MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF OFFICE TO RESIDENTIAL CONVERSION PROGRAM WITH PARTNERSHIP FROM THE STATE

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF OFFICE TO RESIDENTIAL CONVERSION PROGRAM WITH PARTNERSHIP FROM THE STATE  State will commit $15 million to program to incentivize larger-scale projects

 

BOSTON - June 24, 2024 - Mayor Wu and Governor Maura Healey today announced the extension of the City of Boston’s Office to Residential Conversion Program with added funding from the state. The state will offer $15 million in funding to incentivize larger-scale office buildings to convert to housing, which often can be more costly due to the complexity of the projects. The state funding would fund up to $215,000 per affordable unit with a cap of $4 million per project. The City’s program application deadline will be extended to December 31, 2025.   The pilot, which formally launched in October of 2023, has so far received nine applications to create a total of 412 units of housing across 13 buildings and convert 403,000 square feet of office space to residential space, exceeding initial city goals. Two of those projects that applied to the program last fall have been formally approved by the BPDA Board and will begin construction later this summer. Staff expects to see an additional 300-500 units of housing realized by the extension of the program. Projects that demonstrate readiness to proceed with their application and construction will be prioritized for funding.   "As we work to make Boston a home for everyone, our office to residential program will create more housing and more affordability in Boston,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This investment from the State will support our efforts to incentivize lenders, property owners, and downtown stakeholders to increase housing production in our downtown area. I'm thankful to Governor Healey and all of our partners for their efforts in ensuring Boston's growth meets the needs of current and future residents.”  "Our administration is committed to supporting municipalities in their efforts to convert underutilized office space into housing, which is a critical tool for increasing housing availability and lowering costs,” said Governor Maura Healey. We are proud to support the City of Boston's Office to Residential Conversion Program with an investment that we expect will create hundreds of new housing units."   The Office to Residential Conversion Program provides a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) incentive to developers who will be converting office spaces into residential units. The goal of this program is to support owners and developers of older commercial office building spaces in converting them to residential units, while also increasing the housing stock in Downtown Boston. The program is also designed to respond to post-pandemic economic shifts that will prioritize expanding housing options downtown and improve downtown activation. With this increased funding from the state, the city will be able to catalyze office-to-residential conversions and utilize an expedited permitting process to meet the urgent need for these conversions.   “This infusion of funding will significantly bolster, and help us to scale up this program,” said Chief of Planning for the City of Boston Arthur Jemison.” I want to thank Governor Healey and all of our state partners for their commitment to this program, and to Mayor Wu for her support as well. Our staff has worked hard to ensure continued success with these conversions, and we are seeking the best ideas and innovations to help guide our thinking to expand and extend the program over the coming year.”  “Today's announcement is a testament to Governor Healey’s commitment to jumpstart housing production now," said Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus. "The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities is proud to be able to help support the extension of Boston's office conversion program, which adds much-needed housing for the region while giving underutilized and sometimes empty buildings new life. This is good for housing, the environment and our economy.”    The application will remain open through Dec 31, 2025 with approvals given on a rolling basis. Applicants to the program would commit to pull a full building permit and start construction by Dec 31, 2026 in order to get these much needed units built as fast as possible.

波士頓市長花園比賽7月10截止報名

Mayor’s Garden Contest Deadline is July 10

BOSTON - Tuesday, June 25 - Mayor Michelle Wu announced the 28^th annual Mayor’s Garden Contest highlighting the accomplishments of Boston’s urban gardeners. The competition provides an opportunity to recognize the skills of all Boston residents who contribute to the beauty of the city’s landscape.

Boston’s growers have until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, to submit their gardens for award contention. The contest recognizes gardeners who have landscaped, planted flowers, trees, shrubs, and, in the process, helped beautify Boston’s neighborhoods.

Gardeners or those nominating their favorite gardeners may submit photos through the online application (our preferred method of entry) boston.gov/garden-contest. Alternatively, contestants may request an application by emailing their name and address to gardencontest@boston.gov. Paper applications are also available in English and 10 additional languages and can be found on the website.

