MAYOR WALSH RELEASES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR VISIT BOSTON CAMPAIGN

 

MAYOR WALSH RELEASES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR VISIT BOSTON CAMPAIGN Proposals will shape and execute a branding and marketing campaign to attract tourists

BOSTON - Monday, September 21, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting proposals from consultants, firms, agencies, or other organizations to partner on shaping and executing a branding and marketing campaign to tourists. The RFP is designed to build Boston's brand as a travel destination, increase awareness and active promotion, and drive visits to Boston from diverse local and regional visitors. Completed proposals will be accepted up to October 5, 2020 at 4:00 p.m., and must be submitted electronically via the  Supplier Portal. "With our rich history, diverse neighborhoods, and legacy of arts, culture, and education, Boston has something for everyone," said Mayor Walsh. "The selected campaign will help us showcase all that Boston has to offer as a travel destination, and warmly welcome diverse local and regional visitors to explore our city, while adhering to public health guidelines." As the City of Boston plans to build back stronger and more equitably, the Arts, Culture, and Tourism industry is a critical component to the future success of the City of Boston. The selected campaign will assemble a local tourism campaign to draw diverse tourists to take advantage of all that Boston has to offer as the City safely responds to and recovers from COVID-19. A successful application would examine the ways in which Boston communicates about the offerings of the city, and highlight attractions and events that speak to the experiences of people of color in Boston. As such, part of the evaluation the City of Boston will be using in the selection process will be ensuring the respondent has a plan that demonstrates focus on equity and inclusion. Given the wide range of needed expertise anticipated, the City of Boston welcomes proposals to create partnerships and join with complementary organizations and vendors to provide a comprehensive proposal. Additionally, applicants reflecting the City of Boston's rich diversity are encouraged to apply. The City of Boston is committed to selecting a campaign focused on welcoming all kinds of visitors.  "Arts, Culture, and Tourism are vital to Boston's economic recovery," said Chief of Economic Development John Barros. "Maintaining Boston's economic and competitive advantage depends on a strong recovery in our Arts, Culture, and Tourism industry by showing all that Boston -- both downtown and in our neighborhoods -- has to offer in a way that is appealing and inviting to diverse groups of people locally and across the United States." While contributing 4.83 percent to the Gross City Product, the categories of Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation; Accommodation and Food Services made up 10.4 percent  of the City's jobs. The Arts, Culture, and Tourism sectors provide approximately three times the jobs in Boston compared to the nation overall, and create more jobs than either educational institutions or medical institutions. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Boston hosted over 19 million domestic and 1.7 million international visitors per year. Travelers adhering to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Travel Order, effective August 1, 2020, are welcome to visit Boston and responsibly enjoy its many tourist attractions. All visitors entering Massachusetts, including returning residents, who do not meet an exemption, are required to: Complete the Massachusetts Travel Form prior to arrival, unless they are visiting from a lower-risk state designated by the Department of Public Health; and quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative COVID-19 test result that has been administered up to 72-hours prior to your arrival in Massachusetts.  Currently, travelers from low-risk states are exempt from filling out the Massachusetts Travel Form. Travelers to the City of Boston are encouraged to review the latest public health guidance on boston.gov/covid-19. Travelers may also prepare for their visit by learning about the City of Boston's reopening efforts and public health guidelines for businesses at boston.gov/reopening. Given the importance of this economic pillar to Boston's equitable economic recovery and future, this project will be funded by CARES Act Relief Funding. In accordance with the regulations, the project must provide resources or assistance to mitigate effects on health and/or provide economic support. The selected vendor will need to comply with all associated regulations and provide all contracts, purchase orders, invoices, to validate payment. The ending eligibility date for expenses is December 30, 2020.   This announcement is part of the Walsh Administration's ongoing work to support small businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. On September 15, Mayor Walsh announced the City of Boston is extending the outdoor dining season to better serve restaurants and patrons. On May 21st, the City of Boston announced new measures to help restaurants during the ongoing public health crisis, including expanding outdoor seating, and waiving fees for outdoor space. To date, the Office of Economic Development's Small Business Relief Fund has awarded $6.7 million to businesses in need. The businesses receiving grants represent industries most-impacted by closures, policies, or general loss of revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout every neighborhood in Boston. The Reopen Boston Fund, launched in May 2020, continues to offer grants to Boston's businesses of up to $2,000 to assist with reopening costs, including for PPE. More than 1,200 businesses have received direct grants from the Reopen Boston Fund to date, with more than $2.1 million distributed. To further assist the City's small businesses, the City of Boston created a platform to help businesses source the personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies they will be required to have available in order to ensure the safety of employees and customers as industries begin to reopen. Along with industry-specific reopening requirements, the page includes a list of self-identified, local suppliers of PPE and cleaning supplies, information on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' vendor database, and partner organizations helping to connect businesses with vendors. In addition, in July, Mayor Walsh announced a new ramp initiative to increase accessibility to outdoor dining amidst the COVID-19 public health emergency. Restaurants that have been granted a temporary license to have seating in a parking space or on the street are eligible to request a portable ramp.

