星期四, 5月 26, 2016

MAYOR WALSH PRESENTS AWARDS FOR NORTHERN AVE BRIDGE IDEAS COMPETITION

 MAYOR WALSH PRESENTS AWARDS FOR NORTHERN AVE BRIDGE IDEAS COMPETITION
Sets the stage for City to issue design RFP
BOSTON - Thursday, May 26, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh joined Tamara Roy AIA, 2016 President of the Boston Society of Architects/AIA (BSA), and close to 200 guests at a reception last night at BSA Space to celebrate the winners of the Northern Avenue Bridge Ideas Competition. Launched in March as a partnership between the City of Boston and the BSA, the competition spurred a robust public conversation that inspired a host of innovative ideas for the future of the bridge based on three key themes: improving mobility, honoring history, and creating destination.

"By opening this competition up to the public, we heard from architects, designers, historians and members of our community who took an interest in what the future of the Northern Ave Bridge should look like," said Mayor Walsh. "The ideas and conversation that we sparked during the process are tremendously valuable as we take the next step to design a new bridge, and I thank all who participated."

The  exchange of ideas generated 133 submissions, including 99 graphic designs and 34 essays. The call for written entries was intended to encourage broad participation in the competition, beyond those who have design expertise. A sixteen-member jury was assembled by the City and the BSA to judge the entries. Representing a diverse set of talents and interests - from architects and designers, to artists, preservationists, transportation advocates, and planners - the panel took on the tough but exciting task of selecting the award winning ideas. 

"Because of the inclusive public visioning process, the jury was given an opportunity to evaluate an incredibly broad range of proposals," said Tamara Roy AIA. "The results, together with a commitment to design excellence, will point the way forward in bringing this corner of the city to life and will ultimately give Boston the Northern Avenue Bridge it deserves."  

A total of $15,000 in prize money was awarded to the eight most compelling submissions that best addressed the competition themes in the eyes of the jury. 

The Jury selected the following winners for graphic design submissions: "Northern Avenue Botanical Bridge," "Island in the Stream," "Northern Avenue Bridge Park," and "+(Plus) Bridge." In the essay category, the jury selected "The Northern Ave Bridge is Boston" and "A City in Motion, Pauses" as the winners.

Honorable mentions were awarded to "Steampunk Gateway: Reimagining Boston's Maritime History and "Channel Mall Station," both of which were graphic design submissions.

The People's Choice Award, based on the submission that received the most online votes on the competition website, went to "Pivot Point Bridge ."

 "As we look to create a thriving and efficient transportation network in Boston, the ideas competition provided us with several guiding principles to consider," said Chris Osgood, the City's first Chief of Streets, who joined Mayor Walsh to preside over last night's ceremony and offered his perspective on how the competition would help inform the design of the new Northern Avenue Bridge. "First, it's clear that we need to think about a multimodal bridge that would welcome pedestrians, cars, and cyclists. A successful design would also create a unique destination, not just a bridge, that improves connectivity between the Seaport and the Greenway."

The Public Works Department is currently drafting a request for proposals for the design of the future bridge that it hopes to release in the coming months.
The Northern Avenue Bridge, which opened in 1908 and closed in December 2014 due to concerns about its structural integrity, is a steel three-span, triple-barreled, Pratt-type through-truss bridge. During its lifetime, the bridge carried automobiles, pedestrians, cyclists, and even train traffic for the Union Railway for over 50 years.

Ultrino host meeting to promote senior housing stability

MALDEN – Representative Steve Ultrino (D-Malden) joined community organizations and providers in hosting a forum addressing senior housing and homelessness concerns and sharing resources for Malden’s seniors.

“Many of Malden’s seniors have lived in our community for decades, while others are just getting to know our city,” said Representative Ultrino. “These people are our friends and neighbors, and they deserve services that fit their needs and allow them to continue to live with dignity.”

