MAYOR WALSH LAYS OUT TRANSFORMATIVE VISION TO CREATE RESILIENT, OPEN BOSTON HARBOR

MAYOR WALSH LAYS OUT TRANSFORMATIVE VISION TO CREATE RESILIENT, OPEN BOSTON HARBOR

BOSTON - Wednesday, October 17, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today rolled out a comprehensive and transformative vision that will invest in Boston's waterfront to protect the City's residents, homes, jobs, and infrastructure against the impacts of rising sea level and climate change. Announced in his annual speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor's plan, "Resilient Boston Harbor," lays out strategies along Boston's 47-mile shoreline that will increase access and open space along the waterfront while better protecting the city during a major flooding event.   "We're not just planning for the next storm we'll face, we're planning for the storms the next generation will face," said Mayor Walsh. "A resilient, climate-ready Boston Harbor presents an opportunity to protect Boston, connect Boston, and enhance Boston, now and for the future. As we enter a new era in our Harbor's history, Boston can show the world that resilience is not only the ability to survive adversity, but to emerge even stronger than before. That's the promise of a Resilient Boston." Resilient Boston Harbor builds off of Imagine Boston 2030 and uses the City's Climate Ready Boston  2070 flood maps and coastal resilience neighborhood studies to focus on Boston's most vulnerable flood pathways. The strategies laid out in the plan include elevated landscapes, enhanced waterfront parks, flood resilient buildings, and revitalized and increased connections and access to the waterfront. The strategies will require collaboration and funding between federal, state, private, philanthropic and nonprofit partners. East Boston, Charlestown: Based on early recommendations from the City's Climate Ready Charlestown and Climate Ready East Boston plans, a deployable floodwall system has been installed across the East Boston Greenway, and a section of Main Street in Charlestown is being elevated. Additional measures identified include: Redesign Constitution Beach to combine flood protection with expanded access and recreation. Enhance Wood Island and Belle Isle to prevent the loss of the last remaining tidal salt marsh in Boston, while buffering the shoreline from increased waves and surges. Work with new development projects, including Suffolk Downs, to integrate resiliency measures, increased open space, and community connections.   Elevate transportation corridors like Bennington Street and the East Boston Greenway to create both flood protection and pedestrian connections throughout the neighborhood. Elevate Main Street as part of the re-design of Rutherford Avenue and Sullivan Square, to block the primary flood pathway through Charlestown. $4.8 million in capital funding has already been committed to the overall project. Elevate and renovate Ryan Playground. Redevelop the Schrafft Center waterfront with elevated parks and mixed-use buildings to grow economic opportunity while restoring natural resources. North End, Downtown: Flood risks threaten Boston's financial center, historic waterfront, tourist destinations and residential neighborhoods. The City will launch Climate Ready Downtown to further study the impacts and necessary measures to protect these neighborhoods. Strategies already identified include:   Redesign Christopher Columbus Park and Langone Park and Puopolo Playground to include elevation to protect against flooding while improving waterfront open space and connections to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Transform the parking lot at Sargent's Wharf into a combination of open space and resilient small-scale development. Elevate sections of the Harborwalk. Enhance Long Wharf as the gateway for water transportation. South Boston, Fort Point: Released today, Climate Ready South Boston identifies the major flood pathways to many of the City's residential neighborhoods through Fort Point Channel and Moakley Park. In response, the following strategies have been identified:  Create a resilient Moakley Park and a re-envisioned Fort Point Channel to protect homes and businesses in South Boston, the South End, Chinatown, and parts of Dorchester and Roxbury. Build a coalition of support from the private property owners surrounding Fort Point Channel to assist in creating a signature resilient park system. Complete the Emerald Necklace from Franklin Park to Moakley Park along Columbia Road to increase access to the waterfront. $11 million will be allocated from sale of the Winthrop Square Garage for this project. Secure federal support. The City is applying for a $10 million FEMA mitigation grant to begin resilience work along the Fort Point Channel. The Boston Water & Sewer Commission has begun installing essential infrastructure for reducing flood risk. An elevated New Ellery Street along the Dorchester Avenue corridor in South Boston, as identified in the BPDA's PLAN: Dorchester Avenue South Boston to provide additional flood protection for South Boston's residential neighborhoods. Complete Martin's Park, an inclusive waterfront playground that will be climate-ready.   