MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES OPEN AUDITIONS FOR GOSPELFEST COMMUNITY CHOIR

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES OPEN AUDITIONS FOR GOSPELFEST COMMUNITY CHOIR BOSTON - Wednesday, July 8, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and his Office of Tourism, Sports and Entertainment today announced the beginning of open auditions for the Gospelfest Community Choir, to be held on Tuesday, July 14, 2015 and Thursday, July 16, 2015, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m at Boston City Hall. Now in its 15th year, Gospelfest is Boston's premier Gospel Showcase, blending contemporary and traditional gospel melodies. Last year, Mayor Walsh opened the auditions to the public. Candidates should be at least 18 years of age, have had prior choir experience, and be prepared to perform 30 seconds of a gospel song of their choice. Gospelfest 2015 will be held Sunday, August 9, 2015, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring Erica Campbell. Erica Campbell is a three time Grammy nominee, and part of the duo Mary Mary,well known for "Shackles (Praise You)." She has since produced a solo album HELP,which held top ranks on the Billboard Gospel Chart for seven weeks. Enter Boston City Hall from the Congress Street entrance (across from Faneuil Hall).  Auditions will be held on the 3rd Floor Lobby.  City Hall Plaza is accessible by MBTA via State Street (Orange and Blue lines) and Park Street (Green and Red lines). For additional information call 617-635-3911 or visit http://www.cityofboston.gov/tourism.

陳梁潔瑩辭世 七月十二日追悼

波士頓前任僑務委員陳家驊的妻子，陳梁潔瑩（Chan, Anne Kitying）因心臟病突發，七月六日清晨，逝於波士頓醫療中心。

陳梁潔瑩來自香港，畢業於台灣政治大學，和陳家驊結縭五十載，僑居波士頓以來，在州政府工作，閒暇時間一直隨同夫婿致力服務華人社區。

陳梁潔瑩身後遺有依序住在尼登（Needham）市，牛頓市的一子，一女，以及孫子，外孫各一人。她還有兩名姊妹住在加拿大溫哥華。

七月十二日下午四點至八點，親友們可前往永福殯儀館瞻仰遺容，七月十三日早上十點，將在舉行傳統中國式葬禮後，下葬於森林丘墳場。

ALLSTON BAKERY OWNER SETTLES ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL FOOD SAFETY LAWS

ALLSTON BAKERY OWNER SETTLES
ALLEGED VIOLATIONS OF FEDERAL FOOD SAFETY LAWS

BOSTON – Yi Soon Bakery, Inc. of Allston, Mass., and its owner, Kung Hung, have settled allegations that they violated the Federal Meat Inspection Act by making meat pastries and selling them to wholesale customers without having the pastries inspected by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Food preparation businesses may lawfully purchase USDA-inspected meat and use it to make food products that they sell to retail customers.  But if the food products are to be sold wholesale, they must be reinspected by USDA. 

In December 2012, the United States sued Yi Soon Bakery and Hung, alleging that they had bought and used USDA-inspected beef and pork to make pastries, which they had sold to a food store in Lowell, for resale without the required USDA reinspection.  The bakery and Mr. Hung signed a consent decree in which they agreed to stop selling uninspected food products to wholesale customers. 

The United States later discovered that the bakery and Mr. Hung had violated the consent decree by selling 187 pounds of uninspected meat pastries to Asian food markets in Worcester, Amherst, and Boston for resale.  In March 2015, the government notified the court of the violation.  The bakery and Mr. Hung then agreed to settle. 

Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Hung has agreed to pay the United States a civil penalty of $30,000, to sell Yi Soon Bakery, and to cease working in the food industry altogether.  The purchaser of the bakery will be advised of the government’s lawsuit, the settlement, and the legal prohibition on selling uninspected meat food products to wholesale customers. 

The announcement was made today by Untied States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Alfred V. Almanza, Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Wichers of Ortiz’s Civil Division.

