人生一定要有的八個朋友：
推手(Builder)、
支柱(Champion)、
同好(Collaborator)、
夥伴(Companion)、
中介(Connector)、
開心果(Energizer)、
開路者(Mind Opener)、
導師(Navigator)。
chutze@bostonorange.com
*******************
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Baker-Polito Administration Announces
Five New Early College Program Designations to Launch This Fall
Roundtable discussion hosted at Worcester State University highlights
success of early college programming
WORCESTER – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt.
Governor Karyn Polito today met with high school students from several
Worcester public high schools to hear about their experiences in early college
courses, a statewide initiative where high school students earn college credits
at no cost and gain experience and confidence to enroll in college. The
Baker-Polito Administration also announced the designation of five new early
college programs to launch this September.
With the newly
approved programs, 43 high schools will have designated early college programs
this fall that will impact approximately 4,500 high school students. Some
Massachusetts students have earned enough college credits to be awarded an
associate’s degree at the same time as their high school diploma.
Governor Baker and
Lt. Governor Polito participated in a roundtable discussion with Worcester
Public Schools Superintendent Maureen Binienda, Worcester State University
President Barry Maloney, Quinsigamond Community College President Luis Pedraja,
Education Secretary James Peyser, Elementary and Secondary Education
Commissioner Jeffrey C. Riley, and several legislators, including Senator Anne
Gobi (D-Spencer) and Representative Jeffrey Roy (D-Franklin), co-chairs of the
Joint Committee on Higher Education Committee.
Worcester was among
the first school districts in the Commonwealth to apply for state designation
for an early college program in 2018. The school district is one of only a few
district-wide models, offering early college at every high school in the
city. During the 2020-2021 school year, approximately400
Worcester high school students across the district took college classes,
earning about 1,900 college credits.
The five early
college programs approved this week include:
Gardner
Academy for Learning and Technology in partnership with Mt. Wachusett
Community College
High
School of Commerce in Springfield in partnership with Springfield
Technical Community College
North
Quincy High in partnership with Quincy College
Quincy
High School in partnership with Quincy College
Waltham
High School in partnership with Framingham State and Massachusetts Bay
Community College
REPS LIEU, JONES, AND JAYAPAL URGE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
REVIEW OF REPORTED FBI MISCONDUCT FALSELY ACCUSING ASIAN SCIENTISTS OF
ESPIONAGE
WASHINGTON
- Yesterday, CongressmanTed W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles), Congressman Mondaire Jones (D-NY),
and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) – all members of the House Judiciary
Committee – urged Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E.
Horowitz to investigate reports of alleged misconduct by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) in their unsuccessful prosecution of University of
Tennessee (UT) Engineering Professor Anming Hu. The FBI is reported to have
falsely accused Professor Hu of being a Chinese spy; falsely implicated
Professor Hu as an operative for the Chinese military; and used false
information to put Professor Hu on the federal no-fly list — among a number of
other actions.
For
years, the government has targeted scientists and academics of Asian descent
for investigation and prosecution, most recently as part of the “China
Initiative.” Professor Hu was apparently prosecuted under the China Initiative,
which can result in the unfair and unjustified suspicion of those who are of
Chinese descent. The alleged FBI misconduct and mistrial echoes similar cases
such as Wen Ho Lee, Sherry Chen, and Professor Xi, all of whom were falsely
accused of spying for China. The letter requests the IG to review whether the
China Initiative puts untoward pressure on DOJ personnel to engage in racial or
ethnic profiling.
In
the letter, the Members write:
Dear
Inspector General Horowitz:
As Members of the House
Judiciary Committee, we are deeply troubled by the alleged misconduct of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation in the unsuccessful prosecution of University
of Tennessee at Knoxville associate professor Anming Hu. The FBI allegedly
falsely accused Professor Hu of being a Chinese spy; falsely implicated
Professor Hu as an operative for the Chinese military; and used false
information to put Professor Hu on the federal no-fly list — among a number of
other actions. The prosecution of Professor Hu, which was purportedly conducted
under the China Initiative, has now ended in a mistrial. We are referring
this case for your review.
According to media
reports:
“FBI
Agent Kujtim Sadiku admitted last week in an ongoing trial in Knoxville that
federal agents:
Falsely
accused former UTK associate professor Dr. Anming Hu of being a Chinese
spy.
Falsely
implicated him as an operative for the Chinese military in meetings with
Hu’s bosses.
Used
false information to put Hu on the federal no-fly list.