Dorchester Waterfront: In order to create a resilient, more accessible Dorchester shoreline with increased connectivity, the City will launch  Climate Ready Dorchester. Strategies already identified, include:   Re-design Morrissey Boulevard to stop current and future flooding, and open up the waterfront. Complete the connection of the Neponset River Trail in Mattapan to the Harborwalk from Tenean Beach to Victory Park. Work with UMass Boston to further open up the waterfront along Columbia Point for the residents of Dorchester. Work with residents on new and improved amenities for the neighborhood, including better public transit and improved roadway, pedestrian, and bike connections. Resilient Boston Harbor builds on the investments the City of Boston has made under Mayor Walsh to increase the City's climate resiliency, including: Released Climate Ready Boston, an internationally recognized plan that builds on Imagine Boston 2030. Became one of the first cities to set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050. This week, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the next update to Boston's Climate Action Plan that will create a roadmap for that goal. Expanded open space. Boston ranks first in the nation for resident access to parks. Making historic investments in green transportation, including protected bicycle lanes in Roxbury, the South End, and North End, and expanded bike share access in Mattapan, Roslindale, and Dorchester. Completing new resilient design standards  for public infrastructure, providing ways for all construction on public rights-of-way to adopt flood protection measures. The BPDA updated the climate resiliency checklist, requiring new projects to show they are resilient to climate impacts, and is designing a flood resiliency zoning district that will strengthen requirements for new and retrofitted buildings. Hosting the International Climate Summit in June, where the Mayor led the creation of a new coalition of cities dedicated to buying renewable energy collectively.   Today, Boston is the top-ranked city for energy policy by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, and rating agencies cite Boston's climate work in support of the City's triple-A bond ratings. The projects outlined in Resilient Boston Harbor will require a number of different funding sources. Mayor Walsh announced that the City of Boston will commit 10 percent of all new capital funding to resilience projects. He called on Boston's state and federal government partners, as well as the private sector and non-profit and philanthropic stakeholders to join the City in committing to make these necessary investments a reality.   The strategy builds on the City of Boston's Resilience Strategy. Boston's resilience strategy is focused on ensuring every resident can reach their full potential regardless of their background, and removing the barriers of systemic racism that hinder Bostonians from having access to opportunities. Stakeholder Statements of Support: "We have an economic and moral imperative to act on climate change," said Senator Edward J. Markey. "This requires leaders at all levels of government and our business sector to work collectively to address the challenges facing our communities. As the Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate's Climate Change Task Force, I am committed to standing with local leaders, like Mayor Walsh, to be the strong federal partner our residents need as the world continues to warm and sea levels rise." "Building a resilient city is a serious challenge in response to a sobering threat, but it also brings enormous opportunity to re-think our relationship to the Harbor and create a world-class waterfront," said Kathy Abbott, President and CEO of Boston Harbor Now. "We commend Mayor Walsh for seizing this moment to design a waterfront that is more accessible, beautiful, and inclusive than ever before. The urgency of climate change requires all of us to step up and work together like never before." "Resilient Boston Harbor will not only strengthen the City against the impacts of climate change, it will create a fantastic urban waterfront, opening up many new opportunities to improve public access to the Harbor," said Bud Ris, Senior Advisor to the Boston Green Ribbon Commission. "Based on all of the analyses that have been done through Climate Ready Boston so far, this is exactly the kind of approach Boston should be taking. We look forward to continuing our partnership with the City to make Resilient Boston Harbor a reality." "Given the urgency needed to address climate change, it is exciting to see the City of Boston put forth such a bold vision for the future," said Rebecca Herst, the Executive Director of the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston, "This is a real opportunity to keep Bostonians safe from flooding and invest in our communities. With strong leadership, driven by scientific research, policy analysis and deep community engagement, we can ensure that all Boston residents, not just those with means, are prepared for climate impacts." "I want to thank Mayor Walsh for launching Climate Ready Dorchester," said District 3 City Councilor Frank Baker. "I look forward to participating in that process and encourage my constituents to get engaged and discuss how we can increase access to our beaches while protecting our homes and roads from future flooding." "I applaud Mayor Walsh for his continued efforts to make Boston resilient for future generations," said State Representative Adrian Madaro. "Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our City and our planet. The plan announced today will not only protect Boston's waterfront neighborhoods, but will also improve the quality of life for our residents."

