吳弭任命3人處理政府關係

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES NEW INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS STAFF IGR collaborates with local, state and federal partners to advance the Mayor’s agenda

BOSTON - Monday, January 10, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu announced today three new staffers for her Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) office. Clare Kelly will serve as Director of Intergovernmental Relations, Ellen Quinn as Director of State Relations and Diego Huezo as Deputy Director of State Relations. “Now more than ever, we need strong partnerships across every level of government and across communities to tackle our biggest challenges,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m thrilled to be welcoming these three dedicated and passionate leaders to City Hall so that we will move quickly and in close collaboration with our partners at the Boston City Council, on Beacon Hill, in DC, and across the Commonwealth.” The IGR office advances the Mayor’s vision for the City by coordinating legislative priorities on the City, state and federal levels while building and maintaining strong relationships with elected officials, advocacy organizations and community stakeholders. The office tracks local, state and federal legislation and arranges for testimony by the Mayor and City leadership at legislative hearings. IGR coordinates the City’s participation in national, state and municipal organizations and further coordinates with all City departments on policy and budget issues. They also serve as a liaison between the Mayor and the Boston City Council, the Massachusetts Legislature and the federal government. Clare Kelly officially begins as Director of IGR today. She recently served as Executive Director of the Environmental League of MA (ELM) Action Fund, where she built political power to meet the scale and urgency of our environmental challenges.  Before joining the ELM Action Fund, Kelly worked for a consulting company, focusing on climate issues and supporting progressive causes and candidates. She also previously served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts State Democratic Party from 2010 - 2013.  Before becoming Executive Director, Kelly served as the Political Director for Governor Deval Patrick’s Political Action Committee and as the Field Director on his re-election campaign.  “I am thrilled and honored to be joining Mayor Michelle Wu's administration leading the Intergovernmental Relations Department,” said Clare Kelly. “As an environmental advocate, I'm energized about the opportunity to be a part of building a more resilient, healthy and equitable Boston. I look forward to collaborating with all levels of government to support Mayor Wu's ambitious agenda.” Kelly has been involved in numerous local and state campaigns. She currently serves on the board of Reproductive Equity Now. She lives in Jamaica Plain with her husband and son. Kelly is assuming the Director of IGR position previously held by Kaitlin Passafaro, who recently left the City to join Berklee College of Music as Vice President of Community and Government Relations. Passafaro served in various roles within IGR starting in 2012.  “IGR holds a critical role in executing the Mayor’s ambitious agenda to create an equitable, healthy, safe, and resilient city for all Bostonians,” said Kaitlin Passafaro. “Clare, Ellen and Diego will ensure that Boston’s interests are represented at all levels of government. Having spent years doing this work, I am thrilled that Mayor Wu has appointed such qualified and experienced individuals. The residents of the City stand to benefit greatly from their work.” Ellen Quinn joins the Wu administration as Director of State Relations after nearly a decade working on Beacon Hill. She most recently served as the Director of Operations in the Office of the House Speaker. In that role, she built relationships and regularly engaged with the 160 members of the House of Representatives in order to facilitate collaboration on legislation, public events and the operations of the House. She also assisted the communications team, often writing the Speaker’s remarks for public events. Prior to this position, she served as the Special Events Coordinator in the House Speaker’s Office, where she directed the execution of many events, including public ceremonies and memorials, conferences and speaking engagements.  “Since she was a City Councilor, I have admired Mayor Wu and her ability to relate to the challenges that face her constituents every day – from delays on the T, to obtaining child care, to the cost of housing,” said Ellen Quinn. “I am thrilled to bring the knowledge and skills that I’ve developed from my tenure at the State House to City Hall and assist Mayor Wu improve the lives of all Boston residents.” Quinn holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, both from Northeastern University. She lives in Roslindale with her husband and young son.  Diego Huezo joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Intergovernmental Relations Department as the Deputy Director of State Relations on January 3. He recently spent the last five years at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council’s (MAPC) Government Affairs Department. At MAPC, Huezo helped advance the Agency’s state budget and legislative priorities and worked with several municipal and organizational coalitions to advocate for state level legislation. He has worked extensively with elected officials and their staff at the municipal, state and federal levels, as well as with state agency stakeholders, regional partners and community advocacy organizations. He has also worked for U.S. Senator Ed Markey and former Governor Deval Patrick. He is a board member of the Commonwealth Seminar and Common Cause’s Massachusetts Chapter. Huezo is a lifelong resident of Boston and lives in Hyde Park with his wife, daughter, and dog. "I am incredibly humbled and excited to join Mayor Wu's Administration,” said Diego Huezo. “My parents immigrated to Boston from El Salvador and chose to raise their family in this city. Growing up they instilled in my family and me a sense of public service and social justice. I am honored to be part of a team, led by the Mayor, seeking to push for policy changes to improve the lives of Boston's residents. I look forward to helping advance the Mayor's state legislative agenda and to working with colleagues at City Hall, the Legislature, Executive Administration and other regional partners.” Kelly, Quinn and Huezo join Neil Doherty, Chief of Staff for the department, and Chantal Lima Barbosa, City Council Liaison, who currently serve in the Office of Intergovernmental Relations.

