市長吳弭藉推特發聲 波士頓站在烏克蘭人民這邊

           (Boston Orange) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)在2月24日宣佈成立「種植波士頓」辦公室，為波士頓兒童冬節致詞之餘，不忘關注國際大事，上推特揚言，波士頓站在烏克蘭人民這邊。

          吳弭在推特上表示，沒有理由要打仗或讓人就這樣喪失生命。波士頓和烏克蘭人民，以及波士頓的，世界的烏克蘭人社區站在一起。波士頓市準備著，將盡可能的援助烏克蘭難民。

        吳弭還在推特上表示，這晚在社區內為安全及和平祈禱。

麻州州長查理貝克聲言支持烏克蘭人民

         (Boston Orange編譯) 麻州州長查理貝克 (Charlie Baker) 今晚6點半，在州政府大樓匯報風雪概況前，先聲言支持自由民主的烏克蘭，相信麻州所有人民也都支持烏克蘭的男男女女，大人、小孩都有選擇生活在自由，民主開放社會中的權力。

        查理貝克今晚原本要週四，週五的暴風雪做匯報，但他表示要藉此機會，先談談俄國和中國引發的狀況。他說一個人的獨裁行為，卻把數以百萬計人民的生命，財產，都置於危險中。衝擊他的畫面，不是那些坦克緩緩的逼近，爆炸，而是那些無辜人民死在血泊中。

        查理貝克稱許拜登總統及北約對該行為的譴責，他也指出俄國境內有無數的人冒著生命危險站出來譴責，是德不孤必有鄰的行動。

麻州今晚起估計降雪8到12吋 昆士市宣佈風雪停車禁令

Baker-Polito Administration Announces Winter Storm Preparations, Directs Non-Emergency State Employees to Telework Tomorrow

 

BOSTON – Due to the upcoming winter storm, the Baker-Polito Administration has directed all non-emergency state employees working in Executive Branch agencies to telework, when possible, on Friday, February 25. The administration is urging residents to stay off roadways, especially during the morning commute, and to use public transportation when possible. Drivers who must travel should expect delays, reduce speed and use caution. Snow will develop during the pre-dawn hours, and will be heavy at times throughout the morning commute and will gradually transition to a wintry mix in parts of the state.

  

Current forecasts predict parts of Massachusetts could see up to 12 inches, with the highest amounts falling north of the Mass Pike, and a mix of snow, sleet, or rain in south/southeast Massachusetts. The storm is predicted to also bring icy conditions on any untreated surfaces by late Friday night. 

 

“Friday’s winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow to most of Massachusetts, with high snowfall rates especially during morning commute,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “If you don’t have to travel tomorrow, we urge you to consider staying home, and if you do need to travel, please use caution throughout the day.”

 

MassDOT will have approximately 3,900 pieces of state and vendor equipment available for snow and ice operations which includes over 1,400 plow and spreader combos, 2,100 plows, and 460 front-end loaders. Crews will be conducting snow and ice operations throughout the night on Thursday. To ensure the safety of travelers, MassDOT may implement speed limit restrictions on some highways. Additionally, all active breakdown lane use on highways will be suspended during the storm.

 

The MBTA and Keolis will closely monitor forecasts and changing conditions to help inform decisions about scheduled service and transit operations, and all those using the transit system are encouraged to check mbta.com/winter or @mbta on Twitter for service updates. The MBTA will suspend the use of trolleys on the Mattapan Line on Friday and buses will provide service during the suspension. All subway and commuter rail lines are expected to operate on a regular weekday schedule.

 

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) plans to institute parking bans along agency-managed parkways consistent with local municipal bans. All agency-operated recreational facilities are expected to operate normal business hours on Friday, February 25. 

 

The administration remains in close contact with utility companies as it monitors the storm. Utility companies have secured additional crews, have pre-staged crews in areas that are expected to have significant impacts and will respond to outages as they occur.

