Baker-Polito Administration Announces Coordinated Support for Newly Arriving Families and Individuals to the Commonwealth

 Baker-Polito Administration Announces Coordinated Support for Newly Arriving Families and Individuals to the Commonwealth

Emergency response plan includes temporary shelter and humanitarian services

BARNSTABLE – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced new shelter and humanitarian supports at Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) for the approximately 50 migrants who arrived in Martha’s Vineyard this week. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is coordinating efforts among state and local officials to ensure access to food, shelter and essential services for these men, women and children. Governor Charlie Baker also plans to activate up to 125 members of the Massachusetts National Guard as part of this relief effort. 

 

Shortly after the arrival of these individuals, Martha’s Vineyard residents joined with local and state officials to create temporary shelter and provide necessities in a moment of urgent need. However, the island communities are not equipped to provide sustainable accommodation, and state officials developed a plan to deliver a comprehensive humanitarian response. On Friday, September 16, the Commonwealth will offer transportation to a new temporary shelter on JBCC. This move will be voluntary.

 

JBCC is a facility already designated by MEMA as an emergency shelter in Barnstable County, and its existing infrastructure provides a safe temporary accommodation appropriate for the needs of families and individuals. Additionally, the facility can provide dedicated space for access to legal services and other essential services such as basic healthcare. JBCC has historically housed and cared for displaced individuals, including Louisiana residents fleeing the impact of Hurricane Katrina, as well as an alternative care medical site for Massachusetts residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

In addition to MEMA, the robust response of state and local agencies includes the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, the Massachusetts National Guard, the Massachusetts State Police, Dukes County and Barnstable County, as well as state, local and federal elected officials.

 

“We are grateful to the providers, volunteers and local officials that stepped up on Martha’s Vineyard over the past few days to provide immediate services to these individuals,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our Administration has been working across state government to develop a plan to ensure these individuals will have access to the services they need going forward, and Joint Base Cape Cod is well equipped to serve these needs.”

 

“The Baker-Polito Administration has been in close contact with providers and local officials on the ground in Martha’s Vineyard throughout this process,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We will continue to work with officials at all levels of government to make sure everyone has access to the appropriate resources, including shelter.”

 

“While Wednesday’s arrival on Martha’s Vineyard was unexpected, the extraordinary response was not,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “The work of so many state and local partners exemplify the best values of our Commonwealth, providing safe shelter, food and care for individuals that had been through a long harrowing journey.”

 

MEMA is collaborating with state agencies and non-profit organizations to ensure that individuals and families have access to a broad range of services, including legal, health care, food and other needs.

 

The individuals and families will be housed in dormitory-style spaces at JBCC, with separate spaces accommodating both individuals and families. Families will not be separated.

 

As part of the emergency planning process in any situation, state officials deploy a “wraparound” service approach which includes accommodation, clothing and hygiene kits, nutrition, needs assessment, and access to health care, mental health, and crisis counseling services. All services will be available in the recipient’s native language through interpreters. 

 

The Administration is aware of many charitable individuals and organizations who wish to donate items to those in need. Please note that Joint Base Cape Cod is not logistically able to accept donations of any kind. MEMA is establishing a process to accept relief donations, and additional information is forthcoming.

Governor Baker Issues Statement on Arrival of Migrants in Martha’s Vineyard

 Governor Baker Issues Statement on Arrival of Migrants in Martha’s Vineyard

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker issued the following statement on the arrival of migrants in Martha’s Vineyard on Wednesday:

 

“On behalf of the Commonwealth, I thank everyone on the ground who quickly came together to provide assistance on the Vineyard. The Commonwealth has many resources for assisting individuals that arrive in Massachusetts with varying immigration statuses and needs and is working with all partners involved to make sure those resources are available to the migrants that arrived last night. In addition, the Baker-Polito Administration is exploring setting up temporary shelter and humanitarian services at Joint Base Cape Cod and will share additional information as soon as it becomes available.” – Governor Charlie Baker

Jesse Brown Responds to Florida’s Flying of Illegal Immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard

PLYMOUTH, Mass. - The 9th Congressional District candidate Jesse Brown responded to the events of September 14th in which approximately 50 illegal immigrants were flown to Martha’s Vineyard from Florida.

