰桶挑戰”是由職業高爾夫球手Chris Kennedy在2014年夏天開始的一項活動，在輾轉挑戰到紐約的Pat Quinn，以及波士頓也染有此症的波士頓學院棒球隊前隊長Peter Frates之後，這挑戰如火延燒的迅速蔓延全世界，有1700萬人上傳了他們接受挑戰的視頻到臉書上，有不下4億4000萬人看了100億次。

            昨日在查理貝克接受冰桶挑戰時，住在比佛利（Beverly）的Peter Frates和他的家人都站在旁邊。他的母親Nancy Frates昨日感謝麻州長查理貝克接受冰桶挑戰，直說該一舉動意義深長。她也表示，“冰桶挑戰”去年籌得2億2千萬元。他希望今年也能籌到同樣數目。她們也會每年八月訴求一次，直到該並可治為止。

            CNN日前報導，ALS協會從全美250萬人那兒收到1億1500萬元捐款，迄今花出去40%，約4710萬元。

麻州首名華裔女市長黃素芬不參選連任

費奇堡市長黃素芬（前左一起），聖約克市議員蘇圖倆夫婦，和昆市黃強龍獅團合影。（菊子攝）

麻州首名華裔女市長，已四度連任的黃素芬（Lisa Wong），去年十一月結婚，今年四月宣佈不再競選連任，上週末（8月9日）來到波士頓華埠，透露夫婿蘇圖（Anthony Soto）將競選聖約克（Holyoke）市長。

紐英崙中華公所主席阮鴻燦（左起）將為費奇堡市長黃素芬（前左一
起）的夫婿，聖約克市議員蘇圖（Anthony Soto）競選市長
辦籌款會。（菊子攝）

黃素芬是2007年時首度當選為費奇堡（Fitchburg）市長，一直都是民主黨寵愛的政壇新星。當年奧巴馬初次競選總統，來麻州拜票時，民主黨也把黃素芬找了去站台助陣。

去年十一月，她和聖約克是第二區市議員蘇圖結婚了，但礙於他們倆人的公職身份，不得不維持分住兩地局面。

 費奇堡市長黃素芬（右）和母親郭碧儀（左）重溫早年
進華埠過節的感受。（菊子攝）

            四月份時，黃素芬宣佈為了家庭，她決定不再競選連任，並解釋選擇聖約克市是為了離蘇圖的小孩家近些。上週末她笑說，一家之內不適合有兩名市長，未來將做什麼，她還未詳細規劃，要等做完這一任市長剩下的五個月任期再說。

            費奇堡市有意角逐下屆市長的人選，已紛紛露面，包括麻州眾議員Stephen DiNatale，以及Andrew J. Couture，Miguel Fleitas Jr.，以及Stephen Sandrelli等人。

            中華公所主席阮鴻燦透露，八月廿五日，波士頓華人社區將為蘇圖舉辦一場籌款會。