藥明康德全球論壇聚焦治病突破

 

Lydia Edwards的幕僚長RICARDO PATRÓN今日就任波士頓市長新聞秘書

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES RICARDO PATRÓN AS PRESS SECRETARY Patrón will lead the Press Office in working with the media to foster a connected City

BOSTON - Monday, January 10, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu announced today that Ricardo Patrón will serve as Press Secretary, leading the Mayor’s Press Office. The Press Office works closely with the speechwriting, digital, and photography teams to convey a streamlined message about the Wu administration’s vision and to build transparency and trust. Patrón officially started in this position today.  “Ricardo brings a proven knowledge of and passion for our City’s residents and media landscape,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I am delighted to have him lead our Press Office, and work to promote transparency and collaboration by uplifting the stories of all Boston communities across our neighborhoods in this new role.”  Patrón was born in Mérida, Yucatán and immigrated to the United States as a child. He most recently served as Councilor Lydia Edwards' Chief of Staff where he managed all communications for the office. His previous experience includes working as a teacher in the Milwaukee Public Schools and as a case manager in the Milwaukee County criminal justice system.  Patrón is an East Boston resident and a graduate of Marquette University with a Bachelors in International Affairs. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and lives with his wife Kathleen and their dog Mauricio. Patrón serves on the board of directors of the East Boston YMCA, Maverick Landing Community Services, the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH), and the North Suffolk Mental Health Association. "I'm very excited to join Mayor Wu's administration in this new role,” said Ricardo Patrón. “Working for Councilor Edwards and helping the residents of District One has been a privilege. I look forward to expanding that service to the entire city." “I am so happy for Ricardo. He has provided an excellent bilingual voice for my office,” said City Councilor Lydia Edwards. “Ricardo will undoubtedly serve our Mayor with exceptional professionalism, intelligence, and an eye towards inclusion. Simply put I am proud of him.” The Press Office serves as a liaison between the Mayor and reporters, conveying the Mayor’s policies through press conferences, interviews, public events, and press releases. Patrón serves under Jessicah Pierre, who was appointed Chief Communications Officer for the Wu administration in December. Pierre oversees the City’s press, speechwriting, digital, and photography teams. “I am thrilled to welcome Ricardo to our team,” said Chief Jessicah Pierre. “I am beyond confident that his community-building skills, lived experience, and expertise will be an invaluable asset to our mission of bringing City Hall into every neighborhood in Boston.”

波士頓市長吳弭宣佈 氣溫太低 1/11學校停課

                 (Boston Orange 綜合編譯)波士頓公校發出通知，波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 今早10點多也在記者會中宣佈，由於天氣預報1月11日的氣溫太低，波士頓公校將停課一天。

              這是波士頓公校近日內第二次動用雪天停課日來暫停上課。

              波士頓公校在推特上公佈了這一消息，說明做此決定是為了大家的安全，怕氣溫太低會讓寒風中等校車或走路上下學的學生們得凍瘡，或是遭遇其他因天氣狀況引發的問題。

              由於新冠病毒奧米克戎變種造成的確診案例大漲，波士頓市上星期已有數以千計師生缺席。為了讓學校照常營運，波士頓市已經頭痛不已。

              根據學校上星期發給家長的一封電郵，波士頓拉丁學校上星期的師生出席率就只有80%，有些課還得合併到飯堂、禮堂，來上游一群代課老師及行政人員來監管。

              波士頓市長吳弭星期日 (1月9日)時已重申她將要求麻州政府准許波士頓學區在太多老師請病假的情況下，給波士頓市遠距上課的彈性。之前麻州謹守底線，除了少數事前獲得州政府批准的情況，禁止學區在這一學年把實體課程改為網上課程。

