State Public Health Officials Announce Season’s First EEE-Positive Mosquito Sample
Residents urged to use bug spray when outdoors
BOSTON (July 23, 2025) – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced that Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Massachusetts for the first time this year. The presence of EEE was confirmed in a mosquito sample collected on July 21 in the town of Belchertown in Hampshire County.
“This is around the time we would expect to find EEE in mosquitoes in Massachusetts, especially after an active EEE season last year with four recorded human cases,” said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD. “This is only a first finding and mosquito surveillance will be key to tracking any developing areas of increasing risk. Today’s finding is an important reminder for residents to take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites.”
EEE is a rare but serious and potentially fatal disease that can affect people of all ages. EEE is generally spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. There were four human cases of EEE in Massachusetts in 2024 with one death. There were also four EEE-infected horse cases last year. No human or animal cases of EEE have been detected so far this year.
“EEE activity in Massachusetts tends to occur in outbreak cycles,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Catherine M. Brown. “When EEE is found in mosquitoes at this point in the season, the risk may increase throughout the rest of the summer. We rely on our mosquito surveillance program to monitor for the presence of virus to let people know when and where the risk is occurring.”
Avoid Mosquito Bites Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with an EPA-registered ingredient (DEET (N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or IR3535) according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30 percent or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.
Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours. The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during the evening or early morning in areas of high risk.
Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites. Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.
Mosquito-Proof Your Home Drain Standing Water. Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools and change the water in birdbaths frequently.
Install or Repair Screens. Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly fitting screens on all your windows and doors.
Protect Your Animals Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas. Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Owners should also speak with their veterinarian about mosquito repellents approved for use in animals and vaccinations to prevent WNV and EEE. If an animal is suspected of having WNV or EEE, owners are required to report to the Department of Agricultural Resources, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795, and to the Department of Public Health by calling 617-983-6800.
Learn more about mosquito-borne diseases, including all WNV- and EEE-positive results on DPH’s Arbovirus Surveillance Information page, which is updated daily, or by calling the DPH Division of Epidemiology at 617-983-6800. |
星期三, 7月 23, 2025
State Public Health Officials Announce Season’s First EEE-Positive Mosquito Sample
第三屆波士頓國際音樂大賽共52人贏得金銀銅獎
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| 第三屆波士頓國際音樂大賽頒獎後合影。（周菊子攝） |
(Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導) 第三屆波士頓國際音樂大賽 (BIMC) 7月20日下午2點在麻州勒星頓鎮（Lexington）的Cary Hall音廳，頒發金銀銅獎，以及最佳舞台表現，傑出成就，優異成就，榮譽獎，其中18名獲獎者還應邀在音樂會中表演。
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| BIMC大賽主席James O’Dell（左）和創辦人朱鴻發言。（周菊子攝） |
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| 朱鴻親自頒獎給Teddy Edgar。（周菊子攝） |
波士頓國際音樂大賽分聲樂、鋼琴、弦樂器，其他樂器等4類，參賽者還依年齡從5歲到30歲，分ABCD組。
今年的金獎得主有15人。聲樂組5人，Freddy Zhang(A)，Alicia Chen (B)，Abby Abigail Bernard (B)，Beatrice Cole (C)，Sofia Shkidchenko (D2)。鋼琴組4人，Leyun Liu (A)，Tiffany Shen (B)，Dingning Li (C)，Yijia Guo (D2)。弦樂器組3人，Jibin Yoon (A)，Mengqi Wang (B)，Samuel Geho (C)。其他樂器3人，Jingyi Zhou （A）豎琴，Ziyu Zhou（Ｂ）套鼓，Yun-Chen Chou (D2)馬林巴琴。
Sophia Shkidchenko的唱腔，又一次贏得滿堂彩。（周菊子攝）
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| Milo Yuxuan Bai演唱「瘋狂」。（周菊子攝） |
銅獎得主20人，其中聲樂7人，鋼琴5人，弦樂器3人，其他樂器5人。
共有52人贏得金銀銅獎。
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| 也是歌唱家的醫師吳浩，曾是歌星的方柳君，這天都在觀眾席中。（周菊子攝） |
獲得傑出成就獎的共59人，其中聲樂26人，鋼琴10人，弦樂器4人，其他樂器19人。或優異成就獎的共64人，其中聲樂22人，鋼琴17人，弦樂器8人，其他樂器17人。
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| 李建生（右五起），周雄偉，張伯科，孔學軍這天和朋友們應邀出席。（周菊子攝） |
獲得榮譽獎的共25人，其中聲樂9人，鋼琴6人，弦樂器4人，其他樂器6人。
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| 正式開場前，一位小朋友表演經債鼓技（周菊子攝） |
這18人表演了歌唱，拉小提琴，彈鋼琴，揚琴，吹單簧管等，還有雲音樂團以大提琴，豎琴，阮琴和揚琴表演了一曲五重奏「悄然」。
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| 司儀王曉梅和搭檔。（周菊子攝） |
大賽創辦人朱鴻在頒獎時，特地邀請贊助商，合作夥伴，以及嘉賓李建生博士等人上台，一起頒獎。
這天除了十幾位資深評委，音樂家現場助陣，還有不少嘉賓特地出席致意，包括格萊美評委著名鋼琴家阿坦教授，曾獲格萊美獎提名的小提琴家本杰蘇教授，亞美聯誼會創辦人甄雲龍，波士頓國際電影節主席帕克，花腔女高音歌唱家廉艷，音樂製作經紀公司總監華森，資深企業家及投資家奧森，投資家周雄偉，遠從中國返回波士頓的企業家張伯科，哈佛醫學院麾下自閉症專家孔學君等人。
Alexandra Roman演唱「馬戲之王」劇中的「一百萬個夢想」。（周菊子攝）
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| 聲樂表演。（周菊子攝） |
主辦單位華悅音樂（WeStar Music）和BIMC大賽組委會訂8月16日為“波士頓國際華語歌曲大賽”舉辦決賽，8月17日在Cary Hall舉辦音樂會暨頒獎典禮。（更新版）
