新英格蘭台灣同學會聯席會議 探討環保淨零與法律議題

         駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長廖朝宏(前中)，教育組組長黃薳玉(前中左)，領務組副組長王馨珮(前中右)和各校同學合影。   
(周菊子攝)       

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長廖朝宏(中)，教育組組長黃薳玉(左)，
領務組副組長王馨珮(右)主持經文處業務說明。(周菊子攝)

              (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 新英格蘭地區16所大專院校台灣同學會的42名會長及幹部，和7名教育部選送波士頓的華語教學人員， 9月23日在波士頓經文處假薩福克 (Suffolk) 大學法學院舉辦的年度聯席會議中交流聯誼，了解經文處各組服務內容。

教育組組長黃薳玉(左)發感謝狀給講者舒安居律師(右)。(周菊子攝)

經文處教育組組長黃薳玉為使出席會議同學有更多收穫，除了請來經文處處長廖朝宏嘉勉同學會幹部們為同學服務，她自己和經文處領務組副組長王馨珮簡述經文處相關業務，還特地請得蕭景文、舒安居2名專家，闡述淨零建築規劃等環保實務，以及租屋、 交通及刑事糾紛方面的法律議題。

會議由新英格蘭台灣同學會聯合會會長蔡朗安和副會長李承訓主持有趣的破冰遊戲開場，促使同學們從座位中站起來，在會場遊走，依遊戲規則互動，有同學在短短幾分鐘，認識20多名出席同學，效率之高，令人讚嘆。

教育組組長黃薳玉(左)發感謝狀給講者蕭景文建築師(右)。(周菊子攝)

                         在講解經文處的領務業務時，王馨珮副組長以生老病死離等字眼來形容領務工作中的出生證明、遺產繼承拋棄書，結或離婚登記等各種文書證件。她提醒同學們，畢業後回台前，千萬記得做學歷證件之驗證，若返台後再回頭申辦，麻煩得多，經文處接過許多這類案件，所以特地提醒。另外，臺灣和麻州及羅德島州簽有駕照免試互換協議，在這2州的同學，可直接換駕照。

新英格蘭台灣同學會聯合會會長蔡朗安(左三) 和副會長李承訓 (右一)
發獎品給破冰遊戲優勝者，左一起，波士頓大學溫開宇，Emerson
學院謝怡婷，波士頓大學楊崇岳，小熊貓學園賴怡甄，
伯克利音樂學院陳唯一等。(周菊子攝)

                      教育組組長黃薳玉說明全美共有7個教育組，波士頓主要為美國東北5州，包括緬因州、麻州、新罕布夏州、佛蒙特州、羅德島州的學子服務，促進國內外學人，學生及相關組織之聯繫，協助學子成為「外交小尖兵」，也為臺灣要在2030年成為雙語國家這目標努力。黃薳玉組長還在會中提醒同學們，教育組可提供許多不同項目的獎助學金，以及玉山學者的相關計畫與就業等資訊。

波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏和哈佛大學臺灣同學會會長謝郁俐相見歡。(周菊子攝)

                       在「新生態 (New Ecology)」擔任建築能源模型資深分析師的蕭景文，這天以「Zero Over Time – 波士頓地區淨零建築(Net Zero)的規劃設計實務分享」為主題，說明氣候變遷與建築之間的關聯，其中亦強調「節流」及城市韌性的重要性。

2023年新格蘭地區中華民國 (臺灣) 同學會會長聯席會議
在薩福克大學法學院內招開。(周菊子攝)

                 有多年執業經驗的律師舒安居，主要闡述租屋、 交通及刑事糾紛等留學生最常碰到的3大類問題。由於他接辦過的許多相關案件，同學們也可能曾有類似遭遇，都聽得十分投入，對於舒安居律師的遇到事故，面對警察時，要記得先以自己不擅英語要求提供翻譯，再要求找律師，來為自己爭取時間，冷靜應對，避免不必要刑責，以及租屋時，寧可找apartment.com或renters.com等大規模的租賃公司來找房子，不要貪便宜的輕信個別房東招租遊說等忠告，聽得十分入耳。

