CITY OF BOSTON AND PARTNERS TO BRING JOB FAIR SERIES TO INCARCERATED AND RETURNING CITIZENS

CITY OF BOSTON AND PARTNERS TO BRING JOB FAIR SERIES TO INCARCERATED AND RETURNING CITIZENS Virtual events will include participants from Suffolk County Jail, Suffolk County House of Correction   BOSTON - Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - As part of the City of Boston’s efforts to reintegrate returning citizens into the community, Mayor Kim Janey today announced a virtual job fair series designed to help current or formerly justice-involved individuals access job openings, educational opportunities, job search skills, and other critical resources. The events, held throughout May, are organized by MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, BeProximate, and Project Opportunity, a City initiative that works to create equitable opportunities for residents with criminal records (CORIs). “Each year, more than 3,000 people return to Boston upon their release from incarceration,” said Mayor Janey. “These returning citizens deserve the opportunity to create a fresh start and make positive contributions to their community. But that transition depends on our support. A second chance begins with a job prospect, an education pathway, the critical resources for daily living – exactly the things this job fair series promotes.” In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, series partners have worked together to ensure that inmates at Suffolk County Jail and Suffolk County House of Correction can participate in the virtual events. Both facilities are operated by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department.   “We know that good, sustainable employment is one of the critical elements for the success of anyone returning to society from incarceration,” said Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins. “This is why we offer many different skills-building and job preparedness training programs for the men and women in our care and custody. Unfortunately, the CORI continues to be an obstacle for many returning citizens seeking employment, so access to resources and opportunities like these is extremely important.”  “At MassHire Downtown Boston Career Center, we recognize the significant barriers to employment faced by returning citizens and individuals with CORIs,” said Doreen Treacy VP of Career Services at MassHire Downtown Boston. “We are committed to helping reduce these barriers by equipping jobseekers with the tools they need and connecting them to hiring events and resources.”  The event series is free and open to all Massachusetts residents, but requires participants to register at tinyurl.com/JobEdFair. The schedule of events is as follows: ·     Why and How to Create a Resume: Tuesday, May 4, 1-2:30 p.m. ·     Interview Basics: Thursday, May 6, 1-2:30 p.m. ·     Job Fair Prep: Tuesday, May 11, 1-2:30 p.m. ·     Job Fair: Wednesday, May 19, 1-2:30 p.m. ·     Education/Resource Fair: Friday, May 21, 1-2:30 p.m. The job fair will feature Amazon, Flour Bakery, Greater Boston Food Bank, Monroe Staffing, VPNE, and Whole Foods Market, with more employers to come. Mayor Janey has proclaimed the final week of the series, May 17 - May 21, – which culminates in the job fair and education/resource fair – “Second Chance and Reentry Week” in Boston. The week will include an exhibit and panel discussions organized by BeProximate to advocate for the support of returning citizens. Speakers will include Suffolk County D.A. Rachael Rollins, Suffolk County Sheriff Steven W. Tompkins, and State Rep. Liz Miranda. “In the City of Boston, cross-sector fertilization drives social innovation to address both citywide and neighborhood-specific needs,” said BeProximate founder Diana Saintil. “However, we must extend our politics beyond our personal proclivities to devise cross-sector solutions to address the most salient reentry challenges in housing, employment, health, and education for returning citizens. We must BeProximate to people with empathy. Proximity with apathy is too great a threat to transformational change.” In addition to promoting career development opportunities, the event series also extends the outreach of Project Opportunity, a collaboration of the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development, the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety, the Mayor’s Office of Returning Citizens, and SOAR Boston. Project Opportunity connects residents with free legal consultation to review the potential for sealing or expunging their CORIs. The City of Boston pays for the cost of accessing a CORI, while partner Lawyers Clearinghouse provides legal consultation and full representation if an individual’s record can be sealed or expunged. The job fair series also supports the mission of the Mayor’s upcoming 2021 Summer Violence Prevention Plan. The Plan develops a framework to scale up prosocial activities, strengthen intervention efforts, ensure neighborhoods are supported and connected to resources, expand intentional outreach and engagement for specific populations, and provide positive activities and community engagement in public spaces.  ‌

Under Lemon Aid Law, impacted consumers can have until April 30 to get inspection sticker