 

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is monitoring the storm and is prepared to activate the State’s Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) if necessary. The Baker-Polito Administration remains in close contact with MEMA, National Weather Service, MassDOT and the Massachusetts State Police to monitor the forecast and will work to alert the public with important updates or notifications. Please visit mass.gov/snow to learn what you should do before, during and after a winter storm.

  (Boston Orange 綜合編譯) 整個麻州西部從週四晚上起到週五晚上，都得提防冬季暴風雪。估計降雪8到12吋。

             國家氣象局估計，整個先鋒谷(Pioneer Valley)從週四傍晚到周五早上會有大雪，Hampshire、Franklin，以及Berkshire郡等地的累積降雪量將達6到12英吋之多，春田市一帶也會有5到8寸之多。

  在清晨4點到早上10點之間，雪最大，尤其Hampden郡一帶，可能還會夾雜降霰。雪花估計會持續飄到週五下午，以每小時1到2吋的速度累積，對傍晚時分的交通會有較大影響。

             今年的冬天，氣候善變，氣溫時高時低。波士頓市昨天才見到華氏69度的高溫，有些地方甚至有華氏70度那麼高，今日氣溫就降了將近40度。

             這次的暴風雪，估計不會出現強風，海岸淹水，或大幅度停電情況，但週五早上的交通，估計會因為還在下大雪而大受影響，車輛速度會很慢。

             這個週末的天氣，會又冷又乾。氣溫會在30度出頭，週日時會再上升一點。週一則是又降到華氏20多度。

             麻州州長查理貝克將於今晚6點半，匯報風雪進展。昆士市則已發出風雪停車禁令的緊急通知，從今晚6點起，主要街道禁止停車。

美國商務部及國土安全局聯合公佈供應鏈支援資訊科技業評估報告

Joint Statement by Secretaries Raimondo and Mayorkas on Assessment of the Critical Supply Chains Supporting the Information and Communications Technology Industry

WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement on the completion of a one-year assessment on the critical supply chains supporting the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. Directed by President Biden as part of the Executive Order on America’s Supply Chains (EO 14017), the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security evaluated the current supply chain conditions for select hardware and software products, identified key risks that threaten to disrupt those supply chains, and proposed a strategy to mitigate risk and strengthen supply chain resiliency. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic and related disruptions exposed existing vulnerabilities in both domestic and global ICT supply chains. Over the past 30 years, ICT manufacturing has shifted overseas, which presents challenges for the United States’ supply chain resilience and economic security. In addition, cyber incidents have revealed the capability of malicious actors to stealthily compromise ICT software and hardware products, often undetected.

“To address these challenges, the Departments of Commerce and Homeland Security continue to take immediate actions to bolster the U.S. industrial base as part of a whole-of-government approach to protect and strengthen the supply chains that keep our economy running and our communities safe, but the U.S. government alone cannot address these ICT supply chain vulnerabilities. We look forward to working with industry stakeholders, foreign governments, and other domestic and international partners to implement measures identified in the assessment that build resilience and security throughout the ICT supply chain and across our nation.” 

Read the Assessment of the Critical Supply Chains Supporting the U.S. Information and Communications Technology Industry here.

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES 2022 OUTDOOR DINING PILOT PROGRAM

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES 2022 OUTDOOR DINING PILOT PROGRAM  Applications for the 2022 outdoor dining season are now open.