經文處教育組黃薳玉組長表示，這是新冠病毒疫情後，第2次召開新格蘭地區中華民國 (臺灣) 同學會會長聯席會議，教育組將繼續尋找疫情後失聯，可能已重組的各校同學會，希望能照顧到新英格蘭地區的所有同學。 (更新版) (僑務電子報:    https://ocacnews.net/article/351203?cid=2 )

麻州獲選為美國健康創新網的ARPA-H樞紐據點

Massachusetts Selected to Host ARPA-H Hub as Part of Nationwide Health Innovation Network  

State Lauded as Epicenter of Life Science and Health Care Innovation Globally in Federal Selection to Help Advance ARPA-H’s Mission to Accelerate Better Health 

Outcomes for Everyone 

 

BOSTON – Today, the federal Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the National Institutes of Health, announced Massachusetts has been chosen to host its Investor Catalyst Hub to support ARPA-H’s mission by fostering collaboration among researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors to accelerate innovative ideas that transform health care.  

 

Massachusetts’ selection was announced during a press briefing with ARPA-H Director Dr. Renee Wegrzyn to formally launch ARPANET-H, a nationwide health innovation network comprised of three hubs across the country, each with an aim to accelerate better health outcomes for everyone. VentureWell, a nonprofit based in Hadley, Mass., with expertise in federal health care programs and complex program management, was selected as the organization that will run and manage the Massachusetts-based hub. The Investor Catalyst Hub will focus on helping ARPA-H programs navigate the complexities of the business and regulatory landscape and provide resources to help bring ideas to market. 

 

“This is a huge win for Massachusetts and an opportunity to bring economic development while strengthening our role as a nationwide leader in life sciences. We're excited to partner with ARPA-H and the Biden Administration to support the innovative ideas and breakthrough technologies that will revolutionize health care for all Americans," said Governor Maura Healey. "This hub leverages our state's world-class life science ecosystem while building a national network of researchers and entrepreneurs to invest in meaningful solutions to the biggest health care challenges. We thank the Biden Administration for making this critical funding available and our incredible federal delegation for their strong partnership throughout this process." 

 

"We are proud to be selected to host this hub as part of ARPA-H's national health innovation network,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Massachusetts is the global epicenter of life sciences innovation – we have the talent, expertise, and vision to make radical changes in medicine. We look forward to working with ARPA-H to nurture the ideas that will improve health care for patients everywhere.”  

 

"We have an unprecedented opportunity to spark revolutionary progress in health care and continue to lead in the life sciences industry through this partnership with ARPA-H," said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao. "We are grateful to Team Massachusetts, including our partners across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the legislature, and the congressional delegation, for their support of our successful proposal to take part in this important effort to transform health care delivery." 

 

The hub will be located in Greater Boston and will be supported by “spokes” across the country comprised of partner organizations that will include hospitals, health centers, and research and academic institutions, all of which will work together to accelerate solutions to diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other serious health challenges. The state’s selection to host the Investor Catalyst Hub demonstrates the federal government’s recognition of Massachusetts as a leading model for health care delivery and life sciences innovation that, through the hub and spoke model, can support the federal agency in its pursuit of moonshot projects to transform health care solutions for residents across the country. 

 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration, through the Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) and the quasi-public agency Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, partnered with VentureWell and a consortium of industry leaders, hospitals, health centers, and research and academic institutions in pursuit of this opportunity. In March 2023, ARPA-H announced a multi-phase site selection process, which started with a proposal submission in April 2023.  
 

“Today is a victory for patients and for the collaborative spirit woven into our Commonwealth’s DNA,” said Massachusetts Life Sciences Center President and CEO Kenn Turner. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with ARPA-H and the Biden Administration on the next generation of medical breakthroughs that will transform lives on a global scale. I am so grateful for the support of the Healey-Driscoll Administration and the multitude of partners who helped us reach this milestone. An exciting chapter for our ecosystem begins now.” 

“VentureWell has spent nearly three decades delivering on our mission - to solve the world’s biggest challenges and to create lasting impact through science and technology innovation and entrepreneurship and we see valuable opportunity in continuing to scale this work through our partnership with ARPA-H,” said Phil Weilerstein, President & CEO of VentureWell. “We bring the full set of organizational capabilities and experiences to accomplish ARPA-H’s goals and are honored to be given the opportunity to play a role in bringing life-changing medical and science breakthroughs out of the lab and into the hands of the people across the nation who need them.” 

