華美福利會代辦冬季暖氣補助申請

Asian American Civic Association starts accepting new applications to the FuelAssistance program on November 1 until April 30 2016. Would it be possible for you to place an announcement on your newspaper until April? Please see the text below.

暖氣補助計劃是幫助低收入家庭於冬季期間繳付暖氣費用.
申請日期: 11/1/2015 至 4/30/2016
申請資格: (1) 波士頓 (Boston), 布碌鄰 (Brookline)及牛頓市(Newton)居民. 凡合資格的申請者皆可獲得電費,
煤氣費及電話費等的折扣優惠. 歡迎有興趣申請的人士致電 (617) 426-9492 分機0號或到華美福利會預約.

家庭人數	稅前年薪        $	家庭人數	稅前年薪   $
1	33,126	5	73,897
2	43,319	6	84,089
3	53,511	7	86,000
4	63,704	8	87,912

Fuel Assistance Program is a Federally-funded program that helps
low-income households with their home heating bills in winter season.
All eligible Fuel Assistance applicants will receive discounted gas,
electric and telephone rates.

Application date: 11/1/2015 to 4/30/2016
Eligibility: (1) Residents of Boston, Brookline or Newton
To apply, please call (617)426-9492 ext: 0 or go to AACA to make an appointment.

Household Number	Gross Annual Income       $	Household Number	Gross Annual Income   $
1	33,126	5	73,897
2	43,319	6	84,089
3	53,511	7	86,000
4	63,704	8	87,912

Thanks,

Scarlett

On Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 10:56 AM, Scarlett Wu <scarlettwu@aaca-boston.org> wrote:

Hi Chutze,

Asian American Civic Association started accepting new applications to the Fuel Assistance program on November 1 until April 30 2016. Would it be possible for you to place an announcement on
your newspaper from now to April 2016? Please see the text below.

暖氣補助計劃是幫助低收入家庭於冬季期間繳付暖氣費用.
申請日期: 11/1/2015 至 4/30/2016
申請資格: (1) 波士頓 (Boston), 布碌鄰 (Brookline)及牛頓市(Newton)居民. 凡合資格的申請者皆可獲得電費,
煤氣費及電話費等的折扣優惠. 歡迎有興趣申請的人士致電 (617) 426-9492 分機0號或到華美福利會預約.

家庭人數	稅前年薪        $	家庭人數	稅前年薪   $
1	33,126	5	73,897
2	43,319	6	84,089
3	53,511	7	86,000
4	63,704	8	87,912

Fuel Assistance Program is a Federally-funded program that helps
low-income households with their home heating bills in winter season.
All eligible Fuel Assistance applicants will receive discounted gas,
electric and telephone rates.

Application date: 11/1/2015 to 4/30/2016
Eligibility: (1) Residents of Boston, Brookline or Newton
To apply, please call (617)426-9492 ext: 0 or go to AACA to make an appointment.

Household Number	Gross Annual Income       $	Household Number	Gross Annual Income   $
1	33,126	5	73,897
2	43,319	6	84,089
3	53,511	7	86,000
4	63,704	8	87,912

Thanks,

Scarlett

On Mon, Nov 9, 2015 at 11:56 AM, Scarlett Wu <scarlettwu@aaca-boston.org> wrote:

Hi Chutze,

Asian American Civic Association starts accepting new applications to the Fuel Assistance program on November 1 until April 30 2016. Would it be possible for you to place an announcement on
your newspaper? Please see the text below.

暖氣補助計劃是幫助低收入家庭於冬季期間繳付暖氣費用.
申請日期: 11/1/2015 至 4/30/2016
申請資格: (1) 波士頓 (Boston), 布碌鄰 (Brookline)及牛頓市(Newton)居民. 凡合資格的申請者皆可獲得電費,
煤氣費及電話費等的折扣優惠. 歡迎有興趣申請的人士致電 (617) 426-9492 分機0號或到華美福利會預約.

家庭人數	稅前年薪        $	家庭人數	稅前年薪   $
1	33,126	5	73,897
2	43,319	6	84,089
3	53,511	7	86,000
4	63,704	8	87,912

Fuel Assistance Program is a Federally-funded program that helps
low-income households with their home heating bills in winter season.
All eligible Fuel Assistance applicants will receive discounted gas,
electric and telephone rates.

