波士頓市第55任市長Kim Janey宣誓就任

 KIM JANEY SWORN IN AS 55TH MAYOR OF BOSTON DURING CEREMONY AT CITY HALL

“As we turn to the future, I am ready to lead our city toward healing, justice and joy. We can’t go back. Our only option is to go better

 

Mayor Kim Janey is sworn in by Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, with her granddaughter Rosie holding a Bible

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley spoke at Kim Janey's
swearing-in ceremony. ( Photo by Chutze Chou)

BOSTON - Wednesday, March 24, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey was sworn into office today as the 55th Mayor of the City of Boston during an intimate City Hall ceremony that was attended by close friends and family. Mayor Janey, who makes history as the first woman and the first Black mayor in Boston’s history, was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, the first Black woman to lead the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color to serve on the Boston City Council, presided over the ceremony, and Reverend Willie Bodrick, II, Senior Pastor at the Historic Twelfth Baptist Church, delivered the invocation. Mayor Janey takes office after former Mayor Martin J. Walsh was confirmed earlier this week by the United States Senate to be the nation’s next Secretary of Labor.

“Today is a new day,” said Mayor Janey. “I stand before you as the first woman and the first Black mayor of Boston, the city that I love. I come to this day with a life experience that is different from the men who came before me. I was born into a family with deep roots in the South End and six generations in Roxbury, the center of our great city. I come from a long line of proud educators, entrepreneurs, artists and advocates. I am grateful for my parents who raised me, my daughter who inspired me, my siblings who supported me, and my aunties, uncles and cousins who have always rooted for me. Thank you, all.”

Mayor Janey will lead Boston through the COVID-19 pandemic with a citywide agenda for recovery, reopening and renewal. Her pandemic recovery priorities include distributing vaccines effectively, returning children to school safely, and centering disadvantaged workers and businesses in the city’s economic recovery. 

Mayor Janey’s swearing-in speech was framed by the values that she was raised with and that guide her to this day: the importance of education, the power of community organizing, and the fundamental principles of equity and justice. She talked about being forced onto the front lines of the battle to desegregate Boston’s public schools as an eleven year-old middle school student who faced rocks and racial slurs during the busing era and about how becoming a young mother in high school helped shape her life.

As one of only two Black students in her high school graduating class, Mayor Janey attended Reading Public Schools through the METCO program. She would go on to attend Smith College before withdrawing to care for her grandfather. Janey began her advocacy on behalf of children inspired by the interconnection of her own daughter’s experiences with those of other children. In her role at Massachusetts Advocates for Children, Mayor Janey championed systemic policy reforms to increase equity, excellence, access, and opportunity in Boston Public Schools. She placed a special focus on eliminating opportunity and achievement gaps for children of color, immigrant children, students who are learning English, children with special needs, and those living in poverty.

“As I assume the responsibilities of the Mayor of Boston, I promise to give you bold, courageous leadership,” said Mayor Janey. “Our recovery must include working together on behalf of our children. That means safely reopening our schools and vaccinating our teachers. That also means investing in a summer of opportunities. I will partner with the superintendent to rally the business community, neighborhood groups and faith-based organizations to help our children recover academically and emotionally.”

Mayor Janey discussed education and opportunity as personal issues for her, highlighting that she fought hard to ensure her daughter had access to a quality public education and citing her work over two decades to increase equity and excellence in education to all students in Boston Public Schools.

“Our nation and our city are built on a promise that achieving your dreams is possible -- regardless of race, religion, immigration status, income, gender identity, or who you love -- but we have so much work to do to make those dreams real for everyone,” said Mayor Janey. “And we have to start by calling out the challenges facing our city openly, honestly and transparently,” she said while highlighting the enormous wealth gap that exists for Black families in Boston. In 2015, a report commissioned by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston called The Color of Wealth in Boston found that while white households have a median net worth of $247,500, the median net worth of Black families is just $8.

Pledging to address economic disparities with new urgency to reopen Boston’s economy with equity in the wake of the pandemic, Mayor Janey cited inequality in city contracting as a priority. She also committed to building upon her work as City Council President to reform policing in Boston in order to help dismantle systemic racism. 

“While today is a new day, while Boston has come so far, we also must acknowledge that we have so much more work to do. That work starts now,” said Mayor Janey.

Mayor Janey paid special tribute to the long line of Black women in Boston who helped break down barriers and pave the way for the city’s first woman of color to become Mayor. Mayor Janey honored activists like Melnea Cass, journalists like Sarah Ann Shaw and Liz Walker, and public servants like Doris Bunte, Jean McGuire and Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, saying, “I stand on their shoulders today.”

