麻州學校有累計388名學生233名教職員確診

             (Boston Orange 編譯) 截至10月21日的這星期，麻州新冠病毒確診的學生多了129名，教職員多了73名。迄今已累計有388名學生，233名教職員確診了。

             麻州共有530個學區、教育合作項目，特別教育學校，其中105個學區報告至少出現1宗新冠病毒確診個案。麻州官員估計，全州大約有45萬名學生會到校上課。

             以前麻州政府並不會追蹤確診個案發生的時間，只在學校向州政府報告之後才會做。但上星期開始，麻州教育部門規定地方學區必須報告新冠病毒確診個案了。

             麻州教育部門人員並未發現任何確診個案是在學校內感染的，麻州政府已派出5個快速檢測流動單位進駐4個社區內的5所學校樓宇，以在學校發生聚集感染狀況時，幫助學校決定下一步行動。

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF PHASE ONE OF FLAT 9 AT WHITTIER, GROUNDBREAKING OF PHASE TWO

 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES THE OPENING OF PHASE ONE OF FLAT 9 AT WHITTIER, GROUNDBREAKING OF PHASE TWO   Project will replace 200 units of affordable housing with 210 new affordable units, add 262 mixed-income apartments in Roxbury     BOSTON - Friday, October 23, 2020 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh joined the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) and community partners Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) and MassHousing to celebrate the first grand opening at the award-winning Flat 9 at Whittier, Phase One of the redevelopment of the Whittier Street Apartments in Roxbury, a public housing community which first opened in 1953. Once all three phases are completed, the redevelopment will replace 200 existing public housing rental apartments with 210 deeply affordable units, and create 262 additional units of mixed-income rental housing. The redevelopment of the Whittier Street public housing development will also create 14,000 square feet of commercial space.    "As we shape Boston's growth, we must make sure our progress benefits everyone, especially long-term residents of the City," said Mayor Walsh. "I'm incredibly proud of the dedication of our partners who have come together to create a brighter future for the residents of Whittier Street and the surrounding neighborhood."   The celebration also marks the groundbreaking of Phase Two of the transformative redevelopment at Tremont, Ruggles and Whittier Streets. Due to concerns over in-person events, the development partners released a 5-minute Virtual Ribbon Cutting & Tour video to mark the occasion.   "Our resident leaders, BHA staff and Roxbury neighbors fought hard to secure a bright new future for the Whittier community," said BHA Administrator Kate Bennett. "This was a hard-earned triumph that will set the foundation for hundreds of low income families to live and thrive in Roxbury for decades to come."   The redevelopment is made possible by a $30 million federal Choice Neighborhoods Initiative grant awarded by the Obama Administration. The BHA and City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development will leverage ten times that amount in private and public funds for commercial and residential development and public facilities in the Whittier neighborhood.   Phase One, which commenced in 2018, included the demolition of 68 apartments and the construction of 92 new mixed-income apartments in three new buildings at the original Whittier site. Phase One includes a new management office, community room, and outdoor recreational space. Offsite, Phase One created 76 additional new mixed-income apartments, including 43 BHA-replacement units, nearby in Madison Park Village that were completed last summer by Madison Park Development Corporation.   In order to achieve complete replacement of all 200 original units of public housing, the redevelopment will create 210 new deeply subsidized units-one-for-one replacement on a bedroom-by-bedroom basis-through the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher program.   Whittier Choice Housing Phase Two, which is currently under construction, will create 52 mixed-income units, including 24 BHA replacement units. Forty-eight of the units will be restricted for renters earning 30%, 50%, 60%, 80%, and 110% of Area Median Income, along with 4 market units. The remainder of the BHA site will be redeveloped as Phase 3. The entire Whittier redevelopment is expected to be completed by 2021.   "Flat 9 at Whittier is the result of an extensive collaboration between the community, public housing residents, the Boston Housing Authority, Madison Park Development Corporation and POAH," said Rodger Brown, POAH Managing Director, Real Estate Development. "The three phase development reflects the vision of a mixed-income community that celebrates the vibrant diversity of Boston and the Roxbury neighborhood."   "This latest milestone in the revitalization of the Whittier Street neighborhood provides 52 new affordable homes and economic opportunity for households in Roxbury across a range of incomes," said MassHousing Executive Director Chrystal Kornegay. "Having a quality place to call home is crucial for the success and prosperity of these families at Flat 9 and MassHousing was very pleased to collaborate again with the City of Boston, the BHA, POAH, the Whittier tenants, and all the other partners involved in this transformative project ."   The newly named Flat 9 at Whittier housing development is part of the larger neighborhood of Roxbury, with an area of roughly one square mile and 2,418 households. The Whittier Street Apartments were over 60 years old, and the HUD Choice Neighborhood grant has allowed the property to be transformed into a mixed income and mixed-use development that will be an asset to the greater Roxbury neighborhood in the long-term. Flat 9 was also the winner of the 2020 Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Award in the HUD Housing Preservation Category earlier this year.   The new name, "Flat 9 at Whittier," which was chosen with resident participation, is a reference to a distinctive jazz chord and honors the musical history of Roxbury.   The Whittier Choice partnership is led by the Boston Housing Authority, the City of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development, the Whittier Street Tenant Task Force, Preservation of Affordable Housing, Madison Park Development Corporation, and EMPath (Economic Mobility Pathways). The grant incorporates strategies for Neighborhood, Housing, and People as a way to provide a coordinated transformation for the community in and around the original housing development footprint. The Neighborhood Strategy seeks to break down barriers that isolate residents, to promote physical and social connections, and to link the neighborhood to the regional economy. There is a priority focus on creating a livelier streetscape, including a vibrant pedestrian corridor along Ruggles Street. The Housing Strategy aims to preserve affordability while creating a better balance of housing options in the neighborhood. This plan creates a livable site with outdoor play spaces, a mix of building types to accommodate diverse family needs, and new through-streets to re-integrate the site into the broader neighborhood. The People Strategy addresses a range of priority needs among public housing residents:  income and asset building, health, education, and youth development.  At the center, EMPath will provide counseling and personal coaching through its intensive Mobility Mentoring™ model. Boston Housing Authority, in partnership with EMPath and local service providers, relocation counselors, property management staff, and resident leaders will connect residents to new and existing services and newly leveraged programs in the community. ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT (DND) The Department of Neighborhood Development is responsible for housing the homeless, developing affordable housing, and ensuring that renters and homeowners can find, maintain, and stay in their homes. As part of the ongoing coronavirus response, the Office of Housing Stability is also conducting tenant's rights workshops to educate residents about the eviction moratorium and their rights. The Boston Home Center continues to provide down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers and home repairs for seniors and low-income residents. The Supportive Housing Division is working with various partners around the city to rapidly house individuals who are experiencing homelessness. ABOUT THE BOSTON HOUSING AUTHORITY (BHA) Boston Housing Authority (BHA) provides affordable housing to more than 58,000 residents in and around the City of Boston. Residents are assisted through a combination of public housing and federal and state voucher subsidy programs that provide a wide variety of housing opportunities. As the largest public housing authority in New England, the BHA houses close to 9 percent of the city's residents. Our mission is to provide stable, quality affordable housing for low and moderate-income persons; to deliver these services with integrity and mutual accountability, and to create living environments that serve as catalysts for the transformation from dependency to economic self-sufficiency. ###