Application date: 11/1/2015 to 4/30/2016
Eligibility: (1) Residents of Boston, Brookline or Newton
To apply, please call (617)426-9492 ext: 0 or go to AACA to make an appointment.

Household Number	Gross Annual Income       $	Household Number	Gross Annual Income   $
1	33,126	5	73,897
2	43,319	6	84,089
3	53,511	7	86,000
4	63,704	8	87,912

Thanks,

Scarlett

-- 

BOSTON COMMUNITY ENERGY STUDY TAPS INNOVATION EXPERTS TO ESTABLISH ROAD-MAP FOR LOCAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND INCREASING RESILIENCY

BOSTON COMMUNITY ENERGY STUDY TAPS INNOVATION EXPERTS TO ESTABLISH ROAD-MAP FOR LOCAL ENERGY SOLUTIONS REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND INCREASING RESILIENCY

Community Energy Projects could provide over $1 Billion in Community Benefits and Savings over 25 Years, City will Provide Follow-On Technical Assistance to Communities through DOE Partnership

BOSTON - Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - The City of Boston in partnership with Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) released the Boston Community Energy Study (BCES) today. The study is a starting point to help Boston stakeholders better understand the potential for community energy solutions and identifies specific project opportunities to reduce costs, greenhouse gas emissions and make Boston's energy system more resilient.   The study was a collaborative effort with the MIT School of Architecture and Planning's Sustainable Design Lab, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Google's Project Sunroof and Eversource. Funding and technical support was provided from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center along with funding from the Barr Foundation, the US Department of Energy and the US Department Homeland Security.   "We see great potential in community energy solutions to provide low-cost and cleaner energy while also improving resiliency," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "This study is a critical step in understanding the benefits of these new approaches and laying out a roadmap to engage the many important stakeholders in the City of Boston."   To further help communities pursue potential projects identified in the study, the City will be able to arrange technical assistance through a partnership with the US Department of Energy (DOE) called the Climate Action Champions program. Through the program, the City will be able to connect property owners with experts that perform no-cost feasibility studies for combined heat and power for district energy loops and microgrids.    "Community energy solutions such as targeted energy efficiency, district energy, microgrids, local energy generation and energy storage represent an opportunity to fundamentally change the way our energy system works," added Austin Blackmon, Chief of Energy, Environment, and Open Space for Boston, "but to get there we need a better understanding of the existing system and a way to identify the most promising solutions."   In order to understand the potential for these types of solutions, the City needed much more precise data on how energy is consumed in the City. However, gathering data for every building's energy consumption for each hour of the day all year long would be a prohibitive task. Therefore, the City turned to MIT's Sustainable Design Lab to build a first of its kind energy model for the City. Eversource furthered this effort by providing energy-use data that was used to calibrate the model. "The City of Boston rightfully understands the potential of community energy systems and the daunting task of assembling enough data to assess the best approaches," said Christoph Reinhart, Associate Professor at the Sustainable Design Lab and one of the authors of the report. "To solve this problem, we built a first of its kind model that allows us to simulate the energy consumption of every building in the City."   Once the City had the baseline findings from the MIT model and calibrated it with data from Eversource, the next challenge was to understand what kind of solutions would be appropriate based on the energy consumption patterns that they discovered. To do this, the City turned to researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, who used a software model called Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM), developed to evaluate similar energy solutions for military bases. The Laboratory ran several different scenarios, some looking at maximizing the reduction of costs and others at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.   "We were able to help the City understand the viability of different solutions in driving down costs and emissions," said Eric Limpaecher, Assistant Group Leader of the Energy Systems Group MIT Lincoln Laboratory and another one of the authors of the report. "From this analysis, the City has now identified 42 different "hot spots" that represent the most viable opportunities for deployment of new community energy systems."   Using simulations and parameters from the MIT model, the BRA Research Division further evaluated the potential costs and benefits of the community energy solutions under the two scenarios: One for maximizing reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and the other to maximize costs savings. For each scenario MIT's LL provided upfront capital and long-term maintenance costs, which were compared to the reduced energy costs and GHG emissions benefits for residential, commercial and municipal consumers. The potential total benefits for both consumers and the City-at-large for the two scenarios ranged between $600 million and $1.7 billion over the 25 year analysis period. While more complete analysis is needed and much remains to be learned, the initial indicators are very positive.   The City also wanted to take a closer look at the potential to deploy solar energy through a new approach called Community Solar, where consumers without the appropriate space to site a system can get access to solar energy through a shared community system. To do this, the City turned to Google's Project Sunroof.  "Community Solar is an emerging business model for larger solar installations," said Carl Elkin, Engineering Lead for Project Sunroof. "Google Project Sunroof leveraged their rooftop-solar potential data set to show BRA where community-scale solar installations are most feasible."   "Identifying proper locations for clean community energy systems can help communities meet clean energy, resiliency and energy cost savings goals," said MassCEC Interim CEO Stephen Pike. "We are proud to support the City of Boston's innovative approach to mapping these opportunities, as it will provide lessons for municipalities around the Commonwealth."   Looking forward, the City plans to convene relevant stakeholders for the most promising projects that are identified in the study to discuss their viability and potential implementation. "The successful deployment of these new approaches will require the input of a wide range of stakeholders from consumers and utilities to technology companies and community leaders," said Brian Golden, Director of the BRA, "and we plan to act as a convener to bring all the players together."

