Baker-Polito Administration Meets with Business Leaders to Discuss Housing Choice Initiative

Baker-Polito Administration Meets with Business Leaders to Discuss Housing Choice Initiative

Several local business leaders join members of the Administration to support An Act to Promote Housing Choices

Governor Baker, Lieutenant Governor Polito, Secretary Ash, and members of the business community.

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BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash and MassHousing Director Chrystal Kornegay met with several Massachusetts business leaders to discuss the Baker-Polito Administration’s comprehensive Housing Choice Initiative to substantially increase housing production across the Commonwealth.

“Our administration is pleased to collaborate with leaders from the housing, construction, real estate and business communities and appreciates their support as we work to generate better housing opportunities in Massachusetts,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We look forward to working together with industry leaders and our colleagues in the Legislature to pass this bill and move forward on these initiatives.”

“Governor Baker and I were pleased to meet with business leaders to discuss the Commonwealth’s need for a new strategy to build 135,000 new housing units over the next seven years,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We will continue to work with them and with city and town officials to facilitate sustainable housing production and drive continued economic growth.”

The Baker-Polito Administration’s Housing Choice Initiative will create a new system of incentives and rewards for municipalities that deliver sustainable housing growth; create a new technical assistance toolbox, empower cities and towns to plan for new housing production; and deliver smart, effective zoning at the local level through proposed legislative reforms. The Massachusetts Municipal Association Board of Directors unanimously voted to endorse the legislative proposal.

“The Housing Choice Initiative will provide critical tools for municipal leaders and the real estate community to meet the housing needs of our growing economy,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “By helping communities set housing goals and reach them with new resources and effective zoning, we will ensure that Massachusetts remains a great place to live, raise a family, and grow a business.”

“The Greater Boston Chamber fully supports the Governor’s legislation and housing choice initiative,”said James E. Rooney, President and CEO, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. “This straightforward proposal takes an important step towards addressing the region’s housing shortage by balancing our need for housing with existing municipal authority.”

In order to address the challenges facing Massachusetts, the Housing Choice Initiative will deliver more than $10 million in incentives, grant funding and technical assistance per year, and enable Massachusetts to realize a new goal of creating 135,000 new housing units by 2025.

“Major employers must be able to retain and attract a talented workforce in order to remain competitive in our global economy,” said Robert Reynolds, President and Chief Executive Officer, Putnam Investments; Chairman, Massachusetts Competitive Partnership. “Our ability to do so is dependent on the availability and affordability of quality housing.  To this end, the Governor's Housing Choice Initiative is a comprehensive plan that will address this issue through a number of thoughtful tools aimed at further empowering municipalities in this effort.”

“Boston Medical Center supports the Baker-Polito Administration's Housing Choice Initiative because housing affordability is a top challenge for Massachusetts and our workforce,” said Kate Walsh, President and CEO, Boston Medical Center; Board Member, Boston Chamber of Commerce. “The Governor’s comprehensive strategy to create 135,000 housing units will make housing more accessible to our employees and more affordable for our patients. Creating more affordable housing will make families and communities healthier.”

The Housing Choice Initiative will reward communities that earn a Housing Choice designation by producing new housing units and adopting best practices to promote sustainable housing development, using land efficiently and protecting natural resources and conserve energy. Cities and towns that receive the Housing Choice Designation will be eligible for new financial resources, including exclusive access to new Housing Choice Capital Grants, and preferential treatment for many state grant and capital funding programs, including MassWorks, Complete Streets, MassDOT capital projects and PARC and LAND grants. 

“We look forward to working with the Baker-Polito Administration, the Legislature and municipal officials to produce much needed new housing,” said Gary Campbell, Chief Executive Officer at Gilbert Campbell Real Estate and President of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts. “Our collective goal should be to widen housing choices for our citizens, from young families of modest means looking for their first home to downsizing seniors who want to stay near their children and grandchildren.  The American dream of owning a home is still the best way for middle class families to build wealth for their future.”