              麻州灣區交通局 (MBTA)也警告這星期出門時，預算多些時間，因為從星期一傍晚起，氣溫將非常低，道路也會有結冰現象。

              上週五下的那場大雪，在麻州某些地區積雪盈尺，MBTA還在清理整個交通系統內結冰的地方，盡力保持地鐵營運正常。氣象預測週二的氣溫會低至華氏8度，MBTA總經理Steve Poftak提醒出門的人格外小心。

波士頓市長吳弭匯報「美沙酮英里」遊民已安置83人 仍訂1/12清空

波士頓市長吳弭( Michelle Wu) 強調將盡快安置「美沙酮英里」流民，估計可在預定的
1月12日前完成。(視屏截圖)

波士頓市長吳弭率首長及警察開說明會，匯報「美沙酮英里】處理進展。

            (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)今早率公衛、房屋首長舉行記者會，匯報波士頓市檢測的社區確診率陡增至32%，天氣預報氣溫將降至感覺零度以下，學校停課一天，遊民已大都遷往臨時居所，強調居民安全最重要。

                         吳弭上任以來，英文媒體不斷報導「美沙酮英里 (Mass & Cass)」相關新聞，追蹤質問何時解決。

                   吳弭早前宣佈將於1月12

波士頓公共衛生局主任Bisola Ojikutu博士指波士頓檢測確診率高達32%。

日前清除「美沙酮英里」帳篷，還特地率市府首長搭船前往「長島」視察，稱該島有大片土地及棄置樓宇，可進一步研議用作安置遊民的中長期計畫，而且搭船可到，意味著不需要斥資近億元來修復坍塌拆除了的橋樑。

                   今日吳弭在市政府大樓內表示，保護市內所有居民的生命安全，身體健康是市政府的最重要工作，在新冠病毒奧米克戎造成確診率陡增的情況下，市府必須採取各種措施來輔助民眾。1月15日以後，市民出入室內場所，都必須出示已完整接種疫苗，就是做法之一。

             波士頓市公共衛生局主任Bisola Ojikutu博士在記者會中表示，波士頓市的新冠病毒住院率和上週相比，陡增50%，檢測陽性比率飆高到32%，擠進醫院急診室的病人也增加30%，這幾天的單日確診數，也都每天超過2200，人們的確必須加倍小心防疫。

             她說，波士頓市府採取的因應措施包括增設檢測站，在學校增加監督檢測頻率，檢測陽性者嚴格執行隔離規定，抗體檢測陰性者才可返校上課，以及提供防護力更好的KN95口罩等做法。

                             

波士頓房屋長Sheila Dillon 表示，市府已為「美沙酮英里】流民找到了臨時居所。

她還強調，就如同吳弭市長說的，市府須要促使人們接種疫苗，施打補充劑。目前全市年紀在5到11歲之間的兒童，接種新冠病毒疫苗比率也已經有37%了。

                    波士頓市府早前曾做過統計調查，得到「美沙酮英里」的帳篷巷那兒約住有150人。吳弭表示，週五下大雪，最近這幾天氣溫大降，都令人擔心這些人的安危。她很感謝市府團隊在最近這一陣子勞心勞力的照顧這些人。據她所知，其中已有83人陸陸續續遷進波士頓市府為他們準備的臨時居所。

                   過去幾星期以來，波士頓市府已在使命丘 (Mission Hill)的EnVision，牙買加平原的一個摺疊小屋社區，以及位於麻州大道上空置的圓屋旅館 (Roundhouse Hotel)等3個地方，為遊民們準備了低門檻的居住單位。

                  波士頓市房屋長Sheila Dillon表示，松街客棧 (Pine Street Inn)和Southampton 112號的市營流浪漢庇護所也都準備妥當，可以逐步收容還未撤離的62人。