Representative Ultrino emphasized that helping seniors is a major priority for him in the legislature, citing his work on the recent FY17 House budget, as well as his service on the Legislature’s Joint Committees on Elder Affairs, Public Health, and Health Care Financing. He also is a member of the board of Monsignor Neagle, a low-income housing complex also in Malden.

The event, Building Elder Housing Stability, was held at the Malden Senior Center, where Malden seniors came to listen and ask questions to a panel which included Representative Steve Ultrino and representatives from organizations such as Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), the Malden Housing Authority, Boston Medical Center, Mystic Valley Elder Services, and Mass Senior Action Council. The panel discussed issues surrounding senior mental health, homelessness, rising health care and prescription drug costs, and securing permanent housing.

The panel brought awareness to various resources that their organizations provide in regards to these issues. They also highlighted areas of improvement and ways in which providers and policymakers could better serve this growing population.

“With the expected rapid increase of the senior population in Massachusetts, it is important that we start to invest more in homecare and finding ways to help seniors now,” said Representative Steve Ultrino. “Mental health and housing costs both contribute to the growing elderly homeless population. We need to tackle both and provide the necessary resources in order better serve our seniors.”

英語能力有限的房屋業主應受到平等待遇

英語能力有限的房屋業主應受到平等待遇
於近日所發佈的一篇調報告中 , 非牟利組織全美金融改革聯盟(AFR) 及其成員齊聲促請聯邦監管部門, 對於英語能力有限者(Limited English Proficiency, 簡稱LEP)在瞭解及使用金融財政系統方面應由難轉易, 特別是在房屋抵押貸款行業。
2014 , 英語能力有限的美國居民已高達兩千五百三十萬,佔全國總人口的百分之九。這些英語能力有限的借款人特別容易遭遇詐騙及 掠奪式貸款陷阱。該文同時指出許多金融業玩家在市場研究中針對英語能力有限的社區, 量身打造一套推銷手法, 包括使用每個種族自己的語言去做廣告推銷金融。不過一旦品成功售出, 通常消費者所收到的跟進聯絡信函及文件, 包括容複雜的房屋抵押貸款選項及條款,  則完全只用英文。
同時發表的一篇附加文稿提及有幾個英語能力有限的房屋業主, 他們很遲才發現自己的房屋抵押貸款竟然有非常不利於己的條文, 使得他們在調整貸款時困難重重。其中有一對講西班牙文的夫妻, 他們一向自以為所借貸的房屋抵押貸款是固定利率分期攤還的, 在經過了付款 十年之久以後, 他們才發現其房貸只是在償還利息, 對貸款本金毫無影響。而且情況更糟的是, 他們每月的還款額即將要從$1,983 調升到 $3,350 。這對夫妻有一個朋友, 以前在向他們推薦貸款公司後就成為 他們的口譯員, 現在事後才得知, 這個朋友其實和他們所使用的貸款公司、權公司以及售屋成交律師, 均可能有財務方面的關聯。
其實聯邦監察機構是具備公權力改善相關問題的。該文特別促請聯邦 的消費金融保護機構(Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), 以及 其它監管部門採取各項特別措施, 包括應將貸款主要文件至少印製成 八種語文以供所需 (西班牙文,中文, 越南文, 韓文, 菲律賓文, 俄文, 阿拉伯文, 以及海地克里奧爾語); 改善消費者向聯邦監管部門提出投訴及申請諮詢的多語服務管道; 向各個金融機構提出多語服務的標準; 以及在全國範圍全面改進對房貸申請人首選語言的記錄追蹤。
*** 此次共同參與研究寫作上述兩篇報告,而且向政府監管部門提出呼籲的各大組織包括:
National Consumer Law Center (全國消費法律中心), National CAPACD (美國亞太裔社區發展全國聯盟), National Council of La Raza, Empire Justice Center, National Housing Resource Center (全國住房資源中心), Consumer Action (消費者行動), National Fair Housing Alliance (全國公 平住房聯盟), MFY Legal Services (MFY 法律服務).