Spurred
U.S. customs agents to seize Hu’s computer and phone and spread word
throughout the international research community that Hu was poison.
Used
false information to justify putting a team of agents to spy on Hu and his
son, a freshman at UTK, for nearly two years.
Used
false information to press Hu to become a spy for the U.S. government.”
If
these allegations are true, the FBI’s misconduct is alarming. We request that
you investigate this matter and look at a range of issues, including but not
limited to the following:
Did FBI agent Sadiku or other agents make false
accusations and/or use false information against Professor Hu?
Did prosecutors at the Department of Justice know about
the alleged misconduct of the FBI in this case?
Was the investigation or prosecution of Professor Hu
conducted under the China Initiative?
Did racial or ethnic profiling occur in this case?
Was there an adequate non-racial or non-ethnic factual
predicate to open this investigation?
Does the China Initiative put untoward pressure on FBI
agents or Department of Justice prosecutors to engage in racial or ethnic
profiling?
Thank
you for your attention to this important matter.
QUINCY, MA – June 17, 2021 - Mayor Thomas Koch and two
Boston developers today announced plans for three major new downtown
redevelopment projects totaling more than $300 million in private investment
and including preliminary plans for a performing arts center on vacant City
property. Tremont Asset Management Managing Partner Sam Slater and Broadway
Hospitality Group President Joey Arcari detailed the three projects that will
dramatically transform the western side of Hancock Street in the heart of
downtown with more than 800,000 square feet of retail, housing, and
entertainment development. “This is the kind of generational private investment
that will continue our downtown’s resurgence as the economic engine for the
entire region south of Boston. I’m thrilled to be working with these partners,
and look forward to beginning the formal process with my colleagues on the City
Council and the community,” said Mayor Koch. “We’ve made extraordinary progress
bringing downtown back, but we have plenty of work to do in the months and
years ahead.” Slater will propose a 15-story, 204-unit residential tower,
designed by CUBE3, that includes 8,000-square feet of retail and restaurant
space at 1469 Hancock Street. The property is known locally as the Arcade
Building and is currently home to vacant office space and discount furniture
stores. That development will pair a few addresses away with Arcari’s plans for
a 7- story building that includes housing, co-working space, and a two-floor
restaurant at 1445 Hancock Street, currently the home to a Family Dollar store.
The City will move to purchase two small properties that separate the project
sites to create a 15,000-square foot public space that will provide an open-air
gathering spot and a gateway to development planned behind Hancock Street.
Plans for one of the retail spaces at Slater’s 1469 Hancock Street will
seamlessly connect with the future park, adding dynamic outdoor patio or dining
space that will further activate the area.Mayor Koch has also designated Slater
as the developer for what is known as the Messina Lot, a City-owned parcel
currently used for parking at the intersection of Hancock Street and Walter
Hannon Parkway. There, Slater is in the initial phases of developing an
innovative concept for a mixed-use 500,000 square foot building that would
include a three-level performing arts center and residential space. Slater is
already heavily invested in Quincy, with a $100 million residential building at
61- 71 Hancock Street that is located at the City’s gateway from Boston, just
over the Neponset River Bridge. “Quincy’s culture, community, and accessibility
have established it as one of the best places to live in Massachusetts,” said
Slater, who is also partner of Burn Later Productions. “We are thrilled to add
critical new residential and retail options in the city, and work with Mayor
Koch on his visionary plans for a future park along Hancock Street and a
performing arts center downtown to further improve and develop the area. We
look forward to meeting with the community and city agencies as these plans
take further shape and we work together to progress the future of this
exceptional downtown.” The initial concepts for the performing arts center are
based in great part on programming recommendations made by a master planning
committee convened by Mayor Koch as part of Quincy400, a citywide visioning
exercise tied to the 400th anniversary of the City’s founding, which will be
celebrated in 2025. While still preliminary, the vision calls for the facility
to be able to accommodate major acts and performances while at the same time
providing space for various local cultural and arts groups. “In every survey we
conducted as part of Quincy400, in every neighborhood meeting we held, it was
by far the one thing the community raised most often – the City needs a viable
cultural and entertainment center,” said Mayor Koch. “We have much work to do
make this is a reality, but this is a crucial first step and sets the stage for
an exciting process moving forward.” Arcari is the founder of the Tavern In The
Square group of restaurants and currently owns 15 restaurants with another 6
under development. He and his partners made the foray into real estate
development within the last decade and have completed a number of projects in
Boston. He’ll call the two-floor restaurant anchoring his development The
Hancock, and it’ll include a open-air mezzanine level. “What we’re doing is
going to be unique to Quincy, and I could not be more eager to be part of what
I believe to be one of the great economic development opportunities anywhere in
the region. I look forward to continuing to work with Mayor Koch and the
community to making our shared vision a reality,” he said. About Tremont Asset
Management: Tremon Asset Management is a Boston-based developer, owner, and
manager of luxury housing options in Brookline, Back Bay, Brighton and
elsewhere in the region. Tremont Asset Management operates alongside and in
association with Slater Family Holdings. Formed in Boston in the 1930s, Slater
Family Holdings owns, develops, and manages office, industrial, senior-housing,
and agricultural properties, as well as 3,500 multi-family residences across
the nation. In Greater Boston, the Tremont Asset Management team, led by
Slater, is developing the Stratus Residences, which are part of an 11.6-acre
master-planned hilltop community in Brighton, and Babcock Place, a residential
community in Brookline’s Coolidge Corner.