Baker-Polito Administration Announces New Measures to Further Promote Diversity and Inclusion Within the Executive Branch

 Baker-Polito Administration Announces New Measures to Further Promote Diversity and Inclusion Within the Executive Branch

 

 

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced several new measures to support continued efforts to promote diversity and inclusion within the Executive Branch workforce. Included in today’s announcement is a new demographics dashboard for state agency workforce information, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Affinity Leadership Consortium (ALC) which will help increase the available pool of qualified diverse applicants for employment by the Commonwealth. Governor Baker also signed an Executive Order to reinforce protections and requirements that ensure non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all Executive Branch employees.

 

Since taking office, the Baker-Polito Administration has focused on ensuring equity and fairness and empowering all 43,000 employees within the Executive Branch. Over the past five years, the overall percentage of diverse employees within the Executive Branch has increased by 14% and the percentage of females in the workforce has increased by nearly 3% to 53%.

 

“Our administration continues to support a culture of inclusion that values and promotes diversity and equal opportunity for all individuals,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “These new measures build upon our ongoing efforts to ensure healthy, respectful, and inclusive workplaces and help create greater accountability and shared responsibility for achieving diversity goals at all levels of the Executive Branch.”

 

“We recognize the importance of freedom and diversity in the workplace and continue to put in place new protections to safeguard these rights,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “By improving diversity management practices and nurturing the development of our employees, we can strengthen our ability to provide excellent customer service to diverse citizens and businesses across Massachusetts.”

 

“These diversity and inclusion initiatives will help further the Baker-Polito Administration’s commitment to fair, equitable, and inclusive workspaces which empower individuals from all backgrounds,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “We appreciate the hard work and dedication of the Human Resources Division in spearheading these efforts and look forward to the work they will do to further ensure the Executive Branch continues to benefit from an inclusive work culture.”

