哈佛首座冠華裔姓名大樓 趙朱木蘭中心昨破土 預定2016年中落成

哈佛大學首座以女性，華裔命名的建築，“趙朱木蘭中心”，昨（廿四）日在哈佛校長，哈佛商學院院長，中國駐美大使，前澳洲總理，麻州聯邦參議員等嘉賓出席的隆重中，破土動工，預定2016年6月落成。

“趙朱木蘭中心”是由前美國勞工部長趙小蘭和她父親，福茂集團副董事長趙錫成一家，捐出四千萬美元給哈佛大學商學院建造的新大樓，佔地九萬餘平方尺，樓高四層，將設有會議室，辦公室，餐廳和教室。

哈佛大學商學院第十任，也是首任少數族裔的院長Nitin Nohria表示，“趙朱木蘭中心”將用作該院每年培訓逾萬名高級主管的場所。他也強調“趙朱木蘭中心”在哈佛大學落成，代表了世界及哈佛大學的更加全球化。

哈佛大學第廿八任校長暨首任女校長佛斯特(Drew Gilpin Faust)也稱昨日為歷史性時刻。她表示趙朱木蘭的一生是傳奇故事，她很榮幸有機會為該校有棟建築以趙朱木蘭命名，向她表示感謝，只是很遺憾，沒有機會親自見到她。

昨日應邀為“趙朱木蘭中心”破土典禮致詞的嘉賓，還有麻州聯邦參議員馬基（Ed Markey），中國駐美大使崔天凱，前澳洲總理陸克文（Kevin Rudd）。

馬基稱許趙家不但捐款建樓，還捐獎學金，幫助學子踏進這世界著名學府。

崔天凱感謝趙家的慷慨，指聰明能助人成功，愛心能贏得尊敬。他認為“趙朱木蘭中心“將成為不同國家，各種文化之間的橋樑，帶動人們追求互利。

陸克文則表示，這天對全世界都是好日子。他從“趙朱木蘭中心“在哈佛大學破土動工看到三件事，一是它誌記了家庭的重要性；二是提醒世界，中國人對世界有很多貢獻，世界還欠他們一份榮耀；三是無論中國夢或美國夢，大家一起夢想未來世界。他以中國諺語的”吃水不忘掘井人“做結語，稱”讓他們永遠不要忘記，是誰掘的井“。

曾任美國第廿四任勞工部部長的趙小蘭在典禮中表示，她母親是在2007年八月二日這天辭世的。從那天起，她父親就開始尋方覓法，要誌記她母親的一生傳奇，其中的方法之一，就是向栽培過他家六人的哈佛大學聊作回饋。這同時也彰顯了她母親的注重教育。她們希望，“趙朱木蘭中心”能為世界推動正面改變，一次一個人的培養出更好，更有良心的領導者，既能擴大哈佛大學商學院院長Nitin Nohria的國際化遠見，也能促進哈佛大學校長佛斯特(Drew Gilpin Faust)所強調的“不斷思考的習慣能造成最深的了解”。

趙朱木蘭和趙錫成共有六名女兒，其中四人，趙小蘭，趙小美, 趙小亭, 趙安吉都進過哈佛大學商學院就讀。趙家因此選在2012年4月12日，哈佛大學375週年校慶，也是哈佛商學院首次錄取女生進入兩年制工商管理碩士項目的50週年紀念之際，捐出四千萬元，建“趙朱木蘭中心“。

在典禮中，哈佛大學商學院院長Nitin Nohria還送給趙加一座趙朱木蘭中心模型。

            趙氏家族昨日幾乎全員到齊，包括趙朱木蘭的弟弟朱明志，妹妹朱淮北，朱子珍，也分別從費城，洛杉磯趕來與盛。

圖片說明：

            左起，前澳洲總理陸克文（Kevin Rudd），趙小蘭的丈夫，聯邦參議員Mitch McConnell，哈佛商學院院長Nitin Nohria，哈佛大學校長佛斯特(Drew Gilpin Faust)，趙錫成，趙小蘭，趙安吉，中國駐美大使崔天凱，麻州聯邦參議員馬基。（菊子攝）

