MAYOR JANEY BREAKS GROUND ON JUSTICE EDWARD O. GOURDIN PARK HONORING BLACK VETERANS

MAYOR JANEY BREAKS GROUND ON JUSTICE EDWARD O. GOURDIN PARK HONORING BLACK VETERANS

 

 

BOSTON - Friday, October 8, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey yesterday joined veterans, park advocates, and neighborhood residents to break ground on a memorial park in Roxbury, honoring Justice Edward O. Gourdin and other Black war veterans. Justice Edward O. Gourdin Veterans Memorial Park, located in the heart of Nubian Square, will now be home to a memorial plaza dedicated to the Black veterans of Massachusetts. The 18,000-square-foot triangular parcel is bordered by Washington Street, Malcolm X Boulevard, and Shawmut Avenue. The project is the result of the steadfast, multi-year efforts of the Veterans and Friends of Gourdin Memorial Park community group.   "Justice Gourdin was a man of ‘firsts’ and I’m so thankful to the community partners who have come together to memorialize his legacy,” said Mayor Kim Janey. “Justice Gourdin’s military service in a segregated unit reminds us of all the Black war veterans who did not receive the thanks or treatment they deserved. This memorial will serve as an important tribute to Black service members - past, present, and future.”   The artwork design and construction is being funded by the Browne Fund, the Mayor's Capital Improvement Program, and a grant from the MA Department of Veterans' Services. The overall park construction is being funded by the Mayor’s Capital Improvement program with a total budget of $1,405,000.      The late Boston artist Fern Cunningham-Terry created the figurative bronze sculpture of Justice Gourdin as one of her final works through her career that produced many notable pieces including “Step on Board” in the South End’s Harriet Tubman Park. The memorial artwork consists of the Gourdin statue and 10 bronze bas relief sculptures made by artist Karen Eutemey representing Black soldiers across 10 different wars. Complementing the memorial will be an interpretive entry marker, all set within a commemorative plaza designed by Martha Lyon Landscape Architecture.   A man of many great achievements, Edward Orval "Ned" Gourdin was the first Black and the first Indigenous (Seminole) person to be appointed a Superior Court judge in New England. He served the Roxbury District Court from 1951 until 1958, when he was appointed to the Massachusetts Superior Court, a post he held until his death in 1966. Gourdin studied law at Harvard University, where he completed both his undergraduate and law school degrees. An exceptional athlete, he was the first man in history to long jump 25 feet and the first Black Olympian to win a silver medal in the Olympics in the long jump event.  As a sophomore at Harvard, he joined the Student Training Corps, and in 1925 enlisted in the National Guard. In 1941, he entered World War II where he was assigned to the 372nd Infantry Regiment, a segregated unit, and served as its commanding officer both in the United States and abroad. He rose to the rank of colonel, serving until 1947. After his discharge, Gourdin rejoined the National Guard and served until 1959 in the 272nd Field Artillery Battalion. He retired having earned the rank of Brigadier General, the first Black soldier to earn this rank in Massachusetts.  # # #

波士頓華埠居民會籲11月大選一號問題請投YES

Sarah Wang解說大選公投關於市府預算的問題。

            (Boston Orange 波士頓報導) 波士頓華埠居民會(CRA)的月例會，10月6日晚在網上召開，匯報華埠圖書館將設在R1地段，聆聽Jacob Wirth餐廳原有酒牌的轉讓申請，呼籲居民支持11月選票上的第一個問題，說明租戶購買機會(TOPA)案定10月12日公聽。

            華埠圖書館之友的代表Heang Rubin簡述華埠爭取圖書館的歷史，包括早從2001年就開始爭取重建，經華埠和波士頓市政府，波士頓公共圖書館，以及波士頓計畫和發展局(BPDA)合作，2018年2月在波約斯頓街的中華貿易大樓裏，安置了臨時性的華埠圖書館。現在可算已確定，波士頓華埠圖書館將座落在R1地段的發展計劃內。

            波士頓計畫及發展局的Reay Pannesi於6日晚在華埠居民會中說明，R1地段的項目評審委員會是如何形成及運作的。BPDA將向民意代表、社區群體及社區成員所求提名，社區成員也可以自薦，10月底將發出提名表。BPDA預定挑選6到8人組成這委員會。