 AFTER OUTAGE, AG HEALEY REMINDS PUBLIC OF ADDITIONAL TIME TO GET VEHICLE INSPECTIONS AND RIGHTS UNDER LEMON AID LAW

With Reopening of Vehicle Inspection Stations after Outage, AG Urges Consumers to Get Inspections as Soon as Possible

 BOSTON – Now that the RMV’s vehicle inspection stations are back online after an outage caused by a malware attack, Attorney General Maura Healey is encouraging affected consumers to obtain their inspections as soon as possible and reminding them they have additional time to exercise their vehicle return and refund rights under the state’s Lemon Aid Law. The AG’s advisory reminds consumers that the extension applies to consumers who purchased cars between March 23, 2021, and April 16, 2021, and impacted consumers have until April 30, 2021, to get their inspection stickers.

 “In light of this unexpected complication at the RMV, we want to make sure that consumers have the information they need to fully exercise their rights when buying a car, and to put auto dealerships on notice about their legal obligations in this unprecedented situation,” said AG Healey. “We don’t want consumers to be stuck with a defective vehicle through no fault of their own, and we encourage them to contact our office if they have questions.”

 The Massachusetts Lemon Aid Law allows consumers to return a purchased vehicle and obtain a refund if it fails inspection within seven days from the date of sale, and the cost of repairs is more than 10 percent of the purchase price. Consumers then have 14 days from the date of sale to return the vehicle and provide the seller with a statement detailing why the vehicle failed inspection, as well as include an estimate of the cost of repairs.

 However, because of the inspection station outage, some consumers were left unable to meet the seven-day inspection deadline articulated in the Lemon Aid Law, which then impacts their ability to return a vehicle that fails inspection within 14 days of purchase.

 Around March 30, 2021, the RMV’s vehicle inspection stations went offline following a malware attack on their vendor’s system. As a result, consumers who purchased a vehicle between March 23, 2021, and April 16, 2021, had inspection stickers expiring in March or April 2021, or were in a 60-day retest period following a failed inspection, were unable to obtain inspections or reinspection in accordance to Massachusetts law. Most public vehicle inspection stations went back online beginning on April 17, 2021.

 To accommodate consumers impacted by the vehicle inspection stations going offline, the RMV has allowed for the following grace periods:

• If you purchased a vehicle between March 23, 2021 and April 16, 2021: You have until April 30, 2021, to obtain an inspection sticker.
• If your inspection sticker expired in March or April 2021: You have until May 31, 2021, to obtain an inspection sticker
• If you are in a 60-day retest period: You will receive one extra day for each day the system was offline.

 AG Healey advises consumers who purchased cars and were impacted by the inspection station outage to get their inspection as soon as they can, and on or before April 30, 2021. If needed, consumers should exercise their rights under the Lemon Aid Law as quickly as possible.

 The AG’s Office also wants to remind auto dealerships of their legal obligations in sales transactions under the Lemon Aid Law and the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act. Accordingly, auto dealerships should use the RMV’s grace period for affected consumers and allow consumers 14 days from the date of their inspection to exercise their rights under the Lemon Aid Law, should a consumer’s vehicle fail inspection within the RMV’s grace period.

 For more information about the outage and the RMV’s grace periods for vehicle inspections please see the RMV’s press release and vehicle check webpage. 

 The AG’s Office urges those with concerns about their Lemon Aid Law rights to contact the office’s consumer hotline at (617) 727-8400 or file a complaint online.