Boston, MA— Today, Michelle Wu joined tenants at the Georgetowne Homes to call for citywide action to improve living conditions and protect tenants from eviction across Boston; and pledge to fight for tenant protections including rent stabilization, rental subsidies and building new affordable units. She then visited with a tenant to see their apartment firsthand and talk about the history of activism. Watch the full press conference.
Georgetowne Homes has been an epicenter of organizing, as Georgetowne Tenants United and other organizations have fought back against a wave of evictions served during the pandemic. Georgetowne Tenants United has also been working to organize to get proactive repairs for water damage and other health and safety concerns.
Michelle Wu’s housing agenda, released yesterday, includes bold plans to protect renters and
ensure they can afford to stay in their homes, including advocating for rent stabilization, rental subsidies, increasing affordable housing minimums and zoning reforms to incentivize new affordable development, particularly near transit.
“Housing is a human right. I stand with tenants across Boston who are organizing and dvocating forhousing stability as the foundation for health, safety, and opportunity. The pandemic has deepened the housing and displacement crisis, and we need bold action to keep families in Boston. City government has the power to act, and we need leadership to deliver housing justice,” said Michelle Wu.
“It’s been a tough time, but we are looking forward to better daysfor our community, because this is our home, this is where we live. We don’t want to get out of here, we want to live here. We’re looking forward to working better with our community and keep it safe, and for our children to have better days,” said Gerdy Paulissaint, member of Georgetowne Tenants United.
“Georgetowne is saying, ‘give us your rent, give us your money, and if you have a problem, you can call maintenance and they may come out.’ And that’s been a problem for a long time,
even before the pandemic. We need them to do their jobs - to give us what we need... We have to stand up against this because this is going on around the city. We need people to stand up for themselves, make some noise, and say ‘we’re not going to stand for this,’” said Arthur Sutton, member of Georgetowne Tenants United.
Francisco目前是向有色人種所擁有企業投資的社會影響基金-波士頓影響計劃(Boston Impact Initiative)的執行長。在那之前，她是非牟利金融服務公司”指南針營運資金(at Compass Working Capital)的總法律顧問，一直積極參與社區組織，並且是Amplify
Latinx / Latina Circle的共同創辦人。
Francisco已從6月16日上任，刻正和with Laurie Ciardi, Tony
Barros, Jerry Howland, Angelina Camacho, Michelle Cannon, Joanne Freeman,
Michael McGuire, Susan Ou, Valerie Roberson, John Riordan, Rhoda Schneider, 以及 William Thomas等人，將在30日內，交給Kim Janey一份學校委員會委員推薦名單。
MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS BEING ACCEPTED
FOR BOSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE
BOSTON - Thursday,
June 17, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey today announced applications are now being accepted
by the Citizens Nominating Panel, which is composed of parents, teachers,
principals and representatives of the business and higher education
communities, to fill two current vacancies on the Boston School Committee.
Applications opened today, June 17, and the deadline to submit is Thursday,
July 8, 2021 at 11:59pm. No applications will be accepted after this
time. An application can be found here and submitted to scnominatingpanel@boston.gov or mailed/delivered to Room 612 of Boston City Hall.
“Equity in Boston
Public Schools cannot wait. As Mayor, I am committed to creating
opportunities for all children in Boston Public Schools,” said Mayor Janey.
“I want to invite those who care about the future of Boston Public Schools
to consider this important opportunity to serve.”