            她說明自己是BPDA地產部的資深地產發展專員，和計畫部的資深計畫員Ocean Luo，計劃員Kelly Sherman，以及其他人員組成R1地段小組。

波士頓華埠圖書館將座落在老一輩熟悉的Bubbke，R1地段上。

            R1地段座落在東西向的泰勒街(Tyler)和乞臣街(Hudson)，以及南北向的哈佛街(Harvard)、尼倫街(Kneeland)之間，以前是被稱為氣球(Bubble)的青年會(YMCA)所在地，目前出租給Tufts共享服務做停車場用。

            R1地段在南灣市區更新區，有14塊BPDA擁有的空置土地，面積約等於18714平方英尺。BPDA在2021的8月11日發出招標書，截止日期是10月28日。BPDA希望這塊土地的發展，能夠符合區域規畫的第43章規定，以及1990年的華埠社區計畫理想。發展指導員則還將顧及，2020年的華埠總體計畫，R1地段的社區看法演練，城中區計畫，包括要建造綜合用途大樓，提高可負擔住宅比率，提供租用，購買的多種選擇，要有一些大的，適合全家居住房型，要考慮對週遭住宅物業的影響，地面樓層應做雜貨店、圖書館及社區活動用途，要有庭院等開放空間。

BPDA的Reay Pannesi籲請居民參加項目評審委員會。

            今年11月2日的大選，在選票上會有一個公投問題，要市民決定，是否在制定市府預算上，給波士頓市議員更多權力。

            Sarah Wang以多張幻燈片解說，市府的收入有91%來自財產稅(73%)，州政府補助(13%)，消費稅(5%)。營運預算一年約有36億美元，用於教育(45.8%)，警察及治安(24.6%)，以及行政(9.8%)，街道(6%)，健康和服務5.7%，以及其他(8%)。他們尤其關注營運預算中撥給支付老師及圖書館員薪資的經費有多少。

            這些預算由市長和預算辦公室主任，市長任命的各部門負責人提出，波士頓市13名市議員審核，但只能同意或否決，並不能修訂，除非修改市政府憲章。

            11月2日大選的選票問題1，就是要由民眾公投，來決定這憲章是否修改為容許市議員根據民眾意見，提出更改預算要求，再由市長批准，否決，或繼續討論。

            華埠土地信託會主任駱理德在會中說明，10月12日上午11點，有個關於租戶購買機會(TOPA)的聽證會，希望居民出席支持這一提案。

            駱理德解釋道，這是要防止豪華區內的中低收入租戶流離失所，最好辦法是協助他們購買房屋，或由土地信託會來購買，         以達到永久保留住宅可負擔性的目標，同時賦予租戶和整個社區對住宅的選擇和控制權。

            該會認為可行作法有5步驟，首先是房東有意出售時，應通知租客，然後由租客組織起來提出有意購買聲明並出價，接著談判，最後是籌錢或貸款，或者要和第三方出價者比價。

            當晚的會議還有申請購買Jacob Wirth餐廳原有酒牌者，出席陳情。

陳宏寬音樂會再現大師風範

陳宏寬在新英格蘭音樂學院 Jodan Hall 演奏、謝幕。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange) 著名鋼琴家陳宏寬10月2日晚在新英格蘭音樂學院喬登廳 (Jordan Hall) ，為中華表演藝術基金會第32季音樂會系列拉開序幕，以90分鐘不間斷演奏，讓人沉迷在他的琴音中，遍賞1685年巴哈到20世紀的現代作品，久久不能自已。

這場公演，礙於新冠病毒疫情期間的安全規定，現場人數有限制，但仍有包括紐英崙音樂學院鋼琴教授，音樂界重要人物，以及遠從外地趕來的學生等的330多人趕來出席。

連現年80歲的前波士頓環球報（Boston Globe) 主筆 Richard Dyer， 93歲的普立茲獎得主Yehudi Wyner 也親自到場聆聽。

陳宏寬夫婦獻花感謝中華表演基金會會長譚嘉陵(中)的長期支持。
(周菊子攝)

