FORMER BOSTON POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED IN CONNECTION WITH STRAW PURCHASES OF FIREARMS

FORMER BOSTON POLICE OFFICER SENTENCED

IN CONNECTION WITH STRAW PURCHASES OF FIREARMS

BOSTON – A former Boston Police Officer was sentenced today in federal court in Boston with illegally purchasing two firearms on behalf of acquaintances. 

Adarbaad Karani, 38, of West Roxbury, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel to three months in prison and one year of supervised release. In September 2018, Karani was convicted following a five-day jury trial of two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of firearms and two counts of making a false statement in a record.

On two different occasions, in November 2014 and September 2015, Karani acted as the “straw purchaser” of two firearms, a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber pistol and a Glock, model 30S, .45 caliber pistol, which he purchased for two acquaintances. Karani purchased the firearms, which cannot be acquired by civilians, using his police identification and falsely certified that the firearms were for his official police use. During one purchase, Karani also indicated that the firearm was not for resale. One of the firearms that Karani purchased was subsequently stolen from the person on whose behalf Karani bought the gun. The firearm was recovered by law enforcement during the arrest of Desmond Crawford, an alleged member of the Columbia Point Dawgs.

Straw purchases interfere with firearm regulation and recordkeeping, and federal law prohibits making false statements to a firearms dealer in connection with the sale of a firearm.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Kelly Brady, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner William Gross made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT OUTLINING RESULTS AND NEW INITIATIVES

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT OUTLINING RESULTS AND NEW INITIATIVES

Over 100 community organizations provided workforce development programming to Boston residents

BOSTON - Thursday, December 20, 2018 - The Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (OWD) channeled over $14 million to more than 100 local organizations that provided job training, education, career coaching, English instruction, youth programs, and apprenticeship opportunities to Boston residents from July 2017 to June 2018, according to the newly-released Fiscal Year 2018 OWD Annual Report. "All Boston residents deserve the opportunity to participate in our city's growing economy," said Mayor Walsh. "The Office of Workforce Development has carved pathways for workers to develop their talents, practice job-specific skills, and advance in the workforce. Through programs like these, we will continue to create opportunities for everyone in our city." "This year's annual report shows how much we can accomplish through partnership and innovative thinking," said Trinh Nguyen, Director of the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (OWD). "Over the past year, we've worked with nonprofits, public sector institutions, and private companies to create a variety of different career ladders for hard-working Bostonians." The report, FY18 Annual Report: A Better Boston for Everyone, features many of the different participants who strengthen Boston's workforce development system, including employers, workers, students, researchers, and public servants. Also highlighted are several new OWD initiatives of the past fiscal year: City Academy - a job training program to prepare residents for quality careers with the City of Boston Facilities maintenance apprenticeship - a paid apprenticeship for maintenance technicians with property manager WinnResidential Boston Builds Credit - a series of free credit-building workshops for Boston residents EMT apprenticeship - a paid apprenticeship for emergency medical technicians with Boston EMS BostonHires - a hiring campaign to place Boston residents in living wage jobs with benefits The report also includes results of ongoing programs. For example, the Boston Tax Help Coalition - a division of OWD - provided free tax preparation services that returned $24 million in refunds to more than 12,000 workers in Fiscal Year 2018. The MassHire Career Centers in Boston, under OWD's financial oversight, served more than 15,000 job seekers with such career services as workshops, networking events, and job fairs. Those clients placed in jobs earned an average wage of $21.61 per hour. Che Robinson is a Mattapan resident who started a new career this year as part of the facilities maintenance technician apprenticeship with WinnResidential. "I have been trying to get in jobs like this for a while," said Robinson. "But I didn't have enough experience. I was getting overlooked." In his apprenticeship, he's able to earn a living wage and benefits while picking up new skills in areas ranging from HVAC to carpentry to electrical - skills he hopes to share with his teenage son. "The possibilities are on me and how far I want to take it," said Robinson. "That's why I'm excited." OWD is an affiliate of the Boston Planning & Development Agency. About the Mayor's Office of Workforce Development The Mayor's Office of Workforce Development (OWD) is an innovative agency within the Boston Planning & Development Agency that seeks to ensure the full participation of all Boston residents in the city's economic vitality and future. The OWD funds and oversees programs that promote workforce development through education, jobs training, apprenticeships, financial coaching, career pathways, literacy initiatives, and the like. Please visitOWD.Boston.Gov to learn more about the OWD's work.

Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Announces End of Term Report

Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Announces End of Term Report

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Polito, Chair of the Governor’s Council to Address Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, released an end of term report highlighting goals, accomplishments and next steps for the Council. The Council was launched in April 2015 through Executive Order 563, to advise the Governor on how to help residents of the Commonwealth live a life free of sexual assault and domestic violence by improving prevention and enhancing support for individuals and families affected by sexual assault and domestic violence.

“As a Commonwealth, we must keep working to end domestic violence and sexual assault, and I applaud the Council for the strong recommendations in this report that will bring awareness to this issue,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I thank Lt. Governor Polito for her leadership, outstanding work and dedication as chair of the Council.”

“I am proud of the progress the Council has made in challenging the tragic reality of sexual assault and domestic violence that so many individuals and families endure,”said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “I look forward to continuing to work with members of the Council to implement more strategies to prevent sexual assault and provide support services for survivors.”

In August 2016, the Council announced five work groups based on identified priorities – Assessment and Response; Child Trafficking; Military, Veterans and Families; Housing Stability and Self-Sufficiency; and Prevention and Education. In December 2017, Lt. Governor Polito announced a 2018 Action Plan and deliverables for each of the five Council work groups. The report released today details the 2018 accomplishments in partnership with the five work groups with a status update on all action items and provides an overview of the development of the first statewide public awareness campaign in almost 20 years which is expected to be launched in the Spring 2019.

Assessment and Response Work Group: Goals: Provide recommendations for a Law Enforcement Domestic Violence (DV) Toolkit pilot program and create guidelines/best practices for domestic violence high risk teams (including law enforcement, District Attorneys, and intimate partner abuse organizations). Accomplishments include:

• Developed domestic violence assessment and strangulation tools to be used by law enforcement on all domestic violence responses, which incorporate national best practices and align with Massachusetts statutes.

• Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) led the original pilot program with four communities—Greenfield, Foxboro, Quincy, and Woburn—in 2017. Worksheets were also imbedded into MPTC annual in-service trainings for veterans officers as well as the updated Domestic Violence Law Enforcement Guidelines.

• Identified opportunities for improvement resulting in the creation of the Toolkit; Toolkit includes DV Assessment Worksheet, Sample Memoranda of Understanding (MOU), Sample Roles and Responsibilities, Sample Policies and Procedures, and Strangulation Worksheet. The Toolkit expanded into Barnstable, Hampden, Berkshire, Norfolk, Worcester and Bristol Counties in October 2018.

• Completed Guidelines for Massachusetts’ 28 domestic violence High Risk Teams.

Next Steps: In partnership with the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) and MPTC, coordinate attendance for Regional Chief’s meetings across Massachusetts to discuss the Toolkit in 2019 and determine the final draft of the guidelines and best practices for domestic violence High Risk Teams and establish a distribution process.

Child Trafficking Work Group: Goals: Research best practice child trafficking policies and programs across the United States and provide updates on the work of the Massachusetts Child Welfare Trafficking Grant (MACWTG); explore opportunities to expand Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC) training, policies, and practices to Department of Youth Services (DYS) and Department of Mental Health (DMH); improve and identify opportunities for collaboration between High Risk Unit and State Police Specialty Units under the new Massachusetts State Police (MSP) 5^th Division; identify opportunities to expand training in identification, response, and supports for CSEC cases. Accomplishments include:

• In partnership with the MACTWG and Northeastern University, Dr. Amy Farrell conducted research on best practices across the U.S. emphasizing child trafficking responses within state child welfare/protection systems due to an outgrowth of questions arising from the work of the grant.