 

VentureWell has extensive experience partnering with public and private institutions to bring solutions from the research lab and into the market through funding, training, mentorship, and network support, with a focus on health equity and inclusive innovation. As manager of the hub, VentureWell will design and manage the build-out of the hub and its spoke network, recruiting and engaging a nationwide network of diverse organizations representing financing and innovation, academic and clinical priorities, and care-setting transitions. The opportunity to apply to become a spoke is open to all institutions in the United States with strengths that align with the ARPA-H focus areas: health science futures, proactive health, scalable solutions, and resilient systems. 

  

In March 2022, President Biden announced the ARPA-H initiative to improve the U.S. government’s ability to speed biomedical and health research. Shortly after, Massachusetts formed the Coalition for Health Advancement and Research in Massachusetts (CHARM), composed of Massachusetts government, industry, and educational leaders, to initiate the state’s efforts to explore the opportunity. Under the Healey-Driscoll Administration, EOED tapped CHARM members to form a new coalition of public-private partners in March 2023 to pursue the Investor Catalyst Hub after the federal government outlined its competitive site selection process.  

 

The ARPA-H proposal is a part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s whole-of-government strategy to compete for federal money that has included applications for more than $2 billion dollars in federal funding to advance priorities for equity, competitiveness, workforce development and climate resiliency in Massachusetts. The approach has brought in tens of millions of dollars to the state in recent weeks, with additional funding still pending the decision of federal agencies. Last week, Massachusetts was awarded $19.7 million in funding through the federal CHIPS and Science Act to establish the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition Hub to advance the microelectronics needs of the U.S. Department of Defense while spurring new jobs, workforce training opportunities, and investment in the region’s advanced manufacturing and technology sectors. 

麻州長簽行政命令設立清潔能源基礎設施局

 Governor Healey Creates Commission to Accelerate Siting and Permitting of Clean Energy Infrastructure 

Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting will make recommendations for regulatory and legislative reform to streamline clean energy siting next spring 

  

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today signed an Executive Order creating the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting (CEISP) and swore in Commission members. To meet the emissions limits outlined in the Clean Energy and Climate Plans (CECP), Massachusetts will need to site a significant amount of new energy infrastructure, including new solar and wind generation, storage, transmission, and distribution infrastructure. The CEISP brings together stakeholders to swiftly remove barriers to responsible clean energy infrastructure development.  

 

“The clean energy transition can’t wait,” said Governor Healey. “This commission represents our administration’s efforts to bring people together and build consensus to tackle one of the most complex issues of our time. We are looking forward to receiving a strong slate of recommendations that will deliver clean, affordable energy to our communities and all the economic growth that will come with it.” 

 

“The clean energy transition is going to transform our communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We’re going to need a lot of new infrastructure, and we’re going to need it fast. With these stakeholders at the table, we’re going to build serious consensus on how to tackle this challenge in a way that ensures environmental justice communities don’t bear a disproportionate burden, greenspace and other development priorities are protected, and we can all share in the benefits of clean energy.” 

 

“We’re thrilled to have a robust and diverse group of leaders to lead the Commission on Clean Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “We worked intentionally to ensure that we would have representation from every sector of the clean energy space – from labor, to environmental justice leaders, to energy experts. With these members leading this effort, we are confident that the recommendations will be smart, balanced, and ready for action.” 

 

The CEISP will be tasked with reducing permitting timelines, ensuring communities have input in the siting and permitting of clean energy infrastructure, and ensuring that the benefits of the clean energy transition are shared equitably. Secretary Tepper will order every relevant agency housed within the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to evaluate existing permitting processes impacting energy infrastructure and identify potential areas of improvement. The Commission will also be instructed to make recommendations on administrative, regulatory, and legislative changes to existing permitting and siting procedures by Spring 2024.     

