紐英崙客家鄉親會夏日會 風雨考驗情更濃

紐英崙客家鄉親會8月6日在布魯克蘭鎮的Larz Anderson公園夏日燒烤會，儘管遭遇風雨考驗，數十名會員、好友歡聚一堂，其樂無比。

紐英崙客家鄉親會會長周一男。

波士頓今年夏天的天氣，讓人捉摸不定，遇上過颱風，熱浪。8月6日這天，儘管天氣預報讓人猶豫，客家鄉親們決定不論如何，照常舉行，也讓幾十人得以歡聚，暢談。

紐英崙客家鄉親會的會長周一男，副會長林上田，林展輝，謝如鍵和前任會長陳裕逢等人，冒著風雨，把一應燒烤用品搬進公園涼亭，陸續到會的人在涼亭遮頂中，絲毫不受影響的享受燒烤，聚會之樂。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪（右起），雲雯蓁夫婦，
波士頓華僑文教中心主任歐宏偉欣然出席。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長賴銘琪，雲雯蓁夫婦，經文處副處長陳銘俊，波士頓華僑文教中心主任歐宏偉，紐英崙中華公所前任主席阮鴻燦，現任主席陳家驊，新英格蘭台灣商會前會長蔡坤喜，許炳煌等嘉賓全都踴躍出席，更讓客家鄉親會的會員們心頭很暖。

周一男日前發電郵，感謝鄉親支持出席，貼出鏈接，請會員們欣賞該會好友謝開明在燒烤那天拍攝，留下的許多美好鏡頭。

周一男另外預告，今年到波士頓的國慶文化訪問團，預定9 月 22 日，星期四，晚上 7 㸃 在 Regis College, Weston, 大禮堂表演一場，票價有 $10 至 $ 50 數種，一律對號入座，已開始售票。今年的國慶遊行及波士頓市市府門前的升旗典禮，訂 10月 8 日，星期六，上午 10 點從 Chinatown 出發，預定中午 十二 時結束。（所有圖片由客家鄉親會提供，謝開明攝）

右起，林上田，蔡坤喜等人圍桌享用美食。

紐英崙客家鄉親會前會長陳裕逢（左），謝如鍵（前）冒雨把食物搬進會場。

左起，邱西薔，劉悅慧，余國豪等人負責接待，報到。

陳玫菁（左）逗弄鄭玉春的小孫女。

紐英崙客家鄉親會副會長林展輝（左）和前任副會長曾政明。

新英格蘭台灣商會前任會長蔡坤喜（左），許炳煌（右）。

紐英崙中華公所現任主席陳家驊（左）和前任主席阮鴻燦的夫人也已十分熟稔。

HHS awards $3,059,677 to Massachusetts to improve health center quality

HHS awards $3,059,677 to Massachusetts to improve
health center quality

Massachusetts is receiving 39 awards totaling $3,059,677 to invest in health center quality improvement efforts, and to provide high quality comprehensive care. Health centers in Massachusetts will use these funds to expand current quality improvement systems and infrastructure and to improve primary care service delivery in the communities they serve.

“Millions of Americans rely on health centers to provide them with quality health care,” said Dr. Mary Wakefield, HHS Acting Deputy Secretary. “These quality improvement awards will support health centers to continue to deliver superior health care that engages patients, improves care coordination and bridges overall access to care.”

Health centers are receiving these FY 16 funds based upon high levels of performance in one or more of the following categories: Improving Quality of Care, Advancing Health Equity, Maintaining Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) Recognition, Enhancing Access to Care, and Delivering Value. This funding comes from the Affordable Care Act’s Community Health Center (CHC) Fund, which was extended with bipartisan support in the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015.

“Health centers are evaluated on a set of performance measures emphasizing health outcomes and the value of care delivered,” said Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Acting Administrator Jim Macrae. “These measures provide a balanced, comprehensive look at services to manage conditions among the vulnerable populations served by health centers.”

Nationally, more than $100 million was awarded to 1,304 health centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and seven territories for quality improvement efforts.

Nearly 1,400 health centers operating over 9,800 sites provide care to more than 24 million people across this nation, in every U.S. state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and the Pacific Basin. Today, health centers employ nearly 190,000 people.

