昆士市爐溪高球場訂4月1日起對外開放 50年來第一次

              (Boston Orange) 昆士市市長Tom Koch 宣佈，爐溪 (Furnace Brook) 高爾夫球場將從4月1日起對外開放。這是50年來的第一次。

 私人經營的爐溪 (Furnace Brook) 高爾夫球俱樂部和昆士市府簽有50年租約，去年屆滿後，由昆士市自然資源局接管營運。

           昆士市長柯奇表示，”我們非常興奮市政府的公園和開放空間，能夠增加這一休閒娛樂場所”。坤市府的計畫是為昆士居民提供可負擔的在地高爾夫球運動，向更多市民介紹這運動。昆士市非常高興又再擁有這一塊美麗的開放空間，希望能保有傳承下去。

           爐溪高爾夫球場的收費，目前訂為平日9洞30元，18洞45元，週末及假日依序為40元及55元。耆英有優惠價。有意打球人士須48小時前預訂。

Furnace Brook Golf Course Open to Public April 1st
Mayor Thomas Koch announced that the golf season at Furnace Brook Golf Course will open to the public on April 1st for the first time in 50 years.  The City of Quincy’s Department of Natural Resources is operating the course after the 50-year lease expired last year with the private Furnace Brook Golf Club, Inc.
“We are excited to add this recreational opportunity to our inventory of parks and open spaces,” said Mayor Koch.  “Our plan is to provide affordable, local golf for our residents and in the process introduce many more residents to the game of golf.  This is a beautiful parcel of open space and we are glad to keep it as such for generations to come.”

Greens fees for Quincy residents have been set at:

	Weekday	Weekend/Holiday
18 Holes 9 Holes SR 18  SR 9 JR 18 SR 9	$45  $30 $35 $25 $25 $15	$55 $40 $45 $30 $30 $20

Carts are $20 for 18 holes and $15 for 9 holes.  Non-residents will pay $10 extra in each category listed above.  Greens fees will be available through online booking for the first time.  Golfers can go to furnacebrookgolfcourse.com to book tee times 48 hours in advance.

“We want to introduce as many residents to the course as possible,” said Commissioner of Natural Resources Dave Murphy.  “This means affordable greens fees, camps, clinics, and other methods to help inform people of this great resource we have available to the public.  Golf has many barriers to entry and we see an opportunity to grow the game and improve the quality of life in the city.”

There are some Limited and Junior membership opportunities still available.  Family and Unlimited memberships are full but a waiting list is being compiled for 2023.

PGA Golf Professional Tom Ellis will be running the golf operations for the City.  Ellis comes from Granite Links Golf Club and has extensive experience managing public courses as well.

Plans are underway for a new clubhouse building to replace the antiquated structure that was built in 1926.  It does not meet ADA standards and much of the infrastructure and utilities would have to be replaced.  The Fours Restaurant group has been awarded the contract for food and beverage service at the clubhouse.  They expect to open their operation at Furnace Brook in early-April.

麻州州長候選人Sonia Chang Diaz叫陣 Maura Healey 6月前公開辯論3次

陳翟蘇妮在推特上貼文，描述她跑競選行程之忙碌。(圖片來自推特)

      (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 刻正競選麻州州長一職的現任麻州參議員陳翟蘇妮 (Sonia Chang Diaz) 今 (24) 日向另一名州長候選人，現任麻州總檢察長的奚莉 (Maura Healey) 公開挑戰，要求在6月4日的麻州民主黨黨代表大會舉行前，至少做3次電視辯論。

              陳翟蘇妮在發給奚莉的一封信中表示，”民主黨員應該公開的聽到麻州州長候選人對大家所面對重要議題的看法”。”這是要求願意回答艱難問題，展現領導力，並向我們所服務的居民提供無畏承諾的時刻”。

             “因為所有這些理由，我請你和我一起承諾，在麻州民主黨黨代表大會於6月舉行之前，在全州各地至少有3次由媒體機構贊助，有人主持的現場，實體辯論。

 

             陳翟蘇妮信件內容已放在網路上，https://bit.ly/Sonia-3-Debates 。

一移民律師被判不得經營移民服務 罰款24萬元

IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY BARRED FROM RUNNING ASYLUM SCAM, ORDERED TO PAY MORE THAN $240,000 FOLLOWING AG LAWSUIT
Court Order Follows 12-Day Bench Trial in October 2021 Against George C. Maroun, Jr.; AG’s Office Alleged Defendant Exploited Brazilian Immigrants Seeking Legal Services

            BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey announced today that an attorney, sued for running an asylum scam in the Brazilian immigrant community, has been found to have engaged in unfair or deceptive practices, ordered by a judge to pay more than $240,000 in penalties and restitution, and barred from any future illegal immigration services.

