MAYOR WALSH ISSUES COLD WEATHER TIPS FOR RESIDENTS AHEAD OF NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATIONS

MAYOR WALSH ISSUES COLD WEATHER TIPS FOR RESIDENTS AHEAD OF NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATIONS

BOSTON - Sunday, December 31, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced a set of tips and guidelines for residents ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations. Forecasters are predicting wind chills to range from 5 below zero to 20 below zero. The cold wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes to exposed skin. The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Chill Advisory in effect from 8:00 p.m. this evening until noon on Monday. As a reminder, organizers of First Night First Day have cancelled certain programming due to weather concerns, including the People's Procession Parade, Frog Pond Skating Spectacular and Family Fireworks at 7:00 p.m. on the Boston Common. For more information on First Night activities, please visit here.  "First Night is a great Boston tradition that many families look forward to each year. This year, New Year's Eve is going to be extremely cold, so we're asking residents to use their best judgment if they choose to be outside for any duration of time," said Mayor Walsh. "I urge residents to look out for another and remain vigilant as we experience some of the coldest weather our city has seen in years, so that together we can ring in 2018 safely." Mayor Walsh asks all residents to take precautions and exercise care during the low temperatures. He encourages residents to check on neighbors who are elderly or disabled; be mindful of homeless individuals who may need assistance; and practice caution with space heaters. Homelessness services are also available on Boston.gov.  For emergency alerts, including cold-weather alerts, residents are encouraged to sign up for Alert Boston. For questions or additional information, call the City's resident services hotline, 311, or visit boston.gov/cold. Follow the City on Twitter for additional information and safety tips: @BOS311 and @CityofBoston. Key safety tips include: Preventing Hypothermia and Frostbite Dress for the weather: Wear several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight, warm clothing rather than one layer of heavy clothing.   Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Wear mittens over gloves; layering works for your hands as well. Always wear a hat and cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.   Dress children warmly and set reasonable time limits on outdoor play. Restrict infants' outdoor exposure when it is colder than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Watch for signs of frostbite: These include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, get medical help immediately. Watch for signs of hypothermia: These include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If you or someone you know shows any of these symptoms, get in touch with a healthcare provider immediately. If symptoms are severe, call 911. Heating Safety Never try to heat your home using a charcoal or gas grill, the kitchen stove, or other product not specifically designed as a heater. These can cause a fire or produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide very quickly. Using faulty or improper heating sources is the number two cause of home fires in Massachusetts. Have your heating system cleaned and checked annually. Install and maintain smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible gas produced whenever any fuel is burned. Common sources include oil or gas furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, stoves, and some space heaters. It has no smell, taste, or color. It is a poison and is deadly. Vulnerable Populations If you see homeless and vulnerable individuals out in the cold who appear immobile, disoriented or underdressed for the cold, please call 911. The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) coordinates a city-wide network of emergency shelters, outreach providers, city agencies and first responders to assist those in need of shelter. Boston's emergency shelters are open 24 hours and will accept any person in need.  