 

“The Executive Branch is continuing to lead by example through promoting inclusion and diversity in all aspects of employment, programs, and activities,” said Chief Diversity Officer Sandra Borders. “Implementing these new initiatives will help ensure that equal opportunity and diversity are safeguarded and reflected in state workplaces, decisions, services, and contracts.”

 

“We continue to find technologically innovative ways to be more transparent with the residents of Massachusetts - this dashboard represents that dedication,” said Representative Carlos González (D – Springfield), Chairman of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. “We thank the Governor for his efforts to work with the Caucus to identify ways we can increase diversity within our State and government.”

 

“Diversity, equity and inclusion in the Commonwealth’s workforce continue to be a priority and topic for discussion at the Massachusetts Black & Latino Legislative Caucus quarterly meetings with the Governor,” said Representative Russell Holmes (D – Mattapan). “The components of the strategy launched today will focus on workforce diversity and specifically were enhanced by candid discussions with MBLLC and the Governor. The new demographics dashboard launched today will provide greater awareness of state agency workforce information and is extremely important to create systems and practices that will be long lasting.”

 

New Measures to Further Promote Diversity and Inclusion in the Commonwealth’s Workforce:

 

State Agency Demographic Dashboard: The new dashboard launched today contains information regarding the demographic makeup of Executive Branch secretariats and agencies, with the goal of increasing transparency and accountability as the Administration continues to prioritize efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. Data will be updated in April, July, October, and January, after the close of each fiscal quarter. This information is already published on an annual basis in the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity’s Annual Report, and the new dashboard will make it easier to access the most recent information.

 

Click here to view the dashboard.

 

Memorandum of Understanding: The Administration today announced a new Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Affinity Leadership Consortium (ALC) to help meet the employment needs of Executive Branch Agencies and ensure a steady stream of diverse talent for the Commonwealth. This new, collaborative partnership will allow the sharing of Executive Branch job opportunities as well as the referral of qualified applicants who meet minimum entrance requirements. It will also ensure referred candidates who have applied for posted positions are interviewed or provided with specific feedback on ways to strengthen future applications.

 

Executive Order: Governor Baker also signed an Executive Order that reinforces several protections and safeguards such as directing all Executive Branch agencies to develop and implement affirmative action and diversity plans to identify and eliminate barriers in the workplace and ensure diversity and equal opportunity in all facets of state employment. The Order elevates the Chief Diversity Officer position within the Human Resources Division, expands the responsibilities of secretariat and agency Diversity Directors and Diversity Officers, and reaffirms the centralized Investigations Center of Expertise (COE). The Order also highlights the Commonwealth’s commitment to ensuring that equal opportunity and diversity are protected and promoted in all state, state-assisted, and state-regulated programs, policies, activities, contracts, and services.

 

Click here to read the Executive Order

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is committed to creating and sustaining a work culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and mutually respectful to all its employees regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, sex,  gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetics, veteran, or disability status. Greater transparency allows for greater participation.

議員、家長齊聲韃伐 波士頓校委主席Loconto辭職

                (Boston Orange周菊子整理編譯) 波士頓市學校委員會主席Michael Loconto週三(21)晚在開會途中私下嘲笑亞裔姓名發音，因麥克風仍開著，廣傳出去。週四(22)日逼於各界壓力，宣佈辭職。波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)迅速接受。

               波士頓市學校委員會週三晚為波士頓市3所考試學校改制開會，主要目地是為避免學生們在新冠病毒大流行期間出席考試。會議開至凌晨1點45分，最終以7比0票，決定下學年改以根據分數，麻州綜合評估(MCAS)分數，郵遞區號等標準來錄取學生。

               波士頓市的3所考試學校為波士頓拉丁學院(Boston Latin Academy)，波士頓拉丁學校(Boston Latin School)，以及約翰奧布萊恩特數學及科學學校(John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science)。

               事件傳出去後，至少8名波士頓市議員，聯名要求Michael Loconto辭職。波士頓市長馬丁華殊也形容那些話”又傷又錯”。他在週四中午以前就接受了Michael Loconto的辭職。

               馬丁華殊說，「沒人希望被生命中的一個單一時刻所定義，而且沒人比我更了解(這種心情)。」。他說，「Michael Loconto為波士頓人，特別是為兒童們做了重要又困難的工作，但我們不能接受貶低我們社區成員(的言行)」。

               Michael Loconto是在2014年時，由馬丁華殊指派進波士頓學校委員會，2018年當選為委員會主席，新任期預定2022年到期。學校委員會的所有席位均由波士頓市長指派。

               週四早上，住在西洛士百利的米爾頓(Milton)克瑞(Curry)學院法律顧問Michael Loconto在推特上道歉，說他無意嘲笑任何人，致上誠懇道歉，要求原諒。

               WCVB電視台的會議錄音，讓很多人都聽到了Michael Loconto在會議主持宣佈公聽會下一批登記發言人後說了什麼。

               他嘲笑那些人的姓名發音，”那好像沙尼啊，沙尼呀，沙哪-哪，還有不不，以及大衛，對不對(Shania, Shanaya, Shanay-nay, and Boo Boo, and David, right?)”