• The Department of Youth Services (DYS) established an internal Human Trafficking Training and Policy Work Group with representation from each of the five regions of DYS operation. The Work Group is comprised of regional representatives with clinical, residential and community-based expertise with a specific interest in working on human trafficking issues and prior or current involvement in the Multi-Disciplinary Teams (MDT) and/or human trafficking- related activities in their regions. The Work Group also includes members of the DYS Executive Team (General Counsel) and Senior Staff (Director of Victim Services and Employee Support Services).

• The Department of Mental Health’s (DMH) Division of Child Youth and Family Services created an Internal CSEC Work Group comprised of staff from all five regions, representing a range of expertise and disciplines, including clinical social workers, a coordinator of family driven practice, and two child psychiatrists. All members of the Work Group have previously attended the “Understanding and Responding to the CSEC” training provided by My Life My Choice, which focuses on CSEC girls.

• A MSP Commonwealth Fusion Center (CFC) Intelligence Analyst has been assigned to assist the High Risk Victims Unit (HRVU); analysts can provide all types of specialized case support including toll analysis. Additionally, the HRVU works closely with the MSP Cyber Crime Unit regarding evidence extraction.

Next Steps: Transition stewardship of the various established MACWTG meetings over to Massachusetts Children’s Alliance (MACA) who will also be managing the Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) grant-funded CSEC Coordinators in each county. The DYS internal work group is working towards finalizing language for amended policies and establishing a training plan and schedule. The DMH internal work group will review the landscape analysis and full report of national research on Specialized Residential Placement for Child Trafficking by Northeastern University to identify interventions, responses and characteristics of specialized residential programs. Every County MDT and CSEC Steering Committee will have a DMH and DYS representative. The DMH internal work group will plan a Spring 2019 CSEC Conference for state agency and providers to educate staff about needs of CSEC, the availability of specialized resources and to share best practices. When the online training course is finalized, MSP HRVU will collaborate with MPTC to disperse the training to all law enforcement and plan a one-day training seminar for law enforcement in 2019.

Veterans, Military and Families Work Group: Goals: Have a military representative in attendance at annual trainings and meetings for civilian intimate partner abuse education programs and collaborate with the Office for Victims of Crime for technical assistance (OVC TTAC) in creating best practice military-civilian sexual assault and domestic violence training. Accomplishments include:

• As of October 2018, all four trainings were completed. The trainings were held in Springfield, Framingham, Chelmsford and at Otis Air Base.

• As of October 2018, all four Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVCTTAC) Training were completed

• Created Regional Resource Booklet to serve as a guide for updated contact information throughout the Commonwealth, which will better assist in supporting community collaborations. Each training attendee received a copy of the Regional Resource Booklet.

• Due to identified need for collaboration, military representatives from the Family Advocacy Program attended the annual Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program (IPAEP) meeting.

Next steps: The Department of Public Health will work with military representatives to ensure continued attendance at future IPAEP meetings, advance policies and procedures, and partner with military supports. The Work Group will discuss future collaboration amongst Departments within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), EOPSS and Jane Doe, Inc. to explore opportunities for policy development, training and best practices, enhancing community collaborations and supports for military-affiliated survivors.

Housing Stability and Self-Sufficiency Work Group: Goals: Increase collaboration between sexual assault and domestic violence and shelter/housing systems and subsidized housing models to promote existing best practice solutions and expand housing options and review implementation of 2013 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization. Accomplishments include:

• Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and co-chairs began discussions surrounding collaborative summits as a possibility for 2019.

• DHCD included SADV-related questions in their program listening tours and internal work group efforts.

• MassHousing and local providers took the lead in conducting cross trainings regionally; there have been 6 trainings to date.