Men can access shelter at the 112 Southampton Street Shelter, and women should go to the Woods-Mullen Shelter at 794 Massachusetts Ave. BPHC and the City are working closely with shelter providers in the city to ensure that no client is without shelter, food, resources, and a warm respite from the cold. During extreme cold weather, street outreach teams operate with extended hours and provide mobile outreach vans on the streets in the evening and throughout the day. Heat Guidelines for Property Owners and Tenants In accordance with the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code, the heating season officially begins on September 15 and runs through June 15. Property owners must heat habitable spaces at a minimum temperature of 68° between 7 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. and 64° between 11:01 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. In case of emergency, property owners are encouraged to keep a list of licensed contractors (electrician, plumber and general contractor) on file. Tenants experiencing problems with their heating system should check the thermostat, ensure the dial is turned on, and report insufficient or no heat problems to the property owner or manager immediately. If your landlord or property manager is unresponsive, contact the Inspectional Services Department (ISD) at (617) 635-5300 to file a complaint, or call 311.   Tips to keep water flowing and pipes unfrozen during extreme cold The Boston Water and Sewer Commission recommends that during the upcoming cold snap homeowners remember the words locate, insulate, and circulate. Locate a home's main water shut off valve, and learn how to use it. Should a frozen pipe burst, shutting the main valve quickly will minimize flooding and property damage. Insulate pipes in unheated areas like basements, garages and crawl spaces. Use inexpensive hardware store materials to prevent pipes from freezing and to keep warm water flowing. Circulate warm air around pipes by keeping cabinet doors open. Circulate a trickle of tap water through pipes during extreme cold to help prevent them freezing up. Locate your water meter, protect it from drafts, and make sure basement doors and windows are shut tight. If pipes do freeze, slow thaw with a hair dryer. If water is lost in all taps, call BWSC 24-hour Emergency Assistance Line at 617-989-7000.      Increasing Home Energy Efficiency Disconnect water hose from the home. Wrap or cover exposed spigots. Caulk or putty windows. Ensure kitchen and bathroom dampers close properly. Close all storm windows and doors. Apply weather stripping. Properly insulate all pipes that are exposed. Cover vents. Install insulated or heavy drapes to keep cold drafts from coming in. Don't forget to close the damper to wood burning fireplace after each use. Consider a chimney balloon if you don't have a damper. For more energy efficiency tips for your home, call Renew Boston at 617-635-SAVE (7283). Emergency Home Repair Income eligible homeowners and Boston's seniors can receive assistance with winter emergencies and repairs, such as fixing storm damage, leaking roofs, furnaces and leaking/frozen pipes. For assistance, residents should call the Mayor's hotline at 311 or the Boston Home Center at 617-635-HOME (4663).    A grant up to $5,000 is available for income eligible senior homeowners to ease unexpected financial burdens caused by an emergency situation with their home. In addition, the Mayor's Seniors Save program helps income eligible elders replace old, inefficient heating systems with a new brand new heating system even before a catastrophic failure occurs during the cold winter months.  Seniors can also call 311 or the Boston Home Center at (617) 635-HOME (4663)to be connected with a City staffer to provide additional details. Emergency Operations The City of Boston Office of Emergency Management (OEM) remains in constant contact with the National Weather Service to receive detailed forecasts for the City of Boston. It also ensures each City department has a plan in place to handle the forecast. If the storm warrants, the City's Emergency Operations Center will be activated and City representatives will coordinate response and recovery efforts. Year round, OEM conducts preparedness seminars to educate the public on the importance of having an emergency preparedness plan and a bag of emergency supplies in the event that Boston residents have to shelter in place or leave their residence. Residents who sign up for notifications will receive a message from the City about winter storms and extreme cold weather. This notification system also alerts residents when a snow emergency/parking ban is in effect and when it is being lifted.