               吳弭市長今日的記者會，在前述人以外，還特地邀請了負責處理「美沙酮英里}的資深顧問，前任麻州公共衛生廳廳長Monica Bharel博士，波士頓市街道長Jascha Franklin-Hodge，波士頓市公共工程局街道運作總監Mike Brohel，波士頓警察局副局長Gerard Bailey，波士頓警察局街道外展小組隊長 (Lieutenant)Peter Messina等人，藉以強調這是團隊工作。  

     

伍輝民、伍偉業就任主席 波士頓伍胥山公所今年不辦春宴懇親推至明年

波士頓伍胥山公所2022-2023職員就職典禮。(黃子安提供)

右起，伍輝民、潘昭榮，孫儉元，伍煥華、伍伯和、黃子安，伍少武，伍樹俊等人
在伍氏新屆職員就職典禮中，依照祖規行禮。 (黃子安提供)

              (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 波士頓伍胥山公所1月9日在黃氏宗親代表，麻州眾議員黃子安，駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮等貴賓出席致賀中，簡單隆重的完成新屆職員就職典禮。伍輝民、伍偉業出任新屆主席。

              新冠病毒疫情由於奧米克戎變種的出現，正持續中，但相關研究都指傳染雖快，但重症極少，已經歷疫情2年的人們，也漸能淡定應對，伍胥山公所這才決定在波士頓華埠泰勒街 (Tyler)上的會所舉行小規模就職儀式，但只有宗親、貴賓和少數「黃伍一家親」的黃氏職員參加，儀式簡單隆重。

                           伍輝民致詞時，真誠的感謝眾人在疫情期間仍撥冗出席。他還套用麻州眾議員黃子安的筷子比喻，祝願黃伍兩氏繼續團結，使公所，社區和諧穩定。他也匯報伍胥山公所今年不舉行春宴，懇親大會也會推遲到明年再說。

麻州眾議員黃子安 (右起)送出表揚狀給伍氏新屆主席伍輝民、伍偉業。(黃子安提供)

              在伍氏宗親努力下，2022-2023年度的伍胥山公所職員，強調傳承，不但副主席邀得經營華埠餐廳，正是青壯年的伍偉業與資深主席伍輝民搭配，西文書記也請到從軍職退休後，在華人社區中十分活躍，既協助多個波士頓龍舟隊伍訓練，以及創辦「神筆小孩」基金會，鼓勵小孩子學書法，繪畫，其本身書法、繪畫能力都備受讚譽的伍振中，以及在美國小企業行政局 (SBA)任職多年，積極為社區引介聯邦政府協助民眾經商資源的伍少武出任，對伍氏公所族務發展，勢必助益良多。

伍氏公所新屆主席伍輝民(後左)、伍偉業(後右)害嘉賓合影，前左起，麻州眾議員黃子安，
伍氏元老伍伯和，伍氏美東總掌伍煥華，波士頓經文處處長孫儉元，波士頓僑教中心主任
潘昭榮。(黃子安提供)

              9日出席的伍氏宗親，包括美東總長伍煥華，駐波士頓元老伍伯和，就職的新屆職員，除前述個人外，還有中文書記的伍輝民夫人 (鍾美貞)，伍仁甫；財政伍競偉，伍豔梨；核數伍玉娟；康樂伍國光。外交伍侃滋夫人 (李晶)，伍達慈，伍海政，伍百鍊，伍筷榮，婁燁主任伍紹仁，樓業委員伍侃滋，伍偉業，伍經廉，伍慧儀，總務伍經廉，伍樹俊，議長伍樹俊，伍樂仁，顧問伍侃滋，伍輝民，伍紹仁，伍樂仁，伍樹俊。婦女部主任伍振中夫人，伍少雄，財政伍樂仁夫人，核數伍仁甫夫人，書記曼萍。顧問有前波士頓國民黨常委伍綺蓮，創辦中華耆英會的伍銀寬，以及伍慕賢，伍國榮夫人，伍佰耀夫人，伍碧香。

出席中華公所代表伍偉業。

華美福利會首屆亞裔企業簡報賽 1/13日舉行

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 新冠病毒疫情的變種頻出，對大波士頓的創業風氣，似乎並無太大影響。華美福利會麾下亞裔企業培訓輔導項目 (ABTM)就訂1月13日在「越助中心 (VietAID)」舉辦首屆「亞裔企業簡報賽 (Asian business pitch contest) 」。