• MassHousing partnered with Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA) to include Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Emergency Transfer Waiting List Preference information on MassAccess Affordable Housing Registry.

Next Steps: MassHousing is finalizing a VAWA Handbook for use by private and public housing providers and victims service providers and will incorporate the handbook in future trainings. MassHousing is planning regional resource forums for housing management staff to learn about domestic and sexual violence services and a conference in June.

Prevention and Education Work Group: Goals: Complete sexual and intimate partner violence prevention and awareness “Skills Chart” across educational sectors and develop plan for adoption and implementation. Accomplishments include:

• Compiled and reviewed existing research and resources both nationally and locally.

• Designed a skills chart with a focus on student skills, ranging from pre-kindergarten through higher education.

• Submitted the group’s final draft of Skills Chart to Council and the Executive Office of Education (EOE), who are currently editing the document.

Next Steps: EOE is currently reviewing the final draft of the Skills Chart.

Public Awareness Campaign Steering Committee: Goals: Gather a small panel of experts from around the Commonwealth to work with a vender to assist in developing an awareness campaign; identify the campaign’s target audience and resources for support; and assist in monitoring the quality of the project as it develops. Accomplishments include:

• In June 2018, Council’s Executive Director worked with EOHHS and DPH to draft a campaign timeline.

• DPH selected MORE Advertising, a female-led organization

• Members of the Public Awareness Campaign Steering Committee were selected in Fall 2018

• First official meeting with the Work Group and MORE Advertising was held on October 19, 2018

Next Steps: The Steering Committee will present research findings at the next meeting in January. The campaign will be launched by Spring 2019.

For the full report, click here.

The Council will further partner with the Baker-Polito Administration as implementation of these accomplishments continues and new initiatives develop.

The Council is chaired by the Lt. Governor, and membership consists of up to 30 individuals appointed by the Governor and Lt. Governor, plus more than 80 work group members. Council members represent advocacy organizations, direct service providers, criminal justice agencies, and reflect the state’s geographic and cultural diversity. The Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Housing and Economic Development, Public Safety and Security, Education, and Labor and Workforce Development each appoint staff members to the Council. The Governor and Lt. Governor appointed an Executive Director, who is responsible for the administrative functions of the Council, organizing work groups, and executing the Council’s responsibilities.

CAPAC Members Lead Letter to Sec. Nielsen Demanding End to Detention and Deportation of Southeast Asian Refugees

CAPAC Members Lead Letter to Sec. Nielsen Demanding End to Detention and Deportation of Southeast Asian Refugees

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), CAPAC Immigration Task Force Chair, led 53 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen demanding an end to the detention and deportation of Southeast Asian refugees and families.

“We are concerned that the recent retaliatory visa sanctions from the Trump Administration pressuring Cambodia and Laos to accept deported people have propelled these mass detentions and deportations. Additionally, we are also concerned that the Administration’s reinterpretation of the 2008 bilateral agreement between the United States and Vietnam will also lead to increased detentions and deportations of Vietnamese Americans,” said the Members.

“It is troubling to see Southeast Asian American families being targeted at unprecedented levels. We urge you to reexamine policies on the arbitrary detention and deportation of Southeast Asian Americans who prove no threat to public safety, are interwoven into our communities, and support U.S. citizen families. We urge you to use prosecutorial discretion to ensure that our finite resources are not being wasted to tear families apart and deport individuals who have transformed their lives after serving their sentences,” the Members continued.

CDFI Fund Announces Nearly $25 Million in Bank Enterprise Awards for Increased Investments in Highly Distressed Communities

December 19, 2018

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) announced nearly $25 million in awards to 119 banks for increasing investments benefiting economically distressed communities across the nation. The awards were made through the fiscal year (FY) 2018 round of the Bank Enterprise Award Program (BEA Program).

