Governor Baker Announces New State Police Superintendent with Goals to Modernize Training, Increase Diversity, and Emphasize Accountability

Governor Baker Announces New State Police Superintendent with Goals to Modernize Training, Increase Diversity, and Emphasize Accountability

BOSTON – Governor Baker tapped Lieutenant Colonel Christopher S. Mason as the next colonel and superintendent of the State Police, effective Friday, November 15th. At a press conference today in the State House, Mason identified a series of proposals to focus on accountability and conduct, increasing diversity within the agency, and updating training.

In remarks today, the 26-year veteran of the Department expressed his deep pride in New England’s largest police force as well as his commitment to modernizing it, including some initial first steps:

• Ensuring all Troop E Internal Affairs investigations are completed, and that the cases for terminated or retired troopers are referred to the State Retirement Board for pension forfeiture consideration if wrongdoing is found;
• Implementing mandatory ethics training for all members, focusing on time and attendance issues and supervisors’ duties;
• Directing the State Police Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity to immediately review options for promoting women and people of color into key positions; and
• Changing the State Police Academy curriculum to rely less on paramilitary training and more on modern policing skills such as empathy, de-escalation, identification of vulnerable populations, and the response to emerging public safety threats

“At a pivotal time for Massachusetts State Police, Chris Mason has the experience and vision to lead the Department forward with reforms and innovation that will shape its future,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our administration is grateful for the changes put in motion under Colonel Kerry Gilpin, and supports Colonel Mason as he completes critical reforms to finish Troop E internal affairs investigations and fully implement AVL technology and the body camera procurement. Drawing on his years of experience, we are confident Colonel Mason will lay out a vision for the Department’s future that will bring meaningful reform and restored public trust to the Commonwealth.”

“Colonel Mason’s decades-long and wide-ranging career in law enforcement has well equipped him to lead the Massachusetts State Police with integrity and dignity,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Governor Baker and I are appreciative of the hard work and commitment demonstrated by Colonel Kerry Gilpin and we look forward to our continued collaboration with the Massachusetts State Police and the new leadership Colonel Mason will bring to the department.”  

“I look forward to a continued partnership with Colonel Mason, whose commitment to excellence has been evident in every position he’s held,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Thomas Turco. “He’s brought the highest levels of integrity and professionalism to the job as a trooper, an investigator, a commander, and an administrator. He understands the values of both tradition and reform, and he reflects an outstanding selection by Governor Baker.”

“I am grateful for the remarkable trust that Governor Baker and his Administration have placed in me,” said Colonel Mason. “I promise to earn that trust every day with the men and women of the Massachusetts State Police who reflect our values of honesty, integrity, and service.  These values are foremost in my mind as we move the Department and our public safety mission forward.”

Mason currently serves as a lieutenant colonel and deputy superintendent of the Department of State Police. Prior to that, he commanded the Division of Investigative Services, a position in which he oversaw all State Police detective units and forensic personnel. He has also served as deputy commander of the Division of Homeland Security and Preparedness, acting as director of the Commonwealth Fusion Center and supervising the Cyber Crimes Unit, High Risk Victims Unit, Identification Section, and Fraud Identification Unit. Mason also worked for many years as a trooper, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and commanding officer for the Cape and Islands State Police Detective Unit, where he investigated homicides, sexual assaults, and other violent crimes.

Mason graduated from the State Police Academy in 1993 after serving as a natural resource officer in Barnstable for eight years. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and attended the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Drug Unit Commanders Academy and the Naval Postgraduate School’s Fusion Center Leaders Program.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences from the University of Massachusetts and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Anna Maria College.

CITIES AND TOWNS TO BEACON HILL: WE NEED ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR TRANSPORTATION

CITIES AND TOWNS TO BEACON HILL:
WE NEED ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR TRANSPORTATION

Greater Boston mayors and managers support 15 cent increase to the gas tax and other funding mechanisms to advance equity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support transit oriented development

BOSTON – Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 – Today, three broad coalitions of municipal officials from throughout Eastern Massachusetts called on the Commonwealth to raise significant new revenue and dedicate it to rescuing the state’s ailing and congested transportation system. 