陳宏寬在90分鐘的演奏會中，連中場也不休息，一口氣從巴哈（1685-1750）、蕭邦、李斯特、布拉姆斯、德彪西、到拉赫瑪尼諾夫（1873-1943），把巴洛克時期（Baroque)、古典派、浪漫派、到20世紀現代派的各有特色作品，彈得讓專業鋼琴老師們不約而同讚嘆，紛紛說每次聽陳宏寬演出，都能聽到新詮釋，動人音色。他似乎能掌握所有音鍵，在最輕微處，能把琴音清晰送進人耳，在最震撼處，能讓人感到有如狂風暴雨來襲，渾忘琴音來自鍵盤，只覺音韻扣人心弦。

              陳宏寬目前在茱莉雅音樂學院及耶魯大學音樂系任教，曾多次獲得世界頂尖大獎，在世界各地與著名指揮家及樂團合作演出，深受國際肯定。1992年，他的右手突然受重傷，最嚴重時連電視遙控器都無法按，有整整七年不能彈琴，身心都受到嚴重打擊，靠著研讀中西古典文學、佛經、氣功來支撐。七年後他復出舉辦首場獨奏會，佳評如潮，被稱為涅槃重生的藝術家。

陳宏寬(左二)的企業家姊姊及姊夫，創辦HDM公司的陳碧瑤(右二)，
劉世均(右一)，也特地出席音樂會。陳碧瑤還記得弟弟三歲時彈琴
情景，笑說雖然他們的父親不是很懂音樂，每次陳宏寬演奏音樂，
父親拍掌的聲音總是最大。這晚她代替爸爸給陳宏寬拍掌。
(周菊子攝)

              10月2日晚演奏結束時，全體觀眾起立鼓掌，欲罷不能，他又演奏了兩首安可曲，並獻花向長期支持他的中華表演藝術基金會會長譚嘉陵致謝。

中華表演藝術基金會的下一場音樂會，將由2019年伊麗莎白皇后小提琴大賽第一名Stella Chen ，以及2019年伊麗莎白皇后鋼琴大賽第二名及2019年Avery Fisher Career 獎主鋼琴家Henry Kramer ，在喬登廳聯合演出。門票$15-$50，六歲以下兒童不可入場。學生免費票及非學生贈送券，可在官網登記。疫情安全規格詳情請查：http://www.chineseperformingarts.net/contents/season/20211106/index.html。

North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Endorse Michelle Wu for Mayor

North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters Endorse Michelle Wu for Mayor 

Boston, MA — Today, North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters endorsed Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston at a Dorchester rally attended by hundreds of union members. Their backing demonstrates key support from a union representing 28,000 carpenters, pile drivers, shop and millmen, and floorcoverers across New England. The endorsement cited Wu’s commitment to good jobs, vocational training and responsible development. 

“In her career and during this campaign, Michelle Wu has demonstrated that she understands what's on the minds of union carpenters and our industry. She was the first candidate to take the responsible development pledge during the primary because she understands the benefits and challenges that come from building in the City of Boston. Like us, she's a champion of training people for careers, employment that comes with health and retirement benefits, and creating opportunities for everyone in the community. As carpenters, we take visions and plans and make them real. We believe Michelle Wu is the right person to harness the positive power of responsible development. On behalf of more than 5,000 carpenters that live and work in the city, we're proud to endorse Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston,” said Joe Byrne, the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and a member of Carpenters Local 327.

“Boston is strong when our unions are strong. I’m grateful and excited to welcome the workers of the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters to our multiracial, multigenerational and multilingual coalition. Together, we’ll fight for safe, good jobs and the worker protections all of us deserve,” said Michelle Wu. 

North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters’ endorsement add to an enthusiastic multigenerational, multicultural coalition of grassroots supporters, including leaders Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Mayor Kim Janey, Sheriff Steve Tompkins, Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards, Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon, Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, State Senator and Assistant Majority Leader Sal DiDomenico, State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader Mike Moran, State Representative and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, State Senator Sonia Chang Diaz State Senator Julian Cyr, Representatives Liz Miranda, Adrian Madaro, Jay Livingstone, Tram Nguyen, Tommy Vitolo, Natalie Higgins, Vanna Howard, Maria Robinson, Andy Vargas; Suffolk County Register of Probate Felix Arroyo Sr.; former State Representative and Assistant Majority Leader Byron Rushing; labor unions 1199 SEIU, 32BJ SEIU, Teamsters Local 25, New England Joint Board of UNITE HERE!, UAW Region 9A, Laborers Local 22, Alliance of Unions at the MBTA, MBTA Inspectors Union Local 600, OPEIU Local 453; climate organizations Sunrise Boston, Sierra Club, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, 350 Mass Action; Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund of Massachusetts; WAKANDA II; Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale; Boston’s Ward 1, Ward 4 and Ward 5 Democratic Committees; The Boston Guardian; and fellow municipal elected officials from across Greater Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For all of Michelle for Boston’s endorsements, visit michelleforboston.com

