波士頓洪門致公堂慶新春舞獅齊舞好威風

(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓洪門致公堂三月二日晚在帝苑大酒樓慶祝羊年新春，五百多人歡聚，祝願僑社和諧。

            洪門致公堂是波士頓資歷最悠久的老僑團之一，和美國洪門（Freemason）淵源深厚，也是特色之一。

            當晚的慶祝儀式部分，仍然十分傳統，照例由洪青體育會在仁義禮智信五面大旗前導中，舞動金黃紅綠黑五頭瑞獅，並從元老伍伯和，總長阮振強，主席阮偉昌，李厚鵬等人高舉的紮滿綠背(美鈔)大紅洪字中採青獻桔，揭開序幕。

            今年的司儀，由新人陳國漢，資深會員余國峰與曾任主席的鄺國添擔綱。麻州眾議員麥家威（Aaron Michlewitz)代表麻州議會頒發表揚狀。多名資深洪門會員，包括曾任主席的司徒彥鏗，余共才，陳光劍，卸任主席司徒宗達，曾任書記的梅惠聰等人，也都當然出席與盛。

來自紐約總理梅犖生，主席李偉強及袁燦章，總幹事李志聯 ，洪清總顧問陳家齡等人，帶了許多洪門兄弟到賀。

            駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，副處長陳銘俊，波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文，兩名波士頓僑務委員馬滌凡，梅錫銳，紐英崙中華公所主席阮鴻燦，全美安良工商會總理胡英僚等嘉賓言簡意賅的一一致詞。

            會上，洪門致公堂也照例封給利是，支持僑社內的公益團體，包括僑立學校，廣教學校，亞裔青年會（YES），以及Shriner Burn、大波士頓有誦讀困難兒童中心(Greater Boston Children’s Dyslexia Center)等。

            代表Shriner Burn的Bernard Goulding透露，麻州洪門和波士頓洪門致公堂早從1940，1950年代，就已常相往來，他棣屬的牛頓村(Newtonville)洪門，包括當晚出席的兩名華裔青年，都僅年約三十的余志文，以及Gary Ye，共有會員三百多人，其中不下百分之三，四十是華人。他笑說，只要是好人，洪門都歡迎。

            洪門今年的餘興節目，由甄若矛率領的“星樂隊“負責，趙寶玲等歌手穿上華麗禮服，在台上高歌，氣氛十足。喜愛唱歌，組織了個“原聲堂”微信群的本地至德三德公所主席之一曹品慈，特地上台獻花給不願辜負好聲音的中華蔥油餅老闆娘趙寶玲。

            由於有如鎮山之寶的洪門元老阮全義，今年未出席，部分出席者在席間推敲，指時光荏苒，年代向前，洪門也在演進中。

圖片說明：

            麻州眾議員麥家威（Aaron Michlewitz)（中）代表麻州議會頒發表揚狀。洪門元老伍伯和（右起），主席阮偉昌，李厚鵬，司儀余國峰等人代表領取。（黃定國攝）

            洪青體育會的五獅齊舞，聲勢壯大。（黃定國攝）

            波士頓洪門致公堂幹部，嘉賓和瑞獅合影。（黃定國攝）

            波士頓洪門致公堂幹部向出席嘉賓敬酒，拜年。（周菊子攝）

            波士頓洪門致公堂請僑團首長坐上主席台。（周菊子攝）

            波士頓洪門致公堂曾任主席的鄺國添（左起）和一旁的書記陳國漢，主席阮偉昌，以及梅少華比起來，算是洪門前輩了。（周菊子攝）

            星樂隊的演唱陣容堅強。（黃定國攝）

波士頓黃氏宗親迎羊年 發獎學金逾萬元

波士頓黃氏宗親會三月一日在帝苑大酒樓設宴，發獎學金一萬多元，鼓勵學子，封紅包向一百零三歲人瑞拜年，七百多人歡聚一堂的慶祝羊年新春，預告今年八月廿一日將承辦全美黃氏懇親會。

            波士頓黃氏宗親會今年的農曆新春慶祝會，由波士頓消防局副局長黃瑞瑜，黃氏宗親會全美顧問黃立輝出任司儀。外交黃鷹立等人一早在門口迎迓賓客。

            包括麻州財政廳廳長高伯珂（Deb Goldberg），麻州眾議員黃子安，波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh），波士頓市議會議長林乃肯（Bill Linehan），波士頓消防局局長Joseph Finn，薩福克郡治安官湯普金（Steven Tompkins），駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文等人，當晚有不少政要出席。

