人生一定要有的八個朋友：
推手(Builder)、
支柱(Champion)、
同好(Collaborator)、
夥伴(Companion)、
中介(Connector)、
開心果(Energizer)、
開路者(Mind Opener)、
導師(Navigator)。
chutze@bostonorange.com
*******************
All rights of articles and photos on this website are reserved.
Baker-Polito Administration Awards $3.5 Million to 7
Agencies Across the Commonwealth to Support Expectant and Parenting Teens
Award to provide additional support to young parents
during the pandemic
BOSTON (May 7, 2021)– The Executive Office of Health
and Human Services (EOHHS) and the Department of Public Health (DPH) in
collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance today announced a
total of $3.5 million, to 7 community-based agencies serving expectant and
parenting adolescents in communities across the Commonwealth with high teen
birth rates.
The Massachusetts Pregnant
and Parenting Teen Initiative builds on participants' strengths to increase
life opportunities and enhance family stability for expectant and parenting
adolescents ages 14 through 24. Programs offer case management that
supports both young parents and their children to attain educational and
employment goals, improve access to health services, support the development of
young children, and promote healthy relationships between co-parents and
between parents and their young children.
Among adolescents who have
participated in the program for at least 6 months:
58% made progress toward
individualized academic and/or career goals
71% who were pregnant
attended a postpartum visit in the first 8 weeks after birth
Contraceptive use
increased from 37% to 50%
All the funded organizations
are in communities with teen birth rates that are higher than the state
average, with funding specifically intended to support expectant and parenting
adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created
significant strain on adolescent parents in terms of employment, food security,
and education.
這6場論壇的主題，依序為全國有色人種發展協會(NAACP)波士頓分會主辦的「種族正義(Racial Justice)」，巴西工人中心和SEIU32BJ5主辦的「移民權益(Immigration)」，大波士頓勞工委員會主辦的「工作及工人(Jobs & Workers)」，波士頓教師工會和波士頓教育正義聯盟主辦的「教育」，”社區及環境替代方案(ACE)”主辦的「氣候正義(Climate Justice)」，城市權益-投票(Right to the City VOTE)主辦的「住宅及土地(Housing & Land)」。
住宅及經濟發展卿Mike
Kennealy特別點名感謝Larry Andrews等人，表示是這許多人不懈努力，才能把紓困款項，順利地送交到需要濟助的企業手中。獲得補助的Amplify
Latinx，以及創業中心(Entrepreneurship Center @CTI)這兩家企業，今早也特地出席發表感言。
為推動項目，麻州政府和多個社區機構合作，包括麻州黑人經濟發展協會(Black
Economic Council of Massachusetts)， Amplify Latinx，企業評等計畫(Business Equity Initiative)，麻州社區發展協會(Massachusetts
Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC))，LISC，LEAF，新英格蘭非 洲人社區經濟發展會(African
Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE)，還有麻州公平經濟聯盟(statewide
Coalition for an Equitable Economy)。
Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates COVID-19
Business Relief Program, Awards Final Round of Grants
Final round
results in nearly $4.8 million in grant awards to 108 additional businesses;
More than $687 million in direct cash payments delivered to 15,112 of state’s
hardest hit businesses
LOWELL – Today, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn
Polito, Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, legislators
and key partners celebrated the success of the Baker-Polito Administration’s
COIVD-19 business relief program administered by the Massachusetts Growth
Capital Corporation (MGCC). Gathering in person at the family- and
minority-owned Panela Restaurant in Lowell, a program grantee, the
Administration announced the end of the program, which has provided over $687.2
million in direct cash grants to 15,112 businesses across the Commonwealth.
Among the awardees included in the final round were 108 additional businesses
that received a total of approximately $4.8 million in COVID relief
grants.
First launched in October 2020 as part of the Administration’s Partnerships for
Recovery initiative to stabilize and grow the Massachusetts economy, this
program became the biggest state-sponsored business relief program in the
nation after being infused with an additional $668 million in December.
Established to provide direct financial support for businesses, the
Administration has tapped numerous partners to ensure specific economic sectors
and priority demographics known to be the most impacted by the COVID-19
pandemic applied to the program and were prioritized for aid.