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF 2021 BOSTON MARATHON

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREPARATIONS AHEAD OF 2021 BOSTON MARATHON

 

BOSTON - Thursday, October 7, 2021 - As the City of Boston prepares for athletes and visitors for the 125th Boston Marathon, Mayor Kim Janey today released public safety and public health preparations to ensure a successful series of events.   “As we welcome back the annual Boston Marathon, I want to remind everyone that this year we must be vigilant with both our public safety and our public health. I encourage spectators to take precautions to keep ourselves safe from the spread of COVID-19,” said Mayor Janey. “Best of luck to all of our athletes. You make the entire City of Boston proud.” Public Safety ·    Boston Police Department (BPD) will have uniformed and undercover officers along the marathon route. ·    Cameras will be active along the Boston portion of the Marathon route, and observation points will be set up around the finish line area in the Back Bay to monitor the crowd. ·    Spectators are encouraged to leave large items such as backpacks and strollers at home. These items are not banned; however, individuals may be subject to search. ·    Call 9-1-1 in an emergency situation and follow @bostonpolice for race safety updates. ·    Boston Fire will have walking patrols along the course to respond to incidents. Patrols can call-in additional assets, utilizing the alleys and adjacent roadways to the course. Air quality monitoring will also be carried out along the route. ·    Boston Fire will stage its specialized units for Tech Rescue, Haz Mat, Decon, and additional apparatus at strategic locations on both sides of the course.   Emergency Medical Services   ·    Boston EMS will have enhanced medical coverage, including additional personnel in the field, dispatch and special operations.  ·    Units will be deployed along the Boston route and in the finish line area, ready to serve anyone requiring medical assistance, including runners, spectators and volunteers. This will include EMTs and paramedics working on ambulances, bikes and carts, as well as in medical stations.  ·    Through close coordination with medical volunteers, Boston EMS works to treat and release as many people on scene as possible, which is intended to mitigate the impact to the hospital system.  ·    Boston EMS plans to increase the number of ambulances citywide to ensure there will be no disruption in services to residents.   Street Closures & Traffic Advisories   Please see attached traffic advisory from the Boston Transportation Department.   ·    Vehicle traffic will be prohibited and parking will be restricted on many streets in Boston in the days leading up to the Boston Marathon and on Monday, October 11, 2021.   ·    Using the MBTA to travel to and from Boston on Marathon Monday is strongly recommended. Detailed information on MBTA service can be found at www.MBTA.com. For a faster return trip, the MBTA advises riders to purchase a round-trip rather than a one-way ticket. ·    On Marathon Monday, Newbury Street and Huntington Avenue outbound will be closed to vehicle traffic to allow easier spectator movement in the area. ·    Visitors are encouraged to take advantage of the City’s Bluebikes program. ·    Read all posted signs and variable message boards carefully.   Emergency Communications   ·    The City’s Emergency Operations Center will be open on Monday to monitor the races. The EOC will be staffed by our city departments, state agencies and our non-profit partners to coordinate the City’s Operational plan. Additionally, the EOC will monitor the weather, maintain situational awareness regarding the various Marathon events, respond to any resource requests from public safety and manage family reunification if needed. ·    Boston EMS, Police, Fire, and the Office of Emergency Management will have personnel assigned to the multi-agency coordination center at the Massachusetts Emergency Operation Center in Framingham. ·    BPHC will have staffing at the Dispatch Operations Center and Central Medical Emergency Dispatch (CMED) Center where ambulance to hospital communication throughout metropolitan Boston is coordinated. ·    Sign up for AlertBoston to receive emergency notifications from the City at boston.gov/emergency. Alerts are available in multiple languages (Arabic, Chinese, Cape Verdean Creole, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese) in order to make them accessible to all.   Public Health   ·    The BAA (Boston Athletic Association) and City of Boston have worked together this year to ensure the safety of all participants, staff, volunteers, and spectators. ·    We strongly encourage everyone to practice personal responsibility for the 125th Boston Marathon. From guests traveling with athletes to spectators cheering on participants, everyone is encouraged to take efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. ·    These efforts may include: ·    Being fully vaccinated  ·    Getting tested for COVID-19 prior to any travel  ·    Wearing a mask when you cannot socially distance over race week  ·    Only using B.A.A. provided course nutrition in lieu of accepting hydration or food from spectators  ·    This is an entirely outdoor, open-air event. It is encouraged, but not required, to wear masks. ·    Individuals who are not fully vaccinated are at higher risk of suffering severe illness or death from COVID-19 infection. ·    Any participant, volunteer, or spectator exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home. ·    If you do plan to attend, avoid congested areas, wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth, try to maintain six feet of physical distance as much as possible, and wash your hands regularly. ·    To get vaccinated, find a location near you on boston.gov/coronavirus.   ###

