Healey宣佈投資80億元穩定MBTA財務

Governor Healey Releases Plan for Historic, $8 Billion Transportation Investment to Improve Roads, Bridges, Regional Transit and Immediately Stabilize MBTA Finances  

Plan does not rely on any new taxes; Governor will propose $300 million in Chapter 90 funding, a 50 percent increase for municipal roads, bridges and infrastructure 

WORCESTER – Today, Governor Maura Healey announced a plan to make historic investments in the state’s roads, bridges and regional transportation system and immediately stabilize the finances of the MBTA, putting it on a path of long-term stability. The investments – representing $8 billion over the next 10 years – would be done without raising taxes and represent the largest state transportation investment in more than 20 years by maximizing Fair Share revenue and other existing resources. 

The plan will be filed as legislation in the coming weeks as part of the Governor’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) budget proposal and an accompanying supplemental budget. It puts into action many of the recommendations made by the Transportation Funding Task Force, which delivered its final report to the Governor outlining multiple steps for stabilizing and enhancing transportation while setting the stage for ongoing discussion about how best to finance transformative investments in transportation into the future.  

“This historic transportation proposal represents smart, forward-thinking fiscal management, and it will have an impact on people in all regions of our state,” said Governor Healey. “We’re going to invest billions of dollars to deliver better roads, less traffic, safer bridges and a transit system that works in every region. We’ll close the MBTA’s budget gap, improving service and upgrading stations, and we’ll move forward on regional projects like West-East Rail. And we’ll do this all without raising taxes. I’m grateful for the insights of the Transportation Funding Task Force, which shaped this proposal, and for the strong leadership of Secretary Tibbits-Nutt and Gorzkowicz.” 

“This plan will not only stabilize the finances of the MBTA but also dedicate new and critical resources to our Regional Transit Authorities and municipalities, accelerate our efforts to repair crumbling bridges, fix our culverts and advance important projects throughout the state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our administration knows the role a safe, reliable and efficient transportation system plays in the future of Massachusetts and this plan represents a gigantic step forward.” 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration is maximizing existing Fair Share Funds through an innovative funding mechanism and strong fiscal management. The proposal would: 

· Immediately direct $857 million in surplus Fair Share revenue from FY24 to public transportation. 

· Dedicate $765 million in Fair Share resources from FY26 to the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, building on an innovative strategy developed by the Healey-Driscoll administration to maximize Fair Share through borrowing to yield $5 billion over the next 10 years for capital investment bonds in rail, roads, bridges, Regional Transit Authorities and culverts.  

· More than double support for the MBTA’s operating budget to $687 million in FY26 and immediately address the agency’s budget shortfall, putting the MBTA on a path of long-term stability. This increase comes after the Governor’s doubled the operating budget to $314 million in FY25. 

As part of this capital expansion, Governor Healey intends to file a multi-year Chapter 90 bill later this month that will grow the size of the funding pool directed to cities and towns to $300 million per year for five years, the highest amount in the history of funding for local roads and sidewalks. This additional $100 million annual investment represents a 50 percent increase to support the repair of municipal roads, bridges and infrastructure.  

The combined impact of the Governor’s House 1 budget proposal for FY26 and the supplemental budget to spend surplus Fair Share revenue from FY24 will achieve a 50 percent-50 percent split between Fair Share resources dedicated to transportation and education since enacted of the voter-approved surtax. This was one of the key recommendations included in the Transportation Funding Task Force report. 

Among the improvements that this funding will allow include: 

· $1.4 billion in investments at the MBTA for new commuter rail coaches, Red and Orange Line cars, station accessibility and resilience, track improvements and power system resiliency.  

· $2.5 billion for road and bridge repairs across the state through MassDOT, with money set aside for culverts, small bridge repairs and safety and congestion hot spots.  

· Close the funding gap for the Allston I-90 Multimodal Project  

· Allow for projects advancing West-East Rail to continue to move forward, including capacity improvements near Pittsfield, trackwork and accessibility improvements in Springfield, and station planning in Palmer.  

“Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll have stressed that transportation systems must work if we want our communities to thrive, and the announcements today further the state's vision to improve infrastructure by recommending significant financing initiatives for the short and long-term,” said Massachusetts Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. “With the Governor's plan, we are taking very actionable steps to increase the use of Fair Share revenue, offer municipalities more money through the Chapter 90 program, double support for the MBTA's operating budget, and expand microtransit services.”  

“This plan builds upon the success we have already achieved by leveraging Fair Share dollars through the Commonwealth Transportation Fund to invest in FY25 in critical infrastructure and puts the work of the Transportation Funding Task Force into immediate action. By borrowing against Fair Share revenue, we have devised an innovative strategy that will allow us to not only continue to invest in key projects and infrastructure, but also solve the MBTA’s funding crisis not just for this year but years into the future,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew J. Gorzkowicz. “I’m grateful to Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and members of the task force for their support and guidance as we crafted this proposal that will make historic investments in the foundation of our transportation infrastructure.” 

“On behalf of the MBTA, I thank the Healey-Driscoll Administration for their visionary leadership and commitment to strengthening public transportation across Boston and the entire Commonwealth,” said General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “This solution-oriented approach is leading to a historic investment and will provide critical support to the MBTA, including our operating capacity, improving service, and ensuring a more sustainable, reliable transit system for all riders. As we move forward, I am committed to ensuring that we remain focused on the needs and expectations of the public we serve. We're going to make the best use of the public's dollars by building a more efficient and capable workforce, and delivering meaningful projects and services that improve the transit experience for everyone.” 

After covering $100 million in debt service on new borrowing, the FY26 budget will propose to invest: 

· $687 million to stabilize MBTA operations, including $500 million from Fair Share to to fund programs such as the MBTA Workforce Academy, low-income fares and water transportation programs  

· $110 million for Regional Transit Authorities​, including $66 million for formula-based transit improvements, $30 million for Fare Free service and $10 million to facilitate interconnectivity between RTAs​ 

· $55 million for MassDOT operations​, including workforce investments​ and enhanced capital project delivery​ 

The surplus Fair Share supplemental budget to be filed by Governor Healey will propose to invest $857 million of the $1.3 billion surplus available for spending in transportation, including: 

· $400 million to address workforce and safety initiatives identified as necessary by the Federal Transit Authority 

· $300 million to replenish MBTA reserves 

· $25 million for a Winter Resilience Assistance Program for municipalities 

· $25 million for RTA workforce recruitment and retention 

· $10 million for microtransit 

The multi-pronged financing plan leans on Fair Share, which has performed exceedingly well as a revenue source for Massachusetts. In FY24, the state collected $2.46 billion from the surtax, nearly $1.5 billion above what had been budgeted. 

The financing plan also calls for using $170 million available from the administration’s pool of federal matching funds to retire the MBTA’s legacy debt ($89 million), freeing up operating capacity at the agency. These matching funds will also continue to support the administration’s strategy of aggressively pursuing federal funding, with matching dollars committed to the Green Line Central Tunnel project as well as local technical assistance and local project matches. 

Lastly, the administration plans to use $1.2 billion in Grant Anticipation Notes (GANs) to borrow against future federal highway grants to finance priority Highway Division projects statewide. 

The financing plan was heavily informed by the work of the Transportation Funding Task Force, which was created by Governor Healey through executive order last January. The Task Force spent the past year reviewing current and projected revenue sources, comparing those sources to benchmarks and trends in peer and neighboring states and exploring innovative financing approaches and alternative pricing mechanisms. 

The Task Force developed a framework focused first on stabilizing the transportation system’s finances and addressing critical infrastructure repair needs. Additional recommendations looked at how to Enhance and Transform the system. 