            波士頓市長馬丁華殊致詞時強調傳統的重要，感謝黃氏宗親為波士頓保存了地方上的文化傳統。經文處處長賴銘琪以廣東話表示，能夠和僑胞同慶農曆新年來臨，很是讓人開心。

            黃氏宗親會的美西總長黃惠喜當晚也遠道來賀，和波士頓本地的美東總長黃國威呼應的向宗親拜年。

波士頓黃氏今年的兩名主席，年逾八十，曾任主席的黃國瀚負責為開幕致詞，六十出頭，是宗親會前任主席黃光野兄長的黃光沐，致答謝辭。他倆紛紛感謝宗親們在風雪天中仍熱絡出席，情誼感人。

當晚的餘興節目，由婦女擔綱，包括黃氏婦女組演唱“黃氏祖訓”，“雪絨花”等歌曲，兼顧傳統與現代。黃氏敦請劉小梅任教的合唱班，也獻唱數曲。周美桃率領的紐英崙養生舞團輕柔舞動。

現場最特別的一個環節，是敦請波士頓市長馬丁華殊發紅包給一百零三歲的黃氏人瑞黃碧珍。馬丁華殊奉上紅包後，還親自護送她走下主席台，敬老之情溢於言表。

            當晚會中，黃氏宗親會依照傳統，捐款各六百元給僑立學校，廣教學校，以示該會感謝兩校教育宗親子弟，傳揚中華文化的功勞。為鼓勵子弟向學，黃氏宗親會今年還頒發獎學金共一萬零三百五十元，給六十名大，中，小學學生，發出每人各兩百元的獎金，鼓勵八名傑出青年。

            波士頓黃氏宗親會當晚還發給六十五歲以上耆英，每人一份黃氏宗親經營，新新超市捐贈的壽麵。每一桌都有一份美東燒臘捐贈的八元禮券一張。慶祝會中的獎品，包括香港小時，水車屋酒家，肥仔燒臘，大明酒家等捐出的禮券。黃氏宗親會也提供了三百，二百，一百元各一份的現金獎助興。

圖片說明：

            波士頓黃氏宗親會全體職員合影。（黃定國攝）

            波士頓黃氏宗親會兩名主席，黃國瀚（右），黃光沐（左）敦請波士頓市長馬丁華殊（右二）發紅包給103歲人瑞黃碧珍（左二）。（黃定國攝）

        麻州眾議員黃子安（中）代表麻州議會頒發表揚狀，波士頓黃氏宗親會兩名主席，黃國瀚（右），黃光沐（左）代表接受。（黃定國攝）

            麻州財政廳廳長高伯珂（Deb Goldberg）向黃氏宗親拜年。（黃定國攝）

Tommy Chang將出任波士頓市學校總監

STATEMENT OF MAYOR WALSH ON SUPERINTENDENT VOTE

BOSTON - March 3, 2015 - The Boston School Committee tonight voted to select Dr. Tommy Chang as the final candidate for the Superintendent of Boston Public Schools. 

"I want to congratulate and welcome Dr. Tommy Chang as Boston's selection for the new superintendent of public schools. Dr. Chang will provide the leadership that our school system needs and I am confident that his innovative views on education will move our students forward. We need a transformative leader and that is Tommy Chang.

"I thank the School Committee for their dedication to this process and commitment to the overall improvement of our system, and the Search Committee for providing several top candidates to lead our schools. Our city is full of talent and our young people deserve the best we can provide.”

Dr. Chang's application, bio and archived videos from the public panels can be found here.

Tommy Chang is the Local Instructional Superintendent, Intensive Support & Innovation Center (ISIC) at the Los Angeles Unified School District where he oversees 135 schools and approximately 95,000 students.  Chang is charged with managing LAUSD’s best thinking and resources in schools doing the most challenging and innovative work.

Chang previously served as special assistant to the superintendent of LAUSD. He is a former teacher and principal. He holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Loyola Marymount University, M.Ed. from the Principals Leadership Institute and Teachers Education Program at UCLA and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. 

MAYOR WALSH AND BOSTON MAIN STREETS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE INNOVATION AND IMPACT GRANTS

MAYOR WALSH AND BOSTON MAIN STREETS FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE INNOVATION AND IMPACT GRANTS

BOSTON - March 3, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today thanked the Boston Main Streets Foundation (BMSF) for awarding a total of $22,500 to five Boston Main Streets Districts. Through these grants, BMSF, which provides fundraising and additional funding to Boston’s Main Streets districts, will support a range of projects, including an art and music series, streetscape beautification, commercial district wayfinding signage, place making, and winter programming activities. The five Innovation and Impact Grants provide direct funding of up to $5,000 to innovative proposals that create new or enhanced programming, services, or partnership opportunities in Boston’s Main Streets districts. This is the fourth round of grants; a fifth round is scheduled for Spring 2015.