聯邦司法部檢察官昨（七）日公佈，位於麻州奧斯頓（Allston）的益順軒（Yi Soon Bakery）違反聯邦肉品檢查法，店東洪坤（譯音，Kung Hung）已與該部達成協議，將罰款三萬元，出售店面，退出食品市場。

聯邦司法部表示，奕順軒因製作含肉糕餅，出售給批發商，卻未讓美國農業部的食品安全及檢查服務部檢查，違反了聯邦肉品檢查法。

司法部指出，處理食品企業可以合法的購買美國農業部檢查過的肉品，並用以製作食品，出售給零售消費者。一旦這些食品是要賣給批發商時，就一定得由美國農業部重新檢查，

在2012年十二月時，美國聯邦政府控告益順軒和洪坤，聲稱他們買了美國農業部檢查過的牛肉，豬肉後，用來做糕餅，再賣給羅爾市的食品店，沒做必要的美國農業部重新檢查，就重新銷售了。

益順軒和洪坤都簽署了同意書，將停止銷售未經檢查的食品給批發客戶。

美國聯邦政府其後發現，益順軒和洪坤違反了同意書條款，出售187磅未經檢查的肉品糕餅給位於屋斯特（Worcester），安赫斯特（Amherst）以及波士頓的亞洲食品市場轉售，

2015年三月，聯邦政府通知法院這一違規情節。益順軒及洪坤接著同意達成協議。

            根據協議條款，洪坤同意付給美國政府三萬元的民事罰款，出售益順軒，並不再繼續在食品業工作。

            購買益順軒烘培店者，將被告知這一聯邦訴訟，協議，以及法律禁止銷售未經檢查肉類食品給批發客戶等規定。 

聯邦政府檢察官卡門歐提姿（Carmen M. Ortiz），聯邦政府農業部食品安全執行副部長艾曼薩（Alfred V. Almanza）昨日做前述公佈。

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MAYOR WALSH AND HUD SECRETARY CASTRO CELEBRATE REVITALIZATION OF DORCHESTER'S QUINCY CORRIDOR

MAYOR WALSH AND HUD SECRETARY CASTRO CELEBRATE REVITALIZATION OF DORCHESTER'S QUINCY CORRIDOR

First-in-the-Nation HUD Choice Neighborhood Grant Leads to Significant Community Investment and Improvements