"Every day, families who want to live in Massachusetts are faced with the reality that there aren't enough homes to buy or what's available is too expensive,” said Rita Coffey, General Manager of Tullish & Clancy in Weymouth; Board President, Massachusetts Association of Realtors. “We must address this problem or people will end up leaving the state, which will significantly hurt our economy and local businesses. The solution to this statewide problem is new production and Governor Baker's Housing Initiative is a very good approach to solving this inventory crisis.”

“Public policy must recognize the impact that affordable housing has on talent retention,” said JD Chesloff, Executive Director, Massachusetts Business Roundtable. “This interconnectedness – with transportation infrastructure – forms the basis of a strategy necessary for economic growth and job creation. The Commonwealth must continue to enhance existing housing policies by providing incentives to cities and towns to ensure sufficient housing at affordable prices. The Housing Choice Initiative does that, and the Roundtable is pleased to support it.”

In coordination with the Housing Choice Initiative, MassHousing has made $2 million in new technical assistance funding available, to help communities progress toward and achieve housing production.

As part of the Initiative, the Administration proposed legislation titled An Act to Promote Housing Choices, that would allow cities and towns to adopt certain zoning best practices by a simple majority vote, rather than the current two-thirds supermajority. Massachusetts is currently one of only ten states to require a supermajority to change local zoning; all other northeastern states rezone through simple majority votes. The legislation does not mandate that cities and towns make any of these zoning changes but instead allows municipalities that want to rezone for responsible housing growth to do so more easily.

The following leaders joined Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Secretary Ash and MassHousing Director Chrystal Kornegay at the meeting:

·       Abby Goldenfarb, President, Trinity Financial

·       Tamara Small, Senior Vice President, Massachusetts National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)

·       David Begelfer, President, Massachusetts National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP)

·       Kim Sherman Stamler, President, Related Beal

·       Bryan Jamele, Chief Operating Officer, Mass Competitive Partnership

·       Jim Rooney, President & CEO, Boston Chamber of Commerce

·       Carolyn Ryan, Senior Vice President, Boston Chamber of Commerce

·       Greg Vasil, President, Greater Boston Real Estate Board

·       Patricia Baumer, Vice President, Greater Boston Real Estate Board

·       Peter Foreman, President & CEO, South Shore Chamber of Commerce

·       Ben Fierro, Lobbyist, Home Builders and Remodelers Association

·       Gary Campbell, COO, Gilbert Campbell Development, Chair, Home Builders and Remodelers Association

·       Eileen McCanneny, President, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation

·       Rob Authier, CEO, Massachusetts Association of Realtors

·       Rita Coffey, Head of Century 21, President, Massachusetts Association of Realtors

·       Anthony Lamacchia, Owner, Lamacchia Realty, Realtor’s Government Committee Chair, Massachusetts Association of Realtors

·       JD Chesloff, Executive Director, Massachusetts Business Roundtable

·       Mike Hogan, Past President, Mass Business Roundtable

·       Matt Minicieli, Regional Executive Director, Technet Massachusetts/Northeast

·       Bob Reynolds, Chairman, Mass Competitive Partnership, CEO, Putnam Investments

·       Chris Oddeifson, President, Rockland Trust Bank

·       Carol Bulmo, President, Jack Conway Company

·       Paul Fitzgerald, Vice President, DELL

·       Paul Martini, Co-Founder, iBoss

·       Peter Martini, Co-Founder, iBoss

·       Sam Russo, Head of Autonomous Undersea Systems, General Dynamics – Pittsfield

·       Ruvi Kitov, CEO, Tufin

·       Patrick Boyaggi, CEO, RateGravity

·       Michael DiMella, Managing Parter, Charlesgate Realty, Board President, Greater Boston Real Estate Board

·       Katleen D. Franco, CEO, Trinity Management, Rental Chair, Greater Boston Real Estate Board

·       Kate Walsh, President & CEO, Boston Medical Center, Board Member, Boston Chamber of Commerce

·       Paula Devereaux, Partner, President of Bar Association, Real Estate Bar President, Rubin Rudman Law Firm

·       Tom O'Brien, Founding Partner & Managing Director, HYM Investment Group

·       Jim Gallagher, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Manulife Financial

·       Nav Singh, Northeast Leader, McKinsey Consulting, Chair, Boston Chamber of Commerce