CITY OF BOSTON HOSTING ENERGY JUSTICE WEBINAR SERIES TO HELP RESIDENTS PROTECT THEIR ELECTRIC ACCOUNT

 

CITY OF BOSTON HOSTING ENERGY JUSTICE WEBINAR SERIES TO HELP RESIDENTS PROTECT THEIR ELECTRIC ACCOUNT

BOSTON - Monday, September 21, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Environment Department will host the Energy Justice: Protect Your Electric Account series to increase energy literacy and potentially help residents save money on their electric bills.  The webinar series will explain the challenges and financial risks associated with retail energy suppliers, as well as how to seek assistance and access resources to protect their electricity costs. The series will also introduce the upcoming Community Choice Electricity program and associated customer benefits.  Scheduled to launch in February 2021, Community Choice Electricity will provide residents with a safer, affordable, more reliable electricity option. The events are free, open to the public, but registration is required. Date  Time Registration Monday, September 21 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm English Djunta ku nôs na un webinar ku inskrison na Wednesday, September 23 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm English 请到 http://energy-justice-man.eventbrite.com 注册 Tuesday, September 29 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm English 請到 http://energy-justice-can.eventbrite.com 網頁註冊 Thursday, October 1 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm English Participa en nuestro seminario web registrándose en Tuesday, October 6 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm English Hãy tham gia hội thảo qua mạng webinar cùng chúng tôi bằng cách đăng ký tại Thursday, October 8 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm English Vin patisipe nan yon seminè nap fè sou entènèt, annik enskri w nan Webinar #1: Cape Verdean Creole interpretation provided. WHEN: September 21 from 6-7:30 PM.  WHERE: Register at energy-justice-eng1.eventbrite.com. Djunta ku nôs na un webinar ku inskrison na energy-justice-cvc.eventbrite.com. Webinar #2: Mandarin interpretation provided. WHEN: Wednesday, September 23 from 6-7:30 PM. WHERE: Register at energy-justice-eng2.eventbrite.com. 请到 http://energy-justice-man.eventbrite.com 注册。 Webinar #3: Cantonese interpretation provided. WHEN: Tuesday, September 29 from 6-7:30 PM. WHERE: Register at energy-justice-eng3.eventbrite.com. 請到 http://energy-justice-can.eventbrite.com 網頁註冊。 Webinar #4: Spanish interpretation provided. WHEN: Thursday, October 1 from 6-7:30 PM.  WHERE: Register at energy-justice-eng4.eventbrite.com. Participa en nuestro seminario web registrándose en http://energy-justice-span.eventbrite.com. Webinar #5: Vietnamese interpretation provided. WHEN: Tuesday, October 6 from 6-7:30 PM. WHERE: Register at energy-justice-eng5.eventbrite.com. Hãy tham gia hội thảo qua mạng webinar cùng chúng tôi bằng cách đăng ký tại http://energy-justice-vi.eventbrite.com. Webinar #6: Haitian Creole interpretation provided. WHEN: Thursday, October 8 from 6-7:30 PM. WHERE: Register at energy-justice-eng6.eventbrite.com. Vin patisipe nan yon seminè nap fè sou entènèt, annik enskri w nan http://energy-justice-hc.eventbrite.com.

