Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $14 Million in Funding for Dams and Coastal Infrastructure

Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $14 Million in Funding for Dams and Coastal Infrastructure 

BOSTON –The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced over $13.9 million in grants to support the repair of dams and coastal infrastructure across Massachusetts. The funding, provided through the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Dam and Seawall program, will help 23 municipalities and nonprofit organizations to address critical repairs and safely remove outdated structures in their communities.  

The Dam and Seawall program focuses on enhancing the safety and functionality of essential infrastructure, which protects residents and supports local economies. Prioritizing repairs and removals will help mitigate risks associated with severe weather events and rising sea levels.  

“Last year was another reminder of how crucial it is to maintain our dams and seawalls—they are essential to our safety and infrastructure. That’s why I allocated an additional $1 million for dam safety technical assistance in my budget,” said Governor Maura Healey. “With the grants we’re announcing today, we are empowering municipalities to strengthen their resilience and confidently prepare for whatever storms may come their way.”  

“Many communities struggle with the financial burden of funding infrastructure projects. These grants deliver crucial relief, allowing municipalities of all sizes to tackle aging infrastructure right away. The state is here to help, ensuring communities can implement the resilient solutions they need,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We are dedicated to assisting communities in implementing resilient solutions that will meet their needs for the long term.”  

The investment demonstrates the administration's dedication to helping communities adapt to climate change. By restoring and removing aging infrastructure, public safety will improve, and local ecosystems will be protected. This will also increase resilience in coastal areas. The grants will fund fourteen design and permitting projects and nine construction projects to advance designs and permits as well as to construct the projects. Since the program began in 2013, the Dam and Seawall Program has provided $134 million in grants and loans to address deficient dams, seawalls, and levees with these new grants.  

“Over the past year, I have seen amazing projects focused on transforming our dams and seawalls into resilient, sustainable structures,” said EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “These initiatives adapt to climate challenges, restore ecosystems, and protect our communities from rising seas and extreme weather. This funding is crucial for speeding up repairs and implementing innovative designs that are essential for a sustainable future.”  

“As a State Senator representing seaside communities, I understand that strong coastal infrastructure is not just a matter of the development and preservation of our towns, it's essential for our safety, economy, and way of life,” said State Senator Patrick O’Connor (R-1st Plymouth and Norfolk). “Our coastal areas are not only beautiful to those who live here and for tourism, but also serve as critical hubs for fishing and shipping. Investing in robust infrastructure with this significant funding that Duxbury and Weymouth received will protect our homes from storms and rising seas, ensuring that future generations can enjoy and thrive in the South Shore.”  

“This funding is critical to improving climate resiliency and unlocking positive development in a dilapidated part of Haverhill. With this $1,000,000 grant, the habitat in the little river will benefit and the overall economic outlook of the Lafayette square neighborhood will greatly improve,” said State Representative Andres Vargas (D-3rd Essex). “I’m grateful to the Healey-Driscoll administration for prioritizing Haverhill.”  

The projects receiving grants are:  

Dam Design and Permit  

Municipality	Project	Award
Acton	Bellows Farm Mill Dam Removal and Nashoba Brook Restoration	$126,750
Adams	Fisk Brook Dam Removal Feasibility Study	$94,125
Amherst	Puffer's Pond (Factory Hollow) Dam and Dike Repairs	$250,000
Chesterfield	Damon Pond Dam / Engineering and Permitting for Future Repairs	$136,500
Connecticut River  Conservancy	DF Riley Grist Mill Dam Removal Design	$250,000
Groveland	Johnson Creek Dam Repair - Design and Permitting	$98,620
Hinsdale	Belmont Dam Gatehouse Replacement Plan	$115,500
Medway	Sanford Mill Pond Dam Alternatives Assessment	$250,000
Northampton	Francis P. Ryan Reservoir Dam and West Whately Reservoir Dam Rehabilitation Project	$220,724
Sutton	Stevens Pond Dam Rehabilitation	$238,500
Worcester	Pine Hill Reservoir Dam Improvements	$250,000
Wrentham	Red Dam Improvements	$123,750