·       Darren Donovan, Managing Principal, KPMG, Board Member, Mass High Tech Council

·       Mark Gallagher, Policy Director, Mass High Tech Council

美國南加州華裔將成立政治行動委員會

轉載:

美國南加州華裔發起政治行動委員會 按規則參與選舉政治

http://www.aacyf.org/?p=8597

美國南加州第一個由華裔企業家發起成立的政治行動委員會（Political Action Committee)”拓拉思商業及貿易政治行動委員會”（“Toolots Trade & Commerce PAC”），3月24日下午在喜瑞都市舉辦公開活動。主辦與正在參選39選區國會眾議員的夏樂伯（Bob Huff）的小型見面會，聽取夏樂伯的參選政見和競選方案。近20名華裔社區知名企業家和社會精英應邀出席。

拓拉思商業及貿易政治行動委員會（“Toolots Trade & Commerce PAC”），主要成員有：主席朱天和（Tim Zhu）、副主席傅于峰（Jason Fu）、秘書長戰穎（Ying Zhan）、財務長Mariah Qian。

據華裔企業家朱天和、傅于峰介紹，影響國會是政治行動委員活動的主要目標，其對美國政府和法院的影響也不可忽視。能夠為候選人合法提供競選經費的政治行動委員對美國政治的影響力也日益增強，從選舉、立法到各項政策的出台和修改，到處都能聽到政治行動委員的聲音。

而對於企業來說，為了保護企業自身的長遠利益，建立政治行動委員會是美國企業通行的做法。在美國的互聯網高科技公司裡，谷歌早在2006年就建立了自己的政治行動委員會，社交網絡 Facebook 已確認准備新成立一個政治行動委員會，專門負責結交政治家並對他們施加影響。

拓拉思成立的政治行動委員會沒有黨派傾向，希望通過支持優秀的政治家，達到支持美中貿易發展的目的，同時幫助拓拉思以及行業內防禦未來發展中可能會出現的政策風險，給拓拉思以及華裔同行的重大發展戰略謀求政策支持。

拓拉思董事、華裔大數據專家魏廣平博士，拓拉思商業及貿易政治行動委員會秘書長戰穎表示，作為連接中美兩大市場的工業裝備跨境銷售與服務電商平台，拓拉思是中美商業領域的新生力量，同時也引領著中美工業貿易領域的創新潮流，未來將深刻改變中美之間工業裝備的跨境貿易。在拓拉思商業模式不斷延展，並且承擔更多、更大社會和行業責任的同時，也會面臨一些發展過程中的不確定性因素，需要提前做好在政治和商業環境上的佈局。

對美國選舉政治生態和政府運作有非常深入了解的資深華裔共和黨人士何美湄表示，在美國的大型企業、族裔和專業社團、地方各級政府高度關注各級政府的立法動態，一方面是促成對自己有利的法案提交並通過，另一方面，在獲悉不利與自己的法案形成之際，會在法案開始之際，就立即通過熟悉的民選官員和專業遊說團體阻止法案的通過。

美國華人公共外交促進會會長任向東表示，南加州雖然有個別華裔人士成立的獨立PAC。但是“拓拉思商業及貿易政治行動委員會”是南加州歷史上第一個華裔企業發起和華裔企業家組成的政治行動委員會。寫下華裔在美國“精準化”參政的重要篇章，更是促進華裔按規則參與選舉政治，發揮更大影響力的良好開端。相信這個政治行動委員會，也將會成為華裔和美國政府部門和立法機構具有影響力的溝通管道。

PAC 是政治行動委員會（Political Action Committee）的縮寫， PAC 是一種由工會、工商界、貿易組織或獨立的政治團體組織的，為競選各級公職的候選人籌集政治資金的非黨派機構，是美國政治中非常重要的一股力量。 （AACYF洛杉磯訊）

Ailey dance group to celebrate 50 years in Boston from March 22-25

50 YEARS OF AILEY IN BOSTON:

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

RETURNS FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY PERFORMANCES MARCH 22-25, 2018

 Boch Center Wang Theater -- Thu 7:30p | Fri 8p | Sat 2p and 8p | Sun 3p

 

Premieres, New Productions and the Masterpiece “Revelations” Highlight a Dynamic Repertoire.