Mayor Janey took a moment to congratulate newly sworn-in Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh on his confirmation this week and to thank him for his seven years of service as mayor of Boston. “As a son of Dorchester, your achievement makes us all proud,” said Mayor Janey. “Working people across our country could not have a more passionate advocate in Washington.”

Prior to becoming Mayor, Janey made history in 2017 when she was elected to the Boston City Council as the first woman to represent District 7, which includes Roxbury and parts of the South End, Dorchester, and the Fenway. In 2020, she was elected by her peers as President of the Boston City Council.

A recording and the full text of Mayor Janey’s swearing-in speech is available here. People can follow Mayor Janey on Twitter and Instagram for updates. (City of Boston's press release)

新英格蘭地區白蟻問題多 專協台商攜手邀蔡高進分享處理經驗

 

NEACP和TCCNE首次合辦講座。(視頻截圖)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導)新英格蘭地區很多木造房屋，全國害蟲管理會(National Pest Management Association)的麻州網站稱，麻州大約每五戶人家就有一戶有白蟻問題。紐英崙中華資訊網路協會(NEACP)和新英格蘭台灣商會合作，日前特地邀從事白蟻防治工作20多年，也是台商會資深理事的蔡高進分享經驗。

              蔡高進指出，白蟻主要有潮木，乾木，福爾摩沙，東方地下四種。前三種多半存在溫暖地區，地面上，樹上都能看得到，吃木頭的速度比東方地下白蟻快10倍，吃木頭時還會發出嘎嘎聲。東方地下白蟻卻多半躲在牆後，默默無聲地啃食木頭，造成的危害反而比較大。新英格蘭地區居民最需要注意的其實是東方地下白蟻。

部分出席者。(視頻截圖)

             這些白蟻分 蟻王，蟻后，以及工蟻，基本上是瞎的，分辨不了東西，就像逐水草而居的遊牧民族，哪裡嗅到食物，就往哪裡去，不但聰明而且懶，會挑容易的目標下手，從潮濕，鬆軟的土壤向下深挖，遇到木頭，就會啃食，還廣告週知，吆喝其他白蟻都去啃。

              許多華人喜歡在家裡種花蒔草，甚至栽種需要天天澆水的蔬菜，就會使得房屋潮濕，給白蟻製造了絕佳環境。如果不及時阻止白蟻蛀蝕房屋梁柱，屋主的維修損失，少則逾千，多則難以估計。

不過白蟻非常敏感，怕光，很會藏匿，在一般情況下，人們不會看到白蟻。蔡高進認為，在新英格蘭地區，房屋只有兩種，一種是已經有白蟻的房子，一種是最終會有白蟻的房子。如果想要完全避開白蟻，大概就得搬到緬因州北部，那些天氣太冷的地方。

NEACP理事及講者。(視頻截圖)

如果哪天在牆角出現一堆透明翅膀，那就不需要懷疑，得趕快找白蟻公司來檢查，處理了。早年治理白蟻用的化學藥劑，甚至六、七年後，還能聞到味道，但現在的化學藥劑已大有改進。

在回答提問時，蔡高進表示，麻州比較常見白蟻的市鎮包括多松樹的安多福(Andover)，多濕地的Tewkesbury，曾經有很多農夫的枇杷地(Peabody)，以及房子多半比較老舊的牛頓，貝爾蒙等地方。

              要買房子的人，在簽約購買前，最好找白蟻公司做檢測，或者至少檢查買賣合約上是否有已經做過白蟻檢測的註記。

蔡高進說明新英格蘭地區多半是東方地下白蟻。

麻州共有351個市鎮。根據網路上”害蟲顧問(The Pest Advice)”資料，共有318家消除害蟲公司分佈在134個不同市鎮中。

              當天的這講座約50餘人參加，由紐英崙中華資訊網路協會(NEACP)會長康雅雰開場，新英格蘭台灣商會(TCCNE)會長林才民主持，以英語進行。康雅雰表示，兩會還是第一次合作，希望將來有更多合作交流機會。

紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長康雅雰。(視頻截圖)

新英格蘭台灣商會會長林才民。(視頻截圖)

塔芙茨大學波士頓地區新冠疫情更新 上週波士頓華埠9人確診

Tufts University COVID-19 Boston Health Sciences Campus Update (as of 03/19/2021):