中華民俗藝術工作坊 2/14 迎新春

MAYOR WALSH SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH LYON, FRANCE VICE-MAYOR KARIN DOGNIN-SAUZE

MAYOR WALSH SIGNS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH LYON, FRANCE VICE-MAYOR KARIN DOGNIN-SAUZE

BOSTON - Wednesday, February 10, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined Vice-Mayor of Lyon, France Karine Dognin-Sauze to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the cities of Lyon and Boston. They were joined by the Ambassador of France to the US Gérard Araud.  The MOU commits both parties to fostering economic development, innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, culture, tourism, and quality education to its residents. "We're honored that Lyon has become a growing partner to the City of Boston. Our partnership will continue to expand upon economic, social, cultural and environmental goals that mutually benefit both cities," said Mayor Walsh. "In order to be competitive in an increasingly global economy, we must strengthen our partnerships with cities around the world that share our goals." "There is a natural partnership between Boston and Lyon, as both cities are committed to innovation and entrepreneurship," said  Karine Dognin-Sauze, Vice Mayor of the City of Lyon. "I am very glad to witness the development of relationships between Lyon and Boston," said Ambassador of France to the US Gérard Araud. "This MOU, aiming at fostering structured collaborations in innovation, transportation, and culture, is the result of several high-level exchanges between the two cities for the past years. Both share the same passion for entrepreneurship and excellence in bio-technologies, clean technologies, and robotics, and I really wish them the best for their future collaboration." The MOU calls for both cities to identify opportunities to generate new initiatives to further nurture economic, social, cultural and environmental based relationships, as well as: Continue to develop cooperation in the economic sectors that are strategic for Boston and Lyon, e.g. biotechnology, sustainable energy systems and green industries/cleantech, robotics, security and digital sector (moving images, gaming etc.); Encourage the exchange of experience and professional contacts related to business creation and entrepreneurship in order to promote a vibrant business culture; Support the development of companies abroad and exchange best practices to promote the development of internationally-integrated innovation ecosystems. Share best practices and encourage cooperation on innovation-focused initiatives and policies targeting social and economic equity, including measures aimed at closing the gap in living conditions, income disparity and multi-racial & multi-ethnic social integration. Contribute to knowledge sharing with regard to place-based and tourism-destination development. Lyon is France's second-largest city and a major banking and industrial center for chemical, pharmaceutical, biotech, and software companies. On Tuesday, Mayor Walsh welcomed a visiting delegation of 20 entrepreneurs, government, and industry leaders to Big Booster's week-long boot camp program in Boston, a program initiated by Lyon in collaboration with Boston. Boston and Lyon continue to celebrate and promote innovation across the two partnering cities and this agreement further solidifies that effort. More information about Boston, Lyon and the Big Booster program can be found, here: http://ow.ly/Y8vPN. MOU (English Version) MOU (French Version)

Governor Baker Names Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission

Governor Baker Names Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission

Panel will recruit qualified, diverse pool of applicants for historic number of SJC vacancies

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker today named a statewide 12-member Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission (SJC-NC) to recruit and screen applicants to fill an unprecedented number of upcoming vacancies on the Commonwealth’s highest court.  Established by Executive Order 566, the commission will include the Governor’s Chief Legal Counsel, the Chair and Vice-Chairs of the Governor’s Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, the President of the Boston Bar Association and the immediate Past President of the Massachusetts Bar Association.