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone and the communities of the Metropolitan Mayors Coalition, together with mayors and managers of the North Shore Coalition and leaders from the Commuter Rail Communities Coalition, are calling on the Legislature and Governor Charlie Baker to invest significant new revenue in transportation.

The Metro Mayors Coalition, an organization of 15 communities in the urban core of metropolitan Boston, announced their support for a 15-cent increase in the gas tax and other vehicle fees, which would infuse our struggling transportation system with roughly $450 million a year in new revenue.

In addition to the gas tax increase, the Metro Mayors Coalition identified several other funding mechanisms that it supports, including: expanding tolling to more highways; allowing a portion of toll revenue to support transit, which would help to reduce roadway congestion; expanding municipal revenue-raising tools heavily used in other states, such as regional ballot initiatives and value capture; collaborating with other states in the Northeast U.S. to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the “cap and invest” system known as the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI); and increasing surcharges for Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft.

The funds raised from these mechanisms would be invested in ways that advance equity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, encourage “transit-oriented development” and connect residents to the places they need to go. Investments would include:

·        enhancing safety and reducing congestion on our roads and bridges;

·        modernizing and expanding transit systems, including but not limited to the MBTA; and

·        creating world-class infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians and people with disabilities.

“The actions we take now will define Boston and our region for the next 10 years and the next generation," said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "We need to take the essential next steps to improve mobility in our city and our state, and increasing revenue for critical infrastructure is needed to ensure our current and future residents are able to move around the region in an equitable, affordable and reliable manner.”

“I urge the Legislature and the Administration to act quickly to find reliable source of funding for transportation—such as the gas tax—and to look at new ways of funding and improving our public transportation system,” said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, chairman of the Metro Mayors Coalition. “We have to think bigger than just repairing what’s broken—we need to invest today in a transit system that will work for years to come, which we won’t be able to do with just our current funding mechanisms. Having a safe, reliable transit system is crucial to so many of our other goals and values—it's good for equity, it's good for the environment and it's good for the economy.”

The North Shore Coalition, a group of 18 cities and towns north of Boston, and the Commuter Rail Communities Coalition, which represents the many cities and towns served and impacted by the commuter rail, approved similar resolutions calling upon legislators and the Governor to prioritize transportation funding.

Early this month, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll and the North Shore Coalition announced their vision for transportation improvements, pairing it with specific principles for how to raise the money needed to make the vision a reality. Over 100 people gathered in Salem on Nov. 1 to demonstrate their support.

Led by Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee and Bedford Town Manager Sarah Stanton, members of the Commuter Rail Communities Coalition also agreed on priority funding principles. The Coalition is an alliance of mayors and town managers/administrators that coordinates advocacy for short- and long-term improvements to the rail network.

In addition to calling on the state to raise additional funds, all three coalitions are also seeking something their colleagues in much of the country already have: tools to raise money locally for critical local and regional transportation projects. These include municipal revenue-raising tools such as value capture, local and regional ballot initiatives and transportation improvement districts, which would help cities and towns to address local needs, give residents a greater say in meeting local transportation challenges and act as a down payment for transformative transportation improvements.

“Cities and towns are asking for the state’s help in meeting our pressing transportation challenges, but they are also looking for tools that can help local government to play an active role. The federal government, the Commonwealth, localities and the private sector must all be at the table—no one can do this alone,” said Rebecca Davis, deputy director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Framingham Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer said, “To ensure that Massachusetts residents can work and live efficiently, we need to invest in a more robust transportation system. Here in MetroWest, we depend on the roads and bridges, so their upkeep in critical. But we also have a growing regional transit system, which serves people who can’t drive while helping to reduce congestion on the roads.”

The three coalitions also agree on the need for a 15-cent gas tax increase, expanded tolling, increased TNC surcharges and implementation of TCI.

“Over three dozen municipal leaders representing millions of Massachusetts residents are all calling for the same tools to fund transportation,” said Lynn Mayor Thomas McGee. “We know that making our transportation system reliable, stress-free, affordable and green is necessary if we want to support the many people who want to live and work here. These funding mechanisms are necessary to get us the transportation system we need today and help us plan for the future.”

