MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF JAKE LACEY AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON FOR WEST ROXBURY; MICHEL DENIS APPOINTED AS THE LIAISON FOR THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY

MAYOR WU ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF JAKE LACEY   AS THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON FOR WEST ROXBURY; MICHEL DENIS APPOINTED AS THE LIAISON FOR THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY

Jake Lacey

Michel Denis

BOSTON - Friday, February 25, 2022 - Mayor Michelle Wu today announced the appointment of Jake Lacey as the West Roxbury liaison and Michel Denis as the liaison to the Haitian community in the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS). They will serve as the primary contact for constituents and businesses looking to connect with the Mayor's Office, and will facilitate the delivery of services in collaboration with City departments.  “The Office of Neighborhood Services is key to achieving our goal of getting City Hall out of City Hall and into our communities,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Jake Lacey and Denis Michel are passionate public servants who will serve as important connections to West Roxbury and Boston’s Haitian community.”  Jake Lacey previously worked at City Year as a Corporate Partnership Manager where he facilitated partnerships with local companies dedicated to education equity. He brings to the role a passion for ensuring that programs and services are accessible to all residents. Lacey is also an AmeriCorps alumnus, having worked as a Student Success Coach with City Year Philadelphia and a Volunteer Project Coordinator on City Year’s Care Force. He thrives when working with community members to create opportunities for impact-driven volunteer work. Lacey received a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin and is pursuing a Master in City Planning at Boston University.   “I am honored to join the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services to support West Roxbury,” said Jake Lacey. “I know how dedicated the residents of West Roxbury are to their community. I look forward to serving this dynamic neighborhood and contributing to their long history of community engagement.”  Jake enjoys hiking, biking and exploring Boston’s neighborhoods. Michel Denis was born in Bel-Air, a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He migrated to the US as a teenager and went on to earn an associate degree in Fine Arts at Bunker Hill Community College and a bachelors in Political Science at Lesley University. He currently serves as the Director of a non-profit organization called ITIAHaiti, whose mission is to revive Haitian culture while coaching youth to build their leadership through arts.  “I am thrilled to work for Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration as the liaison to the Haitian community,” said Michel Denis. “I am committed to serving my community and connecting them to the services and resources the City of Boston has to offer.”  Denis is an avid reader, writer, and poet. He enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. ABOUT THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES The Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) encourages, facilitates and maximizes citizen input and participation through service requests, neighborhood meetings, mailings, and emergency responses. To report non-emergency issues to the City, residents are encouraged to connect with BOS:311 by dialing 3-1-1 or by downloading the free BOS:311 app on iOS or Android platforms.

波士頓停車位 一個75萬元?

               (Boston Orange 編譯) 天價! 一個波士頓市內的停車位，給價75萬元? 華爾街日報和波士頓環球報稱，一對波士頓夫婦在出售公寓時，有人出價75萬元要買他們的其中一個「代客駕車」停車位。

              華爾街日報登出了這對夫婦的姓名，68歲的Douglas Reeves和59歲的Amy Reeves。他們倆在出售4000平方呎，號稱有4個睡房，以及查理市河及公共公園美麗景觀的公寓，要價1050萬元。

              波士頓市的評估記錄顯示，Reeves家位於Beacon街100號的公寓，估值680萬元。

              至關重要的是，這豪華住宅包括不只一個，而是兩個有遮棚，有人代為停車的車位。華爾街日報稱，Amy Reeves還說，他們拒絕了潛在買家的僅一個車位就75萬元的出價。

              不過，波士頓市搶手停車位售價6位數，倒也不是史無前例。

              波士頓環球報9月時曾經報導，Campion及公司出售西布魯克蘭街201號的一個停車位時，開價37萬5000元。

              2015年時，Beacon Hill的Brimmer街停車場的一個停車位，曾有過65萬元的上市價格。2013年，麻州大道 (Commonwealth Ave.)298號的一對前後串聯停車位，以56萬元出售。2009年時，麻州大道48號的一個停車位也賣了30萬元。

              去年秋天，後灣區Beacon街293號一個停車位在Realtor.com上的開價也有22萬9千元。

對那些沒錢買停車位的人來說，在冬天暴風雪來時，用物件佔位子是他們最喜歡用的策略。1月29日大風雪時，各種佔位子物件就蜂湧而出。在某些社區，這是非常有爭議的話題。佔位子物件在暴風雪緊急狀況取消後48小時必須移除，但經常是限期到後仍然留在那兒。

佔停車位也引發許多故意破壞罪案。波士頓警察局在暴風雪停止後的頭幾天，就收到人們舉報的好幾宗故意破壞案。1月31日時，一位女士把垃圾桶移開，把車停進南端華盛頓街旁的Mystic街的一個停車位，等她辦完事回到車那兒時，她發現一張字條，還有左前輪的車胎被割破了。2月3日凌晨2點，一名受害者也向警察舉報，他的車被人故意破壞了。

美國聯邦疾病防治中心今日可能宣佈放寬戴口罩規定

(Boston Orange 綜合報導) 美聯社 (AP)和紐約時報 (NY Times) ，以及英國的每日郵報(Daily Mail)相繼報導，拜登(Biden)政府週五 (25日) 將大幅度放鬆戴口罩以防新冠病毒傳染的規定，意味著美國政府將不再忠告人民，進入公共室內場所要戴口罩。

                 美聯社表示，這消息是2名熟悉內情者，在拜登政府正式宣佈之前，匿名透露的。

                疾病防治中心 (CDC)週五會宣佈更改用來決定是否建議戴口罩的衡量標準，把從新冠病毒確診率來看的做法，改成更全面來看新冠病毒對社區的風險有多大。

              在目前的指導原則下，建議居住在傳染率高或傳染量大社區中的人戴口罩，根據最新數據來看，那大約是美國95%的地區。

             新的衡量標準，仍然會考慮個案數，但也會把住院數，以及自新冠病毒奧米克戎(Omicron)變種出現以來已大幅度改善的地方醫院能量考慮進去。奧米克戎病株的傳染力更高，但指數顯示和之前病株相比，造成的病情，尤其是對那些已完整接種，或打了加強劑疫苗的人來說，沒那麼嚴重。

               以現有數據來看，在新的指導原則下，絕大部分美國人將不再是居住在建議室內戴口罩的地區。

               這新政策是在拜登政府從重心放在防止新冠病毒造成嚴重疾病及死亡轉移為所有感染病例，在因應病毒成為流行病之際策略的調整後新階段。

             在為因應冬天時奧米克戎病例大幅上升而規定室內戴口罩的美國各州，現在因為全國的病例數陡降，幾乎都已經放鬆規定之際，拜登政府做出了這一改變。有些州已完全取消了戴口罩的規定，有些州則仍然規定學校及醫療場所戴口罩。

             聯邦疾病防治中心的指導原則對美國聯邦政府的在公共交通工具中戴口罩的規定會有何影響還不得而知。

             聯邦疾病防治中心主任Rochelle Walensky曾經說，正在訂定改變。他上星期在白宮簡報中說，必須把醫院能量作為重要的額外考量晴雨表。醫院必須能夠照顧有心臟病、中風的病人。急診部門不能夠應付不過來的得讓有緊急情況病人排隊等候。

             不過在聯邦疾病防治中心何時會宣布任何改變上，他拒絕給出特定日期。

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.