 Coastal Design and Permit 

 

Municipality	Project	Award
Plymouth	Plymouth Beach Seawall Replacement (Phase 2) – Design and Permitting	$111,712

 Inland Flood Design and Permit 

 

Municipality	Project	Award
Holyoke	City of Holyoke’s Levee Control System Improvements – Pump Station Repairs Project	$187,500

 Dam Construction 

Municipality	Project	Award
Ashburnham	Whitney Pond Dam/ Whitney Pond Dam Removal	$797,250
Dudley	Carpenter Pond Dam Removal	$466,800
Egremont	Prospect Lake Dam Repair	$900,000
Haverhill	Little River Dam Removal and River Restoration	$1,000,000
Oxford	McKinstry Pond Dam Repairs	$1,000,000
Westborough	Lower Sandra Pond Dam Spillway Modifications	$333,581.25
Winchester	South Reservoir Dam	$1,000,000

Coastal Construction 

Municipality	Project	Award
Duxbury	Duxbury Seawall Phase II	$3,000,000
Weymouth	Fort Point Road-Lane Beach Seawall and Drainage Improvements	$3,000,000

Civil rights groups urged lawmakers to pass the Equal Citizenship for Children Act

Civil rights groups urged lawmakers to pass the Equal Citizenship for Children Act

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On September 26, immigrants’ rights advocates were at the Capitol to meet with members of U.S. Congress and their staff, garnering support for the Equal Citizenship for Children Act (“ECCA"). The law would more fully repair the harm of the Guyer Rule, a 1940s-era racially discriminatory law that prevented U.S.-citizen fathers from passing their citizenship status to children born outside of the U.S. and outside of marriage. Lead organizations included CASA, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC.

 

The ECCA would fill a gap in existing law that was partially addressed by the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. 

 

The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 changed the law to allow U.S.-citizen fathers with custody of their children to transmit citizenship to their children living in the U.S., regardless of whether the parents were married. However, the law excluded children who had already turned 18 years old when the Child Citizenship Act took effect on Feb. 27, 2001. For this reason, thousands of children of U.S. citizens lack citizenship and are still vulnerable to deportation.

 

Alma Bowman, 57, is advocating for Congress to pass the ECCA. She was born in the Philippines to a Philippine citizen mother and a U.S. citizen father and has lived in Macon, Georgia for almost her entire life. Bowman spent 40 months in immigration detention and could be deported, despite being the child of a U.S. citizen. “For 50 years, I considered myself an American citizen until August 2017, when the things that I took for granted were taken away from me–my freedom, having a job, having a driver's license, and having insurance so I can take care of my chronic illnesses and be able to afford medical treatment and medications,” Bowman said. “If the ECCA passes, it will help keep my family together.”

 

The ECCA would ensure that non-marital children and intercountry adoptees may acquire U.S. citizenship through their custodial or adoptive parent, regardless of the parent’s gender. It would also allow children conceived with assisted reproductive technologies, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), to acquire citizenship through either parent who is recognized as a legal parent. 

 

“We estimate that there are between 50,000 and 75,000 eligible individuals who would benefit from the ECCA,” said Meredyth Yoon on behalf of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation, which is made up of four independent organizations who have been advocating for the legislation since it was introduced by Representative Yvette Clark (D-NY) and Representative Alma Adams (D-NC) in March 2023. “The ECCA needs to pass in order to fill the gaping hole left behind by the Citizenship for Children Act of 2000.”

 

“The Guyer Rule is connected with the history of U.S. military bases abroad. The practice of barring U.S. citizenship from passing between fathers and their children if a child’s parents are unmarried has perpetuated harmful gender stereotypes and had racially discriminatory impacts for people in the U.S. and abroad today,” said Samantha Hamilton with Malaya Movement Georgia, an organization that has been supporting Bowman as she navigates her immigration case.