Judges will be deployed to visit the garden of each finalist across the city during the week of July 22. Once the votes are tallied, first-place winners will receive the coveted “Golden Trowel” award from Mayor Wu while second and third-place winners will be awarded certificates. 

Gardeners who have won three or more times in the last ten years will be automatically entered into the Hall of Fame. These distinguished Hall-of-Famers are not eligible to enter as contestants but are invited to return as judges.

First-place winners are eligible for a drawing for a JetBlue Grand Prize consisting of roundtrip flights for two to any nonstop destination from Boston. Terms, conditions, and blackout dates apply. In addition, Mahoney’s Garden Centers will provide gardener’s gift bags to the top three winners in each category, as well as gift certificates for the 2024 Hall of Fame winners.

Stay up to date with the Mayor’s Garden Contest as well as news, events, and design and construction work in Boston parks by signing up for our email list at bit.ly/Get-Parks-Emails and following our social channels @bostonparksdept on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

MAYOR WU AND SCHOOL LEADERS UNVEIL “5TH QUARTER” SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR THOUSANDS OF BOSTON CHILDREN

MAYOR WU AND SCHOOL LEADERS UNVEIL “5TH QUARTER”  SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR THOUSANDS OF BOSTON CHILDREN

 

BOSTON – A projected 18,000 Boston students will attend 239 summer programs, located in every neighborhood of the city, Mayor Michelle Michelle Wu and Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper announced with Boston After School & Beyond. A total of $4.2 million in city, state, and private funds will support nonprofits providing enrichment that complements academic learning throughout the city.     “The Fifth Quarter summer learning program allows Boston’s young people to take advantage of the best our city has to offer and provides them with enriching educational experiences during the summer months,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “By engaging in a variety of activities, our students can continue their learning journey, ensuring they are well-prepared for future success. Our thanks go to Boston After School & Beyond and our dedicated partners for their unwavering support in keeping our students motivated and involved throughout the year.”  Research shows that effective use of the summer months can be a key strategy for accelerating learning, particularly for low-income youth. Boston’s 5th Quarter of Learning, a partnership of the Boston Public Schools and nonprofit Boston After School & Beyond, has been at the forefront of national efforts to supplement school year learning, including a national study by RAND that showed high attending students outperform their peers in academics and key skills.   “The 5th Quarter of Learning is a testament to our commitment to ensuring that all of our students have access to high-quality educational opportunities year-round,” said Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper. “By engaging students in innovative and enriching programs over the summer, we are helping them to develop critical skills, stay academically on track, and foster a love for learning that extends beyond the classroom and, of course, have fun.”  “Our young people are the future of our Commonwealth and we must offer them the educational and social-emotional support they need to learn, play, and thrive during the school year and summer months," said Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler. "The 5th Quarter of Learning provides a critical bridge between grade levels and encourages students to pursue their passions while building on the skills learned during the school year. I am excited to see all of the academic and enrichment programs available for children and families this summer.”  In response to youth surveys expressing mental health needs, program leaders will focus on supporting resilience, wellness, and mental health. These programs foster important life skills, such as perseverance, teamwork, and communication, which are predictive of success in college and career.    “The 5th Quarter of Learning encourages students to build on the skills learned during the school year and become more engaged, curious, and confident,” said Chris Smith, Executive Director of Boston After School & Beyond.  “We’re grateful to the City of Boston for their continued partnership as we work to make the city a classroom for all youth.”  "As a parent, I have seen firsthand the tremendous benefits of the ACEDONE 5th Quarter summer program. Three of my children participated, and the impact on their education, social engagement, and problem-solving skills has been remarkable. The program also significantly contributed to their mental growth and well-being. I am grateful for the opportunities ACEDONE has provided to my children, helping them make meaningful progress over the summer," said Abdullahi M. Hussein.    Under the 5th Quarter of Learning effort, Boston After School & Beyond will disseminate a total of $4.2 million to 94 nonprofit organizations running academic or enrichment programs, or both. Included in this approach is $3 million in funding from the Boston Public Schools to 67 community-based programs operating five days a week over five weeks. Teachers begin the day with instruction in math and English language arts, with the remainder of the day featuring engaging enrichment, ranging from sailing to mixed martial arts to Mariachi. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provided $940,000 for Boston After School & Beyond to 57 enrichment programs.   All programs participating in the 5th Quarter of Learning will adopt a common set of performance measures, tracked by Boston After School & Beyond.  As young people continue to grapple with the effects of COVID-19 and a mental health crisis, these programs provide critical intervention for youth facing adversity, and help them to improve across all metrics, all while having fun. Boston After School & Beyond and PEAR, has certified its first cohort of 25 program leaders in developmental resilience, equipping them with the skills to help youth adversity into resilience through participation in programs.   The 5th Quarter of Learning is a resource open to Boston students, kindergarten to grade 12, at no cost. For more information and to find a program, visit bostonbeyond.org/summer-programs.