Some of the recommendations included: 

· Allocating half of Fair Share revenues to transportation over time 

· Expanding capital capacity for transportation by dedicating a significant portion of Fair Share revenue to the CTF 

· Using Fair Share to stabilize public transportation agency operations 

· Maintaining predictable and stable funding for investments in Regional Transit Authorities and microtransit providers 

Increasing investment in the Chapter 90 local roads programs by at least 50 percent to improve local transportation infrastructure condition 

MAYOR MICHELLE WU REFILES RESIDENTIAL TAX RELIEF LEGISLATION WITH UPDATED PROVISIONS TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR RESIDENTS AND STABILIZE TAXES FOR ALL TAXPAYERS

MAYOR MICHELLE WU REFILES RESIDENTIAL TAX RELIEF LEGISLATION WITH UPDATED PROVISIONS TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE RELIEF FOR RESIDENTS AND STABILIZE TAXES FOR ALL TAXPAYERS Updated tax proposal expands on Mayor Wu’s relief package that passed the City Council and House of Representatives last year

BOSTON - Monday, January 13, 2025 - Mayor Michelle Wu today introduced an expanded residential tax relief package aimed at providing financial assistance to Boston residents impacted by sharp increases in their Fiscal Year 2025 third-quarter property tax bills that were sent out on January 1st. The refiled home rule petition will help Boston’s residents as their property tax bills have increased due to national economic trends that led to the single largest jump in the residential share of the property tax levy since 2007, while commercial taxpayers saw a significant drop. The legislation would provide immediate relief for residents with the same measures agreed upon by business groups through compromise legislation after months of negotiation last year, and includes provisions to provide for residential tax rebates if the tax rate is not adjusted, and increased exemptions to support small businesses and seniors.  “For too many residents, this sharp tax spike is a burden that makes it even harder to pay bills and afford to stay in the city they call home,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I urge legislators and all stakeholders that held up the passage of our negotiated compromise to look carefully at the serious impact on Boston residents and join us in delivering the balanced relief our community needs.” Last year, Mayor Wu negotiated compromise legislation with business leaders that further amended the tax relief home rule petition that had already been passed by the Boston City Council and the House of Representatives. Although this compromise legislation received a second round of approvals through the Council and House, it never received a vote before the State Senate after a single Senator used a procedural block three times during informal session last month. In ending session without a vote on the legislation, members of the Senate and business groups walked away from the agreed upon compromise legislation that had been advanced a second time through the Council and House at their direction, suggesting that the City of Boston’s final property valuation numbers were not as dire as the worst case scenarios outlined, so residents should absorb the impending tax increases. Since then, residents across Boston have received their Fiscal Year 2025 third quarter tax bills, reflecting very significant increases. The taxes for the average single family home receiving a residential exemption increased 10.4%, which is nearly $575 for the year and a 21% bill-to-bill increase. When expanded to include additional residential property types—not only single family homes but also duplexes, condos, and standalone apartments without commercial components—average annual taxes increased 14.9%, around $833 for the year, or a 30% bill-to-bill jump. These averages mask the variation across different neighborhoods and properties, and it has been widely documented that many residential taxpayers received a significantly higher increase due to a combination of regular market value changes and the added impact of the commercial tax responsibility shift that the administration sought to avoid through legislation. While individual value changes vary by neighborhood and individual property, the overall shift of commercial responsibility increases the burden on residents across all residential property types and neighborhoods.  Overall data analysis shows that more than 55% of all residential property owners received a bill with an annual increase greater than 9% (or quarter-to-quarter bill jump of more than 18%). Had Mayor Wu’s compromise legislation been approved by the State Senate last month, this would have been reduced to 21.5% of residential properties with such a significant increase. With these January bills, the average commercial property received a 3.4% reduction in taxes—about $7,745 less than the previous year. For office buildings, the tax decrease was even larger: a 7% drop. Now that the scale of tax increases is documented and clear, this refiled home rule petition proposes to provide immediate needed relief to residential taxpayers this year through the same compromise tax rate agreed upon after months of negotiations and legislative process, as well as adopting the multiyear rates agreed upon for tax stability over the next two years. Additionally, this legislation has been updated to include new provisions that address specific concerns raised through that legislative process. In sum, this new legislation:  Sets the FY25 tax rate to levels which were agreed upon by business groups and previously voted on by the Boston City Council and House of Representatives. This would allow for relief by adjusting the final quarterly property tax bill for the fiscal year in April 2025. The legislation would need to be passed by March 2025 in order to operationalize this measure. Establishes tax classification levels between residential and commercial property in Fiscal Years 2026 and 2027, consistent with the levels that were previously agreed to in the October 2024 compromise legislation, in order to provide future stability for residential and commercial taxpayers through this period of economic transition. As included in earlier compromise legislation, gives the City the authority to appropriate up to $15 million for any years that the commercial portion of the levy is greater than the amount currently allowed to offset potential impacts on small businesses due to the shift. Expands property tax relief for low-income seniors by modifying the eligibility criteria for the 41C senior tax relief program, as well as increasing the amount of the exemption. These changes will modernize the dated criteria which has shrunk the pool of eligible applicants in recent years and will provide much needed financial assistance to a group of residents most impacted by property tax increases.  As included in earlier compromise legislation, increases the exemption for small businesses on personal property to $30,000 so any neighborhood business with less than that amount in personal property would not be taxed. This increase would expand the number of small businesses across Boston exempt from personal property tax under this exemption provision from approximately 2,500 to 5,000.  In the event the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2025 does not change as outlined above, gives the City of Boston the legal authority to issue some degree of residential tax rebates from surplus funds. The amount of money and the rebate shall be determined by the City of Boston and will be subject to an appropriation reviewed and approved by the Council.  Earlier this month, the City developed a tax calculator so residents can see how much they would have saved if the earlier compromise legislation were in effect. The tax calculator can be found here: boston.gov/tax-calculator. Mayor Wu has focused on making Boston more affordable for all residents since she assumed office. The Wu administration has created more affordable housing than in a generation, ensured more families become homeowners than ever before, implemented policies to reduce home energy costs over time, doubled the number of universal pre-K classrooms to serve nearly 1,550 3- and 4- year olds, boosted public transit ridership on free bus routes, and opened the doors of many of the city’s cultural institutions at no cost through Boston Family Days.  Mayor Wu’s residential tax relief package, which is part of her affordability agenda, now goes to the Boston City Council for approval before heading to the State House for legislative consideration

