吳弭發起進華埠吃點心 破除坊間新冠狀病毒恐懼

(Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 波士頓市議員吳弭(Michelle Wu)，愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)，昆士市市議會議長梁秀婷(Nina Liang)，將和亞美專業人士協會波士頓分會(NAAAP Boston)，麻州餐館協會，全美亞裔總商會下一代分會(ACE Nextgen)等組織攜手合作，呼籲各界於2月15日早上10點至12點，到波士頓華埠龍鳳酒樓”飲茶”，吃點心，支持波士頓華埠企業。

世界衛生組織定名為COVID-19的新型冠狀病毒，在2019年12月底最早從中國武漢傳出疫情後，由於陸續證實病毒可經由飛沫等途徑人傳人，傳染範圍遍及20多國，確診人數攀升至6萬，死亡人數逾千。

截至2月13日，全世界確診病例已有60314，其中約6萬宗發生在中國，5萬多宗集中在湖北，湖北武漢更是高發區，逾3萬宗。死亡人數則高達1367，近千人逝於武漢。

世界各國採取的禁航，檢疫，嚴格執行隔離14天等措施，以及媒體的大幅度報導，不但使得”新型冠狀病毒恐懼症”越演越烈，許多華人、亞裔，及其食肆、店鋪都被波及，成為避免接觸對象。

坊間陸續曾有報導指出，以美國為例，每年的流感季，都有逾千萬人感染，死亡人數也逾萬，照說比新型冠狀病毒危害更烈，人們只要像因應一般流感一樣，做好預防措施，用肥皂或酒精勤洗手，打噴嚏或咳嗽要用紙巾遮住，避免用手觸摸眼睛，鼻子和嘴巴等地方，避免和患病人士接觸等，對這新型冠狀病毒不須過於敏感。

有觀察家認為，是新型冠狀病毒成因不明，迄今無確切藥物可治，絕大部分染患者都是中國人，再加上媒體的大幅度報導，才增加了人們的恐懼。

波士頓市議員愛德華費林，波士頓市政府，昆士市政府也都為此發出過中英文的新型冠狀病毒解說與預防方法。

COVID-19疫情的越演越烈，引發美國各地華埠人潮銳減情況，波士頓華埠也出現商家生意暴跌現象。全美亞裔總商會下一代分會(ACE Nextgen)波士頓會長蘇宇寅(Ian So)表示，華裔商家的營業額普遍約暴跌50%到70%，情況頗嚴峻，受影響的遠不只是商家，還有這些企業的僱員及其家人。

波士頓市議員吳弭及愛德華費林，昆士市市議會議長梁秀婷因此和華人團體組織合作，呼籲各界在2月15日早上10點進華埠，到龍鳳餐廳飲茶吃點心活動。波士頓市長馬丁華殊也在社交媒體上推廣”華埠賓果(Chinatown Bingo)”遊戲，主旨都在強調，新冠狀病毒在麻州只出現一宗確診案例，波士頓市府也立即採取了安全措施，民眾不需要害怕得整個華埠社區都不敢涉足。

波士頓主流媒體如波士頓環球報(Boston Globe)，波士頓前鋒報(Boston Herald)，CBS的4號頻道WBZ，NBC，25號頻道，廣播電台的WBUR等，近日紛紛踏足波士頓華埠，採訪了華埠大排檔的Raymond Choi，南北和的宮雪花，龍鳳酒樓的梅沛傑，樂嚐軒的陳文棟等食肆老闆，報導相關情況，要讓更多人知道踏進波士頓華埠和到麻州任何其他地方，一樣安全。

波士頓亞美電影節(BAAFF)為支持這活動，特地宣佈凡是購票(10元)，參加到華埠吃點心活動者，都可免費獲得在派拉蒙劇院(Paramount Theater)放映的"愛之船:台灣(Love Boat: Taiwan)”紀錄片的入場券一張，https://artsemerson.org/Online/article/love-boat 。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THAT HOME FORECLOSURES IN BOSTON DROPPED MORE THAN 60 PERCENT IN 2019

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THAT HOME FORECLOSURES IN BOSTON DROPPED MORE THAN 60 PERCENT IN 2019

