4/20起 波士頓市交通停車相關規定恢復正常

 

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES TOWING FOR STREET CLEANING TO RESUME CITYWIDE; TICKET AMNESTY PROGRAM TO EXPIRE; OTHER PARKING ENFORCEMENT UPDATES

 

BOSTON - Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - Mayor Janey today announced that the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) has updated parking enforcement regulations in the City of Boston. Starting Tuesday, April 20, parking enforcement will return citywide, including towing during posted street sweeping and for parking in spaces without an appropriate resident sticker. Also, BTD will not be ticketing residents with an expired inspection sticker until May 31.  Additionally, on April 20, the Boston Transportation Department’s ticket amnesty for healthcare workers will expire. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, BTD announced that healthcare workers could have non-public safety violations dismissed upon appeal if the ticket was received while working. The intent of the program was to assist local healthcare workers as they dealt with the public health emergency. The City of Boston and its municipal partners in Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville will continue to offer all essential workers in metro Boston a free 90-day pass for the public bike share system, Bluebikes. More information is available at boston.gov/bike-share. “As we continue to plan our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, I am grateful to all of our residents for their cooperation in following our parking enforcement,” said Mayor Janey. “As warmer weather comes, it’s important that we take the necessary steps to keep our streets clean.” “We are grateful that the City of Boston was able to provide extra support to residents and healthcare workers during this unprecedented time,” said Commissioner Greg Rooney. “Residents should be advised that we are beginning to return to normal operations and they should follow all posted parking regulations.”  The following parking regulations remain in effect in the City of Boston: RESIDENT PARKING AT METERS Boston residents with resident parking permits will continue to be allowed to park at meters within their neighborhood without having to abide by the time limits or pay the meter. DISABILITY PLACARDS BTD will resume ticketing for expired disability placards/plates starting on May 31. The Registry of Motor Vehicles is only processing requests for disability placards/plates by mail.  To view a complete list of parking codes and fines in the City of Boston, residents can visit here or call 311. The Boston Transportation Department will continue to evaluate additional parking enforcement changes throughout the phased reopening. For more information, please visit boston.gov/transportation.

Boston Chamber Announces Addition of Greylock Federal to Pacesetters

 Boston Chamber Announces Addition of Greylock Federal to Pacesetters

Introduced by Massachusetts Business Roundtable, Greylock Commits to Using Its Purchasing Power to Help Close the Racial Wealth Gap

 

Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts Business Roundtable (MBR), and Greylock Federal Credit Union are proud to announce Greylock Federal Credit Union as a Signatory in the Chamber’s Pacesetters program. Pacesetters, a signature program in the Chamber’s Economic Opportunity portfolio, utilizes procurement as an equity tool to advance systemic and economic opportunity across the Commonwealth of MA by focusing on access to contracts for Massachusetts-based minority-owned enterprises.

 

By increasing spend with businesses of color across the state, Pacesetter companies and anchor institutions use their procurement purchasing power to collectively close the racial wealth gap. A strategic partner in the work to create systemic opportunity, MBR joined Pacesetters during the program’s statewide expansion in Fall 2020 along with an array of business partners. MBR’s robust conversation with their member base helped to elevate the visibility of the Pacesetters program and explain the powerful impact that is possible when businesses commit to equity as a collective front. Through their MBR membership, Greylock Federal Credit Union enthusiastically joined Pacesetters to use their procurement power to partner with minority business enterprises in their local region and across the state.

 

“Pacesetters is a stronger program with the addition of Greylock Federal Credit Union joining the pool of buyers. During our statewide expansion, envisioning a new business economy that prioritizes inclusivity and champions economic opportunity meant reaching out to our business partners to strategize on a larger scale. I’m grateful to JD Chesloff and the Massachusetts Business Roundtable for their partnership in this important work. MBR introduced Greylock to Pacesetters, acting as a true partner in closing the state’s racial wealth gap,” said James E. Rooney, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.

 

By joining the Pacesetters program, Greylock Federal Credit Union commits to increasing spend with local and state businesses of color year over year for five years.

“This initiative falls squarely within our long-term commitment to what Greylock calls IDEA: inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility,” said Greylock CEO and President, John L. Bissell. “Improving the inclusiveness of our purchasing practices is one of many ways we can help close the racial wealth gap and promote real change in the way our economy distributes resources and power.”

 

“The disparity in awarding contracts to businesses of color is a statewide issue but also a statewide opportunity,” said JD Chesloff, President and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable. “By engaging with employers and expanding Pacesetters’ reach to all regions across the Commonwealth, like Greylock Federal in the Berkshires, we are raising awareness and increasing connections that we hope will create greater access for minority-owned business enterprises to secure contracts with major employers in Massachusetts. We thank the Greater Boston Chamber for their leadership of the Pacesetters program, and John Bissell and Greylock Federal for their steadfast commitment to racial equity.”

