波士頓洪門致公堂慶馬年新春 5元老聯袂扶持青年上位

波士頓洪門致公堂慶祝馬年新春。（周菊子攝）

                    (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導)波士頓洪門致公堂3月2日晚在帝苑大酒樓席開43桌，和來自費城，紐約，波士頓的5名洪門元老，以及洪青體育會，Aleppo Shriners共濟會兄弟，同慶丙午火馬新春，奉上紅包給廣教學校，亞裔青年會（YES），Shriners 醫院，支持社會公益。

這大“洪”字是洪門和其他僑團最不同的特色之一。（周菊子攝）

                  當晚的最大特色之一是5名洪門元老，來自費城的陳競石，波士頓的伍伯和，余麗瑛，紐約的李偉強，李志聯，和總堂的總理李庭信等人與波士頓洪門兄弟先大合唱會歌“書劍恩仇錄”，彷如重申洪門講究義氣的傳統。

美國洪門致公堂元老，右起，陳競石，伍伯和，余麗瑛，李偉強，李志聯等人
掌管全美各地洪門的團結，互相扶持。（周菊子攝）

                  其次是二、三十名Aleppo Shriners的共濟會兄弟，一起上台，由戴著該會特製紅高帽的湯偉業發言，代表Aleppo Shriners醫院接受波士頓洪門致公堂捐贈的紅包。這一捐贈，既象徵了會員對象為華人的波士頓洪門致公堂和會員以西人為主的共濟會有如兄弟，和主流社會越來越近，也見證了兩會都支持社會公益的熱心。

               慶祝會由波士頓洪門致公堂共同主席朱耀鐘和中文書記翁偉健主持，洪青體育會在屋頂仁義禮智信旗幟高懸中，五獅齊舞的從大紅“洪”字上採青，向嘉賓獻桔。

麻州參議員Nick collins（中）送上表揚狀和麻州憲法，波士頓洪門致公堂
主席譚偉銘（右）和朱耀鐘（左）代表接受。（周菊子攝）

                  在致詞環節中，出身洪青體育會，英文比中文流利的主席譚偉明率先簡短的感謝洪門兄弟及嘉賓出席，送上新年祝福。

                  洪門致公總堂總理李庭信接著週到稱呼後，祝福所有人“駿馬奔騰迎春節，財源廣進福滿堂”，也祝波士頓洪門致公堂會務蒸蒸日上，兄弟團結和諧，與各僑團緊密合作，同心同德促進僑社的安定繁榮。

麻州眾議員黃子安（Donald Wong)是洪門自己人，送上眾議會的表揚狀。（周菊子攝）

                  紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝則指出，波士頓洪門是個歷史悠久，超過百年的僑團組織，是紐英崙中華公所的共同創辦人之一，更是波士頓華埠的最堅強支持者之一，這些年來一直和中華公所合作，為社區服務，出過不少傑出領袖，近年更是積極扶持年輕人，包括以前的胡振勝，今年的譚偉明和朱耀鐘等人。洪青體育會的傳承使命，活躍於各個活動，更是人人有目共睹。

波士頓市議員Ed Flynn(左）和Erin Murphy(右）送上表揚狀。（周菊子攝）

                  面對2名競爭者，今年要競選連任的麻州參議員Nick Collins，最近在波士頓華埠十分活躍，幾乎要和波士頓市議員愛德華費連一樣，哪兒有活動，就哪兒能見到他。這晚他為洪門致公堂送上一份表揚狀，還表示代表麻州州務卿威廉蓋文(William Galvin)送出一份麻州憲法，因為今年麻州要慶祝250週年，而洪門致公堂這歷史悠久的組織是麻州奠立的重要基石之一。

波士頓洪門兄弟們敬酒拜年。（周菊子攝）

                  麻州眾議員黃子安（Donald Wong）這晚尤其驕傲，因為他不但是第三代的洪門兄弟，也是第三代的Shriners，這致力支持社會公益，每年為醫院籌款的共濟會分支。

               陳仕維這晚以安良工商會全美元老身份致詞。他表示洪門和安良，一直都是互相扶持的兄弟會所，多年來合作愉快，未來將再接再勵。

洪門兄弟大合唱會歌“書劍恩仇錄”。（周菊子攝）

                  這晚由於台灣教育部次長率領由11所高校組撐的攬才團訪問波士頓，波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏不克分身，由組長黃耀良代為出席致詞。

