MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF LEAD REPLACEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR BOSTON'S HOMEOWNERS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF LEAD REPLACEMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR BOSTON'S HOMEOWNERS

Program Designed to Protect the Health and Safety of Boston's Residents from Lead

BOSTON - Thursday, April 7, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the expansion of Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) Lead Replacement Incentive Program to encourage Boston's homeowners to replace private lead water service at their property. "The health and safety of our residents is our top priority and in Boston we are making significant strides towards replacing the remaining lead pipes across the city," said Mayor Walsh. "It is our hope that residents will take advantage of this program to replace lead water service at their property to help us move the City of Boston towards a safer housing stock and a healthier city." This program expands eligibility to properties of all types including commercial, with lead service lines two inches or smaller. The expansion doubles available financial assistance in the form of a credit of up to $2,000 to homeowners who utilize a BWSC contractor to replace lead pipes on their property. Another incentive includes an interest free loan for up to 48 months for eligible property owners. Under the previous incentive program, eligibility was restricted to one, two and three family residential properties and financial assistance was limited to a credit of up to $1,000 with an interest free loan of 24 months. The redesigned program highlights the Administration's commitment to protecting the health and safety of Boston's residents. Excessive amounts of lead in the body can cause health risks, especially to young children and pregnant women. Since 2005, the Program was responsible for replacing 1,391 private lead services.   For more information about the program, residents are encouraged to call the Lead Hotline at: 617-989-7888 or click here.

先聲百家匯創業比賽 Platelet BioGenesis奪魁

百家匯生物總裁臧敬五（中）頒發冠軍獎三萬元給Platelet BioGenesis

執行長Jonathan Thon，財務長Sven Karisson。（周菊子攝）

(Boston Orange 周菊子劍橋市報導)先聲藥業與精準醫療百家匯合作舉辦的創業大賽，4月6日在麻州生物協會（MassBio）大樓舉行決賽，血小板生物之源（Platelet BioGenesis）奪冠，得獎金三萬元。

先聲藥業是一家成立已廿年，有生產，研發，銷售完整產業鏈的醫藥公司，2007年一度上市，2013年轉為私有化，以實現另外成立百家匯公司，跨足投資、創業領域，走向國際化的發展策略。

去年秋末，先聲藥業進麻州劍橋市，在那兒設了辦公室，派駐高管包括先聲藥業國際商業拓展副總裁曹武雄等人。

百家匯生物總裁臧敬五（右四）與部分得獎人合影。（周菊子攝）

百家匯生物總裁臧敬五當天在“先聲百家匯波士頓創業大賽”中介紹了先聲藥業的發展轉變，說明先聲藥業和精準醫療百家匯都是弘毅投資，復星醫藥，摯信資本，Artking全球，Temasek 控股所組成的先聲控股麾下公司。

其中的先聲藥業成立於1995年，2007年曾經在紐約納斯達克上市，三年前退市，如今計劃於2016年第三季在香港上市。

先聲藥業已擁有50個獲批准的藥物，有一個研發組織，在全中國各地有4個據點，聘有3000多名員工。

匯橋資本集團董事總經理李躍生從加州非來當評審。（周菊子攝）

精準醫療百家匯則是先聲藥業和7家著名創投公司合作的一個投資基金，在化學，早期診斷上有研發能力，透過天津，上海，南京等三個孵化器地點，扶持71家初創企業，其中由精準醫療百家匯投資的約20家，投資總額不下一億元。其中南京部分，計劃在未來三年內扶持160到180家初創企業。

四月六日在波士頓舉行的先聲百家匯創業大賽，是該機構和哈佛大學醫學院中國學生學者聯合會，麻省理工學院中國創新創業論壇，美中生物醫藥開發協會合作（SAPA-NE），美中生物醫藥協會(CABA)，紐英崙中華資訊網路協會，128華人科技企業家協會，北美中華醫學會等機構合作，從國際化角度，追求醫藥創新的實際行動之一，總共將在中美八個城市舉行，各地優勝者分別可獲得三萬元獎金，前兩名優勝者還可獲得免費機票，飛上海做展演，爭取50到1000萬元的投資。

