MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH AND BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY CELEBRATE CENTRAL LIBRARY RENOVATION OPENING

MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH AND BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY CELEBRATE CENTRAL LIBRARY RENOVATION OPENING

BOSTON - Saturday, July 9, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Public Library celebrated the grand reopening of the Central Library Renovation today with a 10:30 a.m. ribbon cutting. The grand reopening marks the completion of the second and final phase of the renovation of the Central Library in Copley Square, which has been managed by the City of Boston's Public Facilities Department. This second phase of work includes updates to the lower level, first floor, mezzanine, and the building exterior of the Johnson building, which opened in 1972. The Central Library Renovation puts the Boston Public Library on the cutting edge of library services - reshaping and redefining the patron experience at a 21st century urban public library. "The reopening of the Central Library's Johnson building represents the investments we make in the future of all Boston residents, as our libraries are critical resources where residents gather to exchange and seek knowledge and information," said Mayor Walsh. "I'm grateful to all who contributed to the success of this project, and I look forward to Boston's residents and visitors enjoying the library's enhancements."  Highlights of the second phase of the renovation include removal of the granite plinths that covered the Johnson building windows - reconnecting the building to the street; a revamped lecture hall for author talks and programming, a new innovation center, new Mac and Windows computers for the public computing area, a hi-tech community learning center, an enlarged Fiction section and new ways of book browsing, digital stacks to explore the BPL's digitized collections, a state-of-the art Welcome Center, a digital imaging suite, and major landscape components along Boylston Street, including a civic table and new trees. The enterprise retail space at the corner of Boylston and Exeter Streets will feature The Newsfeed Café, opening mid-summer and operated by The Catered Affair, and a WGBH News satellite bureau and studio. Patrons will move seamlessly between the enterprise retail space and the Library. The public can learn more about the Johnson building's new features atwww.bpl.org/bplreno and by following the BPL on Twitter (@bplboston),Facebook, and Instagram (@bplboston). "This is one of the most significant milestones in Boston Public Library history. The Central Library Renovation has greatly expanded offerings for people of all ages , and the library has been truly transformed," said Chair of the Board of the Trustees of the Boston Public Library Robert E. Gallery. "The goal of the renovation was to reinvent both our building and our library services as inviting, dynamic, and modern, to be responsive to twenty first century urban civic life and to strengthen the Central Library and its connection to the City," said David Leonard, President of the Boston Public Library. "We are proud to welcome everyone, from near and far, to celebrate a new era of library service in Copley Square." "We worked closely with the Boston Public Library and the City of Boston to develop an open kind of library space - the Big Urban Room - which connects the most active library uses to the city street.  With over 210 feet of transparent frontage along Boylston Street and multiple entry points, this new space conveys a sense of welcome that captures the Boston Public Library mantra 'FREE TO ALL,'" said architects Cliff Gayley and William Rawn, principals from William Rawn Associates, Architect, Inc.  "The Boston Public Library is a major piece of our city's distinguished history and one that continues to provide services to thousands of residents in our community every day. We're honored to have completed this beautiful renovation featuring complex engineering and design that will be enjoyed for generations to come," said Matthew Consigli, President of Consigli Construction Co., Inc. The first phase of the renovation, which opened in February 2015, included a colorful Children's Library with books and media, early literacy and story time space, a tween corner, and flexible program space; Teen Central, a distinctive and media-friendly space with books, digital lab, media lounge, a dedicated quiet zone, and homework and hangout booths; refreshed and reorganized nonfiction collections and reference services; and an adult reading area and workspace for individuals and groups. The Central Library Renovation project is funded by the City of Boston capital budget at $78 million. In addition to the City of Boston's Public Facilities Department, the project team includes  PMA Consultants as the Owner's Project Manager, Consigli Construction Co., Inc. is the contractor, and the project architect is William Rawn Associates, Architects, Inc.

北昆市小企業故事遊 7/14

Story Tour of North Quincy Small Businesses When Thursday July 14, 2016 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM EDT Add to Calendar Where Next to Burke's Seafood 61 Billings Rd North Quincy, MA 02171 Driving Directions Free public parking behind Burke's Seafood.  Public Transportation: Accessible by Red Line (North Quincy Stop)   For accessibility needs, contact Renato Castelo at 617-933-0706 or rcastelo@mapc.org Friends, Small businesses are essential to local economies, and behind every local entrepreneur is a story - often of adversity, growth, and innovation. Join us for the North Quincy Story Tour to hear first-hand stories of entrepreneurship; explore North Quincy's diversity of people, products and services; and meet special guest Nam Pham, Massachusetts Assistant Secretary of Business Development.  Register Now! Schedule 9:30 a.m.   Registration and light refreshments 10:00 a.m. Welcome and opening remarks from                  Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch 10:30 a.m. Small Business Story Tour 11:35 a.m. Lunch 12:00 p.m. Participant dialogue 12:30 p.m. Conclusion  We look forward to seeing you at the event! Sincerely, Maureen Geary Economic Development Coordinator, City of Quincy 617-376-1266 Renato Castelo Community Engagement Specialist, MAPC 617-933-0706 *The Story Tour is sponsored by the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, Quincy's Economic Development Department, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Governor Baker Signs Transgender Anti-Discrimination Legislation