哈金大學沙龍開講 談蒲安臣使團-中美首次蜜月 (圖片)

1868-1870蒲安臣使团: 中国与美国的第一次蜜月

主講人：哈金（原名金雪飛），1956年出生於中國，現為波士頓大學創意寫作計畫教授兼主任。他曾經歷中國的文化大革命，並在14歲時加入中國人民解放軍。哈金於1986年來到美國，在布蘭代斯大學攻讀博士學位，並於1991年進入波士頓大學創意寫作項目，1993年畢業。

他的作品以英語創作，涵蓋小說、短篇小說、詩歌、散文及傳記，已翻譯成30多種語言。其中代表作包括《等待》（獲1999年美國國家圖書獎及2000年PEN/福克納獎）、《戰廢品》（2005年再度榮獲PEN/福克納獎）等。他的詩集《遙遠的中心》榮獲2019年PEN/奧克蘭·約瑟芬·邁爾斯文學獎，小說《自由生活》則獲得2021年富川僑民文學獎。

哈金曾獲選為美國藝術與科學學院院士（2005年）及美國藝術與文學學院院士（2014年）。他的經歷與作品為全球文學界帶來深遠影響。

 

首屆閩台風情音樂會 近500觀眾捧場

波士頓華人音樂家協會和越來樂美文化公司合辦「閩台風情音樂會」，演出及工作人員合影。 (周菊子攝)