紐英崙中華網協年會並重人工智慧與生命科學 庄壯輝連任會長 陶東斌副董事長

中華網協 (NECINA) 陶東斌(左)副董事長，庄輝壯(右)連任會長。
中為董事倪繼紅。(周菊子攝)

ˊ               (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導) 紐英崙中華網路資訊協會 (NECINA) 日前以「合則強: 人工智慧應用及生物醫藥發現 (Stronger Together: AI Applications and Biomedical Discovery)」為主題，在華森市希爾頓酒店舉行年會，吸引近300人參加，重現早年盛況。

             

網協董事與歷任前會長，副會長。左起李震宇，沈心焯，
戴晨方，陶東斌，王振榕，徐劍。(周菊子攝)

網協鑒於科技和生物醫藥結合已是全球趨勢，今年特地和哈佛大學醫學院中國學生學者聯合會 (HMS-CSSA)合作舉辦年會，一整天分成人工智慧，生命科學和企業及網協會務四大塊，安排了主旨演講，座談，爐邊談話，頒獎表揚等約20個環節的議程。

              主旨演講部分，早上請了Novartis 科學發現部門主管的副總裁Jeremy Jenkins談「在藥物發現中的人工智慧」。下午請的是哈佛醫學院教授Raju Kucheriaptai談「精準醫學中的人類疾病遺傳學 (Genetics in Human Disease-Precision Medicine)」。

網協今年的年會有近300人出席。(周菊子攝)

              身為矽化學生物研究先鋒的Jeremy Jenkins在講談中指出，使用人工智慧來識別目標的轉移學習經驗，將使人們可以計算性的干擾、預測其他基因的表達效果。應用人工智慧，不僅可以更無偏見的分析化合物，刪選藥物研發標靶，還縮減人力、物力耗費，所以由利用人工智慧及數據科學來賦能藥物研發，將是不可避免的趨勢。

Kayak創辦人Paul English分享創業經驗。(周菊子攝)

網協幹部合影。(網協提供)

              Raju Kucheriaptai說自己常去中國，有很多中國朋友。他藉簡報圖片，展示海南醫學院第一個附屬醫院等2個建築物美輪美奐新醫院，以及在廣東南沙，孫逸仙大學，復旦大學各自建成精準醫藥中心，甚至還出現了癌症精準醫學聯盟，都是1990-2000年間，基因測序發展突飛猛進，美國總統奧巴馬2015年起倡議精準醫學，希望人們都能在對的時間，得到針對個人狀況擬定的藥方，治療方法。他指出，人們現已可能以可負擔價格來檢測人體全部的2萬2千個基因，中國也將有機會建立出一個優秀的精準醫藥平台。

網協送紀念品感謝麻大教授丁薇(右)。(周菊子攝)