BOSTON - Thursday, February 24, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the return of the Outdoor Dining Pilot Program, a collaboration of the Licensing Board, Boston Fire Department, Inspectional Services Department, Boston Transportation Department, Public Improvement Commission, Disabilities Commission, Public Works, Office of Economic Development, and the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services. The Outdoor Dining Program is a citywide initiative that allows restaurants the use of expanded public spaces for outdoor dining. The applications for the 2022 Outdoor Dining Pilot Program are now open. Those interested can apply here.   “For the past two years we’ve seen how outdoor dining activates public spaces, helps small businesses, and creates connected communities for everyone,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I’m excited to bring outdoor dining back this spring to support our small businesses and continue to make public spaces more accessible and enjoyable for residents, business owners, and visitors across our neighborhoods.”  The 2022 Outdoor Dining Pilot Program season will begin on Friday, April 1, 2022, except in the North End. The North End is currently undergoing a community review of the outdoor dining program as special considerations are needed due to the density of the restaurants in the neighborhood. North End restaurants can still submit an application while awaiting follow-up information from the City of Boston on how the program will proceed in the neighborhood. “We are excited to see the Outdoor Dining Pilot Program return to the City of Boston,” said Segun Idowu, Chief of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion. “This program not only provided much needed support for our small businesses, it also activated spaces across our neighborhoods and helped keep our city vibrant as we recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.”  Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. Restaurants that participated in the 2021 outdoor dining program must re-apply for 2022. To further assist businesses with the application process, the Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, in partnership with the Office of Neighborhood Services, will be hosting a series of virtual training sessions. Webinars will be held exclusively via Zoom and all applicants must register and participate in order to be considered for the 2022 season. Applicants can register for the below meetings here. Friday, February 25 at 12:00 p.m. Monday, February 28 at 4:00 p.m. Thursday, March 3 at 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 4 at 12:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 8 at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 9 at 3:00 p.m.  The City has made significant changes to the outdoor dining guidance including:  New closing hours; Sunday - Thursday at 9:30 p.m.(all patrons off premises by 10:00 p.m.) and Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. (all patrons off premises by 11:00 p.m.)  Updated barrier safety requirements;  Updated fire safety guidance;  New insurance requirements; An evacuation plan  The full guidance can be found here. Translations of the guidance are available upon request. To request a translated version, please email outdoordining@boston.gov. Visit boston.gov/outdoordining for more information and ongoing updates about the 2022 Temporary Outdoor Dining Program. Questions and concerns about the program can be sent to outdoordining@boston.gov.

麻州地鐵綠線尚莫維爾市段訂3月21日正式啟用

               (Boston Orange 編譯) 麻州地鐵 (MBTA) 綠線延長，終於要實現了。地鐵總經理Steve Poftak今 (24) 日宣佈，地鐵綠線到尚莫維爾 (Somerville)聯合廣場(Union Square)的延長段，3月21日就啟動。

              Lechmere 和Union Square 這2個新車站，將從這天開始歡迎乘客出入。

              麻州地鐵討論地鐵綠線延長，已不下10年，如今終於落實，誠然一大里程碑。Steve Poftak在麻州地鐵董事會會議中表示，對麻州地鐵來說，這真的是令人驕傲的一刻，也是地方上的一個重要時刻，更是地鐵局也能做大事的象徵。

              地鐵綠線延長到麥德福市(Medford)，有5個新車站的路段，預定5月才開通，而且可能得等到夏天時，才正式開始載客。

              這2段綠線延長，花了麻州地鐵23億元，從10年前開始，經歷了似乎無止盡的延誤。

              麻州政府是在1990年時，經由和會話法基金(Conservation Law Foundation)達成的協議，允諾地鐵綠線將延長到Ball廣場/塔芙茨大學，以紓緩把93號州際公路埋進市中心地下的大挖 (Big Dig)工程所帶來的環境影響。該基金會在2005年時控告麻州政府停頓這一計畫，2007年在麻州政府同意於2014年完工時和解。