 

The Pacesetters program is supported by Presenting Sponsors Eastern Bank and John Hancock.

 

Participating Pacesetters

• Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
• Berkshire Bank
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
• Boston Children’s Hospital
• Boston Red Sox
• Burns & Levinson, LLP
• Citizens Bank
• Comcast
• DentaQuest
• Eastern Bank
• Emerson College
• Encore Boston Harbor
• Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
• Fidelity
• Gilbane
• IPG DXTRA brands including Weber Shandwick and Jack Morton
• John Hancock
• Liberty Mutual Insurance
• Mass General Brigham
• National Grid
• Northeastern University
• Nutter McClennen & Fish
• P&G Gillette
• State Street Corp.
• Tufts Health Plan
• University of Massachusetts
• Verizon
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Participating Pacesetter Signatories

• Greylock Federal Credit Union
• MassDevelopment
• McKinsey & Co. (Boston Office)

Participating Business Associations

• Alliance for Business Leadership
• Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio)
• Massachusetts Business Roundtable (MBR)
• Massachusetts Competitive Partnership
• NAIOP Massachusetts, The Commercial Real Estate Development Association
• Western Mass Economic Development Council

Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

市長候選人群起圍攻 Kim Janey回應將公佈警察內部檔案以示透明

波士頓是代市長Kim Janey。(檔案照片) (Boston Orange 編譯)波士頓代市長Kim Janey今(12)日下午6點發出聲明，強調她要讓市政府的每個角落都透明，負責，已指示市府法律部門，立即檢視前警察Patrick Rose的內部事務檔案，做必要修改，以保護受害者資訊，然後盡快公開檔案。 她表示，任何可能洩漏性攻擊或家庭暴力案件受害者身分的資訊，都必須重新撰寫，以符合法律規定。不過市府也同樣有義務要確保透明的面對公眾，因為扣押資訊只會破壞公眾信任。 她說，「我已經要求儘快檢視，重寫事件發生經過，以便檔案可向大眾公開」。 Kim Janey表示，波士頓警察局自己的內部調查都認為1995年的嚴重指控是可信，卻竟然沒人阻止Rose和其他青少年接觸，而且Rose還能獲准在警局繼續任職超過20年，甚至最後領導巡警組，讓人覺得很莫名其妙，深感不安。 波士頓環球報稱，Kim Janey是在一群波士頓市議員，市長候選人，以及麻州國會議員都強烈施壓，要求獨立調查，並說明波士頓警察局是如何處理這宗陳年舊案後，才決定公開檔案。 波士頓環球報在週六晚刊發報導，稱波士頓警察局在1995年以性虐待的刑事罪，控告Rose。但該控訴後來撤銷了，檢控官現在說，Rose逼使一名12歲男孩撤銷控訴。另外的一宗波士頓警察局行政調查，後來決定Rose很可能犯了罪。 在波士頓環球報這故事上網一日後，波士頓市議員們星期日發表了一份聯合聲明，要求對波士頓警察局如何處理這宗1995年案件，徹底問責，並誓言要使用包括市議員的能力的每一樣可用工具，來逼使市府公佈紀錄，以確保這是件的透明度，並建立安全保護，避免類似事情發生的任何可能。 波士頓市長候選人Andrea Campbell說，持續的缺乏透明度與問責制是不可接受的。每延遲一分鐘，就是進一步破壞公眾信任，否決了受害者應享有的正義。 同樣在競選市長的吳弭(Michelle Wu)稱這情形是”可怕的破壞公眾信任，而且持續到今天，還有(Kim Janey)政府拒絕公開內部事務記錄。 另一名波士頓市長候選人Annissa Essaibi George在社交媒體上說，”這掩蓋文化必須為過去”。 麻州國會議員也支持要求獨立調查的呼籲。普莉斯萊說，這是侵犯公眾信任的警鐘。社區都稱波士頓警察局的內部事務，經常都不追究，沒後果，沒責任。 麻州參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)表示，人們需要透明及問責來從系統中根除不正義。 去年夏天Rose被逮捕，目前因性虐待6名7歲到16歲男孩的33宗控罪，羈押在囚。其中一名男童告訴警察，Rose在1995年虐待他。波士頓警察局拒絕說Rose是否受到紀律懲罰，但波士頓環球報的調查發現，該部門在那控訴之後，幾乎沒採取任何措施來限制Rose和其他孩童的接觸。 Rose擔任巡警20多年，2014年時當選波士頓市最有力量的巡警工會會長，並連任至2018年初退休。             Kim Janey表示，她的政府正在加倍努力進行警察改革，並成立在有必要時有權發傳票要求公開記錄之外，有權檢視所有內部事務檔案的警察問責及透明辦公室(OPAT)。             波士頓市府為聘請OPAT執行主任，正在完成聘僱條款，市府的2022會計年度預算，將包括支持這辦公室成立的一大筆款項。她將在未來數日宣佈誰是OPAT主任，並會訂出成立OPAT辦公室的資金及資源計畫大綱，在週三時和2022會計年度預算一併公佈。 Statement from Mayor Kim Janey on Former Boston Police Officer Patrick Rose

