文協“樂饗”獨奏各色中國樂器

大波士頓中華文化協會國樂團日前在勒星頓鎮Follen社區教堂舉辦獨奏音樂會“樂饗”，藉十一首曲子，展現樂團成員演奏功力，帶聽眾領略中國古典樂音之美。

        大波士頓中華文化協會國樂團指揮陳志新指出，文協國樂團有二個團，一個是成立於1984年的成人團，一個是成立於2000年青少年團。團員們儘管年齡有別，對中國音樂的喜好，卻無二致，琵琶，二胡，笛子，揚琴，古箏，嗩吶，大鈸，各有所歡，也讓該團得以多元呈現。

            當天的表演，獨奏者分別來自二團，由來自江蘇淮安的荀萌，以琵琶演奏“天山之春”拉開序幕。她六歲就開始隋名教授學琵琶，來美深造，卻學的是資訊科技。

            從小學四年級起就跟隨林湛濤學二胡，現在已進新罕布夏州納殊華市高中的林庭麗，接著以二胡演奏“讚歌”。

            彈鋼琴多年，三年前才開始跟隨潘台春學吹笛子的田元，吹奏了一曲“揚鞭催馬運糧忙”。

            文協青少年國樂團的聯合創辦人，師事何濤學二胡，也學過鋼琴八年的張越麒，在向紹瀾的揚琴伴奏中，以二胡彈奏“二泉映月”。

            楊信宜的古箏學生梅雪蘭演奏四川民歌“趕花會”。九歲就開始隨林湛濤學二胡，2007年就加入國樂團的黎德高，如今已是康可卡萊爾高中生。他在譚鼎翰以揚琴伴奏中拉二胡“一枝花”。

        曾經在湖北省大專學生音樂比賽中奪得首獎，在武漢大學就讀時創辦過山水中樂團，剛從波士頓大學畢業的賀小敏，剛加入文協國樂團。這天她穿上一身新疆服裝，以二胡拉了一曲“戰馬奔騰“。

        本身是專業結構工程師的陳世永，2000年回中國度假，為兒女著想，在上海買了一把二胡，沒想到卻讓他自己從此與二胡結下不解之緣。這晚，他用二胡拉了一曲馬思聰的“思鄉曲”。

            北牛頓高中生譚鼎翰從九歲就開始隨張鎮田學揚琴，十一歲加入文協國樂團，還學上打擊樂，這晚他在向紹瀾的揚琴，張鎮田的大鼓伴奏中，以揚琴演奏“美麗的非洲”。

            十三歲的徐衍峰接著演奏“奔馳在千里草原上”。

        獨奏會的最後一個表演，由吹嗩吶的父子檔，從1991年就加入文協國樂團的劉健，以及其子，追隨郭雅志學吹嗩吶的劉曉凡，在二胡，揚琴，大提琴，大鼓，笛子等等中西樂器伴奏中，聲勢浩蕩的演奏“追追追”，一瞬間就讓會場氣氛十足起來。

            陳志新表示，辦演奏會，既給團員們公開表演機會，也讓更多人有機會親耳體會中樂之美，希望能打動更多人加入欣賞，吹彈唱奏中樂行列，傳承中樂文化。

            查詢文協國樂團詳情，可洽團長潘台春978-369-6656。

圖片說明：

            文協國樂團獨奏音樂會謝幕。（菊子攝）

            劉健（右起）與兒子劉曉凡，拉大提琴的劉了凡，這晚父子三人同台演出。（菊子攝）

            賀小敏（右）Ｇ穿了一身的新疆服來演奏，朋友紛紛要求合影。（菊子攝）

波士頓亞美電影節第五屆短波展首定主題“家在美國”

亞裔文化資源中心（AARW）麾下的波士頓亞美電影節（BAAFF）廿七日晚，以“家在美國”為主題，舉辦第五屆“短波展（Short Waves）”。越裔Thuan Hien所拍的“親近（Closeness）“，在六部參展短片中獲首獎。

