MAYOR WALSH GRANTS $2 MILLION TOWARDS JACKSON SQUARE RECREATIONAL CENTER

MAYOR WALSH GRANTS $2 MILLION TOWARDS JACKSON SQUARE RECREATIONAL CENTER

Joins nonprofit Urban Edge to support the building of community center with turf field, ice rink and educational programs for neighborhood

BOSTON - Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined nonprofit developer Urban Edge, elected officials, community advocates, and local youth to grant $2 million towards the building of the Jackson Square Recreational Center. The Jackson Square Recreational Center will be two-stories high and include a turf field, an ice rink and spaces to study, meet, and complete homework. "Recreational centers provide crucial spaces in our communities for young people and families to learn, grow, meet up with friends and have fun," said Mayor Walsh. "The City of Boston strives to provide opportunity in every neighborhood, and with so many young people living around Jackson Square, it was an easy choice to contribute these funds to this important and inspiring project. I want to thank all Urban Edge and our partners in working together to make this recreation center a reality." Plans for the year-round Jackson Square Recreational Center include a regulation-size ice rink on the first floor and a turf field of equivalent size on the second floor, with both organized and unstructured recreational activities. The ice rink, turf fields, and meeting spaces will be open to the community and will also host Boston Public Schools (BPS) athletics, youth soccer, an adult ice hockey league, educational programming and homework help for both the at-large community and BPS students. "Thank you to Mayor Marty Walsh for this generous $2 million gift from the City of Boston to build the Jackson Square Recreation Center," said Frank Shea, Urban Edge's Chief Executive Officer. "The city joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and other private donors in becoming a partner on this important project. With this gift, we are closer to providing high quality recreational opportunities for the 26,000 young people who live in and around Jackson Square." This year, the lease for Old City Hall was transferred, and as part of the agreement, the City and the Boston Planning & Development Agency secured $2 million as an administrative fee for the lease assignment. That $2 million in funds will be given to Urban Edge for the Jackson Square Recreational Center through a grant from the Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF). "I am looking forward to when the Jackson Square Recreation Center is open, and young people like me can have an affordable, accessible place in our community where they can hang out," said Ayan Ahmed, 17, a resident of Academy Homes. "It means something that people like Mayor Walsh are making sure that the young people living in Jackson Square are getting the resources that other neighborhoods have." "There are other community centers around the city, but a lot of kids don't feel comfortable going to those places because they don't know anyone there," said Oriana Heredia, 16, a resident of Jackson Commons. "The Jackson Square Recreation Center will feel a lot more like home to me and my friends. I can't wait to come to the rec center to skate, have fun, and hang out with my friends." The project, which will cost $30.6 million in total to complete, has now reached its public fundraising goal and is working with the Boston business community to secure another $6.8 million from private funders to complete the center. Today's announcement builds on the goals laid out in Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's first citywide plan in 50 years, which calls for enhanced neighborhoods that include fostering community gathering spaces that strengthen social connectivity. For more information on Imagine Boston 2030, please visit here.

MAYOR WALSH CELEBRATES RIBBON CUTTING OF BOSTON'S FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD SLOW STREETS PROGRAM

MAYOR WALSH CELEBRATES RIBBON CUTTING OF BOSTON'S FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD SLOW STREETS PROGRAM