2017年麻州有11家生科公司上市融資近10億元

            (Boston Orange )2017年是麻州在生物醫藥領域再跨一步的一年，不但又一年被推舉為全美排名第一的生命科學重鎮，波士頓商業期刊(Boston Business Journal)還結算出，截至2017年11月，麻州有11家生物科技公司上市，共融資9億5200萬元，比2016年的6億4200萬元，整整多了3億餘元。

            2015年時，麻州上市的生物科技公司，也總共才融資8億7000萬元。

            這些2017年內在麻州上市的生物科技公司，以及其融資金額依序為，一月時，劍橋市的顛簸療法(JounceTherapeutics)，一億二百萬元；六月時，劍橋市的Aileron 療法，5600萬元；劍橋市的Mersana療法，7500萬元；七月時，華森市的Kala製藥，9000萬元，劍橋市的Akcea 療法，一億2500萬元；九月時，華森市的Deciphera 製藥，一億2800萬元；十月時，波士頓市的Rhythm製藥，一億2000萬元；十一月時，華森市Arsanis，4000萬元，劍橋市的Spero療法，7700萬元，勒星頓鎮的Quanterix6400萬元，牛頓市的Allena製藥，7500萬元。

天氣雖冷 波士頓第一夜照常舉行

(Boston Orange) 波士頓正遭遇百年一遇的寒冷，甚至傳出在戶外站30分鐘就會凍傷的說法，不過”波士頓第一夜”這傳統，怎麼可以輕易放棄。每年備受喜愛的冰雕，也都已經雕琢出雛形。波士頓市長馬丁華殊毅然決定，節慶照常舉行，

在為節慶活動安全舉辦的記者會上，馬丁華殊和波士頓警察局局長伊凡斯(William B. Evans)都認為，目前沒有明確恐怖威脅出現，就該讓節慶日照常舉辦，給大家帶來歡樂。警察局會安排沒穿制服的臥底警察，夾雜在人群中保護大眾安全。

伊凡斯說警察局也會安排一些人手在樓宇屋頂上，以預防10月份在拉斯維加斯(Las Vegas)發生的，槍手從酒店窗戶向群眾開槍，59人喪生的事件發生。

他們勸大眾搭乘公共交通工具進城，說明所有的地鐵從晚上8點開始，將免費載客，公共場所將不准飲酒。大眾出門最好穿得暖和點。

馬丁華殊說第一夜將全是戶外活動，人們覺得冷的時候，最好找個地方躲躲風寒。如果冷到讓人受不了，就聰明點的趕快回家吧。

在12月31日的”波士頓第一夜”這天，有數條街道將暫時封街，包括達特茅斯街(Dartmouth)的從聖詹姆士(St. James)街到波約斯頓街(Boylston)這段，三一地(Trinity Place)和Blagden街。

波約斯頓街(Boylston)將在下午5點半到7點之間，沿著遊行路線的從達特茅斯街到波士頓廣場(Boston Common)都封閉。

今年的冰雕，總共有六座，總重不下13,500磅，主題，在柯普利廣場的冰雕主題將是”魔法森林(Enchanted Forest)”，其中最高的會高達16英尺。其他的冰雕會座落在四季酒店，新聞咖/WGBH，冰火餐廳等等地方。

表演部分，波士頓華人腰鼓團將於下午一點半在波約斯頓街560號表演。

今年的煙火，有7點到7點半，穆加基金會在波士頓廣場為老少一家人施放的煙火，午夜則有柯普利廣場第一夜跨年倒數，以及燈光煙火秀。另外在波士頓海港，也有哥倫布公園之友等機構贊助的煙火秀。

目前的天氣預測是，週六氣溫會回升到華氏20度，新英格蘭南邊，還可能會下點雪。不過大概只有離島會受影響，氣象局已預先發佈警告，從週六中午到凌晨一點，例如葡萄園島，南特基島等等，可能會降雪2到5吋。麻州公路北邊也會有雪飄到。

在除夕夜跨入新年的那一刻，氣溫大概會在華氏5度左右。

波士頓在週五早上7點時，氣溫是華氏3度左右，8點將到2度，中午回升到15度。

在麻州歷史上的12月29日最低溫度是負17度，今年大概還不致於那麼冷。至於這天在麻州歷史上的最高溫度是1984年的73度。

陳仕維、黃立輝再任波士頓安良工商會會長

住波士頓經文處副處長陳銘俊(中)主持印信交接儀式。左起，阮鴻燦，
伍輝民，翁英宏，黃立輝，陳仕維，鄧北海，伍育俊，陳文棟，
黃國健，陳文浩。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓安良工商會12月26日在華埠乞臣街會址舉行就職典禮，會長陳仕維，黃立輝在駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處副處長陳銘俊監交，近50名會眾，嘉賓到會觀禮中，再掌印信。

            波士頓安良工商會從2015年發生風波後，經全美安良總理協調，先由7人小組統領，後於2016年指派黃立輝，陳仕維，依序出任自治，聯選會長。今年再指派他們兩人繼續出任會長，但自治，聯選的職位互調。

波士頓安良會長陳仕維(左起)，黃立輝在梅炳鈿司禮中，上香
拜關公。(周菊子攝)

            陳仕維，黃立輝致詞時都強調，感謝一眾幹部，熱心會員的支持，波士頓安良才能經過動盪，大幅改革後，重新安定發展。未來一年，該會將為會眾籌辦更多活動，積極餐與公益活動，豐富社區精神生活。