波士頓餐廳戶外用餐許可延至12月1日

https://www.boston.gov/departments/small-business-development/support-bostons-restaurants 

MAYOR WALSH, BOSTON EMS CELEBRATE NEW EMT GRADUATES

 

MAYOR WALSH, BOSTON EMS CELEBRATE NEW EMT GRADUATES

Jocelyn Brandao, a life-long Boston resident, sworn in as a Boston EMS Emergency Medical Technician during today's ceremony in East Boston.  (Mayor's Office photo by Jeremiah Robinson) BOSTON - Monday, September 21, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today joined Boston EMS to celebrate the graduation of 10 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) recruits in a socially distanced, outdoor ceremony at LoPresti Park in East Boston. This graduating class will be assigned to 911 ambulances, strengthening the City of Boston's Emergency Medical Services (EMS). "In our lifetime, we've never seen a crisis quite like the COVID-19 pandemic. And through it all, the men and women at Boston EMS have been on the front lines, leading the City's response with incredible courage and passion," said Mayor Walsh. "I'm proud to be here to congratulate the men and women graduating today as they join the best emergency medical services department in the country. " Today's ceremony formally acknowledges 10 recruits' successful completion of a rigorous post-hire training program for EMTs at Boston EMS. Already state-certified EMTs prior to hire, this graduating class, completed an additional seven months of classroom and field training. Known as "Recruit Class 2020-1," the recruits were trained in a variety of life-threatening emergency situations, including active shooter incidents, hazardous materials exposure, transportation accidents, recovery services, human trafficking and mass casualty incidents. The training program also included a month-long reassignment to assist with the City of Boston's COVID-19 pandemic response, supporting field operations, dispatch operations and enhanced disinfectant procedures. "Their rigorous training academy began when the City only had one confirmed case of COVID-19 and it continued through the surge of the pandemic in Boston. This recruit class has seen firsthand the courage, passion and heart it takes to do this job," said Boston EMS Chief James Hooley. "Welcome to Boston EMS. You are serving in historic times and you are ready." This academy class responded to nearly 1,400 9-1-1 calls during their training. Those emergency incidents included baby deliveries, cardiac arrests, motor vehicle accidents, shootings, stabbings, strokes, overdoses and more. With guidance from seasoned EMT field training officers, recruits are not only prepared to care for patients, regardless of the circumstances, they also now understand the level of care, clinical excellence and professionalism expected of Boston EMS EMTs. Boston EMS is one of the busiest municipal EMS providers in New England, responding to more than 125,000 emergency medical incidents per year. As a bureau of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC), Boston EMS is committed to serving Boston's residents through clinical excellence, emergency planning and preparedness, and community outreach. In his FY20 budget, Mayor Walsh added four EMTs to promote diversity and recruitment as well as resources to expand the capacity of Boston EMS's Community Assistance Team, also known as Squad 80. Squad 80 is a two-person team that travels in a non-transport vehicle and answers calls where patients have a low frequency of being transported to the emergency room, making more ambulances available for priority calls that need to get patients to the hospital. It also connects people to our recovery or homeless services and other city programs. In FY21, Mayor Walsh is investing in seven new ambulances, as well as new portable radios to support coordination and communication, new body armor to protect EMTs and Paramedics and new AEDs for patient care.

洪門致公堂元老阮全義辭世

               (Boston Orange)早年有”午夜後波士頓市長”暱稱的洪門致公堂元老，紐英崙中華公所顧問阮全義，9月6日辭世，9月19日葬於佛士曉墳場。

               阮全義是波士頓華埠的第一位亞裔鷹級童軍，畢業於英文高中，波士頓大學，曾任美國陸軍中尉。所有人都親切喊他”Mooky”。當年他經營著名的四海餐廳，大概有十幾，廿年的時間，一入深夜，他就是發號施令人了。幾乎每天的凌晨三點，人們都可以看到政客，警察，幫派人物，體育明星，艷舞女郎，以及所有其他形式，真正多元的夜貓子，在他的餐廳內，快樂的並肩而坐，就著銀壺，啜飲”冷茶”。