黃嘉瑜(右起)在另外2名主持人，王曉梅，許薰文陪同鍾，
宣佈歌曲創作大賽得獎人。(周菊子攝)

              (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 波士頓華人音樂家協會和美國越來樂美文化公司合作，

許薰文(右)請觀眾上台學用閩南語唸「閩臺風情音樂會」。(周菊子攝)

1月11日晚在勒星頓鎮 (Lexington)凱瑞廳 (Cary Hall) 舉辦「閩台風琴音樂會」，宣佈2024閩南語歌曲創作大賽得獎者，讓數百觀眾耳目一新。

大波士頓雖然有不少華人，但來自台灣的只佔其中一小部分，華人在社團活動中演唱歌曲，多半都是以普通話或粵語唱的中文歌。「閩台音樂會」可算是大波士頓地區首個從頭到尾都唱閩南歌的音樂會。

              這場音樂會由黃永平擔任總策劃，共安排有13首歌曲，在曾燕琴、張正山、甄若茅等大波士頓華人圈熟悉的歌星及器樂演奏家之外，還有郭天生指揮的波士頓華人音樂家協會中西樂團，王慶率隊的波士頓華人音樂家協會合唱團，甄若茅率領的星樂隊，以及多名資歷俱佳的音樂人參與演出，整個表演陣容龐大到將近百人，十分壯觀。

音協合唱團(後)獻唱。(周菊子攝)

              根據音樂會的場刊介紹，3名主持人分別為國家一級播音員王曉梅，自幼在台灣長大的音樂會特邀閩南語正音老師許薰文，越來樂美文化 (Hokkien Music & Culture)創辦人，還在南加大桑頓音樂學院就讀的黃嘉瑜，當晚依序先以普通話、閩南語、英語介紹閩南文化演進成閩台文化的因緣，再由甄若茅和張正山攜手演奏「閩南風」，為當晚表演拉開序幕。

音協合唱團演唱十分左右兩邊站。(周菊子攝)

             

指揮郭天生率音協中西樂團演出。(周菊子攝)

接著有桑永驥演唱羅大佑作詞曲的「火車」，「迷魂香」，祁博君唱「等無人」，祁博君和苗華唱「傷心酒店」，李炫皓唱「心肝寶貝」，「花若離枝」，曾燕琴唱「愛情的酒攏袂退」，「魁儡尪仔」，朱冠蓉唱「家後」，「故鄉月」，以及黃嘉瑜創作的「做我自己」，王慶等人男女聲小組唱「一只小雨傘」，許燕明和林湛濤等人弦樂重奏「宜蘭童歌」，李巍鋼琴獨奏「閩台敘事」，曾竹戈女聲獨唱「牽阮的手」，郭天生指揮，音協中西樂團合奏「天烏烏」，「雨夜花」，郭天生指揮音協中西樂隊合奏，音協合唱團男女聲合唱「望春風」，「愛拚才會贏」，全都是臺灣人耳熟能詳的閩南語歌曲。

王曉梅是音協的臺住主持人，(周菊子攝)

郭天生率樂隊謝幕，觀眾獻花。(周菊子攝)

              參加籌備及當晚演出者，一半以上是音樂專業人士，列在節目冊上的就有中國國家一級指揮郭天生，原廣西藝術學院副教授林湛濤，曾創辦絲竹音樂學校和民族室內樂團的張正山，原天津音樂學院管弦系中提琴專業教授許燕明，廣西藝術學院音樂作曲專業的冼振中，曾是廣東音樂曲藝團琵琶獨奏演員的甄若茅，廣州星海音樂學院揚琴專業的黃少堅，原中國安金音樂學院鋼琴教授李巍，2000年獲加拿大歌劇表演證書的女高音曾竹戈，美國朗伊音樂學院聲樂表演碩士李炫皓，畢業於紐約州立大學石溪分校音樂系美聲專業的女中音祁博君，擁有聲樂演奏家文憑的男高音桑永驥，在伯克利音樂學院就讀的朱冠蓉，山東藝術學院大提琴表演專業的李衛國，芝加哥大學音樂學院小提琴專業的Farley Masterton，從伯克利音樂學院畢業的圓號演奏員王奕翔，2006年以最高分考入上海音樂學院指揮系的朱珠， 畢業於新英格蘭音樂學院的鋼琴家張海祺，獲有新英格蘭音樂學院低音提琴演奏專業碩士的王敏義等人。

