波士頓僑教中心揮毫迎春招瑞犬來旺

現場嘉賓即席揮毫，左起：陳文浩、林卓培、歐宏偉、Brenda Noel、

蔣宗壬、賴銘琪及雲雯蓁夫婦、伍振中、黃周麗桃。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉(前排左五)與志工、書法家及民俗文化

教師合影。

(Boston Orange) 波士頓華僑文教服務中心2月3日年味十足，200餘人揮毫迎春，學做拓印，捏麵人，帶著祈福天燈、狗年金幣，自製春聯回家，要旺旺一整年。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，雲雯蓁夫婦，波士頓僑務委員蔣宗壬，牛頓市議員Brenda Noel，紐英崙中華公所中文書記雷國輝、財政陳文浩和波士頓中華書法會會長黃周麗桃、林卓培，以及吳紹營、伍振中、張洋等本地書法名家等人在會場聯袂即席揮毫，更是氣勢非凡。

駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪致詞。

賴銘琪在活動開場致詞中，稱許中華書法會每年參加，協辦農曆新春的聯合揮毫活動，讓僑胞鄉親在海外也能感受到濃濃的張燈結綵，喜氣春聯掛滿堂的熱鬧過年味道。他也說明，今年是他在本次處長任內最後一次參加揮毫迎春，要藉機會感謝各界僑胞的長期支持駐處僑務工作，關照他們夫婦。

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉和波士頓中華書法會商定的今年揮毫主題訂為「瑞犬來旺．揮毫迎春」，會場不但準備有紅色宣紙，筆墨，鼓勵出席來賓隨著應邀出席的書法家吳紹營、伍振中、張洋，以及兩名書法會會長黃周麗桃，林卓培的示範，一起學寫毛筆字，體會真草隸篆楷行等各種不同書法字體，翻查傳統春聯詞句的樂趣，還特地請僑教中心志工團，把會場佈置得喜氣洋洋，年味十足。

去年，波士頓僑教中心請民俗文化教師林賢琪以年節為主題，在會場示範拓印版畫製作，反應極佳。歐宏偉主任今年特地邀她再到會場，以”狗年來旺”為主題，再來一次現場教學。

今年還有兩位藝師，鄭秀花和李睿庭專程從台灣來參加活動，在現場示範捏麵人、臺灣天燈、事事如意飾品和狗年旺旺金幣等民俗文藝展品的製作，會場氣氛也因此格外熱鬧。(文稿及圖片內容由波士頓僑教中心提供)

兩位臺灣藝師，李睿庭(右起)、鄭秀花邀駐波士頓臺北經文處處長

賴銘琪、雲雯蓁夫婦、牛頓市議員Brenda Noel和僑教中心主任

歐宏偉一起示範他們教作的祈福天燈。

左起，吳紹營、歐宏偉、Brenda Noel、蔣宗壬、賴銘琪，雲雯蓁夫婦

、伍振中、黃周麗桃等會嘉賓及書法名家聯袂揮毫。

書法家吳紹營(右)寫吉祥話，賴銘琪夫婦在旁欣賞。

中華書法會會長林卓培夫婦(中)寫了兩幅「天道酬勤」，分別送給

僑教中心主任歐宏偉(左)與紐英崙中華公所中文書記雷國輝(右)

波士頓地區民俗文化教師林賢琪(左)示範拓印版畫。

波士頓地區民俗文化教師林賢琪(左)與處長賴銘琪、雲雯蓁夫婦合影

李睿庭和鄭秀花(左起)等兩位臺灣藝師向牛頓市議員Brenda Noel、

僑教中心主任歐宏偉(右二)等人展示事事如意飾品、狗年金幣、

臺灣祈福天燈和捏麵人等民俗手工藝。

波士頓市長為華埠圖書館開幕剪綵

MAYOR WALSH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS CELEBRATE OPENING OF CHINATOWN BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY

BOSTON - February 3, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and library community members today celebrated the opening of Boston Public Library Chinatown at 2 Boylston Street in the China Trade Center. The event marked the return of library services to the neighborhood for the first time in more than 50 years, and a $1 million investment in library services in Chinatown. Regular library hours will begin on Monday, February 5, at 10 a.m. "I'm so proud that today fulfills our promise to the Chinatown community, and brings library services back to this neighborhood for all to enjoy," said Mayor Walsh. "So many Chinatown residents have waited decades for this day, and the opening of this space marks our commitment to ensuring all neighborhoods have the resources and support they need. I look forward to residents benefitting from this space and services." In his 2017 State of City address, Mayor Walsh pledged to bring library services back to Chinatown. The location will operate for three to five years while plans for long-term library services in Chinatown are developed. Planning firm Miller Dyer Spears worked with the Boston Public Library (BPL), the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services and the community to develop long-term requirements for a library services program in the neighborhood. Their completed planning study is available here. "BPL Chinatown demonstrates our commitment to our communities and the importance of physical libraries' presence throughout our city. Chinatown is a vibrant, evolving neighborhood and Boston Public Library is eager to bring long-term services to the neighborhood," said Boston Public Library President David Leonard. The BPL Chinatown location represents an investment of almost $1 million in bringing library services to Chinatown. BPL Chinatown includes bilingual staff, books, newspapers, and periodicals in English and Mandarin, children's programming, a 2,500 item collection, DVDs in English and Mandarin, holds pick-up, immigration and citizenship information, laptops for in-library use, and WiFi. Hours are Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. All are welcome to utilize its services. "Residents, including youth, have worked for many years to return library service to Chinatown," said Suzanne Lee, President Emeritus of the Chinese Progressive Association. "We are happy this is finally a reality, and we will continue to work toward a permanent solution." The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) owns the Chinatown Trade Center and served as the project manager for the build-out of the temporary library services space. In order to expedite the process to open BPL Chinatown, last year the BPDA extended an existing contract with Bargmann Hendrie + Archtype Inc., the architectural firm overseeing the BPDA's overall renovation of the China Trade Center, to also include design and build- out supervision for the library services. In July of 2017, the BPDA awarded the construction contract to Northern Contracting Corporation, Inc. In addition to housing the new library services, the China Trade Center is also the home to several non-profit agencies that provide essential services to Chinatown residents, including the International Institute of New England and the Urban College of Boston. "Over the past several years, the Boston Planning & Development Agency has worked to bring providers and services to the China Trade Center that benefit the people of Chinatown," said Brian Golden, Director of the BPDA. "After many years without a library in Chinatown, we are pleased that the Chinatown Trade Center can serve as the temporary home of BPL Chinatown and look forward to working with BPL and the community to find a permanent home for library services." The opening of BPL Chinatown highlights Mayor Walsh's commitment to investing in all Boston neighborhoods, delivering exceptional city services. Nearly $14 million of library projects expenditure are planned across the city in fiscal year 2018, and Mayor Martin J. Walsh is investing $102 million in funding for library projects slated for fiscal year 2019 - fiscal year 2022. The Adams Street, Dudley, Parker Hill, Roslindale and Uphams Corner branches are currently in various stages of planning and renovation. Most major renovations or new construction projects undergo a programming, design, and construction phase, which always include significant community engagement at each step to gain input, feedback, and insight from users. More information on can be viewed online. (From Boston Mayor's office)

波士頓臺灣媽媽親子會狗年新春聯歡

【波城臺灣媽媽迎新春  旺旺春節同歡樂】

駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪夫婦(左一、二)、僑教

中心主任歐宏偉(右一)和臺灣媽媽親子會會長張惠雯(右二)合影。

波士頓臺灣媽媽親子會於2月3日在海德社區中心舉辦2018旺旺年春節聯歡會，安排春聯書寫、剪紙、舞龍舞獅、象棋和吉祥話等活動暖身，讓親子共同體會農曆年的過節氣氛，計有臺灣媽媽、爸爸和小朋友約300人參加。