“The Boston Main Streets Foundation is tireless in helping support Boston’s small and local businesses,” Mayor Walsh said.  “Last year, I challenged the Foundation to double their fundraising goal from $250,000 thousand to $500,000.  Not only did they get it done, but they are now putting the funds directly into the Main Streets districts in meaningful ways.  After this challenging winter, it is more important than ever to support small and local businesses, and I am glad that we have such a strong partner in the Boston Main Streets Foundation.”

The grants were awarded to five Main Street districts:

• Egleston Square Main Street’s grant will help revitalize its open spaces, drawing shoppers into the business district by programming a monthly Arts & Music Series in the Egleston Square Peace Garden. The series will highlight the diverse mix of local musicians from Mozambique, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Ethiopia and Hip Hop artists who live in Roxbury while promoting an equally diverse mix of shops and restaurants in the Square.

• St. Mark’s Area Main Street in Dorchester will create several design improvements in the district this spring. These will include increasing public art throughout the district, providing more seating and public gathering spaces, adding planters and plants in high-visibility areas, and installing metal “St. Mark’s Area Main Street” signs on lamp posts to better identify the business district.  

• Hyde Park Main Street’s grant will help the district to install attractive wayfinding signage around the commercial district. In addition to helping visitors and residents with directions, the signage will enhance the overall feel of the community center.

• As the first section of a two-part grant, Chinatown Main Street’s grant will generate an RFP to hire a technology consultant to undertake a feasibility study, create a design concept, and explore site locations for an Integrated Outdoor Digital / Wi-Fi Kiosk in Chinatown.

• Roslindale Village Main Street’s grant will provide winter programming activities and events at the Roslindale Village Main Street’s Winter Farmers’ Market and at the Roslindale Public Library on Saturdays during the winter. This grant was awarded because Roslindale Village businesses are eager to see more programming and activities in Roslindale Village that can draw shoppers during the quiet, post-holiday winter season when foot traffic is at its lowest.

Since 2013, BMSF has awarded 30 Innovation and Impact Grants, totaling $175,000.

"The Boston Main Streets Foundation remains committed to its support of local Boston
Main Streets organizations with the announcement of this fourth round of Innovation & Impact Grant awards," said BMSF Board President Joel Sklar. "This continues to be made possible thanks to the generous support provided by our Foundation investors and Board Members, and their understanding of the importance of investing in Boston's neighborhoods and small businesses."

As part of his first budget ever, Mayor Walsh increased funding to the city’s Main Streets districts by 30 percent in order to better support local and small businesses, and has more than doubled funding for the City’s programs for on-site business consulting.  

Established in 1995, Boston Main Streets is a program of the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), the City agency charged with expanding affordable home ownership opportunities, and directly supporting Boston’s neighborhood business districts.

MAYOR WALSH JOINS BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ANNOUNCING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GAVIN FOUNDATION AND UMASS BOSTON

MAYOR WALSH JOINS BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ANNOUNCING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GAVIN FOUNDATION AND UMASS BOSTON

Curriculum for Boston Public Middle Schools Will Focus on Drug and Alcohol Prevention

BOSTON— Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined Boston Public Schools in announcing a partnership with the Gavin Foundation and UMass Boston to pilot Too Good for Drugs, a new school-based drug prevention program designed to reduce the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs. This pilot program will be installed in seventh grade courses to promote positive social skills and character. Yesterday, the program was introduced at the McCormack Middle School in Dorchester for the first time. 

 

“This program’s aim is to address prevention of drug and alcohol use through our schools,” said Mayor Walsh. “The curriculum will include good decision-making, resisting peer pressure, and cultivating healthy communication and relationships with others. It emphasizes the pertinent information Boston youth will need to understand the negative consequences of alcohol and drug use.”

"We are pleased and honored to be partnering with the University of Massachusetts Boston and The Gavin Foundation to bring this unique program to the McCormack Middle School," said Interim Superintendent John McDonough. "Our commitment to substance abuse education and prevention is unwavering; a middle school program of this caliber, funded and cultivated by our community partners, is the next, right step in our investment in our youth."

“The University of Massachusetts Boston is proud to partner with Mayor Walsh, the city of Boston, and the Gavin House on this important issue,” said Chancellor J. Keith Motley. “Sadly, now more than ever school-based drug-prevention programs are a necessity. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 people with addiction started using substances before they turned 18. We hope that by focusing on adolescents before they are exposed to drugs and alcohol, we can diminish the risk of addiction, and increase the likelihood of success in school and in college.” 