Over the duration of the
program, 43 percent of MGCC grants were awarded to minority-owned businesses,
and 46 percent of grants went to women-owned businesses. Businesses owned by
veterans, individuals with disabilities, or that identify as LGBTQ, as well as
those operating in Gateway Cities and not previously awarded aid, also received
substantial grant support. Additionally, one-third of the total program funding
(about $224 million) has benefited the hard-hit restaurant and bar industry,
with personal services like hair and nail salons ($91 million), and independent
retailers ($62 million) rounding out the top sectors.
“Thanks to the work of Mass.
Growth Capital, more than $680 million in direct financial assistance has been
deployed to over 15,000 businesses across Massachusetts, many of which are
located in the communities that have had the greatest need during this
pandemic,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Recognizing that our small
business community employed close to half the Commonwealth’s workforce prior to
the pandemic, this program has been instrumental in helping to keep these
enterprises going while supporting a substantial percentage of our workforce as
we approach what we hope are the final months of this public health crisis.”
“This program, which was designed
to provide vital support to small businesses in need, is one component of our
larger strategy to help the Commonwealth’s economic recovery from this
unprecedented public health emergency,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.
“I want to applaud MGCC for their success with this program and thank their
partners for helping to spread the word, which allowed us to provide direct
support to those businesses that have been hit the hardest, including minority-
and woman-owned businesses, restaurants and downtown retailers.”
The 15th and final round of
awards totaled approximately $4.8 million in grants to 108 additional
businesses. Among the final round of recipients, grants were awarded to 25
minority-owned, and 26 women-owned businesses; 24 recipients were located in
Gateway Cities, and 28 businesses had not received any prior aid.
“I want to express my deepest
gratitude to Larry Andrews and his team at MGCC for going above and beyond in
their efforts to ensure that this important aid went to businesses located in
Gateway Cities, met a demographic priority such as being minority- or
women-owned, or were operating in sectors among the hardest hit during this
pandemic,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.
“In addition, I’d like to thank MGCC’s partner organizations, which include
Amplify Latinx and locally the Entrepreneurship Center @CTI with us today, who
truly made this program successful because of their extensive outreach to the
communities that are traditionally underrepresented.”
To increase applications from
underrepresented groups and achieve equitable access to funding, MGCC worked
with a statewide network of local non-profits, small business technical
assistance providers, and other organizations that support minority enterprises
to reach businesses and entrepreneurs that would match the program’s
priorities. These partners include the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts
(BECMA), Amplify Latinx, the Business Equity Initiative, the Massachusetts
Association of Community Development Corporations (MACDC), LISC, LEAF, the
African Community Economic Development of New England (ACEDONE), and the
statewide Coalition for an Equitable Economy.
“The success of this program
was a direct result of the leadership of the Governor, Lt. Governor, and
Secretary Kennealy; and the team at MGCC, who rose to the occasion to stand up
a new program and deliver an unprecedented amount of relief to small businesses
across Massachusetts that have been impacted by the pandemic,” said MGCC
President and CEO Larry Andrews. “Also critical to this program’s
success was the extensive network of partner organizations, including Amplify
Latinx, for their work to reach out to businesses that serve communities of
color, groups that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, or who
are traditionally at a disadvantage, and provided the necessary technical
assistance through the application process.”
MGCC will soon be announcing
two new funding opportunities focused on small businesses. A program called
Biz-M-Power will assist low-income and moderate-income entrepreneurs acquire or
improve their brick-and-mortar location, purchase new equipment, and other
capital needs. Businesses will crowdfund through local residents,
neighborhoods, community members, and other stakeholders and become eligible
for matching grants. Another new program will help small businesses access
tools and services to develop their digital capabilities, including social
media, website development, and team collaboration.
These awards have been part
of a steady deployment of grants and capital funding to support economic
recovery throughout Massachusetts and are a key part of the Administration’s
larger strategy to assist small businesses and support an equitable economic
recovery across the Commonwealth.
"It is essential to
recognize the significance of culturally and linguistically responsive outreach
to minority and underrepresented groups, which was a major contributor to the
program's success,” said Amplify Latinx Executive Director Rosario
Ubiera-Minaya. “These partner organizations are all well positioned and
trusted by minority communities to effectively and quickly respond to the
challenges faced by these businesses. The collaborative approach centered
on the partner organizations has helped ensure that the collective work going
forward is as intentional and impactful as possible. Keeping direction will
position minority-owned businesses for stability and growth."
