昆士市 7/13 退伍軍人音樂節

 

麻州交通廳和美國陸軍工程兵團贏得聯邦款10億元更新鱈魚角橋梁

Healey-Driscoll Administration Wins $1 Billion for Cape Cod Bridges Replacement 

BOSTON – The Healey-Driscoll administration is celebrating that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have won nearly $1 billion in federal funding for the replacement of the Cape Cod bridges. The funding is from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Bridge Investment Program (BIP). This brings the total amount of federal funding secured for the project to nearly $1.72 billion, in addition to the $700 million in state funding pledged by Governor Maura Healey’s administration.  

“This is a game-changing award for Massachusetts. We’ve never been closer to rebuilding the Cape Cod Bridges than we are right now. This funding will be critical for getting shovels in the ground,” said Governor Maura Healey. “We promised the people of Massachusetts that we were going to bring home this funding and get these bridges built – and we’re delivering. I’m grateful for the partnership of the Biden-Harris administration, Senators Markey and Warren, and Congressman Keating, which made this all possible.”  

“These bridges are a gateway to our beautiful Cape Cod communities and they’re critical for our state’s economy. From day one, we’ve been working hard across our administration to prepare winning applications that will succeed where others have failed,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “This award, combined with the funding we won last year, shows real confidence in MassDOT’s plans. We are so incredibly proud of Team Massachusetts for bringing this home.” 

“Massachusetts just hit a billion dollar home run to start replacing the Cape Cod Bridges,” said Senator Elizabeth Warren. “Two years ago, we had zero dollars in funding for these bridges. Now, thanks to my work with Governor Healey, Senator Markey, Representative Keating, and the rest of the delegation, we have over $2 billion in state and federal funds to replace these bridges for our Cape Cod communities.” 

“Today is a momentous day for the Cape, the Islands, and all of Massachusetts. The Sagamore and Bourne Bridges are the gateway to the Cape, and this federal funding is the missing piece to replace the Sagamore Bridge and launch Phase One of the project to replace both bridges,” said Senator Ed Markey. “Replacing these aging bridges will bring immense economic, environmental, and social benefits to the region and the entire Commonwealth. Securing these funds is the result of strong partnership with Governor Healey, Senator Warren, Congressman Keating, and the Biden administration. This grant demonstrates that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering for Massachusetts and the entire country.” 

“This grant is the culmination of over a decade of work. The question is no longer about how to fund the replacement of the Sagamore Bridge but when shovels will go in the ground to build it. The new Sagamore Bridge will be more than just a connection between two sides of the Canal, it is a lifeline for the quarter of a million people who live on Cape Cod and the economic driver that brings workers and tourists back and forth every day,” said Congressman Bill Keating. “This was a highly competitive grant application process that Senator Warren, Senator Markey and myself have worked tirelessly on to get to today, and we cannot discount the impact of Governor Healey’s leadership and the full-throated support of the entire Massachusetts Congressional Delegation to get this done.” 

The project to replace the two bridges is essential for supporting the economy of Cape Cod and surrounding communities and ensuring safe and reliable travel for residents, workers and millions of annual visitors. It also presents a powerful opportunity to modernize designs to improve safety, mobility and resiliency; increase economic vitality and improve access through better pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure. The project will bring the bridges into a state of good repair, lower the long-term maintenance costs, address issues with traffic operations, improve safety by reducing crashes by as much as 48 percent and preserve and enhance productivity through new direct jobs and other economic benefits. The new design will also have multimodal elements including shared-use paths to fill transportation gaps and ensure full accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists and people with mobility devices.  

In March, MassDOT signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, outlining the terms in which MassDOT will take the lead on project delivery to replace the two federally owned bridges, and subsequently own, operate and maintain the new structures.

 MassDOT is also currently working with the USACE, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on the environmental review and permitting processes. 

The construction of the Sagamore Bridge replacement will be fully offset from the existing bridge so that traffic may be maintained on the existing bridge during the project. MassDOT will enter into a Project Labor Agreement to support fair wages and working conditions for the more the 9,000 high-quality union construction jobs that will be created from this project and meet Massachusetts goals for workforce participation by minorities and women in construction. 

“This grant award gives us the momentum we need to move ahead with the project to replace the Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal and to lay the groundwork to replace the Bourne Bridge,” said Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “We are grateful to local officials, the Healey-Driscoll administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and community members for being our partners every step of the way as MassDOT competed for federal funding and started design, engineering and environmental work. With this additional funding, we can move forward in bringing these transportation improvement projects to life, which will have an impact on generations to come.”  