 

"As an organization serving immigrant families in Georgia, we have seen the effects of the Guyer Rule firsthand,” says Luis Zaldivar, Georgia State Director for CASA. ”Families are separated, children are left in limbo, and lives are upended. The ECCA offers a path to healing and reunification. It’s a compassionate and just solution that recognizes the fundamental human right of every child to belong. We urge Congress to pass this legislation and bring hope to countless families.” 

 

"The ECCA is an important step towards rectifying decades of injustice, not only combating an insidious form of gender inequality, but also remedying clear racial discrimination in our citizenship laws, and ensuring that all children of U.S. citizens receive the protection and recognition they deserve," said Amber Qureshi, staff attorney at the National Immigration Project.

 

“The Equal Citizenship for Children Act is an important and crucial bill that would fulfill our country’s long standing commitment to family unity,” said the Immigration Hub. This bill would ensure that all children of U.S. citizens or subsequently naturalized citizens, no matter where or when they were born, are provided their right to citizenship and the ability to continue to live, contribute, and prosper in America. The ECCA is a much needed solution to a historical injustice that underscores the fundamental right for families to prosper and be together.”

MG Brigham醫療體系百餘位專業指出醫療護理業10大未滿足的需求

100+ Mass General Brigham Leading Experts Identify Top Unmet Needs in Healthcare

Project from Harvard Medical School-affiliated clinicians and scientists in the Mass General Brigham healthcare system stimulates new consideration, urgency regarding innovation in life sciences, healthcare

Top 10 List Announced at World Medical Innovation Forum

BOSTON, MA September 25, 2024 – Some of the most vexing challenges and transformational opportunities in healthcare are included in a new list, “Top Unmet Needs in Healthcare” released by leading experts at Mass General Brigham. Identified by more than 100 Harvard Medical School faculty at Mass General Brigham, the findings range from the need to expand and accelerate rare disease treatment, to the coming “gray tsunami” of aging patients and the implications for patient care, delivery, and technology. The project, revealed at the 10th annual World Medical Innovation Forum, is meant to stimulate new consideration and urgency regarding solving and advancing these issues for improved patient care.

Views from Leading Clinicians, Researchers, and Practitioners in Academic Medicine

The Top Unmet Needs emerge from structured one-on-one discussions with more than 100 Harvard faculty who practice medicine and conduct research at Mass General Brigham, the largest hospital system-based research enterprise in the U.S., with an annual research budget exceeding $2 billion, and five of the nation’s top hospitals according to US News & World Report.

Through one-on-one discussions with these key opinion leaders from diverse clinical and research fields, and subsequent analyses by internal teams of experts, Mass General Brigham has identified the following top 10 unmet clinical needs:

#1. Preparing for the ‘Gray Tsunami’

The need for better tools and therapies aimed at caring for geriatric populations and maintaining geriatric independence, with a particular focus on expanded hospital-at-home capabilities, and the need to better understand the pathways that lead to chronic and acute disease in geriatric patients to enable better and more proactive treatment.

#2. Defining and Maintaining Brain Health

The need for a model of brain health and neurological care that clearly defines not only what brain health is but also integrates our current understanding of the mechanisms and phases of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases; enables better and earlier diagnoses and treatment; and propels the development of therapies that target these mechanisms and phases.

#3. A Paradigm Shift in Cancer Treatment

The need for a new framework for therapeutic development in cancer that is focused on improving curability as opposed to an exclusive focus on the development of drugs for metastatic disease. This framework also requires effective tools for early-stage cancer detection across the board in all cancers, but especially in lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and GI cancers (esophagus, stomach and colon).

#4. Targeting Fibrosis, a Shared Culprit in Disease

The need for therapeutics that target fibrosis (tissue scarring), which is responsible for a significant percentage of deaths worldwide, representing diseases of the lung, liver, kidney, heart, and skin.