左起，前澳洲總理陸克文（Kevin Rudd），趙小蘭的丈夫，聯邦參議員Mitch McConnell，哈佛商學院院長Nitin Nohria，哈佛大學校長佛斯特(Drew Gilpin Faust)，趙錫成，趙小蘭，趙安吉，中國駐美大使崔天凱，趙小婷，趙小美，趙小甫 。（菊子攝）

            趙小蘭（左起）和趙小婷，趙小甫，趙小美，福茂集團副董事長趙安吉等四名妹妹一起致詞。（菊子攝）

        哈佛商學院院長Nitin Nohria(左三)把“趙朱木蘭中心”的建築模型，送給趙錫成（右三）等一家人。左一起為趙小甫，趙小美，趙小蘭，趙安吉。（菊子攝）

            左起，趙小婷，趙小美，趙錫成，趙小蘭，趙安吉，趙小甫等趙家人舉鏟破土。 （菊子攝）

            趙氏大家族一起舉鏟，為“趙朱木蘭中心”破土動工。左前四為趙錫成，左五為趙小蘭。（菊子攝）

葛羅斯曼競選州長再進華埠探民意

麻州州長候選人葛羅斯曼（Steve Grossman）廿三日晚再進華埠，希望進一步了解亞裔社區對政府的期許，要求，強調一旦他當選州長，要一個人不漏的服務（Let no one left behind)。

            麻州的州長選舉，儘管還有五個月才初選，但民主黨的麻州黨代表大會，將於六月十三日在屋斯特（Worcester）的DCU中心舉行，四名民主黨候選人為爭取成為民主黨麻州黨部所支持候選人，彼此之間的競爭，已開始逐漸激烈，挑戰對手在不同議題上立場的文章，屢見不鮮。

            現任麻州財政廳廳長的葛羅斯曼，一年多前就已表態要競選麻州州長，出入波士頓次數之多，在七名麻州州長候選人中，無人能比，已然是波士頓華埠最熟悉的州長候選人。

            廿三日晚，他的競選陣營又選擇在華埠辦一次聆聽民意會。

            這晚出席的民眾，人數雖然不多，但十分多元，既有梅陳月嫦等華埠居民，新科華埠社區議會議員梁志生，亞美社區發展協會懂事周樹昂，來自郊區的馬滌凡，冼鳳明，陳式儀等華人，也有來自印度，泰裔社區人士，各從不同角度發言。

            葛羅斯曼表示，麻州就像狄更生的“雙城記”，有些人生活得很好，有些人掙扎度日。他希望自己能幫助每一個人充分發揮個人能力，不讓任何一個人被遺忘。

            葛羅斯曼指住宅，交通，就業是人們最重視的三大問題。他坦言自己不可能解決所有的問題，但希望和麻州民眾通力合作，想方設法。他還要求出席眾人假設自己是州長交接團隊成員，從那角度去想，麻州政府該先處理哪些問題。

            在住宅問題上，葛羅斯曼提議，把州政府各單位擁有的土地拿出來，找發展商合作，以一元給九十九年租約等條件撥給土地，要求發展商把其中的三分之一，開發成可負擔住宅。

            在交通上，他認為麻州現任州長的要重新全面規劃做法很對，只是得節源開流，找出經費來實施改革，包括讓羅爾市，春田市能像屋斯特（Worcester）市一樣，有很便捷的公共交通工具可以進城。

            他透露，自己是財政廳長，知道麻州目前舉債二百億元（20 billions）。在州政府不宜舉債過高下，要為改善交通系統找錢，方法之一是政府出一半，私人企業資助另一半。

            就業和教育是互相牽連的環節。葛羅斯曼提議到2016年時，要讓麻州人都做好數位化學習的準備，包括提供iPad，平板電腦等學習工具給學童，並且要讓人們學到企業，公司聘人時需要的技能。他也表示，一旦當選州長，將和企業合作，為大專學生們提供一萬五千個有薪的暑期實習工作。       