 

As I have stated previously, my administration has pledged to bring a new era of transparency and accountability to all corners of city government. I have instructed the City’s Law Department, as counsel for the Boston Police Department, to immediately review former police officer Patrick Rose’s internal affairs file. In keeping with the law, any information that could compromise the identities of victims of sexual assault and domestic violence must be redacted. However, we have an equally compelling obligation to ensure transparency with the public because withholding information only serves to erode the public’s trust. I have asked that the review and redaction happen as quickly as possible so that the file can be released to the public. It is baffling that officer Rose was allowed to remain on the force for over two decades and ultimately led the patrolmen’s union. I was deeply disturbed to learn that there was no effort to prevent Rose from coming into contact with other minors after such serious charges were found to be credible by BPD’s own internal affairs probe of the original allegations in 1995. Transparency and accountability are foundational values when it comes to fostering public trust, and this is especially true for law enforcement. That is exactly why my administration is doubling down on our work to implement police reform and to stand up Boston’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency (OPAT). OPAT will have the authority to review all internal affairs cases, in addition to holding subpoena power to compel the release of records and enhance accountability when necessary. We are in the process of finalizing an offer to hire an executive director to lead the critical work of OPAT, and our upcoming budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2022 includes significant funding to successfully launch this office. I look forward to announcing the executive director of OPAT in the coming days, and we will outline our plan for funding and resources to support the establishment of OPAT when we release our FY22 budget proposal on Wednesday.

新冠病毒確診人數 麻州排全美第15名

 

麻州州長疫情匯報 4/12 本週內200萬人完成疫苗接種

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)感嘆無法確定能拿到多少強生疫苗。

(Boston Orange 綜合編譯)本週內，麻州將有200萬人完成疫苗接種，到4月19日時，州內所有16歲以上居民都有資格接種新冠疫苗，到5月31日國殤日時，相信麻州內的絕大多數人都已接種了新冠疫苗。

              由於巴爾的摩(Baltimore)疫苗生產廠上週發生汙染狀況，強生(J&J)疫苗的供應量將下跌85%。聯邦疾病防治局公佈的資料顯示，麻州本週會收到的強生疫苗數量，將從上週的103,800劑，驟降至12,300劑。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)，副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)和健康及人民服務長蘇德思Marylou Sudders今(12)日參訪屋斯特家庭健康中心(Family Health Center of Worcester)，匯報新冠病毒疫情概況，口頭慶祝醫療健保法通過15週年，醫療聯繫者(Healthcare Connector)得以設立，幫助了數以萬計的麻州居民。

麻州副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)感謝屋斯特的醫療相關機構。

查理貝克簡報4月11日的疫情數據時，強調在全美人口500萬以上的大州中，麻州仍是防疫及施打疫苗成績最佳的州之一。整個防疫工程的關鍵在於聯邦政府的防疫指導原則，麻州能夠拿到多少疫苗，並多迅速的為民眾施打疫苗，然後是觀察變種病毒的擴散狀況。

他個人希望麻州能拿到更多只須施打一劑的強生疫苗，因為和必須施打兩劑的輝瑞(Pfizer)和莫德納(Moderna)相比，不但施打疫苗流程少了一半，而且完成疫苗施打的時間，可從6星期降至2星期，還有疫苗的儲存或運送，不須做超低溫安排，省事很多。

麻州健康及人民服務長Marylou Sudders表示今天還是實施接觸追蹤
一週年紀念。該做法為59萬人提供了隔離檢疫服務。

查理貝克強調，麻州有能力更快速的為更多民眾施打疫苗，關鍵是供應量不足也不穩定，讓麻州難以辦理更有效率的施打疫苗計畫。

聯邦疾病防治中心目前的做法，更偏好直接分發疫苗給地方零售藥店，所以民眾可能會直接從他們的家庭醫師或醫護人員那而得到去CVS等藥店，或是地方上的社區醫療中心等地接種疫苗的通知。查理貝克表示，他對聯邦政府怎麼做並無意見，重要的是麻州居民都能接種疫苗。