“I applaud Governor Baker, along with the local officials and organizations, for providing humanitarian support to these illegal migrants who deserve humane living conditions while they get resettled. But make no mistake, they were invited here by Rep. Bill Keating and President Biden who have opened our borders to mass illegal migration. Their refusal to act on securing the border has caused this crisis, and it’s about time they take responsibility for it.” 

Jesse Brown has been a longtime advocate of securing the southern border and stopping the record numbers of illegal crossings and drug trafficking. Please contact brandon@jessebrownforcongress.com with any inquiries.

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES NEXT STEPS FOR MUNICIPAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES NEXT STEPS FOR MUNICIPAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY UPGRADES  The City of Boston to begin auditing and retrofitting 80,000 streetlights and other exterior lighting as well as the third phase of Renew Boston Trust to support carbon neutrality goals

BOSTON - Thursday, September 15, 2022 - Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced that the City of Boston will begin an inventory of all its exterior lights as a part of Renew Boston Trust (RBT), a self-funding finance mechanism that uses the cost savings from efficiency projects to pay for themselves. The City of Boston plans to convert all electric lighting to efficient LED fixtures in alignment with its carbon neutrality goals. The City released a request for qualifications in July 2021 and selected the contractor Ameresco, Inc to move forward with the audit. Ameresco will be charged with auditing exterior lighting as well as recording its location, technology, condition, and other relevant data over the next six months. The initial audit of the exterior lighting is being conducted as the first step in the process. Using the collected data, the City will develop energy conservation measures designed to reduce the amount of electricity and natural gas used by the City’s streetlights, traffic lights, athletic field and park lights, and school department security lighting. The work to improve the efficiency of the fixtures will be implemented in stages over several years. This stage of the Renew Boston Trust project has already been allocated $10.0 million in capital funds. This announcement builds off the progress of the RBT building energy efficiency program,  including the most recent work on Phase III. This phase of the program is the most ambitious yet, conducting lighting improvements, water conservation, building envelope improvements, and pipe insulation upgrades in nine Boston Public Schools, one police station, and one property management facility. The selected properties include the Parkman House, the C-6 Police Station, City Hall, and the JFK Elementary, Condon K-8, Taylor Elementary, Russell Elementary, Tynan Elementary, Murphy K-8, Ohrenberger School (3-8), Otis Elementary, and the Boston Latin Academy schools. The schools were selected based on the Opportunity Index with schools prioritized that were not already scheduled for Capital improvements over the next five years. Mayor Wu’s FY23 budget contains $65 million in City capital funds for the continuation of Phase III of the RBT program.  “We have a unique opportunity to update our municipal buildings and exterior lighting in a way that preserves Boston’s character and aligns with our broader environmental goals,” said Mayor Wu. “I am excited to work on ensuring our city is saving energy and the associated costs while bringing us closer to our net zero goals.” “We’re thrilled to partner with the City on their forward progress to become more energy efficient through LED lighting retrofits,” said Pete Christakis, Senior Vice President, Ameresco. “This retrofit will not only reduce energy spend for the City but also result in a significant reduction of carbon emissions. We commend the City leadership for championing this project as another piece of the decarbonization puzzle.” The initial phase of exterior lighting retrofits is expected to focus on replacing electric streetlights that use conventional technology with LED technology.  It is estimated that of the 80,000 streetlights, 14,000 are conventional. There are also 2,800 natural gas street lamps that account for 4 percent of streetlights across the city, but account for 37 percent of the emissions from all streetlights. The retrofit of these gas lamps will occur in stages, after community engagement opportunities and input.  “We know that the Renew Boston Trust mechanism works for reducing our energy expenses and our carbon emissions,” said Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space. “The first two phases of RBT have saved significant greenhouse gas emissions and nearly $1.1 million in debt service. We are particularly excited that this phase has a green jobs component with a portion of our spending supporting residents flowing into the City’s green transformation.”  “In addition to substantial energy savings, upgrading our streetlights to LED will reduce maintenance costs, increase reliability, and allow our Street Lighting Division to optimize their operations planning,” stated Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge. “We’re excited this initiative will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and serve as an important component of Mayor Wu’s Green New Deal.”   Phase I of the program completed energy conservation measures at 14 municipal sites including community centers, libraries, parks, and police and fire stations across the city. Phase II is nearly complete and includes $20 million of energy conservation measures for 31 City-owned buildings. Renew Boston Trust uses performance contracts that ensure the City’s Capital Budget allocations are repaid by the energy savings.  This announcement exemplifies the Wu administration’s commitment to a Green New Deal and retrofitting municipal properties to align with the City’s carbon neutrality goals. Mayor Wu’s FY23 Budget includes investments that further support these objectives, including $20 million of ARPA funding towards deep energy retrofits for affordable housing, $2.5 million of ARPA funds to electrify Boston Public School buses, and $2.5 million of Capital funding for a Climate Ready Streets initiative to support green infrastructure. Additionally, Mayor Wu recently filed legislation to give Boston the local option to set building standards eliminating the use of fossil fuels for new developments and major renovations in Boston.