               他13歲那年，和一小群朋友創立”工和俱樂部(Gung Ho Club)”，讓波士頓華埠青少年有了個可以交流互動，傳承文化，從事體育運動的組織。2018年才慶祝成立70週年，如今大部分人都稱之為”洪青體育會”的這組織，迄今已經傳承了好幾代，長大了的會員們分別成為企業家，民選官員，執法人員，消防員，以及各方面的專業人才或文化領袖，持續不斷的為華埠社區服務。

               阮全義後來當上波士頓洪門致公堂及美洲洪門致公堂的主席，並成為出任該職位的第一個在美出生華人。

               在波士頓華埠之內，阮全義就是團結力量，他在顯赫政客和波士頓華埠之間搭起橋樑。任何人需要幫助，都知道可以去找Mooky叔叔。今後，人們將永遠記得他尖銳的嘲諷，調皮的笑容，穿著量身訂做的西服，燙得畢挺的襯衫，指甲修飾得體，戴著標誌性的玉指環。

               阮全義身後遺有二子一女及三名孫子女。

商務部長發聲明 Tiktok 禁令延至9月27日生效

Statement on Delayed Prohibitions Related to TikTok

In light of recent positive developments, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, at the direction of President Trump, will delay the prohibition of identified transactions pursuant to Executive Order 13942, related to the TikTok mobile application that would have been effective on Sunday, September 20, 2020, until September 27, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.

Boston Resiliency Fund issued $840,000 to 19 organizations

 