先聲藥業國際商業拓展副總裁曹武雄（右）和波士頓學院專利技轉
辦公室主任文立民（左）是老同學，應邀當評審。（周菊子攝）

PointGuard Ventures(PGV)共同創辦人Pete Thomas，總經理Krish Panu，雲杉（Spruce）資本執行合夥人Roger Wyse，匯橋資本董事總經理李躍生，波士頓學院科技轉移主任文立民，賽諾飛北美東岸外部科研合夥主管Michael Draper等人當天應邀擔任評審。諾貝爾獎得主Thomas Christian Südhof在會末以“神經科學轉化的希望及問題”為主題，發表演講。

先聲百家匯創業比賽出席踴躍。（周菊子攝）

麻州參議員補選競爭烈 黃子瑜打電視廣告

黃子瑜還做了巨幅海報，放在華埠牌樓旁。（周菊子攝）

(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導)轄區包括波士頓華埠，將於4月12日辦理初選的麻州參議員席位補選，是一場很特別的選舉，不但熱絡到有7人參選，還史無前例的候選人中包括一名非洲裔，一名亞裔的2名少數族裔女性，選舉結果更很可能打破義大利後裔當選的多年傳統。

當然，更特別的是，今年還有8個組織攜手合作，第一次在波士頓華埠為州級選舉辦候選人論壇。七名候選人，除了其中一人臨時有事，無法出席外，其餘六人都出席了。這既彰顯了亞裔社區的開始重視政治參與，也反映了主流社會的認可亞裔社區有選票影響力。

            麻州參議員薩福克及米斗塞郡第一區（First Suffolk and Middlesex District）的範圍，包括瑞維爾（Revere），西劍橋市，以及華埠的波士頓城中心等地，從1970、80年代的Michael LoPresti ，1990到2000年代的 Robert Travaglini ，以及2007年起的Anthony Petruccelli ，當選者都是義大利裔美人，今年的選舉結果很可能打破這傳統。

            麻州雜誌作者Michael Jonas在一篇長文中指出，搬進東波士頓才兩年的黃子瑜（Diana Hwang）是在休士頓出生，父母來自台灣的亞裔移民後代，搬進東波士頓八年的Lydia Edwards則是在密西根上半島出生長大的非洲裔美人律師。

4月5日，黃子瑜又為這場選舉再締造了一項特別記錄，做電視廣告。

由於州參議員雖然是州級席位，但麻州40名州議員各有不同轄區，只有所屬轄區選民，才有該區參議員席位的投票權，換言之，這到底只是一場區域性選舉，竟動用電視廣告打知名度，黃子瑜很可能是第一人。

波士頓環球報的政治版，昨日也發表了一篇文章，從籌款數額來描述這場選舉。其中的黃子瑜雖然是第一次參選民代，卻顯然最有籌款能力，根據麻州政府的政治獻金紀錄網頁，截至3月25日，黃子瑜的戶口還有$83,826。

黃子瑜的競爭對手們的籌款帳戶餘額，依序為溫卓普（Winthrop）房屋局的 Joe Boncore有 $72,210，在大波士頓法律服務處當律師的艾華姿（Lydia Edwards）有$42,422，麻州眾議員Jay Livingstone 有 $33,324，曾任瑞維爾（Revere）市長的Dan Rizzo有 $31,257，瑞維爾市議員Steven Morabito有 $5,255，軟體顧問公司負責人Paul Rogers有$5,768。

儘管這些候選人中，不乏州議員，前市長，在位市議員這些有經驗的政客，但黃子瑜的曾是州議員助理，市議員幕僚長，獲選為麻州大學從政婦女中心董事會董事，或波士頓市長馬丁華殊指派為婦女委員會委員，也是波士頓婦女基金共同主席等這些資歷，讓示了她可能有最廣的政商關係。她的競選團隊為30秒的電視廣告做文宣時，也率直指出，黃子瑜在短短三個月內，就籌款17萬元。

