MAYOR JANEY CELEBRATES INSTALLATION OF NEW PUBLIC ARTWORK IN JAMAICA PLAIN

MAYOR JANEY CELEBRATES INSTALLATION OF NEW PUBLIC ARTWORK IN JAMAICA PLAIN

 

BOSTON - Friday, November 5, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey and the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Boston Art Commission, the Boston Public Library, and Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) yesterday celebrated a new piece of public art that has been installed at the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library and BCYF Curtis Hall. The City of Boston commissioned Matthew Hinçman to create Wythe & Web, and it was funded by the City’s Percent for Art program. “This new addition to the Jamaica Plain Branch and BCYF Curtis Hall is a great way to honor the strong community ties that are present in this neighborhood,” said Mayor Janey. “I can’t wait to see people interact with the artwork, and use it as a way to engage in more conversations with each other.” The public art project complemented the renovation of the Jamaica Plain Branch, which included a 700-square foot addition facing South Street that serves as a community reading lounge, a terrace along Sedgwick Street where residents can read and mingle, a refreshed collection of 30,000 books, an elevator for full ADA accessibility, parking for over 20 bikes, and new exterior landscaping. The total budget for the public art project was $205,000. The artwork is located on the lawn in front of the library and BCYF Curtis Hall facing South Street. It is a sculptural intervention that consists of a series of low brick walls that zig-zag across the lawn. Some of the walls are capped with brightly colored glazed bricks, and others are capped with slabs of granite. In addition to the walls, there are five bronze chairs that take their form from the vinyl webbed folding chairs found in millions of backyards and lawns.  The City of Boston highlighted several themes identified by the community for Hinçman to consider throughout his process, including the diversity and intergenerational character of the neighborhood, a community of artists and creators, a desire for artwork that is functional or interactive in some way, and the need to retain a sense of neighborhood identity. Matthew Hinçman is a sculptor and educator living in Jamaica Plain, and is a professor of sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt). He is also chair of the Fine Arts 3D Program at MassArt. He currently serves on the board of the Boston-based nonprofit Now+There. He's best known for "Jamaica Pond Bench, 2006," and "STILL, 2014," both located in Jamaica Plain. “I hope that it might be a bit of a destination,” said Matthew Hinçman. “I could never imagine the bench that I made at Jamaica Pond being all that comfortable, and yet, people will sit in it with their legs dangling over it and actually say ‘let’s meet at the bench’. I don’t think the lawn here, prior to the installation, held that kind of charm for folks, and I’m hopeful it might now. I hope this might be something to go check out, and a space to be in a way that it really wasn’t before.”  “Investing in local artists and bringing new public art to Boston are two goals that we are prioritizing as we work to make Boston a more culturally vibrant city,” said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture. “We were thrilled to support an artist with such a strong connection to the Jamaica Plain neighborhood, and appreciate all of his hard work in making this project happen.” The FY22-26 Capital Plan allocates $15 million to the Percent for Art program. Another long-term artwork by artist Joe Wardwell in collaboration with poet Nakia Hill and youth from 826 Boston’s Youth Literary Advisory Board will be completely installed at the Roxbury Branch of the Boston Public Library later this month. In addition to long-term public art projects, the City also allocated over $1 million to murals and other short-term public art projects and activations this year through the Transformative Public Art Program. You can learn more about public art projects underway at boston.gov/public-art.

麻州總檢察官辦公室提供打擊仇恨資訊

 

吳弭籌備接任 談"美沙酮英里" 公佈"所有人上車"網站 鼓勵人加入她的新政府

吳弭分享她聽取"美沙酮英里"的工作報告概要。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓綜合報導) 波士頓候任市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 4日開始交接工作，聽取的第一個簡報是” 美沙酮英里 (Mass and Cass)” ，談及新政府團隊，強調不著急，找對人比較重要。4日傍晚，吳弭公佈列有英西中三種語言的官方交接網站，AllAboardBoston.com，鼓勵有意加入新政府者遞交履歷表。

              2021年11月2日，吳弭以60%多的得票率，當選波士頓市下任市長，成為波士頓市經由民選產生的首名女性，亞裔，華裔市長。

              11月3日，吳弭出席了她的最後一次市議員會議，和波士頓代市長Kim Janey進一步晤談交接。4日開始聽取第一個市府團隊簡報。在11月16日她宣誓就任前，這樣的簡報估計得有20多場。