              到2015年，工程持續延誤，預算暴增至30億元時，麻州政府一度考慮作廢這項計畫。MBTA之後刪減開銷，並贏得當年的監管委員會同意，2017年又繼續進行這項計畫。

              長4.7英里的延長到上莫維爾和麥德福路段，始自2018年，目標是2021年12月時，7個新車站可以開始迎接乘客。

              去年，MBTA引述分站建築的狀況複雜，把聯合廣場段開張日期推遲到了2022年3月，另外以新冠病毒大流行對供應鏈造成的影響為由，推遲了麥德福段的開始營運日期。

              試營運已從1月16日開始。

波士頓市長吳弭宣佈成立「種植波士頓」辦公室 強調食物正義

(Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 今 (24) 日宣佈，成立「種植波士頓: 城市農業辦公室 (GrowBoston: Office of Urban Agriculture) ，由Shani Fletcher出掌；「食物獲取辦公室 (Office of Food Access) 」將改名為「食物正義 辦公室 (Office of Food Justice) 」。             「種植波士頓: 城市農業辦公室」將設在房屋內閣之中，致力在波士頓各地增加食物產量，研發、實施生產食物的創新策略，為潛在及現有的園林及農場提供技術支援，為園林業者、農民，以及其他居民研究生產食物的資源，和市府其他部門合作，擴大全市的市區農業。             「種植波士頓」也將在致力解決現有食物體系中的不正義之外，對波士頓紓緩、因應氣候變化作貢獻。             「食物正義辦公室」將是環境、能源及公開空間長Mariama White-Hammond牧師所管轄內閣的一部分，在實踐波士頓市長讓所有波士頓居民都可得到營養，可負擔，以及與其文化相應食物的承諾上，再進一步擴大。             市長的「食物正義辦公室」將以投資進波士頓的食品生意，打造聯盟，擴大波士頓居民取得可負擔，文化相應，且營養食物的途徑，使用公家採購食物方式，在波士頓的食物鍊工作人員身上投資等5個方向為工作重點。主要使命是打造公平，有彈性，可持續及公正的食物系統。 「種植波士頓」的重心是生產食物，「食物正義」的重心是取得食物。 波士頓市長的房屋辦公室(Office of Housing)經辦「草根開放空間項目」已有25年，支持建立新的社區公園，城市農場，以及社區所擁有的開放空間。迄今已闢出60多英畝的開放空間，主要是做為社區公園。 過去3年來，有16個食物生產場地已完工或正在興建中。「種植波士頓」將在草根項目現有的開闢、翻修場地等工作上，進一步擴大，推廣城市農業。過去3年來擔任MOH草根項目經理的Shani Fletcher將升為主任。 波士頓市府表示，波士頓市經由訂立全美第一個准許城市農作的區域規畫第89章(Article 89)，在市區食物生產上成為領袖已有10年。 「種植波士頓」將爭取新資金來為鄰里團體及非牟利機構提供資源及技術援助，協助他們在波士頓市內組織，採購，建立，管理並維持城市農場，食物森林，社區園林，以及開放空間。             波士頓農場社區土地信託(Boston Farms Community Land Trust) 董事會董事長暨城市務農院(Urban Farming Institute)創立董事Dave Madan表示，在打造波士頓的市區農業上，波士頓市政府是個不可思議的夥伴。 MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF FOOD AND URBAN AGRICULTURE INITIATIVES Change reflects efforts to increase opportunities to grow and access locally grown food

