波士頓黃氏宗親會職員換屆 八月辦全美懇親大會

 波士頓黃氏宗親會，新舊任職員交接。左起，全美黃氏美東總長黃國威
，新屆主席黃光沐，黃國麟，卸任主席黃仁宇，婦女部黃周麗桃，
黃美芬。（黃定國攝）

(Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)波士頓黃氏宗親會一月四日中午舉行職員就職典禮，宣佈今年八月廿一日將承辦第廿五屆全美黃氏懇親會，兩百多名宗親日前投票選出的黃國瀚，黃光沐，接任新屆主席。

波士頓黃氏宗親會新屆職員和經文處副處長陳銘俊（前左六）等人
合影。（黃定國攝）

            黃氏宗親會是大波士頓華埠最人多勢眾，最財力雄厚的僑團之一，有六百多名登記會員，擁有必珠（Beach )街華埠牌樓旁ㄧ整棟六層樓等物業。2007年當選成為麻州首名亞裔女市長，並連任迄今的費奇堡市長黃素芬（Lisa Wong）2011年當選，並連任迄今的麻州首名亞裔兼華裔眾議員黃子安（Donald Wong），以及麻州首名華裔學區總監黃彩芬，也都是黃氏宗親。

            四日的新屆職員就職典禮，照例由黃氏青年組醒獅團的祥獅獻瑞，採青獻桔拉開序幕。

2012年當選為全美黃氏美東總長，將於今年八月升任元老的黃國威透露，由於內部意見不合，波士頓黃氏宗親會歷來四名元老中碩果僅存的兩人，黃君裕及黃官羨，當天都未出席。新屆職員宣誓就任，印信交接，因此都由他出面主禮。

波士頓黃氏宗親會新屆婦女部職員和經文處副處長陳銘俊（前左六）
等人合影。（黃定國攝）

            卸任主席黃仁宇，新屆主席黃國瀚，黃光沐，以及婦女部主席黃美芬，黃周麗桃等人向祖先牌位上香，敬酒，獻三牲蔬果，鮮花後，宣誓就任。

            現已年逾八十的新屆主席黃國瀚，2011年時就曾出任黃氏公所主席，今年又再高票當選為黃氏公所主席。他在致就職詞時表示，主席只是頭銜而已，能為宗親服務才最重要。接任後他將凡事先聽取整體幹部意見，再做最後決定。

 波士頓黃氏宗親會主席黃光沐（左二起），卸任主席黃仁宇，美東
總長黃國威，新屆主席黃國瀚，中文書記黃光野，議長黃國麟，外交
黃鷹立等人和經文處處長賴銘琪（左五），波士頓華僑文教中心
主任郭大文（左一）合影。（黃定國攝）

波士頓經文處副處長陳銘俊(右一)和麻州眾議員黃子安(左一)和兩名
主席，黃國瀚(右二)，黃光沐(左二)合影。(周菊子攝)

            黃光沐透露，他本人大約廿五年前左右從香港移民來美。他弟弟，2013年擔任黃氏公所主席的黃光野因為唸大學，比他更早來美國。他也強調，加入宗親會，就是為了敦親睦鄰。

            卸任主席，也是好彩麵廠老闆黃仁宇在典禮後表示，雖然他卸任主席一職，但仍將竭力確保宗親會運作如常，凡事照規矩來。

 麻州眾議員黃子安（左）和母親黃陳美蘭是麻州最大中餐館之一，
九龍餐廳的東主，也都是黃氏宗親會的資深成員。（周菊子攝）

            駐波士頓經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，副處長陳銘俊，波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文，波士頓僑務委員馬滌凡，以及在黃伍一家親傳統下，每年必定組團參加就職典禮的伍氏公所主席伍樂仁，伍侃滋，元老伍伯和，伍育俊等，當天有眾多嘉賓到賀。

            經文處副處長陳銘俊在致詞時特地用台山話表示，黃花崗七十二烈士中，包括黃興，有不少黃氏宗親，看到黃氏禮堂內的青天白日滿地紅旗幟，讓他想到民國創建的轟轟烈烈，格外覺得感動。