“We look forward to ensuring the Supreme Judicial Court will continue to fulfill its mission through the consideration of a diverse and broad set of candidates from across Massachusetts who bring outstanding intellectual and legal skills, strong work ethic and a measured temperament and sense of justice to the Commonwealth’s highest court,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “On behalf of the Commonwealth, Lt. Governor and I thank the departing justices for their service, and wish them our very best in their retirement.”

“Justices Cordy, Spina and Duffly have served the Commonwealth, our citizens and the judicial system at the highest levels of the legal profession throughout their tenures, and we wish them well,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are committed to finding outstanding candidates to fill these vacancies from across the Commonwealth.”

The SJC-NC seeks applicants who possess the temperament, ability and integrity to freely, impartially and independently interpret the laws and administer justice, and to work collaboratively with their colleagues in crafting opinions and administering the judicial branch of government. It also hopes to recruit applicants who represent not only the geographically diverse parts of the Commonwealth, but also the diversity of our citizens. The application period will be open until March 18^th andapplications are available on the JNC’s website.  The pool of applicants generated by this application process will be used to fill the seats of three justices who recently announced their retirements as well as any vacancies that may occur in early 2017.

The 21-member Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC), established in February 2016, will continue to screen candidates for the Massachusetts Appeals Courts and trial courts.  The current list of openings in those courts for which applications are now being accepted can be found here.

Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission

Lon F. Povich, Co-Chair

Governor’s Chief Legal Counsel

Paul T. Dacier, Co-Chair

Chair, JNC

Executive Vice President and General Counsel of EMC Corporation

Lisa G. Arrowood

President, Boston Bar Association

Partner, Arrowood Peters, LLP

Roberto M. Braceras

Vice-Chair, JNC

Partner, Goodwin Procter LLP

Brackett B. Denniston

General Counsel, GE (ret.)

The Honorable Margaret R. Hinkle

Justice, Massachusetts Superior Court (ret.)

The Honorable Roderick L. Ireland 

Chief Justice, Supreme Judicial Court (ret.)

Marsha V. Kazarosian

Immediate Past President, Massachusetts Bar Association

Partner, Kazarosian Costello

Joan A. Lukey

Partner, Choate Hall & Stewart, LLP

Elizabeth A. Lunt

Of Counsel, Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein

John P. Pucci

Partner, Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, LLP

Carol T. Vittorioso

Vice-Chair, JNC

Partner, Vittorioso & Taylor

MAYOR WALSH OPENS ENROLLMENT FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES ONLINE

MAYOR WALSH OPENS ENROLLMENT FOR YOUTH EMPLOYMENT SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES ONLINE

BOSTON - Thursday, February 11, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the opening of SuccessLink, an online tool that enables Boston youth to register for summer jobs. Registering also allows applicants to connect with Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Division of Youth Engagement and Employment's full menu of services, including connection to peer-led personal and career development workshops, scholarships, civic engagement opportunities and more. The SuccessLink replaced the Boston Youth Fund's HOPELINE in February 2015. "The city's summer jobs program makes a difference in the lives of our young people, and I encourage all those who are eligible to apply for this program," said Mayor Walsh. "By providing our youth with great opportunities to gain valuable work experience and participate in career development, we are helping to put them on a pathway to success that will help shape their future." The SuccessLink application will be available until 11:59 pm on Friday, March 25. Teens can apply 24 hours a day on the Youth Engagement and Employment website:  youth.boston.gov. Boston is a leader in youth employment across the nation with a focus on offering meaningful employment opportunities to young people ages 15-18. Opportunities include paid positions with the Boston Police Department, New England Aquarium, Zoo New England, radio stations and Boston municipal government departments. Through SuccessLink, young people can register for the Youth Employment Program, partake in personal and career development workshops, get connected to resources, and join in on civic engagement initiatives designed to empower youth all in one place. New to the process this year, SuccessLink registrants will be able to apply directly to organizations immediately after registering, while also having an online dashboard where they will be able to access and review the application status for any opening that they expressed interest in. Applicants will also be able to manage and update their information with a self-created username and password. "Through my job, I know I'm actually having an effect on my community and giving people a chance to make a difference,"said Stephen Lafume age 17, a Youth Budget Specialist responsible for collecting ideas on how to make Boston even better and turning those ideas into project proposals to be voted on by young people in the spring. "SuccessLink helps people get work experience and it's also a crucial source of income for some young people. It feels really empowering." Teens interested in applying: Must be a full-time resident of the City of Boston;   Must turn 15 years old, on or before Sunday, July 5, 2016;   Cannot turn 19 years old, on or before Friday, August 12, 2016;   Must be legally permitted to work in the United States.   Applicants can visit BCYF's Division of Youth Engagement and Employment at 1483 Tremont Street, Roxbury, or call 617-635-4202 for assistance with the application. Applying for a summer position with SuccessLink does not guarantee a job, but young people can take steps to increase their chances of employment. BCYF DYEE will host the 4th annual Teen Job Fair at the BCYF Tobin Community Center in Mission Hill on Saturday, February 20 from 12 to 3 p.m. Participants will have an opportunity to meet potential summer employers, win prizes, interview for positions, and more. Interested applicants can also apply directly to sites to increase their chances of employment.  Teens interested in attending the job fair can pre-register for the event and get more information at: http://successlinkfair2016.eventbrite.com