New traffic calming initiative implemented in

BOSTON - Wednesday, November 1, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined residents at a ribbon cutting to celebrate the implementation of the City of Boston's first Neighborhood Slow Streets zone in the Stonybrook section of Jamaica Plain. Neighborhood Slow Streets is a priority project of Go Boston 2030, the City of Boston's long-term transportation plan. The program meets three important goals of the plan: to expand access for all modes of travel by making Boston's neighborhoods more interconnected; to improve safety by substantially reducing collisions through reallocating street space to prioritize moving people safely; and to ensure reliability by prioritizing predictable travel on Boston's transit and roadway networks. The Neighborhood Slow Streets Program also supports Boston's Vision Zero goal of eliminating fatal and serious traffic crashes by 2030. Neighborhood Slow Streets was developed by the Boston Transportation Department and the Boston Public Works Department to reduce the number and severity of crashes on residential streets, lessen the impacts of cut-through traffic and add to the quality of life in the City's neighborhoods.   "I'd like to thank Stonybrook residents and others who volunteered their time, ideas and effort, and worked side by side with the Boston Transportation Department throughout the planning and design stages of this project," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "This community-led process is a milestone for Boston, and I'm proud these projects will continue making our streets and communities even safer through innovative solutions." The Neighborhood Slow Streets Program is a zone-based approach to traffic-calming that reduces the speed limit in a neighborhood to 20 miles per hour (MPH) and self-enforces that speed limit through design. The Stonybrook community planning and design process has included multiple community meetings to refine the planning and design elements, and  to reflect suggestions expressed by the community. Stonybrook's final design features include: A reduced speed limit of 20 MPH within the Neighborhood Slow Streets zone; Speed humps at 11 locations; Daylighting to help improve visibility at select intersections; Shared lane markings to help bicyclists navigate between Washington Street and Franklin Park; and Gateway treatments at each entrance to Stonybrook that identify the area as a neighborhood with a slower speed limit. "This is an active neighborhood, filled with families and residents who want to take advantage of our location near Franklin Park and Jamaica Pond," said Danielle Cerny, Stonybrook resident and neighborhood association steering committee member. "Walking or riding a bike, taking your kids to school, visiting a neighbor -- all of those should be pleasant experiences the neighborhood is built to encourage. But in the past, these types of activities could feel stressful and unsafe because of how many vehicles sped down our streets. With the implementation of this new program, we're looking forward to having safer and quieter roads, and to continuing to work with the City to learn from and expand this initial pilot." "Today's celebration is a culmination of the community engagement, planning and engineering process that was employed to create the Stonybrook Neighborhood Slow Streets Program, and it illustrates that we are well on our way toward achieving the goals and targets established by Go Boston 2030," said Boston Transportation Commissioner Gina N. Fiandaca. "Along with Stonybrook, the Talbot Norfolk Triangle neighborhood of Dorchester is another Neighborhood Slow Streets pilot area, and we are happy to report that construction to implement that project began today. Data was collected in these two neighborhoods during the planning process and will be collected again next year to understand the effectiveness of the built plans." "Consistent with Go Boston 2030, over $709 million will be invested over the next five years to implement safer streets, more reliable and predictable transportation, and improved transportation access for residents," said Chris Osgood, Boston's Chief of Streets. "During the annual budget process this year, Mayor Walsh committed to increasing the Vision Zero investment by $1 million in fiscal year 2018 to a total of $4.1 million, with the $1 million increase dedicated solely to the Neighborhood Slow Streets Program. This has allowed planning to begin in five new residential areas this fall while construction has been taking place simultaneously in the two pilot neighborhoods." BTD staff recently completed group walks with residents of the following five newly selected neighborhoods: Chinatown Grove Hall/Quincy Corridor, Dorchester and Roxbury Highland Park, Roxbury Mount Hope/Canterbury, Roslindale West of Washington Coalition, Dorchester "It has been a pleasure to work with residents of Stonybrook and Talbot Norfolk Triangle designing Neighborhood Slow Streets programs for their neighborhoods, and we were excited to have the opportunity to spend time recently walking neighborhood streets with residents of the five new neighborhoods," said Boston Transportation Department Active Transportation Director Stefanie Seskin. The five new Neighborhood Slow Streets programs were selected from 47 applications that BTD received from communities across the City.  Each proposed area went through a comprehensive scoring process. Objective criteria included the number of households with youth under 18, the percentage of the population aged 65 or older, the number of crashes per mile within the area, and the presence of parks, libraries, and public transit. The five applications selected to be the next communities to receive traffic calming treatments as part of the Neighborhood Slow Streets program were among the top-scoring in the evaluation process. The planning, design and community process for the five new neighborhoods will be completed in late 2018 with implementation to follow. Detailed scores associated with the evaluation of each of the 47 applications is available online. BTD will be accepting applications in 2018 from communities interested in participating in the next series of Neighborhood Slow Streets programming.

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $3.7 Million in Grants for Clean Energy Technology

Baker-Polito Administration Announces $3.7 Million in Grants for Clean Energy Technology

Funding to Increase Cost-Saving Programs for Low-Income Residents

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today awarded $3.7 million in grant funding to Action for Boston Community Development and Energy Futures Group to increase the adoption of cost-saving clean energy technologies by Massachusetts low-income residents.