中國旅遊文化部訪波士頓推廣"魅力長江"

中國文化旅遊部到波士頓推廣中國旅遊。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)今年4月8日正式掛牌的”中國文化旅遊部”，10月16日組團來訪波士頓，走入哈佛大學等校園擺攤，邀約旅遊業代表晚宴，推廣”美麗中國，魅力長江”。

               在逾百名波士頓旅遊業代表出席的晚宴中，中國文化旅遊部副巡視員張西龍指出，儘管中美貿易摩擦令人擔憂，但旅遊合作將繼2016年中美舉辦旅遊年，兩國互訪超過520萬人次，中國遊客訪美支出高達350億美元後，持續增長，估計今年將超過550萬人次。

主持人介紹中國景點。

               張西龍與代表團此行，希望藉由推廣旅遊，增進中美兩國人民之間的了解。為針對”千禧世代”，10月16日白天還率團在哈佛大學擺出介紹攤位，由東西互聯文化中心汪剛柳安排了文藝表演，吸引學生駐足。

               他指出，長江是世界第三大河，流經上海，南京，武漢，重慶，杭州，成都。在53項位於中國的世界遺產中，有25項在長江流域，CNN評選的40處中國最美景點，前5名的四川九寨溝，西藏布達拉宮，四川海螺溝，雲南大理崇聖寺，香格里拉普達措國家公園，西陵峽也都在長江流域。到中國旅遊，當然應該先欣賞長江。

王書旺表演四川變臉。(周菊子攝)

               劍橋市市長幕僚長Wilford Durbin當晚代表市長出席，指出中國早於1868年首次訪問劍橋，劍橋市也是全美第二個有沉浸式中文教學的公校系統，希望雙邊關係繼續增長。

學者報告分析美國年輕遊客的調查研究。(周菊子攝)

            中國旅遊夜主持人當晚以自然風光、文化遺產、特色民俗、現代都市四個主題，介紹青海湖、世界第一高峰 - 珠穆朗母峰，西藏聖湖-納木錯，雲南虎跳峽，雲南香格里拉，長江三峽第一峽-瞿塘峽，三峽古棧道，三峽大壩，世界地質公園湖北神農架，湖南張家界，韶山，山西的廬山，井岡山，世界自然遺產三清山，道教龍虎山等四大名山，江西婺源，鄱陽湖，安徽黃山，青海塔爾寺，大昭寺，布達拉宮，四川都江堰，峨嵋山，雲南麗江古城等等景點，都讓人看得十分神往。主持人還鼓勵遊客登上長江遊輪知音號

中國駐紐約旅遊辦事處主任匡林在會上代表中國旅遊部和Travelport，中國日報簽約合作，推廣中國旅遊，分享了天普大學李想、吳洛容兩位博士的”美國千禧一代旅華市場調言語分析”。

在”中國旅遊夜”晚宴中，東西互聯文化中心汪剛柳不但被臨時徵招上陣做中翻英的即席翻譯，還為大會安排廉艷唱歌，陳美霞彈古箏，王書旺表演四川變臉等文藝表演。

廉艷(右)演唱。

當晚，中國駐紐約總領事館文化參贊李立言，代表大波士頓三大旅遊集團的Wayne’s World Media董事長Wayne V. Lee, Jr. 都在會上致詞，鼓勵美國民眾遊中國，先從長江開始。多名旅遊業者在抽獎環節中，得到南方航空公司，中國航空公司來回機票，西藏五星級旅館二晚住宿等獎品，對未來的中國之旅，紛紛表示十分期待。

中國文化旅遊部巡視員張西龍(左一起)和汪剛柳合影，感謝她即席翻譯。
(周菊子攝)

AG HEALEY SUES STARION ENERGY OVER DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS BY $30 MILLION

AG HEALEY SUES STARION ENERGY OVER DECEPTIVE SALES TACTICS, OVERCHARGING RESIDENTS BY $30 MILLION

Company Falsely Promised 130,000 Customers Lower Electricity Bills

BOSTON – A competitive electricity supplier has been sued for allegedly using unfair and deceptive marketing and sales tactics to lure more than 130,000 Massachusetts consumers into expensive contracts with high electricity rates, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

The AG’s Office filed the lawsuit today in Suffolk Superior Court against Connecticut-based competitive electricity supplier, Starion, two of its principals, Ruzhdi Dauti and Dashmir Murtishi, and several related telemarketing companies, Telelink, LLC, Telestars, LLC, F E Z, LLC and StartelDM, LLC. The complaint alleges that the parties violated the state’s consumer protection laws by engaging in unfair sales tactics including unsolicited telemarketing calls and pre-recorded robocalls that deceived Massachusetts customers by falsely promising them lower electricity rates while signing them up for expensive contracts that ultimately made them pay millions more on their bills.