 

            The order, issued after a 12-day bench trial in Middlesex Superior Court, follows a civil lawsuit filed by the AG’s Office in 2018 alleging that George C. Maroun, Jr. targeted the Brazilian immigrant community and routinely employed deceptive and misleading practices in violation of the state’s Consumer Protection Act.

 

“This attorney's business model targeted and exploited immigrants looking for legal help and made a profit at their expense, while also putting them at risk of deportation,” said AG Healey. “This was a hard-fought case by my office, and we are pleased to secure restitution and achieve accountability for those harmed by these illegal practices.” 

 

            Maroun practices immigration law and has maintained law offices in various locations, including in Somerville, Woburn, Chelmsford, and Stoneham. According to the AG’s complaint, since January 2013, Maroun submitted immigration-related petitions and applications on behalf of more than 1,000 residents in Eastern Massachusetts, many of whom are Brazilian and speak limited English.

 

Based on the evidence presented at trial, the judge found Maroun repeatedly violated the Consumer Protection Act by filing immigration applications on behalf of new clients without their knowledge or consent; failing to explain the legal processes he would use in their cases or the possible risks or benefits of those processes; filing asylum applications and affidavits containing false information; filing untimely asylum applications which were nearly certain to result in denial and lead to removal proceedings; making false guarantees and misrepresentations about the likelihood that Maroun would secure clients legal immigration status; and using threats of deportation to collect attorney’s fees.

 

Under the terms of the court order, Maroun is required to pay a total of $241,800, including $160,000 in civil penalties and $81,800 restitution for affected clients. Maroun is also permanently prohibited from representing new clients, filing immigration applications, or soliciting legal fees without disclosing and fully explaining the legal processes, available options for clients, and any risks and benefits to his services.

 

Maroun is also required to obtain the client’s consent before undertaking any representation or filing any applications on behalf of the client and is barred from making threats of deportation or other negative immigration consequences in order to collect current or additional legal fees from clients.

 

In his decision, the judge noted that the Supreme Judicial Court and the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers are in a position to decide whether to place restrictions on Maroun’s ability to practice law in the Commonwealth.

 

As part of her office’s ongoing efforts to advocate for the state’s immigrant communities, AG Healey has been informing and protecting residents from fraudulent immigration law practices. The office’s multilingual education campaign, first launched in 2018, provides immigrant communities with information about these predatory practices, and the tools and tips necessary to help protect themselves. The AG’s Office has since relaunched its education materials and outreach after hearing from community partners about unscrupulous lawyers taking advantage of their clients and a widespread scam known as “notario fraud,” or the unauthorized practice of immigration law.

 

The AG’s Office has previously taken action against individuals for exploiting residents seeking immigration services. In 2016, Gerson Barahona, a Waltham man was ordered to pay more than $155,760 in restitution to victims, civil penalties, and attorney’s fees, after posing as an immigration lawyer and unlawfully charging hundreds or thousands of dollars for legal advice and services. The AG’s Office sought and obtained a preliminary injunction in December 2014 that required Barahona to cease providing any services related to immigration matters. 

 

To report an immigration scam, call the AG’s Civil Rights Division at (617) 963-2917. To learn more, please visit www.mass.gov/immigrationscams.

 

This case was handled by Senior Counsel Samantha Shusterman of AG Healey’s Consumer Protection Division, Assistant Attorney General David Ureña of AG Healey’s Civil Rights Division, former Paralegals Marina Bueno and Sneha Pandya and Paralegal Andrew Turnbull of the Consumer Protection Division, and Senior Investigator Ciara Tran of the Civil Investigations Division, with the assistance of State Trial Counsel James Sweeney and former Consumer Protection Division Chief Max Weinstein.

 

To view this press release in Portuguese, click here.