“We’re very grateful to the congressional delegation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and members of the Healey-Driscoll administration for helping us win this federal grant award,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “With this second federal grant award for the Cape Cod Canal Program infrastructure needs, we are now on a path forward to continue with environmental permitting, selecting a design-build firm and breaking ground for construction of the new Sagamore Bridge.”   

The Healey-Driscoll administration has committed to aggressively competing for federal funding for Massachusetts. Since Governor Healey took office in January 2023, the administration has secured a total of $6 billion in federal funding, including more than $3 billion in discretionary grants. Last year, the administration won $372 million for the Cape Cod Bridges from the Federal Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant program, which includes the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight & Highway Projects (INFRA) program and the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (MEGA) program. The Massachusetts Congressional delegation also secured $350 million for the bridges in the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which was signed by President Biden. 

The Healey-Driscoll administration is pursuing additional federal dollars to fund additional project phases, including for the Bourne Bridge. The administration will continue to seek federal funding from future rounds of the Bridge Investment Program, congressional appropriations, and any other opportunities available to fully fund the replacement of both Cape Cod bridges. 

Overall, the administration has been successful in more than $3 billion in discretionary grants for projects that advance priorities in transportation, climate, and economic development, including key transportation awards of $67 million to advance accessibility at MBTA Green Line stations, $335 million to reconnect communities and increase mobility through the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project, $108 million for West-East Rail, $75 million for schools to electrify their bus fleets, $60 million for transit agencies to acquire zero- and low-emission buses, and $24 million to rehabilitate Leonard’s Wharf in New Bedford. 

“Thank you to President Biden, Secretary Buttigieg, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the entire congressional delegation for this historic investment in Massachusetts infrastructure.” said Director of Federal Funds and Infrastructure Quentin Palfrey. “This project will ensure there are the vital transportation links needed to keep Cape Cod connected to the rest of Massachusetts and the greater northeast region, while supporting multimodal transit and creating good-paying union jobs. We look forward to continuing our efforts with federal partners to secure additional funding for Cape and the Islands, and communities across Massachusetts.” 

The Cape Cod Bridge program is moving forward alongside a larger multimodal transit strategy for the Cape Cod region to increase safe, reliable and effective transit options for both residents and visitors. The CapeFLYER, created through a partnership between the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA), the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), and MBTA Commuter Rail operating partner Keolis, has now entered into its 11th summer of service providing seasonal rail connections between Boston's South Station and Hyannis. 

The Cape Cod Bridges will be a central link in the federally designated Alternative Fuel Corridors along Massachusetts Route 3 and U.S. Route 6, with funding for vehicle chargers provided to MassDOT by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. MassDOT recently announced three vendors that will receive NEVI funds to help implement the installation of Direct Current Fast Charging (DCFC) stations spaced no more than 50 miles apart along these routes which will be capable of charging an electric vehicle battery to 80% in as quickly as 20 minutes. 

The Cape Cod Bridge program will also provide bicycle and pedestrian connections to the larger Cape Cod multimodal transit network along with the following work underway by MassDOT in partnership with Cape Cod cities and towns to improve multimodal infrastructure across the region. This includes reconstruction projected to begin in 2025 on 1.5 miles of Route 6 in Bourne to include a shared use path for pedestrians and bicycles, construction on Phase I of the Bourne Rail trail projected to begin in the fall of 2025 with design by the town of Bourne for a paved path running from Monument Neck Road to the existing Cape Cod Canal Bike Path, among other projects creating additional multimodal infrastructure for the Cape Cod region. 

More information on the Cape Cod Bridges project is available here.