波士頓公圖館特別收藏部1570萬元修繕竣工 市長吳弭剪綵啟用

波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 為波士頓公共圖書館特別收藏部翻修竣工剪綵。 (周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 在波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 親自到場剪綵的隆重中，波士頓市政府耗資1570萬元翻修的波士頓公共圖書館總館特別收藏部，9月13日呈現嶄新面貌，人們又可以到館借閱珍貴版本了。

            吳弭市長指出，她宣誓就任市長時手按的聖經，就來自波士頓公共圖書館總館的特別收藏部。她說人們很幸運，波士頓公共圖書館工作人員努力修復、保存了許多具歷史意義的書籍，手稿，在特別收藏部翻修後，波士頓的人們以及未來世代，就可以在一個更舒適的環境中欣賞這些珍貴館藏了。

波士頓市長吳弭指出她就任宣誓時用的聖經，就來自波士頓公圖館的特別收藏部。 
(周菊子攝)

            位於柯普利廣場 (Copley Square)的波士頓公共圖書館總館，花了5年時間，動用波士頓市府1570萬元的樓宇修繕款，由波士頓市府公共設施部，Finegold Alexander建築師事務所和波士頓公共圖書館合作，翻修了面積達31000平方呎的公共空間，包括一個新的閱讀室，大堂，以及長約7英里的特別書架，儲藏罕見書及手稿。還有了新的職員工作空間，最前衛的藝術保存實驗室，防火系統等。

波士頓公圖館館長David Leonard 致詞。 (周菊子攝)

              波士頓公共圖書館館長David Leonard感謝波士頓市政府協助他們完成這讓人難以置信的翻修工程，讓波士頓公圖館特別收藏部裏的寶藏，又可以完整的展現於人前，供民眾充分利用。該館也將繼續管理繕本，收藏珍貴手稿，讓甚至是世界上的所有人，都能夠實地或網上欣賞。

           

                       波士頓公圖館董事會主席Priscilla H. Douglas表示，該董事會代表波士頓人們督促波士頓公共圖書館為民眾服務，特別收藏部的翻修完工是波士頓公共圖書館跟進時代的又一行動。

 

              波士頓公共圖書館的特別收藏不包括罕見書，手稿，印刷品，檔案，音樂，藝術作品，以及照片。著名的收藏品包括威廉莎士比亞 (William Shakespeare) 的第一對開本 (First Folio) ，Robert McCloskey的素描本和他的「給鴨子讓路 (Make Way for Ducklings) 」的繪圖初稿，4份美國獨立宣言原版印刷，完整的廢奴主義論文「解放者 (The Liberator) 」，350件著名藝術家Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec的作品，Robert Aitken聖經，在美國印製的第一本完整英文聖經等等。

波士頓公圖館館長David Leonard。 (周菊子攝)

 波士頓公圖館董事會主席Priscilla H. Douglas。 (周菊子攝)