 

To view this press release in Spanish, click here.

波士頓華商會迎虎年 市長吳弭與近百市府員工出席同歡

波士頓華商會理事與嘉賓合影。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華商會理事們敬酒。(周菊子攝)

波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn和不分區市議員Erin Murphy頒發表揚狀給波士頓華商會，
由華商會會長蔡倩婷，副會長陳仕維和兩名大會司儀陳文珊(左一)，譚達兒(右一)代領。
(周菊子攝)

                  (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 疫苗都打了，口罩不用戴了，波士頓華埠商會 3月23日晚在帝苑大酒樓慶祝虎年新春，盛極一時，有四、五百人出席，不但波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 到賀，連已2年未公開露面的僑領陳毓禮都來了。

                僑界春宴，主旨本來是慶祝新春，交流聯誼。波士頓華商會這場2022年春宴，卻和往年格外不同，在5位州市政要之外，還有近百名波士頓市府員工出席同歡。這絕對是打破華埠記錄的前所未有景觀，為波士頓華埠和波士頓市府搭出更好互動橋樑。

                  由於新冠病毒疫情早從2020年就已逼使個僑團停辦春宴，今年的2022年，波士頓華商會這場春宴，大概也是波士頓市內唯一的一場僑團春宴，出席的人都被現場那種熱鬧，感染得情緒高昂。

波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)當年在前市長萬寧路(Tom Menino)辦公室實習時，
就和石任波士頓是採購局局長的波士頓僑領陳毓禮熟稔非常。(周菊子攝)

             對華商會來說，今年還有一大特色，就是波士頓三大僑團首長，都是波士頓華商會理事，包括副會長陳仕維是全美安良工商會總理，財政余麗媖是全美洪門致公堂總理，理事雷國輝是紐英崙中華公所主席。

             當晚到會的政要，在波士頓市長吳弭之外，還有麻州眾議員麥家威 (Aaron Michlewitz)，波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn，波市不分區市議員米高法拉提 (Michael Flaherty)，Erin Murphy。

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝致詞。(周菊子攝)

               波士頓市的經濟機會及包容長Segun Idowu，公平及包容長Mariangely Solis Cervera這2名市府內閣首長，以及消防局局長John Jack Dempsey，副局長黃瑞瑜，警察局社區副局長陳孔恩 (James Chin)，稽核局局長Sean C. Lydon，還有近百名警察局，消防局，稽核局 (ISD)，小企業服務組的波士頓市府各局處員工出席同歡。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元致詞。(周菊子攝)

              駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元，僑教中心主任潘昭榮也應邀出席。由於波士頓華商會副會長陳仕維既是全美安良工商會總理，也是新任波士頓僑務委員，使得波士頓華商會今年的政府關係有如錦上添花。

             春宴活動由陳文珊、譚達兒擔任司儀，波士頓華埠商會會長蔡倩婷唱美國國歌拉開序幕，接著洪青體育會舞動二頭瑞獅，拍團體照，會長、嘉賓致詞。

麻州眾議員麥家威(Aaron Michlewitz)和波士頓市議員Michael Flaherty都是嘉賓。(周菊子攝)

             蔡倩婷在會中匯報過去二年多來，波士頓華埠商家互助合作，致力繁榮地方，儘管各自經營不易，仍慷慨解囊，捐口罩、物資等協助第一線工作人員抗疫。她也感謝警察維護社區治安，再點名感謝也名列華商會董事行列的陳毓禮。

波士頓市長吳弭(Michelle Wu，中)和龍鳳酒樓老闆梅錫銳的子女，燒酒餐廳老闆梅沛傑(左)，
在龍鳳擔任要職的梅佩凡(右)都是千禧年世代的年輕人。(周菊子攝)

             

波士頓華商會春宴由洪清體育會舞獅。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙中華公所主席雷國輝指出，波士頓華商會的這場春宴是波士頓華埠今年唯一，也是最大的一場新春慶會。當晚出席眾人衣香影繽，冠蓋雲集，展現了波士頓華商會的人脈，實力，以及領導力，值得大家鼓掌鼓勵。他希望中華公所和華商會，以及所有僑團合作，為社區創造更好的明天。