波士頓市新設2職位 Paul Chong 任市府記錄專員 Mia Capone當路邊管理主任

            (Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 今 (12) 日宣佈，為改善波士頓頓居民所享有的基本服務，新設” 市府記錄專員 (Commissioner of City Records)”，停車及路邊管理主任這兩個職位。

              吳弭市長將任命Paul Chong出任市府記錄專員一職，負責監管出生、死亡及婚姻登記，公共記錄部，以及停車收費員辦公室。Grace Jung將出任市府記錄部門幕僚長，支援Paul Chong的工作。

              Mia Capone將擔任新設的停車及路邊管理主任。

              吳弭市長表示，要使波士頓成為每一個人的家，市府希望人們和市府的每一次互動，無論是申請停車許可證，結婚，或索取公共記錄資料，都愉悅且有效率。

              Paul Chong在出任市府記錄專員之前，擔任登記組主管，每年發給居民10萬份以上的重要記錄。自從他在2023年1月擔任登記專員以來，市府在取得記錄上有重大改善，出生證及結婚證的平均等候時間，縮減了約50%，人們需要親自跑一趟士政府來辦理這些證件的情況也大為減少。去年波士頓士甚至成為麻州第一個在結婚證上去除性別辨識的城市。

              Paul Chong出任新職後，將持續擔任市府登記官。

              Paul Chong和妻子及2個小孩住在西洛士百利。他畢業於東北大學，以及哈佛大學甘迺迪政府學院。

              Gace Jung在波士頓公校的平等辦公室訓練及學校支援主任等不同崗位上，曾有8年經驗，他的新職工作將著重提升員工能力，改善服務。他畢業於東北大學，目前也正就讀東北大學法律系。

              Mia Capone作為停車及路邊管理主任，將率領部門同仁因應面對公眾的市府街道需求，包括停車罰單，裁決停車糾紛，收集停車罰款，發放搬家許可，以及居民停車許可證。

              在和地方政府合作上有全美及國際經驗的Capone， 原本在哈佛甘迺迪政府學院的政府表現實驗室工作，把Syracuse市的採購系統轉型成為更加由數據驅動，更有效率，公平，為當地的多元化企業增加了機會，也改善了給民眾的服務。

陳仕維、陳文珊辦籌款會 支持吳弭競選連任波士頓市長

波士頓市長吳弭( Michelle Wu)。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓華埠民眾7月10日在華埠乞臣街的KTV內舉辦籌款會，搶先支持波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 明年競選連任。籌款會發起人陳仕維在開場致詞時，更直接表白「大家都支持市長再做四年」。

陳仕維(前)、陳文珊(左) 為吳弭市長舉辦籌款會。 (周菊子攝)

              波士頓市長吳弭在會中雖未正式宣佈明年將參選連任，但燦笑以對「再做四年」的呼聲，強調感謝支持，指稱如果不是眾人從一開始就支持，當年還是政治素人，除了法蘭克叔叔(陳毓禮)之外，在政治圈既無親戚，也全無知名度的她，不可能第一次參選波士頓市議員就當選，還接著連任8年，再當上市長。

吳弭市長支持Allison S. Cartwright參選麻州最高法院書記官。
(周菊子攝)

              吳弭市長也感謝出席籌款會眾人，稱大家的努力才使得波士頓華埠和波士頓市真正舉足輕重。

              吳弭以出席者中有不少人和市府公安機構有關連而特地指出，波士頓市如今是全美知名的最安全城市，犯罪率下跌

波士頓市警察趙瑞安深幸在自己有生之年見到一名亞裔女性當
波士頓市長。(周菊子攝)

80%之多，是公安人員默默努力的成果。她也說如今世界局勢險惡，政治更為複雜，波士頓市要承擔更多責任，展現可能性，而華埠是波士頓是許多事務的中心與源頭，也是第一個感覺到時局是否安好的地方。

              吳弭提醒眾人今年的總統大選很重要，大家必須確保波士頓和以往一樣強勁，所以該做的工作還有很多，而她希望可以未來長時間和大家繼續合作。

              吳弭接著和籌款會另一主辦人陳文珊一起介紹刻正競選麻州最高法院書記官 (Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court)，在司法領域有30多年工作經驗的Allison S. Cartwright，說明她獲州長指派為恢復性司法諮詢委員會 (restorative justice advisory committee)委員，獲波士頓市長辦公室的警察問責和透明的部門的內部事務監督小組成員，具備該職位需要的專業知識及資歷，希望大家在9月3日初選時，投票支持她。

波克萊臺灣商會的前會長郭競儒(左)和李孟潔(右)，出席籌款會，
支持波士頓市長吳弭。(周菊子攝)

              波士頓警察局B2區的小隊長趙瑞安，這天特地站出來激動的說，他從來沒想到過，在他的有生之年，可以親眼見到一名亞裔女性當選微波士頓市長。這天他特地帶了幾名青少年到現場，親眼見見可做模範、榜樣的吳弭市長。