Lawrence, Mass. Native Belén Pereyra-Alem Returns to Boston in Her Seventh Season.

Performances and community events honor the Ailey Company’s 1968 Boston Debut.

BOSTON — Celebrity Series of Boston welcomes the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater back to Boston March 22-25, 2018 at the Boch Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont Street. The culminating event of a four-month, 50^th Anniversary celebration of the Ailey Company’s 1968 Boston debut, the performances bring to audiences an array of Boston premieres, new productions of classic works, and a nightly finale of Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations, which was seen at the company’s first Boston performance and has since become the world’s best-known work of modern dance.

Highlights of the 2018 Ailey run are below; a full schedule of the five-performance repertoire follows.

Company and Boston Premieres

·        Ailey star Jamar Roberts’ Members Don’t Get Weary is his first world premiere for the Company, where he has danced since 2002. Roberts calls the work “a response to the current social landscape in America,” that “takes an abstract look into the notion of ‘having the blues.’” Set to legendary jazz saxophonist/composer John Coltrane’s “Dear Lord” (1965) and “Olé” (1961), with a title inspired by a black spiritual, Roberts says the work was created to be “in line with Mr. Ailey’s vision.”

·        Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramírez Sansano works with the Ailey Company for the first time for his world premiere, Victoria (“Victory”). Set to an adaptation of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony by award-winning composer Michael Gordon, Victoria is both vital and of-the-moment. Sansano’s work has appeared on companies around the world, including Nederlands Dans Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Atlanta Ballet and more. 

·        Ailey Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Mass (2004; 2017 Company Premiere; Boston Premiere) features a score by Battle’s frequent collaborator John Mackey (the 2015 world premiere Awakening). Commissioned originally for The Juilliard School, Mass is an ensemble work that gives physical life to a haunting score and showcases Battle’s signature ritualistic choreography.

New Productions

·        The Ailey program honors modern dance pioneer Talley Beatty during his centennial with the return of Stack-Up, which is set in a crowded disco and the urban landscape that surrounds it, with a background of vibrant 1970s beats by Earth, Wind & Fire, Grover Washington Jr., Fearless Four, and Alphonze Mouzon.  Inspired by Los Angeles and the lives of its disparate inhabitants, Stack-Up

reflects the “emotional traffic” of a community where people live “stacked up.” Beatty has a Boston connection. He was a frequent teacher at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts; his Talley Beatty Company was acquired by the school to become its first professional performing arts group in residence.  

·     Tony Award-winning choreographer Twyla Tharp’s The Golden Section is a sizzling ensemble work filled with breathtaking leaps, finely-honed partnering and explosive joy set to a propulsive score by David Byrne.

Returning Works

·     Where Jamar Robert’s Members Don’t Get Weary is danced to music by John Coltrane, who died 50 years before it was created, Artistic Director Robert Battle’s 2008 piece Ella was a company premiere that came to Boston in 2017, the centenary year of jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald’s birth.  A tour-de-force duet is set to Fitzgerald’s virtuosic scatting in the song “Airmail Special,” Ella will be presented on the company’s final Boston performance along with two other works by Battle: Mass (described above); and In/Side, a gripping solo in which a man deals with his most private struggles, set to Nina Simone’s “Wild is the Wind,”

·     Alvin Ailey’s signature piece Revelations (1960), caps each program during the five-performance run.  More than just a popular dance, Revelations has been called a cultural treasure and a uniquely American classic beloved by generations. The work is built on African-American spirituals that explore places of deep grief and holy joy. Boston audiences return annually to see Revelations and cheer, sing along and dance in their seats -- from the plaintive opening notes of “I Been ’Buked” to the rousingly rhythmic “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul.”