Citywide, foreclosures were reduced from 103 to 40, a 61 percent reduction

BOSTON - Tuesday, February 11, 2020 - Building on his Administration's work to prevent foreclosures and keep people in their homes, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced foreclosures in the City of Boston have dropped 61 percent since 2018, reaching a 17 year low, according to year-end reporting. Citywide, foreclosure executions were reduced from 103 in 2018 to 40 in 2019. At the height of the foreclosure crisis in 2008, the foreclosure executions in Boston numbered 1,215.  "I'm proud that through our work with homeowners, we have been able to reduce the number of foreclosures in Boston, and keep more families in their homes," said Mayor Walsh. "These results show that our programs and policies to prevent foreclosures and evictions are working. Housing stability is vital to ensuring Boston has strong neighborhoods and communities, and I want to thank the leadership and staff of the Boston Home Center and all of our provider partners who work so hard for Boston's homeowners every day." According to the year-end reporting, the number of foreclosures executed against owner-occupant homeowners was halved from 35 in 2018 to 17 in 2019. Of the 40 foreclosure executions in 2019, 17 were owner-occupant homeowners while the remaining 23 executions were on investor-owners. Reducing the number of foreclosure executions on owner-occupied homes in the City of Boston to less than 20 per year is one of the goals of Mayor Walsh's comprehensive housing policy for Boston, Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030.  The Boston Home Center, a division of the Department of Neighborhood Development works with Boston homeowners at risk of foreclosure and funds foreclosure prevention programs at ABCD/Mattapan Family Services, ESAC, Urban Edge, and Nuestra Communidad. These partnerships are made possible by grants from the federal government, and competitive awards the Home Center receives from the Massachusetts Division of Banks and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office. In 2019, the Boston Home Center and its partners assisted 205 homeowners at risk of foreclosure or in need of a more sustainable housing situation, preserving more than 100 tenancies in multi-family homes. More than half of the homeowners assisted were seniors, and the average owner income was $40,300.  "Since its inception in 2007, the partnership between the City of Boston Department Neighborhood Development/Boston Home Center and ABCD Mattapan Family Service Center has provided foreclosure prevention and homeowner stabilization counseling to more than 1,000 Boston families," said John J. Drew, ABCD President and CEO. "This partnership has a 96 percent success rate at negotiating affordable mortgage payments and implementing strategies that have prevented foreclosures and stabilized the Mattapan neighborhood. Increasing housing stability strengthens communities and we are proud of the work we do to assist our clients." The number of lender-owned (REO) properties, homes that are held by a bank or mortgage company after not being sold at a foreclosure auction, has also been reduced by 60 percent. This 60 percent reduction benchmark means that Boston has not only exceeded the goal of a 50 percent reduction of REOs established in Mayor Walsh's housing plan but is a further indicator that Boston's housing market has largely recovered from the housing financial market collapse of 2008.  "The Boston Home Center has been an essential resource for local homeowners facing foreclosure and other housing challenges," said Attorney General Maura Healey. "We are grateful for the City's ongoing partnership in our efforts to combat the foreclosure crisis and support housing stability across the state." Earlier this week, Mayor Walsh announced that one in four units of new housing permits in the City of Boston in 2019 was below-market-rate and deed-restricted. According to the data, nearly 26 percent, or 830 of the 3,206 housing units permitted in 2019, will be made available to those meeting income-eligibility criteria.  Since Mayor Walsh took office in 2014, the City of Boston has built more than 65 percent of all new homes in Greater Boston, with 20 percent of them deed-restricted for low- and middle-income households. Boston has surpassed 32,000 units permitted under the Administration's housing plan, including more than 6,200 deed-restricted units and 500 units for senior housing. More than 1,000 Boston Housing Authority units have been renovated, and the Department of Neighborhood Development (DND) has assisted more than 600 homebuyers in purchasing their homes and has aided 946 homeowners with mortgage workouts or other assistance in averting foreclosure or stabilizing their housing.  As part of the Administration's commitment to preventing displacement, Mayor Walsh filed a legislative package to the State Legislature that includes anti-displacement proposals. They include measures that would allow tenants and non-profits the right of first refusal to purchase properties subject to foreclosure or short sale; the right to counsel for tenants in housing court; protections for senior tenants; and the creation of a state income tax credit for renting unsubsidized units at below-market rates. Mayor Walsh has publicly testified at the State House to support the passage of these proposals.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERMITS IN BOSTON ROSE TO MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF ALL UNITS PERMITTED IN 2019

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERMITS IN BOSTON ROSE TO MORE THAN 25 PERCENT OF ALL UNITS PERMITTED IN 2019