BOSTON - Thursday, February 24, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the creation of GrowBoston: Office of Urban Agriculture. The new office will be within the Housing Cabinet and will work to increase food production throughout Boston; develop and implement innovative food production strategies; provide technical assistance to prospective and existing gardens and farms; develop food production resources for gardeners, farmers, and other residents; and coordinate with other City departments to expand citywide urban agriculture. GrowBoston will also contribute to Boston’s efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change while addressing injustices inherent in the current food system.  Additionally, Mayor Wu announced that the Office of Food Access will now be renamed the Mayor’s Office of Food Justice (OFJ) and will be a part of the Environment, Energy and Open Space Cabinet. This step expands upon the Mayor’s commitment to making nutritious, affordable, and culturally relevant food accessible to all Boston residents. The Office of Food Justice will take an intersectional approach to food security that embeds social, racial, economic, and environmental justice in all of its work. The Mayor’s Office of Food Justice will focus on five pillars to making nutritious, affordable food accessible in Boston. These include investing in Boston’s food businesses, building coalitions, expanding Boston residents’ access to affordable food that is also culturally appropriate and nutritious, using public procurement of food, and investing in food chain workers in Boston. The mission of the Mayor’s Office of Food Justice will be to build a food system that is equitable, resilient, sustainable, and just. GrowBoston is focused on food production, while OFJ is focused on food access.  “Urban agriculture, including community gardens, urban farms, food forests, and other ways of growing food in the city, can directly strengthen our local food system, mitigate the impacts of the climate crisis and ensure equitable access to healthy food in Boston,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “GrowBoston and the Office of Food Justice will combat inequities in the food system, reduce the carbon footprint of food access, and increase food security while reducing climate change impacts. Boston has a long history of urban agriculture as well as food justice activism, and we are continuing this tradition with increased investment of public resources.” “The Mayor’s Office of Food Justice and GrowBoston take a food systems approach to ensure we are getting nutritious food on our plates while enhancing the health of our planet and our local economy,” said Reverend Mariama White-Hammond, Chief of Environment, Energy and Open Space. “I am grateful to Mayor Wu for her vision and leadership in the food justice space and I look forward to supporting this work.” The Mayor’s Office of Housing (MOH) has operated the Grassroots Open Space Program for over 25 years, supporting the creation of new community gardens, urban farms, and community-owned open spaces. Since its creation, the Grassroots Program has created more than 60 acres of open space, primarily as community gardens. In the past three years, more than 16 food production sites have been completed or begun construction. GrowBoston will expand on the work of the existing Grassroots Program by expanding beyond site development and capital improvements to a robust approach of promoting urban agriculture. This will include investing in innovative production strategies, providing increased technical assistance, developing and distributing educational resources, and establishing partnerships that increase food production across the City - all through an equity lens. Shani Fletcher will serve as Director of GrowBoston, bringing many years of urban farming and gardening, open space development, community engagement, and fundraising experience to the role. Shani has served as MOH’s Grassroots Program Manager for the past three years. “I'm so excited to hear about the expansion of the City of Boston’s efforts to address the health and well-being of local residents through the creation of GrowBoston,” said Vivien Morris, Chairperson of the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition. “The Grassroots program has been a wonderful asset to help increase the use of green spaces in Boston for local parks, community gardens, and other green spaces.  Now with the increased resources put into the new GrowBoston office, we look forward to the expansion of past work to allow increased support for efforts to create even more access to healthy locally grown food including urban farms, food forests, and much more. This is needed now more than ever.” Boston has been a leader in urban food production for decades, with a long history of community gardening through the establishment of Article 89, one of the first zoning regulations in the country to address and explicitly allow urban farming. In recent years, there has been increasing demand for community gardens as well as other food production spaces in neighborhoods across the city, especially in low-income communities of color. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on food security has highlighted even further the need for additional space and resources in order to expand gardening and farming capacity. “Boston has a long history of urban agriculture in many forms, and our field has seen ever-increasing momentum over the past decade,” said Shani Fletcher, Director of GrowBoston. “I am thrilled to take on this leadership role as Boston moves into an era of increased investment in food system transformation with an eye towards equity.” GrowBoston will secure new funding sources to provide resources and technical assistance to neighborhood groups and nonprofits to help them organize, buy, create, manage, and maintain urban farms, food forests, community gardens, and open spaces in Boston’s neighborhoods. As a result of this investment, Boston neighborhoods will receive improvements to and permanent preservation of community food production sites and other open spaces.  “The City of Boston has been an incredible partner of ours in building Boston's urban agriculture sector, and we're looking forward to increased energy, ideas, and resources to expand economic opportunity and access to fresh food across our communities,” said Dave Madan, Board President of Boston Farms Community Land Trust and Founding Trustee of Urban Farming Institute. GrowBoston and the Office of Food Justice will coordinate with other city agencies who work to connect residents with healthy, locally grown foods. This includes the Office of Neighborhood Services, and the Environment and Parks and Recreation Departments to ensure that equity and climate resiliency are central to the office’s work.