Programs by performance

Thursday, March 22, 7:30pm
Members Don’t Get Weary ^* (Jamar Roberts, 2017)

The Golden Section (Twyla Tharp, 1983)

In/Side (Robert Battle, 2008)

Revelations (Alvin Ailey, 1960)

Friday, March 23, 8pm
Stack-Up (Talley Beatty, 1982)

Victoria (Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, 2017)

Ella (Robert Battle, 2008)

Revelations (Alvin Ailey, 1960)

Saturday, March 24, 2pm
Members Don’t Get Weary ^* (Jamar Roberts, 2017)

The Golden Section (Twyla Tharp, 1983)

In/Side (Robert Battle, 2008)

Revelations (Alvin Ailey, 1960)

Saturday, March 24, 8pm
Stack-Up (Talley Beatty, 1982)

Victoria (Gustavo Ramírez Sansano, 2017)

Ella (Robert Battle, 2008)

Revelations (Alvin Ailey, 1960)

Sunday, March 25, 3pm
Mass^* (Robert Battle, 2004)

Ella (Robert Battle, 2008)

The Golden Section (Twyla Tharp, 1983)

In/Side (Robert Battle, 2008)

Revelations (Alvin Ailey, 1960)

*Alvin Ailey Boston premiere
^Alvin Ailey Company premiere 2017

Baker-Polito Administration Files $610 Million Economic Development Legislation

Baker-Polito Administration Files $610 Million Economic Development Legislation

Expanded programming and opportunities for communities to pursue job creation, attract private investment and prepare for long-term success

SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor Charlie Baker released a new economic development framework and legislation, An Act Enhancing Opportunities for All, to build on the administration’s efforts to promote economic vitality in our communities and spur economic growth across the state.  This bill serves as the next step forward to bolster Massachusetts’ success, adding on to the achievements and framework unleashed by Governor Baker’s first economic development bill that was passed by the Legislature in July 2016.

“This bill seeks to grow the economy for all regions of the Commonwealth by providing support for small businesses, continuing the successful MassWorks program for Massachusetts’ downtowns and main streets and purchasing more equipment to expand and improve workforce skills training,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We look forward to working with the Legislature to create a permanent sales tax holiday, to develop a stronger pipeline of trained employees in manufacturing and technology fields and incentivizing business through tax credits.”

This new legislation provides over $610 million in capital authorizations, including $300 million in capital reauthorization for the successful MassWorks infrastructure program, to expand on critical programming created in the administration’s 2016 Economic Development Legislation. Since 2015, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded more than $430 million in capital to over 130 communities, in public infrastructure, to high schools and community colleges, in the future of advanced manufacturing, and more. In 2017, we had more people working than at any time in state history and our economy has added hundreds of thousands of new jobs since the Baker-Polito Administration took office in 2015.

An Act Enhancing Opportunities for All represents the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to continuously evaluate what works and address challenges facing our communities. This legislation is a result of ongoing assessments of our programs created through the 2016 Economic Development Legislation, feedback from stakeholders, and close collaboration with municipal leaders on the needs of communities.

“The bedrock of the Commonwealth’s success lies in our strong communities, and our second economic development proposal calls for a number of initiatives to better partner with cities and towns,” said Lieutenant Governor Polito. “Greater flexibility for communities, housing boards and state agencies will maximize potential economic opportunities, and funding in this legislation will support dredging for our coastal communities and continued support through the Seaport Economic Council for the maritime economy.”

With a focus on communities, businesses and residents, this legislation proposes new initiatives and updates to existing laws that will enhance our ability to grow the economy in every region of the Commonwealth. This includes the creation of a $100 million authorization for a new Regional Development Program, which will enable communities to partner with the state on high-impact projects with the potential to create a significant number of new jobs and greatly benefit the regional economy.

Additionally, the legislation aims to improve existing tools for municipalities through a series of reforms. The administration proposes giving local housing authorities the ability to more efficiently leverage their resources to pursue redevelopment efforts, and provide increased flexibility to address deferred capital needs. Other aspects address challenges municipalities face, including allowing them to accept easements outside their boundaries so they can access broadband networks, and clarify how critical Community Preservation Act funds can be used. Additionally, the legislation authorizes the Department of Conservation and Recreation to lease the state piers in New Bedford and Fall River to MassDevelopment to better unlock the potential of this important coastal infrastructure.