Reflects shift to increasing affordable units in Boston's neighborhoods

BOSTON - Monday, February 10, 2020 - Building on Boston's work to address the need for more affordable housing in Boston, Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced that one in four units of new housing permitted in the City of Boston in 2019 was below market-rate and deed-restricted, according to an analysis of year-end data from the Walsh Administration. According to the data, nearly 26 percent, or 830 of the 3,206 housing units permitted in 2019, will be made available to those meeting income-eligibility criteria. The data also shows that in 2019, 77 of all new permits were in Boston's neighborhoods outside of the downtown area.  "There is no question that housing is the biggest economic challenge our residents face," said Mayor Walsh. "These permits show that in Boston, we're taking our role in creating and permitting affordable housing seriously, and we continue to do everything in our power to ensure there are affordable housing options available for all those who call Boston home. I want to thank all our partners who share our goals, and make this work possible." As of the end of 2019, Boston had permitted 32,627 new units of housing, 127 percent  of the target pace necessary to successfully execute Mayor Walsh's comprehensive housing plan, which calls for the creation of 69,000 new units by 2030 as described in Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030. More than half of the 2019 newly permitted affordable housing units are income- restricted to households earning less than approximately $54,000 for a two-person household. During 2019, the City awarded $50 million in funding to create 445 new income-restricted units and preserve 194 existing affordable units. In addition in 2019, the Boston Planning & Development Agency approved 4,715 residential units, including 1,216 income-restricted units, representing over 26 percent of total units. The BPDA approved projects will generate over $2 million in new Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) funds and $21.7 million in Linkage fees to support affordable housing and job training.  These actions have brought the active affordable housing pipeline to a total of 4,890 units. Along with the 6,309 units permitted to date, the City now has 11,199 affordable units that are complete, in construction or underway. This total represents 70 percent of the City's 15,820-unit target for 2030. "Building affordable housing in Boston is a challenge, but one that we are committed to," said John B. Cruz III, President and CEO of the Cruz Companies. "In 2019, we moved forward on the Michael E. Haynes Arms Apartments on Warren Street in Roxbury. We're building 55 rental units, 46 of which will be below-market and affordable, plus great commercial space, partly on formerly city-owned land. This is one of 14 affordable housing projects we've worked on with the City of Boston. Together, we've built more than 830 units of affordable housing, and I look forward to our continued partnership."  The Walsh Administration has also made commitments to incentivizing these kinds of affordable developments by making 3 million square feet of city-owned land and buildings available for redevelopment. 2.3 million square feet is in the process of redevelopment, and will ultimately produce 1,770 units of housing, of which 71 percent will be income-restricted affordable units. In 2019 alone, DND designated developers for 262,000 square feet of City-owned real estate that will result in 310 new affordable units.  "At Caribbean Integration Community Development (CICD), we're working with the City of Boston as we move forward on creating Cote Village, a 100 percent affordable housing facility that reflects the needs of the working class residents in Mattapan," said Donald Alexis, President of CICD. "This city-owned land that has been an eyesore for many decades will house 76 units to be rented at below-market prices, community space, and commercial space that will benefit the Mattapan Square Neighborhood. This is truly a transformative project for Mattapan and we're proud to be a part of it."  Last week, Mayor Walsh awarded $69.2 million in funding for the creation and preservation of 1,097 units of housing in Brighton, Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury and West Roxbury. These funds represent the largest affordable housing funding awards by the City of Boston since the release of Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 in 2014. The $69.2 million commitment is over and above the commitment made in his State of the City address last month, where Mayor Walsh pledged $500 million over the next five years to create thousands of homes across Boston affordable to households with low and middle incomes.  In an effort to remove barriers to housing for residents, Mayor Walsh last week also announced that he is launching a working group to study broker fees in Boston to understand how these fees impact renters in the City.  Through increases in the City's operating and capital budgets, the investment announced in the Mayor's State of the City address will double the City's current funding in affordable housing to $100 million. Additional revenue will be generated by selling the Lafayette Garage, as well as working with the Massachusetts Legislature to approve a transfer fee of up to 2 percent on private real estate sales over $2 million in the City of Boston. These combined investments will increase the available funds for affordable housing to five times current funding levels over the next five years. The need for affordable housing options for Boston's aging population has also been a focus of similar incentives. Mayor Walsh's housing plan calls for 2,000 new units of low-income senior housing by 2030. Offering city-owned land and funding for deeper affordability has stimulated development, with 507 units currently in development, and another 853 in the pipeline.That pipeline includes Boston's first LGBTQ-friendly senior housing development on the site of the former Rogers School in Hyde Park. When complete, the $33 million development will preserve the beauty of the original 1899 building, while creating 74 new income-restricted rental units that will be welcoming to seniors 62 years and older, and specifically welcoming to seniors who identify as LGBTQ. All units will be deed-restricted in perpetuity, and will provide affordable, safe housing for seniors across a wide variety of incomes. Since Mayor Walsh took office in 2014, the City of Boston has built more than 65 percent of all  new homes in Greater Boston, with 20 percent of them deed-restricted for low- and middle-income households. Boston has surpassed 32,000 units permitted under the administration's housing plan, including more than 6,200 deed-restricted units and 500 units for senior housing. More than 1,000 Boston Housing Authority units have been renovated, and the Department of Neighborhood Development has assisted more than 600 homebuyers in purchasing their homes, and has aided 946 homeowners with mortgage workouts or other assistance in averting foreclosure or stabilizing their housing.