 #5. New Approaches for Infectious Disease in a Changing World

The need for novel strategies for the rapid diagnoses, treatment, and even prevention of antibioticresistant infections, and the need for the next generation of globally deployable vaccines to enable pandemic preparedness.

#6. Striving for Equity in Healthcare

The need to radically rethink how, when, and where patients interact with healthcare services to optimize healthcare access and efficiency without diminishing its effectiveness, and to proactively meet the needs of currently underserved populations.

#7. Riding the Wave of Clinical Data

 The need to expand the scope of available clinical data to include historically understudied populations (including women) and to model and implement a cohesive, dynamic data "stream," which flows as patients do between the different phases of health and clinical care, enabling comparisons of patients to their previously healthy selves and the development of AI/ML approaches to harness these data to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

#8. A Systems-Level View of Human Disease

The need to rethink how we understand and treat disease — not only from an organ-specific standpoint but from a whole-body, systems-level view — and to fully elucidate the roles that inflammation and immune pathways play in autoimmune and infectious diseases and their effects on chronic and acute diseases in diverse human systems, such as the cardiovascular/circulatory and nervous systems.

#9. A New Approach to Psychiatric Disease

The need for novel treatments for psychiatric disease, improved biomarkers and minimally invasive and ambulatory ways of measuring them, and more productive interactions with industry to advance new therapies to the clinic. This includes hybrid therapies (therapies that combine elements such as talk therapy, novel biomarkers, and pharmacological treatments) as well as new diagnostic and treatment modalities, such as psychedelic therapeutics and precision psychiatry.

#10. Charting a Course in Rare Disease Treatment

The need for viable treatments for the 7,000 identified rare diseases, especially the roughly 70% of such diseases that are genetic and the effects of which are first observed in early childhood.

The Unmet Needs list also include the following honorable mentions which rose to significant rankings in the analysis:

• Driving Innovation in Chronic Disease: Improved Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

• A New Era of Obesity Medicine

• A New Generation of Pain Treatments

• Unlocking Novel Treatments for the Skin

 

Overarching Themes

 Addressing unmet clinical needs involves solving a number of common challenges, including commercialization hurdles, regulatory considerations, and funding. The Mass General Brigham project identified overarching themes to help address these challenges and support innovation across multiple sectors. These include:

• Taking a systems view of human disease and the practice of system-medicine

• Developing a global view of infectious disease, including antimicrobial resistance

• An expansion in high-quality, real-world data that closes gaps in current data (particularly for women and other underserved populations) and ensures that data sets are sufficiently enabling for AI/ML

• Improving health and healthcare across key populations, including geriatrics and rare genetic disease

• Addressing major diseases of the brain, including both neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric conditions; these include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, as well as psychiatric and mental health disorders

• Opening an era of precision medicine across disease areas that includes early diagnosis, treating staged disease, and biomarker discovery and utilization

 

Panel co-chairs José Florez, Physician-in-Chief and Co-Chair of the MGB Department of Medicine and the Jackson Professor of Clinical Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and Bruce Levy, Physician-In-Chief and Co-Chair of the MGB Department of Medicine and the Parker B. Francis Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, noted how the observations of a broad and representative set of faculty help illuminate the innovation landscape ahead.

“As a leader in patient care and healthcare innovation, our goal is to build on the legacy of research and discovery that has shaped the hospitals of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system for more than a hundred years, and continue to bring breakthroughs forward that can help solve pressing needs,” said Dr. Florez.

Dr. Levy added that “This is a roadmap for the future that can inform discussions happening throughout the healthcare and investment ecosystem regarding the future of medicine.”

More than 2000 decision-makers from healthcare, industry, finance and government attended the World Medical Innovation Forum this week in Boston. A premier global event, the Forum highlights leading innovations in medicine and transformative advancements in patient care.