Governor Baker Signs Transgender Anti-Discrimination Legislation

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker today signed compromise legislation, An Act relative to transgender anti-discrimination (S. 2407), to extend protections against discrimination for gender identity to any place of public accommodation, with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) adopting regulations or policies to enforce its provisions. The bill, passed by the House and Senate this week, further directs the Massachusetts attorney general’s office to issue regulations or guidance for referring to law enforcement any person whose assertion of a gender identity is for an improper purpose.

“No one should be discriminated against in Massachusetts because of their gender identity,” said Governor Baker.  “This compromise legislation extends additional protections to the Commonwealth’s transgender community, and includes language to address the public safety concerns expressed by some by requiring the Attorney General to issue regulations to protect against people abusing the law.”

“We thank the Legislature for sending us a compromise proposal that assures additional protections from discrimination based on gender identity to Massachusetts’ transgender community and provides for guidance from the Attorney General to address issues of public safety that have been raised by some,” said Lt. Governor Polito.

The legislation provides for the MCAD and attorney general’s office to report their recommendations, regulations or guidance by September 1^st, with full implementation of the law taking effect on October 1, 2016.

波市長發表聲明憂慮針對警察的暴力

STATEMENT FROM MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH

BOSTON - Friday, July 8, 2016 - My thoughts are with the Dallas officers who were killed last night, and their families, and I'm praying for fast recovery for the injured. I unequivocally condemn violence against law enforcement officers. Whatever motivated this horrific attack, we should do all we can as a community and a nation to prevent it from inflaming existing tensions around police interactions. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, violence solves no problem but is "a descending spiral ending in destruction for all." We can and we must work together to end all the deadly violence afflicting our country.

Tammy Duckworth’s Statement on Dallas Police Shootings

[WASHINGTON, DC] – Following last night’s killing of five Dallas law enforcement officers and the wounding of another seven, Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth (IL-08) issued the following statement:

“Last night’s coordinated ambush on Dallas law enforcement officers is an atrocity. It will only serve to distract from and undermine the efforts of peaceful protesters seeking an end to the needless violence that took the lives of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile this week. The heartless, calculated and unjustifiable murder of five officers—the very people who put their lives on the line to protect our streets—and wounding of seven others is especially tragic given the Dallas Police Department’s leadership in improving community relations, transparency and supporting the rights of peaceful protesters.”

“Even as last night’s chaos was still unfolding, the brave officers being targeted remained in harm’s way to protect their fallen colleagues and help save protesters from bursts of gunfire. The most responsible—and best—thing we can do to honor their actions and those we lost is remain calm and not rush to judgment as we continue to learn all the facts. Let us be vigilant in our words to be sure we don’t escalate this tragic situation or inflame emotions any further. Now is the time for our nation to come together and unite against all hateful violence. My condolences go out to the families of officers killed and my prayers are with those wounded and still in surgery.”

麻州未來四個月須注意乾旱

Drought Watch, Drought Advisory Issued for Portions of Massachusetts

Increased monitoring of water resources to continue, water conservation is advised

BOSTON – July 8, 2016 – Following four continuous months of unusually dry weather, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Matthew Beaton today declared a Drought Watch for Central and Northeast Massachusetts and a Drought Advisory for Southeast Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Valley. The declaration was the result of a recommendation issued from a recent meeting of the Drought Management Task Force, comprised of state, federal and local officials, and will remain in effect until water levels return to normal in the affected regions.

“Drought conditions can contribute to lasting agricultural, environmental, and economic impacts, and also raise serious public safety concerns,” said EEA Secretary Matthew Beaton. “This drought declaration is an important tool which will help officials on all levels of government to work together to ensure we take action where necessary, and we advise all residents to conserve water and take increased care with any outdoor burning such as campfires and disposal of smoking materials.”

“If these very dry conditions continue through the summer months, the threat of wildfires will become even greater,” said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Director Kurt Schwartz. “To that end, we remind our residents and visitors to continue to not only conserve water, but also utilize extreme caution when dealing with outdoor burning.”

A Drought Advisory, the second of five levels of drought conditions outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, indicates a level of dry conditions that warrants closer tracking by government agencies.  The decline of the state’s rainfall in the Connecticut River Valley, Central, and Northeast Regions since March led to the drought condition, with cumulative precipitation deficits of four to five inches below normal for the months of April, May and June.  For the months of May and June, precipitation was less than 61 percent of normal in the regions under Drought Watch and Advisory. Data from the state’s groundwater, streamflow and reservoir monitoring network show very low levels for the beginning of July. Seventeen streams across the four regions impacted by drought have registered record-low flows for early July.