                            爐邊談話部分，NECINA請來Kayak 創辦人Paul English分享創業經驗。他指出，無論科技如何進步，創業的最終目的，其實應該是解決人們所遭遇的問題，而且他個人偏愛解決大問題。至於創業者需要具備什麼條件，他認為最重要的有2項，一是人際關係能力( People skill)，才能招募並組織團隊；二是驗證自己是否真的在解決問題。

Paul English 笑說自己就算在不需要請人時，也一直在招募人，因為他要找聰明，有天賦，能克服障礙，展示決心與專注能力，懂得團隊合作的人。

Paul English還在會中透露，他創辦了一個現在已有不下10萬名用戶的象棋社 (xiangqi.com)。

Novartis科學發現部門主管的副總裁Jeremy Jenkins。 (周菊子攝)

 NECINA的這次年會，人工智慧板塊，還邀請了麻州大學波士頓分校傑出教授丁薇談「科學上的人工智慧，以及其對職業管道的影響」，微軟Github Copilot主任Juam Pablo談「如何創建自己的copilot」。「人工智慧應用的挑戰與解決方案」座談部分則有丁薇教授，美迪西(Medicilon)執行長陳春麟，Xellar Bio人工智慧及數據科學主管暨副總裁Sean Xie，哈佛醫學院助理教授Yiying Zhang在網協幹部，任職於Mathwork的首席工程師Tony Zhang主持。

         

微軟Github Copilot主任Juam Pablo。(周菊子攝)

 生命科學板塊在下午舉行，除前述Raju Kucheriaptai的講壇外，另外邀請了GV20生物科技執行長劉小樂談「腫瘤治療及藥物研發的整合計算及機」，麥肯錫諮詢顧問公司合夥人Hann Yew談「人工智慧在藥物研發上的影響」，Pyxis腫瘤資深副總裁Hongwei Wang談「在臨床實驗中的人工智慧」。Accenda 科技生物行銷長Dongpo Cai談「在GPT年代的腫瘤及孤兒藥研發」。

Tony Zhang (右)主持座談，左二為美迪西執行長陳春麟。(周菊子攝)

                    座談則有哈佛醫學院助理教授Jinjun   Shi，武田製藥新藥研發主管Monica Wang，HillSeach.ai執行長Louise Liu等人談「利用 GPT 及其在藥物發現和開發中的挑戰和機會」，由NestBioscience總監Ruojing Yang 主持。

麥肯錫諮詢顧問公司合夥人Hann Yew(左)。右為網協新任副會長何斌。(周菊子攝)

                        企業板塊有KWC LLP的合夥人Catherine Zhang談「在法律，以及生物科技企業法律指南上的人工智慧」，Alvarez&Marsal執行主任Michael Kohner談「早期公司的所得稅計畫，以及跨境企業的稅務問題」。

網協還特地為青少年創業項目安排了一場座談。

紐英崙中華網路資訊年會在這次年會後，現任會長庄輝壯連任，何斌接任副會長，其餘組織幹部將由2名新屆會長重新招募。9名董事有董事會副董事長陶東斌，以及倪繼紅，沈心焯，王振榕，戴晨方等。(二次更新版)

網協送感謝狀給GV20執行長劉小樂。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華人攝影師協會在會場擺攤。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙玉山科協和DCB加強合作 6月27日辦「臺灣創新之夜」

               (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓綜合報導

臺灣創新頁海報。(康麗雪提供)

) 紐英崙玉山科技協會 (MJNE)和臺灣財團法人生物技術開發中心 (DCB) 合作，近來正以加強大波士頓和台灣之間聯繫為方法，致力協助台灣發展重點科技，6月27日將舉辦「臺灣創新之夜」。

              紐英崙玉山科協將於6月27日晚5點45分開始，在劍橋市Residence Inn Boston舉辦的這場「臺灣創新之夜」，已定邀請去年才被全球健康研究網路平台TriNetX公司延聘為資深副總裁的陳建煒，以及Phase One Advisors的Principal Peter Ho做主講人，另邀Amelio 生物科技公司主席Grace Li，傑精靈資訊科技執行長蘇宏任，分享其新創公司概況。座談部分，還將另邀EGI資本共同創辦人許恒源，EMD Serono首席策略長Boon Huey Ee參與討論。