亞布力中國企業家論壇創辦人田源(右)也出現在陳仕維、陳文珊
為波士頓市長吳弭所辦的籌款會。(周菊子攝)

              在麻州華人中，曾出面為吳弭舉辦籌款會的約有3撥人馬，其中的陳仕維和陳文珊等人一年一度舉辦的籌款會，以波士頓華埠人士為主要對象。紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝，英文書記阮鴻燦，財政陳余寶愛，波士頓華商會前會長蔡倩婷，紐英崙至德三德公所元老黃周麗桃，主席周樹昂，中華耆英會創辦人梅伍銀寬，梅氏公所主席梅麗梨等人，都是每年必見的熟面孔。

至德三德公所元老黃周麗桃、黃國麟夫婦(左一、二)，主席之一的周樹昂，
波士頓消防局副局長黃瑞瑜(右二)支持波士頓市長吳弭。(周菊子攝)

這晚出現的新面孔有來自昆士市的陳廣漢，印刷廠老闆蔡麗梨夫婦，以及波克來台灣商會的歷任前會長，郭競儒，李孟潔，陳玉瑛，徐小玲。最為特別的則是亞布力中國企業家論壇創辦人暨元明資本創始合夥人田源。

根據坊間報章及麻州競選獻金網站資料，2025年的波士頓市長選舉一戰，如今已有北端 (North End) 餐館業者Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde正式宣佈參選，但還未展開籌款活動，以及還未宣布參選，但傳言正在試探民意、風向，人們估計將是吳弭真正對手的新英格蘭愛國者隊東主之子Josh Kraft 。

陳仕維(左)歡迎馬滌凡和蔡麗梨參加支持吳弭籌款會。
(周菊子攝)

              在麻州的競選獻金網站上，吳弭從2021年當選波士頓市長以來，每個月都有捐款收入，最低4千餘元，最高20萬元，如今有150萬元現金在手，「鈔能力」不可謂不強，但若和Josh Kraft家族的富裕程度相比，恐怕仍有相當距離。

右起，蔡麗梨夫婦、陳廣漢、蔡倩婷出席籌款會，支持吳弭市長。(周菊子攝)

出席眾人聆聽嘉賓致詞。 (周菊子攝)

(周菊子攝)

Senate Passes $2.86 Billion Boost to Life Sciences, Climate Tech, A.I., and Small Businesses

Senate Passes $2.86 Billion Boost to Life Sciences, Climate Tech, A.I., and Small Businesses

Economic development bond authorizations set to enhance state as national leader

(BOSTON—7/11/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a comprehensive economic development bill that makes bold investments in life sciences, climate tech, and small businesses, building on Massachusetts’ national leadership and creating an environment where businesses and workers thrive.

 

The $2.86 billion in bonds authorized in An Act Relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership will stimulate new and proven industries, support workforce development and talent retention, and modernize economic growth strategies.

 

The support in S.2586 extends to small businesses, communities, and cultural development, ensuring that main street businesses across the Commonwealth benefit from the economic boost.

 

“Life sciences and climate technology are synonymous with Massachusetts because of the past decade of strong investment,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “The Senate’s action today ensures that we build on that leadership in the coming decade, amplifying the diverse and thriving economic ecosystem that enables people to stay in our state to build careers and families. I am grateful for Chair Finegold’s leadership on this bill, to Chair Rodrigues, and to each of my Senate colleagues for their input and action to strengthen our economy.”

 

“I’m excited the Senate has created long-term investments in key sectors of our state’s economy by passing this economic development bond bill,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “With ambitious initiatives in life sciences, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge disciplines, we lay a strong foundation for the new and global economy for generations to come. While we look to the future, the bill also reinforces the traditional economic drivers of the Commonwealth, notably small business, education, and advanced manufacturing. This comprehensive legislation also reaffirms the Senate’s commitment to regional equity.”

 

“Massachusetts is home to great talent, industry, and education, but we must act now to remain competitive in a changing global and national economy,” said Senator Barry R. Finegold (D-Andover), Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. “This economic development bill bolsters our state’s competitiveness by strengthening sectors we already excel in and creating pathways to secure the lead in emerging fields. I want to thank my colleagues for their helpful input, especially Senate President Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chair Rodrigues, my House counterpart, Representative Parisella, as well as the Healey-Driscoll administration for leading the charge on behalf of Team Massachusetts.”  