會長張惠雯介紹全年度各項活動，歡迎臺灣來的媽媽和家人一起參與牛頓臺灣日、雙十國慶等各項活動；此外，張惠雯今年特別邀請到舞蹈治療師胡俞伶前來表演佛朗明哥西班牙舞曲，讓臺灣媽媽和小朋友們體驗舞蹈治療及表達正向能量的身心幸福感。

波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪、雲雯蓁夫婦(右二、三)和僑教中心主任

歐宏偉(右一)送僑委會狗年小提燈給小朋友。張惠雯主持。

駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪夫婦和僑教中心主任歐宏偉應邀出席，他們除了向大家問候致意及賀年之外，也分送紅包和僑委會旺臺灣狗年小提燈給小朋友，並發給每個家庭僑委會印送的月曆。

波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪、雲雯蓁夫婦(左起)和僑教中心主任歐宏偉

發紅包給小朋友。

賴銘琪表示，這是最後一次以處長的身分來參加臺灣媽媽親子會的歲末祝福活動，再過幾個月即將任滿調回臺灣外交部，很感謝大家對駐處和他們夫婦的關照與支持；大家對於賴處長即將離任，咸感依依不捨。                                                                歐宏偉表示，臺灣媽媽親子會慶祝狗年的聯歡活動，除加強聯繫臺灣家庭外，更可讓第二代進一步瞭解我國多元文化，尤其是以十二生肖排序的農曆年，更能達到文化傳承與分享的功能，可說是育教於樂，殊具意義。(圖與文:波士頓僑教中心提供)

一名以色列人在波士頓認罪 運毒250萬元還洗錢

ISRAELI NATIONAL PLEADS GUILTY TO COCAINE CONSPIRACY AND INTERNATIONAL MONEY LAUNDERING CHARGES

BOSTON – An Israeli national pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to transfer $2.5 million worth of cocaine from Colombia to Israel via Boston and to money laundering charges. 

Jalal Altarabeen, a/k/a Glal El Tarbin, a/k/a Jalal Salamah, a/k/a Abu Rasheed, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and six counts of international money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which she scheduled for April 13, 2018.  In February 2017, Altarabeen was extradited from Poland after being indicted with a co-conspirator. Altarabeen and the co-conspirator were previously charged in a federal criminal complaint in March 2016.

From October 2015 to April 20, 2016, Altarabeen and his co-conspirator conspired in Boston, Colombia, Poland, and elsewhere to distribute 50 kilograms of cocaine and to launder money internationally. They also negotiated to buy 50 kilograms of cocaine from an undercover officer posing as a drug trafficker. The undercover officer’s relationship with the co-conspirator began in 2008 and included a meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Altarabeen and the co-conspirator agreed to pay the undercover officer $50,000 per kilogram to have the cocaine delivered in Israel. The undercover officer told the conspirators that the cocaine would be transported from Colombia to Boston and from Boston to Beersheba, Israel. Altarabeen agreed to make an advance payment of nearly $1 million to cover transportation costs, and he sent six wire transfers from Turkey totaling $999,972 to an undercover bank account in Boston. The undercover officer and Altarabeen agreed that Altarabeen would pay the $1.5 million balance after the receipt and sale of the 50 kilograms of cocaine.

            Over several months, the undercover officer spoke with Altarabeen and the co-conspirator by telephone, WhatsApp, video Skype and in person.  They contacted the undercover officer using telephone numbers from Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Palestine and Colombia, and discussed the drug transaction while in Bogota, Colombia, on Oct. 14, 2015, and Feb. 9, 2016. 