道富集團一亞裔副總裁涉4宗強暴案

             (Boston Orange 編譯) 一個丟棄菸蒂爆出一件大案，警方對比DNA後，起訴一名道富集團 (State Street Group) 副總裁，涉嫌從2003年起陸續強暴4名女孩及婦女。道富集團13日獲悉此事後，當天就開除了他。

                     這宗系列持刀強暴案件，13日在波士頓地方法院開庭。經由律師Peter Parker爭取，現年42歲，在波士頓及昆士市均有住處的嫌犯張一藩 (譯音，Ivan Cheung) 本人，並未出庭。

                      根據庭訊資料，張一蕃在2003年，他本人23歲時第一次犯案。他從華埠街道上把一名13歲女孩載到他位於北昆士市的住家。該名受害者告訴警方，起初發生性關係時，並無強制情況，但隨後她在張的車輛後座被張姓男子以刀脅迫的強暴了。

                  接著的下一個月，據稱張一藩又把一名14歲的女孩載到查理士城 (Charlestown) ，並在車內以刀脅迫的強暴了她，然後又把身體赤裸的她拽進附近的林木中，再次強暴。

               2005年10月23日，張一藩在公園廣場 (Park Plaza) 一帶的酒吧遇見一名23歲女子。該女子告訴警方，張一藩提議送她回家，但張一藩把她載到其他地方，強暴還刺傷了她。

             2006年4月7日，張一藩在北端 (North End)的一家披薩店外，把一名18歲女孩載到衛斯理 (Wellesley)，強暴並刺傷了她。

             後面這2宗案的女子，都到醫院做了性侵犯檢查。

             是一個丟棄菸蒂讓警方把這幾宗案件的調查，連在了一起。

             根據起訴資料，這幾宗案件有些共同點，包括20多歲的亞裔男子會在受害者單獨走在波士頓城中區時，盯上受害者。

             在性侵案中的香四處包括嫌犯會持刀抵住受害者的喉嚨，威脅要殺她們，然後以同樣方式在車輛後座強暴她們後，再割或刺傷她們。

             犯案現場總是有輛銀色的Lexus RX 300，於是波士頓警探開始監視張一藩。

             2022年6月28日，警探們看到張一藩在一家商場抽菸，丟棄菸蒂。他們取得菸蒂後送交波士頓警察局的罪案實驗室。

8月8日時，罪案實驗室給初報告，警察比對性侵案受害者檔案中的男性DNA後，12日逮捕了張一藩。

由於張一藩的律師為他爭取到以100萬元交保，聆訊當天不需出庭，支持性侵案受害者的一名女教授 Wendy Murphy，也是波士頓前鋒報專欄作者的她，非常不滿，在波士頓前鋒報上撰文要求執法機關讓人們看到張一藩的長相，並稱就是執法機構的這類行為讓人們不信任法律系統，不尊重法治。她質疑地指出，還有一名波士頓大學女生也曾被張一藩強暴，但該案被撤銷了。她認為其中必有蹊蹺。

中華表演藝術基金會第34屆音樂季 首場莊雅斐鋼琴獨奏

 (Boston Orange) 中華表演藝術基金會第34屆音樂季 (2022-2023) 將於10月1日 (週六)晚8點，由鋼琴家莊雅斐在新英格蘭音樂學院喬頓廳 (Jordan Hall) 鋼琴獨奏拉威爾，蕭邦，CPE巴赫，舒伯特, 拉赫瑪尼諾夫等曲目，拉開序幕。 

鋼琴家莊雅斐琴藝精湛，備受樂評家讚譽，在國際舞台也已贏得肯定。她的恩師 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』。 

莊雅斐在台灣出生，音樂天份從小就被發掘後，先遠渡德國學習，再到美國深造。她在德國弗萊堡 (Freiburg) 音樂學院，以四年時間完成六年課業，從大學預科，本科，一直讀到碩士，還獲得榮譽藝術家文憑，接著又在科隆 (Cologne) 音樂學院取得獨奏家最高文憑，在新英格蘭音樂學院取得研究生文憑，曾獲得多項國際競賽大獎。 