MAYOR MICHELLE WU LEADS THE 42ND ANNUAL HOMELESSNESS CENSUS

MAYOR MICHELLE WU LEADS THE 42ND ANNUAL HOMELESSNESS CENSUS

BOSTON - Thursday, February 24, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu yesterday led a reduced group of volunteers, including U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development officials, City officials, State officials, homelessness services providers, and public health and first responders, in conducting the City of Boston’s 42nd annual homelessness census. Census organizers intentionally reduced the number of volunteers and began later this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The street count is part of the City's comprehensive yearly census of unsheltered adults, youth, and families in emergency shelters, transitional housing, domestic violence programs, as well as individuals living outside. The census helps inform the City of Boston’s policy development and allocation of resources for households experiencing homelessness. “Boston’s annual homelessness census is an opportunity to assess the need for housing in Boston and move closer to the goal of ensuring every resident has a safe, healthy home,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “I am grateful for state and federal partners working with us to safely undertake this year’s count while taking pandemic-related precautions, and all the volunteers who made this year’s census possible. With this important data, we’ll continue taking action to tackle housing insecurity across our neighborhoods.” This year, more than 150 volunteers canvassed 45 areas after midnight, covering every city neighborhood, Logan Airport, and the transit and parks systems. Volunteers canvassed their assigned areas, identified those sleeping on the street, and conducted a short survey, when that could be conducted safely per COVID-19 guidelines. The surveys will be closely analyzed to ensure accuracy, and then cross-checked and combined with the results of the simultaneous shelter count. The annual homelessness census is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a key component of Boston's $38 million federal grant for housing and services for households experiencing homelessness. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Boston received an extension from HUD and the Mayor’s Office of Housing postponed the census from late January to February 23rd.  Boston continues to have the lowest percentage of unsheltered homelessness of any major city as of 2020, the most recent year for which HUD has published national area-by-area data. In 2021, the unsheltered count was waived as a requirement for cities. On a single night in 2021, more than 326,000 people experienced sheltered homelessness in the United States, a decrease of eight percent from 2020. For Boston’s last census, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness decreased by 24.7 percent from 2,115 individuals in 2020 to 1,591 in 2021. In 2021, there were no unsheltered families on the streets of Boston on the night of the census.   “The Point-in-Time (PIT) count offers an important snapshot into homelessness in America’s communities, and we are pleased to join the Mayor in carrying out this important work,” said Arthur Jemison, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “HUD will continue to work with Boston and other communities to tackle the homelessness crisis by leveraging federal resources like those in the American Rescue Plan and by putting Housing First.”   House America, an All-Hands-on-Deck Effort to Address the Nation's Homelessness Crisis, is a federal initiative in which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) are inviting mayors, city and county leaders, tribal nation leaders, and governors into a national partnership. House America will utilize the historic investments provided through the American Rescue Plan to address the crisis of homelessness through a Housing First approach. As part of the House America initiative, the City of Boston committed to rehouse 1,100 households experiencing homelessness and build over 650 units of housing for people facing housing insecurity by the end of 2022. “Collaborating with cities, like Boston, to understand the needs of our communities is crucial to our goal of making homelessness a rare, brief, and one-time occurrence,” said Richard Cho, Senior Advisor for Housing and Services at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “We continue to look forward to partnering with cities across the nation to ensure that every person has the security of safe and dignified housing.” The City of Boston and its partners continue to work to end chronic and veteran homelessness using the “housing first” approach, an evidence-based approach to ending homelessness that uses principles such as the philosophies that everyone is “housing ready” and everyone deserves permanent and stable housing without preconditions like sobriety or treatment. City agencies and community partners have dramatically redesigned the way services are delivered to homeless individuals, increasing resources devoted to housing and deploying new technologies to match homeless individuals with housing and services. This year, the City of Boston anticipates receiving about $40 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support Boston's homelessness programs in 2022 through HUD’s McKinney Homeless Continuum of Care program.  Housing is central to the City of Boston’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Mayor recently announced a number of actions aimed to strengthen resources for affordable housing, including an audit of City-owned property that could be used for affordable housing development; proposed legislation that would give Boston the ability to implement a fee of up to two percent on the purchase price of any private real estate sale over $2 million, as a means to generate additional funding for affordable housing; studies to assess the current linkage (commercial) and inclusionary development (residential) levels to determine if there is the ability to generate more funds for affordable housing from development and, the Mayor is working on creating a rent stabilization advisory group to study rents in Boston, led by the newly-renamed Mayor’s Office of Housing.  “Ending homelessness is a critical public health issue,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “The annual census is an important opportunity to build trust with residents who are experiencing homelessness and develop immediate and long term solutions necessary to support their diverse needs.”    Additionally, with the support of many City agencies and partner organizations, more than 150 individuals formerly living unsheltered in the Mass/Cass area have been connected with low threshold, supportive housing.  The results from this year’s homeless census will be available in the coming months.

Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance Endorses Legislation to Protect Survivors from Dangerous Individuals, Distribution of Explicit Images

 Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance Endorses Legislation to Protect Survivors from Dangerous Individuals, Distribution of Explicit Images

MOVA’s five-member board unanimously voted to support proposals and urge legislative action

 

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Office for Victims Assistance (MOVA), an independent state agency that supports victims of crime in the Commonwealth, has endorsed legislation filed by the Baker-Polito Administration that will create comprehensive new protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, assault and battery, the harmful distribution of explicit images, and other crimes. MOVA’s five-member Victim and Witness Assistance Board unanimously voted to support both bills, H.4291 An Act Relative to the Harmful Distribution of Sexually Explicit Visual Material and H.4290 An Act to protect victims of crime and the public, which were filed by Governor Baker in December 2021.

 

“Massachusetts has always been a leader in protecting the rights of crime victims that are based on three basic provisions: the rights to be informed, present, and heard,” said Liam Lowney, Executive Director of MOVA.  “These bills, filed by the Baker-Polito Administration, provide survivors additional tools to protect their personal safety and empower well-informed decision making in the face of trauma. Through this endorsement, MOVA looks forward to furthering our shared commitment with the Administration to advance the rights of crime victims throughout the Commonwealth.”

 

“We deeply appreciate MOVA’s support and the endorsement from its board members who share our urgency about the need for this legislation and the protections it will provide survivors, communities and the public,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Our Administration is committed to strengthening and modernizing the laws required to ensure safety and protection from some of our Commonwealth’s most vulnerable citizens. I urge the legislature to act on these bills and demonstrate their commitment to survivor protections.”    

 

“MOVA’s support of this legislation speaks to the important impact it will have on survivors of violent crime, the harmful distribution of explicit images, and other crimes,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “We are thankful to MOVA for their support and look forward to working with them to pass these commonsense laws that close loopholes and protect those who need it most.”

 

“These laws will make a difference in the lives of those we serve and enhance public safety by equipping criminal justice and law enforcement professionals with the tools needed to address the threat of dangerous individuals and non-consensual sharing of explicit content,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “We are grateful for MOVA’s support in our effort to advance these important proposals.”

 

About MOVA: MOVA is an independent state agency governed by the Victim and Witness Assistance Board. MOVA strives to advance victim rights by ensuring all victims and survivors of crime across the Commonwealth are supported and empowered through access to high-quality services that are trauma-informed, culturally-responsive, and reflective of diverse communities. MOVA achieves this through survivor-informed work, advocacy for enhanced victim rights and services, partnerships with agencies and individuals, and a commitment to providing funding and services for underserved and marginalized communities.

 

An Act to protect victims of crime and the public: First filed in 2018, the Administration’s proposal would expand the list of offenses that can provide grounds for a dangerousness hearing and close certain loopholes at the start and end of the criminal process that currently limit or prevent effective action to address legitimate safety concerns. It would strengthen the ability of judges to enforce the conditions of pre-trial release by empowering police to detain people who they observe violating court-ordered release conditions; current law does not allow this, and instead requires a court to first issue a warrant. Under this proposal, judges will be empowered to revoke a person’s release when the offender has violated a court-ordered condition, such as an order to stay away from a victim, or from a public playground. Current law requires an additional finding of dangerousness before release may be revoked.