由華美福利會（AACA），亞美社區發展協會（ACDC），波士頓華埠社區中心（BCNC），華埠居民會（CRA )，華人前進會（CPA），華人政治協選會（CPPA），麻州投票（MassVOTE），華人醫務中心（SCCHC）等8個組織合作，三月中在昆士小學禮堂舉辦的候選人論壇，隆重的請有美國總統白宮亞裔事務顧問保羅渡邊（Paul Watanabe）主持，社區民眾也十分支持的出席。

有熟悉選情者透露，華埠社區內目前大致分兩、三派，親近華人前進會，華人政治協選會的選民，多半支持黃子瑜，也同時支持早前已有推動創辦麻州亞美局（AAC）的李超榮與波士頓市議會議長吳弭（Michelle Wu）為她半籌款會的艾華姿（Lydia Edwards），與僑界大老陳毓禮來往密切的，卻多半支持Joe Boncore。

NAAAP WIN Lean In Circle application deadline 4/24

“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
-Sheryl Sandberg
COO of Facebook & Author of Lean In

Inspired by Sheryl Sandberg, the NAAAP Boston WIN Lean In Circle is a 12-month program that brings together ten women for ongoing inspiration and support to pursue their ambitions and achieve their goals. Participants openly talk about the challenges that women face and work together to change the conversation from what we can’t do to what we can do. From exploring workplace and life issues and delving into professional and personal development topics, the goal is to encourage and empower each other to strive for individual and collective growth, as well as break barriers to change the trajectory of women.
In a WIN Lean In Circle, members not only form an active and solid peer-to-peer support community, but gain from opportunities to learn from each other through an open exchange of ideas and experiences. Members will meet monthly to discuss topics, engage in exercises and take turns as facilitators. Monthly discussion alternates between topics chosen from the Lean In book or Lean In website (www.leanin.org) or topics selected to share personal experiences and lessons learned. Possible topics include: Negotiation, Team Dynamics, Difficult
Conversations, Lessons Learned from Failure, Power and Influence and Personal Branding.
The Lean In Circle program is also designed help participants build a strong cross-industry network through peer- to-peer mentoring and leadership development. The program, designed to address the unique professional and personal challenges that Asian American women face in their professional and personal life, will push participants outside of their comfort zone to reach for new career horizons. As a NAAAP Boston WIN program, a Lean In Circle benefits from the WIN Initiative and numerous NAAAP resources to help grow and sustain a strong community of Asian American women in the Boston area.
Join us in our mission of building the Boston Asian American Sisterhood to empower each other and dismantle the barriers that hold us back – Together we are STRONGER!
To apply for the NAAAP Boston WIN Lean In Circle program, please click this application link by Sunday, April 24th, 2016. If there are any questions, please send an email to win@naaapboston.org.

National Association of Asian American Professionals Boston Women in NAAAP (WIN) Initiative www.naaapboston.org  

Citizens Bank announces more than $500,000 in funding to 17 Massachusetts organizations for financial education

Citizens Bank announces more than $500,000 in funding to 17 Massachusetts organizations for financial education

Contributions part of the bank’s 2016 Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money commitment set to deliver financial literacy programming to consumers
and small businesses

BOSTON – As part of an ongoing commitment to give consumers the confidence and tools they need to be fiscally healthy, Citizens Bank together with Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg announced today that 17 nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts will receive $512,000 in contributions as part of the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money financial literacy initiative.

The need for funding and education in Massachusetts communities is great; only 35.5 percent of households have three months’ worth of expenses saved[1]. Massachusetts is 1 of 12 states that does not require financial education for students[2].

“Massachusetts citizens are walking a financial tightrope and are in need of the basic necessities that can help them become financially successful,” said Jerry Sargent, President, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. “Through our Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program, we are working together with state and nonprofit organizations to empower our fellow citizens with the knowledge and resources they need to budget, save, invest and be fiscally healthy.”

The Women’s Economic Empowerment series - a pilot program through the Economic Empowerment Trust Fund consisting of educational events in Quincy and Newton that focus on wage negotiation, money management, retirement and investment strategies for women of all ages, ethnicities, economic backgrounds and levels of fiscal knowledge - is one of the funding recipients. These free conferences, facilitated by the Massachusetts State Treasurer’s Office, enable the state's female residents to become more informed about how to secure their economic future. 