波士頓社區三輪清潔空氣補助款 今日起受理申請

MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES COMMUNITY CLEAN AIR GRANT APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE MONDAY, APRIL 26   The City encourages proposals from residents, nonprofits, and businesses to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions   BOSTON - Monday, April 26, 2021 - Mayor Kim Janey and the Environment, Energy, and Open Space department today announced that applications for the new Community Clean Air Grant program will open Monday, April 26. Funded through the Air Pollution Control Commission, the City is seeking to support locally-driven proposals from residents, nonprofit organizations, and businesses for projects that will produce meaningful, measurable steps to reduce the emissions that contribute to climate change and air pollution. There will be three rounds of funding throughout the year for projects that will contribute to the City of Boston’s 2019 Climate Action Plan Update, which details specific actions the City is taking over five years to significantly cut emissions across all sectors in order to reach our goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. “Climate change affects all Boston residents, but we know that it disproportionately impacts some of our communities more than others. By taking actionable steps to improve the air quality throughout our city we not only improve our public health, but also reduce our contribution to the greenhouse gases that cause climate change,” said Mayor Janey. “With the new Community Clean Air Grant program, we hope to empower community members, especially socially vulnerable groups, to take meaningful actions that contribute to our long-term goals and directly benefit their neighbors and communities.”  The Community Clean Air Grant is open to any individual or entity who would like to respond, and the City encourages participation from small, local, minority-owned, women-owned, and other disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) and entities. In order to be eligible for funding, proposals must do at least one of the following: ·     Eliminate or otherwise address specific sources of air pollution within Boston; ·     Reduce the negative health impacts of air pollution emissions within Boston; ·     Enhance the ability of local communities in Boston to improve local air quality; ·     Have a measurable impact on air quality or carbon emissions within Boston. The City strongly encourages partnerships with and among local community groups and partners, and has provided a directory on the web page to encourage collaboration and joint proposals. To ensure the program is accessible and all interested applicants have as much information as possible, the applications and materials are available in English, Español (Spanish), Kreyòl ayisyen (Haitian Creole), 繁體中文 (Traditional Chinese), 简体中文 (Simplified Chinese), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), and kriolu (Cape Verdean Creole). For anyone interested in applying, the Environment, Energy, and Open Space staff is offering two informational webinars and is hosting office hours to provide more information, answer questions, and assist with completing applications. Applications are due by Friday, June 4.    Webinar #1 Tuesday, May 4, 2021 9:00 am Register   Webinar #2 Thursday, May 6, 2021 5:30 pm Register   Office Hours Wednesdays through June 4 3-5pm Register   Air pollution contributes to higher rates of cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and has been linked to higher COVID-19 mortality rates. Some air pollutants, like methane and carbon dioxide, are also greenhouse gases, which warm the atmosphere and lead to higher temperatures and rising seas. Communities located near highways and other major transportation infrastructure, and socially vulnerable populations, such as people of color, older residents, children, and people with chronic illnesses, are negatively impacted at a higher rate than others. Mayor Janey’s Administration is taking steps to recognize and address the risks of climate change, and to protect Boston’s urban ecosystem. This month, Mayor Janey proposed the following investments for environmental resilience and climate justice in the Fiscal Year 2022-2026 Capital Plan proposal: ·     $48 million for Phase 2 and 3 of Renew Boston Trust, which is designed to identify energy retrofit project opportunities in City-owned buildings to create future energy savings.  ·     $5 million for a Climate Ready Boston Harbor study to support the development of a study that will examine the feasibility of measures along and within the Boston Harbor to reduce vulnerability of coastal flooding due to sea level rise caused by climate change. ·     $20 million to design and implement a signature, climate resilient waterfront park along the Fort Point Channel. ·     $1.7 million per year for the ongoing program of street tree planting throughout the city ·     $1.8 million to repave pathways at Dorchester Park  ·     $7.5 million to repave pathways at the Back Bay Fens to improve accessibility and site conditions ·     $15.5 million to complete the park redesign at Copley Square to optimize resilience to high-traffic events and storm-water ·     $9.4 million to redesign and construct a new Malcolm X Park through the City’s first Equitable Procurement Pilot program As indicated in the 2019 Climate Action Plan update, the City of Boston is taking action to stop our contribution to climate change. Between 2005 and 2016, the amount of carbon pollution emitted by city operations was reduced by 18 percent. Last month, the City announced the completion of $11 million in energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades to 14 municipal buildings, representing $680,000 in savings and a one percent reduction in municipal greenhouse gas emissions. In February, Community Choice Electricity began supplying over 200,000 residences and commercial customers with more affordable and renewable electricity. In order to provide high quality, safe, and cleaner affordable housing to our most vulnerable residents, the City of Boston recently awarded $34 million to support the creation of 608 new units that will be built to zero emissions standards. Climate Ready Boston is simultaneously strengthening Boston’s climate change resilience and adaptation with near- and long-term planning through neighborhood-level engagement and solutions.  Last week, Mayor Janey announced Reverend Mariama White-Hammond as Chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space for the City of Boston. In this role, Rev. White-Hammond, who started today, will be responsible for leading the Cabinet in achieving its mission of enhancing environmental justice and quality of life in Boston by protecting air, water, climate, and land resources, as well as preserving and improving the integrity of Boston's architectural and historic resources. For more information on how Boston is actively preparing for the impacts of climate change and advancing the vision of a resilient city, visit boston.gov/environment. To learn more about the grants and application process, please visit boston.gov/clean-air-grant. To learn more about the work of the Environment, Energy, and Open Space department, please visit boston.gov/environment.