 

The combination of investments, tax credits, and policy changes will position Massachusetts industries as global leaders at a moment when breakthroughs in science and technology are more important than ever.

 

Provisions of the legislation include:

 

Maintaining Massachusetts’ Life Sciences Leadership

While 18 of the top 20 biopharma companies now have ties to Massachusetts, the national ecosystem remains competitive.

 

The Senate’s economic development bill authorizes $225 million over five years for the Life Sciences Breakthrough Fund to reauthorize the Life Sciences Initiative, totaling $45 million annually. Known as “Life Sciences 3.0”, the reauthorization adds health equity, biosecurity, digital health, and artificial intelligence (AI) to the mission of the Life Sciences Center.

 

It redefines “life sciences” to include preventative medicine, biosecurity, life sciences AI, and medical technology. It also allows for awards and grants to public higher education institutions or public private partnerships.

 

Keeping Climate Tech Companies in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is first in the nation for per-capita climate tech startups—despite being outpaced in investment by New York and California—with 49 businesses per one million residents.

 

To incentivize these startups to stay in Massachusetts and continue to build their companies, the legislation provides $200 million for the Clean Energy Investment Fund to facilitate research and development, commercialization, and deployment of climate technologies. It adds a further $200 million for the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund to support the growth of the offshore wind industry.

 

Additional incentives include a climate tech tax credit, a climate tech jobs credit, and a climate tech research credit.

 

Regional Equity

The legislation reflects the different needs of different communities and ensures none of the Commonwealth’s 351 cities and towns are left behind.

 

This will partly be accomplished through statewide targeted infrastructure improvements, with the bill authorizing $400 million for MassWorks public infrastructure projects that spur economic development and help support job creation, $100 million for the Rural Development Fund to provide financial assistance for infrastructure and community planning efforts in rural communities, $100 million for local economic development grants for economic development in cities and towns,  $90 million to support the redevelopment of underutilized, blighted, or abandoned buildings, and $10 million for the Broadband Incentive Fund for the capital maintenance of the MassBroadband 123 middle mile network.

 

In addition to infrastructure, the legislation recognizes the importance of local cultural and economic sites, providing $150 million for capital grants for public libraries, $50 million for the Cultural Facilities Fund, $40 million for Destination Development grants to support capital improvements of tourism assets, $15 million for a capital grant program to support the Commonwealth’s agriculture, commercial fishing, and cranberry growing industries, and $8 million for historical preservation grants through the Massachusetts Historical Commission.

 

Accelerating AI & Advanced Manufacturing Development

To position Massachusetts as a leader of the future economy, the bill includes provisions to further develop the rapidly growing AI industry as well as high-tech advanced manufacturing jobs.

 

It contains $115 million for the Massachusetts Tech Hub to establish key industry consortia across the Commonwealth, $100 million for the Applied AI Hub program to facilitate the application of AI, $99 million for flexible grants to support advanced manufacturing initiatives, and $25 million for capital grants to advance research, commercialization, and training in robotics.

 

Retaining Talented College Graduates

Outmigration is notably prevalent among students who graduate from Massachusetts colleges.  To keep them and their talent in the state, the legislation includes $85 million for the Massachusetts Education Financing Authority (MEFA) to improve access to affordable higher education opportunities.

 

Additional talent-retention provisions promote internships for students and recent graduates through the employer internship tax credit and allow foreign-licensed physicians to apply for a limited license to practice medicine in the Commonwealth with a pathway to a full unrestricted license. The program would enable their talents to be used to fill the state’s physician shortage.

 

Supporting Small Businesses

With nearly 50 per cent of Massachusetts workers employed by companies with less than 500 employees, small businesses are a key part of the Commonwealth’s economy. The Senate’s legislation recognizes this, providing $25 million through MassVentures for small business technology grants to help early-stage companies commercialize new technologies, $35 million for grants to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to help disadvantaged and underserved businesses, and $10 million for Biz-M-Power matching grants to small businesses with capital needs.

 

To assist small businesses in rural areas and areas impacted by pollution, the bill authorizes $3 million for grants to improve the readiness of sites for economic development projects and $30 million for the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund to support the remediation of land impacted by environmental contamination.

 

Everett Zoning Changes

The legislation would remove a parcel of land in Everett from its status as a designated port area, enabling a process to move forward that could create a public sports and entertainment venue. The change is anticipated to have significant positive environmental and economic impacts in the community surrounding the area.