首届南加州华人创业颁奖典礼 见证创投圈蓬勃发展

轉載

首届南加州华人创业颁奖典礼 见证创投圈蓬勃发展

http://www.aacyf.org/?p=5977

首届南加州华人创业颁奖典礼 见证创投圈蓬勃发展

首届南加州华人创业颁奖典礼1月31日下午在洛杉矶帕萨迪纳市隆重举行，吸引近六百位风华正茂的各路青年精英与会。颁奖典礼全程充满了鼓励青年学子创业，分享创业经验和知识的热烈氛围，被誉为南加州华人创业圈形成以来最大规模和最具影响力的盛典。

典礼上邀请的青年专家们未来并分享了以创业环境，创新理念、融资方式等专业性极强的原创行业报告，。普创联合创始人张晨辰在颁奖典礼上做的《2015年度洛杉矶创业报告》，系统介绍了２０１５年洛杉矶地区初创公司的快速增长，分布区域，公司类型细分，资金规模，融资额度，以及公司退出（包括被收购、上市）的统计数据。

张晨辰在报告中，特别提及了来自中国的资本更多涉及种子和A轮，细分领域涉及游戏、互联网金融、大数据、交通等项目。

当天有十个不同类型的创业项目获奖。颠覆传统电汇模式的中国国内首家留学在线缴费平台易思汇获得最受期待新星奖；致力于推动美国中小型商户的现代化平台ProspectWise获得最具发展潜力奖；现拥有40多万粉丝，为在美华人打造美食生活平台的吃货小分队获得最具群众号召力奖；特殊贡献奖颁给了主要面对全球女性创业者和投资人的平台SoGal； 研究语音人工智能技术的公司ObEN获得了最具创新突破奖。拥有50 万读者群、服务于留学生和欲出国学生的新媒体平台北美留学生日报获得了最具影响力平台奖；

专注于智能化安全防范领域的视频监控系统，核心技术拥有7项专利，拥有最前沿技术的智能计算机视觉公司WiZR获得了最具技术革新奖；全美首家以卡车司机为主导的创新在线物流交易平台Next Trucking获颁最具商业价值奖；目前估值超过5000万美金，备受投资人瞩目的一款非同寻常的购物插件Honey获得了最受投资人期待奖；

提出价值观是感恩、是一种态度，善良是一种选择，公益是一种能力的、由发作性睡病患者成立的志愿性公益交流平台发作性睡病联盟获颁最温暖公益奖。

90后留学生、易思汇联合创始人高宇同在获奖致词中分享了创业的艰辛历程和新得，鼓励青年朋友在创业时要面对挑战，扩大视野。易思汇极具特色的90后的创业团队，让中国的知名投资人感受到了海外新生代的力量。

ProspectWise首席执行长刘佳科在发言中表示，每个初创企业，都有成为脱颖而出的独角兽的梦想，如何将梦想变为现实，则需要非常顽强的生存能力，他们公司目前已经获得了国际著名风投公司的种子轮百万级别的首轮融资。

颁奖典礼由南加州非盈利组织普创(PlusYoou)举办，据主办单位介绍，举办这次颁奖典礼一方面是为了鼓励和支持正在辛苦创业的大家，表彰出色的团队，另一方面也是为了聚集优秀的资源，让大家了解创新的项目，最终服务并加强整个华人的创业生态圈，在筹备颁奖典礼之前，面向南加州地区公开征集各类创业项目，共收集到在南加州注册并且有运营的公司送选的50个项目。