              華美福利會(AACA)為協助亞裔創業，改善生活環境，在BNY、Santander、Berkshire、PNC等4家銀行，以及全美亞太裔社區發展聯盟 (NCAPACD)，麻州成長資本法人團體 (Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation)等機構出資支持下，由麾下的「下一步 (NextStep)」項目，在2021年的5月到9月間，開了每堂2小時的共10堂課，邀得本身是系列創業家的2所大學企管講師授課，輔導亞裔企業開辦、成長。

              Frank Chan， Tran Le，黃小燕等上課學員，在項目結束後的成果調查中，全都表示收穫良多。

              1月13日的「亞裔企業簡報賽 (Asian business pitch contest) 」，AACA將和「菲爾茲角落 (Fields Corner) 主街計畫」、亞美社區基金、婦女企業中心、波士頓小西貢文化區等機構合作，邀得波士頓市小企業主任Natalia Urtubey；協助創辦麻州黑人經濟協會 (BECMA)的 Glynn Lloyd；全美亞太裔社區發展聯盟 (NCAPACD)創辦董事之一，現為「在地支援計畫財團法人 (LISC)」麻州技術支援供應商管理人的林志琰 (Douglas Ling) ；曾任麻州企業發展及國際貿易助理廳長，現為麻州交通廳物業及資產管理主任的范文南 (Nam Pham)等10人擔任評審。

              AACA的「下一步」項目主任Andy Goldberg表示，簡報賽訂1月13日晚上6到9點在越助中心 (Viet AID, 42 Charles St., Boston, MA 02122)舉行，免費向公眾開放，任何人有創新構想或創業機會，想要測試市場的，無論是企業，非牟利機構，或經營中的企業或初創公司，都歡迎參加。每個賽道的優勝者可獲現金獎2000元，並自動獲得加入下一期亞裔企業培訓輔導項目，免繳報名費500元的資格。

            查詢詳情，可洽Andy Goldberg，617-953-0954，或 abtm@aaca-boston.org。 (更新版)

              

麻州去年有408人死於交通意外 比2021陡增19%

           (Boston Orange) 根據麻州政府數據，人們開車越來越輕率，去年竟有400多人死在路上。

                 麻州交通廳與交通相關死亡數據顯示，2021年有408人在麻州道路上離世，開車的司機，乘客，自行車騎士，行人，都有。

                         這408人的數目，比2020年的343人，增加了19%，更是自從2009年以來，第一次在一年內因車禍死亡人數超過400。

                    超速是其中一大原因。麻州警察在過去這2年間查到時速超過100英里的數量大增。其他的車禍致死原因包括酒駕，沒繫安全帶等等。

               2021年大幅增加的還有騎摩托車的意外事件。2020年時有58人死於摩托車事故，2021年陡增38%。

                     麻州繫安全帶的比率78%，比康州的90%以上低。當然，這是因為康州的繫安全帶法令較嚴格，警察有權因為人們沒繫安全帶就把車輛攔下來，但在麻州，警察還需要有其他理由。

                   道路安全聯盟會長Emily Stein表示，駕駛們上路時，需要更大幅度的改變現有行為，考慮到路上有其他人，一不小心，隨時可能奪人性命。

中華表演藝術基金會莊雅斐音樂會訂1/29晚舉行

          (Boston Orange)中華表演藝術基金會第33屆音樂季訂1月29日(週六)晚8點，邀鋼琴家莊雅斐在新英格蘭音樂學院喬頓廳 (Jordan Hall)獨奏，演出該會本季第三場音樂會，曲目包括拉威爾，蕭邦，巴赫，李斯特等作品。

                整場音樂會共90分鐘，將無中場休息。入場者均須戴口罩，並打過疫苗或檢測呈陰性。

                 莊雅斐是一名出生於台灣的鋼琴家，從小就展現音樂天分，出國深造。在德國弗萊堡 (Freiburg) 音樂學院就讀時，她4年就完成了6年學業，不但取得碩士學位，還得到榮譽藝術家文憑，接著在科隆 (Cologne) 音樂學院取得獨奏家最高文憑，又陸續獲得多項國際競賽大獎，還取得新英格蘭音樂學院的研究生文憑。