出席者中泰裔男子表示，族裔社區在如何和政府溝通上，仍然面對很大障礙。此外，他建議葛羅斯曼善用族裔文化力量，幫助年齡漸長的族裔人士，獲得文化上能讓他們生活得更愉快的資源。

麻州州長亞美顧問委員會副主席李超榮在會末表示，他認為在一眾候選人中，葛羅斯曼對亞裔社區最友善，最有心，一應施政構想也條理分明，是最值得亞裔社區支持的候選人。

圖片說明：

            葛羅斯曼（右）仔細聆聽冼鳳明發言。

            葛羅斯曼（左四）和部分出席者合影。左起，陳式儀，Peter Lin Macus，李超榮，馬滌凡，梅陳月嫦，周樹昂，梁志生，後排中為冼鳳明。（菊子攝）

波士頓華埠Essex街上有人開槍

波士頓華埠上週不很平靜。A-1區警察華埠犯罪情況週報，透露華埠一帶，上週有人受槍傷，有人被刀刺。

根據波市警察報告，四月十八日凌晨二點半左右，警察獲悉益士石街（Essex）上有人開槍，趕往現場，從目擊證人那兒獲悉，一名男子從一輛車走出來就開槍，然後進入一輛銀色車輛逃逸。

警察隨後獲悉，受害者在波士頓醫療中心，趕過去問話。受害者的右腿下方中鎗。警方調查中。

另一宗有人遭刺傷案，發生在四月廿一日晚上十點十三分。警方聞訊趕到波約斯頓街（Boylston），見到受害者的頸部流血，但受害者不願和警方合作。受害者稍後由救護車送往塔芙茨醫療中心，醫治四處刺傷。此案交付警方偵探組做進一步調查。

"九人“排球紀錄片 4/27 在麻州做世界首映

以波士頓華人為主要拍攝對象的“九人（9-Man）”記錄片，將於四月廿七日（週日）下午一點，在尚莫維爾（Somerville）電影院，做世界首映。

 “九人”這紀錄片，追述來自中國台山，九人一隊的打排球玩法。台山人從1938年在波士頓街頭，停車場開始打九人排球後，這種只有台山華人才這麼打的排球玩法，不但傳承至今，還遍佈北美。

導演梁適耗時數年拍成的這部“九人“紀錄片，藉著訪問阮已過世的黃述沾，目前仍是劍虹體育會教練的阮浩鑾等許多波士頓人，帶出這一運動的歷史，也觸及當年在排華法案發生後，華埠社區儼然單身社會，華裔餐館員工，洗衣店工人只能和華裔來往的情景。九人排球給當年的華人帶來很大的精神解脫。

甫卸任的波士頓市長萬寧路（Tom Menino），也現身片中。

八十多年後，這九人排球彷彿成為各地華埠社區彼此聯繫的一個方式。

這部片介紹了九人排球在美國發源於波士頓的歷史與精華，訪問了1967年打入奧運的Kevin Wong，如今九十一歲的華埠排球先驅等許多人，還加差了許多檔案影片，照片，讓人對這如今每年在勞工節時進行整個北美大賽的活動，有更深入的了解。

該片導演梁適（Ursula Liang）在麻州牛頓市長大，目前住在紐約布朗克斯（Bronx）。她是一名新聞從業人員，曾是紐約時報的風采（Style）雜誌編輯，ESPN雜誌的作者，記者，做過WBAI亞太論壇廣播節目的主播，也是獲得艾美獎提名的亞太電視節目“炒（Stir)”的製片，紀錄片“我愛你，媽咪”的副製片。“九人”是她身兼導演，製片，攝影的作品，也是她擔任導演的處女作。

波士頓獨立電影節（The Independent Film Festival Boston）今年甫於四月廿三日開幕，為期一周，將在戴維斯廣場（Davis Square）的尚莫維爾電影院（Somerville Theatre），哈佛廣場的布瑞托（Brattle）電影院，布魯克蘭鎮（Brookline）的庫里吉角（Coolidge Corner ）電影院，以及麻州大學波士頓分校等地，放映約一百部片。“九人”一片是電影節中做世界首映的其中一部片。