            波士頓電影節策劃人甄翠嬿表示，“短波展“今年跨入第五屆，第一次設定主題，共收到六部短片，從不同角度描繪”家在美國“。其中的二部入圍影片分別是”親近（Closeness）”和“華埠對抗豪華化（Chinatown's Fight against gentrification）”。

            “親近”在臉書上獲得兩百多票，贏得首獎。將成為今年十月波士頓亞美電影節的選映影片之一。

            甄翠嬿指出，波士頓亞美電影節從三月開始籌辦”短波展“，還特地安排攝影和後期制作課程，掃除有心說故事者可能有的技術阻礙。她們希望“短片展”能促動更多人願意以影片把身邊的故事記錄下來，傳播出去。

六部參展短片中“親近（Closeness）“一片，由Thuan Hien請他母親娓娓憶述當年從越南逃來美國途中所經歷的種種險況。片長儘管僅數分鐘，仍牽動許多觀眾惺然淚下。

Thuan Hien談拍片經過時透露，他還是在拍製短片期間，才第一次聽到自己父親的故事。

剛從波士頓學院畢業的翁燕儀，以乞臣街103號兩戶人家被逼遷的故事，描述華埠不斷豪華化對居民，地方的影響。她別出心裁地的擬人化了華埠牌樓，從華埠牌樓冷眼旁觀，敘述周遭環境變化，來促使看短片者思考，“華埠不應該只是用餐和購物場所，華埠是我們的家。”

“短波展”參加者中，還有一名年僅十五歲的青少年，馬鳳娟。她是第一次拍短片，描述自己做為移民第二代的生活。拍出興趣來後，現在她已經在製作第二部短片了，主題是她心目中的英雄。

            甄翠嬿談及這“短波展”選“家在美國”為主題的原因時指出，是因為人們看見亞裔面孔時，經常會問“你從哪裏來？”，在聽到“波士頓”的回答時，還會澄清問題的重新問"不不不，你原本是從哪裏來？”。他們希望藉這主題，向看到短片的人宣示，“我們是美國人。這裏是我們的家。

            波士頓同源會創會會長，李徐慕蓮、李衛新夫婦當晚也出席欣賞短片。李衛新盛讚幾名拍片者，指他們能在“短短幾分鐘內，傳遞出訊息“，非常不容易。

圖片說明:

            參賽者和組織者會末合影。左起，波士頓亞美電影節聯合主席陳曉瑩，得獎者 Thuan Hien，Mei Lei，PMP Philms，翁燕儀，馬鳳娟，以及另一名電影節主席席甄翠嬿。（戴斯夢攝）

麻州觀音靈隱寺刻正展出高2.5米宇宙和平玉佛

目前籌建中，預定佔地27英畝的新禪修中心“觀音靈隱寺”，刻正舉辦宇宙和平玉佛環球巡迴展覽，預定從五月廿四日起至六月廿八日，展出一尊高達2.5米的大玉佛，以期促進和平、慈悲，讓佛光普照世界。

獲邀擔任宇宙和平玉佛環球巡迴展覽華人社區聯絡員的黃真珍表示，“觀音靈隱寺”的善慧法師（Venerable Master: Thich Thien Hue 越裔）年輕時學佛法，也學了中文和中華文化，非常讚揚和尊重中華文化精神，希望在宇宙和平玉佛來到波士頓之際，能把佛陀倡議世界和平，大慈大悲普及天下眾生，不分宗教，無論尊卑的訊息，也傳遞進華人社區，才把她找去做聯絡員。

黃真珍指出，宇宙和平大玉佛是採用加拿大寶石級玉石，以印度菩提伽耶摩訶菩提佛塔中的釋迦牟尼佛像，所有佛教徒公認最接近佛陀形象的佛像為原型，由泰國玉石巧匠雕刻而成的世上最大玉佛像，高達2.5米，重約4噸，座落在近2米高的雪花石膏寶座上。由於佛身巨大，佛像莊嚴，許多人認為那是世上一大奇蹟。