波士頓市消防局副局長黃瑞瑜 (Connie Wong，後左一)是目前在波士頓市府職位第二高
的華人。(周菊子攝)

             波士頓市長吳弭先慨歎新冠疫情讓大家等了又等，但終於在春節結束前，讓她等到上任波士頓市長以來的第一個僑團春宴。她感謝大家讓不論住在哪兒的華人，都覺得這裏有個家。她也感謝華商會和華埠社區在疫情期間捐贈口罩，物資，支援醫院及第一線工作人員，接著感謝市府員工服務市民。她還特地點名波士頓副局長黃瑞瑜，警察局社區副局長陳孔恩，讓華埠民眾認識一下在市府工作的華人。最後她以中文說祝大家身體健康，萬事如意。

             麻州眾議員麥家威也感謝波士頓華商會在疫情期間的努力，稱陳毓禮為”My Budy”，還懷念辭世未久的”比利叔叔”陳毓璇。

             波士頓經文處處長孫儉元代表中華民國政府感謝華商會的長期支持。在英文之後，他還以中文，廣東話祝眾人身體健康，萬事如意。

             波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn和Erin Murphy隨後攜手送上一份表揚狀給波士頓華商會。

              致詞儀式結束後，波士頓華商會所有董事上台合唱「歡樂年年」，揭開表演序幕。當晚的表演有男、女聲獨唱，甄雲龍伴奏，靳雷演唱「晴朗的一天」，曾燕琴唱「熱情的沙漠」，亞美藝術團的旗袍舞等等。

            

波士頓市長吳弭(Michelle Wu，前左三)，麻州眾議員Aaron Michlewitz (前左起)，紐英崙
中華公所主席雷國輝，波士頓僑領陳毓禮，波士頓華商會會長蔡倩婷，副會長陳仕維
等人和波士頓市警察合影。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華商會董事成員包括，會長蔡倩婷，副會長陳仕維，財政余麗媖，應文書記陳文珊，中文書計翁偉健，核數陳李佩，公關曹品慈，湯瑞雲，特別活動組譚達兒，馮武成，籌款組伍偉業，黃展唐，以及董事陳毓禮，林如蘭，陳淑敏，韓幼文，雷國輝，梅錫銳，方嘉樺。                          

   

             

已高齡90餘歲的陳毓璇大姊，阮陳金鳳(中)也在女兒陪同下，出席華商會春宴。(周菊子攝)

波士頓經濟機會及包容長Segun Idowu (左起)，3月中才上任的小企業組主任Aliesha Porcena
等人也都應邀出席波士頓華商會春宴。(周菊子攝)

波士頓稽核局 (ISD)局長Sean C. Lydon (後右三)，衛生副局長Daniel Prendercast (後左一)和
該局同仁，以及波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn (後左三)，曾在ISD服務，現在Solomon
McCown工作的Dan Manning等人，這天都應邀出席。ISD共有6大組別，員工200多人，
這晚有30多人到會。(周菊子攝)

波士頓市長吳弭(Michelle Wu)和波士頓市消防局副局長黃瑞瑜等部分市府員工在波士頓華商會春宴中聯歡。(周菊子攝)

亞裔社區基金座談「 我們一同崛起 (We Rise Together) 」

亞裔社區基金董事會主席李保華(上)，邦克丘社區學院校長余慕潔。

              (Boston Orange周菊子波士頓報導) 波士頓基金會 (TBF) 麾下的「亞裔社區基金 (Asian Community Fund) 24日舉辦「我們一同崛起 (We Rise Together) 」城鎮會議，回顧一年前的亞特蘭大槍擊事件，綜論亞裔社區應加強學習述說經歷，並結盟、服務、參政，集結力量，改變社會看不見亞裔的現狀。

              亞裔社區基金董事會主席李保華在開場致詞中表示，二年前，他們成立這基金，作為在麻州支持亞裔社區發展力量的長久資源，匯聚、團結亞裔社區內的不同族裔，形成更強而有力的擁護聲音。他們正致力克服亞裔所面對的歷史性隱而無形，以及亞裔社區慈善事業的長期缺乏投資情況，今年春天將推出「亞裔企業賦能會 (Asian Business Empowerment Council, 簡稱ABEC)」，刻正徵求主管人才。