颁奖典礼当天正逢洛杉矶少见的狂风、下雨天气，仍然难挡活动对青年人的吸引力，全场爆满，中途没有人退场和喧哗，参加活动的全美中华青年联合会会长任向东表示，都说华人活动比较难吸引青年朋友参加，但是这个颁奖典礼充实的内容和简洁的形式，让这次颁奖典礼成为南加州地区近年来最大规模的校园外的青年活动。（AACYF洛杉矶讯）

波士頓市議會議長吳弭和市長Walsh邀民眾同慶農曆新年 2/10

A final reminder about our event tomorrow night supporting Boston City Council President, Michelle Wu.

As many of you know, Michelle recently made history by being the first woman-of-color (and first Asian American) to become President of the Boston City Council.

Please join Featured Guest, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and A LOT(!) of Michelle's friends as we ring in the Lunar New Year by celebrating her accomplishments TOMORROW NIGHT (Wed. 2/10 - 5:30-7:30pm) @ the Lenox Hotel - 61 Exeter Street, Boston.

Michelle is a very dear friend, and I couldn't be prouder to support her.  I hope you can join Michelle, Mayor Walsh, and all of us tomorrow night.

- Leverett 

(invitation & details, below)

Governor Baker, Mayor Walsh Announce Joint Community Redevelopment Venture in Downtown Boston

Governor Baker, Mayor Walsh Announce Joint Community Redevelopment Venture in Downtown Boston

State and city partnership with Veolia will explore strategic redevelopment of MassDOT District 6 and steam facility for economic growth, transit-oriented affordable housing and open space

BOSTON – Today as part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s “Open for Business” Real Estate Asset Leveraging (REAL) Strategy, Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced a joint state and city venture with Veolia North America to explore the strategic redevelopment of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s (MassDOT) District 6 Headquarters and Veolia facility in downtown Boston. A broad set of goals will be developed for the site with the engagement of community leaders and residents, which could include economic growth and development, job creation and the addition of more open space and affordable, workforce and transit-oriented housing.

“Identifying prospects to redevelop and repurpose underutilized state property to advance economic growth and affordable housing is a valuable avenue to building stronger communities and opportunities for the people of Massachusetts,” said Governor Baker. “We look forward to working together with Mayor Walsh, Veolia, the City of Boston and its residents to optimize this land’s impact and contribution to the neighborhood and city at large.”

"I thank Governor Baker for his willingness to assess the inventory of State-owned land in the City of Boston and identify parcels that, if developed, could help the City achieve its long-term housing and planning goals,” said Mayor Walsh. “This announcement today is yet another example of how a strong partnership between the City and State can bring tremendous economic development benefits to the people of Boston. I look forward to continuing this work with the Baker Administration and members of the community in creating a vision for the development of this site."

The Commonwealth and City of Boston continue to partner in the development of state-owned land, adding 1,300 units of housing (1/3 of which are affordable), and nearly 500,000 gross square feet of commercial space over the last five years. An additional 3,500 housing units and 2.5 million gross square feet of commercial space are in the project pipeline, which both the state and city are committed to advancing expedited construction, permitting and coordination. Both are collaborating to develop the next round of projects for the pipeline, that in addition to the MassDOT building, includes the development of a jointly-owned property in Lower Roxbury, MBTA-owned parcels in Jamaica Plain and an under-utilized MBTA parking lot near the Mattapan T stop.

The 5.5 acre parcel at 185 Kneeland Street, bordered by Chinatown, the Leather District and South Station with the Ink Block developments nearby, offers the potential for up to 1.5 to 2 million square feet of redevelopment. The first public input session will be held at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, March 2nd in the 1st Floor Conference Room at 185 Kneeland Street. Comments can also be submitted by email to James.A.Kersten@state.ma.us.  

MassDOT’s District 6 Headquarters will be relocated or replaced and a scaled-down version of Veolia North America’s steam plant will be included as part of the redevelopment.

“This location is ideal for transit-oriented redevelopment and we look forward to the community process which will help determine how the property will be used in the future,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack. “We know the site can be put to better uses which will enhance the vitality of the surrounding neighborhood and spur economic growth in the adjacent business district while generating own-source revenue that MassDOT can reinvest in our transportation system.”