九月的波士頓好熱鬧 蔣萬安、馬英九，Hilliary Clinton都來訪

台北市長蔣萬安。 (檔案照片，周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 2024年9月的波士頓，「星光」格外燦爛? 來自美國本土、烏克蘭、臺灣政界和大陸音樂界、商界的「大咖」，竟然都擠在這9月來訪波士頓。

              起先是中華民國臺灣台北市的市長蔣萬安，9月8日到訪波士頓，和僑界300多人在帝苑大酒樓餐敘後，9日再拜會姊妹市的波士頓市府，和父母都來自台灣的波士頓市市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)見面，還在波士頓華埠牌樓前再和。

中華民國前總統馬英九。(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

              這2位市長，都年輕，蔣萬安45歲，吳弭39歲，都有高學歷，依序一個是賓州大學法學博士criteria，一個是哈佛大學法學博士 (J. D.) ，不但顏值都高，還都是臺灣、美國政壇，未來直望頂峰的新星，儼然金童玉女般的同台場面，竟讓一段由名不見經傳人士拍攝的視頻，也在短短一週內贏得逾10萬次的點閱率。

              然後，朗朗，這位已在國際樂壇享有盛譽，今年4月才應邀在好萊塢星光大道上留下手印的鋼琴家，9月20日也來波士頓，在波士頓交響樂廳表演後，還在波士頓藝術學校和吳弭市長四手聯彈，探訪他的「靈感之鍵 (Keys of Inspiration)」計畫授意學校。

美國前國務卿Hillary Clinto公關公司提供)

              烏克蘭第一夫人Olena Zelenska接著在9月24日到訪，和麻州州長Maura Healey及麻州第一夫人Joanna Lydgate晤面，還趕在麻州州長簽署歷來第一次的擴大爭取聯邦競爭力經費法案前，到州長的儀式廳拍了張照。

朗朗在波士頓藝術學校和當天上台演奏的學生及其老師合影。
(檔案照片，周菊子攝)

              接下來的這幾天，更是熱鬧。9月26日有甫卸任臺灣首位數位發展部部長的唐鳳，應哈佛大學之邀，分別有哈佛費正清中心的「對抗數位假訊息:來自臺灣的教訓 (Combatting Digital Misinformation: Lessons from Taiwan)」，以及哈佛甘迺迪政府學院的和唐鳳午餐會，以及晚上的「建立數位民主」座談等一連有3場活動。

             同樣在9月26日這天的晚上，哈佛中國論壇要舉辦一場圓桌論壇，請中國知名企業家，萬科集團創辦人王石，主講一場名為「變局與革新:氣候危機下私營企業的應對與ESG新策略」。

哈佛中國論壇圓桌討論會海報圖片。

              9月27日晚上，美國前國務卿希拉蕊 (Hilliary Clinton) 將到Boch中心的王安劇院，舉辦簽書會。也是美國前總統夫人的希拉蕊經由Simon & Schuster出版了新書「失去一些，得到一些:對生命、愛和自由的反思 ( Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, and Liberty)」。她從9月16日開始巡迴全美打書，共有16站，第5站來到波士頓。

              9月28日早上，還有中華民國前總統馬英九，應邀參加哈佛法學院100週年慶的為期2日會議，將在「世界領袖」的這場座談中，和盧森堡首相Luc Frieden，以及祕魯 (Peru)前首相Roberto Dañino對談。

9月28日的中午，馬英九還將抽空拜訪紐英崙中華公所，這個他曾經擔任中文書記的地方。紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝在9月24日晚召開的本年度第五次中華公所董事大會中公佈了這一訊息，請有意參加「便當會」的人，向中華公所報名。

新英格蘭玉山科協和臺灣TBMC合辦講座 介紹臺灣CDMO概況

新英格蘭玉山科協CDMO會議出席者合影。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導) 新英格蘭玉山科技協會 (MJNE)和經濟部投資發展司合作，9月23日在波士頓市舉辦了一場「在生物醫藥領域外包製造控制發展的挑戰與機會 (Challenges and Opportunities for Outsourcing of CMC Development in Biotherapeutics)」座談，探討美國藥業和臺灣生物醫藥製造公司 (Taiwan Bio-Manufacturing Corporation，簡稱 TBMC)合作的機會。