• 434,862 tests have been administered by Tufts University on all four campuses (Boston’s Chinatown, Boston’s Fenway/Mission Hill, Medford/Somerville and Grafton) since August 3rd, 2020
• As of 03/19/21, for the Boston Health Sciences Campus:
• 9 individuals are in isolation
• 17 individuals are quarantined
• 197 individuals have recovered
• In the past 7 days for the Boston Health Sciences Campus:
• 0 student has tested positive and 1,429 have tested negative (0% positive)
• 1 faculty/staff have tested positive and 739 have tested negative (.14% positive)
• Since testing began on August 3rd:
• 109 unique students on the Boston Health Sciences campus have tested positive and 2,133have tested negative (4.86% positive)
• 41 unique employees on the Boston Health Sciences campus have tested positive and 1,027 have tested negative (3.84% positive)
• Average processing time remains less than 24 hours

下面是本周塔夫茨大學位於波士頓中國城的健康科學校區的新冠肺炎疫情更新(03/19/2021)。本校區包含了來自塔夫茨牙醫學院，塔夫茨醫學院，弗里德曼營養科學與政策學院，生物醫學研究生院和老齡營養研究中心的學生，工作人員和全體教職員。

塔夫茨大學的新冠肺炎疫情動態會每日更新。您可以在這裏瀏覽最新的數據。如果您有任何疑問，請不要猶豫通過電子郵件communityrelations@tufts.edu或者電話617-627-3780與我的辦公室聯繫。

塔夫茨大學新冠肺炎疫情波士頓健康科學校區更新(截至03/19/2021)

•          從2020年8月3日起，總計434,862人次的檢測已在塔夫茨大學全部四個校區完成(波士頓中國城，波士頓芬威/傳教山，梅德福/薩默維爾，格拉夫頓)

•          截止至03/19/2021，波士頓健康科學校區中：

o          9位確診病例被隔離

o          17位密切接觸者被隔離

o          197位患者已痊愈

•          過去7天內，波士頓健康科學校區中：

o          1名學生檢測為陽性，1,429名為陰性（0%陽性）

o          1名工作人員或教職人員檢測為陽性，739名為陰性（0.14%陽性）

•          自從8月3日開始檢測以來：

o          波士頓健康科學校區內，109名學生檢測為陽性，2,133名為陰性 （4.86%陽性）

o          波士頓健康科學校區內，41名雇員檢測為陽性，1,027名為陰性 （3.84%陽性）

•          平均檢測處理時間保持在24小時內

Marty Walsh 宣佈波士頓市明日起改朝換代

 

AAPI VICTORY FUND endorses Michelle Wu for Mayor of Boston

 AAPI VICTORY FUND ANNOUNCES RISING STAR MAYORAL ENDORSEMENTS FOR GREATER AAPI REPRESENTATION IN CITIES

Photo from file. WASHINGTON – Today, AAPI Victory Fund endorses two Asian American mayoral candidates, Michelle Wu (Boston) and Aftab Pureval (Cincinnati), as its inaugural Rising Star endorsements. It is more important than ever for diverse leadership across local, state and federal governments, and these candidates will bring their unique voices and experiences to lead large metropolitan areas.    Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu has been a strong voice for AAPIs, women and progressive values. As the daughter of immigrants, she knows first hand how government and politics can help people, including removing barriers and empowering her community to fight for those who are often left voiceless.    Hamilton County, Ohio Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval is a necessary progressive voice that has been able to achieve success with Democrats and Republicans alike. As the son of first generation Americans, he has spent his career defending the most vulnerable in his community, including with the FBI to prosecute crimes against children.    “We are proud to endorse Michelle Wu for mayor of Boston and Aftab Pureval for mayor of Cincinnati,” said Varun Nikore, president of AAPI Victory Fund. “AAPIs have rarely been visible in city government, and it is time that our voices are heard and represented at the Mayoral level. Michelle and Aftab have immense experience leading in their communities, and lending their expertise and platforms to help families. This has become even more critical as anti-Asian hate has run rampant over the course of the pandemic. We are confident that with Michelle and Aftab as mayors, Boston and Cincinnati will become more inclusive and equitable, and take their communities to new heights.“

Chamber Issues Statement in Support of Senate & House Enacted Climate Legislation

 Chamber Issues Statement in Support of Senate & House Enacted Climate Legislation

The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is proud to support the Senate and House enacted climate legislation that puts the state on a path to a net-zero emission future, and we pledge to be a partner in working through the difficult challenges of implementing this legislation in the coming decades in a balanced and pragmatic manner. Greater Boston's business community – especially those in the real estate, construction, and development industries – has a proven track record and experience with sustainable design and building that will be invaluable as we move forward. 