 

During debate, the Senate adopted several amendments, notably:

 

• An amendment to increase the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include 18-year-olds. The initiative, known as “Raise the Age”, is proven to decrease crime and improve public safety by allowing emerging adults who are 18 years old—the typical age of a senior in high school—to be tried as juveniles instead of adults for certain crimes.
• An amendment to allow local communities to opt-in and allow bars and restaurants in the community to responsibly offer happy-hour drink discounts.
• An amendment to admit Massachusetts in the national nurse licensure compact, helping to address the critical workforce challenge facing the health care sector.
• An amendment enhancing local public health infrastructure and service delivery.
• An amendment allowing local breweries and distilleries to sell their products alongside local wineries at farmers markets.
• An amendment increasing opportunities for a more diverse public sector teaching force.
• An amendment to provide consumers more rights to seek repair of their cell phones without having to seek service from the original manufacturer.

 

A previous version of this bill having passed the House of Representatives, the two branches will now reconcile the differences between the bills before sending it to the Governor’s desk.

麻州參議會通過青少年司法管轄年齡提高至18歲

Massachusetts Senate Votes to Raise the Age of Juvenile Jurisdiction to Include 18-Year-Olds

Initiative backed by Boston Celtics and criminal justice reform advocates adopted in economic development bill 

(BOSTON—7/11/2024) Today the Massachusetts Senate voted to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include residents who are 18-years-old.  

The initiative, known as “Raise the Age” by advocates, is proven to decrease crime and improve public safety by allowing emerging adults who are 18 years old—the typical age of a senior in high school—to be tried as juveniles instead of adults for certain crimes.  

The initiative would divert juvenile offenders into rehabilitative programming, which is proven to lower recidivism and re-conviction.  

The amendment would not change existing law that allows 18-year-olds charged with the most serious offenses to be prosecuted and sentenced as adults for the most serious crimes, including first- or second-degree murder. Similarly, a juvenile 18 or younger could be charged as an adult for any felony if the juvenile had been previously committed in the Department of Youth Services (DYS), if the juvenile committed an offense that involves serious bodily harm, or if the juvenile violated certain firearm laws. 

The Boston Celtics have made the initiative a priority this season. In January, Jaylen Brown and Celtics team leadership shared their support with legislative leaders and held a press conference in the Senate Reading Room.  

“We will never achieve racial equity in Massachusetts without addressing the systemic biases in our systems, including our criminal legal system—and giving our children a fair shot at life from birth onward,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “By raising the age today, I am proud that the Senate is making the Commonwealth a fairer place for young people who should not be judged for their whole life by a mistake they made as an 18-year-old. I am grateful for the work of Majority Leader Creem, Senator Crighton, advocates who have spoken out, and my colleagues for their support.” 

"As the former Senate Chair of the Joint Task Force on Emerging Adults in the Massachusetts Criminal Justice System, I heard from stakeholders across the juvenile and criminal justice systems about the countless public safety benefits of raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction," said Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem (D-Newton). "Including 18-year-olds in the juvenile system will help ensure all high-schoolers have access to the high-quality rehabilitative programming available through the Department of Youth Services, which will help reduce recidivism and have a long-term positive impact on public safety." 

“Raising the age one year to include 18-year-olds will lead to better outcomes not just for youth, but entire communities,” said Senator Brendan Crighton, Chair of the Senate Committee on Juvenile and Emerging Adult Justice. “Expanding access to the programming and support available within the juvenile court system will still hold adolescents accountable while encouraging more productive pathways to future economic and educational opportunities. Thank you to the Senate President for being a long-time leader on this issue and for including this amendment as part of this strong economic development bill.” 

Adopted as an amendment to the Senate’s economic development bond bill, the measure would expand the lifetime economic opportunity of young people to join the workforce and contribute to the state’s economy. Young people with adult criminal records can face significant barriers to joining the workforce, pursuing higher education and securing housing. 

Having been approved by a roll call vote of 31-9, the amendment will be included in S.2856. A final vote on the bill is expected to take place on Thursday in the Senate.