For a list of fiscal year 2016 Quality Improvement Awards recipients, visit:http://bphc.hrsa.gov/programopportunities/qualityimprovement/fy16awards/

To learn more about HRSA’s Health Center Program, visit: http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/index.html

To find a health center in your area, visit: http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

加州州長參選人江俊輝和青少年分享從政經驗

轉載

加州财务长江俊辉与华裔青少年分享从政心路历程 鼓励青年参政

已经宣布竞选2018年加州州长的加州财务长江俊辉先生（John Chiang)，于2016年8月13日来到尔湾，出席由FCLA（Future Chinese Leader of America）主办的华裔青少年演讲辩论活动。与到场的华裔青少年分享自己的从政历程，热情鼓励年轻人积极参政。

刚刚带领美国西部市长代表团访问中国回来的江俊辉，首先向青年朋友谈到自己成为民选官员的心路历程。小时候母亲和大部分华人家长一样，也是虎妈，要求他成绩拔尖，拿各种奖状，长大当医生。他的一番话语一下子拉近了和现场青少年们的距离。

他表示，可能是受远在台南做律师的外公的影响，他梦想着能做改变世界的大事，他热衷于各种社团活动，喜欢与人打交道，最后进入George Town法学院，并且走上从政之路。他说，小时候也受到过歧视，但随着美国社会的进步，只要做人正直，都会得到尊重。

随后，他介绍了在加州审计长（Controller）和加州财务长（Treasurer）任上的工作内容。加州财政52%用在教育，29%用在健保，10%用在了监狱，财政总是不宽裕，那么怎么办呢？让学生们辍学？让大家看不起病？把犯人都放出来？财务长的工作的确很难，需要智慧，需要平衡，“我认为最重要的是增加收入最高10%人的税收，把钱用在最需要帮助的低收入者身上”。

最后，江俊辉给华裔青少年们打气说：“成为领袖不难，我体会注意三条就行:一是要交好的朋友；二是尝试各种各样你感兴趣的事情；三是不怕失败，不断挑战自己的极限”。

在40分钟的演讲中，江俊辉穿插回答听众和记者的提问，获得与会200多位听众阵阵的掌声。

FCLA的发起人，在伯克利大学学习政治学的Oliver Ma，则体会到民选政治家的素养：“John Chiang演讲让我学到很多，例如他不用麦克风、不站主席台，直接走进听众席；演说的时候不停提问题，与听众互动；他每每询问提问者名字，说声谢谢你的问题，体现对普通民众的尊重，这种言传身教的榜样作用，将使我受益终生。”

活动下半场，江俊辉坐在青少年中间参与讨论辩论，他的一个问题，引起学生们热烈的辩论：“现在美国贷款利息特别低，我认为应该抓住机遇，贷款改善教育和基础建设，修建公路、铁路等公共设施。可是共和党同僚则认为，加州的债务已经太高了，不能再多举债了。大家认为怎么做对呢？你们有什么好的建议可以告诉我”。Uni High十年级学生Marvin Li说：“和John chiang在一起，他像循循善诱的师长，风趣又亲切，又好像我是财长，他是听众。”

FCLA，由华裔青少年主导运营，旨在安排民选政治人物与青少年面对面交流，引导青少年深入研究华人关心的议案，参与社区未来发展的决策，提高辩论水平，锻炼领导能力。今年8月20日，FCLA将举行模拟总统竞选答辩，最优秀的青少年将入选常务干事，负责规划FCLA下一年的发展，主持暑期后的日常活动。（AACYF洛杉矶讯）

Bunker Hill Community College Awarded $1.2M Trio Talent Search Grant by U.S. Department of Education

Bunker Hill Community College Awarded $1.2M Trio Talent Search Grant by U.S. Department of Education

BOSTON, August 18, 2016—Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has received a $1.2 million federal TRiO Talent Search Grant from the United States Department of Education. The funds, to be awarded over five years, will support the College’s TRiO Program, which provides college access services to prospective low-income, first-generation college students from Chelsea Public Schools as well as to local youths who have left high school and wish to return to school. Since 2011, the TRiO Chelsea Program has provided academic advising, career exploration, financial literacy, college visits and college and financial aid application support to more than 1,000 Chelsea youths from grades 7-12.

“TRiO has been an incredible partner and resource for our students,” said CHS Principal Priti Johari. “With the support of TRiO, our students are graduating from high school and leaving with concrete plans for their futures. I am looking forward to our ongoing partnership and to breaking new ground as we build out our Early College Program.” BHCC’s Early College program at CHS allows students to earn college credits while they are still enrolled in high school.

“In a short time, this partnership has created a strong pathway to college for Chelsea High School students,” added BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “Our community partnerships are an important part of the College’s commitment to making higher education more accessible to Boston-area residents.”

In partnership with the Chelsea High Early College Program, the TRiO Chelsea Program helps students begin their major-specific coursework early in their education, allowing them to complete their degree programs on time or even early. With thirty-five percent of TRiO graduates intending to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, many are able to take advantage of programs such as the BHCC STEM Starter Academy and accelerated math programs designed to jump-start students’ major-specific courses. Plans are underway to further develop an associate degree pathway program between CHS and BHCC over the next five years.