“We allege Starion Energy extorted millions of dollars from Massachusetts customers by falsely promising them big savings on their electricity bills, while overcharging them month after month,” AG Healey said. “This case is another example of why my office is seeking to stop these companies from continuing to cheat residential customers in Massachusetts.”

"Even with our strong consumer protection laws in Massachusetts, Starion and many other competitive electric supply companies continue to deceive thousands of Massachusetts families," said National Consumer Law Center Attorney Jenifer Bosco. "This is a particular hardship on the elderly and low-income families who struggle to pay basic bills, and we commend Attorney General Healey for bringing this lawsuit against a bad actor. Ultimately, ending residential sales of competitive electric supply may be the only way to stop these deceptive practices." 

According to the AG’s Office, Starion signed up more than 130,000 Massachusetts customers, who ultimately paid tens of millions more on electricity than they would have if they had stayed with their utility company.

The AG’s Office also alleges that Starion’s telemarketing entities knowingly violated the law by making calls to consumers on the state’s Do Not Call Registry and masking identity of the caller and the geographic location of the call. The company allegedly received complaints from consumers who had been listed on the registry for many years.

Starion’s telemarketing and pre-recorded robocall scripts used deceptive and misleading information including that “most consumers are overpaying on their energy bills by hundreds of dollars each year” and that new laws that have been passed in the area give consumers “the right to receive a lower rate on [their] current electric bill.”

The AG’s Office’s complaint seeks civil penalties and restitution for the defendants’ violations of the state’s consumer protection and telemarketing laws.

In March 2018, AG Healey issued the results of a report commissioned by her office that called for a ban on competitive electricity suppliers signing up new, individual residential customers in Massachusetts. The report found that Massachusetts residential electric customers who switched to a competitive electric supplier paid $176.8 million more than if they had stayed with their utility company during a two-year period from July 2015 to June 2017. The study also found that during the period studied competitive suppliers used aggressive sales tactics and appear to have targeted low-income, elderly, and minority residents.

The AG’s Office has received hundreds of residential consumer complaints concerning the unfair and deceptive conduct of competitive electricity supply companies and has returned millions of dollars to consumers impacted by these practices. In January 2015, Just Energy agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to consumers for deceptive marketing and sales, entering consumers into agreements without their consent, and charging costly termination fees. The AG’s Office also reached a $5 million settlement with Viridian Energy LLC in March 2018 for allegedly engaging in various deceptive and unfair sales tactics to switch consumers into costly contracts.

Any consumer or retailer with concerns about a competitive electric supplier using deceptive marketing practices should file a complaint with the AG’s Office or call the consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400. Consumers with questions can also contact the Consumer Division of the Department of Public Utilities at (877) 886-5066.

This case is being handled by Deputy Division Chief Nathan Forster, Assistant Attorneys General Alexander Early and Elizabeth Anderson, Investigator Kristen Salera, and Division Chief Rebecca Tepper and all of AG Healey’s Energy & Telecommunications Division.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $3 Million in Community Compact IT Grants to 44 Cities and Towns

Baker-Polito Administration Awards $3 Million in Community Compact IT Grants to 44 Cities and Towns

COHASSET – Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito today announced $3 million in technology grants to 44 cities and towns across the Commonwealth through the Community Compact Information Technology (IT) Grant Program. Today’s announcement will benefit more than 49 municipal entities and brings the total number of municipal IT grants issued over the past four years to 188, assisting 250 communities with $9 million in grant funding to modernize their technology systems and deliver service to their residents more efficiently.

Lt. Governor Polito made the announcement while visiting the Cohasset Middle/High School. Cohasset will receive a $50,000 grant to develop a new Student Information System (SIS), allowing the school district to coordinate and communicate key student and school-level data in real-time, to inform decision-makers and also meet data reporting mandates. The updated system will be more efficient and provide forecasting tools that are currently unavailable.

“The Community Compact Cabinet continues to engage in important work to strengthen our role as a reliable partner for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns,” said Governor Baker. “Technology is a necessary but costly investment for our communities, and these grants enable them to take on critical projects that improve efficiency and help them deliver better service to the public.”

“Community Compact IT grants are a valuable way for the Community Compact program to provide access to resources for major technological projects that might otherwise be unaffordable,” said Lt. Governor Polito, Chair of the Community Compact Cabinet. “A great example is Cohasset’s plan to upgrade its Student Information System for greater productivity and the sophisticated tools that a school district requires to help meet its administrative obligations and its students’ educational needs.”

Cities and towns have used the IT grant funding to upgrade their websites, implement new systems that allow residents to apply for permits and licenses online, improve the security and capacity of municipal IT systems, digitize records and develop other solutions to costly technological challenges.