BOSTON - Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro, the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation (DBEDC) and the Dorchester community to cut the ribbon on the Quincy Heights housing development. Through the HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Grant, the City, working alongside community partners, re-developed and transformed Quincy Heights, formerly known as the Woodledge/Morrant Bay housing development, into affordable 129 units. Overall, through $20.5 million in total provided by HUD, the Choice Neighborhood Initiative has leveraged another $83.2 million in private and public funds for commercial and residential development and public facilities to revitalize Dorchester's Quincy Corridor. "I am proud that together we have created a brighter future for Quincy Corridor residents, which will include more quality housing, improved educational facilities, new businesses, new jobs and successful community revitalization," said Mayor Walsh. "These redevelopments are proof that great outcomes are possible when stakeholders come together to work towards shared goals for the common good. We are grateful for President Obama's leadership, and for our strong partnership with Secretary Castro and his team at HUD. In addition, our Congressional delegation worked extraordinarily hard to bring us to this day, and, of course, our community partners have been absolutely critical in implementing this grant." "HUD's mission of expanding opportunity extends beyond the four walls of a home," said Secretary Castro. "American families need access to safer streets, better school and higher-paying jobs. HUD is committed to working with our local partners to revitalize neighborhoods and to invest in the future of our communities - in Boston and throughout the nation." In 2011, Boston was one of just five cities nationwide to receive a first-ever HUD Choice Neighborhood Initiative Implementation grant. The $122 million in total grants, also awarded to Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco and Seattle, are being used to transform high-poverty, distressed neighborhoods into communities with affordable housing, safe streets and access to quality educational opportunities. Boston is the first of these five cities to complete the housing portion of the work. The City's Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) was the applicant on behalf of the City for the $20.5 million grant from HUD. The grant included: $12.3 million to re-develop and transform the Woodledge/Morrant Bay HUD-assisted scattered site housing development. Renamed Quincy Heights, the project includes the rehabilitation of nine buildings, the demolition of two buildings and 49 newly-constructed units. Now completed and fully occupied, Quincy Heights Housing Development includes a total of 129 units, all of which have project-based Section 8 subsidies. Additional housing creation in the Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan includes 40 new elderly units at the Quincy Commons development and the rehabilitation of Upham's West, which is comprised of nine housing units on Dudley and West Cottage streets. $3.075 million is being used for supportive services for residents of Quincy Heights and the surrounding Quincy corridor. Services include case management, adult education, afterschool programs, youth counseling and other programs geared to schoolchildren, young people and adults.  $3.075 million was set aside for economic development and community improvements, such as community facilities, parks, gardens and the revitalization of Pearl Meats.   These improvements include:   As part of the transformation of Quincy Street area, the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation worked in partnership with CropCircle Kitchen (now Common Wealth Kitchen) to renovate the former Pearl Meat Factory into a 35,000-square-foot, multi-tenant, food production facility, known as the Bornstein & Pearl Food Production Small Business Center. The development supports more than 50 food production businesses and has created more than 80 new jobs in its first three years of operation. Enhanced public wireless access in the greater Grove Hall neighborhood.  The playground and open space at the Haynes Early Learning Center has been transformed with new equipment, an outdoor classroom space and open play area. A new playground and school yard at the Martin Luther King K-8 School are currently under construction, and will include new equipment and a new outdoor classroom and playing field. Enhanced assistance to local businesses through the City's ReStore program. The Quincy Corridor neighborhood is a one-half square mile area centered on Quincy Street and bounded by Blue Hill Avenue on the west, East and West Cottage Streets on the north, the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line and Columbia Road on the east and Washington Street on the south. The neighborhood is home to approximately 10,000 residents. The Boston Housing Authority and DND have also collectively submitted a second Choice Neighborhoods application for $30 million to redevelop the Whittier public housing development and to revitalize the surrounding neighborhood. The application is currently under review at HUD. HUD created the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative to transform neighborhoods and link housing improvements with appropriate services, schools, public assets, transportation and access to jobs. To meet these goals, the City of Boston tied its application to the City's Circle of Promise Initiative, a community integration plan to transform public education in Boston.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN CITYWIDE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN CITYWIDE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Housing Starts Surpass $1.5 Billion Mark