The Boston School
Committee is the governing body of the Boston Public Schools. The School
Committee is responsible for:
·Defining
the vision, mission, and goals of the Boston Public Schools;
·Establishing
and monitoring the annual operating budget;
·Hiring,
managing, and evaluating the Superintendent; and
·Setting
and reviewing district policies and practices to support student
achievement.
The seven members of
the School Committee are Boston residents appointed by the Mayor. The Mayor
appoints members from a list of candidates recommended by a 13-member Citizens Nominating Panel. The School Committee also includes a
non-voting student member of the Boston Student Advisory
Council.
To cultivate further
Latinx representation on the Boston School Committee, Mayor Janey
has appointed Betty Francisco to the BPS School Committee Nominating
Panel. Francisco, a Dorchester resident and BPS parent, is also an
entrepreneur, business executive, attorney, and community leader.
"I am grateful
to Mayor Janey for appointing me to serve on the BPS School Committee
Nominating Panel which has the important task of recommending candidates to
the Mayor,” said Francisco. “Currently, 20 percent of Boston residents and
42 percent of Boston Public School students are Latino, which calls for
having strong and proportionate Latino representation on the School
Committee. As a BPS parent and Latino leader in Boston, I appreciate Mayor
Janey's commitment to advancing equity in our schools and ensuring that the
School Committee is representative of the makeup of BPS students and
families. I share her belief that we must continue the important progress
made towards achieving the twin goals of excellence and equity in our
schools. I look forward to serving on the Panel and contributing towards
creating a healthier climate and a more diverse and resilient School
Committee."
Francisco currently
serves as CEO of the Boston Impact Initiative, which is a social impact
fund that invests in enterprises owned by people of color. She previously
worked as General Counsel at Compass Working Capital, a financial services
non-profit that provides financial coaching and asset building programs for
families with low incomes. She is also deeply involved in community
organizations and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Roxbury
Community College and the Board of Trustees of the Boston Foundation among
others. As the co-founder and board chair of Amplify Latinx / Latina
Circle, she works to build economic and political power within the Latinx
community in Massachusetts.
Francisco began her
service June 16, along with Laurie Ciardi, Tony Barros, Jerry Howland,
Angelina Camacho, Michelle Cannon, Joanne Freeman, Michael McGuire, Susan
Ou, Valerie Roberson, John Riordan, Rhoda Schneider, and William Thomas.
The Nominating Panel members will select School Committee nominees for
Mayor Janey’s consideration within 30 days of their June 16th
meeting.
The School Committee
meets approximately twice per month during the school year to adopt, review
and modify policies and practices that support teaching, learning and
improved student achievement. With the exception of executive sessions,
Committee meetings are open to the public, feature public comment periods
and are broadcasted on Boston City TV.
An application for
the Boston School Committee can be found here. The deadline to submit an application is
Thursday, July 8, 2021 at 11:59pm. Interviews for selected candidates will
be held on July 13 & 14 from 2:30 - 5:30pm . Please direct all
questions and submit completed applications to scnominatingpanel@boston.gov or mail/deliver to Room 612 of Boston City
Hall. For more information on the Boston School Committee, please click here.
Baker-Polito Administration Announces Plan to Invest $2.8 Billion in Federal COVID-19 Funding to Support Economic Recovery, Communities Hit Hardest by Pandemic
HAVERHILL – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced a plan to immediately put to use approximately $2.815 billion of the Commonwealth’s direct federal aid to support key priorities including housing and homeownership, economic development and local downtowns, job training and workforce development, health care, and infrastructure. The Administration’s plan aims to jump-start the Commonwealth’s economic recovery by investing in urgent priorities, with a particular focus on supporting populations hardest-hit by COVID-19, such as lower-wage workers and communities of color.
The plan is being filed as an amendment to “An Act Relative to Transferring Federal Funds to the Federal COVID-19 Response Fund,” which was on the Governor’s desk and is being returned to the Legislature.
“Our proposal will immediately invest $2.8 billion toward key priorities that will help jump-start our economic recovery, with a particular focus on those hit hardest by COVID-19, such as communities of color,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With over four million people fully vaccinated, Massachusetts is getting back to normal and back to work, but it is critical that we act now to make these critical investments to keep our recovery moving. Our Administration appreciates the collaboration of the Legislature and local government in responding to the pandemic, and we all must work together to distribute funding quickly and efficiently to ensure those hard-hit by the virus receive relief as quickly as possible.”