                    莊雅斐的老師 Alfred Brendel讚美她 『是一位具有特殊才華，智慧，精細敏感，並富駕馭能力的鋼琴家』。

      莊雅斐經常在世界各大音樂廳表演。與著名指揮家及樂團合作。包括華沙貝多芬，歐洲Musikfest Stuttgart，德國Leipzig,巴哈，Ruhr，Schleswig-Holstein，美國Gilmore, Sarasota和Tanglewood 等，許多國際音樂節都有她的身影。

             她還是挪威國際格里格 (Grieg) 鋼琴比賽及維也納貝多芬鋼琴比賽的評審。

      德國ECM，法國Harmonia Mundi，瑞典Naxos，和紐約Philomusica等唱片公司都曾為她錄音。德國魯爾Ruhr音樂節發行了許多她的現場錄音，包括一張她的個人專輯。福諾論壇 (Fono Forum) 雜誌還以頭版登文，稱讚她的這張專輯“恬淡流動性的琴藝, 雅緻且細膩.” 她錄製的Hindem室內樂作品，也獲國際唱片評論 (International Record Review) 授予特殊獎項。「音樂樂迷雜誌 (Fanfare Magazine) 」把她的孟德爾頌 (Mendelssohn) 第一號鋼琴協奏曲現場錄音，評為與 Perahia，Rudolf Serkin，John Ogdon等齊名。

      莊雅斐的雙鋼琴演奏合作對象包括Noah Bendix-Balgley，Martin Chalifour等世界級大師。她也和Steven Isserlis 、Robert Levin 二人定期合作演出。這些年來，她詮釋了許多最具挑戰性的現代獨奏和室內樂曲，更應邀為作曲家John Harbison, Stanley Walden和Thomas Oboe Lee 的作品做世界首演。

      目前，莊雅斐在波士頓音樂學院和新英格蘭音樂學院預科任教。她開的大師班極受歡迎遍及美國，歐洲和亞洲。她還每年定期到歐洲薩爾茨堡 (Salzburg) 的Mozarteum 開班授課。

      1月29日晚，莊雅斐預定演奏的曲目包括拉威爾的序曲Prélude，蕭邦的 B小調第三奏鳴曲，作品 58 , Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 58，CPE 巴赫的 E小調迴旋曲 Wq 66 『告別我的西爾伯曼古鋼琴”Rondo in E Minor, Wq 66“Farewell to my Silbermann Clavichord”，拉威爾的夜晚的加斯帕 Gaspard de la nuit，以及海頓名字的小步舞曲 (Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn)，李斯特的”唐璜的回憶(Reminiscences of Don Juan (Mozart) S. 418)”。

這場音樂會的票價為 $15 (7-13歲)、$30、$50。提供學生免費票 (14歲以上)，及非學生贈送卷。需事前預訂。6歲以下兒童請勿入場。詳情請查官網

http://www.chineseperformingarts.net/contents/season/20220129/index.html

2022首次華埠居民會 乞臣街空地有望變成2餐廳4住宅

波士頓華埠居民會2022年首次月會。

              (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓華埠居民會 (CRA)在1月5日晚舉行本年度第一次月會，討論蒸氣廠，火鍋店，餐館，乞臣街土地發展計畫等4項議題，有著波士頓華埠正蠢蠢欲動，準備回春的感覺。

華埠居民會主席黃國威。

              今年的這首次月會，由主席黃國威開場，周宣苧主持並翻譯。波士頓市府新任華埠聯絡員Chulan Huang，新任波士頓市不分區市議員Ruthzee Louijeune的助理Emily Polston，波士頓市議會議長愛德華費林 ( Ed Flynn)的助理盧善柔，都出席了這次的網上會議。

              Ping Chen代表「大龍燚 (Dailongyi)」火鍋店陳情，說明這家新餐廳是中國四川成都的連鎖店，位於乞臣街 (Hudson)14號，原銀座餐廳所在地。她們剛拿到施工許可，預定四、五個月後裝修完畢，再開張。目前打算早上11點至凌晨2點營業。