BOSTON - Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that as of the end of June, the City has reached $1.65 billion in housing starts for calendar year 2015. This pace is 138 percent higher than the $692 million in housing starts at the same time last year.  As of June 26, 2015, there were 2,461 units permitted, compared to 1,759 units permitted as of June 30, 2014 - a 40 percent increase over last year. This also marks a 184 percent improvement over production rates in 2013, when only 1,333 units of housing were permitted by June 26 of that year. "I am extremely pleased by the efforts that have taken place across City agencies to ensure that we are able to meet our housing goals," said Mayor Walsh. "The only way that we will be able to sustain the growth of our city, and our workforce, is by staying focused on our goals and streamlining our processes." "This level of investment in Boston's housing market is extraordinary," said Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon. "As we work to make sure that Boston stays affordable, bringing new units on line at a variety of income levels is critical. Last quarter, nearly half of Boston's housing starts were at the middle income level, and nearly a quarter of this year's housing starts are affordable to lower-income households. Mayor Walsh has made housing a priority of his Administration, and these numbers are an indication that this focus is paying off." The City's Inspectional Services Department (ISD) has supported this rapid development by streamlining their permitting processes, reducing bottlenecks and paving the way for the rapid housing development the City will require to meet its goals of producing 53,000 new units of housing by 2030. ISD has implemented several new departmental policies and permitting procedures, which have enabled the department to process permits at twice the speed. In 2014, ISD formed a partnership with the City of Boston's Department of Innovation Technology (DoIt) to significantly upgrade the permitting process. This collaborative effort has helped modernize and streamline the building and zoning application process.  In addition, ISD has developed a Zoning Advisory Sub-Committee, which is responsible for expediting the appeals process involving one and two family owner-occupied dwellings and small businesses applying for limited zoning relief. Other departmental upgrades have included extending the hearing hours of the Zoning Board of Appeals and the installation of digital kiosks for processing Board of Appeal applications, all of which contributed to building permits being issued on time and at a much faster rate than ever before.    "I am extremely proud of the great work my department has been able to accomplish," said ISD Commissioner William Christopher. "This task could not have been accomplished without the leadership of Mayor Walsh and the technology expertise of DoIt. Together we have not only streamlined the permitting process, but also help pave the way for the production of rental units throughout the city." Of the units currently permitted, 451 - 18 percent of all new units -- are deed-restricted affordable housing, up 25 percent from 2014 (360 units) and 80 percent above the 2013 pace (251 units).  South Boston and the Seaport District saw the highest number of units produced: 915 total and 124 affordable; followed by East Boston, with 374 units, 13 of which are affordable; and Dorchester, with 337 total units and 51 affordable units permitted.  Earlier this year, Mayor Walsh released his Administration's first progress report on achieving the housing production goals laid out in his ambitious housing plan,  "Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030." The plan, released in October 2014, called for increased transparency into housing policy, including quarterly releases of data and an end of year Annual Report.

麻州將增加668個特許學校學位

麻州教育廳中小學教育局長柴斯特（Mitchell D. Chester）透露，麻州準備打破波士頓市有數以千計學童排在等候名單上的僵局，將藉創辦新校，或擴大波士頓市現有特許學校，增加668個學位。

            根據2010年的一項州法，諸如波士頓市等表現不佳學區，可把18%的學校花費淨預算，編列為特許學校的學費。

            許多支持特許學校人士及批評家都認為波士頓市已達到該一程度，但特許學校的學費開支在波士頓公校首次訂為十億元的整體開銷預算中，增長得頗為緩慢。

            波士頓市的全市家長會共同主席Heshan Berents-Weeramuni表示，許多人因此發出列有許多問號的電郵。

            波士頓市將新增的學位，以及全州可能增加的數以千計學位，很可能再度助長特許學校支持者和反對者之間由來已久的爭辯。雙方都考慮提起法律訴訟，推動全州性的選票問題，想要廢除備受爭議的允許獨立公校營運的數額上限。

            去年夏天，推動麻州議會提高限額的行動失敗了。

            擴展特許學校的反對力量，大都來自教師工會，地區學校的學生家長。他們認為特許學校抽走了傳統公校的資源。

            特許學校的支持者則以全州有數以千計家庭排在等候名單上，證明有需求。

            有些特許學校的更為靈活，有創意，已贏得包括麻州新任州長，教育廳長，以及身為一特許學校共同創辦人的波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin Walsh），新任波士頓公校總監張欽棠等人的支持。

            提議建新學校的截止日期是七月廿八日，申請擴建學校的截止日期是八月一日。新學校最快可在2016年秋季開張。

            特許學校支持者表示，新提案增加的學位數額頂多能因應剛開始的需求。多徹斯特林里居屋特許學校（Neighborhood House Charter Schoo）行政主任Kate Scott表示，該校從幼稚園到八年級，共有400個學位。為因應家長的要求學校能包括幼稚園到高中，他們希望能再增加400到450個學位，以擴展中學及高中部。

            麻州特許公校協會行政主任Marc Kenen表示，波士頓市有13,000名學生在等候名單上，668個學位只能因應極小一部分需求。