伍碧珍（右一）高齡一百零一歲，是出席黃氏就職典禮的人瑞。
（周菊子攝）

            波士頓黃氏宗親會的新屆幹部，包括主席黃國瀚，黃光沐，中文書記黃光野，黃啟智 ，財政黃國能，黃兆怡，外交王英健，黃鷹立，核數黃瑞高，黃偉建，庶務黃建榮，議長黃國麟。

  

      

黃周麗桃（右二），黃謝惠珍（右一），黃胡小仙（左二）等人士
黃氏婦女部的骨幹成員。（周菊子攝）

     

波士頓洪門致公堂新屆主席阮偉昌、李厚鵬就任

 波士頓洪門致公堂新屆職員和嘉賓合影。前排左起，阮振強，李厚鵬，阮偉昌，賴銘琪，
伍伯和，司徒宗達，馬滌凡。後排左起，陳銘俊，黃夢彪，梅惠聰，郭大文，鄺國添，
陳國漢，司徒月華，梅少華（後排右起），余麗媖，黎亦置，五仕芳等人。（周菊子攝）

波士頓洪門致公堂一月四日晚鳴鑼，響砲，幹部交接。主席一職有司徒宗達卸任，阮偉昌連任，2011年曾任主席的李厚鵬再度出任。

        四日晚的就職儀式，由梅惠聰擔任司儀，洪門元老伍伯和監交印信後，率領約十名新屆職員宣誓，簽名具結，再由幹事鄧安鳴鑼，響砲，禮成。會中並預告波士頓洪門將於2016年承辦懇親會。

波士頓洪門致公堂元老伍伯和（右起）和經文處處長賴銘琪與卸任主席司徒宗達，
新屆主席阮偉昌，李厚鵬。（周菊子攝）

            波士頓洪門致公堂在會所內張掛了2015年職員表。除目前人不在本地的副盟長謝仲安外，波士頓職位排在最前面的是監堂阮振強，接著是主席阮偉昌，李厚鵬，元老阮全義，伍伯和，秘書陳國漢，財政黎亦置，外交司徒月華，蕭偉岡，理財余麗媖，核數梅少華，康樂譚偉明，幹事鄧安。

波士頓洪門致公堂元老伍伯和（右三）率領洪門新屆職員在紅花亭前的
關公像前宣誓就職。（周菊子攝）

            其中的監堂阮振強在摩頓市與人合開聚喜樓餐廳，還在郊區擁有幾家餐廳；阮偉昌去年在夏利臣街新開張了出售名貴藥材的倡倫商行；李厚鵬曾在州政府任職，開設有工程公司，都是事業有成者。

            洪青體育會會長為周詩，吳偉湛。

            根據該一名單，波士頓洪門致公堂的職員，還有十三名監督，廿五名議員。司徒宗達卸任主席後成為監督中一員。阮浩鑾，阮文良，劉承徳，陳黃瑞金等人側身議員行列。

伍伯和（中）是波士頓洪門致公堂僅有的兩名元老之一。（周菊子攝）

            當晚到會嘉賓眾多，包括駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪，副處長陳銘俊，波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文，波士頓僑務委員馬滌凡，波士頓安良工商會會長李天生，紐英崙至孝篤親公所兩名新任主席陳偉民，陳文珊等，不下十餘人。

賴銘琪處長以廣東話致詞時指出，洪門歷史悠久，講究義氣，幾乎人盡皆知，連國父孫中山當年來波士頓，都在洪門義助中，借宿一宵。

波士頓華僑文教中心主任郭大文以廣東話簡單致詞後，敦請波士頓僑務委員馬滌凡宣讀僑委會發的感謝狀，再由經文處長賴銘琪頒發給上屆主席司徒宗達，阮偉昌，以示隆重。

洪青體育會的兩名新會長，周詩（右），吳偉湛（左）都是在年紀還小時就移民
美國的“竹卡”，因為打排球而認識，加入洪清。（周菊子攝）

            洪青體育會今年的兩名會長，都是年紀不滿三十的年輕人。周詩是MBTA的技師，吳偉湛是會計。他們兩人都在十歲上下隨家人分別從香港，委內瑞拉移民來美，和朋友一起打排球時，接觸到洪青體育會，進而加入了這共約有三百名成員，重點放在體育性活動上的組織。