MAYOR WALSH AND STEERING COMMITTEE ANNOUNCE 20TH ROUND OF BOSTON RESILIENCY FUND GRANTS    Since March, the Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed over $26.3 million to 348 local organizations   BOSTON - Friday, September 18, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Boston Resiliency Fund Steering Committee today announced the twentieth round of Boston Resiliency Fund grants, with over $840,000 in new grants awarded to 19 local organizations and nonprofits. Since launching in March to help Boston residents most affected by COVID-19, the Boston Resiliency Fund has distributed over $26.3 million to 348 local organizations and nonprofits. Fifty five percent of grantee organizations are led by a person of color, 58 percent of grantee organizations are led by a woman, and 27 percent of grantees are immigrant-serving organizations. A map and a list of every organization that has received funding from the Boston Resiliency Fund can be found here.    "We created the Boston Resiliency Fund so that our nonprofit partners could more quickly and effectively provide outreach and support to our most vulnerable populations throughout the City of Boston," said Mayor Walsh. "I am so proud that we have reached this milestone of distributing grants to organizations providing vital services to Bostonians. Thank you to all of our partners who have helped showcase the importance of working together."   The twentieth round of grants include funding to support culturally competent food access services through trusted community organizations in for neighborhoods throughout Boston, wraparound services for students, and expanded COVID-19 testing at The Dimock Center.    "The Boston Resiliency Fund's grant will help The Dimock Center expand our COVID-19 testing staffing and hours to reach more people in our community," said Raquel Rosenblatt, Chief Development Officer at The Dimock Center. "The demand for testing at Dimock has more than doubled in the past month. This generous grant will ensure that we respond to the significant need in Roxbury as we enter the fall and next phase of the pandemic. We appreciate the tremendous support of the Boston Resiliency Fund for Dimock's urgent work over the past six months."   Building Audacity: Building Audacity will use the grant to offer grocery gift cards, hot lunch delivery, and a virtual academic recovery program. To ensure fully supporting multilingual student learners and families, Building Audacity will offer academic recovery sessions and family engagement in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, and Portuguese.   Central Assembly of God Church: Central Assembly of God Church in East Boston will use the grant to sustain efforts to provide a twice-weekly distribution of food that gives East Boston community members access to essential and nutritious foods by combining fresh produce from a local vendor and food staple items from local sources. This grant will also help sustain the local business economy by purchasing fresh produce items from a local community grocer.    Community Caring Clinic: Community Caring Clinic will use the grant to provide grocery gift cards to clients, who are mostly frontline workers in essential retail, transportation and health care, and from the low-income, immigrant, and/or Islamic communities of Boston.    Company One: Company One will use the grant to serve the 50-100 diverse organizations that provide services to BPS schools as partners or in a support capacity to assist in the transition to online services. All programming will be offered for free and additional resources, such as handouts, video training and connections with similar organizations will be made available to all partner organizations through the BPS Partnership Office in multiple languages. All digital content will have simultaneous interpretation and captioning.   DeeDee's Cry Suicide Prevention and Family Support: DeeDee's Cry will use the grant to provide Amazon gift cards for basic supplies and groceries through Amazon Fresh to families or individuals that reside within the communities of Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan, and have fallen behind on rent or bills or lost wages due to COVID-19.   The Dimock Center: The Dimock Center started to offer onsite COVID-19 testing to patients in March 2020, and expanded to community testing in May 2020, thanks to the support of a Boston Resiliency Fund grant and additional federal funds. This additional grant will allow them to employ additional staff for testing operations off-side and expand the hours for testing at the Dimock.    Fair Foods: Fair Foods will use the funding from Boston Resiliency Fund to increase food access in two ways for 18 immigrant-serving nonprofits. For 11 of their nonprofit partners, Fair Foods will supply fresh produce to distribute to individuals at no cost. The Boston Resiliency Fund grant will also allow Fair Foods to empower seven of their nonprofit partners with vouchers to distribute to individuals. Each voucher has the purchasing power of two bags of fresh produce. Without a voucher, individuals can purchase one bag of fresh produce for $2, valued originally at $15 to $20. Vouchers can be used at Fair Foods locations throughout the City of Boston. Locations can be found here.    FUNDO ARCU (Dominican Foundation of Arts and Culture): FUNDO ARCU will use the BRF grant to support the Dominican community in the City of Boston by providing gift cards, ethnic food boxes, laundry baskets and supplies, baby formula and diapers, and other basic hygiene products.   Haitian American Public Health Initiatives, Inc: Haitian American Public Health Initiatives, Inc. (HAPHI) will use the grant to purchase nutritious food including vegetables, cereal, meats, fish, poultry, and fruits for Boston residents. Many clients of HAPHI have children with disabilities. For parents or seniors who are unable to cook, premade meals will be provided from a local restaurant. HAPHI drivers will provide door to door delivery of groceries and meals so parents and seniors do not need to leave their homes.    Hearth, Inc: The Hearth Inc. will use the grant to purchase 100 grocery gift cards for their clients, as well as three months of personal protective equipment for direct care staff and cleaning products for six Hearth-owned sites in Boston.    Louis D. Brown Peace Institute: The Louis D. Brown Peace Institute (LDBPI) will use this grant to support Boston's families, children, and seniors with food access through gift cards and monetary food vouchers for groceries. LDBPI will also provide programming for critical mental health and behavioral training for Boston's frontline workers so that they can give essential crisis and trauma management to the families of Boston who have been impacted by trauma, grief and loss during the COVID-19 pandemic.    METCO, Inc.: METCO will use the grant to provide wraparound service support and referrals to Boston students in the METCO program. A case manager will meet virtually and individually with each family to evaluate needs, directly assist with application processes such as SNAP, unemployment, and financial assistance (especially relevant for literacy-challenged or English learners), compile a comprehensive hub of resources and provide referrals to agencies that can further address additional needs.   Mount Olives Community Center: Mount Olives Community Center will use the grant to support digital literacy at their space in Hyde Park.    St. Stephen's Youth Programs: St. Stephen's Youth Programs will use the grant to support their COVID-19 response program called B-LOVE. The intent of B-LOVE is to support the community's most basic needs by distributing food, paper products, cleaning supplies, and gift cards.   Salesian Boys & Girls Club: Salesian Boys & Girls Club will use the grant to support their  Weekly Family Dinner Night Program. These funds will be used to increase the numbers of families served from 60 to 90 families this fall.   Sociedad Latina: Sociedad Latina will use the grant to fund essential care packages of PPE for families and at-home kits with supplies and materials that enable our youth to participate in programming at home.    Tifereth Raphael: Tifereth Raphael will use the BRF grant to increase their food and basic needs inventory through the purchase and storage of specialty kosher food items to support the Jewish community in Boston.    Urban Guild Inc.: Urban Guild Inc. will use the grant to continue their current work to help with holistic support for their community, including stewarding communal Guild gardens, and to provide food access support for their community by purchasing and distributing food boxes through local businesses.    Vietnamese American Initiative for Development, Inc. (VietAid): VietAid will use the grant to continue supporting staff coordination of meal sites, and provide temporary staff to assist with benefit applications and culturally appropriate meals for older adults and groceries for families in Fields Corner. Funds will also be used to purchase necessities such as hand sanitizer, diapers, and PPE.    ###