The drug trafficking statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. The money laundering statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the offense. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Michael Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration; Joel Garland, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and John Gibbons, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda M. Ricci of Lelling’s Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, SEEKING CONCEPTS FOR CO-DEVELOPING CITY ASSETS WITH HOUSING AND OTHER MIXED-USES

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES REQUEST FOR INFORMATION, SEEKING CONCEPTS FOR CO-DEVELOPING CITY ASSETS WITH HOUSING AND OTHER MIXED-USES

BOSTON - Friday, February 2, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston is seeking innovative ideas about how the City could potentially utilize its capital assets to spur the development of additional housing for Boston residents, while improving the infrastructure conditions of City buildings through redevelopment. In a Request for Information released today, Boston will measure interest in the mixed-use redevelopment of assets such as community centers, libraries and fire stations. The goal of the RFI is to determine whether this type of development is right for Boston, while identifying how it could be pursued in the future. "With the right projects and partnerships in place, we believe this model could have the potential to enhance City property by improving our infrastructure and generating new affordable housing options needed in neighborhoods throughout our city," said Mayor Walsh. "I look forward to seeing the ideas that could help us reimagine the future of our civic spaces to maximize the public benefit." Cities around the country, including Chicago, San Francisco, New York City and Washington, DC, have built affordable and market-rate housing alongside and on top of city assets such as libraries and transit stations. These cities consider this work a critical part of creating more public value with public assets. "In Washington, DC we are committed to building and preserving neighborhoods that residents can both afford and enjoy, and we're doing this through the creation of public-private partnerships that deliver housing, job opportunities, and community benefits. Recently, we cut the ribbon on a new library that is part of a development that includes a firehouse, retail, and affordable housing; for residents, this means a lot of resources in one location. We look forward to collaborating with Boston as we both work to build safer, stronger communities and put more residents on pathways to the middle class," said Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.   "As a community-based non-profit in a neighborhood where countless families have been displaced by skyrocketing housing costs, JPNDC has found City land and resources to be instrumental to our efforts to create new affordable homes," said Leslie Boss, Director of Real Estate at the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corp. "The Housing Innovation Lab's concept is intriguing, as it offers the dual benefit of supporting affordable housing development and improving facilities and services that are critical to the safety and quality of life for the entire community. We are excited to see the City continuing to explore creative new approaches."   Boston owns hundreds buildings that could be candidates for these types of development. A preliminary list of these assets is available in the Request for Information for potential respondents to review. The City's primary interest is in proposals that identify how city assets currently used for core city services, such as libraries, fire stations, police stations, and community centers can be combined with housing. "As a convener of Boston's design and development community, we are happy to see the City explore how innovative design, adaptive reuse, and co-location can help address Boston's housing needs," said Jay Wickersham, FAIA, Board Chair of the Boston Society of Architects. "We commend the Walsh Administration for taking this thoughtful step." A Request for Information is a call for input, which allows the city to explore new ideas. It does not replace or interrupt the normal community process. If the City chooses to pursue any specific development ideas, the development will undergo a full community process, engaging local residents and community members before any potential redevelopment takes place. All submissions are expected to outline how potential development will remain contextual to the city and the neighborhood. The City's nationally-recognized Housing Innovation Lab (iLAB), part of the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics and the Department of Neighborhood Development, is leading this RFI. The iLAB is transforming how Boston designs, develops and funds housing, and has been creating housing solutions in collaboration with many diverse constituencies at the City, in our communities, and across industries. The Walsh Administration continues to be a leader in ambitious and innovative work to build, sustain, and promote affordable housing for its Boston residents. Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 is the Walsh Administration's comprehensive housing plan. Under this plan, Boston will create 53,000 new units of housing at a variety of income levels throughout Boston, including 44,000 units of housing for the workforce; 5,000 units of housing for senior citizens; and 4,000 units to stabilize the market and bring rents and housing prices under control. During his second inaugural address in January, Mayor Walsh also pledged to increase Boston's targets for low-income homes, moderate-income homes, senior housing, and overall units. Since the 2014 implementation of Housing a Changing City, 13,551 new units of housing have been completed. With an additional 8,412 units currently under construction, the City has secured housing for an estimated 25,000 residents, making significant progress in meeting Boston's rapid population growth. The City remains on target to meet the production goals. To date, the Walsh Administration has committed more than $100 million in funding to the creation and preservation of affordable housing. The City will accept submissions through March 23, 2018; respondents' questions may be submitted to margo.cramer@boston.gov by February 12, 2018. An applicant conference will be held on February 15, 2018 at 26 Court Street, Boston. Responses to this Request for Information will not result in any development agreements or site-specific plans. Additional information is available on the Housing Innovation Lab Request for Information webpage. About Imagine Boston 2030 Shaped by more than 15,000 resident voices, Imagine Boston 2030 is the first citywide plan since 1965. Mayor Walsh released the plan in July of 2017. The final plan can be downloaded at https://imagine.boston.gov/ and can be found at all branches of the Boston Public Library. About the Housing Innovation Lab The Mayor's Housing Innovation Lab was facilitated by a collaboration between the Department of Neighborhood Development and the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM). The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics serves as Mayor Walsh's civic innovation group. A City agency that was formed in 2010, New Urban Mechanics pilots experiments that offer the potential to improve the quality of life for Boston residents. The Housing Innovation Lab focuses their work on reducing the cost of housing. To learn more about MONUM, follow the office on Twitter or visit their website. To learn more about the Housing Innovation Lab, follow the office on Twitter or visit their website.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2018 CITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON RESIDENTS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2018 CITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON RESIDENTS