 

Those appointed to the Commission include: 

 

State Agencies 

• Mike Judge, Undersecretary of Energy, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and Chair of the CEISP 

• Nick Rose, General Counsel, Division of Labor Standards within the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development 

• Ashley Stolba, Undersecretary of Economic Foundations, Executive Office of Economic Development 

• Amy Stitely, Chief of Programs, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities 

 

Municipalities  

• John Mangiaratti, Acton Town Manager and member of the Massachusetts Municipal Association 

• Dorothy McGlincy, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions 

• Lizzi Weyant, Deputy Executive Director, Metropolitan Area Planning Commission 

 

Environmental Justice Organizations 

• Mary Claire Kelly, Attorney, Alternatives for Community and Environment 

• Eve Rodriguez, Task Force Member, Lawrence Pa'lante Resident Task Force 

• Eddie Rosa, Community Programs Director, Groundwork Lawrence 

• Member of Arise for Social Justice in Springfield to be announced 

 

Climate, Environmental, and Land Use Advocates  

• Steve Long, Director of Policy and Partnerships, The Nature Conservancy 

• Michelle Manion, VP of Policy and Advocacy, Mass Audubon 

• Caitlin Peale Sloan, VP for Massachusetts, Conservation Law Foundation 

 

Electric Utilities   

• Alexandra Blackmore, General Counsel for New England, National Grid 

• Catherine Finneran, VP for Transmission Project Development, Siting & Project Service, Eversource 

• John Tzimorangas, President and CEO, Energy New England 

 

Agricultural Interests  

• Nathan L'Etoile, National Farm Viability Managing Director, American Farmland Trust 

 

Tribal Organization 

• To be announced 

 

Youth Climate Council Representative 

• To be announced 

 

Energy Siting Practitioner 

• Mary Beth Gentleman, Chair, CEISP Siting Practitioner Advisory Group 

 

Clean Energy Industry 

• Carrie Cullen Hitt, Senior Director for Grid and Transmission Policy, Vineyard Offshore 

• Jeremy McDiarmid, Managing Director and General Counsel, Advanced Energy United 

• Jessica Robertson, Director of Policy & Business Development for New England, New Leaf Energy 

• Mark Sylvia, Chief of Staff, Bluewave Solar 

 

Housing and Real Estate 

• Matthew Teague, President, Reef Realty, Ltd.  

• JD Chesloff, President and CEO, Mass Business Roundtable 

 

Labor 

• Frank Callahan, President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions 

 

Chairs of the Joint Committee Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (Non-Voting Members) 

• State Representative Jeffrey Roy 

• State Senator Michael Barrett 

麻州政府將斥資35萬元設立防止服藥過量熱線

 Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces First-of-Its-Kind Investment in Overdose Prevention Helpline

 

Partnership with Boston Medical Center and RIZE Massachusetts provides 24/7 access to overdose detection services and peer-to-peer support

 

BOSTON (September 26, 2023) – The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced a partnership with Boston Medical Center and RIZE Massachusetts to fund and expand the Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline. With this $350,000 investment, Massachusetts becomes the first state in the nation to fund an overdose prevention helpline – an easily accessible and life-saving overdose detection resource for people who use drugs. This is the latest step in the administration’s efforts to reduce overdose deaths in Massachusetts, which reached a record high in 2022.

 

The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline uses a spotting model to prevent fatal overdoses. Trained helpline operators stay on the line while people use, alerting authorities if the caller becomes unresponsive. Previously a volunteer effort, this investment will enable the helpline to hire paid staff, resulting in stronger statewide coverage and shorter wait times. The funding will also support promotional efforts to increase awareness of the helpline’s services among individuals at risk of overdose.

 

“I’ve met too many grieving families whose lives have been torn apart by overdose deaths. This trauma and heartbreak are preventable,” said Governor Maura T. Healey. “By providing people with an alternative to using alone, the Overdose Prevention Helpline saves lives. Massachusetts is committed to growing our role as a national leader in harm reduction and prevention efforts, and we will continue to do everything in our power to reduce overdoses and save lives.”

 

“The opioid crisis has devastated every community in Massachusetts and fatal overdoses are continuing to increase,” said Lieutenant Governor Kimberley Driscoll. “Last year, overdoses reached a record high, highlighting the critical need for harm reduction tools like this one. By having this free helpline accessible for everyone in Massachusetts, we are making our state a safer and healthier place to live. I’m thrilled to move one step forward in this seemingly endless fight against overdose.”

 

Massachusetts continues to advance access to harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and prevention services. Since taking office, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has distributed more than 120,000 doses of naloxone to almost 30,000 individuals, resulting in at least 2,080 overdose reversals. The administration has also distributed over 347,000 fentanyl test strips at no cost to consumers and expanded the statewide network of DPH-funded peer recovery support centers to eliminate gaps in coverage. Last month, Governor Healey signed a FY24 operating budget investing more than $700 million to combat substance use disorder.