麻州總統初選3/3 提前投票2/24-28

2/16-4/12到素描湘 支援武漢醫療人員

              (Boston Orange 綜合報導) 在2月16日至4月12日的8週之間，請到麻州劍橋市Kendall廣場的素描湘餐廳吃碗湖南滷肉粉、武漢熱乾麵。餐廳東主陳素描將把這碗粉、麵的營業額，100%捐給同濟醫學院海外校友會，專門用於資助武漢地方醫院及醫護人員。

              陳素描日前透過微信，電郵等各種管道，以中英文訊息邀請各界到素描湘餐廳，嚐嚐大廚精心製作的武漢最著名街頭小吃熱乾麵，以及該餐廳最受歡迎的湖南滷肉粉，藉此匯聚各界愛心，籌募資源，支援武漢的地方醫院及醫療人員，在新冠狀病毒Covid19肆虐，國際關注之際，聊盡棉薄之力。

              陳素描直言，她在湖南長大，但在武漢的同濟醫學院完成學業，覓得鶼鰈情深的終身伴侶朱少純，她對武漢有著極深感情。武漢的爆發新冠狀病毒嚴重疫情，許多當年同窗冒著被感染危險，沒日沒夜的在臨床醫療最前線為民服務，讓她更加心疼武漢。過去這些日子以來，新冠狀病毒的散佈迅速，在國際間引發對華人，亞裔的負面反應，也讓她感慨，覺得必須做點事。

推出吃武漢熱乾麵，湖南滷肉粉的活動，陳素描不單只想要為支援武漢募資，她還將安排每天在餐館播放宣傳武漢城市形象的宣傳片，希望藉著該店中西兼備的顧客群，促進交流，幫助海外大眾釐清對待中國政府體制和行政手段失誤的不滿和憤怒，維護中國人，海外華人以及武漢的形象。
她將放映的宣傳片包括https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RirxVLDMllA&feature=youtu.be，https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmMX4S_FmkU&feature=youtu.be。

              根據陳素描的微信朋友圈，儘管這項吃武漢熱乾麵，湖南滷肉粉的活動16日才正式啟動，她的許多朋友，同學，甚至不認識的陌生人，已經響應，自動自發地到”素描湘”點用這兩道美食，為武漢加油。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2020 CITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON RESIDENTS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2020 CITY SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE TO BOSTON RESIDENTS