“The Greater Boston area has the worst congestion in the nation, and suburban commuters bear the brunt of increasing traffic,” said Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll. “To alleviate congestion and the long commutes and greenhouse gas emissions that come with it, we need to invest seriously in solutions to get people out of their cars and onto public transit.”

The groups further committed to work with quasi-public and private entities to leverage all avenues available to raise revenue.

“We have to work closely with our partners at MassPort, for example, as we have conversations about transportation improvements," said Mayor Joe Sullivan of Braintree. "We need to be thinking longer term so that we can plan for the transportation system that will work for our residents for the next 20 and 30 years.”

All three coalitions committed to ensuring that low-income workers and residents can travel affordably throughout the region, with improved access to jobs, homes, schools and parks.

“We cannot continue our historic pattern of under-investing in transit, disproportionally burdening low-income communities and communities of color. These groups need affordable, efficient and reliable ways to get around,” said Chelsea City Manager Thomas Ambrosino. “We need to prioritize equity if we want to link everyone in our region to opportunities.”

“A reliable transportation system that connects the entire Commonwealth is a cornerstone of long-term economic vitality,” said Sarah Stanton, Town Manager of Bedford. “When we invest in local roads and multi-modal infrastructure, we make it safer to get around our communities. When we connect people to reliable transit, we alleviate congestion and its negative impacts. We need to have a predictable revenue stream in order to achieve our shared vision and to meet our needs today and into the future.”

退伍軍人節 波士頓華埠328分會參加大遊行與市長同行(圖片)

波士頓華埠退伍軍人會參加大遊行。(黃周麗桃提供)

紀念退伍軍人節，波士頓市長Marty Walsh和波士頓市議員等人領隊遊行。
(黃周麗桃提供)

波士頓市長Marty Walsh(中)和波士頓消防局局長Joseph Finn(右)，
副局長黃瑞瑜(左)在退伍軍人節遊行活動中合影。(黃周麗桃提供)

波士頓榮光會是波士頓退伍軍人節遊行活動中唯一的外籍退伍軍人隊伍。
(黃周麗桃提供)

波士頓經文處處長徐佑典和波士頓榮光會一起遊行。
(TECO波士頓提供)

海外華人企業家聯合會慶20周年 (圖片)

Baker-Polito Administration Files Unemployment Legislation To Extend Benefits To Relocating Military Spouses

Baker-Polito Administration Files Unemployment Legislation To Extend Benefits To Relocating Military Spouses

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today filed legislation that would extend unemployment benefits to the spouses of servicemembers who are forced to leave their jobs due to military relocation. Under current law, when military families are reassigned to areas outside of Massachusetts, military spouses are not eligible for unemployment insurance because they are considered to have left their job by their own choice. The legislation filed today corrects this portion of the unemployment statute and makes several other changes to state law that update and modernize the Unemployment Insurance program.

“When servicemembers are forced to relocate in order to serve their country, spouses of those soldiers shouldn’t be denied benefits for choosing to keep their families intact,” said Governor Charlie Baker. "This legislation corrects state law to ensure these spouses are no longer penalized for their family’s service, and makes other important changes to modernize the unemployment statute.”

“Military families make profound sacrifices for our country and Commonwealth, and we need to ensure our unemployment system does not deny them benefits when they are forced to move,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We are proud to file this bill that will fix this problem and ensure the unemployment statute meets the needs of the workers and employers of today’s economy.”

The proposed exception applies only to active-duty members of the military. In addition to the extension of unemployment insurance benefits to military spouses, the legislation would also make other changes, including expanding the Department of Unemployment Assistance's ability to recoup fraudulently claimed benefits and clarifying that prison work-release programs are not means for qualifying for unemployment insurance upon release.

“This legislation will help create fairness for our hard-working military families, make important changes to the unemployment statute that will save taxpayer dollars, and make the system more effective at serving Massachusetts’ workers and employers,” said Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Rosalin Acosta.

The Department of Unemployment Assistance, operated under the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, is responsible for managing the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program, which provides temporary income to Massachusetts workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own and are able, available, and actively looking for work.