Ninety-two percent of BHCC’s TRiO Chelsea participants graduate from high school in four years, with more than 85% of graduates going on to enroll in post-secondary education. Five TRiO graduates are current Posse Scholars, and three have received the Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

For more information on the BHCC TRiO Chelsea Program, visitbhcc.edu/chelsea/triotalentsearchprogram/ or contact Austin Mirasolo, program director, at 617-466-5075 or amirasol@bhcc.mass.edu.

Boston City Councilors Tito Jackson and Matt O'Malley Join Mayors, City Officials, Call Question 2 TV Ad “Misleading”

Boston City Councilors Tito Jackson and Matt O'Malley Join Mayors, City Officials, Call Question 2 TV Ad “Misleading”

BOSTON — In a letter to the Yes on Question 2 campaign, which seeks to drastically expand the number of charter schools in Massachusetts, eleven local elected officials, including Boston City Councilors Tito Jackson and Matt O'Malley, today criticized that campaign’s recently launched television advertisement, entitled “Best in the Country.” Mayors and city officials from across the state say the ad “undermines the ability of elected officials in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to engage the taxpayers in our communities in an honest and productive conversation about the future of public education in Massachusetts.”

Every time a new charter school opens, it takes funding away from the public schools in that school district. Last year, over $400 million in taxpayer money was diverted to charter schools statewide, with money withdrawn from 243 local school districts,1 but the Yes on Question 2 ad claims that Question 2 would “result in more funding for public education.”

“If this were true, local elected officials from across the state would be lining up to endorse this ballot question,” says the letter, signed by Easthampton Mayor Karen Cadieux, Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter, Fitchburg Mayor Stephen Dinatale, Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson, New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell, Medford Mayor Stephanie Muccini Burke, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, Plymouth County Treasurer Tom O’Brien, Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty, and Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera. “Question 2 does not contain one single word about addition funding for education. Your false assertion undermines our ability to have honest conversations about financing the schools our families deserve.”

If passed, Question 2 would allow the state to approve 12 new charters schools a year, every year, forever, with no limit on how much money a single district could lose. This would nearly triple the number of charter schools in just ten years, and take away more than $1 billion a year from our local public schools. After twenty years, local public school districts would be losing nearly $4 billion a year to charter schools.2

“Question 2 threatens to take billions of dollars from our local public school districts over the next decade alone,” says the letter. “We request that you immediately cease airing this misleading ad, and commit to remaining honest about how charter schools affect Massachusetts public school district budgets over the course of this campaign.”

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Save Our Public Schools is a grassroots organization of Massachusetts families, parents, educators and students. We are committed to ensuring equal educational opportunity for every child; less testing and more learning; stopping the state from opening additional charter schools that will drain millions more from public education; increasing funding to provide high-quality public schools for all children; and protecting local control over schools. We are united in opposition to the proposed ballot initiative to lift the charter school cap in Massachusetts. Our public schools cannot afford to lose vital funding while we are seeing programs cut and activities reduced. Sign up for updates at saveourpublicschoolsma.com.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS SAVE HEATING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES APPLICATIONS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR SENIORS SAVE HEATING SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROGRAM

Reminds Seniors It's Not Too Early To Prepare For Cold Weather

Photo Credit: City of Boston, Mayor's Office BOSTON - Wednesday, August 17, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that applications are now available for Seniors Save, a proactive program that helps income eligible seniors replace failing or inefficient heating systems before winter begins. Senior Saves is now being adopted as a permanent program, following a successful pilot program that began one year ago. "With cold weather approaching, we want to make sure our seniors can stay warm and safe," said Mayor Walsh. "Seniors living on fixed incomes may not always be able to afford important improvements to their homes or new heating systems. I'm proud that the City of Boston's Home Center is able provide the additional resources Boston seniors need so that they won't be cold this winter." The Mayor made this announcement at the home of a longtime Roslindale resident Mr. Joseph Cappuccio. Mr. Cappuccio worked with the Boston Home Center's Seniors Save program to replace two boilers in his two family home in 2016. "Seniors Save is the best program in the City of Boston and I want to thank Mayor Walsh's Home Center," said Mr. Joseph Cappuccio. "The workers did an excellent job. I've told other seniors about this great program so they can also get a new heating system like me!" The Mayor reminded seniors to replace their aging heating systems with new, energy efficient systems that will significantly lower their risks of heating emergencies during cold weather and will also reduce their energy bills, enabling them to expand their budgets for other necessities.    "I love the Seniors Save program. We see people every day in our office that have trouble making ends meet and this program can really make a difference," said Commissioner of Affairs of the Elderly Emily Shea. "I encourage all eligible senior homeowners to take advantage of this great opportunity." Applications for the Seniors Save program are currently available through the Boston Home Center (BHC), by visiting the Department of Neighborhood Development's website, or by contacting one of the BHC's partner senior agencies. To qualify, income-eligible seniors must be 60 years of age or older and must be the occupants of a residential one-to-four family property or condominium in the City of Boston. The program is open to seniors whose income does not exceed 80 percent of median family income, as determined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.   Eligible homeowners will receive a $3,500 grant towards upgrades to their heating systems. Any additional funding is available in the form of a zero percent interest, deferred loan, which will only be payable on the sale of the property, a refinance or transfer of the title. Once a senior citizen submits an application, BHC Construction Specialists will work with the homeowner on the scope of the project, and will help select a contractor from the BHC's pre-approved, licensed and insured contractor list. A BHC Construction Specialist will then oversee the work from start to finish. To learn more about Seniors Save and to apply for the program residents are invited to contact (617) 635-HOME, or visit the Boston Home Center website.

Commonwealth Awards $5 Million to UMass Amherst forData Science Collaborative

Commonwealth Awards $5 Million to UMass Amherst

to Support New Data Science Collaborative

Research and Development Grant from Massachusetts Technology Collaborative will Support Regional Growth in Data Science, Cybersecurity, FinTech, and Digital Health Innovation

SPRINGFIELD – Today the Baker-Polito Administration announced a $5 million grant to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst to establish the UMass Amherst Data Science/Cybersecurity Research and Education Collaborative, a public-private partnership designed to accelerate data science innovation in the Pioneer Valley region of Western Massachusetts. The Commonwealth’s investment will help drive the commercialization of new products and ideas, train a leading data science workforce and support collaborative regional economic development activities. 

“In today’s rapidly evolving world, data science and cybersecurity are the fundamental building blocks of emerging technologies and essential to pushing the boundaries of commercial products and innovation,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am incredibly excited about the potential for this center and the truly groundbreaking ideas it will unlock for students and their future employers.”

The grant follows the MassMutual Foundation’s 10-year, $15 million contribution to UMass Amherst to further the university’s world-class data science and cybersecurity research and education programs in Western Massachusetts.

“This public-private partnership will play a vital role in connecting the Pioneer Valley to the Commonwealth's innovation economy,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “This partnership between the Commonwealth, UMass Amherst, and MassMutual Foundation will strengthen the region's technology cluster and build critical workforce skills.”

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is awarding the four-year grant on behalf of the Commonwealth through its Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program, a program supporting large-scale, long-term research projects that have high potential to spur innovation, cluster development, and job growth in the Commonwealth. 

The state capital funding will support new, advanced computing equipment to be installed at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke. Faculty and students will be able to access the specialized equipment via computer nodes distributed at UMass Amherst, Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, the UMass Center in Springfield, and the UMass Center in Boston.

The Data Science/Cybersecurity Research and Education Collaborative will encourage and facilitate engagement of the Pioneer Valley innovation ecosystem with its unique positioning to connect leading academic institutions, extensive computer capacity at the MGHPCC, global sector leaders, such as MassMutual, and investment and incubation efforts that can fully exploit the region’s assets and help UMass Amherst secure highly competitive federal research grants. The regional collaboration will also yield a high-level talent and skills pipeline in data analytics and cybersecurity that has the potential to further distinguish the region’s attractiveness for established and growing businesses. 

"We are proud to partner with corporations like MassMutual who understand the vital role UMass plays in educating a highly-skilled workforce and in fueling innovation that is essential to a world-class 21st century economy,” UMass President Marty Meehan said. “The Baker-Polito Administration’s forward-thinking investments in emerging fields such as data science and cybersecurity are positioning Massachusetts and its communities for success, and I thank Governor Baker for his leadership and his continued support for UMass.”

“As the Commonwealth’s flagship campus, UMass Amherst strategically aligns its research and teaching mission with the needs of Massachusetts,” said UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. "We are grateful to the Baker-Polito administration for their investment in this public-private partnership that will help leverage the MassMutual Foundation’s support and provide the Commonwealth and its citizens new opportunities in the critical areas of data science and cybersecurity."