紐英崙華人歷史協會將在首映後舉辦接待酒會，邀請觀眾和導演URSULA LIANG見面。首映加接待會的門票價格為23元，只參加接待會，預先購票12元，現場購票15元。購票可上網http://www.tickettailor.com/checkout/view-event/id/14578/chk/5195。

            “九人”一片，五月將轉往加州放映。

圖片說明：

            “九人”紀錄片，將在尚莫維爾電影院上映。（圖片取自臉書）

            劍虹體育會創辦人之一阮浩鑾（左），日前和紐英崙中華公所主席阮鴻燦（右）協助宣傳“九人”。（菊子攝）

Grant to fund study of illegal gun trafficking in Boston

Mayor Walsh Convenes Mayors, Municipal Leaders, Law Enforcement for New England’s First Regional Gun Trafficking Summit 

Multi-partner grant will fund study of Boston gun market; Creation of New England Regional Crime Gun Center Would Boost Information Sharing

 

BOSTON - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today hosted the first-ever New England regional summit to address gun trafficking, bringing together mayors, municipal officials, law enforcement, subject matter experts, and community partners to discuss leadership commitments to combat gun trafficking through regional partnerships. Today’s summit addressed three major areas: the need for full and effective law enforcement investigations; the kickoff of important research on illegal gun trafficking and drug patterns in Boston that will lay the groundwork for future action; and the proposed creation of a New England Regional Crime Gun Center.

“Today we’re establishing a bold and united new front in the battle against gun violence in Boston and across New England,” Mayor Walsh said.  “We are all here—together—because we understand that the illegal trafficking of crime guns is a regional problem that demands a regional solution. Lawbreakers don’t respect borders. And more than that, they take advantage of our different jurisdictions to move the guns, the money, and the drugs that are involved in violent crime.”

The day-long summit included a wide range of sessions: a panel discussion with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the United States Attorney’s Office; research presentations on Boston’s illegal gun markets and online gun sales; a roundtable discussion on gun trafficking with city and town officials; a legislation update; and an hour-long discussion with community partners.

 “Day in and day out, we see too many illegal guns on our streets, not just in Boston but across the region,” said Police Commissioner William Evans. “It is very important for us to come together to adopt a regional approach.  Everyone must do their part to keep guns out of the wrong hands and continue the conversations that will help suppress gun violence.”

Grant to fund study of illegal gun trafficking in Boston

Mayor Walsh announced that the Program in Criminal Justice at Harvard University will conduct a detailed study on illegal gun trafficking in Boston. The study will be led by Professor Anthony Braga, who has worked for more than 20 years on violent crime issues in Boston, and will be supported by a $214,000 grant from Everytown for Gun Safety, Fund for a Safer Future, and the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston.

 

“Understanding the nature of a problem is critical for developing appropriate responses to it,” Professor Anthony Braga said. “The little we know about how illegal guns end up in the wrong hands in Boston is dated and anecdotal.  Effective crime gun policy needs to be informed by timely and accurate scientific evidence, and this study aims to provide that.”

 

Braga will work in close partnership with the Boston Police Department and in consultation with the US Attorney’s Office and ATF. He will work in the Boston neighborhoods most affected by gun violence to better understand how criminals, juveniles, and other high-risk people acquire illegal guns on our streets.

 

“There is only so much that mayors and other local officials can do to protect their cities from  guns trafficked across state lines – in fact, 90 percent of the guns found at crime scenes in New York City were originally bought out of state and brought to the city illegally,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety and policy advisor to former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “Everytown is proud to support research that will help us understand how guns are being trafficked in New England so we can crack down on this activity across the country and keep our communities safe.” 

The study will use a variety of data and methods to answer questions such as where illegal guns come from and how illegal guns are acquired on Boston’s streets. The study is intentionally designed to make concrete policy recommendations on how the City can reduce the flow of illegal guns to high-risk individuals. A number of legislative, regulatory, enforcement, and community-based interventions will be identified and considered as a result of the study.