In addition to the IT grants, the Baker-Polito Administration has awarded $7.3 million in technical assistance grants and $4 million in efficiency and regionalization grants since starting the Community Compact Program in 2015.

“The Baker-Polito administration is proud to partner with cities and towns to maximize available resources and improve the customer experience,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Michael J. Heffernan. “The Administration’s capital plan funds this important grant program, empowering communities both large and small to make critical technology infrastructure investments.”

Examples of Community Compact IT Grant Program Initiatives in this round of funding:

• Bedford will receive a $37,700 grant for new software to make the municipal permitting process more efficient, improve record-keeping, and enhance communication among municipal departments and with permit applicants
• Hadley will receive a $19,350 grant to consolidate its billing platforms for property, tax, sewer, water, motor vehicle excise, and boat excise billing and collections
• Lancaster will receive a $135,020 grant to extend its high-speed fiber network to additional municipal buildings
• Monterey will receive a $9,840 grant to allow residents and contractors to pay for services at the town transfer station and Board of Health using a credit card
• New Bedford will receive $80,000 to construct disaster recovery technology infrastructure and integrate the city’s operation with the school and police departments
• Pittsfield will receive $95,000 to develop a state-of-the-art, secure wireless access system within multiple city buildings that will provide wireless Internet access to both city employees and the public
• Salem will receive a $150,000 grant to digitize public records
• Whitman will receive $199,601 to enhance radio communication for its police and fire departments

For a full list of awardees and projects, click here.

About the Community Compact Cabinet:

Formed in January 2015, the Community Compact Cabinet is chaired by Lt. Governor Polito and is composed of the secretaries of Housing & Economic Development, Education, Transportation, Energy & Environmental Affairs, and Technology Services and Security, and the Senior Deputy Commissioner of Local Services and the Assistant Secretary of Operational Services. The Community Compact Cabinet elevates the Administration’s partnerships with cities and towns, and allows the Governor’s Office to work more closely with leaders from all municipalities. The Cabinet champions municipal interests across all executive secretariats and agencies, and develops, in consultation with cities and towns, mutual standards and best practices for both the state and municipalities. The creation of Community Compacts creates clear standards, expectations, and accountability for both partners.

On May 3, Governor Baker and Lt. Governor Polito participated in the signings of the 350th and 351st Community Compacts, ensuring every city and town in the Commonwealth will enjoy the benefits of the partnership.

哈佛大學招生涉嫌歧視亞裔訟案 開庭首日辯平權運動

(Boston Orange整理報導)”學生爭取公平招生(Students for Fair Admissions)”控告哈佛大學歧視亞裔的訟案，10月15日(週一)開庭，估計將進行三週。

”學生爭取公平招生”在遞交給法院的文件中稱，亞裔必須在標準化的測驗中比其他少數族裔，白人同儕表現得更好，才能上哈佛大學。這種片面標準是哈佛大學帶有族裔意識的招生過程，懲處了亞裔的證據。

不過在哈佛大學已任職很久的招生主任William Fitzsimmons反駁這種說法。

在這場萬眾矚目的審訊中，William Fitzsimmons是第一個上證人席的哈佛人員。他說測驗分數的差異反映了哈佛大學的承諾，要從更廣範圍招生，讓哈佛大學擴大接觸到黑人，西語裔，以其那些來自代表性不足領域學生。這樣的招生努力，確保了哈佛校園更多元化。

William Fitzsimmons 說，“那純粹是嘗試接觸到所有不同背景的人，特別是那些因為經濟條件差受到不成比例影響的人”。”我們只是試著接觸的全國各地的人”。

這場估計將進行三週的審訊，由於是全美最老，最菁英的大學要為自己高度選擇性，並且通常很祕密的招生過程辯護，已引來全球關注。

這場法律訟戰，估計最後會打到美國最高法院，並有可能改變全美有些學校在招生時以族裔為挑選因素的做法。

週一在法庭內，關於誰得到申請邀約，彰顯了”學生爭取公平招生”和哈佛大學在大學招生過程中，族裔所扮演角色上的基本歧異。

            根據”學生爭取公平招生”，在2013年時，住在美國郊區，SAT分數只有1310的白人學生，更有可能得申請哈佛大學的邀約，然而一名亞裔女性卻需要1350分，一名亞裔男性需要1380分。全美的黑人及西語裔學生，只要至少有基本分的1100，哈佛救濟邀請信。根據法庭文件，那時候，可能的最高分數是1600分。