洪青體育會五獅齊舞。（周菊子攝）

                  遠道而來的洪門嘉賓，有從香港趕回來的顧問余共才，波士頓本地的總外交專員陳光劍，外埠來的金蘭主席黃敬文，李炎軒，紐約洪門主席梁爾操，黃炯維，紐約洪青總顧問陳家齡，監督譚錦超，紐約洪青會長李家達，費城洪門主席陳庭才，朱秀瓊，財政倪鎂，秘書巫懋金，專員許錦坤，外交麥民廣。

                  波士頓本地除前述主席等人外，還有財政阮文良，外交余志文，理財黃杰均，核數周柏堅，出席中華游成康，幹事鄧安，洪青體育會會長劉英傑等人。出席中華公所代表為游成康。

游成康（右二）率領YES團隊領取“利是”。（周菊子攝）

            波士頓洪門的馬年新春慶祝會，最後在規模越見壯大的新節奏樂隊現場唱奏，包括許多個現金獎，數量繁多的抽獎中落幕。（更新版，訂正人名，譚錦超，倪鎂，以及共濟會兄弟湯偉立）

洪門中文書記翁偉健（左）會主席朱耀鐘主持大會。（周菊子攝）

張秋玲（左起）和余麗瑛、黎亦置等人主持抽獎。（周菊子攝）

會場。（周菊子攝）

新節奏樂隊現場演唱。（周菊子攝）

陳秀華（前右一）創辦的新節奏樂隊，陣容越來越大。（周菊子攝）

洪門顧問余共才每年都從香港趕回波士頓參加春宴。（周菊子攝）

安良。（周菊子攝）

余風采堂等人。（周菊子攝）

黃氏宗親會和紐英崙婦女會。（周菊子攝）

伍氏等。（周菊子攝）

洪門兄弟逐桌敬酒。（周菊子攝）

本地洪門。（周菊子攝）

洪門外埠嘉賓。（周菊子攝）

Aleppo Shriners接受捐款。（周菊子攝）

湯偉立（Philip Hong)（右二）和Aleppo Shriners接受捐款。（周菊子攝）

麻州州長Healey宣佈3月1日至7日為建築業婦女週

Governor Healey Proclaims Women in Construction Week

The week highlights and promotes the role of women in the construction industry

 BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey has proclaimed March 1-7, 2026, as Women in Construction week, recognizing the essential role women play in strengthening Massachusetts’ construction industry and advancing a more inclusive, skilled workforce. 

Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development
Lauren Jonespresents a proclamation to tradeswomen
during a visit to Pipefitters Local 537 on March 2, 2026

To mark the week, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones visited the Pipefitters Local 537 and Ironworkers Local 7, bringing together stakeholders to discuss efforts to increase representation among women in construction. During the visits, Secretary Jones met with women apprentices, toured training facilities, and experienced hands-on learning apprentices gain in the classroom and on job sites. 

“Women are building Massachusetts every day on job sites, in training programs, and in leadership roles across the construction industry,” said Governor Maura Healey. “A strong construction workforce depends on opening doors and removing barriers, and that is why Massachusetts is investing in its future by expanding opportunity across the construction trades and building a pipeline that reflects the full talent of our state.”

Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development
Lauren Jones presents a proclamation to tradeswomen
during a visit to Iron Workers Local 7 on March 3, 2026

 

“A strong construction workforce depends on opportunity and access,” Lt. Governor Driscoll. “This week is about recognizing progress, lifting up women who are leading on job sites and in classrooms, and continuing the work to make these careers open to everyone.”

 

The visits build on an Executive Order Governor Healey signed in December 2024 to promote women and diversity in construction. Together, these efforts reflect the Healey-Driscoll Administration's broader strategy to strengthen talent pipelines, expand registered apprenticeship and build diverse talent for the construction industry in Massachusetts.

 

“Massachusetts is committed to advancing more opportunities for women in construction, especially by leveraging the state’s Registered Apprenticeship program and career pathways to attract and develop existing and future talent,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Lauren Jones. “Throughout this week and during the year, the Healey-Driscoll Administration appreciates the partnerships and programming that strengthen career pathways for young girls to see themselves in the building trades and create more opportunities for women to represent this critical part of our workforce.”

 

The Executive Order also established a Diverse and Equitable Construction Workforce Participation Committee within the Governor’s Office to drive interagency coordination and promote best practices. These include increasing the use of registered apprentices, hiring local and diverse businesses, and encouraging contractors to provide supportive services such as child care. The Committee also works with state agencies to identify best practices for public projects across agencies and strategies to improve data collection to measure the workforce participation. Secretary Jones serves as Chair of the Committee, which convenes quarterly. 

 

"Secretary Jones and Governor Healey are champions of organized labor and have been especially supportive of our efforts to recruit and advance women in our industry,” said Ironworkers Local 7 Business Manager Vincent Coyle Jr. “Local 7 was proud to host Secretary Jones as we celebrate Women In Construction Week and recognize the achievements of our 140 female members who strap on their tool belts and boots every day to help build our city and our region. Supporting working families is what we do at Local 7 and we are thankful for the support of Secretary Jones in our mission to build stronger, more vibrant communities and create safe workplaces for women."

 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration is committed to expanding apprenticeship, a proven model for closing skills gaps and building a diverse construction workforce. Since January 2023, the Administration has invested nearly $14 million to train and place apprentices and pre-apprentices in the construction and building trades and in expanding industries. Additionally, Massachusetts was awarded $6 million from US Department of Labor to support Registered Apprenticeship and early childhood educator apprenticeships. 

 

EOLWD’s Division of Apprentice Standards (DAS) maintains more than 980 registered apprenticeship programs with over with over 9,000 apprentices currently working with the majority in construction but a growing number of apprentices in the building trades, and expansion industries such as manufacturing, life sciences, and health care.

 

More information about Registered Apprenticeship is available at Mass.gov/Apprenticeship

Governor Healey Congratulates Boston-Based WHOOP on Expansion, Creation of 600 Jobs

 Governor Healey Congratulates Boston-Based WHOOP on Expansion, Creation of 600 Jobs   

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey is congratulating the Boston-based company WHOOP on their announcement of a major hiring expansion that will add more than 600 new jobs, which will primarily be based at their headquarters in Boston. 

“WHOOP’s decision to expand and create 600 new jobs primarily in Boston is a powerful vote of confidence in our economy. Companies choose Massachusetts because of our incredible talent, world-class research institutions and strong partnerships that help innovative businesses grow. We’re proud WHOOP continues to grow here as Massachusetts remains a global leader in innovation and economic opportunity.” 

Governor Healey Nominates Judges to Serve on Juvenile Court and Probate and Family Court, and Attorney to Serve as Clerk Magistrate in the Stoughton District Court

Governor Healey Nominates Judges to Serve on Juvenile Court and Probate and Family Court, and Attorney to Serve as Clerk Magistrate in the Stoughton District Court 

 

Governor Healey has now nominated over 100 Judges  

 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey nominated Mary Ferriter to serve as an Associate Justice of the Probate and Family Court, and Mary Gallant-Cote to serve as an Associate Justice of the Juvenile Court. With these nominations, the Governor has now nominated over 100 judges. The Governor also nominated Attorney John P. Riordan to serve as Clerk Magistrate in the Stoughton District Court. The three nominees will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation.   

 

“I am deeply grateful to have nominated over 100 outstanding judges over the last few years who work to uphold the rule of law, protect our state and safeguard the rights of all our residents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “The Juvenile Court and the Probate and Family Court sit at the intersection of law, family, and community, and these judicial nominees bring deep experience, sound judgment, and a strong sense of fairness to that work.” 

 

“Over the last three years, it has been great to work with the Governor’s Council to strengthen our courts, and I look forward to working with them to continue that work as these nominees move through the confirmation process and into their roles,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. 

 

The mission of the Juvenile Court is to protect children from abuse and neglect, to promote opportunities for children to reside in safe, stable, permanent family environments, to strengthen families, to rehabilitate juveniles, and to protect the public from delinquent and criminal behavior. The Juvenile Court Department has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters including delinquencies, youthful offender cases, care and protection matters and children requiring assistance cases. It has 42 judges, including the Chief Justice, sitting in over 40 courthouses.  

For more information about the Juvenile Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated 12 judges to the Juvenile Court: Jamie Bennett, Jennifer Currie, Andrew Don, Tiffanie Ellis-Niles, Nibal Raheb, Andrew Hoffman, Audrey Murillo, Jeannie Rhinehart, Benjamin Mann, LaKeshia Parker Small, Fabiola White and Karin Wilinski. For more information about the Juvenile Court, visit its homepage. 

The Probate and Family Court Department is responsible for family-related and probate matters such as divorce, paternity, child support, custody, adoption, wills, estates, and guardianships. Its mission is to provide fair, equitable, and timely access to justice while assisting and protecting individuals and families. For more information about the Probate and Family Court Department, please visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated 20 judges to the Probate and Family Court: Laurel Barraco, Manisha Bhatt, Jennifer Bingham, Bethany Brown, Colleen Carroll, Jessica Dubin, Alexandra Flanders, Timothy Horan, Mikalen Howe, Lyonel Jean-Pierre Jr.,  Mark Lee, Caryn Mitchell-Munevar, Evelyn Patsos, Alessandra Petruccelli, Brian Salisbury, Carla Salvucci, Bernadette Stark, Toiya Taylor, Elena Tsizer, and Michelle Yee. 

 

 

The District Court Department hears a wide range of criminal, civil, housing, juvenile, mental health, and other types of cases. District Court criminal jurisdiction extends to all felonies punishable by a sentence up to five years, and many other specific felonies with greater potential penalties, all misdemeanors, and all violations of city and town ordinances and by-laws. In civil matters, the District Court hears cases in which the damages are not likely to be more than $50,000 and small claims cases up to $7,000. The District Court is located in 62 courts across the state. Governor Healey has previously nominated four Clerk Magistrates to the District Court:  Ann Dawley, Padraic Rafferty, Scott Rathbun, and John Stocks. 

 

 

About the Nominees: 

 

Mary Gallant-Cote currently serves as Clerk Magistrate for the Berkshire County Juvenile Courts, a position she has held since June 2022. In this role, she presides over show cause hearings involving applications for criminal complaints, evaluates probable cause and jurisdictional issues, and issues arrest warrants. She also oversees daily court operations and serves as a liaison to judges, probation, law enforcement, school officials, attorneys, litigants, and members of the public. From 2016-2022, Attorney Gallant-Cote served as Assistant Regional Legal Counsel in the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, where she managed and litigated a substantial caseload of care and protection matters and provided legal guidance to agency staff on complex child welfare issues. From 2009 to 2016, she was the owner and sole practitioner of the Law Offices of Mary Gallant-Cote in Springfield, where her practice focused on representing clients in a broad range of civil and criminal matters in the Probate and Family, Juvenile, and District Courts in Western and Central Massachusetts. Attorney Gallant-Cote has also served as an Adjunct Professor and Moot Court Coach at Fitchburg State College, where she mentored undergraduate students in appellate advocacy and guided a national championship brief-writing team to first place honors. Attorney Gallant-Cote earned a Bachelor of Science from Fitchburg State College and a Juris Doctor from Western New England School of Law, where she received CALI Awards for Academic Excellence in American Legal History and Post-Conviction Rights & Procedures. 

Mary Ferriter is a highly experienced attorney who has practiced in the Probate and Family Court for nearly 40 years. Her career includes 23 years as a litigator, negotiator, and direct client advocate, and 13 years working closely with mental health professionals, court systems, and judicial administrators. Since 2006, Attorney Ferriter has practiced with Esdaile Barrett & Jacobs (formerly Esdaile, Barrett Jacobs & Mone), where she represents clients in all aspects of probate and family law. Her work includes divorce, post-divorce modifications, pre- and post-nuptial agreements, child custody, child support and property division matters. Previously, Attorney Ferriter served as Director of the High Conflict Parent Education Program at William James College in its Child and Family Evaluation Services division. In that role, she managed court-ordered programming operations, established administrative systems to track participants, and trained and supervised instructors, volunteers, and graduate students. Attorney Ferriter began her career with the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court Administrative Office, where she worked from 1988 to 2001, supporting judges and court staff in managing child welfare cases and coordinating services across agencies. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Lesley University and Juris Doctor from Suffolk University School of Law and a Master of Science in Public Administration from the McCormack Institute of Public Policy at UMass Boston. 

John Riordan currently serves as the Clerk Magistrate in the Northeast Housing Court. Prior to that appointment, he served as the Supervising Attorney for Riordan Law Office for nearly thirty years where he handled a high-volume of trial cases focused on criminal defense, civil litigation and bankruptcy in both state and federal courts. He also served as the Chief Outside Legal Counsel for the Brockton Redevelopment Authority. Prior to founding his own practice, Attorney Riordan served as an in-house trial attorney for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for ten years and as an Assistant District Attorney for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. He is a past President of the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton and was the recipient of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Community Service Award in 2017.  Attorney Riordan has also served in the United States Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander in Naval Intelligence serving in the Mideast and Latin America. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate from New England School of Law. 

教育部次長劉國偉率台灣11所高校組攬才團 訪波士頓闡述3大激勵政策

高教人才永續發展暨美國攬才計劃美東團現場合影。（教育組提供）

           （Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導）中華民國教育部政務次長劉國偉率同11所大專院校高層，3月2日晚在波士頓希爾頓公園廣場酒店，為「高教人才永續發展暨美國攬才計劃」，舉辦說明會，向逾百名出席者闡述台灣高教環境，鼓勵學者回台投入培養人才行列。

教育部政務次長劉國偉（右七）和波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏（左五），
以及各校代表合影。（周菊子攝）

在波士頓經文處處長廖朝宏，教育組組長黃薳玉的接待中，劉國偉以「在台灣打造永續的學術未來（Forging Sustainable Academic Future in Taiwan）」為主題，用了十幾頁的簡報片，說明台灣學術界環境，希望大波士頓的學者，學生，將來返台，加入大學院校，成爲學術尖兵。

國發會Talent Taiwan 中心執行長廖炳坤發言。（周菊子攝）

劉國偉坦言，台灣目前有147所大專院校，實在太多了。他相信這數目將來會減少。這些學校目前有4.2萬名全職教職員，其中外籍教師約佔 12%。他們希望這次能招募更多外籍師資。

劉國偉表示，教育部有10 年 60 億台幣（約 1.9 億美元）的專項預算，分配給各校招募新老師，希望所有回台任教的教授可以至少待上10年。而且教育部與學校看重的是研究潛力、領導力（建立實驗室）以及為本地產業創新。

清華大學校長高爲元發言。（周菊子攝）

        他說自己總是說台灣是「半導體的故鄉」，這次訪美，專注範圍在半導體，AI、生物技術、綠能，以及人文社會科學。到訪波士頓的11所頂尖大學中，政大（NCCU）和台師大（NTNU）專注於人文社科，其他大學有各項職缺。他表示，台灣最強的一點是不只在校園做研究，還和企業有極強聯繫，例如中山大學就和台積電（TSMC），以及高雄的日月光（ASEC），這兩家晶圓代工與全球封測第一名的企業關係緊密。陽明交大校址更是就在台積電門口。

為鼓勵學人返台任教，劉國偉簡述了官方版的激勵方案，還指出各校有自己的「秘密武器」，得靠學者們自己去發掘。他指出，台灣以前只有新竹科學園區，如今還有台中、高雄、嘉義等三個園區，11所頂尖大學門口幾乎都有一個科學園區。

政府提供的3大激勵方案，分別是針對「大咖級」教授，除了年薪，每年額外加薪高達 16 萬美元的“玉山學者”計劃，除了本薪，每月額外補助近 5,000 美元，並提供約 4.7 萬美元研究啟動經費的“玉山青年學者“計劃，還有為已在學校系統內工作或新進人員提供長期支持的”彈性薪資“。

劉國偉特別提醒座中個人，別被數字迷惑。在美國領的 10 萬美元年薪，付了聯邦、州、市稅後，其實所剩無幾。在台灣，只有一個機構會課稅，稅率差距巨大。他常說，領 10 萬美元在美國的生活水準與財富掌握力，和在台灣領 10 萬台幣月薪差不多，甚至在台灣更好。因為台灣的全民健保世界第一，連牙科、產檢都包。而且美國大學年薪 12 萬美元可能只發 9 個月（暑假沒薪水），但台灣發 13.5 個月，私人企業甚至發到 16 或 20 個月。

劉國偉強調，個大學院校除了薪資外，還會提供基礎設施支持（實驗室、設備）、助理（RA/TA），甚至幫忙搬家，讓學人連狗和貓都能一起帶回台灣。

          當晚國家發展委員會Talent Taiwan中心執行長廖炳坤還解釋了可以縮短取得永久居留時間的就業「金卡（Gold Card）」等相關資訊，教育部技職司副司長徐振邦和財團法人高等教育國際合作基金會派出的3人代表團，也在現場回應詢問。

清華校長高爲元、中山大學校長高志鵬，政治大學副校長陳樹衡，台大院長江伯倫，陽明交大主任秘書蔡金吾，師大國際長劉以德，中央副校長阮啟弘，中正副校長詹盛如，中興，等大學，以及北科大副校長白敦文，台科大副校長周子銓等11所院校的高層，分別介紹各校後，當場和有意返台的學生，學人們座談。

目前在哈佛大學做訪問學者的謝英哲，已是專利律師的張宣業，MIT同學會會長張浩揚，副會長劉正心等這晚都在現場。

教育部為「高教人才永續發展暨美國攬才計劃」，在2月28日至3月3日之間，舉辦了在紐約，華府，波士頓，舊金山，洛杉磯和休士頓等6地的美東，美西訪問團。劉國偉等一行人在3月2日和學人晤談後，3月3日陸續拜會麻省理工學院，哈佛大學和波士頓大學的教務長或副教務長，洽談合作，才搭機返台。（更新版）