查理貝克並指出，今日是麻州醫療聯繫者(Massachusetts Health Connector)法案通過的15週年，該法使得麻州成為全美居民醫療保險享有率最高的州，大約97%。

麻州醫療聯繫者主任Louis Gutierrez呼籲需要醫療保險者，上該機構
網站查找資料。

麻州醫療聯繫者主任Louis Gutierrez表示，由於聯邦政府通過了聯邦援救法(federal rescue act)，現在是登記參加醫療保險的最好時候，有意獲得醫療保險者可在7月24日前上該機構網站www.healthcareconnector.org。凡是在今年內失業的人，7月份起，可獲得免費醫療保險。

屋斯特家庭醫療中心執行長Louis Brady 。

昆士市政要出面呼籲停止仇恨亞裔 (圖片)

 

波士頓市長候選人吳弭拜會華埠商家 聆聽傾訴 (圖片)

 

麻州青少年創作"We Are Proud to be Asian" 呼籲和平別沉默

青少年演唱"We are proud to be Asian"。
(視頻截圖)

      (Boston Orange 綜合編譯報導) 14歲青少年的一首歌，「我們以身為亞裔為榮(We are proud to be Asian)」，4月9日上了”油管(Youtube)”，歌詞句句直戳亞裔心聲，不到2日，已有3500人次觀看。

                 這首歌，音韻柔和，歌詞既提出”我們生於同一星球，為什麼要依樣貌歧視?”，”為什麼我們得每天生活在恐懼之中”的質疑，也強調”停止仇恨，推動和平”，”保持安靜不是選項”，”我們要今天就見到改變”，”我們是一起在經歷這些”。

田雨鑫創作了"We are proud to be Asian"這首歌。
(視頻截圖)

            3月16日亞特蘭大發生槍擊案，遇害者中有6人為亞裔。勒星頓鎮華人日前為這事舉行了燭光悼念會。住在勒星頓(Lexington)鎮，才14歲的田雨鑫，那天當志工，第一次看到那麼多華人同胞，洋人鄰居同時站了出來，感觸良深，回家後拿起吉他，筆記本，坐在睡房門前，彈出了樂章，填出了詞。

                 年紀還小，正在音樂這條路上邁步的她，完成”我們以身為亞裔為榮”這首歌後，拿出手機，拍下自己演唱這首歌的視頻，然後連同樂譜，一起交給她母親，就上床去睡了。

             她媽媽當晚就和朋友分享了女兒的作品，看到，聽到的人都興奮極了，立即推動出製作計畫，緊接著在2星期之內，指導田雨鑫學音樂的柏克萊(Berklee)音樂學院教師Edvard Lee就製作出一輯音樂視頻，安排了田雨鑫媽媽從大波士頓個市鎮找來的18名青少年合唱。

             現年39歲的Edvard Lee說，整件事發生得好快。先是田雨鑫拿樂譜去找他後，接著他和田雨鑫的媽媽聊了一下，那個週末，他們就開始為這音樂專輯錄音和拍影片了。

             田雨鑫的媽媽經由勒星頓華人協會協助，找來18名青少年參加音樂專輯製作。Edvard Lee還找來東北大學畢業的彭雅嵐做導演和剪輯，製片，雖然因為新冠病毒(COVID-19)疫情，參加演出的青少年們得單獨，或分成小組來錄製，但一個星期，他們就把這音樂專輯做出來了。田雨鑫說，整個製作過程感覺起來好”超現實”。

             田雨鑫告訴波士頓環球報，她寫的這首歌，”我們以身為亞裔為榮”，將於4月11日下午4點在波士頓廣場舉行的又一場抗議反亞裔仇恨集會中正式出場。

麻州新冠病毒變種有三 英國，巴西，南非致命率、傳染性都更高

             (Boston Orange 編譯)新冠病毒(COVID-19)變種，三個月前就已經在麻州出現，還悄悄散佈，如今已經至少有英國，巴西，南非等來自三個不同地方的變種新冠病毒了。