The BEA Program is a performance-based grant program that provides monetary awards to FDIC-insured depository institutions that successfully demonstrate an increase in their investments in mission-driven lenders, known as Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), or in the depository institutions’ own lending, investing, or service activities in highly distressed communities.

“These banks are lending in the most highly distressed communities – where at least 30 percent live at or below the national poverty level and where the unemployment rate is at least 1.5 times the national average,” said CDFI Fund Director Annie Donovan. “This round, BEA Program award recipients provided $56.9 million in equity investments, loans, certificates of deposit and/or technical assistance to 53 certified CDFIs, which is nearly 2.5 times the amount provided the last round.”

Collectively, during the one-year assessment period, these 119 depository institutions increased their loans and investments in distressed communities by nearly $578 million; increased their loans, deposits, and technical assistance to CDFIs by $38.6 million; increased their equity and equity-like loans and grants to CDFIs by $16.7 million; and increased the provision of financial services in highly distressed communities by $6.8 million..

Furthering this impact, the nearly $25 million awarded today will be re-invested into highly distressed communities, as well as CDFIs. Of the 119 depository institutions awarded funding, 86 have committed to deploying approximately $3.4 million, or 13.6 percent of award dollars, in Persistent Poverty Counties which exceeds the Congressional mandate of 10 percent.  Under the FY 2018 round of the BEA Program, the CDFI Fund received 124 applications from FDIC-insured depository institutions across the nation that requested $218.1 million in funding, the highest amount requested in program history. 

MAYOR WALSH APPOINTS NATALIA URTUBEY AND CELINA BARRIOS-MILLNER TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MAYOR WALSH APPOINTS NATALIA URTUBEY AND CELINA BARRIOS-MILLNER TO LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