10月4日一早，"美沙酮英里"上還有不少露宿帳篷。(周菊子攝)

            吳弭知道冬天就要來了，”美沙酮英里”那兒在人行道上櫛比鱗次的露營帳篷，既不溫暖，也不衛生，她接任後的首要之務之一，會是指派一名內閣首長來監管那一帶的吸毒氾濫情況。她指出，波士頓代市長Kim Janey發出清理”美沙酮英里”的行政命令才進入第三天，已經知道波士頓市面對低門檻接收流浪漢床位(住處)不足的窘境，她也向市府團隊仔細詢問了流民們的實際狀況，市府可應用的資源有哪些，是不是得和州政府及其他市鎮來一起解決這問題等等。

              她說，波士頓公共衛生局每週都做統計，以了解該一地帶有多少人住在帳篷裡，相信下週會收到更新數據。

              當一名記者指出，有流民在”美沙酮英里”的治療站排隊等候注射美沙酮時被逮捕。吳弭直言這樣的事不應該發生。

波士頓市政府大樓5樓，市議員辦公室在左邊這頭，市長辦公室
在右邊那頭。(周菊子攝)

             吳弭也不忘讚揚市府團隊的此案工作人員，花了很多時間來確保流民受到尊重對待，各人的物品得到安全、妥善處理。

             波士頓環球報在4日晚發文稱吳弭接受該報訪問半小時，提及市長有進出市府的專用電梯。 3日波士頓代市長Kim Janey帶吳弭參觀市長辦公室現狀時，讓吳弭想起當年萬寧路 (Tom Menino) 市長在位時，曾邀她一同搭乘，也讓她重新意識到，從當年實習到當選市議員，前後不下10年，其實她應該可以說自己熟悉波士頓市政府大樓的每一個角落。

             談及波士頓公立學校時，吳弭直言學校教育將是她上任後的一大重點工作，點出波士頓市在2019年聘來現任波士頓公校總監Brenda Cassellius之前，7年內換了5名公校總監。她認為波士頓公校系統需要穩定性，她會要波士頓公校現任總監留任。

             波士頓公校系統共有120所學校，最高峰時期曾同時有5名華裔校長，包括當年的查理士城高中校長馮國樑，昆士中學校長黃伯勳，昆士小學校長李素影，楷德小學校長何少華，亞當斯小學校長Grace 楊，其後逐次遞減，新舊更替。如今在位，較為人知的華裔校長是昆士中學張可仁。其中黃伯勳和張可仁還都曾進入波士頓公校擔任副總監。吳弭市長就任後，波士頓公校系統華裔校長人數是否可能增加，讓人期待。

             吳弭還希望改善波士頓市府目前發包市府採購合約，只有1%左右發給少數族裔，女性的現象。她表示將修改流程，在性別，族裔等領域力求公平。

             通常新政府首長出爐後，都會組織交接團隊，為新政府挑選人才出謀策劃，八方張羅。吳弭當選波士頓市長前後，許多記者都問過，她的交接團隊會有哪些人，但除了10月底時吳弭團隊透露過，現任教育信託 (The Education Trust)的麻州合作夥伴及參與助理主任Mariel Novas博士將主導交接事宜，其他細節就一概不答。

             吳弭在發表勝選感言時曾強調，她要把波士頓市政府帶到波士頓市的每一個角落去，她也希望市政府能反映波士頓市的人口結構，一樣的那麼多元化。4日傍晚，吳弭以”吳委員會(The Wu Committee)”的名義，公佈徵招人才的官方網站，AllAboardBoston.com，以英西中3種語言，呼籲願意和她一起經營波士頓市的人投遞履歷表，圈選自己是對公共衛生，公安，交通，環保，計畫及發展，食物正義，住宅，小企業，人力發展，教育等那些方面有興趣。她希望最後能組成一個適才適任，兼顧多元性的團隊，來實現她對選民的承諾。

斥資1400萬元 哥倫布大道上啟用中央行駛巴士專線

哥倫布大道 (Columbus Avenue)中央行駛巴士線剪綵。(周菊子攝)