GE FOUNDATION COMMIT ADDITIONAL $600,000 TO YOUTH PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAM

AG HEALEY, GE FOUNDATION COMMIT ADDITIONAL $600,000 TO YOUTH PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAM, MAKE RESOURCES MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE
Project Here’s Programming for Social Emotional Learning and Healthy Decision-Making Increasingly Important for Young People Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey and the GE Foundation today announced an additional $600,000 has been committed to Project Here, a public-private collaboration to make substance use prevention education available to all public middle schools in Massachusetts. The AG’s Office and the GE Foundation, in collaboration with FableVision Studios, have also launched new updates to make the program’s educational app, Project Here Games, more accessible and inclusive, including translating the app into Spanish and adding more content focused on cultural responsiveness.

“Project Here’s resources on social emotional learning and skill-building, including healthy ways to cope with stress, are increasingly important and relevant as young people are dealing with social isolation, stress and anxiety during COVID-19,” said AG Healey. “We are grateful to the GE Foundation for their continued support of this program and are excited to unveil updates to Project Here Games that will make them more relevant, effective, and accessible for students.”

“We’re proud to continue this important and impactful partnership with AG Healey on Project Here and help our youth navigate the new and unique challenges they face today,” said David Barash, Executive Director, GE Foundation. “By making this new investment together, we are helping middle schoolers practice healthy decision-making, create positive interpersonal relationships, develop social-emotional skills, and prevent substance use before it starts.”

 

Designed to tackle a significant unmet need for prevention education in the state’s battle against the ongoing opioid crisis, Project Here was announced in May 2017 by the AG’s Office and the GE Foundation to promote social emotional learning and empower students to make healthy decisions through an innovative combination of curricula, digital content, and support for educators and students.

 

The additional $600,000 commitment announced today brings the total investment to $2.6 million and will help fund the program over the next few years. To date, more than 361 schools have registered for Project Here and are accessing its resources. More than 500 educators have received training and technical assistance on how to use Project Here’s resources and best practices in substance use prevention. Project Here has also provided nearly $450,000 in grant funding to schools and districts to implement evidence-based curricula.

 

Project Here Games, a first-of-its-kind web-based education app announced in September 2018 and developed for Project Here by FableVision Studios, provides an innovative and engaging digital experience to teach students about healthy choices, peer pressure, substance use and coping with stress. Through games, quizzes, and scenarios, students gain practical skills to navigate challenging situations and make healthy decisions now and for the future.

 

Today, the AG’s Office is unveiling important updates to the app to make it more accessible and inclusive, with a focus on cultural responsiveness. Those updates include translating the entire app into Spanish and adding a “read aloud” feature, in English and Spanish, for students who read below grade level and/or who are English-language learners. The updated version also includes new scenarios developed with an equity lens, which include content on racial and socioeconomic microaggressions.

 

The new updates also allow teachers and students to log in and play Project Here Games using their Google Classrooms accounts. Project Here Games is available for free on computers, tablets, and smart phones and has the flexibility to be used by teachers as an in-classroom activity or by students outside of school. In February 2019, Project Here Games was selected as a 2019 Parents’ Choice Gold Award winner for its “skillfully designed” content and thought-provoking hypothetical scenarios for allowing children to consider how different actions can have different outcomes. 

 

Young people are particularly vulnerable to the risks of substance use. Ninety percent of all adults struggling with addiction started using when they were under the age of 18, and 50 percent were under the age of 15. Studies have shown that effective substance use education and prevention programming can significantly decrease the risk of substance use among young people.

 

People can learn more information and schools can register for Project Here, which provides access to the Online Toolkit and support for Project Here Games, at www.projectherema.org. Project Here Games is available at www.projectheregames.org.

麻州長提案增訂道路安全法 建議安裝紅燈拍照機

 

Baker-Polito Administration Files Legislation to Improve Road Safety 

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today filed legislation to improve road safety, entitled, “An Act Relative to Improving Safety on the Roads of the Commonwealth.” The legislation includes provisions previously filed by the Administration in 2019 and several new proposals, including increasing penalties for individuals who cause personal injury while driving on a non-administratively suspended license.

“These proposals will make Massachusetts

roadways and streets safer for all travelers and will help reduce roadway fatalities across the state,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This legislative package builds upon laws enacted in 2019 to prevent and enforce distracted driving, and we look forward to working with our partners in the Legislature to take additional steps to improve road safety.”

“This legislation will make a difference for all travelers in the Commonwealth including pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers," said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. "We are grateful for the input from municipal leaders, advocacy groups and non-profit organizations, which allow us to take steps that will save lives and prevent injuries in communities throughout the Commonwealth.”

“The new laws are first and foremost in keeping with our goal to reduce the number of deaths on our roads,” said Acting Secretary of Transportation Jamey Tesler. “Crashes due to distracted driving, speeding, and other unsafe driving behaviors, continue to occur on Massachusetts roadways despite reduced driving levels during the pandemic, and these proposals will help refocus and change current driving habits and behaviors to ensure that individuals remain safe.”  

“Preventing roadway injuries and fatalities is a priority for all of us at EOPSS,” said Public Safety Secretary Thomas Turco. “These common-sense proposals are important to make sure that drivers, passengers, and vulnerable road users like pedestrians and bicyclists can all get home safely.”

An Act Relative to Improving Safety on the Roads of the Commonwealth, includes proposals on the following new and previously filed topics:

• Primary Seatbelt: allows law enforcement to stop motorists for not wearing a seatbelt.

• Haley’s Law: increases penalties for individuals who cause personal injury while driving on a non-administratively suspended license. New provisions would create three levels of new “aggravating factors” to driving while suspended: 1) Driving negligently/recklessly: fine up to $1,000 and up to 5 years in prison; 2) Causing “serious bodily injury:” fine up $3,000 and house of correction up to 2.5 years; and 3) Causing death: fine up to $5,000 and mandatory 2 years to a maximum of 10 years in prison. Current statute simply penalizes for driving while suspended.

• Traffic Camera Enforcement Local Option: allows localities to place red light cameras at intersections (and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)/MassDOT-owned roads that serve as local roads with DCR/MassDOT permission). Cameras would be restricted to collecting photographs only upon a violation and only of the vehicle license plates. Violations would include running a red light and making an illegal turn on a red light.

• Bicycle Safe Passing: requires a driver to maintain a 3 foot “safe passing distance” and to travel at a speed that is reasonable and proper when passing a bicyclist or pedestrian when there isn’t any physical separation (such as a protected bike lane or curb). Thirty-six other states have “safe distance” requirements.

• Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Changes: a refile of previously filed changes to the state’s CDL laws, which include updates to conform to federal law. 

• Crash Data Reporting: proposes adding to reporting requirements crash information involving “a vulnerable user,” a term which would include pedestrians, bicyclists, public works or public safety personnel working in the right of way, individuals on farm tractors, and users of other mobility devices such as scooters and in-line skates. Current statute requires drivers to report any crashes resulting in serious bodily injury, death, or property damage in excess of $1000. This reporting on crashes involving vulnerable users will assist municipalities and state transportation entities to identify problem areas or emerging trends.

• Side Guards and Additional Mirrors: requires all Commonwealth-owned and operated vehicles over 10,000 pounds to have side guards, convex mirrors and cross-over mirrors. Additionally, all Commonwealth and municipal contractors would be required to have these devices by January 1, 2024. Side guards protect bicyclists and pedestrians from being swept under large vehicles, which can happen, for example, when vehicles are making tight turns at intersections. The convex mirrors complement the side guards.

Low-Speed Mobility Device Advisory Working Group: given the growth in use and acceptance of micro-mobility solutions like electric scooters and bicycles, and their unclear status in state law and local regulation, this bill calls for MassDOT to convene an advisory group to recommend a new statutory framework to ensure safe use while encouraging these low-carbon transportation alternatives