In addition to this business
relief program, recovery efforts consist of MGCC Small Business Technical
Assistance grants and matching grants for Community Development Financial
Institutions and Community Development Corporations; the Regional
Pilot Project Grant Program, which is a $5 million initiative designed to
activate vacant storefronts, support regional supply chain resiliency, and
create small business support networks; the $1.6 million Travel
and Tourism Recovery Grant Pilot Program to promote recovery in the tourism
industry; the ongoing My Local MA marketing
initiative to encourage residents to support their local economies by shopping
at Massachusetts businesses and attractions; and a $9.5 million effort underway
to help 125 communities pursue locally-driven, actionable strategies to support
downtown and commercial districts through the Local
Rapid Recovery Planning program.
125th Boston Marathon Qualifier Acceptances Announced
BOSTON—The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has begun to notify qualified applicants of their acceptance or non-acceptance into the in-person 125th Boston Marathon to be held on Monday, October 11, 2021.
Qualifiers who were 7 minutes, 47 seconds (7:47) or faster than the qualifying time for their age group and gender will be accepted into the 125th Boston Marathon. In total, 23,824 applications were received by the Friday, April 23 registration deadline. A total of 14,609 athletes applied with a qualifying time equal to or faster than 7 minutes, 47 seconds under their respective qualifying standard or applied through the early registration period for consecutive runners. Applicants are in the process of being accepted, pending verification of their qualifying performance.
The B.A.A. was unable to accept 9,215 qualifiers due to field size limitations. The 125th Boston Marathon field size has been established as 20,000 entrants to ensure social distancing throughout the race route, especially at the start and finish. Among those accepted into the 125th Boston Marathon are athletes from 87 countries and all 50 U.S. states.
The balance of the field will be comprised of invitational entrants, including runners participating as part of the Boston Marathon’s Official Charity Program and John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program, as well as invited professional athletes. In 2020, the B.A.A. Official Charity Program and John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program combined to surpass the $400 million milestone raised since the charity program’s inception at the 1989 Boston Marathon. John Hancock has served as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon for 36 years.
“As we embark on the return to in-person racing, we look forward to welcoming runners to Boston as part of our historic 125th running of the Boston Marathon this fall,” said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. President and Chief Executive Officer. “With this year’s milestone anniversary, we both celebrate those who were accepted into this year’s race and also acknowledge the many runners who achieved qualifying times. We look forward to a memorable 125th Boston Marathon and hope those who were not accepted into the in-person race will join the global community of athletes participating in the virtual race in October.”
Registration for qualified athletes for the 125th Boston Marathon took place April 20–23 within the B.A.A.’s online platform, Athletes’ Village. Registration was not first-come, first-served. Applications and qualifying times submitted during the application window were verified and ranked by the B.A.A. based on the amount of time an athlete had run under their respective qualifying standard. Qualifying performances for the 125th Boston Marathon must have been run between September 15, 2018 and April 23, 2021.
In addition to the in-person road race, the B.A.A. is also holding a historic virtual Boston Marathon in celebration of the 125th running of the Boston Marathon. Registration for the virtual race opened on March 30 and has already seen athletes from 105 countries and all 50 states register. The virtual marathon will take place over race weekend October 8–10.
Starting today, applicants will receive notice of acceptance or non-acceptance. Qualified applicants not admitted into the in-person race will have an opportunity to register for a unique virtual 125th Boston Marathon package until Friday, May 14 at 5:00PM. The qualifying window for the 2022 Boston Marathon will begin on September 1, 2019 and will continue through the conclusion of the to-be-announced 2022 Boston Marathon registration period later this fall.
MAYOR JANEY ANNOUNCES THE 2021 PUBLIC SPACE
INVITATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION
This year’s program seeks to support the
expansion of community compost in Boston
BOSTON - Wednesday, May
5, 2021 - Today, Mayor Janey announced the launch of the 2021 Public Space
Invitational, a civic design competition that seeks ideas to reimagine our
public spaces in Boston. In partnership with the City of Boston’s Public
Works Department, Environment’s Zero Waste team, TD Bank, and The Trustees, the Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics
is seeking proposals for customized compost bins to support the ongoing expansion of community compost in Boston. Six project proposals will be selected,
and winning teams will have up to $5,000 for the implementation of their
ideas. Applications are available at space.newurbanmechanics.org and will be accepted through June 1st,
2021.
“Now in its seventh
year, the Public Space Invitational has provided so many opportunities for
our creative community to bring joy and innovation to our public spaces,“
said Mayor Janey. “I am excited to see the great ideas that will help us
expand compost in an equitable and accessible way throughout Boston.“
Since 2015, the City
of Boston has run Project Oscar, a pilot program that allows residents to
drop off their food scraps for compost at five sites. This summer, Public Works plans to expand
the program across the city to multiple new locations, ensuring that
community compost is available to all residents. Through the Public Space
Invitational, Public Works hopes applicants can address several issues with
the City’s current compost bins, such as establishing a unique visual
identity for the bins, improving accessibility, and reducing contamination.
Since 2018, the
Public Space Invitational has been supported by TD Bank and The Trustees, a
steward of 56 community gardens in Boston. Through their partnership, 14
projects at six community gardens in Dorchester, Roxbury, Fenway, Jamaica
Plain, and East Boston have launched. Selected projects have supported food
access, storytelling, community dinners, performances, and interactive
play. This year, The Trustees plans to host educational programming about
composting at several community gardens this summer.
The Public Space
Invitational is part of a continuing series of efforts to engage Boston's
creative community. For more information on the initiative, please visit space.newurbanmechanics.org.
MAYOR JANEY CALLS ON EVERSOURCE TO CANCEL
THE PROPOSED SUBSTATION IN EAST BOSTON
BOSTON - Tuesday,
May 4, 2021 - Building on a commitment of environmental justice and
protecting public health, Mayor Janey today, Chief of Environment, Energy
and Open Space Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, and GreenRoots advocate
Noemy Rodriguez, to urge Eversource to justify or cancel its proposed
electrical substation in East Boston.
“As mayor of
Boston, I will not remain silent when the people of East Boston are
crying out,” said Mayor Janey. “From what I have seen, the substation
plan is based on flawed projections and flawed priorities. I urge
Eversource to prioritize environmental equity and the wellbeing of East
Boston residents over their profits.”
In February 2021,
the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting Board gave its final approval
for an electrical substation near Chelsea Creek in East Boston.
Eversource Energy made the initial proposal in 2013, stating the facility
was necessary to support the capacity of a substation in Chelsea.
Eversource’s initial estimates for projected energy demand have not been
met and new, adjusted data has not been shared publicly. Community members
have expressed opposition over the proposal, due to concerns about public
safety and environmental justice.
“Environmental
justice says we need to ask hard questions about who is asked to carry
the burden and who receives the benefits,” said Chief of Environment,
Energy and Open Space Mariama White-Hammond. “I stand with the Mayor and
the residents of East Boston to protect those residents who already
experience so many burdens. In addition to questioning whether we really
need this facility, we need to understand whether or not this facility is
in alignment with very real changes that are happening on our planet. I
look forward to continuing to work with the community to ensure
environmental justice for all residents of Boston.”
East Boston is
considered a state designated Environmental Justice Community. 64 percent of community members are people of
color and 54 percent of the community are immigrants. This area faces a variety of
environmental hazards, such as noise and air pollution from Logan
International Airport, traffic congestion, storage of fuel, manufacturing
processes along the Chelsea Creek, as well as storage of road salt and
sand along the Chelsea Creek. The proposed location for the substation is
adjacent to City Yards, a highly utilized public park where children
play, which could lead to potential safety hazards. Climate change and
rapid sea-level rise exacerbate the potential danger of having an
electrical substation on the waterfront. The citing of this substation in
an environmental justice community already facing several environmental
hazards, combined with the exposure to children and the risk of flooding,
is unsafe.
"Families in
East Boston have been through a lot this past year and we hope that our
parks can remain an environmentally safe and inviting space for our
children,” said Noemy Rodriguez of GreenRoots. “We carry enough of an
environmental burden already; if actually needed this substation should
be placed somewhere else."
Expanding on Mayor
Janey’s commitment to environmental justice and reducing air pollution,
last week the City of Boston began accepting applications for the new Community Clean Air Grant program. 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 Boston’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by
2050. The City of Boston will be accepting applications until Friday,
June 4th.
Mayor Janey’s
Administration is taking steps to recognize and address the risks of
climate change, and to protect Boston’s urban ecosystem. Last 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
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.