                     (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓市第一條設在道路中央，地面漆成紅色的巴士專線，10月30日在哥倫布大道 (Columbus Avenue)上啟用，11月4日剪綵，估計這位於Walnut大道和Jackson 廣場車站之間，不到1英里長的專線，可為22， 29，44號巴士線乘客節省4到7分鐘時間。

             麻州交通廳廳長Jamey Tesler，波士頓代市長Kim Janey，MBTA總經理Steve Poftak，宜居街道聯盟 (LivableStreets Alliance) 行政主任Stacy Thompson等人都出席了剪綵儀式。

             這被稱為「中央行駛巴士線 (center-running bus lanes)」，在新英格蘭地區還是第一個的巴士專線工程，從2020年8月開始動工，經麻州交通廳(MassDOT)，麻州灣區交通局(MBTA)，波士頓市政府合作完成，總共建了8個新的上車平台，把原本有四線車道的道路，改成中央路段挪供巴士專用，一般車輛行駛靠路邊的兩旁道路。在法蘭克林公園(Franklin Park)和傑克遜廣場車站(Jackson Square Station)之間的這將近1英里長的道路，經調整後兩旁路邊停車位減少52個，留下116個。

波士頓代市長Kim Janey(中)和MBTA總經理 Steve Poftak(右)等人剪綵後，搭乘巴士體驗
一下。(周菊子攝)

             各車站平台也都新設大塊數位螢幕面板，為乘客同時提供語音及視線上的巴士實時資訊，加裝罩棚，給乘客更多保護。

             有關當局表示，選擇22， 29，44號這3條巴士線行駛的路段，來率先實施「中央行駛巴士線 (center-running bus lanes)」做法，是因為自從2020年3月麻州因為新冠病毒疫情宣佈進入公共健康緊急時期後，這3條巴士線的搭乘量，遠比其他巴士線要高，而且在麥特潘(Mattapan)、多徹斯特(Dorchester)、洛士百利 (Roxbury)、以及牙買加平原(Jamaica Plain)等地區連接橘線、紅線地鐵的這幾條巴士線，服務區域是MBTA系統中低收入及少數族裔人口數最高的地區，巴士經常誤點。

             採用新的「中央行駛巴士線」，將可消除巴士在行駛途中和一般停靠路邊車輛，或雙排平行停洎車輛爭用道路的衝突，巴士行駛速度可更穩定，乘客上下車也更安全。

哥倫布大道上的中央行駛巴士專線。(周菊子攝)

             波士頓市長Kim Janey表示，每天都有8000多人靠22，29，44這3條巴士線來銜接地鐵，即使在新冠病毒疫情期間，還是有很多人搭乘。她很興奮，這在新英格蘭地區還是第一個的「中央行駛巴士線 (center-running bus lanes)」設計，在搭車安全，效率等等方面，都可以改善人們的搭車體驗。

             麻州MBTA總經理Steve Poftak指出，哥倫布大道上的這巴士線是未來巴士系統的雛形，乘客們可以預期更穩定的服務，更容易搭乘，更安全，更方便的相關設施。該機構將和波士頓市合作，繼續推出類似項目，造福乘客。

             宜居街道聯盟 (LivableStreets Alliance) 行政主任Stacy Thompson說，22號線巴士的乘客中，每10人就有9人是有色人種，和其他白人巴士乘客相比，他們的通勤時間長得不成比例，能給回他們的每一分鐘，都很有價值。希望將來有更多這樣的改善。

             哥倫布大道的這巴士專線項目是MBTA和波士頓市政府合作的結果，估計共耗資1400萬元，其中MBTA出資1300萬元，波士頓市府出資100萬元。

             波士頓區域都會計劃組織(Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization)最近通過撥款支持擴大中央行駛巴士線計畫，已從哥倫布大道到傑克遜廣場的這條巴士專線可展延到Ruggles車站，以及哥倫布大道和天滿街(Tremont)沿路的乘客都可受益。MBTA也正在和其他幾個市鎮政府談類似合作。

             MBTA也將繼續和麻州交通廳，波士頓市政府，以及其他市鎮合作，以建立高品質的巴士優先基礎架構，讓MBTA的服務地區，包括多徹斯特和大西洋大道(Atlantic Ave.)之間的夏日街(Summer)，北端(North End)的北華盛頓街(North Washington St.)，Lynn市內的北廣場(North Common)，南廣場街及市場街， Tobin 橋和雀喜市(Chelsea)的百老匯(Bradway)等。