玉山科協理事許翠玲 (右起)、朱治齊邀Pharmefex總顧問Li Malmberg，
國家復原力 (National Resilience)的平台科技主任Aalok Shah座談，
分享經驗。(周菊子攝)

              TBMC是臺灣以台積電為範本，有意在先進藥品的委託開發技製造服務業上開闢天地的新成立機構，今年七月才在台北生技園區啟用一棟佔地550坪的製程開發實驗室，預定2025年第3季，還要在竹北生醫園區落成佔地4500坪的GMP生產工廠。

經濟部謝承淵感謝工研院北美公司總經理王明哲特地從加州飛到波士頓
出席會議。(周菊子攝)

              新英格蘭玉山科協為協助臺灣開拓生物醫藥製造產業，由理事許翠玲、康麗雪等人統籌，會長許益祥率隊合作，23日晚特地舉辦座談會，請經濟部投資促進司司長張銘斌、工研院北美公司總經理王明哲，依序在網上及現場致歡迎詞，並邀得臺灣生物業組織產業發展協會 (Taiwan BIO)總秘書長暨國際生物技術協會 (ICBA) 副主席林治華講談「臺灣生技和製藥CDMO產業概況、發展能力及投資機會」，臺灣生物醫藥製造公司(TBMC)執行長張幼翔講談「TBMC：抓住 CRDMO 市場的成長和價值」。

玉山科協還請來Pharmefex總顧問Li Malmberg，國家復原力 (National Resilience)的平台科技主任Aalok Shah，在玉山理事許翠玲和Regeneron Cell 的製程及分析科學副主任朱治齊主持中座談生物製藥業及外包製造市場(outsourcing) 的挑戰與前景。

TBMC執行長張幼翔(左)和臺灣BIO總秘書長林治華遠程主講。(周菊子攝)

與會人士包括大波士頓有臺灣背景的創業家，Ginkgo Bioworks共同創辦人車卓憲，Path Cision執行長王惠萱，Streamline Bio的共同創辦人蕭育舜，在臺灣開了家自動化公司的陳韋同，以及波士頓經文處科技組組長蔡孟勳，臺灣保瑞生技業務發展處長黃金峻，TBMC的2位副主任蔡顯裕、楊慶靜仁，波士頓台灣人生物科技協會卸任會長吳佩容、蔡明儒，新任會長羅維中，紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長盧彥君等約六十名相關專業人士，交流熱絡，紛紛表示因為這場講座，對臺灣在生物製藥CDMO產業上的努力，有了更深了解。

左起，陳韋同、車卓憲、王惠萱、蕭育舜等4名創業家談起籌組聯盟，互助合作。
(周菊子攝)

波士頓台灣人生物科技協會2名卸任會長(右二起)吳佩容、蔡明儒向許翠玲(右一)
介紹和新任會長羅維中(左一)。(周菊子攝)

麻州長Healey慶祝西班牙裔傳統月 在州府大樓辦畫展

 Governor Healey Unveils Hispanic Heritage Month Art Exhibition 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey hosted a celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month, where she unveiled a temporary art installment by Hispanic and Latino artists living in Massachusetts. The exhibition showcases the rich culture, history and talents of the Hispanic and Latino communities in Massachusetts. The art exhibit, in partnership with the Mass Cultural Council, displays the work of Camilo Ramirez, Felipe Ortiz and Michelle Falcón Fontánez in the reception area of the Governor’s office.  

“Our shared history and traditions should be on full display here at the State House, where we are celebrating the strength and culture of our Hispanic and Latino community in Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey. “These pieces will enrich the experience of thousands of visitors who come to the State House to see our shared roots on display.”   

“We are thankful to Camilo Ramirez, Felipe Ortiz and Michelle Falcón Fontánez for partnering with us to display their work here at our state capital to shine a light on our vibrant Massachusetts Hispanic community,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our administration will continue to cultivate a state where art can be used as a tool to bring us together and highlight the Massachusetts story.”   