這邀請是菁英大學擴大學校申請人群常用的早期招生工具。這邀請並不保證錄取，但的確向候選人指出了學校希望他們申請。

哈佛大學在週一的開場聲明中辯稱，為確保其教育目標的要讓學生為越來越多元化，全球化的社會做準備，在招生過程中使用族裔因素是合法及重要的。哈佛否認歧視亞裔申請人。

            哈佛大學理事會理事暨Wilmer Hale律師樓合夥人李威鳳(William Lee)在開場發言中表示，"族裔從來不是學生被錄取的唯一原因，也當然從來不是學生被拒絕的原因”。

李威鳳是華人移民之子，指控”學生爭取公平招生”操縱統計數據來證明他們申訴的案子。

他說，“如果你操弄數據的時間夠長，它就能適用於任何事”。

這訟案是近年關於爭辯大學招生中平權運動的最新案例。最高法院已縮窄了在招生中使用族裔的範圍，但的確准許學校在評估學生時，以之做為許多考慮因素之一。

早前的法律挑戰聚焦於有族裔意識的招生是否傷害了白人申請者。”學生爭取公平招生”的首領Edward Blum，早前在德州大學一宗推翻平權運動中，為白人學生出頭。

在這宗案裏，”學生爭取公平招生”宣稱，六年前的哈佛招生數據顯示，亞裔申請人處於劣勢。哈佛評估學生時，在學業，課外活動之餘，還考慮諸如勇氣，仁慈等個人品質。而亞裔學生在個人優點上傾向於得分低，傷害了他們上哈佛的機會，說明有偏見。

為”學生爭取公平招生”做開場辯解的Adam Mortara表示，哈佛大學”從前門引進了種族歧視這頭狼”。

曾任最高法院大法官克拉倫斯湯姆斯(Clarence Thomas)書記的Adam Mortara ，用試算表和文件辯稱，亞裔申請人在幾項因素上比白人評等高，但在個人品質上就比較低。這結果導致校園裏每有兩名白人學生，才有一名亞裔學生。

在坐滿了哈佛領導，媒體，激進份子的法院聆訊室內，Adam Mortara說， “這審訊是關於哈佛大學對亞裔申請者做了什麼，造成什麼影響”。”未來幾週在這兒審訊的不是平權招生的未來”。

NAACP法律辯護及教育基金董事長Sherrilyn Ifill表示，但最終，這案子會廢除行之多年的平權運動。

            這宗法律訴訟案件是關於每年從42,000個申請人中，只錄取1,600名新鮮人的哈佛大學。

            但是全美許多最菁英的大學在評估潛在的新鮮人學生時，也採用類似哈佛大學的方法。

            如果這宗案上到了最高法院，可能會給平權行動反對者一個機會，在高等教育界更廣泛的限制以族裔意識招生。

“學生爭取公平招生”要哈佛大學採取不分族裔的招生做法。哈佛大學的專家認為，那樣做對白人學生最有利，並略為改善亞裔的錄取率，但會大幅度減少黑人及拉丁裔學生在校園內的比例。

Sherrilyn Ifill說，那完全和平權運動有關。我們不能忘記，我們在這兒，是因為Edward Blum的白人學生案沒贏。

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Expansion of Domestic Violence Assessment Tool for Local Law Enforcement

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Expansion of Domestic Violence Assessment Tool for Local Law Enforcement

RANDOLPH - Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito joined Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, Undersecretary for Law Enforcement Jennifer Queally, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn, Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson, Municipal Police Training Committee Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coordinator Maura Landry and Jane Doe, Inc. Executive Director Debra Robbin to discuss the success of the Domestic Violence toolkit and building upon that success, announced the expansion of the toolkit into Barnstable, Hampden, Berkshire, Norfolk, Worcester and Bristol Counties, while declaring October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“Our administration is pleased to partner at the local level to expand this tool kit to law enforcement officials in counties across the Commonwealth to continue fighting to eradicate acts of sexual assault and domestic violence in Massachusetts and bring awareness during October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am grateful to Lt. Governor Karyn Polito for her tireless efforts and leadership, helping survivors and officials responding to these senseless assaults.”

“We are grateful for our partners in law enforcement at the local level as well as non-profits and members of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence who have worked hard to pursue ways to help survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault break out of a cycle of violence and the expansion of this proven toolkit is imperative to the success of responding to such crimes,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, chair of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. “The Council will continue to develop solutions and resources to assist and support survivors and to end acts of sexual assault and domestic violence in Massachusetts.”