              MJNE和DCB近年來已形成在「生物科技創新組織 (BIO)」來到波士頓舉辦年會之際，就合作推出一場會議，促進臺灣、美國兩地互相了解彼此生命科研的產學界進展，期以藉由交流，激發更多機會與火花。

紐英崙玉山科技協會會長許益祥(左一)、前會長許翠玲 (右一)等人在劍橋市
和 DCB產業發展處處長劉韋博(右四)聚會，為明年的BIO會前會做準備。(周菊子攝)

              今年的BIO，已於6月3日到6日在美國西岸的聖地牙哥舉行，明年6月16日至19日，再回到波士頓舉行。

              DCB的產業發展處處長劉韋博在BIO之後，正好要來波士頓參加6月11及12日舉行的「第六屆年度同種異體細胞療法高峰會 (Allogeneic Cell Therapies)」，紐英崙玉山科技協會於是利用機會，由會長許益祥，2

玉山科協會長許益祥(右二)、前會長許翠玲(左二)等人和
DCB產業發展處處長劉韋博相談甚歡。(周菊子攝)

名前會長許翠玲和曾宓，約集波士頓台灣人生物科技協會共同會長蔡明儒、吳佩容，以及波士頓經文處科技組秘書楊明儀等人和劉韋博處長聚會，腦力激盪一番，為2025將在波士頓舉行的

DCB產業發展處處長劉韋博(右一起)和DCB董事長涂醒哲，DCB目前代理執行長，
陳綉暉博士和陳映嘉博士在臺灣見面。(圖片來自劉韋博處長)

BIO會前會預作準備，預定以人工智慧為方向，籌備會議內容。

                 在這趟拜訪波士頓行程中，劉韋博處長除參加會議，還拜會了有意到台灣設立辦事處，由玉山科協前會長許衍明所創辦的AB BioScience，以及在RNAi領域居於領先地位的Alnylam製藥公司。他回臺灣後，更特地拜訪了甫加入Nvidia，出任解決方案架構師，即將於6月25日在中研院神經科學研究計畫講座中分享人工智慧計算應用的波士頓台灣人生物科技協會 (BTBA)共同創辦人陳映嘉博士。(更新版)

                                                              

麻州百萬富翁附加稅有沒逼走富翁? 還有待觀察

               (Boston Orange 編譯)百萬富翁用腳投票，正陸續搬離麻州? 麻州會計師協會 (The Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants)這星期公佈了一份調查報告，稱該會有三分之二會員都說，去年至少有一名客戶搬離麻州。

              這是麻州內人稱”百萬富翁稅”的所得稅附加稅開始實施的第一年。90%的該會會員說，有其他的客戶考慮明年搬遷，而且幾乎所有會員都說，百萬富翁稅是客戶決定搬家的原因之一，而且其中有三分之一說那是主要原因。這些考慮搬遷的客戶，有一半以上年齡在30到60歲之間。

              自從麻州選民在2022年11月投票通過徵收百萬富翁稅之後。諸如麻州會計師協會等企業團體都在分享導致富有居民搬遷的軼事，通常都是搬到免繳收入所得稅州，例如新罕布夏州 (NH)，或佛羅里達州 (FL)，但是實際數據很稀落，而且來自附加稅的稅收，迄今已經超過州政府的預估數目。

              這附加稅是在麻州原有的5%收入所得稅之外，要富人為超過100萬元的年收入，多繳4%的附加稅，用以支持麻州的交通及教育費用。由教師工會支持的「扶養麻州 (Raise Up Massachusetts) 」聯盟等支持這做法者辯稱，徵稅花在這些公益事項上所帶來的經濟利益，可以彌平任何負面影響。