BOSTON - Wednesday, December 19, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the appointments of Natalia Urtubey as Director of Small Business, and Celina Barrios-Millner as Director of Equity and Inclusion in the Mayor's Office of Economic Development.  Under the direction of Chief of Economic Development John Barros, Urtubey will continue implementation of the 2016 Citywide Small Business Plan to ensure that Boston is an attractive and accessible place for small businesses to grow and thrive. Barrios-Millner will oversee the newly created Inclusion and Equity Unit, which leads the implementation of the Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda to create access to opportunity for women and people of color by focusing city policy on income and employment, wealth creation, business development, and economic mobility. "Ensuring a thriving, equitable economy that benefits all Bostonians has always been a top priority for this administration. Since creating the Economic Development office in 2014, we have been able to foster economic inclusion and equity by eliminating barriers and creating opportunities for residents to build wealth and a sustainable future here in the City of Boston," said Mayor Walsh. "Through Natalia's leadership and creativity on Imagine Boston 2030, and Celina's breadth of knowledge and successful policy track record, I am very confident these two units will work hand-in-hand on implementing smart, innovative policy and remain strong advocates for opportunity for all Boston residents and businesses." Urtubey's extensive knowledge of Boston's neighborhoods and small business community will complement her experience in creating growth strategies and building partnerships across community stakeholders. She will manage a 12-person staff focused on tracking and producing research on local and national trends to inform decision making about small business development tools, coordinating with local residents and existing businesses to ensure that there is a strategic and policy-driven approach to growth without displacement, and working with residents and other city officials to remove any barriers to do business in the City of Boston. Through initiatives aimed at supporting small businesses and neighborhood wealth creation, the Small Business Unit works with small businesses throughout the city via direct services and a strong partnership with the Boston Main Streets Foundation and its 20 neighborhood-based 501(c)3 organizations. Urtubey will manage and oversee the distribution for over $3 million in small business resources under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program, over $3 million in investment in small businesses within and outside of the 20 Main Streets Districts, and direct and implement Mayor Walsh's 2016 Small Business Plan to provide coordinated service delivery and economic opportunity for Boston's 40,000 small businesses. Previously, Urtubey served as the Executive Director of Imagine Boston 2030, working to implement the first citywide planning process in over 50 years, and was responsible for ensuring it was representative of Boston residents' vision and concerns. In this role, Urtubey was instrumental in keeping the process visible and accessible to all Bostonians, bringing community leaders together, and identifying opportunities for collaboration. Originally from Colombia, Urtubey helped launch the City's first Latinx Employee Resource Group. Celina Barrios-Millner will lead the new Equity and Inclusion Unit within the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, and is tasked with implementing Mayor Walsh's Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda and overseeing the City's efforts to connect local residents, veterans, and people of color to economic opportunity through the Boston Resident Jobs Policy (BRJP) and the Certification and Contracts programs. In this role, Barrios-Miller's two decades of experience in creating opportunities in disenfranchised communities through community engagement and strategic policy development will guide her 17 member team in managing and enforcing BRJP on City of Boston and BPDA construction projects to ensure local residents can benefit from the over $15 billion in development in the pipeline and connect minority and women-owned enterprises (MWBEs) to millions of dollars in economic opportunities through procurement. "The work of our Equity and Inclusion Unit is not only key to achieving a just society, but it's also a strategic imperative for our economy. Boston is growing, and the work Celina will be leading is essential to ensuring shared prosperity in every corner of our city," said Chief John F. Barros. I look forward to strategically shaping these two units' work to ensure broad, sustainable economic inclusion and believe Celina and Natalia will work side-by-side to create access and implement smart policies." Originally from Venezuela, Barrios-Millner most recently led Immigrant Integration efforts for the City of Boston where she provided strategic direction to departments to ensure that immigrant residents and their needs are at the forefront of policy and program design. Previously, she led Partnership Development for the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA) to generate business opportunities and resources for certified woman (WBE) and minority-owned businesses (MBE). Created in 2014, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development is a one-stop resource for all businesses in the City of Boston, which promotes policies that help businesses grow while fostering economic inclusion and equity. Divided into three focus areas, the office also includes the Business Strategy Unit, which is focused on attracting, engaging, and retaining global organizations and partnerships, as well as managing and expanding Boston's light industrial and manufacturing sector. Milestones include the development of the city's first ever Economic Inclusion and Equity Agenda, publication of the city's first Small Business Report, launch of the Small Business Resource Center, passage of an updated Boston Residents Job Policy with elevated develop standard for hiring and building in Boston, and new Neighborhood Business Access Loans. The Economic Development Cabinet includes the Boston Planning and Development Agency, Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainment, the Office of Consumer Affairs and Licensing, and the Office of Workforce Development. Together, these offices work together to ensure Boston an appealing and accessible place for working families, entrepreneurs, businesses, and investors to innovate, grow, and thrive in a way that fosters inclusion, broadens opportunity, and shares prosperity, thereby enhancing the quality of life for Bostonians and the experience for all visitors.