Under the Affordable Clean Residential Energy Program (ACRE), the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) awarded $2 million to Action for Boston Community Development to fund the installation of air-source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic systems, weatherization, and energy efficient lighting as well as appliance replacement for qualifying single-family homes that report incomes below 60 percent of the State Median Income. MassCEC also awarded $1.7 million to Energy Futures Group to target Western Massachusetts residents living below 80 percent of the State Median Income. The program will leverage an innovative financing model and maximize federal and state incentives to allow low-income homeowners to combine air source heat pumps with solar photovoltaics to reduce energy costs without out-of-pocket investment.

“We are pleased to invest in a clean energy program that will allow more Massachusetts residents to keep more money in their pockets, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “By continuing the Commonwealth’s nation-leading efforts, these programs will help mitigate the barriers low-income residents face, while helping the Commonwealth mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Launched by the Baker-Polito Administration in 2016, the Affordable Access to Clean and Efficient Energy Initiative (AACEE) is a $15 million commitment that focuses on coordinating the agencies that serve the energy and housing needs of the Commonwealth’s low- and moderate-income residents and identify the most effective strategies to direct funding.  This grant funding aims to increase the number of renewable technologies low-income, single-family homes throughout the Commonwealth.

“By broadening the opportunity to adopt clean energy technologies to as many Massachusetts residents as possible, the Baker-Polito Administration is able to support and expand the Commonwealth’s thriving clean energy economy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The Commonwealth continues to make historic investments in clean energy, and today’s announcement marks another important step in our effort to bring cost-effective, clean technologies into the homes of ratepayers across the state.”

The AACEE Initiative established an inter-secretariat working group between the EEA and Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development (HED) and other public, quasi-public, and private stakeholders that represented low and moderate income housing and clean energy sectors. The working group released a report in 2016 highlighting recommendations to address barriers to clean energy investment by the state’s low-income residents. Recommendations included maximizing clean energy market growth in the low-income housing and homeowner community, and structuring clean energy incentives to better serve low- and moderate-income residents. This funding builds on the recommendations by lowering the energy burden placed on low-income households and creating financing opportunities to increase access to clean energy technologies for low-income residents.

An initial $5 million targeted renewable thermal for homes on fuel assistance, provided low- and moderate-income adders for clean heating and cooling rebates, and funded a Low-Income Challenge of innovative ideas to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy in multifamily affordable housing.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is committed to ensuring that all of the Commonwealth’s residents have access to our nation leading clean energy programs and policies,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Judith Judson. “The ACRE program is an important first step in ensuring that income doesn’t affect a residents access to clean energy and energy efficiency technologies that benefit all Massachusetts’ ratepayers.” 

“As part of the Baker-Polito Administration’s affordable access initiative, this program will bolster efforts to make renewable energy accessible to more Massachusetts residents,” said MassCEC CEO Stephen Pike. “We look forward to working with Action for Boston Community Development and Energy Futures Group to implement programs that will deliver cost-effective clean energy solutions and economic benefits to ratepayers across the Commonwealth.”

“Increasing access to clean energy for our low-income residents raises the bar for everyone,” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst). “I’m very pleased to see the Commonwealth doing more in this area, and very glad Western Massachusetts will play such a key role.”

“I applaud the Baker-Polito Administration's comprehensive approach to making clean and energy efficient technologies available to low and moderate-income households across the Commonwealth,” said State Representative Thomas A. Golden, Jr. (D-Lowell), Chairman of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. “I look forward to working with the administration to further share the benefits of the state's clean energy innovation economy with those most in need.”

“Massachusetts has long been a leader in clean energy generation and this program is a great effort by the Baker-Polito Administration to increase the accessibility and affordability of those technologies to our residents,” said State Senator Donald Humason (R-Westfield). “I am very happy that companies in my district will be helping to provide these opportunities to households across Western Massachusetts.”

Governor Baker Nominates Worcester Lawyer William J. Ritter as Superior Court Associate Justice

Governor Baker Nominates Worcester Lawyer William J. Ritter as Superior Court Associate Justice

BOSTON— Today, Governor Charlie Baker nominated William J. Ritter to the position of Associate Justice of the Superior Court. Ritter has nearly thirty years of litigation experience, the past twenty as a partner at Pojani, Hurley, & Ritter, LLP in Worcester. Ritter would fill the seat of Justice James L. Lemire, who was elevated by Governor Baker to the Appeals Court last July.

“The depth of Attorney Ritter’s three decades of experience in litigation matters will well serve the attorneys and litigants in the Superior Court,” said Governor Baker. “I am pleased to submit his name for the Governor’s Council’s advice and consent.”

“Attorney Ritter has dedicated himself to practicing at the highest level of the law and is known for his tireless work ethic,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “His sense of duty to the Commonwealth and community service with sports teams and first-generation college students demonstrate a character well suited to serve the people of Massachusetts.”

The Superior Court is a statewide court of general jurisdiction - handling both criminal and civil actions.  The court’s 82 justices sit in 20 courthouses in all 14 counties of the Commonwealth. The court has exclusive original jurisdiction of first degree murder cases and original jurisdiction of all other crimes.

For more information about the Superior Court, please visit:http://www.mass.gov/courts/court-info/trial-court/sc/

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February, 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth's diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April, 2015.

About William J. Ritter

William J. Ritter has practiced for 25 years with Pojani, Hurley, and Ritter, LLP, serving as Managing Partner since 2007. His law practice includes complex commercial disputes, construction and employment law matters, as well as real estate and land use litigation. Ritter has been named a "Super Lawyer" by Boston Magazine for the last seven years. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in 1983, and obtained his Juris Doctorate, graduating cum laude from Suffolk University Law School in 1988.  He has been a member of the Town of Holden Planning Board since 1994 and is a Board Member for the Worcester Regional Research Bureau. He coached youth sports for many years and currently volunteers for Bottom Line, an organization dedicated to helping first generation students get to and through college.  He currently lives in Holden.

ILF Civic Fellowship Accepting Asian Pacific American Student Applications for 2018

ILF Civic Fellowship Accepting Asian Pacific American Student Applications for 2018

ILF Civic Fellowship Accepting Asian Pacific American Student Applications for 2018

The International Leadership Foundation (ILF) is pleased to announce that the application process for the 2018 Civic Fellowship Program is open and ongoing until December 15, 2017. Every year, ILF’s selection committee identifies approximately 30 outstanding Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander college students to spend 8 to 10 weeks interning at a federal agency in Washington D.C. during the summer.

Students accepted into the program are known as Civic Fellows and will receive a stipend of $2,000 upon program completion. In addition to their full-time federal internships, they will attend weekly professional development workshops and leadership training. Fellows are responsible for their own travel, housing, and living expenses.

“One of ILF’s goals is to prepare and advocate for the next generation of leaders in public service,” shared Chairman of ILF Dr. Paul Hsu. “It is so important to increase exposure and understanding of civic engagement so that young leaders can take action to support their communities in relevant ways.”

Based on the interests and majors of selected Civic Fellowship candidates, ILF will help place them with federal agencies, congressional offices, or the White House.

Undergraduate students of American Asian Native Hawaiian Pacific Islanders heritage are encouraged to apply. Requirements include United States citizens, minimum 3.0 GPA, and current undergraduate sophomores, juniors, or seniors. Additional documents and application materials required. Applications will open November 1, 2017 and must be submitted by December 15, 2017. To learn more or submit an application, visit www.ILFnational.org

About ILF

The International Leadership Foundation (ILF) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that promotes the civic engagement, leadership empowerment, and economic prosperity of the Asian Pacific American community to enhance the representation of diversity in our country. Our mission is to develop young leaders in the United States, Asia, and Pacific Rim countries in the fields of public service, entrepreneurship, and international business and politics through a network of business and community leaders. Our mission is accomplished through civic leadership training and support from the ILF’s network of 15 national and global advisory boards. Since 2000, ILF has provided scholarships and educational programs with over 7,000  students to cultivate the pipeline of emerging leaders. 

Learn more about ILF at www.ILFnational.org

About Fellowship Program

How To Apply

ILF Fellowship Brochure

2017 Fellow Activities and Testimonials 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF APPLICATIONS FOR BOSTON CULTURAL COUNCIL OPPORTUNITY FUND WITH DOUBLE THE FUNDING

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REOPENING OF APPLICATIONS FOR BOSTON CULTURAL COUNCIL OPPORTUNITY FUND WITH DOUBLE THE FUNDING

First round of funding offered 90 grants to applicants, totaling $100,000

BOSTON - Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture and the Boston Cultural Council, today announced the second round of applications for the Boston Cultural Council Opportunity Fund are now open. As a result of high demand from the first round, Mayor Walsh announced this pool of funding will be doubled, offering artists the opportunity to secure a total of $200,000 in funding to support meaningful one-time opportunities to further develop their career and expanding the reach of arts opportunities in communities. "The Boston Creates cultural plan calls for growing support of local artists," said Mayor Walsh. "The Opportunity Fund has allowed us to accomplish that in many ways during its first year, and I'm pleased that in this round we will be able to expand our reach to serve even more artists. We are eager to see the continued enhancements this program brings to Boston's arts and culture community." The Opportunity Fund was established in August 2017 as part of the City of Boston's effort to address needs identified in the Boston Creates Cultural Planto support individual artists and help grow access to the arts in every part of Boston. During the first pilot round, the City awarded more than 90 grants to applicants, totaling $100,000. In this round, applicants can request up to $1,000 at a time to fund specific needs that will in turn benefit the larger community, and they are allowed to receive no more than one grant per year. Applicants chosen to receive the grant will now receive the money upfront rather than be reimbursed, as a result of feedback received from the last round of grantees. Several changes were made to the Opportunity Fund process in order to better serve applicants. In addition to doubling the pool of funding from $100,000 to $200,000, the grants are now split into five different categories, which include: Artist Career Development This grant is available to individual artists living in the City of Boston who want to pursue meaningful one-time artistic opportunities to further their career, such as funding to help support an artistic project, funding for materials, or funding for professional development opportunities. Artists residing within the City of Boston are eligible to apply for this grant if their annual household income is under 65 percent of area median income (AMI). Community Arts Experience This grant is available to individual artists and/or teaching artists who would like to bring free arts experiences into a community located in the City of Boston. Experiences can be in libraries, schools, or less traditional arts-learning spaces such as senior centers, health centers, or community centers. The experiences must be free and open to the public, and priority is given to neighborhoods that have a lower concentration of arts activities, including Allston/Brighton, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Fenway/Kenmore, Roxbury, Mission Hill, and Mattapan. Local Arts Events This grant is available to artists leading an established, annual community-based arts experience, event, or festival who are looking for funding. Events must be free arts-focused events that are open to the public, and they must have been held at least one in past years to be eligible. Eligible expenses under this grant include promotion and marketing materials, supply and equipment needs, shuttle rentals, and fees paid to designers, artists, musicians, performers, special guests and speakers. Open Studios events are the ideal candidates for this category. MCC Festivals Program Matching Grant   This grant is available to organizations or individuals who are producing a festival in the City of Boston and who have received a Festivals Program grant from the Mass Cultural Council. Applicants can live anywhere, but the festival they are organizing must occur within the City of Boston. Eligible expenses include fees paid to performers and speakers, programming and production costs, equipment rental, accessibility services, audience surveys or research, translation costs, and marketing and promotional materials. Field Trips This grant is available to teachers at K-12 schools in the City of Boston who are planning arts and cultural field trips and are looking to help support the costs of the trip. Applicants must be teachers or school administrators at schools that are located in the City of Boston. Eligible expenses include travel, and tickets. Another change that was made to the Opportunity Fund process is that applications can now be submitted on a rolling basis, and will be reviewed by a selection committee every other month, instead of having monthly deadlines. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to apply for the grant at least two months before their event or project occurs. "We saw many positive outcomes from the Opportunity Fund in the past year, and we're excited to continue providing artists with expanded  support in the future," said Julie Burros, Chief of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture. "These grants will not only help artists in continuing their work, but it will also provide them with the means to share their work with the entire City." Artists who receive an Opportunity Fund grant are required to submit a brief final report that describes the outcome of the experience and how the funds were spent. For more information or to apply for the Opportunity Fund, visit here . About the Boston Creates Cultural Plan The cultural plan was created out of a year-long community engagement effort designed to help local government identify cultural needs, opportunities, and resources and to prioritize, coordinate, and align public and private resources to strengthen cultural vitality over the long term.  The full cultural plan can be found online on their website. About the Boston Cultural Council The Boston Cultural Council (BCC), under the umbrella of the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, annually distributes funds allocated by the City of Boston and the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency, to support innovative arts, humanities and interpretive sciences programming that enhances the quality of life in our city. For more information, please visit here.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Keynotes Bipartisan U.S.-India Conference, Honored with National Service Award

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Keynotes Bipartisan U.S.-India Conference, Honored with National Service Award

Washington, DC—This evening in Washington, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard delivered a keynote address at the Indian American Friendship Council’s (IFAC) 20th Annual Legislative Conference. The congresswoman, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Asia-Pacific Subcommittee and the Democratic Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, spoke about bipartisan support behind strengthening mutually beneficial economic ties, building upon the existing U.S.-India security framework and a shared fight against terrorism, and expanding educational opportunities between the U.S. and India. Other speakers included the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ed Royce, Democrat Ranking Member Elliot Engel, and fellow lawmakers.

The congresswoman was recognized with IFAC’s National Service Award for her leadership in strengthening the U.S.-India partnership. Most recently in Hawaiʻi, the congresswoman has worked with state and local leaders to initiate a Sister-State relationship between Hawaiʻi and Goa, which will be formalized later this year.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Over the years, the U.S. and India have made great strides in strengthening our important relationship, from cooperating in education to business to counterterrorism and so much more. As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and through my work on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, I’m working to strengthen the friendship and bonds that our two nations already share, and to encourage new opportunities for growth. The Indian American Friendship Council’s work to promote mutual exchange of knowledge and ideas, further understanding between elected leaders and those in the private sector, and provide a voice to the more than three million Indian Americans living in the United States has furthered this progress and expanded the U.S.-India relationship for the benefit of both countries and their citizens.”

中華頤養院表揚18名資深員工

South Cove Manor Celebrates Long Service Employees

South Cove Manor at Quincy Point, a rehabilitation and skilled nursing care community, held its annual staff celebration recently, and recognized employees with many years of service.

In remarks to the over 100 employees in attendance, South Cove Manor Board Chairman Richard Liu (雷偉志) commented that “South Cove Manor’s long-term dedicated staff are the core of the organization and are integral to our ability to provide exceptional care for our wonderful residents.  We are grateful for the many contributions these staff members make to South Cove and to our community over many years.” 

Wan Wen Chen Qiu (陳婉文), Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A) and Siu Ping Wong(王小屏), Food Services Assistant, were honored for 30 years of service at South Cove.  Oi Li Wan Li(李愛麗), Chef, and Mi Ha Li(李美霞), C.N.A. were honored for 25 years of service.  Qing Nu Yang(楊卿女) and Zerui Yang(楊澤瑞), both C.N.A.s, were honored for 20 years of service.

Other staff recognized were:  Mei Hao Li (利美好)(15 years), Tammy Chen(陳美如), Ai Chan Chen(陳愛嬋), Liu Huan Huang(黃柳環), Yaowen Luo(羅耀雯), Yingzhong Xue(薛英仲) (10 years) and Xue Zhen Mei(梅雪珍), Ruimin Chen(陳銳敏), Yan Zhu Liu(劉艷朱), Shinja Choi(催信子), Sau Lai Cho(曹秀麗), and Jing Nian Chen(陳晶年) (5 years).

The annual dinner was held at Cathay Pacific in Quincy, and sponsored in part by the Wah Jin Fund, established by Bill and Josephine Chin.  All long service employees were presented with special gifts.

Founded in 1985, South Cove Manor moved in 2014 to an expanded, new state-of-the-art building at 288 Washington Street in Quincy.  The new campus significantly expanded South Cove’s rehabilitation capacity, and created a series of small resident communities for elders.  

MAYOR WALSH, URBAN EDGE CELEBRATE GROUNDBREAKING FOR WALKER PARK APARTMENTS

MAYOR WALSH, URBAN EDGE CELEBRATE GROUNDBREAKING FOR WALKER PARK APARTMENTS

Formerly vacant parcels will create 49 new homes in Egleston Square

BOSTON - Saturday, October 28, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined Urban Edge, elected officials and community leaders to celebrate the start of construction at the Walker Park Apartments, a $17.5 million affordable rental housing development that will create 49 new homes in Egleston Square. The City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development invested more than $2.6 million in Walker Park, which will involve the redevelopment of three sites on vacant and underutilized parcels adjacent to the Egleston Square Library and in the Egleston Square Main Street District. "Building high quality, affordable housing for working families preserves the rich character of Boston's neighborhoods," said Mayor Walsh. "I want to thank Urban Edge and our partners for their work to make these new homes possible. These are the one, two, and three-bedroom apartments working families here in Egleston Square have been calling for, and I'm proud we are continuing Boston's drive to make sure all families can live and work in the City of Boston."   Walker Park Apartments are located in the Egleston Square neighborhood of Roxbury. Residents will have access to nearby parks, shopping, public transportation and the Egleston Square Library. The development is named for longtime community activist Delphine Walker, whose home once stood on one of the three sites. All of the 49 new apartments will be rented to households who earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income (AMI), including eight apartments reserved for families earning 30 percent of AMI or below. "We wish to thank Mayor Walsh, the City of Boston, Undersecretary of Housing and Community Development Chrystal Kornegay, and all of those who have made Walker Park possible," said Frank Shea, Urban Edge's CEO. "As Boston continues to grow, we know it is important to find ways to create quality affordable housing for families and individuals in need." When complete, Walker Park Apartments will include 13 one-bedroom, 28 two-bedroom and eight three-bedroom family apartments, an elevator for accessibility, on-site laundry facilities, on-site parking, and a pocket park along Columbus Ave. "My family is so grateful to Urban Edge and to everyone for creating Walker Park," said Pam Walker, daughter of Delphine Walker and a resident of Egleston Square. "My mother spent many years working on behalf of the Egleston Square community, and this project is an extension of her work. We couldn't be happier to see her honored this way and to see the site of our family home provide opportunities for other families." Walker Park Apartments is a City of Boston Lean Pilot Project, which has a goal of reducing the cost of delivering quality affordable housing by applying a new approach to design, and was supported by Massachusetts Housing Partnership and Enterprise Community Partners. As part of this pilot, Urban Edge, the architect, the construction manager, and the City were involved from the beginning of the design process, ensuring that all choices were the result of multifaceted decision-making that considers cost among other project and community goals. This process resulted in significant construction cost savings. Additionally, almost 50 percent of the subcontractors committed to working on the project are minority-owned businesses and more than 22 percent of the committed subcontractors are women-owned. In accordance with the City of Boston's Green Affordable HousingProgram, Walker Park Apartments will utilize a high efficiency heating system as well as Energy Star rated appliances. The development will employ environmentally friendly design features throughout and will meet the U.S. Green Building Council LEED Homes Silver certifiable standard. The development will also meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star standards. The development team is made up of Urban Edge, Prellwitz Chilinski Associates as the architect; and NEI General Contracting, Inc. as the general contractor. Walker Park Apartments has been made possible in part by more than $2.67 million in funding from the City of Boston, as well as $3.46 million in State and Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Commonwealth's Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). Financing team members also include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Brookline Bank, the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation, MassDevelopment, MassHousing, Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, US Bank Corporation, and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.           Today's groundbreaking builds on the goals of Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, the Walsh administration's plan to stabilize the housing market, accommodate growth, improve housing accessibility and increase affordability. Since 2014, the implementation of the City's housing plan, 13,551 new units of housing have been completed. With an additional 8,412 units currently under construction, the City has secured housing for an estimated 25,000 residents, making significant progress in meeting Boston's rapid population growth. These efforts are part of Imagine Boston 2030, the city's first citywide plan in 50 years which aims to proactively encourage a broad range of housing growth for people of all income levels and stages of life. For more information on Imagine Boston 2030, please visit imagine.boston.gov.

波克萊台商會賞楓摘蘋果

波克萊台灣商會於十月二十八日 (星期六) 相約中午 在滿山秋色(Massachusetts) 北麓的 (Northborough) 土格斯果園農場(Tougas Orchard Farm).: 舉辦賞楓, 採蘋果, 摘紅莓, 藍莓, 黑莓,南瓜與櫻桃等 家庭團聚活動.  是日風和日麗, 陽光普照,楓紅黃綠 ,綴滿山谷 ,景色怡悅 難得波士頓僑教中心歐宏偉主任率先到場,   副會長 楊羅東 徵召楊家軍踴躍出席,  游勝雄顧問負責與果園農場主人聯繫,與交通解說.  土格斯果園農場主人特別臨場說明 ,她說 " 我們來得太晚了 , 賞楓有餘,採蘋果不足 . 西岸蘋果與各種草莓 被採殆盡 , 只有東岸尚有少許 .   希望波克萊台灣商會明年能在九月初再來採摘. "  " 農場採摘規定；平均每磅2元，多以大小袋計價。土格斯農場還有主題遊樂區、提供餵牛羊、麥草車、販售糖衣蘋果、炸甜甜圈、烘焙派餅、蘋果濃汁等現做食品，真是一家大小最好的秋日活動之一。"  歡迎商友會員及早準備,明年再見.   (游勝雄  文與照片)