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| 五重奏表演。（周菊子） |
Maria Perez is the new NORTH END, WEST END AND WHARF DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON
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Governor Healey Makes $5.7 Million Available for Emergency Response Programs to Support Staffing Needs
Governor Healey Makes $5.7 Million Available for Emergency Response Programs to Support Staffing Needs
BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey announced that $5.7 million will be made available on an expedited basis to support emergency responder staffing in eligible communities. The Massachusetts Municipal Public Safety Staffing Program will provide these funds to maintain public safety and emergency response services by helping to address police and/or fire department staffing shortfalls.
The program provides funds each year to support emergency response staffing in 10 communities that had a population of at least 60,000 on the 2010 Census and had a police department operating budget of less than $200 per capita in 2010. The communities that meet these criteria are Brockton, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Newton and Somerville. These municipalities determine whether to request funds for their police department, fire department or both. Applications are due by August 8 but will be reviewed as soon as they are received.
“Firefighters put their lives on the line every single day to keep us safe, and we need to have their backs and make sure they have the resources and support they need to do their jobs as safely as possible,” said Governor Healey. “This program comes at a critical time for our first responders, which is why I instructed our team to expedite this funding in order to provide immediate relief and keep our residents and communities safe.”
“Supporting our first responders is essential to fostering safer, more resilient communities across Massachusetts,” saidPublic Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “The expedited release of this funding reflects the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s strong commitment to public safety and to the cities and towns that depend on this critical funding. Thanks to the work of the Office of Grants and Research, we are ensuring that eligible police and fire departments have timely access to the staffing support they need to respond effectively and keep residents safe.”
Massachusetts Ranked Best Public Schools in the Country
Massachusetts Ranked Best Public Schools in the Country
Latest national ranking from WalletHub gives Massachusetts top marks for its test scores, quality and safety
BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll are celebrating that Massachusetts was recently ranked the best state school system in the country, citing the highest math and reading scores in the country and the general safety throughout Massachusetts schools. WalletHub compared state dynamics across 32 relevant metrics, including high school graduation rates, math test scores, reading test scores and overall safety.
Massachusetts was particularly praised for having the highest share of students in the country who received a score of three or higher on an AP exam, as well as ranking first in the nation in all core academic subjects this year. Additionally, Massachusetts was praised for the general safety of its schools.
“Massachusetts is home to America’s first public school and has always led the way when it comes to providing our students with the best education,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This recognition is a testament to the students, teachers, parents and staff who have invested their time and energy to help our schools succeed all across Massachusetts.”
“As a former chair of the Salem school committee, I know firsthand what it takes to make sure our students are getting the resources they need to thrive,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I am happy to see Massachusetts continue set an example on how to best support our students.”
“In Massachusetts, we are proud to support our public schools, educators and students because every student deserves a high-quality education – regardless of circumstance or zip code,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “We have made incredible progress in the last two and a half years, investing in record K-12 education funding, creating a nation-leading early literacy strategy and making universal school meals permanent. We’re going to continue to build on these efforts to help all students realize their dreams.”
“Massachusetts students benefit from wonderful educators and a steadfast commitment to investing in schools,” said Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Pedro Martinez. “This ranking is a point of pride, and we will continue to improve schools for all students.”
From day one, Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll have prioritized ensuring a high-quality education for students in Massachusetts, including:
Making universal free school meals permanent to provide cost free breakfast and lunch to students in Massachusetts, which has led to significant increases in participation and improvements in quality and locally sourced meals.