BOSTON - Saturday, February 8, 2020 -  Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced applications are now available for the 2020 City of Boston Scholarship Program. The City of Boston Scholarship Program is designed to support higher education, and is available to Boston residents interested in pursuing an undergraduate degree or continuing education in Massachusetts. "I'm proud the City of Boston works to lift everyone up, and make higher education available to all," said Mayor Walsh. "Through the City of Boston Scholarship Fund, we can help turn students' dreams of attending college a reality. I encourage residents throughout every neighborhood to apply to this program, and look forward to the next generation of leaders gaining the opportunities they deserve to succeed." The City of Boston Scholarship fund is a need-based scholarship that provides up to $10,000 over four years towards tuition, and relies primarily on generous contributions from individuals, organizations and corporations to further the goal of having more Boston residents complete a post-secondary education. During the 2019-2020 academic year, the scholarship program awarded a total of $297,000 to over 120 students representing many different neighborhoods of Boston, and who attend 34 local colleges and universities. This year, the Fund will select 25 new scholarship recipients.  This year's scholarships are supported by generous contributions from Boston residents and corporations, including Arbella Insurance Foundation, Jonathan and Margot Davis, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Herb Chambers Foundation, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Lewis Family Foundation, Santander, Rapid7 and the family and friends of Edward Holland, a devoted Boston Public Schools teacher.  "HMH is deeply committed to improving student outcomes and integral to that goal is supporting need-based scholarship funds like the City of Boston Scholarship program," said Jack Lynch, CEO of learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, "It's an important investment in students right here in our own community, and in the future of the city where HMH was founded and calls home." The Scholarship Committee has worked in recent years to simplify the application process for students. Highlights include an updated online application, a simplified recommendation form that assesses college and career readiness, three short-answer questions in place of a longer essay, an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculator for students not eligible for FAFSA, and a clear recognition of financial need among continuing education students.  "As a first generation college student, I never knew that I was going to be able to go to college. Now that I'm in my last year of school, it's a dream come true," said Jose Mendoza, a City of Boston Scholarship recipient and senior at Lesley University, "This scholarship means the world to me because it has lowered the cost of my tuition and it has taken some weight and stress off of me and especially off of my hard-working parents. The City of Boston Scholarship has had a huge impact and I'm grateful to be a recipient."  The City of Boston Scholarship program is part of Mayor Walsh's commitment to ensuring that all Boston residents are able to access and complete their post-secondary education. In 2016, Mayor Walsh launched tuition-free community college for Boston Public Schools graduates, providing a cost-effective entry point into higher education for Boston's young people. Participating colleges now include Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Bunker Hill Community College, MassBay Community College, Massasoit Community College, and Roxbury Community College.  Mayor Walsh, in partnership with the Frieze Family Foundation, has also launched the GRAD Last Mile Fund in 2018, an innovative scholarship program designed to provide financial support to Boston students nearing college graduation. Additional resources for residents pursuing higher education can be found on the Mayor's Higher Education Resource page.  In 2017, Mayor Walsh Boston Saves, the City's Children's Savings Account (CSA) program. Boston Saves is a children's savings account program that helps families of Boston Public School students save and plan for their children's college or career training from K2 kindergarten onward. Through Boston Saves, every K2 kindergartner in BPS gets an account with $50 for their future college or career training. Families can get even more money for their child, called Boston Saves Dollars, and track those savings in the Boston Saves Online Savings Center. Candidates for the City of Boston Scholarship Program must be Boston residents who have graduated from high school or have completed G.E.D. programming by the time the awards are made. Additionally, candidates must be planning to attend, or currently attending, a two- or four-year accredited post-secondary institution in Massachusetts.  Residents who meet these eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply here. The deadline to submit applications is April 10, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. For applicants who are renewing their scholarship from a previous year, please email COBscholarship@boston.gov. For more information on the City of Boston Scholarship, or to apply, please visit Boston.gov/scholarship.

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING TO CITY EMPLOYEES

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING TO CITY EMPLOYEES

BOSTON - Wednesday, February 12, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for consulting services to develop and implement a racial equity training for employees of the City of Boston. This RFP follows an Executive Order Relative to Racial Equity and Leadership, which requires all city departments to engage in a training program and collect data to evaluate how racial equity is being advanced across departments. All proposals must be submitted by March 5, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.  "Local government has the responsibility to do everything in our power to address racial and ethnic disparities," said Mayor Walsh. "To create citywide resilience, Boston must institutionalize racial equity in our workplaces and practices, including within our own city government." First announced in the Mayor's 2019 State of the City, this effort strengthens the City's commitment to advance racial equity, prioritize social justice and strengthen social cohesion across all city agencies. The selected provider will work with the Mayor's Office of Resilience and Racial Equity, the Diversity Office and the Office of Human Resources to develop a training curriculum tailored to the City of Boston, devise a plan to bring the training to all City employees, deliver the training across the City and establish a sustainable model for ongoing delivery into the future.  In 2017, Mayor Walsh released Boston's first citywide Resilience Strategy, 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.The strategy was developed as part of the Boston's partnership with 100 Resilient Cities (100RC). Boston was named part of the 100RC Network in December 2014. As a member of the 100RC Network, Boston has received tools, technical expertise, funding and other resources to build resilience to the challenges of the 21st century. The RFP was released on Monday, February 10 and proposals are due by March 5, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. Copies of the Request for Proposals may be obtained from the City's procurement website and Supplier Portal under Event ID EV00007680.  ABOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF RESILIENCE AND RACIAL EQUITY The Mayor's Office of Resilience and Racial Equity leads efforts to help Boston plan for and deal with catastrophes and slow-moving disasters - like persistent racial and economic inequality - that have become part of 21st century life. For more information, please visit.