BOSTON - Friday, February 2, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced applications are now available for the 2018 City of Boston Scholarships. The City of Boston Scholarship program is designed to support higher education, and is available to Boston residents interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree or continuing education in Massachusetts. "The City of Boston Scholarship Fund helps turn our residents' dreams of completing their post-secondary education into reality," said Mayor Walsh. "Giving our residents a helping hand in pursuing their degree is a wonderful investment in Boston's future. I look forward to receiving many applications from talented students throughout Boston's neighborhoods, and providing scholarships to our new class of Boston scholars." The City of Boston Scholarship fund is a need-based scholarship that provides up to $10,000 over four years towards tuition, and relies primarily on generous contributions from individuals, organizations and corporations to further the goal of having more Boston residents complete a post-secondary education. During the 2017-2018 academic year, the scholarship program awarded a total of $275,000 to over 100 students representing almost every neighborhood of Boston, over 25 local high schools and 30 local colleges and universities. This year, the Scholarship Committee worked to simplify and strengthen the application process. Highlights include a new recommendation form that assesses college and career readiness, three short-answer questions in place of a longer essay, an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculator for students not eligible for FAFSA, and a clear recognition of financial need among continuing education students. The City of Boston Scholarship program is part of Mayor Walsh's commitment to ensuring access to higher education is available for all in Boston. In 2016, Mayor Walsh launched tuition-free community college for Boston Public Schools graduates, providing a cost-effective entry point into higher education for Boston's young people. Participating colleges include Bunker Hill Community College, MassBay Community College, and Roxbury Community College. The City of Boston offers many other resources for residents pursuing higher education. On the Mayor's Education Cabinet's Higher Education Resource page, residents can now find the resources most appropriate for their educational goals in one place, including the Tuition-Free Community College program, The Boston Bridge and an inventory of local scholarships. "The cost of college tuition has increased by 45 percent in the last decade -- a price rising faster than nearly any other good or service in America," said Boston Chief of Education Turahn Dorsey. "Over the coming year, the Mayor's Education Cabinet and the City's Scholarship Committee will work with local students, educators, higher education officials, and college access experts to identify ways to to ensure that all Boston students find an affordable way to access, and complete, a postsecondary education." Candidates for City of Boston scholarships must be Boston residents who have graduated from high school or have completed G.E.D. programming by the time the awards are made. Additionally, candidates must be planning to attend, or currently attending, a two- or four-year accredited post-secondary institution in Massachusetts. Residents who meet these eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply here. The deadline to submit applications for incoming freshmen is April 13, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. For applicants who are renewing their scholarship from a previous year, please email COBscholarship@boston.gov. For more information on the City of Boston Scholarship, visit boston.gov