 

Since its grassroots inception in 2020, the Overdose Prevention Helpline has been operated solely by volunteers. With this investment, the helpline will be able to hire several full-time employees including a full-time operator and call center coordinator, as well as a part-time medical director, research director, data analyst, and program assistant. The investment also includes more than $30,000 in stipends for volunteers, as well as funding for promotional efforts to increase awareness of the helpline among people who need it. This includes the distribution of 30,000+ wallet cards, direct outreach to people at Mass and Cass through a partnership with Commonwealth Land Trust, billboard advertisements, presentations to community organizations, and more.

 

“Across Massachusetts, far too many families are grieving loved ones lost to preventable overdose deaths,” said Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh. “Naloxone reverses overdoses and saves lives, but it only works if someone is there to administer it – that’s why we need the Overdose Prevention Helpline. To win the fight against the opioid crisis, we need innovative solutions driven by people with lived experiences, and this helpline is yet another example of that.”

 

"This expanded program is more than just a helpline – it’s a lifeline,” said Massachusetts Commissioner of Public Health Robbie Goldstein. “A compassionate and understanding voice on the other end of the phone can provide the kind of reassurance and support someone struggling with substance use disorder needs at a vulnerable time. That caring voice also serves as a reminder that help and hope are right there, within reach.”

 

“The Overdose Prevention Helpline is an important tool in our toolbox, providing a trained, compassionate, experienced resource on the line to intervene if the person becomes unresponsive,” said DPH Director of Substance Addiction Services Deirdre Calvert. “If we want to turn the tide and decrease overdose deaths, we need to support bold, innovative programs like the Overdose Prevention Helpline. DPH is proud to be a partner in this effort.”

 

Governor Healey first announced the administration’s intention to fund a free statewide overdose prevention helpline in June 2023, as part of the state’s immediate strategic response to increased overdose deaths. There were 2,357 overdose deaths in Massachusetts last year – a 2.5% increase from the previous year, with Black, non-Hispanic residents making up the largest jump. Additionally, in 2021, 92% of all overdose deaths occurred in private settings, with drug use entirely unwitnessed in 90%. By decreasing the frequency of unwitnessed overdoses, the Overdose Prevention Helpline reduces the number of overdose deaths.

 

So far in 2023, the helpline has supervised 581 use events, 483 of which have happened since July 1. In that same period, helpline operators detected and successfully facilitated the reversal of nine overdoses, and the average hold time is currently less than 15 seconds – down from four minutes at the beginning of the year.

 

“This collaboration marks a new day in our mission to prevent fatal overdoses across Massachusetts,” said Stephen Murray, Director of the Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline. “All overdoses are preventable - naloxone and rescue breathing work. Yet the great majority of people who die from overdose, die alone without someone present and ready to rescue them. This overdose prevention line makes sure that people using alone get help in time.”

 

“RIZE is dedicated to seeding solutions to end the overdose crisis, and the hotline is representative of our role in funding and launching projects that are then scaled up by other funders or government entities,” said RIZE Massachusetts President and CEO Julie Burns. “So much innovative and impactful work is being done by providers who are on the front lines fighting this epidemic and working to save lives every day, and it is an honor to be able to support them.”

 

To contact the Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline, call 800-972-0590. For more information, visit massoverdosehelpline.org.

大波士頓商會發聲明 感謝麻州議會減免利得稅

 Chamber Statement Celebrates Tax Relief Legislation

"I am grateful to Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka, Chair Michlewitz, Senator Rodrigues and the conference committee for their work to finalize tax relief legislation for Massachusetts. In January, the Chamber and MassCPAs partnered to present tax reform recommendations to legislative leaders, and our conversations contributed to tax reform changes that will make it easier for people to start, stay, and succeed in Massachusetts. While our work will continue, we are pleased to see many of our policy recommendations and strategies in this tax relief package.  This legislation demonstrates that the Legislature prioritizes our state’s workers, employers, and economic competitiveness. As we continue to advance our competitive edge, tax relief and a strong business climate will help ensure that the Commonwealth attracts and retains residents and businesses, especially as other states actively pursue our talent and companies," said James E. Rooney, President & CEO, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.