GRUBSTREET, C3 SELECTED TO OPERATE CULTURAL SPACES IN THE SEAPORT

GRUBSTREET, C3 SELECTED TO OPERATE CULTURAL SPACES IN THE SEAPORT

BOSTON - Wednesday, December 19, 2018 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh, along with the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA) and The Fallon Company, today announced that GrubStreet has been selected to operate 13,166 square feet of civic/cultural space at 50 Liberty at Fan Pier on the South Boston Waterfront. GrubStreet, the largest creative writing center in the country, will create a literary destination with year-round programming to serve a wide range of residents from across Boston and the region. By agreement of the BPDA and 50 Liberty LLC, an affiliate of The Fallon Company, GrubStreet will receive a $25 per square foot construction allowance -- totaling $329,150 toward improvements to the space. In addition, Cross Cultural Collective (C3), a black arts collaborative that elevates, celebrates, and promotes African diasporic arts and their creators in Boston, has been conditionally selected by the Mayor's Office, BPDA and W/S Development to operate a space designated for civic and cultural use on the South Boston Waterfront. The designation of this space is contingent upon reaching specific planning milestones set out by The Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture in consultation with C3. The City of Boston has offered to support C3 with $150,000 in technical assistance over the next two years, as it builds capacity and resources in preparation to operate a cultural space. "Both GrubStreet and C3 will bring innovative cultural destinations to our waterfront that will create access to new opportunities for Boston's residents and visitors," said Mayor Walsh. "The work of these organizations will help fulfill our mission to create a diverse, welcoming Seaport for all." GrubStreet plans to build a narrative arts center at 50 Liberty featuring a bookstore, cafe and community space for writers, a podcast studio, as well as classrooms to expand GrubStreet's workshops. It will also feature an event space for readings, slam poetry, storytelling events, and shows that combine words with music and dance. GrubStreet serves students of all ages and backgrounds through classes in their current downtown location, as well as in neighborhoods including Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, and East Boston. This new location will allow the non-profit organization to expand its programming and activate a space for collaboration by students of all ages and backgrounds. "We're grateful to the city for recognizing the importance of storytelling, writing, and reading to our culture. We look forward to this exciting leap forward and to building a dynamic new site for literary and cultural creation and gathering," said Eve Bridburg, GrubStreet's Founder and Executive Director. "As an innovative leader in its category, with a strong reputation for transforming the local writing community and contributing to the national literary conversation, GrubStreet is a welcome addition to Fan Pier," said Joseph F. Fallon, President & CEO of The Fallon Company. "We look forward to the launch of the new narrative arts center at 50 Liberty, which will support the civic and cultural community in the neighborhood and the City." C3 plans to create a multipurpose center for arts and cultures of the African Diaspora with programming and resources for artists of the diaspora. C3 is currently in negotiation with the City about occupying a 5,000 square foot space. The $150,000 in technical assistance from the City of Boston will support the formation of a non profit entity, completion of an organization/strategic plan, completion of a space development/facilities plan, completion of a fundraising plan, and progress made toward fundraising goals. "We very much look forward to holding future talks with the City as we continue to shape and build our Collective, our vision, and physical center for African diasporic arts on the water's edge," said Ashleigh Gordon, member of C3.  "We are excited for what's to come and what we are able to accomplish with the City's support." The selection of GrubStreet and C3 follows a public and transparent process to select civic or cultural users to activate available spaces in ways that serve a diverse population. Following the release of a Request for Ideas (RFI) in January 2018, the BPDA received eight proposals, and in April hosted an open house where the top four respondents presented their proposals to the public. The selection process is modeled after an effort completed in 2015 when the Society of Arts and Crafts was selected as operator of similar space provided at Pier 4. The selection committee represented multiple departments across the City and considered criteria including public comment letters, the ability of the respondent to create a welcoming space that serves a diverse population, and access to the financial resources to build-out and operate space year-round. The announcement builds on Mayor Walsh's Boston Creates Cultural Plan, a ten-year city initiative designed to align public and private resources to strengthen cultural vitality over the long-term, and weave arts and culture into the fabric of everyday life. Since the launch of Boston Creates in 2016, Mayor Walsh has committed to leading the implementation of the plan by building City resources for arts and culture and creating the necessary partnerships to address the critical needs identified through the planning process. The full cultural plan can be found online at http://plan.bostoncreates.org. 50 Liberty is a residential condominium building with 120 residential units and retail, restaurant and civic/cultural space on Fan Pier on the South Boston Waterfront. The civic/cultural space consists of 5,000 square feet on the southeast corner of the first floor of the building, with the remaining square footage on the second floor.