甄若茅(前左)率星樂隊參加演出。(周菊子攝)

朱冠蓉是當天唯一的來自台灣歌手。(周菊子攝)

              其他如中國音協合唱團團長，抒情男高音王慶，生物醫藥博士苗華，在Andover創辦知音箏樂團的中國音協青少年團團長丁藝，音協樂隊鍵盤組組長裘陵雅，音協理事郭京富，善奏不同樂器的鎮德華，音協西絃樂組組長施仲文，9歲就開始學琵琶的袁玉婷，音協譜務組組長柳未央，7歲就進了波士頓青年交響樂團的Rachel Shi，曾在波士頓青年交響樂團演奏中提琴的傅孟然等人，即使不是專業研修音樂人士，卻都有豐富、紮實的音樂演出經驗。

在臺灣近年大推學習臺語之際，大波士頓地區的這首個閩南語歌音樂會卻是由主要來自中國大陸的音樂人籌辦，演出，觀眾倒是來自兩岸三地，讓人有看見閩南、臺灣合流同源的感覺。

演唱者合影。(周菊子攝)

許燕明(中)和朋友合影。(周菊子攝)

音協會長林湛濤(中)發言。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠獅子會年度籌款 頒Melvin Jones獎表揚伍國光、余麗媖

波士頓華埠獅子會成員合影。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓華埠獅子會1 月11日晚在新月宮餐廳舉辦2025年度籌款晚宴，頒發茂文鍾士 (Melvin Jones) 會員資格給伍國光、余麗媖，表揚5名加入獅子會，已服務15到25年的5名會員，以及獅子國際和平海報大賽33K區得獎者王蘇怡。

波士頓華埠獅子會成員和嘉賓合影。(周菊子攝)

             司儀伍國光、周麗玲依照傳統，請出蔡倩婷領唱美國國歌，阮鴻燦帶領宣誓效忠，伍國光開會祝禱，雷國輝祝酒的執行獅子會四點儀式，邀眾人手牽手，高聲朗誦「不在你上，不在你下，但與你同在」誓詞，藉以強調獅友重視平等、服務理念後，晚宴正式開始。

             波士頓華埠獅子會會長陳國航接著致詞，歡迎獅友、嘉賓出席，報告當天現金獎金額分別為1000、500、250元，鼓勵出席者踴躍購買彩券，協助該會籌款，支援包括刻正面對野火肆虐的加州災民等慈善事業。

波士頓華埠獅子會會長陳國航(左起)，前會長周麗玲和
麻州第33K區總監Diana Faust，以及司儀伍國光，一起頒發
獅子國際和平海報大賽麻州優勝者王蘇怡。右為王蘇怡的
父親王紅星及老師馬琳琳。(周菊子攝)

伍國光(右)獲頒Melvin JOnes獎。(周菊子攝)

             曾任麻州國際獅子會分區主席的李源沛介紹到會嘉賓，包括麻州國際獅子會第33k區總監 (District Governor) Diana Faust，第一副總監Anthony Baliola，第二副總監Kristine Shanahan，秘書長Mike McKenna，甫卸任區總監的Ivette Mesmer，曾任分區主席，現為摩頓市獅4子會成員的陳寶萍等人。

             波士頓華埠獅子會每年舉辦年度籌款宴時，麻州共46個分會的許多分會成員都會來支持，捧場，這天的出席者中，除了Ashland、Holliston等分會會員之外，還有不少來自摩頓市、昆士市等地的華裔獅友。

余麗媖(右)第三度獲得Melvin Jones 獎。(周菊子攝)