波市公衛局撥款5萬餘資助17家修甲沙龍改良通風

BPHC Awards Funds to Nail Salons to Improve Ventilation

Funds awarded will assist salons in building ventilation systems compliant with the BPHC Nail Salon Regulation

BOSTON - Friday, February 2, 2018 - The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) today announced it has awarded $51,000 in financial assistance to 17 nail salons in Boston. The salons will receive $3,000 each to cover some of the costs of installing upgraded ventilation required by the BPHC Nail Salon Regulation to protect their workers and customers from chemicals commonly found in nail products.    "At Boston Public Health Commission, we are committed to creating healthy work environments that better protect their employees and customers from chemical exposure," said BPHC Executive Director, Monica Valdes Lupi, JD, MPH. "Extended exposure to the more harmful chemicals contained in nail salon products can be a serious health danger and we are delighted to be able to financially support salon owners who are already working to install upgraded ventilation systems in their locations."   Complying with the ventilation requirements is important to protect salon workers and customers from harmful chemicals contained in nail salon products like nail polish (regular, gel, acrylic, and powder dip) and nail polish remover. Particularly for employees, exposure to these chemicals is associated with poor health outcomes like certain cancers, reproductive effects, asthma, skin sensitivity and damage, and neurological damage.    The review team ranked the salons that did not receive funding in priority order should additional resources become available. The 17 recipients of the funds are: Brighton Nails, Brighton Bromfield Nails, Downtown Daisy's Nail, Dorchester Egleston Nails, Roxbury Glitter Nail, Charlestown House of Nails, East Boston Lee's Nails, Dorchester Lisa Nail Salon, South Boston Lovely Nails and Waxing, Roslindale Lynn Spa, Dorchester Nail Spa By Time, Mission Hill Rainbow Nails Spa, Roxbury Roxy Nails, Roslindale Salon V, West Roxbury Secrets Spa and Nail Salon, North End Sky Nail & Spa, South Boston YES Nails, Brighton The BPHC Nail Salon Regulation requires that all nail salons permitted by BPHC before October 2013 comply with the ventilation requirements by October 2018. Salons that apply for their first permit after October 2013 must comply with the ventilation requirements before they can receive their permit to operate. The International Mechanical Code (IMC), as incorporated into the Massachusetts Building Code, indicates that all nail salons should have a mechanical ventilation system that includes: Minimum amounts of fresh outdoor air and mechanical exhaust that does not recirculate any air back into the salon or other spaces in the building Source capture ventilation that pulls air directly from the point of service at the manicure table or pedicure chair into the exhaust system Exhaust and supply air produced at specific rates, based on the size of the salon  The 17 awardees were selected among 50 applicants through an extensive and competitive review process. The review team evaluated each application on several criteria including the salon's readiness and planning for the installation of ventilation, the salon's permit and enforcement history with BPHC, the type of building in which the salon is located, the number of employees and customer capacity of the salon, and whether the salon participates in the BPHC's Green & Clean Program.   This is the second round of funding that has been awarded to Boston's nail salons to support compliance with the ventilation requirements. BPHC previously awarded a total of $18,000 to six nail salons to help them build compliant ventilation systems. An additional $10,000 was awarded to ten salons to help them take the first step towards compliance - hiring an engineer to design their ventilation system.   This funding is being administered by the BPHC's Safe Shops Program, which was launched 13 years ago to serve auto shops, and which expanded to serve nail salons in 2007 and hair salons in 2016. The Safe Shops Program provides technical assistance and training to small businesses, to help them comply with regulatory requirements and adopt safer work practices. For more information, please visit www.bphc.org/safenails.