             編號B.117這變種，來自英國。聯邦疾病防治中心(CDC)說這一新冠病毒變種目前在美國最普遍，從1月17日迄今，麻州也有數百宗案例。

             P.1變種來自巴西，最近在鱈魚角發生的集體感染，就是來自巴西。

             B.1.351這新冠病毒變種來自南非，也出現在麻州了。

             流行病學家說，變種病毒傳染性更強，致命率更高，個案數增加令人憂慮。相信這些變種病毒的出現是麻州疫情個案又再升高的原因之一。

             至於麻州內已經越來越多人注射了新冠疫苗，人們對這些變種病毒到底應該有多憂慮，專家說實在很難說。

             聯邦疾病防治中心的數據稱，麻州發現了977宗英國變種新冠病毒，82宗巴西變種病毒，12宗南非變種病毒。

        令人擔心的是，麻州水資源局還在鹿島廢水處理廠發現英國變種的蹤跡。劍橋市的生物機器人分析公司(Biobot Analytics)也在水樣本中發現這傳染性比新冠病毒強60%，致命率高67%的英國病毒變種。

               聯邦疾病防治中心今年初還因為追蹤病毒變種散佈情況不利，備受指責，最近在聯邦紓困款撥17.5億元來做基因測序的支持下，已有大幅度改善。

           哈佛大學陳曾熙公共衛生學院助理教授Thomas Tsai表示，檢測變種還需要更有系統，更密集，仔細的檢驗。包括英國，南非及巴西的新冠病毒變種，都已經在美國散佈開來了，人們需要持續小心防範病毒傳染。

哈佛今秋錄取1968名學生 亞裔佔27%

             (Boston Orange)哈佛大學剛剛發出1223份入學許可給照正常時序申請入學的2025屆學生，包括那些提早錄取的人在內，今年共錄取1968人。

             哈佛大學的2025屆，共有57,435人申請，比2024那屆的40248人，多了整整17,000多，也就是申請人數增加了43%，錄取率當然就更低了。以族裔結構來看，更加多元化了，約有18%為非洲裔美人或黑人，27.2%為亞裔，13.3%為拉丁裔，1.2%為美國土著，0.6%為夏威夷土著。女生佔52.9%。

             哈佛大學入學許可及財務援助主管William R. Fitzsimmons表示，所有申請人都得克服前所未有的挑戰。學生們的申請文件及個人故事，讓人得以一窺他們的韌性，才智上的好奇心，以及他們對各自家庭，學校及社區所有的貢獻，都很勵志。

             哈佛文理學院主管Glaudine Gay表示，儘管有許多學生今秋延期入學，但哈佛大學選擇照每屆學生人數全額錄取。

             哈佛錄取的這2025屆學生來自全美50州，哥倫比亞特區，波多黎各，處女島等地，以及全球94個國家。其中國際學生佔12.2%，有美國雙重國籍的佔8.8%。大約20.4%來自中部大西洋各州，19.8%來自南部，16.4%來自新英格蘭地區，17%來自西部及山區各州，11.9%來自中西部，14.5%來自美國屬地及外國。

             根據預估，這些獲得入學許可的學生中，有55%會拿到以需要為基礎的補助金，讓他們的父母每年只要付12,000元左右。另有年收入低於65,000元的20%家庭，哈佛大學不會要他們繳學費。這些學生還會得到2000元贈款，幫助他們支付上學要應付得搬家等費用。

             約27%學生，家庭年收入低於8萬元，有資格獲得哈佛大學的財務援助(HFAI)。

             從2005年迄今，哈佛大學共發出24億美元補助大學本科生就學。

            沒有拿到以需求為基礎補助的學生，2021-2022這學年的學費，漲了3%，約為74,528元。         

             去年哈佛宣布會擴大財務援助，從2020到2021學年開始，把需要暑期打工的補助改成了獎學金。由於新冠病毒疫情的影響，哈佛今年廢除了領取2020-2021學年財務補助者要打工的要求。今秋回校上課的學生，估計得經由學期打工，繳交3500元來支付估計的個人開銷。

             收到錄取通知學生，最後決定是否進哈佛的截止日期是5月3日。

波士頓市府移民進步辦公室每月提供兩次免費移民諮詢

       (Boston Orange)波士頓移民進步辦公室(MOIA)每月的第一及第三個星期三的中午12點至下午3點，提供免費移民諮詢，預約可洽617-635-2980，或發電郵到immigrantadvancement@boston.gov。

             查詢更多資訊，可上網http://ow.ly/1qMo50DBzok。需要移民律師，或洽詢出門事宜?可電洽617-635-2980 ，或發電郵immigrantadvancement@boston.gov。

      If you need immigration advice, the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement - Bostonoffers free immigration consultations on the first and third Wednesday of every month from 12 - 3 p.m. Call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov to make an appointment.Learn more: http://ow.ly/1qMo50DBzok

Need an immigration lawyer? Call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov to book a free immigration consultation today.

Do you need a travel lawyer? Call 617-635-2980 or email immigrantadvancement@boston.gov to book your travel advisory appointment today.