玉佛巡展團隊指出，他們在世界各地舉行宇宙和平大玉佛巡迴展，是為促進和平、慈悲，讓佛光普照世界，讓不同宗教的人都有機會反省、思考，激發人們積極向上的動力，從而促進世界和平，並祈願人間和美，家庭和睦，人際和樂，工作和順，心緒和善。

五月廿四日，宇宙和平玉佛環球巡迴展已在麻州Abington籌建中的“觀音靈應寺”，舉行了開幕式。未來一連六週的每週日，都會有觀訪，膜拜宇宙和平玉佛活動。

查詢詳情可上網http://www.jadebuddha.org.au/index.php/zh/，或洽善慧法師781-848-7519。觀音靈隱寺地址為275 Chestnut Street，Abington, MA 02351。

圖片說明：

             善慧法師為宇宙和平大玉佛展覽主持儀式。（圖由黃真珍提供）

            宇宙和平大玉佛展覽開幕式。（圖由黃真珍提供）

COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN CARE RECEIVES 2015 CCPH ANNUAL AWARD

COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN CARE RECEIVES 2015 CCPH ANNUAL AWARD

May 28, 2015 – Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) is delighted to announce Community Partners in Care as the recipient of its 2015 annual award. The award highlights the power and potential of partnerships between communities and academic institutions as a strategy for social justice and health equity. It honors community-campus partnerships that are striving to achieve the systems and policy changes needed to overcome the root causes of health, social, environmental and economic inequalities.

Community Partners in Care is a community-academic partnership that uses Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR) to build community capacity to improve the quality of life of clients with depression in under-resourced communities of color through rigorous partnered research. This collaboration occurs among many community-based agencies, social services, and healthcare organizations for communities of color, especially African Americans and Latinos in Los Angeles County (LAC).

Over ten years ago, academic leaders of the partnership completed a major national study called Partners in Care, which suggested that implementing a chronic disease management approach to collaborative care for depression in primary care sites improved the quality of care for both whites and minorities (African Americans and Latinos). However, this approach led to 4-5 times the outcome improvements for minorities than for whites, both initially and after 5-10 years of follow-up. A key question that emerged from this study was how to translate the promise of high quality care for depression into a public health reality in low-income communities of color.

In 2003, Dr. Kenneth Wells of the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Research ANd Development Corporation (RAND), the Principal Investigator of the Partners in Care study, approachedLoretta Jones, CEO of Healthy African American Families II (HAAFII), a leading health advocacy organization in South Los Angeles, to determine how to apply the findings of that study to communities of color in Los Angeles. This initiated a remarkable partnership based on community-based participatory research (CBPR) and NIH-defined principles of community engagement, Community Partnered Participatory Research (CPPR).

As explained in the partnership’s application, “A council representing all stakeholder perspectives guides the initiative and supports workgroups to develop and implement components, reporting back to the larger community through once or twice a year, community conferences for feedback and to obtain support.” There is a signed memorandum between lead institutional partners which outlines CPPR principles, roles and responsibilities, partnership structure, shared data ownership, resource allocation, scientific manuscript authorship, and handling disagreements between partners.

The Center for Health Services and Society; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA; RAND Corporation; Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health Services; Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry; Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute; and Healthy African American Families II are all integral members of Community Partners in Care.

Reviewers chose to honor Community Partners in Care for the 2015 CCPH Annual Award and overwhelmingly praised the breadth and depth of the partnership and the excellent modeling they used in joining of randomized clinical trial methodology and CBPR/CPPR. One reviewer remarked, “The decision making appears to be done equitably, including decisions regarding their fiscal allocations.” Another reviewer lauded the excellent, wide range of partnership strategies Community Partners in Care initiated working through conflict among partners. Finally, the clear and definable examples of capacity building appeared central to the partnership in developing their structure and through the process they used to generate evidence-based decision making, practices, and outcome impacts in mental health in communities.

CCPH Associate Director Faye Ziegeweid presented the award at C2U Expo in Ottawa, Canada on May 27th. Accepting the award on behalf of the partnership were Bowen Chung of UCLA and Loretta Jones of HAAF.