Click here to read An Act to Support Military Families and Unemployment Transformations

波士頓首次推出台灣藝術季 11月13日起哈佛大學展出

(Boston Orange)一群來自不同領域的年輕創作人，籌備數月後，將於11月13日至22日在哈佛大學史密斯中心(Smith Center)，推出首次的波士頓台灣藝術季，藉由6名藝術創作者和劍橋合唱團的作品展示與演出，讓更多人體會台灣文化的多元與包容。

這首場波士頓台灣藝術季是由哈佛大學前任台灣學生會會長藍凡耘出任藝術季總召， 鍾宇善任執行秘書，施博堯，鄭乃慈任策展及展場設計，將以”揭幕(Reveal)”為主題，在11月13日至22日的每日早上11點至下午7點，在哈佛大學史密斯中心(Arts Wing, Richard A. & Susan F. Smith Campus Center)2樓，安排展出甘泓儒，施博堯，涂豐恩，劉家樑，王其萱，林佑學等人的建築設計，繪畫，攝影，古物等不同作品。

11月16日中午至下午6點半舉行”波士頓台灣藝術季”開幕式，將先請劍橋合唱團快閃合唱，接著邀請藝術家做深度訪談，再放映林佑學的”垃圾山水”短片。

            藍凡耘等主要策畫者表示，這次的展覽以”揭幕”為主題，代表著藝術家希望藉由看來毫不相關，卻又都連結到台灣這島嶼特性的各式作品，展現台灣文化的多樣性。這次的展場空間也藉由置入台灣人熟悉的台灣在地城市元素-鐵皮浪板，作為串聯起不同作品的媒介，同時藉由透明浪板的通透性，為展出各個藝術家作品的不同展區，搭起若有似無的聯繫，還透過不同角度折彎的模組化規矩展架，來傳達浪板之下的台灣藝術及文化。

            查詢首場波士頓台灣藝術季詳情，可上臉書https://www.facebook.com/events/377213916500075。

波士頓僑教中心辦研習班 培訓在地民俗文化教師

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉(右三)和路永宜(右二)，林賢琪(右四)及
學員們合影。(僑教中心提供)

            (Boston Orange)波士頓僑教中心為培養在地民俗文化教師，11月2日舉辦研習班，邀得林賢琪、路永宜2位老師，傳授初級國畫與民俗舞蹈。20餘名老師上課，咸表獲益良多。

林賢琪教國畫。(僑教中心提供)

僑委會為因應海外需求漸多，師資不足狀況，近年積極推動”海外民俗文化教師在地培訓”活動。今年這民國108年，波士頓部分由僑教中心主任歐宏偉策畫，邀得今年暑期回台受訓的林賢琪，路永宜開設初級國畫和民俗舞蹈課程，既分享她倆的教學經驗，也傾囊相授她們這趟回台的學習成果。

在培訓課程中，林賢琪以水墨畫中的「蘭」為主題，闡釋如何把四君子之一的「蘭」帶入文化課。她指出，一筆勾勒蘭葉造型，是國畫功底訓練的最基本課程。她希望文化老師多練習，並以深入淺出的方式來教學生。

路永宜從DIY舞蹈道具開始教，接著基本舞步、隊形變換的，一個下午就教完一支喜氣洋洋「迎春花」舞蹈。參訓老師們紛紛表示獲益良多。

路永宜教民俗舞蹈。(僑教中心提供)

波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉表示，民俗文化種子教師培訓班開辦以來，與時俱進，不斷調整課程內容，經過各方努力，如今已能看到結訓的文化教師，在時令節慶等活動、課堂，以及夏令營等各種場合，發揮民俗文化影響力，為培訓活動成果之豐碩做見證。他希望各個教師在習得技能後，能投入更多的實際民俗教學活動中，讓種子生根發芽，嘉惠青年學生，並傳揚我國多元優質文化。

中華多媒體協會邀鍾倫納談作詩

(Boston Orange)中華多媒體協會將於11月30日(週六)下午2到5點，在波士頓中華廣教學校(90 Tyler St., 的中華公所對面)，舉辦中國歷史文化講座。鍾倫納博士將講談”怎樣寫出自己最喜歡的詩”。

講座內容包括探討施作的意和體，體制，意涵，構思及是自我欣賞或與人分享等。查詢可洽鍾應泰774-365-2225。

鍾倫納博士將於講座同日正午十二時在中國城新月宮與新舊朋友交流，餐飲費用由參加者自付，歡迎參加。