"Our Financial Literacy Task Force found that Massachusetts residents of all ages and backgrounds needed improved access and innovative tools to give them the skills they need to navigate today's financial environment," said Treasurer Deb Goldberg. "I am delighted to partner with Citizens Bank in providing educational programming that empowers women throughout our entire state."

Leveraging the financial expertise of its bankers and its partnerships with local nonprofits focused on financial education, the Citizens Helping Citizens Manage Money program this year includes $1.3 million in donations to 77 nonprofits and volunteer outreach by more than 400 trained Citizens colleagues throughout the bank’s 11-state footprint.

Nonprofit organizations were chosen in a competitive application process based on their track record of success providing financial education programs, with clear and measurable goals for the program and sustainable program plans. Massachusetts organizations include:

1.     Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. (Boston)           

2.     Crittenton Women's Union (Boston)                                      

3.     Economic Empowerment Trust Fund (Boston)                      

4.     Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, Inc. (Boston)            

5.     HAPHousing (Springfield)                                                      

6.     Lawrence CommunityWorks (Lawrence)                               

7.     Local Initiatives Support Corporation (Boston)                      

8.     Madison Park Development Corporation (Roxbury)              

9.     Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance, Inc. (Dorchester)

10.  Neighborhood of Affordable Housing, Inc. (East Boston)      

11.  Teach For America (Boston)                                                  

12.  The Midas Collaborative, Inc. (Boston)                                  

13.  The Neighborhood Developers (Boston)                               

14.  uAspire Inc. (Boston)                                                                

15.  United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Inc. (Boston)                    

16.  Urban Edge Housing Corporation (Roxbury)                         

17.  Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, Inc. (Roxbury)

One of Treasurer Goldberg’s first initiatives in her administration was the creation of the Task Force on Financial Literacy, a group of policymakers, educators, bankers and advocates responsible for examining the state of financial education in Massachusetts. The Task Force completed a comprehensive study of access to financial education in Massachusetts, and released a detailed set of actionable recommendations to enhance financial literacy throughout the state.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $138.2 billion in assets as of December 31, 2015. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle‐market companies, large corporations and institutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers “bank better” with mobile and online banking and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid‐Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not‐for‐profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance. Citizens operates through its subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania as Citizens Bank, Citizens Commercial Banking and Citizens One. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found at www.citizensbank.com.

TREASURER DEB GOLDBERG AND THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY ANNOUNCE 10TH ANNUAL “MY IDEAL SCHOOL” CONTEST

TREASURER DEB GOLDBERG AND THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL BUILDING AUTHORITY ANNOUNCE 10^TH ANNUAL “MY IDEAL SCHOOL” CONTEST

BOSTON:  State Treasurer Deb Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) and MSBA Chief Executive Officer Maureen Valente are pleased to announce the 2016 Annual “My Ideal School” contest. Now, in its 10^th year, the contest’s goal is to promote discussion among students and teachers as to how thoughtful design and construction of schools in Massachusetts support student engagement and 21^st century learning.

“Each year I look forward to judging the ‘My Ideal School’ contest,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “Our hope is to hear from as many first-graders from every corner of the state, as possible!”  

This contest is open to all first-grade students currently attending a Massachusetts public school. Students should include both an illustration of their ideal school and a short essay outlining three things they love about their school. Contest submissions must be received by April 29, 2016 for consideration.

Regional winners will be chosen and will receive a special prize generously donated by Santander Bank. The one lucky grand prize winner will have their “My Ideal School” contest drawing featured on the cover of the next MSBA Annual Report. All winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony at the Massachusetts State House on June 6, 2016.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority partners with Massachusetts communities to support the design and construction of educationally-appropriate, flexible, sustainable and cost-effective public school facilities. Since its inception in 2004, the MSBA has made over 1,700 site visits to more than 250 school districts as part of its due diligence process and has made over $11.9 billion in reimbursements for school construction projects.

For more information on the “My Ideal School” context please visit the MSBA website athttp://www.massschoolbuildings.org/programs/ideal_school.