波士頓京津500同鄉慶新春 狗年祝大旺

波士頓京津同鄉慶春晚謝幕。(北京同鄉會提供)

 (Boston Orange 周菊子勒星頓鎮報導) 波士頓京津同鄉晚會1月27日晚在勒星頓鎮基督教學校匯聚了500多名北京，天津同鄉，在寒暄問暖，吃得口舌留香之餘，瀏覽機構、贊助商攤位，欣賞18個精彩節目，在紐英崙率先迎接旺旺狗年。

北京同鄉會會長趙進(左)歡迎中國領事館領事王軍(右)。(周菊子攝)

新增說明文字

波士頓北京同鄉會創立於2003年，起初只有幾十名彼此熟識的老鄉同聚，但一年年下來，在老鄉們口耳相傳，來到大波士頓的華人近年暴增下，位於華森市的劍橋中國文化中心已經裝不下聞風而來的老鄉們了，2017年首度外移到勒星頓鎮的民兵學校舉行，今年再換到有更多不同空間的勒星頓鎮基督教學校。勒星頓鎮警察對京津同鄉會的號召力也是有了經驗，竟然在學校門外的大老遠，就佈署了人員指揮交通，還沿著主要通道兩旁，放置了安全筒，既是無語說明主要通道不准停車，也儼然壯觀的歡迎隊伍，迎接出席的京津鄉親。

北京同鄉會會長趙進，天津老鄉聯繫人劉希純，北京同鄉會微信群群主李會銘，萬家網共同創辦人施志敏等人早就為邀請贊助商，安排餐點，聯絡義工等等忙翻了天，但仍週到的利用微信群，為幾乎每一個贊助商都做了個別專題報導，聊以回饋，讓贊助商們除了”露臉”打知名度之外，更被人深入了解。

北京同鄉會支援燒傷兒童來波士頓就醫。

當晚劉中策劃，指導的18個表演節目，更是亮點。主持人有李照原，郭旭，劉希純，謝云哲，節目從闕惠指導，舞悅團演出的蒙古群舞”草原的月亮”拉開序幕，有男女聲獨唱，寧可、李紹平的相聲”狗年旺旺”，首次登台亮相的波士頓拾音社詩朗誦”父母之河”，郭俐媛、武元杰母子檔合作演出的京劇”赤桑鎮”選段”見包拯怒火滿胸膛”，孫天霄、亢靜的小品”白宮新聞發佈會”，武術冠軍陳笑儀，王健豪的武術表演，精彩空巢父母及國際少兒模特大賽波士頓賽區優勝者的時裝秀等，各式節目俱全。

王慶(左三)在演唱前和老鄉同聚。(周菊子攝)

舞蹈該算是節目中最多的一種表演，雲集了大量的專業演員及教師參加，獨舞，群舞，民族舞，現代舞，傳統舞，西班牙舞等各類型的舞都有，更讓出席者見識到大波士頓內的華人舞蹈團體，真是有如雨後春筍。這天在會上表演的就有舞悅團，華誼集體舞隊，粉墨東方藝術團，牛頓中文學校兒童民族舞蹈班。還有劉中所指導，由3名美國專業芭蕾舞演員、教師演出的傣族舞”邵多麗”，蔡君揉和Mina Liang依序獨舞，表演現代中國舞”舞墨”，西班牙舞。

歌喉好又愛唱的王慶，孫京，李引，鍾瑜組成”波士頓陽光組合”的男聲四重唱”海港之夜”，和科班出身的胡凡一曲”酒矸倘賣无”，劉中及馬永編排的壓軸表演"蝴蝶"，都大獲好評。

新增說明文字

來到大波士頓開店，賣天津狗不理包子的孟強等許多京津老鄉都說，一年一度這樣的大團圓，嚐家鄉口味，一次見那麼多的老鄉，感覺很溫暖。

部分負責分菜的工作人員和到會嘉賓合影。(周菊子攝)

北京同鄉會會長趙進表示，今年還有一個學生創辦，要培養公民責任，利他主義觀念的非牟利組織”學生團(Student Corps)。該團代表，六年級小朋友Melinda Yu在舞台上介紹，包括學生和家長，他們共有26名義工在籌款幫助中國到波士頓治療的貧困兒童支付生活費，往返費用。當天他們也邀請了好幾名來波士頓治燒傷的小朋友出席，讓他們在異鄉過春節，也一樣溫暖。

北京同鄉會和部分贊助商合影。