“It is critically important that this $2.8 billion be put to use immediately to address issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and protect the competitive advantages which have allowed Massachusetts to grow and thrive,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “Supporting priorities such as housing, economic development, job training, and infrastructure will help power the Commonwealth into the post-COVID world and ensure Massachusetts remains a great place to live, work, and raise family.”
The plan was announced today at an event held at the Mount Washington Homes in Haverhill, a project supported by MassHousing’s CommonWealth Builder program, a program that promotes homeownership in low- and moderate-income communities, particularly communities of color. The Administration’s plan includes $200 million for CommonWealth Builder and similar programs that aim to close the wealth gap faced by communities of color by connecting first-time homebuyers with homeownership opportunities.
In total, the plan devotes $1 billion to funding homeownership and housing priorities, a significant investment to help increase housing production and reduce barriers to owning a home as part of the ongoing COVID-19 recovery effort. These new housing resources build upon over $1.6 billion in separate federal funding that has already been allocated to entities throughout the Commonwealth for housing purposes since the start of the pandemic.
The $2.815 billion is part of a total of approximately $5.3 billion in direct aid to the Commonwealth from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. These discretionary funds are intended to support urgent COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost revenue, support immediate economic stabilization for households and businesses, and address unequal public health and economic challenges in Massachusetts cities and towns throughout the pandemic. ARPA is also providing a total of $3.4 billion in direct aid for municipalities throughout Massachusetts, as well as substantial funding for key priorities including a total of $1.1 billion for transit. With a focus on increasing capacity for child care and supporting parents as they return to work, the Administration is also proposing to distribute approximately $760 million in additional federal funding to child care providers in Massachusetts over the coming years, and looks forward to working with key stakeholders on the usages of these funds.
The remaining $2.3 billion in direct federal aid would stay in the Federal COVID-19 Response Fund, and the Administration looks forward to working closely with the Legislature to allocate these resources in a fiscally responsible and compliant manner.
“These substantial resources build upon the separate federal resources the Commonwealth has received throughout the course of the pandemic and strengthen our efforts to promote economic growth and vitality, aid disproportionately impacted communities, and get people back to work,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “We look forward to working with the Massachusetts Legislature to ensure this federal funding is effectively used in fiscally responsible ways to support Massachusetts communities, while complying with all relevant federal guidance.”
In addition to this discretionary funding, an additional $35.2 billion in other ARPA funding has been directed to the Commonwealth to support additional areas of recovery including direct aid to municipalities, transportation, and child care. This includes approximately $3.4 billion in direct aid to cities, towns, and counties throughout Massachusetts. The plan therefore includes language allowing a local match for numerous programs to better leverage municipal support, optimize the usage of all available revenue, and maximize the impact of this one-time federal funding.
Highlights of the plan include:
Housing
$300 million to support expanded homeownership opportunities, focused on first-time homebuyers who are residents of disproportionately impacted municipalities;
$200 million to support housing production through MassHousing’s CommonWealth Builder Program and similar efforts, which aim to help communities of color build wealth by promoting home ownership among residents of disproportionately impacted municipalities;
$200 million to fund rental housing production and provide increased housing options to workers and residents of disproportionately impacted municipalities;
$300 million to finance the statewide production of senior and veteran housing. These new housing options would contain a supportive services component, and would be combined with other resources including Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, rental payments, and, in the case of veteran housing, VA health care.
Economic Development
$100 million for Downtown Development to concentrate economic growth activities, resources, and investments within local neighborhood areas in municipalities disproportionally impacted by COVID;
$250 million to support investments and regional collaboration aimed at invigorating downtowns throughout Massachusetts. These resources would provide grant funds to municipalities and other eligible public entities for a range of projects;
$100 million to support cultural facilities and tourism assets throughout Massachusetts;
Workforce Development
$240 million to fund a suite of job training programs and address skills gaps, to better position residents who want to be hired into jobs that businesses need filled. Areas of investment include:
$150 million for workforce credentials for entry and mid-level wages;
$35 million to fund English for Speakers of Other Languages programs and Adult Basic Education;
$25 million for work readiness and essential skills programs.
Health Care
$50 million for fiscally stressed hospitals in disproportionately impacted municipalities as these hospitals have supported their communities significantly during the pandemic despite interruptions to their revenue streams;
$175 million for addiction treatment and related behavioral health services.
Infrastructure Investment
$400 million to fund grants for water and sewer infrastructure;
$300 million to improve culverts, dams, and other environmental infrastructure;
$100 million to enhance and modernize state park facilities;
$100 million to close the digital divide and increase broadband internet access, helping to promote workforce development and economic growth