The administration announced the “Open for Business” Real Estate Asset Leveraging (REAL) Strategy in October, which identifies unused or underutilized Commonwealth properties for redevelopment for affordable or market-rate housing, job creation, reduction in government expenses, increased revenue for the Commonwealth as well as local communities, capital investment in state properties, and open recreational space. Over 40 near-term opportunities throughout Massachusetts and across state agencies and authorities were first highlighted for public-private partnerships, of which 7 are currently under agreement.

海外華僑捐款逾10萬美元濟助台南地震災胞

濟助南台強震 僑胞捐款獻愛

6日清晨3時57分台灣發生規模6.4的淺層地震，震央雖位於高雄市美濃區，卻對鄰近的台南市造成嚴重災情。

海外僑胞聞訊後，第一時間發起捐款活動，海外各大僑團也於春節活動中同步發動募款，獲廣大迴響，紛紛慷慨解囊。截至台灣時間9日傍晚，北美、中南美及非洲等地已募得超過10萬美元，充分展現僑胞與國內同胞血濃於水的情感。

僑委會表示，由於僑胞捐款持續湧入，僑委會將以代收代轉方式將捐款轉致「衛生福利部0206震災專案」、「台南市政府社會救助金」等專戶，專款專用，期使僑胞愛心發揮最大效益。僑委會日後也將依華僑熱心公益自動捐獻奬勵要點規定，表揚捐款個人及團體。

截至9日為止，小年夜強震已知有45人傷亡，超過130人下落不明。

CONGRESSMAN LIEU PRAISES PRESIDENT OBAMA’s 2017 BUDGET REQUEST

CONGRESSMAN LIEU PRAISES PRESIDENT OBAMA’s 2017 BUDGET REQUEST

WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County)  issued the following statement after the White House sent President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget request to Congress.  Mr. Lieu applauds the 44^th President for putting forward a budget that builds the foundation for a strong American future – investing in innovation for the 21st century, advancing a world-class education system, and empowering hard-working families.

“In the face of an era of unprecedented economic and technological change, President Obama’s stewardship of the economy has created 14 million jobs, slashed the unemployment rate to under 5%, guaranteed health security for nearly 18 million Americans and has sizably cut our nation’s deficits.

“In the face of this progress, the President, my fellow Democrats and I know there is more work to be done to expand opportunity for every American and to secure our nation’s economic leadership globally.   As a member of the Budget Committee, I commend President Obama’s 2017 fiscal plan for taking innovative steps to invest in and empower hardworking families in California’s 33^rd District and in districts from sea to shining sea.  

“The President’s new K-12 computer science initiative and college affordability programs will ensure that today’s students possess the skills and knowledge necessary to be tomorrow’s leaders in their communities, their states and on the world stage. 

“The President’s plan to double funding for homegrown clean energy research and development means a secure energy future for America and a much-needed focus on protecting our children and our environment from the terrible impacts of climate change.  The President’s plan to forge an economy that works for everyone means bold, critical investments in infrastructure and innovation.

“The President’s focus on American security – specifically cybersecurity – is particularly welcome.  $19 billion for cybersecurity, a modernization of federal information technology and a Federal Chief Information Security Officer means our nation’s ability to defend against cyberattacks by foreign governments and thieves will be greatly enhanced.

“The President’s focus on security also means taking care of those brave men and women who have safeguarded our freedom.  We cannot solve Veteran homelessness in America without solving it in Los Angeles County.  I applaud the President’s pledge of $11 billion over the next 10 years to address both family and Veteran homelessness.

“The President’s new budget proposal looks to the future, embraces a decidedly Californian spirit of innovation and works to ensure that no American family is left behind.”

Statement by the Press Secretary

Statement by the Press Secretary

We disagree with the Supreme Court's decision to stay the Clean Power Plan while litigation proceeds.  The Clean Power Plan is based on a strong legal and technical foundation, gives States the time and flexibility they need to develop tailored, cost-effective plans to reduce their emissions, and will deliver better air quality, improved public health, clean energy investment and jobs across the country, and major progress in our efforts to confront the risks posed by climate change. We remain confident that we will prevail on the merits. Even while the litigation proceeds, EPA has indicated it will work with states that choose to continue plan development and will prepare the tools those states will need.  At the same time, the Administration will continue to take aggressive steps to make forward progress to reduce carbon emissions.