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。她曾出現在眾多國際音樂節，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。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。這張專輯在福諾論壇 (Fono Forum) 雜誌以頭版登出。雜誌稱讚她: “恬淡流動性的琴藝, 雅緻且細膩.” 她所錄製Hindem室內樂作品受到國際唱片評論 (International Record Review) 授予特殊獎項。「音樂樂迷雜誌」 (Fanfare Magazine) 將她的孟德爾頌 (Mendelssohn) 第一號鋼琴協奏曲現場錄音列入與 Perahia, Rudolf Serkin, John Ogdon等大師齊名的等級。 

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，並與Steven Isserlis 和Robert Levin 二人定期合作演出。莊雅斐詮釋了許多最具挑戰性的現代獨奏和室內樂曲。她為作曲家John Harbison, Stanley Walden和Thomas Oboe Lee 的作品做了世界首演。 

莊雅斐目前任教於波士頓音樂學院和新英格蘭音樂學院預科。她極受歡迎的大師班遍及美國，歐洲和亞洲，並每年定期在歐洲薩爾茨堡 (Salzburg) 的Mozarteum 開班教授。 

10月1日晚，莊雅斐將演奏的曲目包括: 舒伯特的音樂時刻，作品94, D.780     (Moment Musicaux, Op.780) ，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”) ，拉威爾的高貴與感傷的圓舞曲(Valses nobles et sentimentales)，拉赫瑪尼諾夫的降B小調第二奏鳴曲，作品36 (Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor, Op.36) 。

音樂會當晚入場，須先出示打過疫苗或測試陰性證明。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。

Professor Xiaoxing Xi, Civil Rights Advocates Argue for Freedom from Government Discrimination and Surveillance in Third Circuit Court

 Professor Xiaoxing Xi, Civil Rights Advocates Argue for Freedom from Government Discrimination and Surveillance in Third Circuit Court

 

Asian American, civil rights, and community organizations across the country gather in support of Professor Xiaoxing Xi in calling for justice and accountability

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – In oral arguments today at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Temple University professor Dr. Xiaoxing Xi and his attorneys urged the court to reinstate his claims for damages against the U.S. government for its discriminatory investigation and prosecution of baseless charges that were later dismissed. Judges seemed persuaded that Dr. Xi and his family endured “malicious prosecution and fabrication” of evidence and expressed considerable skepticism with the Department of Justice’s arguments claiming immunity from accountability for constitutional violations.

 

Across the country, civil rights advocates working in Asian, Black, Arab, Middle Eastern, and Muslim communities have united in support of Dr. Xi and his fight to hold the government accountable for its long legacy of targeting people on the basis of their race, national origin, religious identity, or ethnic background under the pretext of national security. Advancing Justice – AAJC and Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus led an amicus brief supporting Dr. Xi and calling on the U.S. government to end its discriminatory targeting and racial profiling of Asian Americans and Asian immigrants. The brief was co-signed by 72 Asian American organizations, civil rights groups, scientific associations, and academic groups.

 

In 2015, Dr. Xi was wrongfully accused of sharing sensitive technology with scientists in China, a charge for which he faced up to 80 years in prison and $1 million in fines. FBI agents entered Dr. Xi’s home with a battering ram, pointed guns at him, his wife, and two daughters, and arrested him. As Dr. Xi’s attorney argued today, these actions had “devastating consequences” on him and his family, as Dr. Xi was branded a technological spy, suspended as physics chair at Temple University, and was forced to live with the specter of suspicion for years. Dr. Xi and his family have since been fighting for justice for seven years.

 

“For far too long, Asian Americans have been targeted and scapegoated as national security threats based on our race, ethnicity, religion, or ancestry. From the incarceration of Japanese Americans, the surveillance and unjust prosecutions of Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) communities following 9/11, to the profiling of Chinese American scientists, researchers, and scholars, history continues to repeat itself,”  said Gisela Kusakawa,  the Director of Anti-Racial Profiling Project at Advancing Justice – AAJC. “We are at a juncture today for our communities to turn the tide and support Professor Xi’s efforts to ensure that the federal government is held accountable.Whether Professor Xi and his family are finally afforded justice after a seven year long legal battle will have a powerful ripple effect and signal to many others whether our country can change, take responsibility, and uphold justice.”