               幾分鐘後，Michael Loconto就道歉了，解釋他是在和他房間中的另一個人說話，他的麥克風意外的沒關上。他說，”我是在說一本童書”。

               不過，許多人都質疑這一解釋，包括後來在會議中發言的一名家長。

               波士頓市議會議長Kim Janey，以及市議員Ricardo Arroyo， Andrea Campbell，Lydia Edwards， Annissa Essaibi-George，Julia Mejia， Matt O’Malley，以及吳弭(Michelle Wu)在週四早上都要求Michael Loconto辭職。

               代表華埠社區的波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)表示，Michael Loconto的發言種族歧視，他辭職是應該的。

               愛德華費林還表示，該會議的另一個問題是，在這冗長會議的前二個半小時中，沒有廣東話及國語傳譯。在公眾置評階段有，但沒有從會議一開始就有，是個錯誤。

               愛德華費林說，「令人感到挫折的一部份是，華人社區覺得他們沒有被包括進去，而且他們不是這過程的一部分」。他說，「那是非常的不尊重，那樣做，不和他們溝通……我們在接近亞裔社區上應該要做得更好」。

               曾經是東波士頓區老師，有4個小孩的市議員Essaibi-George當晚也參加了會議，並聽到了Michael Loconto說的話。她說，波士頓市學區的家庭，來自不同背景，Michael Loconto說的話，暴露出比說漏嘴”更有問題的一些事”，

               Essaibi-George的父親1972年從突尼西亞移民來美。她說，「作為有族裔名字的某個人，(聽到那些話)很震驚，(讓我)個人很反感的」。

               父母從台灣移民來美的波士頓市議員吳弭(Michelle Wu)稱Michael Loconto的說話種族歧視，說那「完全不可接受」。

               吳弭說，「作為一個一輩子都在應對這類說法的人，我深深地感到失望，卻不意外」。她說，這不是第一次「在學校委員會面前，家庭感到被邊緣化，被打發，被輕視」。

               她說，「我認識那麼多一輩子都在經歷這(種事)的人」。她希望這件事能夠導致人們「思考這種話的影響」。

               她說，「我們能夠，也需要做得更好」。

               和吳弭一樣，也在競選波士頓市長的波士頓市議員(Andrea Campbell)表示，她不接受波士頓學校委員會首腦的「這個行為」，要求波士頓市長馬丁華殊也不要接受。她說，這不是第一次有色人種感到Loconto不尊重他們。

               波士頓市議員Richard Arroyo說，他聽到那些話時，起初還以為是Zoom會議被駭客劫持了。他完全沒想到那會是學校委員會主席說的話，以嘲笑的聲調來誇張那些姓名。

吳弭等17聯邦州市議員聯名 譴責波市校委主席歧視亞裔

 Statement Regarding Boston School Committee

During the public testimony portion of last night’s virtual Boston School Committee meeting, Chair Michael Loconto was heard making comments mocking the names of several Asian American residents who signed up to testify. 

These comments were not only deeply offensive, but blatantly racist and harmful to our efforts to create policy in partnership with community members impacted by these important decisions. Many individuals in our communities have faced this type of racism our entire lives. This behavior has been normalized and emboldened by the hateful rhetoric of this current Presidential administration and its allies, recently highlighted in Sen. David Purdue’s public mocking of Vice Presidential candidate, Sen. Kamala Harris’ name. We cannot let this stand in Boston.

Names carry deep significance and are fundamental to our identity and pride as a people. And yet our names have historically been weaponized for racist rhetoric, feeding stereotypes that cause so many to be seen as perpetual foreigners in this country. Last night’s incident reinforces not only the history of racial discrimination, but also a pattern of residents and families of color being shut out of important decisions and spaces of power in our city.   

This type of discrimination cannot and will not be tolerated from any leader who has the privilege of serving our communities, especially at a time when we should all be coming together to solve the crises stemming from this pandemic.

Mr. Loconto’s resignation is a step in the right direction. But we must not lose focus. We must restore trust with BPS families, and urge action to ensure accessibility, inclusion, and equity in all decisions in the City of Boston, Suffolk County, and Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Michelle Wu, Boston City Councilor, At-Large
Kim Janey, Boston City Council President, District 7

Ricardo Arroyo, Boston City Councilor, District 5

Kenzie Bok, Boston City Councilor, District 8

Liz Breadon, Boston City Councilor, District 9

Lydia Edwards, Boston City Councilor, District 1

Annissa Essaibi-George, Boston City Councilor, At-Large 

Michael Flaherty, Boston City Councilor, At-Large

Ed Flynn, Boston City Councilor, District 2

Julia Mejia, Boston City Councilor, At-Large 

Matt O’Malley, Boston City Councilor, District 6

Nika Elugardo, State Representative, 15th Suffolk District

Sonia Chang-Díaz, State Senator, 2nd Suffolk District 

Russell Holmes, State Representative, 6th Suffolk District

Jon Santiago, State Representative, 9th Suffolk District 

Rachael Rollins, District Attorney, Suffolk County

Ayanna Pressley, U.S. Representative, MA 7th Congressional District 

10/22 麻州新冠確診陡增至986 美國63,656 新增死亡人數麻州30 美國1,076

(Boston Orange)麻州的10月22日新冠病毒(COVID-19)確診人數陡增986，死亡人數新增30，全州已有77個市鎮跨入紅色高危險區。

根據麻州公共衛生廳資料，10月22日麻州共為17,966人做了分子檢測，其中986人確診，這是春季以來最高的單日確診人數。

目前有521人因為新冠病毒住院，其中103人住在重症病房。

麻州的7日平均確診率持續上升至1.4%，早前卻只有0.8%。住院人數，死亡人數，看病人數都在持續上升。

麻州現在的新冠病毒確診累計人數，已達143,927，累計死亡人數則為9,589。

根據麻州的危險評估地圖，已經有77個市鎮跨入感染新冠病毒的紅色危險區。高危險區域的定義是在過去14天內，每10萬人有8人以上確診。上星期時，有63個市鎮跨入紅色危險區，比之前一週的40個市鎮增加了約50%。

波士頓市的每10萬人確診人數也從上週的11.1，升高到12。麻州也從上週的8.7，升高為本週的9.2。

麻州州長查理貝克為因應疫情，22日公佈了7億7400萬元的經濟復元計畫，其中1億1500萬元是新增撥的經費，包括5080萬元來自”麻州成長資金(Mass Growth Capital Corporation)的贈款，要用於幫助員工人數少於50的小企業。符合資格的企業可獲得7萬5000元，或高至3個月，包括薪資，福利，貸款利息，商業租金，水電費，債務利息等的開銷費用。

 

波市議員Ed Flynn發聲明 譴責波市學校委員會主席Loconto歧視亞裔

It is extremely disappointing to learn that Mr. Loconto mocked the names of Asian parents in last night’s meeting. This process has unfortunately highlighted several times that the needs of our Asian and immigrant community are not a priority or respected. 

I was informed that translation materials were in development late last week, with only days for parents to review before this important vote. Second, at the School Committee meeting, translation services for Cantonese, Mandarin, and other languages were not provided until the comment period. These actions left many feeling disrespected. Lastly, parents who had the right to testify were confronted with racist comments. 

It is unconscionable for someone in a position of public trust to make derogatory and culturally insensitive remarks about the Asian community, let alone any race or ethnic background. He must step down, and our city must make language access and cultural competency a priority for all our communities. 

我對波士頓校委會主席洛康托先生 (Mr. Loconto) 昨晚在學校會議上嘲笑亞裔家長的名字感到極 為失望。這個過程再一次顯出我們亞裔和移民社區的需求並沒得到公平的考慮和尊重。 

我得知有關調整波士頓公立考試學校入學建議書的翻譯材料於上週遲遲沒有準備好，未能給予 家長充足時間在投票決議前作出詳細考慮。其次，直到諮詢期，校委會並沒有在其他會議上提 供任何粵語、國語或其他語言翻譯。 這些舉動令很多移民家長感到不受尊重。 最後，在學校會 議內作證的父母再竟然受到洛康托先生附種族歧視性的對待。 

任何附有公信力的人都不應該以貶義的言論對待任何種族背景的人士，包括亞裔社區在內。 洛康托先生必須辭職，而波士頓市必須把語言服務和文化理解成為我們各社區的優先事項。 

波士頓市議會 

愛德華費連 

第二區市議員 

2020年10月22日