            據悉，紐英崙中華公所主席阮鴻燦因為前往紐約，參加華裔警員劉文健的葬禮，代表波士頓華人社區，向這名無辜被槍殺的警員致敬。

波士頓市長要告麻州賭博局

波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Martin J. Walsh）昨（五）日公告各界，要告麻州賭博局，以阻止該局批准在艾佛瑞（Everett）市建十七億五千萬元的永利度假村（Wynn Resorts） 。

            波士頓市長要求薩福克郡高等法院（Suffolk Superior Court）廢止麻州賭博局挑選永利度假村的行動，並宣佈波士頓有權就此計畫做有約束力的投票。

            瑞維爾（Revere）市和尚莫維爾（Somerville）市為了麻州賭博局把大波士頓的賭博牌照給了永利度假村，已於去年九月提出告訴。

            波士頓市提告的法律文件長達七十五頁，指控麻州賭博局違反，漠視了麻州2011年的賭博法條文，而且以一個模擬式，預存反對波士頓市立場的公聽過程，打發了波士頓市的抱怨。

            波士頓市府在昨日公佈的聲明中指出，波士頓市的優先要務是保護市內居民。波士頓市相信自己是賭場所在地的東道主，計畫中賭場的唯一進出通道是經過天涯路（Horizon Way），也就是會直接穿越波士頓市，尤其是會經過查理士城這社區，交通已嚴重堵塞的魯瑟福道（Rutherford Ave.）道及蘇利文廣場（Sullivan Square）。新賭場計劃將對當地的公共安全及環境造成重大傷害。

            永利度假村昨日宣佈，該公司已在艾佛瑞市交割了一塊33英畝的土地，打算用來建造閃閃發亮的度假勝地。

City of Boston Files Legal Action Against Massachusetts Gaming Commission

City of Boston Files Legal Action Against Massachusetts Gaming Commission

Seeks confirmation of host community status

BOSTON – Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that the City of Boston has filed a civil complaint against the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in connection with the Commission’s award of a Category 1 gaming license to Wynn for the development of a resort-casino in Everett and Boston.

The City has been working diligently with Wynn to negotiate a fair agreement that benefits the people of Boston, however has been unable to reach an agreement that accurately represents the impact to the City.

“We have spent an enormous amount of time and sustained effort on the casino issue over the past year since this is something that impacts every single one of our residents,” Mayor Walsh said. “We have understood from day one the complexity of this issue as it relates to the City and it has always been our belief that Boston is a host community. Our priority is to protect the people of Boston and ensure the safety of our neighborhoods. It is clear to us that this is the best way to move forward for Charlestown, the City of Boston and the entire Commonwealth.”

The only legal access point to the planned casino is through Horizon Way, directly through the City or, more specifically, the neighborhood of Charlestown. With Boston providing the sole access to the casino site, the vast majority of patrons will be required to travel through Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square in Charlestown, an area that already faces severe traffic congestion, posing significant environmental and public safety harms.

To view the complaint, please visit: http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/uploads/25922_40_5_38.pdf. 

Mayor Walsh Welcomes Local Organic Coffee Cart Vendor to City Hall

Mayor Walsh Welcomes Local Organic Coffee Cart Vendor to 

City Hall

Boston Brewin Coffee Company will enliven and activate important civic space

BOSTON - Today Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced that Boston Brewin Coffee Company, a local small business, will begin selling coffee, tea, and small treats on the third floor mezzanine of City Hall. During a 4-month trial period the coffee cart will activate and enliven this important civic space, welcoming the public and employees to stop by. This effort is the most recent from the Walsh Administration to look for ways to make public spaces inside and outside of City Hall more inviting, engaging, and personable.

“City Hall is the front door to local government, and I want everyone who visits to have a great experience,” said Mayor Walsh. “This is a small step we can take, which has a big impact, to activate the people’s public space and enhance constituent interactions with the City.”

"By sharing our business model, we provide the opportunity for people to be real Bostonians and support their own community through coffee,” said Tom Barns, Founder of Boston Brewin Coffee Company.

The Boston Brewin Coffee Company’s location in City Hall will be its third in Boston. The stand will offer coffee, lattes, mochas, espressos, and teas from Dean’s Beans. It will also sell locally sourced pastries from the Haley House, Lyndell's Bakery, and C and C Bakers of East Boston. The coffee cart, made of discarded school desks, will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

This project is a collaboration between the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics, Property and Construction Management, Inspectional  Services Department, the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, and the Office of Small & Local Business Enterprise.