 

“Based on today’s argument, the Third Circuit panel seemed to understand that the government’s constitutional violations of Dr. Xi’s rights cannot stand,” said Glenn Katon, the Litigation Director at Advancing Justice - ALC. “We are hopeful that the court will reverse the dismissal of Dr. Xi’s case, and that he and his family can proceed to prove how the FBI and DOJ’s fabrication of evidence and racial discrimination caused them grievous harms and restore Americans’ confidence that the government cannot violate our rights with impunity.”

 

Find more information and case documents from Xi v. United States.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces the 2022 COASTSWEEP Beach Cleanup Program

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced that the 2022 COASTSWEEP beach cleanup program will officially kick off on Saturday, September 17, 2022, and members of the public are encouraged to volunteer at one of the many cleanup events planned along the coast this fall. Organized by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affair’s (EEA) Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), COASTWEEP cleanups will be held throughout the month of September and into early November. Since 1987, thousands of COASTSWEEP volunteers have removed hundreds of tons of marine debris and other trash from Massachusetts beaches, lakes, rivers and the seafloor.  

“Throughout the Commonwealth are incredible beaches, waterfronts, and shorelines that are enjoyed and appreciated by so many, and the COASTSWEEP program offers a great way for everyone to give back to these treasured natural resources,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card. “The Baker-Polito Administration encourages everyone to get out and get involved with a cleanup or gather some friends and organize your own this fall season.” 

COASTSWEEP is part of the International Coastal Cleanup initiative that is organized by Ocean Conservancy and draws hundreds of thousands of volunteers to coastal cleanups in more than 150 countries worldwide. In addition to the important task of removing trash, COASTSWEEP volunteers record data about what they find. This information is entered into Ocean Conservancy’s international marine debris database, where it helps researchers and policymakers better understand the sources of global marine debris and develop solutions for prevention. 

“Since 1987, COASTSWEEP has been a partnership between CZM and the local beach cleanup coordinators who put so much energy into getting volunteers out there to clean up the shore,” said Coastal Zone Management Director Lisa Engler. “And all of this effort does more than beautify our beaches, it helps protect the public from hazardous materials like broken glass and helps protect wildlife from marine debris ingestion and entanglement.” 

From plastics as tiny as a grain of sand to items as large as abandoned cars, marine debris is more than an eyesore. Sea birds, seals and other animals can be harmed when they swallow or become entangled in these materials. Sea turtles are particularly vulnerable and can die after swallowing clear plastic bags, which look like their favorite food, jellyfish. Beachgoers can injure themselves on glass, wood or metal while walking on the sand or swimming off the coast, and boaters can find themselves stranded when propellers are jammed with fishing line or cooling intakes are clogged with plastic. And since much of the trash collected during COASTSWEEP comes from litter on our streets that washes into storm drains and out to the sea, proper trash disposal at all times is essential. 

A great way to get involved in COASTSWEEP is to organize a cleanup. All supplies (bags, gloves, data cards, pencils, etc.) are provided free of charge and cleanups can be scheduled at organizers’ convenience. Individuals can also volunteer at a scheduled cleanup. To join a cleanup or to organize one, please visit the COASTSWEEP website or email coastsweep@mass.gov. COASTSWEEP sponsors for 2022 are EEA, CZM, Ocean Conservancy, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and Tronex, a personal protective equipment company that provided gloves for the cleanups. 

The Massachusetts Office Coastal Zone Management is the lead policy and planning agency on coastal and ocean issues within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Through planning, technical and grant assistance and public information programs, CZM seeks to balance the impacts of human activity with the protection of coastal and marine resources. The agency’s work includes helping coastal communities address the challenges of storms, sea level rise and other effects of climate change; working with state, regional and federal partners to balance current and new uses of ocean waters while protecting ocean habitats and promoting sustainable economic development; and partnering with communities and other organizations to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats.