MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES RFP FOR IMAGINE BOSTON 2030 LEAD CONSULTANT AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES RFP FOR IMAGINE BOSTON 2030 LEAD CONSULTANT AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Seeking firms with experience in citywide planning to support initial phase of public engagement

BOSTON – Tuesday, June 9, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the release of a Request for Proposals for consulting services to support Imagine Boston 2030, an effort to create Boston’s first citywide plan in fifty years. The RFP calls for a lead consultant as well as public outreach and communications services. The ideal respondent will have experience managing citywide planning projects, including expertise in land use, urban design and comprehensive urban planning. A communications consultant will be tasked with advising on the extensive public engagement and outreach process that will take place over the next two years with residents and community members across the City of Boston.

More information about the RFP is available at Imagine.Boston.gov. Responses will be due no later than noon on July 20, 2015.

“This is the first step in a multi-year process of reimaging Boston and engaging with all residents across the City,” said Mayor Walsh. “Boston is a thriving, healthy and innovative city that can only get better. Through this RFP, we want to establish a partnership that will make work with the city and residents to make Boston stronger, more equitable and more accessible for all."

The RFP accurately reflects the multitude of planning efforts that are currently underway across city departments. The citywide plan generated through Imagine Boston will cover issues related to mobility, housing, land use, prosperity and equity, environment and adaptation, parks and open space, arts and culture, and public health.

Working with subject area experts, the lead consultant will coordinate the diverse, multi-disciplinary team spearheading Imagine Boston. The lead consultant will help the City of Boston define in greater detail the approach, scope and content required for a successful citywide plan. Drawing from experience supporting citywide planning efforts in other locales, the consultant is expected to bring energy, creativity and a breadth of knowledge to engage community members in envisioning the future of Boston while helping City staff meet planning milestones. The lead consultant will also be responsible for supporting the online presence for Imagine Boston. The RFP is deliberately open-ended with regard to specific tasks for the consultant so as to encourage a wide variety of approaches to accomplishing the goals described.

Mayor Walsh has challenged both citizens and city employees to embrace creative public engagement strategies that go beyond traditional community meetings. The outreach consultant will work with the Mayor’s Office, particularly the Chief of Civic Engagement, the Chief of Economic Development, the BRA and other City departments to reach constituents that would not ordinarily attend traditional community meetings. Hearing from non-English speaking populations, economically disadvantaged residents and young Bostonians will be a special priority. The Imagine Boston team hopes to break the mold of traditional neighborhood-focused meetings and plans by fostering a citywide conversation about Boston as a whole, not individualized among neighborhoods.

Before launching an outreach strategy, the City has already begun reaching out to residents to hear how they would like to participate in Imagine Boston 2030. Residents are asked to fill out a short survey, which will help the City and its consultant craft strategies for engagement throughout this process.  

The successful bidder may be a single firm or a lead consultant with one or more firms as sub-consultants. The City of Boston expects that additional consultants will eventually be added to the Imagine Boston team to address specific subject areas that are outside the expertise of the lead consultant.

Mayor Walsh launched Imagine Boston 2030 last month in a speech delivered at Faneuil Hall as part of the Innovative Design Alternatives Summit. Starting with an evaluation of baseline conditions, the City expects to begin a robust public visioning process this fall where community members will be able to contribute ideas to shape Boston’s future. A final citywide plan is expected to be adopted in Summer 2017. For more information on the RFP, click here.

BOSTON POPS JAZZ BAND TO PERFORM AT THE 10TH ANNUAL PICNIC IN THE PARK FUNDRAISER PRESENTED BY ACE TICKET

BOSTON POPS JAZZ BAND TO PERFORM AT THE 10^TH ANNUAL PICNIC IN THE PARK FUNDRAISER PRESENTED BY ACE TICKET

Red Sox Foundation Event Includes Autograph Session

with Players and Unique Auction Items;

Picnic to be Held Post-game on Sunday, August 2, at Fenway Park

BOSTON, MA – The Boston Pops Jazz Band, featuring Stan Strickland, is set to perform at the 2015 Picnic in the Park, presented by Ace Ticket. The annual charitable fundraiser is hosted by the Red Sox Players and their wives and benefits two of the Red Sox Foundation’s charitable programs, the Red Sox Scholars and Red Sox Foundation RBI programs. Tickets for the event are available now onredsox.com/picnic.

This fan-friendly event, which will be held one hour after the conclusion of the 1:35 p.m. Red Sox-Rays game on Sunday, August 2, allows fans to enjoy a BBQ picnic on the field at Fenway Park, a chance to get autographs from current Red Sox players, as well as the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind experiences donated by the Red Sox players and their wives during a live auction.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event is award winning actor and comedian, Mike O’Malley.

General Admission Picnic tickets are $325.00 per person and include a new blanket in a gift bag, provided by Home Goods, dinner on Fenway Park’s outfield, access to the player autograph session, and entertainment.

MVP tickets are available at $475.00 per person, and include one bleacher ticket to the Red Sox-Rays game on Sunday, August 2, prior to the picnic, as well as a baseball signed by a Red Sox legend, an opportunity to take a photo with the three World Series trophies, and an automatic entry into a raffle with prizes. 

In addition to Ace Ticket, sponsors for this year’s event are Aramark, Bank of America, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, the Boston Bruins Foundation, Steiner Sports, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation, Custom Cable, Foundation to be Named Later, and Gilbane Construction.

General admission tickets to the Picnic in the Park are separate from game tickets and can be purchased by visiting www.redsox/picnic or by calling 617-226-6002. More information is available atwww.redsoxfoundation.org or by emailing picnic@redsox.com.

MassDOT Reminds Drivers of Toll Amnesty for Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate Fines for the Month of June

MassDOT Reminds Drivers of Toll Amnesty for Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate Fines for the Month of June

BOSTON – Monday, June 8, 2015 – MassDOT is reminding customers of the changes to the fine structure to the all-electronic, Pay-By-Plate, toll collection system on the Tobin Bridge.  The 30-day amnesty program that started Monday, June 1, is in place so that drivers can simply pay the amount of outstanding tolls and have all late payment fines waived.  Both the new fine structure and the 30-day toll amnesty apply exclusively to the Tobin Bridge. 

The Tobin Bridge’s All-Electronic Tolling system was activated on July 21, 2014, and eliminated the need to pay tolls in cash.  The system employs a dual technology that detects E-ZPass transponders, or for vehicles without transponders, captures an image of the registration plate and sends an invoice to the address listed on the vehicle registration.

Known as Pay-By-Plate, vehicles without transponders that cross the Tobin Bridge are mailed invoices and reminder notices based on a monthly billing cycle.  Subsequent reminder invoices and notices of non-payment are accompanied by a fine structure that was modeled after the structure that has been in place on the Turnpike since 2000.

Under the new structure for the Tobin Bridge, fines will be assessed according to the following:

·       A $1 late fee will be added to every unpaid Pay-By-Plate toll after an invoice goes unpaid for 30 days;

·       An additional $1 will be added to each toll transaction after 60 days of non-payment, and another $1 after 90 days;

·       Under the maximum fines allowed, each unpaid Tobin Bridge toll transaction will be capped at $6; also at that time, the vehicle owner’s driver’s license and vehicle registration will be placed in a non-renew status, until the toll balance and fines are resolved.  Also at this stage, there is an additional $20 fee to remove the hold on driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. 

Additionally, for the month of June MassDOT is offering a toll amnesty program, whereby Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate customers with outstanding balances have the opportunity to pay tolls only in full, with all fines waived dating back to July 21, 2014.  The 30-day amnesty also includes the suspension of the $20 fee to remove the hold on registration and driver’s license renewals. 

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Announce Official Opening of Dana-Farber’s Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility

Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Announce Official Opening of Dana-Farber’s Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility

Boston, MA – The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) today celebrated the official opening of Dana-Farber’s Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility in Boston’s Innovation District.

The laboratory focuses on making chemical tracers that “light up” cancer cells and molecular pathways, a technology for research on improving cancer diagnosis and developing precision drugs matched to individual patients.

“The capital investments made by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center in the research capacity of hospitals and academic institutions across the Commonwealth have been crucial to our growing global leadership in the life sciences,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We congratulate Dana-Farber on the grand opening of its Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility and look forward to seeing the life-saving treatments and therapies that will come from their state-of-the-art research.”

The Molecular Cancer Imaging Facility (MCIF) includes a cyclotron for making short-lived molecular imaging probes that are tracked by PET scanners. The process is key to evaluating experimental drugs and showing whether they hit vulnerable targets within cancer cells.

“Molecular imaging is a cornerstone of the new era of personalized medicine,” said Dana-Farber President and CEO Edward J. Benz Jr., MD. “Our new facility will provide a comprehensive platform for determining drug efficacy within days, instead of weeks or months, shortening the time it takes for new drugs to reach patients.”

Barrett Rollins, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Dana-Farber, said, “The MCIF cyclotron – the only one in Massachusetts dedicated entirely to cancer research – will allow our scientists to create the tools needed to identify the precise molecular and genetic abnormalities that drive cancer.”

Construction of the facility at Dana-Farber’s Harbor Campus in South Boston’s Innovation District was made possible through a $10 million grant from the MLSC, a state-funded investment agency that supports life sciences innovation, research, development and commercialization. The MLSC is charged with implementing the state’s 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative.

“This facility will save lives by accelerating Dana-Farber’s groundbreaking work in the development of personalized cancer therapies,” said Angus McQuilken, MLSC Vice President for Communications & Marketing.  “The project is a great example of the goals of our capital program, as this new facility will serve as a unique resource that will strengthen Massachusetts’ position as the global leader in life sciences innovation.”

The new 50,000 square foot facility is adjacent to the Dana-Farber’s Lurie Family Imaging Center (LFIC). The construction and initial operation of the facility have created jobs for nearly 60 people.

A GE cyclotron has been installed on the first floor of the facility. A cyclotron whirls beams of charged particles at extremely high speeds in a spiral-shaped machine the size of a small car.  The particle beams can be used to bombard atoms of different types to produce radioisotopes that are detected by PET scanners. The new cyclotron will produce isotopes including oxygen-15, carbon-11, nitrogen-13 and fluorine-18.  Locating the cyclotron adjacent to the Lurie Family Imaging Center is essential because the probes become unusable in a matter of minutes.

“This new facility will strengthen the Innovation District’s status as a hotbed of innovation in the life sciences, and will allow Boston to continue to lead the way in finding cures and improved, personalized cancer therapies,” said Dr. Huy Nguyen, Interim Executive Director and Medical Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “The important research that that will come from Dana Farber will not only benefit the people of Boston, but the global community as well.”

In addition to the space being renovated at the Harbor Campus, the MCIF also occupies 6,000 square feet of cold chemistry and support space in the Longwood Center, which is adjacent to Dana-Farber’s Longwood campus.

BCNC“品嚐風味” 邀民眾支持昆市服務

波士頓華埠社區中心（BCNC）六日下午藉“品嚐風味”活動，廣告周知昆市居民，該中心提供各項服務，協助移民實現美國夢，籲各界熱心人資助，支持，共襄盛舉。

            波士頓華埠社區中心行政主任李隆華表示，該中心相信，改善社區，先從家庭開始。自從發現到該中心使用服務的人，每五人中就有不下一人來自昆士市，他們就決心進昆市辦理服務，希望藉此幫助尋求服務的人，尤其是移民家庭，不必再浪費時間在長途跋涉上，進而有更多親子團聚時間，改善家庭生活品質。

            波士頓華埠社區中心董事會董事長鍾潔姿指出，該中心的昆士服務站設在紅線地點站附近的興國（Hancock）街275 號，自從開辦後，需求在很短時間內就超過了他們所能提供的程度，該中心因此迫切需要社區支持，以期能夠幫助更多有需要的人。

昆士市長柯奇（Tom Koch）當天在主持了自己競選連任辦事處的開放日活動後趕到現場。他強調自己也來自移民家庭，祖父當年從德國來美，他因此完全了解移民在他鄉異地求生存，謀發展的辛苦。他認為昆市既是個歡迎移民，也是個適宜人成家立業的城市，他自己的大兒子剛從北昆士高中畢業，他相信移民進昆市的人和他一樣，都相信昆市的教育系統，重視昆市的價值，彼此有如夥伴般將齊心打造更好昆市。

波士頓華埠社區中心董事會副董事長馬正行在活動中特地訪問了二名接受該中心服務者，藉以見證該中心所提供服務的效用。

現年十五歲，在北昆士高中就讀的陳碩表示， 2012年他才從廣州來美，當時英語只有二級程度，參加了波士頓華埠社區中心的“青年領導（youth lead）”項目後，不但學習了公開演說及領導技能，還結交了很多朋友。陳麗莎（譯音，Lisa Chen）則是參加了波士頓華埠社區中心的成人教育項目，改善了英語能力，學得實用技能，順利就業。

            “品嚐風味”有 CJ餐廳，龍鳳酒樓，餃子女兒（Dumpling Daughter），富士集團（JP Fuji Group），糖園甜品（Kozy Dessert），紀念茶（Mem Tea），以及泰式餐廳（Pad Thai）等，共八家餐飲相關業者參加活動，有近百人穿梭會場，品嚐魚蛋，蝦餃，燒賣，壽司，泰式麵品，越南菜餚，芒果布丁等各色美食。

             “品嚐風味”的贊助者包括哈佛格林健保，達美（Delta）航空，道富集團，華人醫務中心，智慧慈善（BenefitSmart），民兵健保（Minuteman Health Care），中華頤養院，陳朝聖律師樓，朱氏公司（Choo & Company），聯合健保（United Health Care），以及朱顯明的Chu, Ring & Hazel律師樓等。

圖片說明：

            波士頓華埠社區中心董事長鍾潔姿（左起），行政主任李隆華，副董事長馬正行等人歡迎昆士市長柯奇（Tom Koch）（左二）出席“品嚐風味”活動。（菊子攝）

            波士頓華埠社區中心副董事長馬正行（左）訪問十五歲的陳碩。（菊子攝）

            糖園甜品三個月前才開張。老闆吳毅斌（右一）透露，開店是因應女兒吳涴霖，吳涴怡想要有間香港式食肆的要求。（菊子攝）

            哈佛格林健保社區關係經理譚雯楓（Rose Hom）（右一）在會中說明該機構現有中文名稱，並提供包含中醫式治療保險，以及遊學、訪問者的短期保險。（菊子攝）

昆市選舉出現華裔候選人 JP Fuji梁秀婷將參選不分區市議員

昆士市的選舉，今年再度出現華裔候選人。JP富士集團（JP Fuji Group）辦公室經理梁秀婷（Nina Liang）六日表示，將參選昆士市不分區市議員，預定七月十五日正式宣佈參選。

            昆士市愛國者報（Quincy Patriot Ledger）在六月四日時指出，梁秀婷已領取參選表格，今年的昆市不分區市議員選舉，目前為四選三局面。

            昆士市三名不分區市議員中的芬恩（Joseph Finn），麥法蘭（Michael McFarland）都將競選連任，葛楚（Doug Gutro）已表態將參選昆士市長。這三個席位將至少有一名新人。

            角逐昆市不分區市議員席位的另一人為昆市學校委員會委員麥卡錫（David McCarthy）。

            現年廿六歲的梁秀婷住在北昆市。她的表親兼上司，JP富士集團（JP Fuji Group）負責人梁戰士，也曾參選昆市議員。

            昆市華人雖多，曾經參選過昆市公職的卻屈指可數，在梁戰士之外，迄今大約只有伍國光。梁秀婷是第三個挑戰者，也是其中最年輕的一個。

            根據昆市選務局公佈的選舉訊息，昆市各項職位的報名參選截止日期為八月四日，八月十九日市府公佈參選名單，八月廿日反對者可提意見，參選者可退選。

九月二日截止登記成為選民，九月廿二日初選。

            昆市愛國者報指出，昆市市長一職，將從本次選舉後，開始一任四年，參選者眾，估計市民投票意願會高，連帶市議員，學校委員會等選舉，也選情熱絡，今年迄今已有廿八人領取的參選表格，比2013年時的只有十六人，多了將近一倍。

            其中角逐市長職位的，已知有六人。其中二人為現任市長柯奇（Tom Koch)

，前任市長費蘭（William Phelan），二人為現任公僕，包括不分區市議員葛楚，學校委員會委員馬洪妮（Ann Mahony）。另外二人雖已領取參選表格，但還未開設競選財務帳戶。

            有意參選者，只要在八月前遞交有五十個當地居民的有效簽名，就符合參選資格。

           

圖片說明：

        JP富士集團（JP Fuji Group）辦公室經理梁秀婷（Nina Liang）（中）已決定參選昆士市不分區市議員。該公司高管之一的梁戰成（右ㄧ）等人都將是支援後盾。

（菊子攝）

美中醫學交流學會龍舟節將提供義診

美中醫學交流學會（ACMES）將於六月十四日（週日）早上十一點至下午五點，在第三十六屆波士頓龍舟節活動現場，提供免費義診及諮詢服務。

            美中醫學交流學會表示，波士頓龍舟節每年都吸引數以萬計遊客到會，欣賞文藝表演，為比賽龍舟加油。

該會提供的免費義診及諮詢服務，將讓遊客們有更多收穫。

            美中醫學交流學會提供的服務將包括血壓測量、體重測量、視力檢測，乙肝、糖尿病和自閉症篩查，推拿治療，針灸和中醫諮詢。

            波士頓龍舟節活動地點在靠近哈佛廣場的查理士河畔。查詢詳情可洽781-791 5066。