麻州國際獅子會第33k區總監 (District Governor) Diana Faust接著頒發服務獎給依序加入獅子會15年的陳國航，丁慧明 (Bonnie Kwok)，20年的林淑明，25年的李源沛。

頒發國際獅子會象徵最高榮譽的茂文鍾士 (Melvin Jones) 會員獎給伍國光，說明獲此獎者，將在國際獅子會美國總部，伊利諾州芝加哥的獅子會榮譽榜上留名。

當天獲頒茂文鍾士 (Melvin Jones) 會員獎的還有余麗媖，這是她第三度獲頒此獎。

接著，Diana Faust還頒發獅子國際和平海報大賽第33K區優勝者獎狀給Bigelow 中學11年級學生，在牛頓市向日葵藝術坊學畫的王蘇怡，並邀請她出席第33K獅子會的冬中會議 (Midwinter conference) 。

                 波士頓華埠獅子會是1987年由司徒彥鏗創辦的分會，也是麻州獅子會46個分會中，在印度裔獅子會之外，唯一以族裔，而非地區為收受會員準則的分會，38年來，有創會會長司徒彥鏗辭世，新會員陸續加入，部分舊會員轉往其他分會，或停止參與活動等變動，但目前活躍的25名會員，仍堅持熱誠，服務社區。 (更新版)

Diana Faust(左)頒發服務25年獎給李源沛。 (周菊子攝)

林淑明獲頒服務20年獎。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠獅子會會長陳國航(右)獲頒服務15年獎。(周菊子攝)

陳寶萍(左一)曾任麻州獅子會分區主席。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠獅子會會員們上台合唱「朋友」。

蔡蒨婷領唱美國國歌。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙中華公所博愛樓訂1月29日啟用

紐英崙中華公所在臉書上宣佈，博愛樓已有25戶人家入住，預定1月29日正式啟用。

波士頓市議員Ed Flynn傳已放棄角逐市長

    (Boston Orange 編譯) 去年頻傳要角逐波士頓市長大位的波士頓市議員愛德華費連 (Ed Flynn)，現在改變主意，不選市長，繼續競選連任了。

                愛德華費連在1月1日參加波士頓台山同鄉聯誼會的開年慶祝十。還不肯鬆口，現在波士頓前鋒報和波士頓環球報卻說，根據來自至少2名接近愛德華費連人士透露的消息，他周旋數個月，大聲批評吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 市長後，現在選擇繼續競選連任波士頓市第二區市議員。

              即將生下第3個小孩的吳弭市長本人，雖未正式宣佈，但已經說過她打算競選連任。

             早前傳說也要角逐波士頓市長大位的慈善家，也是億萬富豪，愛國者隊東家羅伯特卡夫特 (Robert Kraft)的兒子喬許卡夫特(Josh Kraft)，現在可以更無所忌憚的參選了。

             卡夫特家族的政治顧問Eileen O’Connor拒絕就愛德華費連退出市長選舉一事發表意見。

去年以來，愛德華費連多次公開反對吳弭市長的政策及倡議，最近還曾反對吳弭市長的關閉或合併數所波士頓公校的決定，其中包括南波士頓的Excel高中。

愛德華費連也反對花9100萬元市府經費，來和職業女子足球隊合作，重蓋白體育館 (White Stadium)，還批評吳弭處理城中區，以及麻州大道和Melnea Cass 大道交界處治安的做法，抨擊吳弭市長去年推行的波士頓公校星期日試驗計畫，沒有把特許學校，私立學校，以及在家自學的學生們包括進這免費進文化機構的計畫。