The celebration, emceed by co-chairs of Governor Healey’s Latino Empowerment Council Josiane Martinez and Gladys Vega, also featured performances by Sinha and the U.S. Capoeira Federation, Peruvian singer Mariana Walker and Jóvenes en Acción, a youth group from Hyde Square Task Force. Don Tequeño y Doña Arep, a local small Venezuelan restaurant operated by the Marte Contreras family based in Dorchester catered the event. 

Since taking office, Governor Healey has sought to expand diverse art on display in the Governor’s Executive Office Suite by adding “Black Tie” by Robert T. Freeman and “At the Tremont Street Car Barns” by Allan Rohan Crite, which are on loan from the Musuem of Fine Arts. She has also displayed other temporary exhibitions in the Governor’s reception area, including celebrating Black History, Climate Month, Pride Month and the Cape & Islands. The office also has on loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Early Summer by J. Appleton Brown, Spring Hillside by J. J. Enneking, George Washington by Francis Alexander, Landscape by Leslie Prince Thompson and Showery May Morning, by J. Appleton Brown. 

Additional information about the temporary installments: 

About Camilo Ramirez: 

Camilo Ramirez is a Colombian American photographer based in Boston, MA. His projects explore the straddling of American and Colombian culture as seen in the landscape and through personal projects around family. Two of his work, “La Tertuila” and “Licores Las Vegas” are both on display in the Governor’s reception area. 

Camilo holds and MFA in photography from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. His awards include a Massachusetts Cultural Council Fellowship, Lensculture 50 Emerging Talents, and BOAAT Press Competition winner. His work has been exhibited at the MFA-Boston, Griffin Museum of Photography, SF Camerawork, and appeared in CNN Photos, the Boston Globe, and The Oxford American.   

About Felipe Ortiz: 

Felipe Ortiz focuses on the practice of painting, from traditional easel painting to murals and public installations. In 2009, he earned a BFA in 2D Fine Arts from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Felipe has participated in numerous art exhibits of private and public collections, including the Fuller Craft Museum, Punto Urban Art Museum, and the corporate loan collection at DeCordova Museum. Two of his work, “Pacifico” and “P.R.” are both on display in the Governor’s reception area. 

Felipe has also participated in various public art projects at local and international levels. In 2016, he founded the Fresco Exchange, a group invested in the creative and cultural exchange for artists across countries. This collaborative project supports artists through traveling art exhibits, public art interventions, workshops, and community engagement. The core mission is to share ideas between creative economies and exchange best practices in the arts. The collective traveling experiences have helped shape this project while providing valuable knowledge of the art world. Currently, Felipe Maintains his studio practice while also coordinating public art projects. 

About Michelle Falcón Fontánez: 

Michelle Falcón Fontánez is a multimedia storyteller from Holyoke, MA working in photography, film, and public art. Michelle has witnessed and personally experienced injustices that have shaped her views of the world, motivating her pursuit of making change through art. Her artistry has primarily focused on social issues, where she has created work to illuminate voices that have not been heard. Two of her work, from her series "La Primera” titled "A Call to Our Ancestors" are on display in the Governor’s reception area. 

Michelle's early work consists of solo producing a short documentary PROMESA, that takes a personal look at the impacts of 2016 bankruptcy law in Puerto Rico. Her latest photo series, MATRIA, honors Puerto Rican women in Holyoke, MA who have made significant contributions to Paper City. MATRIA will be installed as murals in Spring 2025. Currently, Michelle is working in a three part mini-series that unpacks the psychological and environmental impacts on Boricuas living in South Holyoke during the 1970s fires. 