The Boston study will also provide a roadmap to help other jurisdictions in New England understand the nature of their illegal gun problems.  Much of the Boston work will be used to inform a regional approach to shutting down cross-jurisdictional pipelines of drugs and guns.  Professor Braga and his team will also be part of this regional effort and will provide analytical guidance to participating cities.

 

Proposed Creation of New England Regional Crime Gun Center

 

Mayor Walsh called on summit attendees to create a working group to support planning for a New England Regional Crime Gun Center. The center will be a centralized location for tracing and analyzing crime guns to disrupt regional gun trafficking networks and better position law enforcement to hold violent gun criminals accountable. Centralizing this information increases efficiencies, overcomes statutory restrictions, and ensures that trafficking leads are directed to the appropriate investigators. The members of the Working Group will be tasked with outlining and establishing the New England Regional Crime Gun Center and formalizing policy for the sharing and distribution of data and data analysis amongst regional stakeholders.

Regional Gun Trafficking Summit Attendees

 

Attleboro Mayor Kevin Dumas

 

Attleboro Police Chief Kyle P. Heagney

 

Beverly Mayor Michael P. Cahill

 

Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan

 

Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter

 

Chelsea City Manager Jay Ash

 

Everett Mayor Carlo DeMaria

 

Fall River Police Chief Daniel Racine

 

Gardner Mayor Mark Hawke

 

Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera

 

Malden Mayor Gary Christenson

 

New Bedford Police Chief Daniel Provencher

Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday

 

Revere Mayor Daniel Rizzo

 

Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt

 

Salem Police Captain Thomas Griffin

 

Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno

 

Springfield Police Commissioner William Fitchet

 

Providence, RI, Public Safety Commissioner Steven M. Paré

 

Milford, NH, Police Chief Michael Viola

 

Milford, NH, Town Administrator Guy Scaife

 

Manchester, NH, At-Large Alderman Daniel O’Neil

 

Bridgeport, CT, Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett, Jr.

 

Hartford, CT, Police Chief James Rovella

 

Hartford, CT, Sgt. John O’Hare

 

Portland, ME, Police Chief Michael Sauschuck

 

Village of Essex Junction, VT, Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the, Dan Kerin

 

MASSACHUSETTS GRANTED ADDITIONAL YEAR TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, CONSUMERS TRANSITION TO ACA COMPLIANCE

MASSACHUSETTS GRANTED ADDITIONAL YEAR TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES, CONSUMERS TRANSITION TO ACA COMPLIANCE

BOSTON – Thursday, April 24, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick was today informed by United States Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that the Commonwealth has been granted an additional year to transition into full compliance with the Affordable Care Act.

HHS has added another year to the period during which the state’s health insurers may use “rating factors” such as group size or industry to create insurance rates for the small group market. The Commonwealth now has until 2017 to fully transition into the ACA’s requirements.

“I thank the Obama Administration for affording us this flexibility that will help our small businesses more smoothly transition into compliance with the Affordable Care Act,” said Governor Patrick. “The Commonwealth remains a national leader in health care coverage for our residents and we will continue working closely with our partners at the federal level to ensure the ACA is successfully implemented in Massachusetts.”

Under the Affordable Care Act, all but four of the rating factors used to establish health insurance premiums in Massachusetts were eliminated. The allowed rating factors under the Affordable Care Act are age, geography, family size and tobacco status. Disallowed rating factors by which health insurance carriers will be allowed to use in calculating premiums include: industry, group size, participation rate, use of intermediary and membership in a group purchasing cooperative.  Under today’s guidance, the Commonwealth will have an additional year to phase out those disallowed rating factors, easing the transition for small businesses and consumers across the state.

“The extended transition is good for our market,” said Insurance Commissioner Joseph G. Murphy.  “The additional year will benefit our small employers and give them extra time to ensure that they are making the best insurance choices for their workers.”

Massachusetts was initially granted a three-year transition period in September 2013 following a request by Governor Patrick.