The Passing of Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg Means America’s Vote Becomes Ever More Important

 

The Passing of Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg Means America’s Vote Becomes Ever More Important
Advancing Justice – AAJC Says the American People Need A Voice in Next SCOTUS Appointment  

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is sending shockwaves across America.  As the nation mourns, a new battle on Capitol Hill looms, as many expect some in Congress to exploit this national loss for partisan gain.

John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC releases the following statement in response:

“Tonight, Advancing Justice - AAJC mourns the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She was a pioneering champion for gender equality and a tireless protector of civil and human rights for all people in this country. Her voice will be sorely missed.

As a civil rights organization, Advancing Justice - AAJC honors Justice Ginsburg, as a guiding light on cases of utmost importance to the work we do and the equity we seek, not only for Asian Americans but for all Americans. From dissenting opinions in Shelby v. Holder and Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. to landmark opinions in Evenwel v. Abbott that affirmed one person, one vote and United States v. Virginia which allowed women to attend the Virginia Military Institute, Justice Ginsburg was an unrelenting, fierce defender of justice.

Given that people are already voting, and Election Day is less than 45 days away, ‘we the people’ should choose the president who will choose Justice Ginsburg’s replacement.  Anything else is undemocratic.  This election already was critically important in determining the future of our country.  Tonight, it became even more important.  

But tonight is about remembering a remarkable legal career and a chance to walk in the shadow of greatness and to uphold the code of fairness and equity with which Ruth Bader Ginsburg lived her life. Advancing Justice – AAJC will honor the legacy of Justice Ginsburg through our work.”

麻州新冠病毒疫情回升? 新增確診數一連兩日超過400

             (Boston Orange 編譯)麻州的新型冠狀病毒(COVID-19)疫情又回升了，9月18日新增431宗確診個案，累計12萬4570宗。新增8人死亡，累計9,059人。

                這是麻州確診個案持續數天下降至不到300宗以來，首次連續2天，新增確診數都超過400宗。9月17日新增了419宗。

              麻州公共衛生廳報告的是今日有22,217人做了分子檢測後的數據。迄今麻州已有200萬名居民做過新冠病毒檢測。從病毒大流行發生以來，麻州共做過320萬次的分子檢測。

             目前的連續7天平均確診率都還是維持在0.8%左右。帶病住院如數則為338，其中62人住在重症病房。

             南塔基島(Nantucket)上醫療資源有限，該地區個案增加令人憂慮。屋斯特區(Worcester)市經理Edward Augustus Jr.認為，該市確診個案增加較多，多半源於家庭聚會時，許多人已經厭倦而沒有理會戴口罩，保持社交安全距離的這些要求。

             根據疾病防治局(CDC)的資料，截至週五，全美新型冠狀病毒確診人數已達6,656,799，和週四相比，增加了43,468人。死亡人數也已累計到197,116，快要超過20萬人了。

             美國傳染病專家佛奇博士(Dr. Anthony Fauci)最近才發出新警告。他在接受MSNBC採訪時，建議在病毒得到控制前，美國境內那些感染個案數最多地區的餐館，酒吧，應持續關閉。他說，在傳染率高社區的餐館內不戴口罩，會有問題。