In the past year several projects have improved the experience inside of City Hall, including a greeters program, a model of the City, the #WickedCoolTree activated by Twitter, and the “Stairs of Fabulousness” art installation, a result of the Mayor’s Public Space Invitation. Outside of City Hall several projects of the Mayor’s First Public Space Invitational have been launched, in addition to the Fenway’s 30 Seconds of Cinema and PitchBoston, digital video art projects.

Boston Brewin Coffee Company uses a four-part business model called “Pay it 4ward.” Using this strategy the company gives 100% of profits back to the immediate community or a local nonprofit organization, uses only 100% organic fair/direct trade, shade grown coffee, pays living wages to all employees, and is a triple bottom line company focused on people, product, and the planet.

BPS this week

BPS this week  From the Boston Public Schools Communications team Monday, January 5, 2015   BPS students were inducted into the High School to Teacher program, which offers training, reduced tuition and a fast track for a teaching position in Boston schools. Above, a group of students and mentors from East Boston High school. BPS photo by Mark Pijanowski Bay State Banner: Program puts BPS students on path to Boston teaching jobs From the Bay State Banner: Thirty-six Boston high school students are starting on a seven-year path through high school and college and into teaching careers, thanks to a new Boston Public Schools program aimed at developing a more diverse next generation of teachers. The High School to Teacher program offers training, mentoring and support to promising students interested in pursuing teaching careers. Launched earlier this year, the initiative aims to help students achieve school and career success while at the same time tackling a key BPS goal to increase diversity in the teaching ranks. "This high school teacher initiative is part of Boston's overarching initiative to increase workforce diversity. There's been considerable strategy on building the pipeline, and this is part of it," said Ceronne Daly, director of diversity programs at the BPS Office of Human Capital. "We're reaching out to work with high school students throughout their entire high school career and into college." Recruiting for High School to Teacher's first cohort began in late spring at four Boston schools: Boston Community Leadership Academy, East Boston High School, New Mission High School and TechBoston Academy. Thirty-six students were accepted into the program, and this fall, they began working with program mentors, who are teachers or guidance counselors at the participating schools. In their second semester, students are expected to spend part of their time tutoring other students. BPS is implementing the program in partnership with Today's Students, Tomorrow's Teachers, a New York-based nonprofit that also operates in New York, Connecticut and Virginia. In Massachusetts, the organization has had partnerships with schools in Worcester, Cambridge and Greater Boston suburbs, but is entering Boston for the first time. Students in the program are required to achieve a B+ average by their senior year of high school, tutor a minimum of two hours each week, intern for 20 hours each summer and attend teacher mentoring, tutor training, college visits, career counseling and free SAT preparation. In addition to the training and mentoring in high school, participants receive a 50 percent waiver of tuition at participating colleges.  [read more] More time with great teachers: BPS expanded-day announcement gets national attention From Boston to Seattle and places in between, our announcement that the City of Boston, the Boston Public Schools and the leadership of the Boston Teachers Union have developed a plan to expand the school day is getting national praise. Here's a summary:   Boston Globe: Boston parents applaud proposal to expand school day Anneta Argyres, who was cochairwoman of the Curley School Parent Council when the school had longer days, remembered how teachers could use the final hour each Wednesday to teach less-traditional classes. Her daughter, Nicole Levenson, who is now 15 and a sophomore at Boston Latin School, would come home raving about taking classes on fishing, yoga, and photography. Argyres said those classes showed students and teachers "that learning happens in different settings and also helped to develop a deeper sense of community." "What we need is to bring back the richness and the diversity of education," Argyres said. "Not just pile on 40 minutes more of the same.   Seattle Post-Intelligencier: Longer days for younger students The National Center on Time & Learning, a Boston-based nonprofit organization that advocates for longer school days, applauded the proposal. "With this agreement, Boston is emerging as one of the country's leaders as it embarks on a plan to strategically redesign and expand learning time for both teachers and students," center officials said in a statement. Boston Herald editorial: Watching school clock We're all for adverse parties coming together to negotiate solutions to major public policy challenges and in that spirit we welcome the announcement that the city of Boston has struck a deal with its teachers union to extend the school day.    Boston Globe editorial: Longer school day is a win for Walsh, students The promise of a longer school day in Boston may strike some as a counterintuitive holiday gift for 23,000 elementary and middle school pupils at 60 schools. But it is the gift that will keep on giving for the children who need the extra time to prepare for the upper grades, higher education, and the eventual demands of the workplace. Making good on a campaign promise, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said Friday that he has negotiated a tentative agreement with the city's teachers to add 40 minutes to each school day - the equivalent of an extra month of instruction. The announcement is tempered somewhat by the fact that Boston's current six-hour school day is among the shortest of any major urban school district. And some state charter schools already boast eight-hour school days. Whether it is a "true turning point," as the mayor called it, will depend on the ability of teachers to make every one of the additional minutes count.   Apply to join the Boston School Committee! Applications to fill an open seat are due January 20. Click here to download the application form and instructions.   First Registration Period for fall BPS enrollment set for January 5-30 Parents of children who will begin Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, grades 6 or 9 in the fall of 2015 are encouraged to register for Boston Public Schools (BPS) during the first registration period, which runs today through Friday, January 30. Families may visit any BPS Welcome Center to register for school. Parents of students seeking to enroll in all other grades may register between February 4 and March 20. Registering during the first available period for a grade level increases a family's chances of receiving an assignment to one of their top-choice schools. Families can view which schools will be on their options list by visiting the DiscoverBPS website, www.discoverbps.org. Operators are also available during business hours to help answer questions at the BPS Registration Hotline: (617) 635-9046.  Families can also pre-register online at www.bostonpublicschools.org/register. By filling out information in advance using the online form, parents can take advantage of a separate line when they arrive at a BPS Center to complete the school registration process. It's important to note that registration is not first-come first-served, so it does not matter when in the month families visit a BPS Welcome Center, and everyone has the same opportunities as long as they register within the correct period. BPS will run the school choice lottery after the completion of each registration period and will send school assignments by mail.   Click here to sign up for BPS This Week and other BPS publications Communications Office | Boston Public Schools 617-635-9265  |  communications@bostonpublicschools.org