AAJC 將頒人權獎表揚陳剛、郗小星、陶豐、胡安明等人

               (Boston Orange) 亞美促進正義會 (AAJC)將於10月3日傍晚5點，在華府的國家記者俱樂部舉辦年會，頒發第28屆美國人勇氣獎等4個獎項，表揚對民權有傑出貢獻人士。

AAJC今年將頒發美國人勇氣獎給麻省理工學院教授陳剛 (Gang Chen)，堪薩斯大學教授陶豐 (Franklin Tao)，原天普大學物理系主任郗小星 (Xiaoxing Xi)，納米科技專家，前田納西州諾克斯維爾分校機械及生物醫學工程副教授胡安明 (Anming Hu)等人。

這4位教授都曾因為美國的「中國行動計畫」而被指控，被逮捕，歷經多年抗辯，身心受創巨大，仍堅定不移，近年陸續獲判無罪。

AAJC還將頒發架橋獎 (Bridge Builder Award)給Matschinga的多元、公平及包容副總裁 George-Axelle Broussillon，頒發變革者獎 (Changemaker)給AZ AANHPI追求公平擁護主任May Tiwamangkala，頒發精神獎給北卡羅來納大學教堂山分校平權行動聯盟的Sarah Zhang。

Historic Early Education Investments Highlighted at Senate Roundtable in Worcester

Historic Early Education Investments Highlighted at Senate Roundtable in Worcester 

Senate President Spilka, Senator Kennedy meet with providers, parents, and educators    

(WORCESTER—9/25/2024) A delegation from the Massachusetts Senate today joined a roundtable of Worcester’s early education and care leaders to discuss the impact of the historic $1.5 billion investment made in the sector in the Legislature’s Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget.   

Senator Robyn Kennedy hosted Senate President Karen Spilka, Senator Michael Moore, and Senator Peter Durant at the Worcester YWCA, where they took part in a wide-ranging discussion about the state of early education and care in the Worcester region and across the state.   

Participants discussed how provisions of the state budget have created breathing room in family finances, lightened the load of educators, and will help providers keep the doors open in their community.   

“Being in Worcester and hearing directly from providers today is a powerful reminder of why investing in early education and care is imperative,” said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “When we give providers and families the resources they need, kids get the education they deserve, parents can return to the workforce, and educators can fully commit to a career that they are passionate about. I’m grateful to Senator Kennedy for her unwavering advocacy for early education, and for assembling us today to hear from people impacted by this issue.”  

“Access to affordable, high-quality early education is essential for working families and the future of our economy. The reforms included in this year’s budget are a game-changer for early education in Massachusetts, providing much-needed support to both families and educators,” said Senator Robyn K. Kennedy (D-First Worcester). “From expanding subsidies to creating a career ladder for our dedicated educators, these investments will have a lasting impact on our communities. I’m thrilled to host Senate President Spilka in Worcester to hear directly from providers and continue our work toward making early education and care accessible for all.”  

The Fiscal Year 2025 budget that was passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor transformed how Massachusetts delivers resources to early education and care providers around the state.   

Investments from the Fiscal Year 2025 budget, totaling over $1.55 billion, include $475 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants, and $18.5 million for Head Start grants.  

Over $200 million of the funding was from the Fair Share surtax of four per cent on annual income above $1 million, to fund investments including:   

·       $175 million for the Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) program to provide monthly grants to early education and care programs, which is matched with $300 million in funds from the new Early Education and Care Operational Grant Fund and the High-Quality Early Education and Care Affordability Fund for a total investment of $475 million.  

·       $65 million for early education and care provider rate increases, to increase salaries for our early educators. 

·       $5 million for the CPPI Pre-K Initiative, matching $17.5 million in funds from the general fund, for a total of $22.5 million to support the expansion of universal pre-kindergarten, including in Gateway Cities.  

FY25 is the second fiscal year in a row which the annual state budget includes a full year of funding for C3 grants, signaling a historic commitment to maintain this crucial lifeline for our early education and care sector. The budget also makes the C3 program permanent, while including provisions to direct more funds from the C3 program to early education and programs that serve children receiving childcare subsidies from the state and youth with high needs.