             這計畫是MBTA快速回應巴士線項目(Rapid Response Bus Lane Program)的關鍵元素。

麻州5-11歲兒童11月5日起可注射輝瑞新冠疫苗

麻州州長查理貝克到波士頓兒童醫院宣佈5-11歲兒童5日起可注射
新冠病毒疫苗。(視頻截圖)

                    (Boston Orange編譯) 從11月5日起，麻州將在500多個地點，為5到11歲的兒童注射輝瑞(Pfizer)新冠疫苗。麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)今(4)日早上特地到波士頓兒童醫院，和該院院長Kevin B. Churchwell聯袂宣佈此事，同時強調疫苗安全、有效，每人都可免費注射。

             聯邦疾病防治中心(CDC)在週二(2)日晚批准了輝瑞產製，適用於5到11歲兒童的新冠疫苗。和成人疫苗一樣，也是相隔20天，注射兩劑。

               波士頓兒童醫院的醫師建議家長們和醫師商量，盡早給自己的小孩注射疫苗。他們認為雖然研究顯示兒童傳染病毒後，一般病症較輕，但並不是兒童就不會感染病毒，而且兒童一旦感染病毒，還可能把病毒傳染給家人。事實上，根據美國兒童醫師協會的統計數據，在新冠病毒大流行期間，全美有1.9% ，約8300的 5-11歲兒童住院，172死亡了。

波士頓兒童醫院院長Kevin B. Churchwell。

             全美5-11歲的兒童，估計有2800萬人，麻州約有51萬5000人。

             麻州州長查理貝克表示，麻州有2000所中小學每週都做病毒檢測，全州12到17歲的青少年，有80%都已注射疫苗。所有的數據都顯示，麻州的疫苗注射率高，因而病毒染患率，住院率及死亡率都比其他州低。

             今年8月時，佛羅里達州一度有9000名17歲以下青少年檢測陽性，但麻州卻只有250。查理貝克認為那就是疫苗注射率夠高的結果。

麻州對所有中小學的規定是，只要全校師生及教職人員有80%已注射了疫苗，1月15日以後就可自行決定校內是否需要戴口罩。

想要給小孩注射疫苗的家長，可上州政府的疫苗查找網站(Vaxfinder)預約疫苗注射，或是直接和他們自己的小兒科醫生聯絡。有需要的人還可以撥打211熱線電話。www.mass.gov/covidvaccinekids這網站也可查詢相關資料。

Baker-Polito Administration Awards Over $1.4 Million to Support Local Land Use Planning

Baker-Polito Administration Awards Over $1.4 Million to Support Local Land Use Planning

BOSTON - The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $1,452,098 in grant funding for 35 projects from the Planning Assistance Grant Program. The program, which is funded through spending authorized in the Environmental Bond Bill, is part of an effort to encourage municipalities to implement land use regulations that are consistent with the Baker-Polito Administration’s land conservation and development objectives. These objectives include the reduction of land, energy, and natural resource consumption; the creation of sufficient and diverse housing, and the mitigation of and preparation for climate change. The program is also part of the technical assistance offered to communities in support of the Baker-Polito Administration’s Housing Choice Initiative.

“Working with municipalities across the Commonwealth is critical for us to achieve important objectives, such as building more housing, better protecting natural resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which will greatly improve local communities,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These important grants will enable updated zoning and better planning, ensuring the public will receive both immediate and long-term benefits.”  

“We are very pleased to be able to help municipalities update local regulations so that they can better achieve their housing, economic development, natural resource protection, and other goals,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The grants represent exactly the sort of partnership between state and local governments that our Administration has worked to encourage.”

The grants are awarded to the Commonwealth’s municipalities and Regional Planning Agencies acting on their behalf to support their efforts to plan, regulate, and act to conserve and develop land consistent with the Massachusetts’ Sustainable Development Principles.

“Under the leadership of Gov. Baker and Lt. Gov. Polito we are helping communities update and enhance their zoning, subdivision, and other land use regulations so that they can grow in ways that reduce land, natural resource, and energy consumption, said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “Projects we are funding today will help address climate change and make the Commonwealth more resilient, to the benefit for future generations.”