Investing the highest funding amount ever into the state’s public schools, including for FY 2026, $7.36 billion for local education aid, $675 million for special education and $140.6 million for education transportation.
Prioritizing early literacy and ensuring access to high-quality, evidence-based reading instruction through the creation of Literacy Launch: Reading Success from Age 3 through Grade 3 and a new $25.6 million investment in high dosage tutoring that will prioritize first graders.
Focusing on reimagining high school and investing $100 million to expand Career Technical Education program seats at high schools, adding 34 new early college partnerships and expanding Innovation Career Pathways to 82 more high schools, adding 132 additional workforce related pathways for students.
Subsidizing 57,552 AP exams for low-income students over the past two years, supporting continued gains of Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino students who take an AP exam, as well as last year seeing the state’s highest percentage ever of Massachusetts students scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam and the highest in the nation for the second year in a row.
Releasing joint guidance with the Attorney General’s Office on affirmative steps school districts can take to create school environments that are safe and inclusive for all students and prevent hate and bias incidents from occurring.
Developing an early education through higher education mental health framework to inform a statewide strategy for mental and behavioral health supports through the public education and licensed child care system.
Massachusetts has also recently been ranked the best state economy, most improved state for business, safest state, most environmentally-friendly state, number one state for innovation, health care, working moms and dads, and women, as well as the best state to live in, to have a baby, raise a family and retire.
星期二, 7月 22, 2025
麻州推出Business Front Door、Why Massachusetts.方案幫助企業做生意
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波克萊台商會野趣日 吃水煎包玩賓果認識新朋友
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| 波克萊台灣商會野趣日合影。（周菊子攝） |
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| 波克萊台灣商會幹事及前任會長、理事們，一起為野趣日分工合作。（周菊子攝） |
會長陳奕如這天一大早就率同財務組長李孟潔，活動組組長夏承賢，活動組員郭書妤，數位組長葉南谷，秘書長王嬿淑等多名幹部，趕到現場佈置，生爐燒烤雞翅，豬排，香腸。波士頓房東協會(BLA)創辦人潘樹仁一抵達，也立即響應號召，掌管起烤雞翅重任，重溫他1980 年代初抵波士頓時開餐館的經驗。
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| 波克萊台灣商會會長陳奕如（左起），數位組組長葉南谷，活動組組長夏承賢， 財務李孟潔，活動組員郭書妤，秘書長王嬿淑是野趣日的工作團隊主力。 （周菊子攝） |
BTCC為了促進會員、會友之間的交流，聯誼，這天除了敦請數名前任會長分享經驗，還特地請夏承賢設計了一套賓果遊戲，在不可重複限制下，最先找到符合條件者簽名者可得10到500美元亞馬遜禮品卡為獎勵，帶出參加遊戲者答完25題的熱情，進而對彼此有更多認識。
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| 開有3間中醫診所的陳冠中，應波克萊台商會前會長楊羅東之邀， 帶著2個小孩參加活動。（周菊子攝） |
這25道題包括“參加商會5年以上者“，”會說3種以上語言者“，”自己創業過，或還在經營中“，”去過波士頓美術館“，”當過商會幹部“，”有投資美股“，”是北美商會理監事“，讓玩賓果的人，拿著遊戲紙滿場飛的找人簽名，也為本不相識的人打開了話匣子。
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| 夏承賢（左）和葉南谷（右）一起烤香腸。（周菊子攝） |
陳奕如在報告之外，還分享了她日前應邀前往威斯康辛州，參觀鴻海富士康集團新工廠，體驗人工智能（AI）伺服器生產工廠對於科技產業技術的最前端應用與發展潛能。她指出，參加商會的好處之一，就是可以有這種獨一無二的機會，擴大圈子，增廣見聞。
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| 韓咪咪（右）一到現場，先和舊識潘樹仁打招呼。（周菊子攝） |
兼具波士頓僑務委員身份的郭競儒表示，商會是個藉各種活動，幫助各人拓展人脈，創造商機的平台，希望年輕人善加利用。
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| 會長陳奕如（左）和前會長蘇鴻昌（右）一起向新會員陳冠中介紹商會活動。 （周菊子攝） |
牙醫師李孟潔則表示，台商會真的拓寬了他的人脈圈，尤其是參加北美和世界台商會活動時，更給了他認識來自天涯海角，不同領域人士，代為搓合商機的機會。
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| 潘譓如（左）現場煎水煎包。陳玉瑛、楊羅東幫忙派發。（周菊子攝） |
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| 陳玉瑛（右起），徐小玲，王豫靈，蘇鴻昌一起研究Bingo遊戲。（周菊子攝） |
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| 鄭玉春（左）、李明雀（又）等人填表玩賓果。（周菊子攝） |
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| 野趣日現場。（周菊子攝） |
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| 野趣日現場。（周菊子攝） |