            陳仕維畢業於東北大學，當年主修會計及管理，現經營競運瓜菜，事業有成，前後曾擔任過六屆波士頓安良工商會會長。今年再度走馬上任，希望能督促安良在會務經營上更有條理。

            黃立輝也畢業於東北大學。他透露自己當年主修電機工程，後曾經商，如今轉行，從事獄政警察工作。

右起，余麗媖，陳毓禮，陳文珊，左起，司徒焯榮，黃賢池，謝如鍵，
李源沛等人出席觀禮。中左起，陳仕維，經文處副處長陳銘俊，
黃立輝。(周菊子攝)

            波士頓安良工商會今年的幹部名單，除前述兩名會長外，其餘幹部一半以上都曾經擔任會長，分別為幫辦李天生、鄧北海、翁英宏、司徒炳思，財政陳文浩，中文秘書伍輝民，外交阮鴻燦，黃國健，庶務陳文棟。

            2018年4月18日至21日，波士頓安良工商會將組團赴台灣，參加預定在台灣舉行的全美安良工商會第97屆年會。

陳文浩(中)今年既是中華公所財政，也是波士頓安良的財政，安良幫辦
司徒炳思(左)笑他左手，右手都是財。右為幫辦黃國健。(周菊子攝)

嘉賓圍坐觀禮。

周榮佳(中)夫婦為典禮敲鑼。(周菊子攝)

波士頓安良會長陳仕維(左起)，黃立輝上香。(周菊子攝)

波士頓經文處副處長陳銘俊致詞。(周菊子攝)

今起一連7天 波士頓凍成冰窖

(Boston Orange) 天氣預測說，從今天(週三，27號) 到1月2號的下週二，波士頓的氣溫都不會超過華氏20度。

一連7天，氣溫都這麼低的情況，在波士頓的歷史中還只發生過一次。

那是100年前，一直到1918年1月4日結束之前的7天，波士頓的氣溫都沒高過華氏20度，而且那一世紀之前的驟冷，比氣象員所預告的未來幾天氣溫，要嚴峻得多。

在1917年12月29日到1918年1月2日之間的這連續五天，波士頓內的氣溫都在零下，包括零下11度和零下14度的紀錄。

氣象原預測的下周天氣，波士頓的溫度只會降到零度而以。麻州內陸會降至零下。

            次長的一連多天零下20度的紀錄，發生在1888年1月尾，曾經一連6天那麼冷。

            在1979年和1899年的2月，以及1872年的12月，波士頓都曾經歷過一連5天，氣溫低於華氏20度。

            根據麻州居民曬在臉書上的圖片，這兩天卡萊爾(Carlisle)已經出現過零下14度的氣溫。

波士頓郊區華人聖經教會城區事工聖誕禮拜(圖片)

城區事工合唱團。

潘儒達牧師解釋聖誕日其實不是節慶日。

城區事功位這場聖誕禮拜編排了不一樣的演唱。

鐘信忠(左二)等人組成合唱團。

掌管音響，不忘唱詩歌。

做完禮拜，享用點心。

鍾信忠(左)、周鑫泉(右)兩夫婦，夫唱婦彈，與教會攜手籌辦聖誕
夜禮拜。(周菊子攝)，

摩門教富豪計畫在佛蒙特州建未來烏托邦

(Boston Orange) 一名猶他州商人有意把佛蒙特州摩門教教堂創辦人出生地旁的一片43英畝鄉野地方，改造成名為”新願景(New Vistas)”的未來烏托邦，驚嚇了當地保守人士。