The following are 2022 grant recipients:

Applicant	Municipality (ies)	Project Name	Grant Award
Avon	Avon	Plan for Smart Redevelopment with the Sewering of Avon Industrial Park	$       40,000
Barnstable	Barnstable	Update & Consolidate Design, Infrastructure, & Historic District Guidelines	$       37,500
Belchertown	Belchertown	Incorporate Climate Resilience into Belchertown's Master Plan	$       47,430
Canton	Canton	Downtown Zoning Amendments & Design Guidelines	$       39,500
Cape Cod Commission	Cape Cod Region	Land Use Planning for Economic Resilience	$     144,043
Chelmsford	Chelmsford	Climate Action Regulatory Audit & Action Plan	$       30,000
Chesterfield	Chesterfield	Completion of an Open Space and Recreation Plan	$          9,900
Central MA Regional Planning Commission	Douglas	Completion of an Open Space and Recreation Plan	$       13,932
Central MA Regional Planning Commission	Hopedale	Master Plan Phase III - Transportation, Circulation, Public Services, & Facilities	$       45,000
Central MA Regional Planning Commission	Mendon	Master Plan Phase II - Transportation, Facilities & Services, Natural & Cultural Resources, & Open Space and Recreation Elements	$       45,000
Central MA Regional Planning Commission	Central MA Region	Regional Housing & Infrastructure Plan - Phase I	$       70,000
Central MA Regional Planning Commission	Rutland	Transportation & Natural and Cultural Resources Elements of the Master Plan	$       26,782
Dover	Dover	Natural Resource Protection and Tree Preservation Bylaws	$          7,500
Fairhaven	Fairhaven	40R Zoning & Design Standards	$       45,000
Fitchburg	Fitchburg	Completion of an Open Space and Recreation Plan	$       32,500
Franklin	Franklin	Franklin Center Rezoning for Economic Growth & Diverse Housing	$       45,000
Harvard	Harvard	Ayer Road Commercial District Vision Plan	$       45,000
Haverhill	Haverhill	Dock planning, Trail Design, EV Station Mapping, Bike Route Mapping	$       45,500
Lexington	Lexington	Climate Action Plan Phases II and III	$       50,000
Metropolitan Area Planning Council	Malden, Medford, Melrose	"Building Resilience, Efficiency, and Affordability Project"	$     113,211
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission	Ashburnham	Master Plan - Natural & Cultural Resources, Services & Facilities, Circulation, & Economic Development	$       45,000
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission	Hubbardson	Solar Bylaw	$       30,000
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission	Phillipston	Climate Vulnerability Assessment & Plan	$       45,000
Montachusett Regional Planning Commission	Townsend	Completion of an Open Space and Recreation Plan	$       28,000
Montague	Montague	Comprehenbsive Plan - Visioning & Scenario Planning	$       33,000
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission	Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, and North Andover	Enhanced land use regulations to mitigate climate change in 4 communities	$       68,000
Norfolk	Norfolk	Southwood State Hospital Site Re-Use Analysis & Zoning Recommendations	$       42,500
Northampton	Northampton	Zoning Update to Incorporate Climate Resilience & Regeneration Plan	$       45,000
Oxford	Oxford	Completion of an Open Space and Recreation Plan	$       30,000
Plainfield	Plainfield	Climate Resilience Plan	$       11,000
Southborough	Southborough	Revitalization of the Route 9 Corridor	$       45,000
Stockbridge	Stockbridge	Natural Resource Protection Zoning Bylaw	$       20,000
Stoughton	Stoughton	Commercial/Residential Mixed Use Bylaw	$       48,300
Swampscott	Swampscott	Eiseman's Beach Design Project	$       15,000
Wareham	Wareham	Downtown Rezoning - Illustrations	$       13,500

 

The administration’s Housing Choice Initiative, which was announced in December 2017, is a package of technical assistance for communities, the Housing Choice Communities (HCC) designation, new capital grant funding, and pending legislation, An Act to Promote Housing Choices. This initiative, and its goal to produce 135,000 new units of housing by 2025, complements the investments made by the Department of Housing and Community Development in affordable housing production across the state, and supports local government actions to meet the demands of a growing and aging population in Massachusetts.