              從美國稅務局所公佈的最近期資料中，目前還很難看到任何確鑿數據，但是麻州會計師公會執行長Zach Donah表示，該會的統計調查顯示，徵稅促使更多麻州人重新考慮在哪兒居住。

              支持者以百萬富翁附加稅所徵收到的金額為例證，指富有人家沒有成群結隊的遷離麻州，至少目前還沒有。麻州稅務局最近也報告，本會計年的前9個月，共收到百萬富翁稅款18億元，顯然很快就會超過麻州預估的全年徵收到20億元。

亞美促進正義會質疑最高法院裁決容許簽證批審歧視

              (Boston Orange 編譯) 美國最高法院6月21日裁決，基於國務院訴Muñoz案件中的” 領事不可審查條例”，領事官員拒絕簽證的決定，不能在法院受到質疑。亞美促進正義會(AAJC)認為這是維持了允許簽證決定納入種族及仇恨刻板印象考量的裁決。

              亞美促進正義協會指出，”領事不可審查條例”是源自19世紀的反亞裔，以及反移民修辭，在眾所週知，1889年發生於最高法院的排華案，”Ping訴美國”中，立下先例。

              亞美促進正義協會和福瑞德是松(Fred T. Korematsu) 法律及平等中心，以及義務律師Selendy Gay, PLLC在3月份遞交的” 法庭之友簡報 (An amicus brief)”中，列出了這條例的種族歧視根源歷史，並要求做出有利於原告的平權決定。

              亞美促進正義協會的訴訟律師Shalaka Phadnis表示，”今日這決定，將使得移民案件的處理，受仇恨及刻板印象影響的危險增加”。 “我們感到失望的是，美國最高法院繼續不受監督的制度，可能決定簽證的依循，存在著歧視與刻板印象，把移民家庭及其生計撕得碎裂” 。

              是松中心主任Robert Chang表示，”儘管我對法院不理會種族主義起源，維持「領事不可審查條例」裁決感到失望，今天我更為Muñoz女士及 Asencio-Cordero先生，以及他們的小孩，還有其他無數的已經，或可能被拆散的家庭感到悲傷。

Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC and the Fred T. Korematsu Center Denounce Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Racial Profiling and Xenophobia in Visa Decisions

The Court’s troubling decision affirms the validity of discriminatory visa decisions

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) today upheld a ruling that allows for racial profiling and xenophobic stereotypes to make their way into visa decisions. Under the doctrine of consular nonreviewability in the court case of Department of State v. Muñoz, the court held that consular officials’ visa denials cannot be challenged in court.

The doctrine of consular nonreviewability is a manifestation of anti-Asian and anti-immigrant rhetoric dating back to the 19^th century. Ping v. United States, also known as The Chinese Exclusion Case, was an 1889 Supreme Court case that was one of the earliest and most significant cases that set the precedent for the doctrine. An amicus brief filed by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC and the Fred T. Korematsu Center for Law and Equality with pro bono counsel Selendy Gay, PLLC, in March outlined the history of the doctrine’s racist roots and called for an affirmative decision in favor of the plaintiffs.

“Today’s decision will increase the risk of xenophobia and profiling infecting the immigration process,” said Shalaka Phadnis, Litigation Staff Attorney at Advancing Justice – AAJC. “We are disappointed that the country’s highest court is continuing an unchecked system that can result in discrimination and stereotyping to guide visa decisions and risks tearing the livelihoods and families of immigrants apart.”

“As disappointed as I am that the Court continues to uphold the consular nonreviewability doctrine despite its racist origins,” said Robert Chang, Executive Director of the Korematsu Center. “Today I am mostly just sad for Ms. Muñoz, Mr. Asencio-Cordero, their child, and countless other families who have been and may be torn apart.”

Advancing Justice – AAJC and the Korematsu Center stand firmly against such unchecked power by individual consular officials on decisions that dramatically affect immigrant families and individuals. These organizations will continue their work fighting for fair and equitable immigration decisions for all.