全美金融改革聯盟(Americans for Financial Reform 簡稱 AFR) 是一個不 分黨派的非牟利聯盟組織, 其加盟成員超過二百個組織, 提供各類不 同服務, 其範圍包括: 民權、消費者、勞工、商業、投資者、宗教團體, 以及民間團體和社區團體等等。AFR 成立於 2008 年金融危機之後, 其宗旨即為建立一個強壯、穩定、符合倫理道德的金融財政系統, 使其效益普及經濟,並且服務全國上下。

星期三, 5月 25, 2016

頂大學人論壇2016第二場談藝術,老年照護

紐英崙中華專業人員協會與駐波士頓教育組合辦的第二場「2016年頂尖大學訪問學人菁英學子學術論壇」,5月21日在麻省理工學院請來在哈佛大學研究訪問的劉巧楣教授及麻省理工學院訪問學人黃銀山教授,以新英格蘭藝術巡禮及日本的老年照護實例為主題,分享心得。

從事藝術史研究的劉巧楣教授,以其親身造訪經驗,推薦大家許多週末假日即可到達的新英格蘭鄰近美術館,欣賞藝術品。劉教授首先介紹其博士論文研究的塞尚作品,從畫風及筆觸解釋塞尚作品因與大家耳熟能詳印象派主義大師莫內作品風格迥異,而有塞尚究屬印象派或後印象派主義的討論。她接著介紹最近進行的研究:畫家馬內的兒童印象及馬蒂斯作品。劉教授除分享觀賞四處欣賞畫作的心得,也提了一則知名畫作的趣事。她說馬內畫風常被視為抑鬱沉重,沒想到馬內某幅畫作經美術館人員專業清洗後,色彩竟變明亮,看來得重新評價馬內畫風的小故事,聽眾也驚訝地發現原來畫作也需要定期保養清洗,才能保持畫作原有的色彩。劉教授鼓勵聽眾多利用美國新英格蘭地區及鄰近的美術館,欣賞其豐富的收藏品,透過多接觸這些畫作,與畫作互動,漸漸熟悉這些藝術品,也就能慢慢地能體會畫家想表達的想法或所看到的畫面。

第二位講者是專長為工業機械的黃銀山教授,他則分享國民長壽位居世界第一的日本如何照護眾多老年人口的實例,由機械角度探討如何協助老年人口的預防照護。根據世界衛生組織的調,日本國民平均年齡為84歲,而臺灣同樣也面臨類似問題,進入高齡社會。黃教授提出日本照護政策的一項概念是「預防照護」,希望可以延後老年需要照護的年齡,如從85歲延長至87歲,而黃教授帶領學生從機械角度,設計可幫助老人家適度運動,加強平衡感的器具,由學生帶領老年人使用這些器具,訓練與加強長者的平衡感,希望藉此防止老人跌倒,引發一系列骨折住院等惡性循環。黃教授也分享這些受測長者經過訓練後,手掌握力、爬樓梯時間等數據進步的結果,同時黃教授說,因為現在大家每天都長時間坐在電腦前打字,長時間維持同一姿勢,有礙健康,鼓勵在座的聽者平日可做些簡單的運動伸展,有益身體健康。

演講活動結束後,聽眾紛紛與講者交流討論,互相分享經驗,討論熱絡。紐英崙中華專業人員協會與駐波士頓育組合作的頂尖大學訪問學人菁英學子學術論壇系列,第三場活動將在6月11日登場,下次主題將是「世界走一圈」,將隨著講者一起從德國柏林暢遊到臺灣,歡迎新英格蘭地區的民眾與學生來和講者一起環遊世界。(經文處教育組提供)

劉巧楣教授(前右四)、黃銀山教授(前右三)及駐波士頓
教育組組長黃薳玉與部分聽眾會後合影。(教育組提供)