波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)。

              「停止反亞裔仇恨 (Stop Anti-Asian Hate) 」的報告指出，從2020年以來，有不下1萬宗反亞裔仇恨、暴力事件，其他未舉報的就更不計其數。在亞特蘭大事件有6名亞裔婦女死亡之外，Indianapolis聯邦快遞大樓9人被射殺，其中4人為亞裔；紐約市不同地點至少有4宗死亡事件，在紐約曼哈頓還出現一日之內有7名亞裔婦女被同一人攻擊。

亞裔社區基金主任Daniel Kim (上)，全國家庭傭工聯盟總監蒲艾真(下)。

Vanny Huot, Co-Director, Revere Youth in Action

李保華說，這一連串持續發生的反亞裔暴力事件，促使他們舉辦這會議，藉以討論如何「一同崛起」，亞裔社區經由團結，集聚力量，都做了什麼樣的回應，又如何發聲的不再隱而不見。年輕人已經說了，學校內需要有族裔研究及文化包容的教育，許多不同社區也體認到需要團結，因為攻擊者在針對亞裔時，並未分辨亞裔有不同族群。大家也認知到和黑人，拉丁裔移民，以及同性戀等其他受壓迫團體合作的重要性。

              這會議請邦克丘(Bunkerhill)社區學院校長余慕潔做開場介紹，請波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu)，以及曾於2012年獲美國時代雜誌選為最具影響力時代百大人物的全國家庭傭工聯盟總監蒲艾真做主旨演講。

              劍橋市市長Sumbul Siddiqui，牛頓市麻州眾議員Kate Hogan，摩頓市麻州眾議員Steve Utrino，波士頓市議會議長Ed Flynn，以及韓國駐波士頓領事館代表等嘉賓，都出席了會議。

              吳弭市長的發言約10多分鐘。她簡述自己最近參加過的一些活動之餘，感性指出，特別是亞裔婦女，面對的挑戰尤其巨大。但新冠病毒疫情並不是原因，其實仇恨、歧視亞裔的行為早從排華法案，第二次世界大戰時的日本人集中營，乃至於韓戰時的慰安婦就已經存在了。在洛杉磯發生的中國城大屠殺，在底特律發生的陳果仁案件，都是亞裔後代無法拒絕，傳承下來的歷史。

紐英崙華人歷史協會理事范王柳娥。

              吳弭指出，這天大家聚在一起，參加會議，就是團結，有彈性的表現，當人們持有事情該如何的知識時，就可以開始為我們自己，以及我們的子女、後代，建立一個一切如我們所願的世界。

              吳弭引述Cathy Park Hong在「小感受:亞裔美人的推想 (Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning)」書中寫道，她怕亞裔不會成為力量，反而被力量吞噬了。她描寫關於消失，隱形，以及在我們系統性地被鼓勵忽視的方式中，讓人要問自己可能做了些什麼招致對我們的傷害，又或者我們如何行動、說話，或者不行動、說話，可能導致我們自己的邊緣化?

Acton-Boxborough區域高中暨反種族歧視，平等及正義教育聯盟青年組織者Rebecca Zhang,

因為團結的核心是認知能見度的價值，意味著，我們看見你，我們聽見你，你不孤單，力量也就大了。她期望著重塑合作的可能性，和大家一起重塑關於我們社區的敘述，創造一個充滿活力，可能性的世界。

              

亞美促進正義會會長John C. Yang (上)，WGBH電視總經理程必璧(下)

蒲艾真描述了家務工在新冠病毒疫情期間，面對冒感染風險工作，或停工無以維生的艱難抉擇。她指出，當人們接受了亞裔及有色婦女，以及他們的工作是比較沒有價值，更容易丟棄時，人們就更容易接受針對他們的暴力。幸運的是婦女們正組織起來，和民選官員合作，找尋解決方案。

                       這場會議還邀請了社區人士從地方，以及全國的角度來反思社會中的反亞裔仇恨暴力。紐英崙歷史協會董事范王柳娥，波士頓大學錫克協會會長Unmol Eesha Gill，瑞維爾青年在行動 (Revere Youth in Action)共同主任Vanny Huot，以及Acton-Boxborough區域高中的反種族歧視、公平，及正義教育聯盟青年組織者Rebecca Zhang，亞美正義促進會會長楊重遠 (John C. Yang) 等人分別發言。