麻州慶祝中車首2輛橘線地鐵交貨 中美貿易戰關稅仍是隱憂

中車集團製造組裝的橘線地鐵車輛，首二輛18日交貨。(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange 周菊子整理報導)麻州地鐵(MBTA)12月18日慶祝新車準時交貨，二輛橘線出廠，訂2019年上路。若中美貿易戰引發的關稅問題不造成影響，404輛地鐵新車將從麻州春田市陸續交貨。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)，麻州交通廳(MassDOT)廳長Stephanie Pollack ，MBTA代理總經理Jeffrey Gonneville，春田市市長Domenic Sarno，中國駐紐約總領事館總領事黃屏，中車集團麻州公司新任董事長賈波，18日聯袂出席了新車出廠儀式。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker，中)，和中國駐紐約總領事館總領事黃屏(前右)等人
和中車春田廠組裝工人合影，慶祝交車。(周菊子攝)

麻州政府在前州長派屈克(Deval Patrick)任內的2014年和中國北車簽約，由中國北車設計、製造132輛紅線，152輛橘線，預計到2022年時，將為MBTA生產共284輛地鐵車廂，預算高達5.66億美元。

2016年12月，MBTA決定再撥款2億7700萬元，增購120輛新紅線車輛，購車數量總額增至404輛。

這些新地鐵車廂每輛造價243萬元，平均需時22天可組裝完成，據說可比翻修舊車節省31萬元。目前已有六至八輛車廂組裝完成，二輛交車測試，預計2019年1月投入服務行列。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker，右起)和中國駐紐約總領事館總領事黃屏，中車春田
廠董事長賈波。(周菊子攝)

由於地鐵紅線車輛已營運40年，橘線也有30年，麻州州長查理貝克和地鐵代理總經理Jeffrey Gonneville都指出，有些車輛的里程數已超過200萬，更換新車根本是”昨天就該做的事”。新車陸續上路後，地鐵服務效率將可大為改善。

中國北車於2014年在前任麻州州長派屈克(Deval Patrick)任內和麻州政府簽約，2015年中國北車和中國南車合併成為中車集團，躍升全世界最大鐵路製造商，同年9月斥資9500萬元在麻州春田市建組裝廠，包括2240呎長的測試軌道，以及1200萬元買下，佔地40畝的Westinghouse電子公司舊址做組裝廠房。

中國駐紐約總領事館總領事黃屏(左起)和麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker，
和春田市市長Domenic Sarno同台慶祝中車製造的橘線交車。(周菊子攝)

中車集團自此開始拓展美國市場，陸續於2017年3月，和賓州費城簽合約，以1.375億元打造45輛通勤火車，另和洛杉磯簽約，以1.784億元價格造64輛新地鐵車，並有權從2021年起增購218輛。這兩地的新造鐵路車都將在麻州春田市組裝。

根據”中國日報(China Daily)”，中車集團還斥資1億美元在伊利諾州建新廠，和芝加哥交通局(CTA)簽13億元合約，建造840輛鐵路車，汰換約一半的芝加哥舊鐵路車。

麻州州長查理貝克在橘線交車紀念牌上簽名。(周菊子攝)

今年3月，美國總統川普宣佈對進口鋼鐵和鋁，依序徵收25%和10%的關稅後，中車集團憂慮未來營運可能受影響，游說動春田市長及麻州參議員等分別發信給美國聯邦貿易代表Robert Lighthizer等人，直言中車和麻州及加州洛杉磯均簽有約持續5年的合約，呼籲把鐵路車及巴士相關材料，移出301關稅法案的徵稅名單。

春田市長Domenic J. Sarno在回應關稅問題會否影響中車麻州公司的營運時，未正面回應，只強調希望中美貿易爭端能在雙方睿智處理下，順利解決。麻州州長查理貝克也只強調地鐵車輛更新迫不容緩，無論如何都必須繼續。

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)強調地鐵換新勢在必行。
(周菊子攝)

中國駐紐約總領事館總領事黃屏(左ㄢ，中車春田廠董事長
賈波(右)和MBTA代理總經理Jeffrey Gonneville。(周菊子攝)

春田市長Domenic Sarno說明已發信給美國貿易代表
支持中車豁免調高關稅。(周菊子攝)

中車春田廠大門。(周菊子攝)

中車春田廠大門。(周菊子攝)