Mayor Walsh Appoints Laura Oggeri as Chief Communications Officer for City of Boston

Mayor Walsh Appoints Laura Oggeri as Chief Communications Officer for City of Boston

BOSTON – Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced today that he has selected Laura Oggeri as the City of Boston’s Chief Communications Officer. Oggeri joined the City as Deputy Chief of Operations in November.

"I'm thrilled to announce that Laura Oggeri will be joining my cabinet as Chief Communications Officer," Mayor Walsh said. "She brings with her exceptional communications and public relations experience, especially from her time as Director of Communications for the Senate President's office. She has done a fantastic job as our Deputy Chief of Operations and I look forward to working with her as we continue to develop our communications strategy." 

As Chief Communications Officer, Oggeri will oversee press activity and serve as Mayor Walsh's advisor on the City's overall communications strategy. Her work will focus on proactive messaging for national, regional and local platforms, strengthening communications across departments and expanding the City's use of new media.

Oggeri previously worked for Senate President Therese Murray as Director of Communications and Senior Policy Advisor where she led the communications strategy for the Senate's legislative priorities. As the head spokesperson for the Senate President's office, Oggeri coordinated with statewide and national press outlets on a regular basis. Oggeri also built the Senate President's local media plan, utilizing print and digital outlets, to ensure a consistent message to constituents and was responsible for managing the Senate President's social media presence.

Prior, Oggeri worked for MSLGROUP where she played a key role in developing strategic messaging and media relations campaigns for public affairs and corporate clients. Oggeri was also a member of the crisis management and social media planning teams. 

Oggeri graduated from Boston University in 2010 with a degree in communication. Oggeri lives with her husband in South Boston. 

Additionally, Bonnie McGilpin will serve as Press Secretary for the City after joining as Deputy Press Secretary in December. McGilpin worked as Governor Deval Patrick’s Deputy Press Secretary and Speechwriter, and this past year served as the Press Secretary on Attorney General Martha Coakley’s gubernatorial campaign.  She is a graduate of Northeastern University.

Oggeri and McGilpin join Melina Schuler, Senior Media Liason and Gabrielle Farrell, Press Assistant in Mayor Walsh’s press office.