In her remarks presenting the award, Ms. Ziegeweid noted. “I am honored to introduce this year’s award recipient. Their partnership embodies the CCPH Principles of Partnership and has created change lasting well beyond a single process or event.”

Also announced at C2UExpo was the partnership that received an Honorable Mention: Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health (CAFEH) in Boston, MA. This partnership is working to integrate science, civic engagement, community empowerment for environmental health improvements and social justice. Tufts University is the lead partner with core community partners from the City of Somerville and Boston Chinatown organizations such as the Boston Chinatown Resident Association and the Chinese Progressive Association. The partnership's work addressing the high exposure of pollutants from Interstate-93 and local residents’ concern about air quality, specifically chronic exposure to ultrafine particles and its impact on health and the risk of cardiovascular disease was also worthy of recognition.

MassDOT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES FINES FOR TOBIN BRIDGE PAY-BY-PLATE CUSTOMERS

MassDOT SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES FINES FOR TOBIN BRIDGE PAY-BY-PLATE CUSTOMERS

30-day toll amnesty for Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate to start Monday, June 1, 2015

BOSTON – Thursday, May 28, 2015 – Today, MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack announced changes to the fine structure to the all-electronic, Pay-By-Plate, toll collection system on the Tobin Bridge.  Additionally, Secretary Pollack also announced a 30-day amnesty program that starts Monday, June 1, where drivers can simply pay the amount of outstanding tolls and will have all late payment fines waived..  Both the new fine structure and the 30-day toll amnesty apply exclusively to the Tobin Bridge. 

“While the use of the new All-Electronic Tolling technology has certainly proved its worth, piloting the system first on the Tobin Bridge taught us some valuable lessons.  Too many of our customers were incurring hundreds or even thousands of dollars in late payment fines,” said Secretary Pollack.  “The goal of the program should be payment, not punishment.  We can ensure that our customers pay their tolls with much smaller late payment fines that are fair, reasonable, and will not result in substantial charges to people who may have missed the notifications.  And no one will ever incur more than $500 per year in late payment fees.”  

The Tobin Bridge’s All-Electronic Tolling system was activated on July 21, 2014, and eliminated the need to pay tolls in cash.  The system employs a dual technology that detects E-ZPass transponders, or for vehicles without transponders, captures an image of the registration plate and sends an invoice to the address listed on the vehicle registration.

Known as Pay-By-Plate, vehicles without transponders that cross the Tobin Bridge are mailed invoices and reminder notices based on a monthly billing cycle.  Subsequent reminder invoices and notices of non-payment are accompanied by a fine structure that was modeled after the structure that has been in place on the Turnpike since 2000.

“This new structure is the result of a thorough review that incorporated a substantial amount of public feedback into the final product,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Thomas J. Tinlin.  “At the end of the day, our goal is to collect tolls, and we feel that this new structure is a way to ensure that continues without unduly burdening drivers with substantial fines.”

Under the new structure for the Tobin Bridge, fines will be assessed according to the following:

·        A $1 late fee will be added to every unpaid Pay-By-Plate toll after an invoice goes unpaid for 30 days;

·        An additional $1 will be added to each toll transaction after 60 days of non-payment, and another $1 after 90 days;

·        Under the maximum fines allowed, each unpaid Tobin Bridge toll transaction will be capped at $6; also at that time, the vehicle owner’s driver’s license and vehicle registration will be placed in a non-renew status, until the toll balance and fines are resolved.  Also at this stage, there is an additional $20 fee to remove the hold on driver’s license and vehicle registration renewals. 

Additionally, beginning Monday, June 1, 2015, MassDOT is offering a 30-day toll amnesty program, whereby Tobin Bridge Pay-By-Plate customers with outstanding balances have the opportunity to pay tolls only in full, with all fines waived dating back to July 21, 2014.  The 30-day amnesty also includes the suspension of the $20 fee to remove the hold on registration and driver’s license renewals. 