As urged by the Chamber, the amended bill removes vague language around which type of projects will require environmental impact reports.      

The bill also restores the net zero requirement in the municipal stretch code opt-in, which the Chamber opposed, but as noted above we pledge to work with the state, other stakeholders, and proponents of the net zero requirement toward implementation. In creating the municipal stretch code, the following will be necessary for success: 

• Robust Stakeholder Process: Significant stakeholder involvement is needed prior to developing an updated stretch code. It is imperative that the state proactively include real estate developers, public utilities, and the business community in an extensive and thoughtful development and review process to ensure measures in the stretch code are practical as well as financially and technologically feasible.
• Balanced Implementation:  The proposed stretch code must consider differing building types and their uses. This is particularly true for complex buildings, such as hospitals or laboratories. The tiered implementation plan should balance decarbonization with the reality that buildings serve different purposes, and some will require more flexibility in achieving emissions reductions.  

As we embark on meeting our ambitious climate goals, the state must also acknowledge and prepare for a dramatically different infrastructure to support ubiquitous electrification. This means new electric vehicle charging stations, additional power lines, and substations. Over time, the political reality will emerge that the same communities that support net zero historically have opposed projects that support the electric grid. Going forward, this will be a tension that lawmakers, advocates, businesses, and local communities need to navigate. 

The state will also have to consider other implementation challenges created by efforts to reach net zero by 2050. A separate plan requires that by 2035 the state phase out new sales of gas-powered light duty vehicles. While this will go far to reduce transportation sector emissions, it will also reduce gas tax revenues which provide a crucial source of transportation funding. The Chamber has highlighted this long-term challenge for several years. To prepare for this inevitability, we urge the Legislature to restore language proposed by the Chamber and included in last session’s transportation bond bill that was vetoed by Governor Baker to form a mobility or Roadway Pricing Commission. With the passage of this climate bill, such a commission now plays an even more important role. 

This climate legislation is a strong blueprint that creates a path forward for Massachusetts to lead the nation in sustainability efforts. The business community and the Greater Boston Chamber are ready to be partners in this vision and work collaboratively to navigate the challenges described above, and others, as they arise.

波士頓市擴大汽車共享計畫 目標為10分鐘內可步行到家

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF CAR SHARE BOSTON, AN ALTERNATIVE TO PERSONAL VEHICLE OWNERSHIP Successful pilot program results in expansion from 40 car-share parking spaces up to 250 on local streets and in municipal lots throughout Boston

 