In March 2017, Lt. Governor Polito announced the launch of the Domestic Violence toolkit pilot initiative in partnership with the Municipal Police Training Committee (MTPC) to provide local law enforcement with tools to support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. These tools assist in gathering history and identifying risk and re-assault factors.

The first communities to utilize the toolkit include Woburn, Foxboro, Greenfield and Quincy. With this rollout Barnstable, Hampden, Berkshire, Norfolk, Worcester and Bristol Counties as well as the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office will access and deploy the toolkit to better respond to acts of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to support survivors in their communities.

“We come together during October to formally acknowledge domestic violence month but our efforts continue each and every day to end domestic violence in Massachusetts,” said Secretary Marylou Sudders. “Our collaboration between police, DA’s Office, and community-based organizations is vital in reducing domestic violence and  providing appropriate services for its survivors in the Commonwealth.”

“National estimates indicate that one in two women and one in five men experience sexual violence victimization at some point in their lives,” said Undersecretary for Law Enforcement Jennifer Queally. “Through her work as Chair of the Council, Lt. Governor Polito has worked to ensure that local law enforcement and victim service agencies have the resources they need to hold offenders accountable and assist victims across Massachusetts.”

In 2016, the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence announced priorities with the launch of work groups in five priority areas identified by the Council and the administration. The Response and Assessment work group of the Council created Domestic Violence Assessment and Strangulation worksheets.

The Domestic Violence Assessment and Strangulation worksheets were developed to assist municipalities, by providing tools, training and guidance in gathering the appropriate information in domestic violence cases.

The worksheets inform basic safety planning and services, bail decisions, conditions of probation, and sentencing of an offender. These tools also help Intimate Partner Abuse Education programs, assist in custody, visitation, 209A and any other civil matters where safety of adults and children should be considered. The worksheets give guidance on important information for law enforcement to gather when they are responding to survivors of domestic violence and provide them with protocols on disseminating information to those survivors on where they can get support, as well as document important information that may influence the ability to hold offenders accountable and increase safety for survivors and children.

“The use of these new worksheets has provided valuable information that helps hold offenders accountable and victim safety in Bristol County,” said Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn.

“It is important during Domestic Violence Awareness Month to remember and recognize victims, but also to continually move forward in providing better protection and better services,” said Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said. “I am pleased to have this distinguished group here in Norfolk County today fulfilling both purposes – remembrance and constructive change.”​

"The implementation of the domestic violence tool kit has assisted the Woburn Police Department in more effectively identifying and providing services to victims and survivors of domestic violence," said Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo.

“The development of the DV toolkit is an example of the continuous efforts by many to improve the response to DV cases. It will improve the triangle of communication that is needed between Police, Prosecutors and Victim Services,” said Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Frederickson. “Starting at first contact, consistent information can be gathered that will improve the ability to help victims, improve prosecutions, provide victim services and break the cycle of violence. We will continue to evaluate and do what is necessary to confront domestic violence.”

In April 2015, Governor Baker signed Executive Order 563, re-launching the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence. Over its first year, the Council’s priorities included analyzing and reporting on the implementation of Chapter 260: An Act Relative to Domestic Violence and a report was issued providing updates on each of the 49 actionable provisions within the law. The Council has launched work groups in five priority areas, including child trafficking and prevention education in schools and universities.

全美亞裔總商會下一代青年會波士頓開第三屆年會

全美亞裔總商會下一代青年會第三屆年會合影。(周菊子攝)

全美亞裔總商會會長暨執行長董繼玲(右)
和該會下一代青年會創辦人蘇宇寅(左)。
(周菊子攝)

          

              (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)全美亞裔總商會(ACE)麾下的”下一代(NextGen)”，10月13日在波士頓地區廳(District Hall)舉辦第三屆年會，100餘名來自全美各地的亞裔青年企業家匯聚，交流，熱情高昂。

             全美亞裔總商會(ACE)的”下一代(NextGen)”分支創辦人蘇宇寅(Ian So)表示，年輕人有同儕支持，分享經驗，故事，創業之路才會走得更開心。

             這第三屆年會的主題是”起源(Origins)”，邀嘉賓及出席者從顧客，投資者，員工，家庭等各種角度分享經歷，一個個故事，不斷觸動人心，也給出許多他山之石可以攻錯的參考。