A Drought Watch, a higher degree of drought, represents extremely low groundwater and streamflow levels resulting from a precipitation deficit of nearly ten inches over the past 12 months, including a lack of snowfall in the winter months.  The declaration of a Drought Watch warrants detailed monitoring of drought conditions, close coordination among state and federal agencies, and technical outreach and assistance for the affected municipalities.

“The lack of rainfall leaves many public water supplies at reduced levels and puts a strain on water infrastructure as water use increases just as the supply becomes more limited,” said Philip Guerin, Director of Water and Sewer Operations for Worcester Department of Public Works & Parks. “Residents and businesses need to heed water use restrictions and take steps to fix leaks and limit non-critical water use to assure adequate supplies for health and safety in the coming months.”

Task Force officials noted that while some smaller reservoir systems in Drought Advisory areas are low for this time of year, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) supply system is well above any drought conditions within its individual plan. Additionally, public water suppliers around the state have issued conservation measures in response to the dry conditions.

The declaration of a Drought Advisory and Drought Warning requires the Drought Management Task Force to meet on a regular basis to more closely assess conditions across the state, coordinate dissemination of information to the public, and help state, federal and local agencies prepare any responses that may be needed in the future. The Task Force will next meet in August.

廣西同鄉會 8/7 野餐

2016年美国新英格兰地区广西同乡夏季野餐聚会活动通知
   
           美丽的新英格兰夏日风光再次展现在我们的眼前，为了创造同乡们在户外欢聚一堂、重温乡音乡情的美好时刻，美国新英格兰地区广西同乡会理事会定于2016年8月7日（星期天），举办同乡会成立以来的第六个年度野餐聚会活动，广西商会理事会参与协办。内容包括： 野餐、交流、游戏等，欢迎关心广西同乡会的同乡、朋友们参加。

         聚会收费为每人$8 (12岁以下儿童、65岁以上长者免费)； 午餐食品、饮料由活动组织者统筹安排提供。为了便于统计人数和组织安排，请有意向参加活动的人员于7月30日前报告联系人：陈铭， negxfa@gmail.com ，508-496-2171，或范建蘭，janecnh@hotmail.com ，781-298-1651。

活动时间：2016年8月7日（星期天）上午11时至下午4时 ，如遇雨天，则推迟至8月13日（星期六）进行。

活动地点： Pine Banks Park （马萨诸塞州摩登市Pine Banks公园）1087 Main Street, Malden，MA 02148（乘橙线地铁到Oak 站后步行15分钟可到达）。

主办：美国新英格兰地区广西同乡会理事会（同乡会网站http://www.negxfausa.com）
协办：美国新英格兰地区广西商会理事会(商会网站：http://negxccusa.org）

美国新英格兰地区广西同乡会理事会

陈铭（副会长）

电邮：negxfa@gmail.com

同乡会网站：http://www.negxfausa.com

紐英崙客家鄉親 8/6 烤肉

紐英倫客家鄉親會即將舉辦 2016 年度烤肉聯誼活動 (picnic)，詳情如下。

時間： 八月六 日，星期六， 中午12 㸃 至下午 2 㸃 30 分

地點： Larz Anderson Park, Brookline

費用： 會員（已交 2016 年會費者為限）每人 $10，非會員每人  $15

如有興趣參加，請在 7月 31 日以前向下列鄉親會理事報名，以便準備食物，謝謝合作。

曾秀梅 (meihsu168@gmail.com), 617-553-0388, 617-792-8828 
陳裕逢 (terrenceychen@gmail.com), 617-816-6622
林上田 (sts_lin@hotmail.com), 617-610-1153, 617-969-6189 
周一男 (georgeinchou@gmail.com), 617-969-0867

謝如鍵 (kenchia22778@gmail.com), 617-901-3888

紐英倫客家鄉親會

周一男敬上
Sent from my iPad

貝爾蒙特華協仲夏聚會 7/17

聯邦眾議員本田促擴大融資予小企業

本田议员促进扩大对小型企业的融资

华盛顿特区 － 美国众议员迈克·本田（加州硅谷，民主党）正在敦促国会通过一项让全国的小型企业更加方便地得到融资的法案。

在金融危机开始之际（2010年），美国政府成立了国家小型企业信用协会（State Small Business Credit Initiative, SSBCI）以鼓励银行对小型企业提供贷款。虽然很多银行仍然对小型企业的贷款犹豫不决，但是如果国会不为其延期，这个项目将会在2017年过期。“我们可以做得更多，”本田议员说道。因此，他与众议员丹·基尔迪（Dan Kildee，密歇根-5）、马克辛·沃特新（Maxine Waters，加利福尼亚-43）和詹姆斯·朗格文（James Langevin，罗德岛-2）共同提出了《小型企业融资法》（Small Business Access to Capital Act），对SSBCI进行重新授权。此法案还增强了数据采集的条款，以确保SSBCI为少数民族、女性和其他劣势人群开创的企业进行服务。