該構想要在佛蒙特州首都Montpelier以南30英哩處，創造一個可容納100萬人的巨型都會。那人數大約是佛蒙特州現有人口的兩倍。

儘管那還是一個遙不可及的構想，卻已讓風景區白河一帶安靜的三，四個社區警覺起來。

祖先在佛蒙特州已傳承七代的Jane Huppee表示，她從來沒想到過這樣規模的發展計畫會出現在這兒。當地景觀必然丕變。

起初，許多居民認為那雄偉大計是不可能的幻覺，不把它當作一回事，但是極端富有的工程師David Hall，買下一個農莊又一個農莊後，她們開始憂慮了。

現年已70歲的David Hall承認那計畫有點過於龐大，可能得花上一世紀的時間來完成，但他堅持自己有這意志力及資源來打基礎，他的後代可以繼續。

他強調自己的理念源自1805年在鄰城沙朗(Sharon)出生的摩門教創始人Joseph Smith。

David Hall已斥資600萬元，買下了Joseph Smith出生地鄰近的1800英畝土地，在那兒，還有一點點他兒時住家的殘留物，是由耶穌基督後期聖徒教會維持的大理石方尖碑標記著。他打算買更多地。

David Hall說，是Joseph Smith的1833年自給自足社區藍圖，錫安平台，給了他靈感。在那裏面的居民會過著高度互聯的生活。

摩門教棠反對他的計畫，許多居民認為那是對他們生活方式的威脅。但是由於父親發明人造鑽石，家族致富的David Hall把那宣傳為拯救國家經濟的社會及經濟救星。

在他的計畫中，”新願景(NewVistas)”會逐漸發展成為包括50個村落的聚集區，每一個可有多至2萬居民。人們會住在微型單位中，大約每人200平方英尺，以允許大部分土地保留為野生地。

David Hall說，第一個村落很可能會設在Tunbridge，Strafford，以及 Royalton，Sharon之間，那而目前大約有居民6700。他還已經聘請工程師把未來因素帶進這項目，包括可以按個按鈕就重新安排家聚的機器人，4x4英尺的廚房，能夠協助偵測醫療問題的高科技廁所等等。

這個社區會完全自給自足，村落裏沒有汽車，卡車呼嘯而過，屋頂會成為小農場，新願景之內的企業會能因應基本消費需求。

他還沒有向州或市政府遞交正式計畫，甚至可能10年內都不會，但他說，一旦開始，他會不遺餘力。

波士頓過白色聖誕 2018第一夜會很冷

波士頓的市區，下午雪就停了，地面上也只有一層薄雪。(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange)下雪了。皓皓白雪覆蓋大地，波士頓終於又等來一個白色聖誕，可卻是個沒電了的白色聖誕，大約有4500戶人家停電了。

根據麻周緊急管理局(MEMA)，就在早上10點以前，東橋水(East Bridgewater)大約有11%的民家裡停電了，諾頓(Norton)鎮則有大約六分之一人家停電了。

25日是聖誕假日，人行道也一時還沒人來鏟雪。(周菊子攝)

波士頓還好，沒停電，但是風大雪重，戶外天氣十分惡劣。城中區幾乎有如廢城，路上都覆蓋著雪，只有幾個川著霓虹夾克的人在給人行道鏟雪。據說有一名記者早上9點多時開車繞行畢肯丘，金融區，以及蘿絲甘迺迪綠路，沒看到一輛鏟雪車。

羅根國際機場暫時停止了飛機起降。

麻州港發言人Jennifer Meigan 表示，今早氣溫變化太快，工作人員的進度感不上降雪速度。還好今天路上沒那麼多車。大約早上11點半，羅根機場重開跑道，容許飛機起降了。

今早的風速大約每小時25英哩，溫度大約是華氏20度左右。

國家氣象服務局對鱈魚角和離島發出了大風警告，預估風速會從每小時30到40英哩，加速到每小時65英哩。

國家氣象局的氣象員表示，大都會地區大約再一兩個小時後就會停止降雪，但氣溫會大將，天氣更加冷。路上可能結冰，出門的人要更加小心。

麻州州警表示，因為天氣關係，麻州高速公路(turnpike)的速限已降到每小時40英哩。

麻州交通局表示，已派出1968輛鏟雪車上路。

接下來的這幾天，也將都非常冷，星期四可能會是最冷的一天。2018年的第一個星期，將有一到倆個北極冷峰來襲，”第一夜(First Night)”也將非常冷。