            12日晚除了在沃爾瑪(Walmart)贊助下，辦有一場婦女創業家聚會之外，還先在劍橋市的谷歌公司內(Google)請來自加州的"七葉(Seven Leaves)”創辦人阮哈(譯音， Ha Nhuyen)分享創業經驗。阮哈坦言他是”船民”，還很小時，跟著家人從越南移民來美，創業路上有家人，親戚的扶持，經營時只要求比別人好1%，是成功關鍵。他們的相關企業也從被譽為”亞洲星巴克”的咖啡，陸續增加會計，法律，建築等不同領域公司，成為”七葉”。

全美亞裔總商會下一代青年會創辦人蘇宇寅致詞(右四)。(周菊子攝)

             13日的大會，由創辦”個人教練”公司的徐子棋，訪問創辦”為美國創業(Venture for America)”的楊安澤(Andrew Yang)拉開序幕。

             父母來自台灣，在紐約出生，長大的楊安澤，侃侃而談自己從布朗大學畢業，休的是政治、經濟，後來又唸哥倫比亞大學法學院，取得律師資格，卻走上創業這條路的成長歷程。

徐上祺(Anna Tsui)訪談Venture America創辦人楊安澤(Andrew Yang)。
(周菊子攝)

            楊安澤不諱言，在青少年時期，常聽擁有60多項專利的父親埋怨上司專業知識不足，卻握有決定權，可能這無形中影響了他要做自己的老闆，畢業後只當幾個月律師，就開始創業，沒想到遇上網路泡沫，只得回頭打工，後來是開升學教材公司賺到錢，被全美知名的Kaplan收購後，他成立了”為美國創業”這非牟利機構，從最初的啟動資本約20萬美元，發展到如今在18各城市設有據點，促成了200多家初創企業。

             楊安澤指出，很多學者，分析公司的研究都顯示，產業自動化，人工智慧的發達是美國中西部大批人口失業，政府的再就業技能培訓，有效程度只是0%到15%左右，國家再不重視這情況，整個社會將來一定出問題，所以他才決定競選下任美國總統。

IW集團副總裁黃文鋒(Terry Wong)提綱契領得教人打造品牌。
(周菊子攝)

加州Seven Leaves Cafe分享他從船民變身創業者的經歷。(周菊子攝)

             其他的會議環節，還有IW集團資深副總裁黃文鋒闡述如何打造個人品牌，以市場行銷爭取媒體關注，Better Brave創辦人Tammy Cho談創辦人及企業家的社會責任，要為員工創造安全，有包容性的工作環境。ComedySportzBoston創辦人Courtne Pong談如何工作得像個企業家，和人溝通卻像即興演說家，演員兼製作人的曹育倫談如何把企業變成故事，Boston Speak的Kit Poon以”超富亞裔”這電影為引，闡述如何講故事，BobaGuy創辦人Andrew Chau 以”在兩個井字號之間”為題，談如何在上下文中展現平常事務，Show mundane things in context，軟體工程師Rebeca He談如何重塑影像(#Iamremakable)，等人分享經驗。

富比士三十歲以下三十人之一的Freedom Cup創辦人Vanessa Paranjothy，則是另一場主題演講人。

             全美亞裔總商會是一個2013年創辦，為亞裔創業家和企業領袖發聲，共有21名理事的非牟利組織，現由董繼玲擔任會長兼執行長。董繼玲和ACE理事林秀槐都特地出席會議，並稱許ACE   NextGen充滿活力又能幹。    

波士頓演員曹育倫(右一)儘管演員路上已有不錯進展，仍向黃文鋒
請教個人品牌打造。(周菊子攝)

左起，冼卓豪，曹育倫，蘇宇寅，趙啟鑫。(周菊子攝)

                 全美亞裔總商會”下一代”商會，則是由蘇宇寅，卓豪等人創辦，現有波士頓，華府，紐約，休士頓，洛杉磯等五個地區設有分會。

          

來自台灣的留學生洪玲欣，如今已在波士頓創辦了自己的網路婚紗店
LYRA VEGA BRIDAL。(周菊子攝)

開馬卡龍餅乾公司Boston Bon Bon的吳家琪(Rita Ng)(左)和做電子商務
VienneMilano的張湋忻(右)。(周菊子攝)

全美亞裔總商會下一代青年分會董事們，左起，Le Zhang, Chewy Jang,
冼卓豪(Cheuk Shian), Lavanya Jawaharlal, Dale Ting, 蘇宇寅(Ian So),
Kat Pham。(周菊子攝)

全美亞裔總商會會長董繼玲(中)和董事，Lithia Motors榮譽主席林秀槐
(左三)，以及下一代青年分會創辦人蘇宇寅(左起)冼卓豪，Dale Ting, 
Kat Pham, John Victoria。(周菊子攝)