The new Collaborative will also receive matching funds from private sources, a vital aspect of the partnership between industry, academia, and government this initiative hopes to pursue. The grant made to UMass Amherst in June by the MassMutual Foundation – a dedicated corporate foundation established by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) – will  support the hiring of additional faculty; increase both the number of data science courses and the size of the master’s program in computer science; provide new research and education activities; and establish a new Trust Assurance Cybersecurity certificate.

“Through innovation and talent, Massachusetts is quickly becoming a nationally recognized hub for big data and cybersecurity, and we are pleased that Governor Baker is committed to ensuring that the Commonwealth will continue to be at the forefront of these fundamentally critical areas,” said Roger Crandall, Chairman, President and CEO, MassMutual. “With Governor Baker and his administration, MassTech, UMass and MassMutual Foundation all working together, we are creating an even better future together for our students, our workforce and our economy – both in the Pioneer Valley and throughout the Bay State.”

Together, these new courses and degree programs will accelerate research, discovery, knowledge development and workforce training, leading to improved regional economic conditions, business development and job creation in key sectors of the state’s economy: insurance and financial services, cybersecurity, and digital health. Courses will be offered at both UMass Amherst and the UMass Center in Springfield. The state grant funding requires the establishment of an innovation-based cluster development action agenda for the region focused on these priority sectors. 

“A great big thanks to MassTech Collaborative for their $5 million grant to UMass Amherst. This support and the other federal and private support it will leverage will help train the workforce of the future in this fast growing industry here in Massachusetts and across the country,” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg. 

“As I have met with innovators across the state, I have become more convinced than ever that Big Data and data analytics will be the next sector to provide our state with a strong economic future,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. “Given our discussions with leaders from the worlds of education, business and technology in the Pioneer Valley, via the Bay State Business Link, I know this initiative will create opportunities for innovation in the Western part of our state. I thank the Baker-Polito Administration for their collaboration.”

The Baker-Polito Administration’s economic development strategy prioritizes research and development in high-potential emerging technology areas. The Administration’seconomic development legislation, signed into law by Governor Baker on August 10th, provides an additional $15 million state capital investment into the Scientific and Technology Research and Development Matching Grant Fund, the fund which supports the Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program. 

“The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to growing a highly skilled workforce, and the Pioneer Valley is at the forefront of creating a comprehensive talent pipeline,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “From state support for computer coding at the K-12 level, to community college curricula that teach foundational data and cyber skills, to MassMutual-sponsored efforts to increase the number of women in data science, and through the advanced data analytics and cybersecurity programs that this new data collaborative will leverage, we are building the workforce skills our residents need to compete globally.”

“This new Collaborative can serve as a model of progressive collaboration on advanced technology initiatives such as data analytics and cybersecurity where we can realize an immediate and sustainable impact on the regional tech economy in the Pioneer Valley,” said Pat Larkin, Interim Executive Director of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. “With this grant, we are bringing together world-class academic research with global industry leaders and a future skilled workforce that will meet the demand of the exploding data and cybersecurity challenges and have a positive impact on the region’s economy.”

About MassTech & the Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program

The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative is an innovative public agency working to enhance economic growth, accelerate technology use and adoption, and harness the value of research by engaging in meaningful collaborations across academia, industry, and government. From improving our health care systems and expanding high-speed internet across the state to fostering emerging industry clusters, MassTech is driving innovation and supporting a vibrant economy across the Commonwealth.  Proposals funded under MassTech’s Collaborative Research and Development Matching Grant Program are reviewed by an investment advisory committee composed of executives from academia, industry, and the venture capital communities. www.masstech.org 

About UMass

As the flagship campus of America’s education state, the University of Massachusetts Amherst makes a profound, transformative contribution to the common good—in Massachusetts and beyond. Ranked a Top 30 public research university, UMass Amherst sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, 90 miles from Boston and 175 miles from New York City. The campus provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. Enrollment tops 29,000, including more than 22,700 undergraduates and 6,500 graduate students. The College of Information and Computer Sciences, with nearly 900 undergraduate majors and over 175 doctoral students, continues to grow and is among the largest and most distinguished programs in computer science in Massachusetts.

About the MassMutual Foundation

The MassMutual Foundation strives to broaden economic opportunity for America’s youth and their families by investing in economic development, academic achievement & workforce development locally, and financial education across the United States. The Foundation is a reflection of MassMutual’s longstanding dedication to corporate citizenship and its unwavering commitment to the communities in which we do business. To learn more about the MassMutual Foundation please visit the MassMutual Foundation page on www.MassMutual.com.

About MassMutual

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) is a leading mutual life insurance company that that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. MassMutual offers a wide range of financial products and services, including life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, annuities, retirement plans and other employee benefits. For more information, visitwww.massmutual.com.