Programming changes are under way to roll back Tobin Bridge fines and to allow for the amnesty program to begin on Monday, June 1, 2015.  To facilitate the programming and transition, the phone and online Pay-By-Plate payment options will be suspended for the weekend and will be available Monday morning. 

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $10 Million Energy Storage Initiative

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $10 Million Energy Storage Initiative

BOSTON – May 28, 2015 – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced the launch of a new $10 million initiative aimed at making Massachusetts a national leader in energy storage.

The Energy Storage Initiative (ESI) includes a $10 million commitment from the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and a two-part study from DOER and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to analyze opportunities to support Commonwealth storage companies, as well as develop policy options to encourage energy storage deployment.

“The Commonwealth’s plans for energy storage will allow the state to move toward establishing a mature local market for these technologies that will, in turn, benefit ratepayers and the local economy,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Massachusetts has an exciting opportunity to provide a comprehensive approach to support a growing energy storage industry with this initiative's analysis, policy and program development.”

“Massachusetts is nationally recognized for energy efficiency and clean energy job growth,” said EEA Secretary Matthew Beaton.  “This Energy Storage Initiative will ensure the Commonwealth continues to be on the forefront of advancing innovative clean technology. Through this initial $10 million announcement and the subsequent studies, Massachusetts is primed to leverage the expertise of the storage industry to reduce barriers to project implementation, and ultimately advancing a crucial component of modernizing our electric grid.”

DOER Commissioner Judith Judson, a nationally-recognized expert on energy storage, announced the new initiative today at the Energy Storage Association’s 25^th Annual Conference on “New Market Structures and Policy Enabling Storage.”

“Our Energy Storage Initiative will lay the ground work, through a holistic approach of analysis, assessment and demonstration projects, so that Massachusetts can confidently move forward with policies and regulations that will ensure Massachusetts becomes a national leader in the deployment and cost-effective use of energy storage” said DOER Commissioner Judith Judson.

“Massachusetts’ $10 billion clean energy industry already supports a promising energy storage cluster,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton. “By launching the Energy Storage Initiative and fostering this sector at home, Massachusetts will position itself to grab a disproportionate share of the economic opportunities arising out of the fast growing global markets for storage technology.”

The worldwide market for grid-scale energy storage alone is estimated to reach $114 billion by 2017, according to an analysis by Lux Research. Common methods of energy storage include batteries, flywheels, compressed air energy storage, pumped storage, hydrogen storage and thermal energy storage.

The two-part study will start by analyzing the industry landscape, economic development and market opportunities for energy storage, while also examining potential policies and programs that could be implemented to better support energy storage deployment in Massachusetts. The second part of the study will provide policy and regulatory recommendations along with cost-benefit analysis for state policy makers.

In parallel, DOER will leverage $10 million in Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) to establish and support the Commonwealth’s energy storage market. DOER will work to identify and evaluate the appropriate value of the services energy storage can provide to ratepayers and the grid through a market signals assessment, while funding demonstration projects from the utility to residential scales. DOER will work with MassCEC and key market players, in-state and across the country, to assist in the development of innovative projects in the Commonwealth.  Through this initiative, Energy and Environmental Affairs will hold several forums to engage experts and industry in storage policy opportunities in the coming months.

“Massachusetts continues to play a leading role in creating solutions for a more flexible and resilient grid,” said Matt Roberts, Executive Director of the Energy Storage Association. “These investments in studying the positive impact that energy storage will have and funding new projects will undoubtedly spur continued advancement in the industry.”

"Energy storage is an essential component of the Commonwealth's transition to a 21st century electricity system, which can provide customers more affordable, efficient, resilient and cleaner energy," said NECEC President Peter Rothstein. "With numerous Massachusetts-made energy storage companies already developing technologies, the energy storage sector has great potential to provide economic development opportunities here, while keeping the state competitive in the rapidly evolving global energy economy." 

The ESI will build upon existing state support for energy storage projects, including $13 million in projects featuring an energy storage component through DOER’s Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative.