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星期三, 11月 01, 2017

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Governor Baker Issues Statement on the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis Final Report

Governor Baker Issues Statement on the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis Final Report

BOSTON— Today, Governor Charlie Baker released the following statement on the White House’s release of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis unanimously approved final report:

“Over the past several months, this bipartisan commission has worked diligently to produce a strong set of recommendations to the White House and Congress on ways to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic at the federal level.  I am pleased that several recommendations originated from effective state policies in the Commonwealth, such as revamping the Prescription Monitoring Program  to reduce opioid prescriptions and developing core competencies for medical students on pain management and addiction prevention, that now have the opportunity to be implemented nationwide. 

“This report contains an extensive list of recommendations, including federal funding increases, prevention education for schools, increased access to treatment and stricter drug enforcement policies, that can start making a difference in every state if acted upon by the White House and Congress.  The opioid and heroin epidemic knows no boundaries and is tragically claiming the lives of our loved ones every day, and our administration urges Washington to act quickly on our bipartisan recommendations, many of which have already yielded positive results at the state level, to break the cycle of addiction.  I’d like to thank Governor Chris Christie for serving as chairman to this important commission and the White House for making the opioid epidemic a top priority for the Administration, as this public health crisis deserves attention at all levels of government to make a difference in our communities.”

The bipartisan commission is chaired by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and consists of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Professor Bertha Madras, Ph.D.

The final report will be available here:
                                                                                             

Governor Baker Issues Statement on the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis Final Report

Governor Baker Issues Statement on the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis Final Report

BOSTON— Today, Governor Charlie Baker released the following statement on the White House’s release of the President’s Commission on Combatting Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis unanimously approved final report:

“Over the past several months, this bipartisan commission has worked diligently to produce a strong set of recommendations to the White House and Congress on ways to fight the opioid and heroin epidemic at the federal level.  I am pleased that several recommendations originated from effective state policies in the Commonwealth, such as revamping the Prescription Monitoring Program  to reduce opioid prescriptions and developing core competencies for medical students on pain management and addiction prevention, that now have the opportunity to be implemented nationwide. 

“This report contains an extensive list of recommendations, including federal funding increases, prevention education for schools, increased access to treatment and stricter drug enforcement policies, that can start making a difference in every state if acted upon by the White House and Congress.  The opioid and heroin epidemic knows no boundaries and is tragically claiming the lives of our loved ones every day, and our administration urges Washington to act quickly on our bipartisan recommendations, many of which have already yielded positive results at the state level, to break the cycle of addiction.  I’d like to thank Governor Chris Christie for serving as chairman to this important commission and the White House for making the opioid epidemic a top priority for the Administration, as this public health crisis deserves attention at all levels of government to make a difference in our communities.”

The bipartisan commission is chaired by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and consists of Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, Former Rhode Island Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and Professor Bertha Madras, Ph.D.

The final report will be available here:

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.