吳弭市長後來擴辦該計畫，讓波士頓市內所有幼稚園到12年級學生都可享有這福利。

愛德華費連也是唯一一個，去年反對吳弭市長暫時把波士頓市物業稅負擔轉嫁到商業房地產上的市議員。

波士頓台灣影展協會介紹新會長莊子瑩、蔡景全 2025影展訂9月27、28舉行

波士頓台灣影展協會2025幹部籌辦歡迎派對。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州劍橋市報導) 波士頓台灣影展協會 (TFFB)1月5日在劍橋市麻省理工學院學生宿舍舉辦歡迎派對，介紹新會長莊子瑩、蔡景全，報告跨入第七年度的2025年，計畫把影展時間拉長，增加效應，招募有志一同者加入把台灣電影介紹到世界各地行列。

波士頓台灣影展協會2025共會長，右起，林致中、蔡景全、莊子瑩。
(周菊子攝)

              本身是神經內科醫生，目前在賽諾菲 (Sanofi)製藥公司工作的莊子瑩，還在麻州藥學院進修，從第4屆起參加TFFB的蔡景全，以及去年的影展共會長林致中，將在新年度中，3人一起擔任共會長。

              莊子瑩指出，該會從2019年創辦以來，以介紹台灣的電影、導演為主要活動，每年放映台灣電影，並從台灣邀請導演，甚至演員來到波士頓交流，讓更多人有機會接觸，認識台灣文化。該會也和土耳其影展，阿靈頓影展等的主辦單位合作，擴大影響力。

前右起，康麗雪、林致中、高家富、蔡景全、莊子瑩和出席
波士頓台灣影展協會2025歡迎派對的人合影。(周菊子攝)

              該會目前暫定的2025年活動，在1月5日的歡迎派對之外，預定4月2日、3日到屋斯特理工學院 (WPI)，4月26日到ArtsEmerson，4月至5月間到Gleason公共圖書館等地舉辦放映會，然後8月到波士頓公共圖書館舉辦預映派對，9月27、28兩日舉辦本年度的波士頓台灣影展。

波士頓僑教中心主任高家富代表僑委會和波士頓經文處長廖朝宏送上祝福。(周菊子攝)

              波士頓台灣影展協會自創辦以來，每年都吸引很多人加入義工行列，今年還把不少僑團幹部吸引過來，包括大波士頓新英格蘭台灣商會的新科秘書長高名震，甫卸任的哈佛大學台灣學生會會長黃郁婷，以及劍橋合唱團共團長林泓安等人，都成了波士頓台灣影展協會的新年度志工。

              紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長盧彥鈞則笑說，專協和影展協會過去這一年來互相支持，今年也依定繼續。

波士頓台灣影展協會共會長林致中(中)今年續任共會長。(周菊子攝)

              當天甚至有甫卸任的中華廣教學校校長黃品榕，一直支持波士頓台灣人公共事務協會 (FAPA)，本身是電影製片業工作的法霍爾 (Howard Fass)等人表達了參與意願。

              法霍爾的妻子陳郁青透露，這天其實是她那還在耶魯念書的兒子法以安 (Kurt Fass)想要看台灣電影，他們才從車程距離將近一小時之遠的麻州市鎮趕過來參加活動。

左起，陳郁青、法以安、法霍爾抱著支持台灣的一片心意到場。(周菊子攝)

              這場歡迎派對有30多人出席，其中也有影展今年的幹部，包括公關組的黃文彥，沈可，以及該會創辦人之一的影展董事會主席康麗雪等人。

              波士頓僑教中心主任高家富作為贊助單位代表，這天特地出席，代表僑委會期許影展協會日漸茁壯，帶領波士頓本地僑民、學生推廣台灣文化，藝術，讓美國主流社會看見台灣。他還代表波士頓辦事處廖朝宏處長送上新年問候，期許波士頓台灣影展協會今年更盛大。(更新訂正版)

吳莉筠(左)、姚姿君(右)都是TFFB今年的幹部。(周菊子攝)

高名震加入波士頓台灣影展協會的募款小組。(周菊子攝)

黃郁婷卸任哈佛大學台灣學生會會長一職，加入TFFB公關組。(周菊子攝)

波士頓台灣影展協會2025計畫。(周菊子攝)