 Ping Chen代表「大龍燚 (Dailongyi)」火鍋店陳情。

              火鍋店近年來在大波士頓日漸流行，波士頓華埠內已有華埠牌樓旁的「肥牛火鍋」，華盛頓街和必珠街(Beach)交界的「小綿羊 (The Q)」火鍋店，華盛頓街和尼倫街(Kneeland)交界處的「劉一手」火鍋店，以及在華盛頓街上的「快樂羊 (Happy Lamb)」，泰勒街(Tyler)上的涮涮鍋，還有夏利臣街一號的「風」火鍋店，一旦「大龍燚 (Dailongyi)」開張，就有7家火鍋店了。

           Victoria Wang 最近購得舊銀座餐廳旁邊的乞臣街12-12A號這塊地。這晚她在 Choo建築公司的Deven等人陪同下，出席華埠居民會，說明發展計畫，爭取支持。

 Victoria Wang和Choo建築公司人員陳情。

Victoria Wang及家人打算在這片土地上蓋6層高樓宇，其中的地面一樓、二樓及地下室，計畫開餐廳，另外的4層樓，打算蓋住宅，每層一戶一睡房單位，面積約1226平方呎。至於出租或出售，要看將來的市場情況。

              出席居民提出許多問題，包括住宅單位將來是出租或出售，是否有電梯，價格一般人能不能負擔得起，那兒的地基是否穩固，施工時是否會優先雇用本地人，本地企業家是否可優先承租餐廳空間。也有人表示，乞臣街上的餐廳已經令該街道充斥各種食物味道，影響居民生活品質。

 Vicinity 蒸氣廠請姜家(右上)做翻譯。

              由於居民們提出很多問題，陳情方礙於計畫仍處於非常初期階段，無法回答，黃國威請陳情方下次再到居民會做說明。

              Vicinity 蒸氣廠由John Gibson做說明，先報告該廠去年2度發生事故，10月發生的架子著火事件，起因是漏油，在消防車抵達前，火就已經被樓宇灑水器撲滅了。另一宗事故是蒸汽輸送管破裂導致蒸氣外洩，後來蒸氣廠關閉，麻州環保署派員調查，制定了維修計畫，現在已經一切恢復正常了。

華人前進會工作人員鄺寶蓮希望Vincinity把廠房賣給政府，為華埠蓋可負擔住宅。

              John Gibson透露，該公司早就有意出售位於尼倫街的廠房，目前正在和有意發展25號地段的2家發展商洽談合作，並且正在和其中一家討論出售該公司尼倫街廠房的可能。

              華人前進會員工鄺寶蓮探問該公司是否可將廠房土地賣給政府，然後由政府協助華埠發展可負擔住宅。John Gibson坦言該公司還從未想過可以這樣做，回去後將再研議。

              這次的華埠居民會網上月會，包括關心社區的中華頤養院前董事長陳秀英，共有大約36人參加。 (更新版)

State Agriculture Preservation Improvement Program Hits 100th Farm Milestone in 2021

State Agriculture Preservation Improvement Program Hits 100th Farm Milestone in 2021

 

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources today announced that its Agricultural Preservation Restriction Improvement Program (AIP) has achieved a major milestone by partnering with its 100^th farm within the Commonwealth. AIP began in 2010, with participating farms receiving business planning, technical assistance, and infrastructure grants to support their farm’s viability.

 

“Farmers that participate in AIP report improved operational efficiency, continue to invest in needed infrastructure on their farms, and show a significant increase in gross income in subsequent years,” said MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux. “These results are consistent with the purpose of AIP, which is to help improve the productivity and profitability of participating farms, and to enhance the significance of APR farm operations and their contribution to the state's agricultural industry.”

 

The APR Improvement Program enables commercial farms with land that has already been protected through MDAR’s Agricultural Preservation Restriction (APR) Program to participate in the improvement program with the goal to assist farmers with issues of financial viability, resource conservation, family succession, modernization of infrastructure, and other issues that may enhance the long term continued use of the agricultural resource.

 

Since the program first began, AIP has provided $7 million in total grants and a total of $560,000 in technical assistance services to the 100 Massachusetts farms. For more information about AIP, please visit the MDAR program website. AIP is one of several programs within DAR’s Division of Agricultural Conservation and Technical Assistance (DACTA), whose mission is to advance the conservation and utilization of agricultural resources through preservation, environmental stewardship, technology, technical assistance and education in order to enhance the viability of agricultural enterprises and safeguard natural resources.