昆士市藝術協會藝廊訂10月15日開幕

               (Boston Orange 編譯)昆士市長柯奇(Tom Koch)和昆士藝術協會，以及贊助商大理石市電力供應公司，Quirk汽車代理，WAC燈光及招牌設計公司聯袂宣佈，位於昆士市城區的QArt藝廊(1229 Hancock Street)開幕。

               開幕展覽將展示該會會員作品，所有陳列品皆可出售。

             10月15日晚6點半，將有私人接待會及剪綵儀式。

             藝廊將於10月16日中午12點起正式對外開放。

             昆士藝術協會會長Ellyn Moller表示，該會從1979年創立以來，一直是本地藝術家和昆士市外世界的重要連接及資源，在昆士市市府及市長柯奇和贊助商等支持下，該會很興奮有現在的進展。他們相信每個人都有機會經由藝術豐富生活。

            11月起，昆士藝術協會將主辦小型作品展，週六的主題展，以及學生作品展，包括原創設計及博物館品質的玻璃作品，珠寶及陶器，油畫，水彩，淡彩及壓克力雕塑等。

            查詢該會詳情可上網quincyartma.org.。 

QUINCY ART ASSOCIATION GALLERY TO OPEN OCTOBER 15th 

QUINCY, MA – September 27, 2021 Mayor Thomas P. Koch, the City of Quincy and The Quincy Art Association, along with its sponsors Granite City Electric Supply Company and Quirk Auto Dealers, WAC Lighting and Sign Design, are proud to announce the grand opening of the QArts Gallery at 1229 Hancock Street in downtown Quincy. To mark the gallery’s debut, the exhibition will begin with a curated members showing. All artwork is available for sale. A private reception and ribbon cutting will be held on Friday, October 15th at 6:30 p.m. The gallery will open its doors to the public on Saturday, October 16th at 12:00 noon. Ellyn Moller, President of the Quincy Art Association shared, “The QAA has been a valuable resource for decades, and a vital link between local artists and communities well beyond Quincy. Our members are the driving force behind the public outreach, devoting time to not only to their craft, but by lending their professional expertise in areas like teaching classes and workshops, coordinating art exhibits and several annual events, addressing our fundraising, marketing and graphics needs, maintaining our office and studio space, and now as we are about to open the QArts Gallery, we are staffing our hours of operation with volunteer members. With the support of Mayor Tom Koch, the City of Quincy and community sponsors, such as Granite City Electric and Quirk Auto Dealerships, everyone has opportunities for enriching their lives through art, whether you’re a creator or a patron. This is such an exciting time for the QAA and we look forward to continuing our mission for many years to come.” Beginning in November, Q.A.A. will host a small works exhibit along with a themed Faire Saturday as well as art students’ thesis show, an art in fashion exhibit featuring original designs and museum quality glasswork, jewelry and pottery. Paintings in oil, watercolor, pastels and acrylic along with sculptures will all be on display. The Quincy Art Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching of the visual arts since 1979. For more information about the QArts Gallery, please visit quincyartma.org.