“小型企业是美利坚合众国的骨干，”本田说道。“确保小型企业能够利用资金成长，并且创造工作和帮助发展我们的经济是很重要的。” 

SSBCI为各州提供基金以创立支持小型企业贷款的创新型项目。加州已经利用SSBCI帮助贷款人大幅增长贷款的接受率。贷款人和借款人两边府城资金，而加州政府配套。减少贷款违约的风险，导致贷款人更加愿意给有风险项目贷款。 SSBCI 带来了7百万美金的贷款资金到加州国会议员第17选区。

根据圣荷西的机会基金（Opportunity Fund），银行对 $100,000以下的贷款比较犹豫。机会基金，一个专门为较小型和高风险的企业提供贷款的非营利机构，称80%的客户都是中低等收入，并且89%是少数民族，其中包括14%的亚裔和中东裔。

“小型企业是我们州经济的引擎，雇用了本州90%的私人部门员工——但很多人都无法利用可支付的资金以发展和创造工作，”埃里克·威弗（Eric Weaver），加州最大的非营利小型企业贷款机构机会基金的CEO和创始人评论道。“国家小型企业信用协会对于机会基金为小型企业提供融资，尤其是少数人群和女性拥有的企业是至关重要的。如果没有这个项目，我们就无法每年为加州超过1600家小型企业提供贷款。我们称赞本田议员、基尔迪议员、沃特新议员和朗格文议员对这个问题进行的优先考虑。” 

机会基金还称，他们自己的研究表示他们借出的一美金能够导致价值$2的经济活动。

“证据持续地表明帮助小型企业发展对所有人都有好处，”本田说道。“即使是一笔小的投资都能够产生显著的经济活动，并且能够帮助许多美国人民达到他们的梦想。”

摩頓市政府推出夏日音樂會系列

First Summer Concert of 2016 Series is a Huge Success

Thursday, July 7, 2016

Mayor Christenson, City Hall employees and nearly 100 residents enjoyed the first of the Mayor’s Summer Concert series held Tuesday, July 5th on City Hall Plaza. The “Jambalaya Horns” wowed the audience for two hours with New Orleans style music of jazz, funk and blues - and got everyone moving! Please plan to attend the next concert on Tuesday, July 12th from 6-8 PM on City Hall Plaza, 200 Pleasant Street where Blues Band “Tokyo Tramps” will be the featured performer. 

波士頓市府廣場推出露天休息廳

Photo by Mayor's Press Office MAYOR WALSH LAUNCHES CITY HALL PORCH City Hall Porch is another initiative to welcome residents and visitors to City Hall BOSTON - Thursday, July 7, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the opening of the new "City Hall Porch," an area accessible through the 3rd-floor mezzanine of City Hall. The launch of the City Hall Porch is another project designed to encourage Boston residents and visitors to enliven City Hall and the Plaza. City Hall Porch will remain open to the public throughout the summer during lunch hours, Monday - Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Porch builds off City Hall Plaza's front lawn, which was launched earlier this summer and features astroturf grass and lawn games on the steps of City Hall Plaza. "Opening the City Hall Porch for the summer is a simple and creative way to make City Hall more inviting for residents and visitors," said Mayor Walsh. "Everyone is welcome on the Porch, whether it is to socialize with friends or to relax in the summer sun. The opening of the space is just one more step towards making our most prominent civic space in Boston more resourceful and welcoming for all who visit." The Porch opened yesterday during the awards ceremony for the Public Space Invitational, and features four sets of the City's parklets - seasonal patios designed for public spaces - that provide comfortable seating for the city's residents and visitors. The parklets featured on the Porch will eventually be dispatched to neighborhoods throughout Boston to provide centrally located places in busy urban locations for people to sit and socialize in an attractive, well maintained outdoor living space.   The parklets were installed as part of a pilot program led by the Boston Transportation Department in Allston/Brighton two summers ago, when the City partnered with local businesses to provide day-to-day maintenance of the parklets. The parklets are made of durable plastic, and can easily be transferred between locations in the city. As a concept, parklets provide a fresh interest in the surrounding area by attracting people to Main Streets Districts, enlivening local streets, and generating business activity. About the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics The Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics serves as the City's innovation incubator, building partnerships between internal agencies and outside entrepreneurs to pilot projects that address resident needs. Their streetscape work spans ways to make the transportation experience better for users, through products like the ParkBoston app, to providing ways for local designers to make public space more intuitive and delightful with the Public Space Invitational.