 

An Act Relative to the Harmful Distribution of Sexually Explicit Visual Materials: First filed in 2017, the proposal modernizes the laws governing the distribution of sexually explicit images and empowers District Attorneys with additional tools to protect children. Under this proposal, the first step in an explicit images case involving minors will be to enroll in an educational diversion program rather than go through the juvenile justice process and potentially be committed to the Department of Youth Services. While District Attorneys and the Attorney General will still have the right to bypass educational diversion programs in certain instances, the focus will now be on educational diversion rather than legal punishment.

 

This legislation also seeks to close a loophole under current law by creating penalties for adults who distribute a sexually explicit image for purposes of revenge or embarrassment. While current law addresses non-consensual recording of an unsuspecting person, it does not address instances where someone distributes an image without consent regardless of whether the initial image may have been taken with consent. This legislation closes the gap in state law by creating a new felony offense and empowering judges in criminal proceedings to ensure an explicit image in question is permanently destroyed.

第126屆波士頓馬拉松4/18舉行 中港台將有203人參賽

       (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導) 第126屆波士頓馬拉松將於2022年4月18日舉行，預計有3萬人參加，其中203人來自中港台。

                  波士頓體育會 (BAA)執行長Thomas S. Grilk預定5月1日卸任，這將是他在為11年後的最後一次主導波士頓馬拉松賽。

                波士頓體育會(BAA)回應本刊查詢，提供了以下數據，本屆波士頓馬拉松賽的參賽者中，有49名中國居民，66名香港居民，88名台灣居民。

            早前有台灣波馬跑者在社交媒體群組中稱，今年報名參加波士頓馬拉松賽的跑者，有85人來自台灣，61人來自香港，41人來自中國大陸。但經官方確認後，人數都有增加，共203人。

                        由於各地防疫、隔離規定不一，交通狀況不確定，到時候有多少人確實能夠到場參賽，目前還是未知數。

             Thomas S. Grilk表示，波士頓馬拉松賽傳統上在愛國者日(Patriots’ Day)舉行，因為新冠病毒疫情，過去2年除了時間調整外，還盡量要求所有參賽者及工作人員都完整接種疫苗。去年的參賽者疫苗接種率為93%，今年所有參賽者在領取號碼牌之前，都必須出示已完整接種經世衛組織認證疫苗的證明，才能參賽。

             2022年的這第126屆波士頓馬拉松賽將有成績在2小時23分以下的12名跑得最快的女生，以及成績在2小時06分以下的12名跑得最快男生參賽。這是近3年來第一次能夠這樣做到。

             2022年的波士頓馬拉松賽參賽登記，已於2021年的11月8日至11月21日完成。報名費為美國居民205美元，國際居民255美元。

             第127屆波士頓馬拉松賽預定在2023年4月17日舉行，並接受從2021年9月1日起的符合參賽資格紀錄。

             波士頓體育會在2月22日還宣佈，今年的官方智慧手機將是國際品牌的「一加 (OnePlus)」。該公司創辦人劉作虎  (Peter Lau)  表示，「一加   」一直在找方法創新，融入新體驗。他們很高興今年第一次能成為波士頓馬拉松賽這標誌性活動的官方手機。

             波士頓馬拉松賽在去年10月11日舉行，共有2106人以籌款員身分參賽的第125屆賽事中，為200多個非牟利組織共籌得2660萬元。如果從1989年波士頓馬拉松賽開始為慈善項目籌款起計算，波士頓馬拉松賽為非牟利機構共籌得4億2600萬元。

             第125屆波士頓馬拉松賽共有來自104個國家的15473人跑畢全程，有22890人參加了網上的虛擬賽事。

             波士頓體育會在2月23日宣佈Thomas S. Grilk預定5月1日卸任之外，早前還宣佈了Adrienne R. Benton獲選加入董事會，成為該會從1887年成立135年來的首名女性有色人種董事。 (2月25日更新)