BOSTON - Monday, March 22, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the City of Boston’s Transportation Department today announced the expansion of Car Share Boston, a Go Boston 2030 initiative that gives residents an alternative to personal vehicle ownership, and improves access to car share vehicles by leasing public parking spaces in municipal lots and on city streets to car-share operators. The expansion would increase the number of parking spaces currently reserved for these car-share vehicles from 40 to 250 on local streets and in municipal lots located throughout Boston’s neighborhoods.  Go Boston 2030, announced by Mayor Walsh in 2017, is the City’s comprehensive transportation plan that aims to make Boston’s neighborhoods interconnected for all modes of travel by ensuring that every home is within a 10 minute walk of a rail station or key bus route stop, bike share station, and car-share. “I’m glad to expand the availability of Car Share Boston, which gives residents access to vehicles that are conveniently parked in their neighborhoods and available for their personal use,” said Mayor Walsh. “By designating parking spaces throughout the city, Car Share Boston works to ensure these services are available in an equitable way to all of Boston’s neighborhoods. Thank you to all of our partners who helped create this expansion, continuing our work towards our Go Boston 2030 goals.” The expansion of car-share locations is one of the goals of Go Boston 2030. Based on academic research, car-sharing can provide more affordable access to a car for many residents and can actually reduce the need for parking. For example, car share members often sell or choose not to purchase a car, and for every car-share vehicle added to a neighborhood, there are up to thirteen vehicles removed from or not added to the streets. The Car Share Boston program, previously named Drive Boston, saw significant utilization, with an average of 23 different people using these car-share vehicles each month. Based on the positive results from the pilot, the City is now expanding the program. “Car Share Boston increases resident’s access to cars without increasing the need for parking,” said Transportation Commissioner Greg Rooney. “In addition to giving residents more quality and affordable transportation options, Car Share Boston will also help reduce the City’s rate of carbon emissions.” To ensure that the goals of the program are prioritized, Car Share Boston’s requirements and restrictions include: ·    A maximum cap of up to 30 dedicated spaces in the Downtown and the Seaport. If a partner company requests dedicated space in Downtown or the Seaport, it must locate at least one vehicle in each of four other areas distributed throughout Boston’s neighborhoods. ·    Partner companies must have private parking spaces or plans to install private parking spaces in the City before occupying any dedicated public spaces. ·    No dedicated parking spaces may be installed on streets with daily overnight street cleaning operations. For all other streets with street cleaning operations, partners must clean the area consistent with the City’s street sweeping schedule, at a minimum every two weeks between March 1 and November 30, and as reasonably requested by the City. The City’s partner companies include Zipcar and Getaround, a new partner in the Car Share Boston program. Zipcar has partnered with the City of Boston’s car-share initiative since the pilot program began in 2015. Both partner companies were selected through a Request for Proposal process.  “Zipcar was born in Boston twenty years ago, and as we’ve grown into the world’s leading car sharing network, we’ve kept Boston as our home thanks in large part to the support of strong partners like Mayor Walsh and his team,” said Justin Holmes, Vice President, Marketing and Policy at Zipcar. “We’re pleased to expand this Car Share Boston partnership which will offer more residents the opportunity to leave behind their personally-owned car and join the car-free lifestyle that Zipcar membership enables, making the city more sustainable and reducing congestion, competition for parking and carbon emissions overall.” “Getaround was founded with the vision to empower people to car share everywhere to make cities better places to live. Getaround’s contactless technology -- the Getaround Connect® device installed in the car and a smartphone app -- enables people to instantly find, book, and unlock cars from their phone, without meeting in person to hand over keys,” said Eric Rago, Director of Location Partnerships & Strategy at Getaround. “The City of Boston has provided a clear vision for how it will develop a more sustainable and equitable transportation system and Getaround is proud to partner in expanding the Car Share Boston program to more neighborhoods throughout the city.” The City defines the geographic areas and conditions required for each license. Parking spaces are chosen based on neighborhood car ownership rates; the average amount of miles households drive each day; access to public transportation; and the company’s preference. Partner companies obtain the exclusive use of each parking space 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the term of the license. License fees are based upon anticipated parking meter revenue and the monthly cost of maintaining a parking space in the City of Boston, such as parking meter and sign maintenance, parking enforcement, street sweeping, depreciation of technology and snow removal. Each Car Share Boston partner has health protocols in place to address health and safety, and meets the City’s requirements for COVID-19 safety protocols. To learn more, contact the Car Share Boston partner companies Zipcar and Getaround. For more information on the program and to find out where new locations will be, visit www.boston.gov/carshareboston

塔醫中心宣佈接種新冠疫苗新機會 今日下午3點半以後

                          (Boston Orange)塔芙茨醫療中心發出通知，聲稱收到新疫苗，今(22)日下午3點半起，重新開放新冠疫苗的預約接種。有需要者可上網https://www.tuftsmcvaccine.org登記，需要中文翻譯協助者，可撥打617-636-6119。

              塔醫也提醒民眾，該中心疫苗站設在天滿街(Tremont)279號的萬豪酒店(Marriott)內。塔醫中心會為民眾施打的疫苗種類，將視乎現場當天有那種疫苗而定，民眾將無法自行選擇。

              麻州的施打疫苗進呈現已跨入第二階段，所有符合第一，第二階段接種疫苗資格者，都可預約注射疫苗。

              現階段為60歲以上，患有至少一種病症，包括雜貨店，食品店，交通行業的前線工作人員，以及托兒所，學校老師及職工等教育行業工作者，都有資格預約接種疫苗。 

Dear community members,

Due to new vaccine supply we are able to open back up appointment scheduling for COVID vaccinations beginning this afternoon after 3:30pm. Please go to https://www.tuftsmcvaccine.org/ to set up an appointment for vaccination. Please call 617-636-6119 to get assistance in Chinese.

As a reminder, the Tufts MC vaccination site is located at: 279 Tremont Street, Boston Marriott Hotel. 

Please be reminded, you will not have the option to choose the vaccine you receive. It is based on what is available the day you come in for your appointment. 

 

Please see below regarding current eligibility for vaccinations in MA in chart below:

All Phase 1 who have not yet gotten vaccinated, including first responders and healthcare workers, and those in nursing homes and congregate settings.

Phase 2, in categories 1-4, including individuals 60+, with at least 1 co-morbidity, frontline workers (including grocery, food, transit, etc.), educators and school staff, childcare workers, etc.