“This initiative is an extension of our partnership with many stakeholders, most notably legislators and municipal officials,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “These leaders have joined our efforts to support broad economic development, from public housing investment and downtown revitalization, to cutting edge research & development that leads to the commercialization of the innovations that result, to building upon our incredibly talented workforce—one of the best in the country.”

Today’s legislation proposes the creation of a new Apprenticeship Tax Credit, to provide more resources for unemployed and underemployed individuals to enter the workforce. It will provide a tax credit of $4,800 or 50% of the wages paid to each qualified apprentice, whichever is less, for employers who hire and train new employees in the high demand areas of the healthcare, manufacturing and information technology fields. This tax credit will build critical apprenticeship pipelines in growing industries across the Commonwealth.

“This legislation will help close skills gaps and ensure that the next generation of workers in the Commonwealth has the training and resources they need to access next generation jobs,” said Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Rosalin Acosta. “By focusing on investing in high demand job categories, employers across Massachusetts will continue to benefit from a pool of highly trained workers to meet their growth needs.”

“The investments in technology and equipment made through the Skills Capital Grants are already having an impact on our students’ future successes in college and careers, and we are very happy to be able to make these additional investments,”Secretary of Education James Peyser said. “The grants enabled schools to support an additional 7,000 students to learn skills in high-demand, growing industries in the Commonwealth.”

“By increasing authorizations for successful programs like MassWorks and Skills Capital Grants, this legislation will ensure we can continue to build on the progress the administration has made to unlock economic potential for our communities and in our workforce,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan.“A permanent sales tax holiday will also foster economic growth for our local businesses in each community across the Commonwealth.”

This legislation proposes making the sales tax holiday permanent in Massachusetts to give more predictability to residents, businesses and our fiscal planners. Businesses throughout the Commonwealth will also benefit from provisions to streamline healthcare reporting requirements and bring insurance law into compliance with new, national models.

Bill Highlights:

Vitality for Communities

·       $300 million in capital authorization for the high-impact MassWorks Infrastructure Program.

·       $50 million to build on the successes of the Seaport Economic Council in stimulating economic development, creating jobs in the maritime economy sector and protecting coastal assets that are vital to achieving these aims.

·       $50 million to partner with coastal communities to address saltwater dredging needs.

·       More flexibility for local housing authorities to enter redevelopment partnerships and address deferred capital needs.

Growth for Businesses

·       $25 million to build on the tremendous success of our Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2) and provide matching grants to institutions of higher education across the Commonwealth to collaborate with private industry around emerging manufacturing technologies.

·       $12.5 million to provide matching grants for Massachusetts small businesses accepted into the federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer programs.

·       $1.25 million to enable community development financial institutions to leverage significant federal funding to support lending for small businesses in need of capital.

·       Legislation will allow fantasy sports gaming to continue in Massachusetts, subject to regulations by the Attorney General, past the July 31, 2018 deadline the legislature established in 2016.

·       $100 million for a new regional development program to partner with communities on projects with the potential to create large numbers of jobs and make a significant regional impact.

·       A permanent sales tax holiday in Massachusetts, to provide predictability for residents and businesses.

Prosperity for People

·       $75 million in Skills Capital Grants to fund equipment to expand and improve career technical education programs and programs focused on training and retraining adults in high-demand skills in manufacturing, information technology, and other high-growth sectors.

·       A new Apprenticeship Tax Credit for employers who hire and train new employees in high-demand areas of healthcare, manufacturing, and information technology fields.

Successful Provisions from 2016’s Economic Development Bill

The Baker-Polito Administration’s Workforce Skills Cabinet is focused on closing the skills gap in Massachusetts, to ensure we meet the needs of our employers and provide better job opportunities to our residents. Through the Skills Capital Grant program, this administration has already invested more than $38 million to 124 vocational-technical high schools, community colleges and educational institutions to give students and adult learners access to state-of-the-art training equipment. This legislation proposes to continue funding this successful program for our students, with a $75 million authorization that will expand and improve programs training students and adult-learners in high-demand skills in manufacturing, information technology, and other high-growth sectors.

The implementation of the 2016 Economic Development Legislation, An Act Relative to Job Creation and Workforce Development, has resulted in substantial investments throughout the Commonwealth in public infrastructure, site readiness projects, brownfields remediation, new market-rate housing in Gateway Cities, and in the future of advanced manufacturing in Massachusetts.