波士頓黃氏宗親會頒發獎學金 鼓勵50名學子

黃氏公所主席黃偉健(右一)，財政黃開洪(左一)，國翰獎學金執行人
黃協健(右二)和部分得獎學生。(黃氏公所提供)

                (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓黃氏宗親會在6月9日及7月7日，分兩批發獎學金給50名在學宗親子弟，鼓勵他們勤奮向學，將來長大成人，記得回饋鄉梓、社會。

               波士頓黃氏宗親會的獎學金委員會包括2名主席黃偉健、黃光沐，財政黃開洪，中文書記黃光野，黃國翰獎學金執行人黃協健等人。

得獎學生們合影，(黃氏公所提供)

黃氏宗親會的獎學金以成績為準，每年得獎人數不同，大學生每人500元。黃國瀚獎學金每年頒發3名，成績最好的大學生2人，中學生1人，各得600元。 今年得獎的學子，1到6年級有14人，7到8年級有6人，9到12年級有19人，大學1到4年級有11人。

MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES NEW DISABILITY DATA STANDARDS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON

MAYOR MICHELLE WU ANNOUNCES NEW DISABILITY DATA STANDARDS FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON

BOSTON - Thursday, July 11, 2024 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced new disability-aware standards for City resources and the collection of disability data from residents throughout government processes. This Disability Data Standard will support City workers who design and operate services, programs, and policies in the City of Boston and are intended to provide more dignified experiences for all residents and expand opportunities for people with disabilities across Boston’s neighborhoods. This initiative is led by the City of Boston Disabilities Commission in partnership with the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT). ​“Our goal in city government is ensuring that our policies, programs and services reach everyone and affirm and support our residents each and every day,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. "Boston is home to over 78,000 residents with disabilities and we know historically this community has not been fully included in city services and underserved in data standardization efforts. These new guidelines will create a common format for all city departments to collect data on disability - improving our services and creating a more welcoming experience for residents. I'm excited to see how these critical changes better support our constituents and move us forward in our work to make Boston a home for everyone." Today’s announcement comes after several months of work to inform the design of the new data standardization across City departments. The work explored preferred language around disability identity and accommodations. Projects included focus groups with Boston residents, literature reviews, process mapping, and user research. Before the release of the new data standard, the City primarily collected data on disability with the Disability Survey of Boston residents; however data collection from that effort was too limited. The new disability data standard will collect more meaningful data to ensure City programs and services are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive to people with disabilities.  “Understanding how disability impacts residents' participation in City of Boston programs and services is much more valuable than knowing residents' medical diagnosis, in most cases,” said City of Boston Disability Commission and ADA Title II Coordinator Kristen McCosh. “We expect the new data standardization to be more effective when planning and implementing programs, events, and services, because now we are asking people what people really need.”  “We needed to identify best practices for collecting information about disability so we can make Boston even more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities,” said Chief of Equity and Inclusion Mariangely Solis Cervera. “My staff worked closely with other city departments to map the process of specific city services to gain a better understanding of the experience for people with disabilities.  The new standard will include the question, ‘Which of the following do you typically need to access services and events? (Select all that apply)’ and provides respondents 11 access and functional needs options as well as a write in option to select. An important guideline of the standard will be to offer multiple ways for people to participate. “We were thrilled to partner with the City of Boston to provide research and technical assistance to the data standardization program,” said Ellysheva Bunge-Zeira, the Director of Training and Consulting at Disability Policy Consortium. “Our staff worked with the City to support meaningful engagement with Boston’s disability community including focus groups facilitated by our staff.” The City of Boston will celebrate the new Data Standards at the 2024 ADA Day event on Wednesday, July 17th from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. This annual public event held on City Hall Plaza celebrates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Each year, the Disabilities Commission honors a partner, usually a City department, that has done exceptional work related to accessibility that year. This year, the City will be honoring DOIT for both the Data Standards and for their on-going work updating internal policies and training documents for departments to improve digital accessibility across City products. “It was a privilege to be able to partner with the Commission for Persons with Disabilities and apply the lessons DoIT learned from developing the Gender-Aware Guidelines and Standards to the collection of data about disability,” said Chief Digital Officer Julia Gutiérrez. “The Disability Data Standard will help ensure more consistent data collection across departments and programs focused on what constituents need, which makes it easier for the City to understand where we can and should invest in accessibility from both a technology and program design perspective.”  This announcement builds on the Mayor’s commitment to ensure that Boston is an inclusive and equitable city for all residents. Last August, the Mayor, along with the Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ+ Advancement, and the City’s Registry Department, announced that the City updated its marriage licenses by no longer requiring sex or gender identification on the licenses - the first change made based on new gender-aware guidelines for City resources and the collection of gender-identity data.