“The Gavin Foundation is honored to be collaborating with UMass Boston and BPS on such an important initiative as Too Good For Drugs,” President and CEO John P. McGahan said. “This is just another example of Mayor Walsh's commitment to addressing substance abuse use through prevention as well as treatment and recovery support.”

The curriculum is based upon 10 one-hour sessions with professionals who have been trained by the Mendez Foundation. It meets the requirements for mandated school health courses and the standards of the Boston Public Schools’ Focus on Children. The curriculum consists of 14 core lessons and an additional 12 lessons that can be infused into other subject areas (such as English, Science, and Social Studies). Students engage in role-play and cooperative learning activities and are encouraged to apply the skills to different contexts.

Mayor Walsh Welcomes 2015 ONEin3 Council

Mayor Walsh Welcomes 2015 ONEin3 Council

Members poised to inspire civic leadership among Boston’s young adults

BOSTON – On Monday, Mayor Martin J. Walsh welcomed the newly selected Mayor's ONEin3 Council to City Hall. The diverse 37-member group will spend the next 12 months working with the City on projects aimed at maximizing the talents of Boston's 20-34 year old demographic, which is one third of the City's total population.  

“In Boston, we have the highest proportion of young adults of any major U.S city,” said Mayor Walsh. “The ONEin3 council selection serves as an annual reminder that this demographic comprises some of the city’s most civic minded citizens. By making Boston a more inviting place to live, work, and play, ONEin3 will help these innovators, opinion leaders, and entrepreneurs move on to become civically engaged residents and neighbors.”

The Mayor’s ONEin3 Council, which is supported by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, serves as a direct link between young adults and city officials. The Council is an action-oriented group tasked with brainstorming, creating, and carrying out projects that directly impact the lives of Boston's 20-34 year-olds. Projects may include work on housing policy, professional development, economic development, and civic and neighborhood engagement.

The ONEin3 Council received more than 320 applications this year, showing a sustained interest in involvement and engagement among Boston’s young adults. The applications were reviewed by members of the applicants’ peers and ONEin3 program manager, Chloe Ryan. Those chosen distinguished themselves as leaders in their neighborhoods and in the community.

The 2015 ONEin3 Council is comprised of 37 Boston residents, who live in 20 different neighborhoods across Boston.  Collectively, the group works in 20 unique industries, from education to construction management, and received degrees from 30 higher education institutions.  Approximately half of the group is native to Boston, while half grew up in other cities, including several from the Mid-West and West Coast. The Council is set to meet monthly.

Launched in 2004, ONEin3 connects Boston’s young adult population with resources related to housing, professional development, financial health, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. The program also works to connect young adults, including college students, to resources that help them put down roots in the city.

Members of the 2015 ONEin3 Council are:

Kevin Becerra, Dorchester

Leland Berman, Beacon Hill

Emma Blaxter, Jamaica Plain

Nicola Braginsky, Fenway/Kenmore

Diana Brennan, Beacon Hill

Alessandra Brown, Hyde Park

David Brown, West Roxbury

Jessica DesCarles, Dorchester

Andrew Destefano, East Boston

Max Egan, Back Bay

Jessica Frattaroli, North End

Dave Falvey, South Boston

Christine Galatis, Roslindale

Cristina Garmendia, Allston

Reynolds Graves, Roxbury

Karleen Herbst, South Boston

Liam Hoare, East Boston

Chu Huang, South End

John Hynes, Fort Point

Jasmin Johansen, Mattapan

Senam Kumahia, Back Bay

Michael Landry, South End

Kevin Liang, West End

Marlena Love, South End

Cara Matthews, Roxbury

Benji Moll, Back Bay

Tyler Murphy, Downtown

Ruth Nkemontoh, Brighton

Anthony Richards, Dorchester

Nicole Rodriguez, Roslindale

Christopher Rusk, West Roxbury

Ken Ryan, South Boston

Rachel Spekman, Dorchester

Ryan Walsh, South Boston

Donald Washington, Hyde Park

Adam Weisman, Back Bay

One Greenway 3/30 起接受申請

Owned and Developed by:        Proudly Managed by:   HOUSING APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE: March 30, 2015 through April 24, 2015 Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday 10AM - 2PM Tuesday 4PM - 8PM  In person at: Oak Terrace Apartments 888 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111 Sign up online at: www.onegreenwayaffordable.com  By telephone:  617-209-5407 | US Relay 711 Application deadlines: 5 PM in person Monday, April 27, 2015 or if by mail, postmarked Monday April 27, 2015 addressed to Oak Terrace Apartments 888 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111 For most recent updates and/ or to sign up online: www.onegreenwayaffordable.com or call 617-209-5407 | US Relay 711 Stay Connected