The Baker-Polito Administration has invested $274 million in MassWorks funding to 134 projects in 106 communities throughout the Commonwealth, spurring the development of over 2 million square feet of commercial and retail space, over 7,000 immediate housing units, at least 7,000 square feet of new public space, and 1,200 new hotel rooms and commercial/retail space.

The Site Readiness Fund has awarded more than $4 million to 26 projects for municipalities and development agencies to finance feasibility studies, master planning, environmental work, strategic land acquisition, and site improvements, with the aim of creating more shovel-ready sites to attract new employers to parcels across the state, and the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund, has already awarded nine communities funding to address contaminated and challenging sites. Through the enhanced Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP), more than 880 new housing units have been created in Gateway Cities since 2015, with more than 900-units under construction, or in the zoning process.

And, through the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative (M2I2), we have invested nearly $40 million in the future of advanced manufacturing in Massachusetts, matching federal funding to pursue incredible advances in Advanced Fibers and Functional Fabrics, Robotics, Photonics, Flexible-Hybrid Electronics, and biopharma manufacturing. These partnerships will support emerging clusters in Massachusetts by investing in critical R&D infrastructure at research institutions, national labs, and innovative companies, and will expand training opportunities for students and adult-learners to enter these growing sectors.

中華公所下次董事大會提前至3/13召開

            (Boston Orange 周菊子整理報導)紐英崙中華公所每兩個月一次，在最後一個星期二舉行的董事大會，今年三月將提前至3月13日舉行。

中華公所主席陳家驊在已預發給董事們的主席報告中，做了6點說明。

他交代了2月15日應該交給麻州總檢察官辦公室的定期報告，已於3月5號遞交，副本也發給了董事們。

有關中華公所和華人佈道會等機構合作，向波士頓發展計畫局(BPDA)申請計畫指定區域(PDA)一事，因為從三一教堂改建公寓的屋主們表示他們之前不知道，要求BPDA展延置評時間，所以現在要等到BPDA五月份開會後，才知道結果。

大同村擴建案，已有Winn，Beacon及亞美社區發展協會(ACDC)回應，有興趣了解詳情的董事，可向中華公所索取前述三機構的發展提案。中華公所物業小組將召開會議討論這些提案。

陳家驊提醒公所董事們，中華公所各小組的會議，董事們都有權出席，並不需要被邀請作客。

中華公所大樓們錢的孔子像整修一事，待天氣轉好，將繼續進行。

黃光野和黃氏公所控告中華公所一案，目前仍在舉證階段。12月時，黃氏公所和中華公所曾開過一次會，探討是否能找出雙方都同意的解決方案。2月份時，前述兩個原告和中華公所又開了另一次會，但兩次嘗試都失敗了。中華公所的立場氏盡力找共同點，也會參與任何試圖解決此事的嘗試。

關於發放塔芙茨大學獎學金給在塔大就讀華裔學生一事，中華公所往年不定期舉行。陳家驊道歉的表示，他已要求雷國輝，周樹昂和阮鴻燦處理此事，2018年將發放這項獎學金。

          他們和塔大的Barbara Rubel晤談後，了解到塔大的立場已比1983年訂訂協議時寬鬆。塔大仍然有興趣維持這項獎學金，中華公所應和該校討論未來該有哪些變動。例如2015年時，領取獎學金者必須是美國公民，或者是家住麻州的華裔永久居民，後來亞裔後代，區域號碼這些特定要求都放寬了。他們希望各界能提供更多想法。

            紐英崙中華公所的下次董事大會，還預訂有泰勒街78號發展項目的報告。

哈佛講座 劉兵漫談歌詞創作 (圖片)

劉兵。(周菊子攝)

主持人岳林強調哈佛講座必有評議。(周菊子攝)

劉兵以他創作的一首歌詞"我的太陽"為例，做解說。

朱俊英現場演唱一段

右起，岳林，劉兵，朱俊英，和業餘也寫歌詞，獲劉兵贈書一本的高大地。(周菊子攝)