亞美促進正義會會長John C. Yang WGBH電視總經理程必璧(上)，King Boston主任
Imari Paris Jeffries (中左)，麻州中部東南亞亞裔聯盟主任Anh Vu Sawyer (中右)，
劍橋市市長Sumbul Siddiqui。

2021波士頓現場藝術受獎人, DoYeon Kim和  Chase Morrin

         范王柳娥在波士頓華埠長大，當年社區很小，和敘利亞人、黎巴嫩人，希臘人，法國人，義大利人比鄰而居，環境很多元，彼此相安無事，生活很單純。直到她進入職場工作，才第一次遭遇只因為她是亞裔就不斷發生的電話騷擾。她感慨表示，雖然華裔美人來到美國已有150年的歷史，但是許多人仍然把亞裔當作剛剛跳船下來的移民，經常在問人從哪兒來之後，還要追問你真正從哪兒來。然而同樣讓她驚詫的是，很多亞裔不知道自己的背景，也從不問他們的父母，祖父母當年的生活情景。這也是為什麼她積極參與華人歷史協會，希望藉由鼓勵人講述、分享故事，歷史，來彼此認識，交流共同經驗。人們沒有理由彼此對抗，或者不了解在現在這個年代，移民意味著什麼。

              Rebecca Zhang 是在亞特蘭大槍擊事件發生後，大有感觸，起而行動的製作介紹亞裔的簡報，後來加入CARE聯盟，推動在麻州幼稚園到12年級的課程中，增加族裔文化課程。

          這場會議還安排了一場座談，請WGBH電視總經理程必璧主持，King Boston主任Imari Paris Jeffries，麻州中部東南亞裔聯盟主任Anh Vu Sawyer，劍橋市市長Sumbul Siddiqui，以及亞美正義促進會會長楊重遠 (John C. Yang)與談。

              程必璧最後總結道，當繼續向前時，亞裔社區的下一步，是要加強學習述說經歷，並結盟、服務、參政，集結力量。

              亞裔社區基金主任Danielle Kim在會末提醒眾人，下一場活動是4月1日(週五)，主題為「當樹幹折斷時，第五段:幼兒人力的挑戰與創新 (When the Bough Breaks, Part 5: Challenges and Innovations in the Early Childhood Workforce)」。

We Rise Together: Town Hall on Asian Resilience, Power and Solidarity on Vimeo

 

麻州長訪問Holyoke 慶祝把光纖網路帶進郊區

Baker-Polito Administration Celebrates Completion of Make Ready Work, Critical to Extending Broadband to “Last Mile” Towns

Celebration marks conclusion of Make Ready Working Group’s four-year effort of unprecedented coordination among utilities, service providers, construction contractors, state government

HOLYOKE – Thursday, March 24, 2022 – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration celebrated the completion of Make Ready work, a four-year, coordinated effort to remove the largest obstacle to extending broadband access across 53 “Last Mile” communities in Western and Central Massachusetts. During a roundtable event hosted at the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, and Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba commemorated the milestone with executives from the utility companies, service providers, and construction contractors who comprised the Make Ready Working Group responsible for delivering high-speed internet access to the doorsteps of 28,000 households in these towns.   Formed in February 2018 and led by Lt. Governor Polito, the Make Ready Working Group achieved unprecedented coordination of the activities required to make space on utility poles in advance of the construction of broadband networks. Through regular meetings, new practices and protocols, and meticulous tracking of progress, the group was able to accelerate the Make Ready work that ultimately impacted approximately 40,000 utility poles, allowing for the installation of 2,000 miles of fiber optic cable across all 53 Last Mile towns.  As of today, 40 Last Mile towns have fully operational broadband networks, 10 previously unserved towns have networks that are partially operational, with the three remaining unserved communities in various stages of design or construction.    “As a result of the important work done by the entire Make Ready Group’s membership, who met weekly and more over the past four years, the last of the Commonwealth’s communities that still remain unserved by broadband are a major step closer becoming connected,” said Governor Charlie Baker.  “Thanks to this group’s efforts, 53 previously underserved municipalities will have access to essential broadband services and we are grateful for this important collaboration.”    “Congratulations to the members of the Make Ready Working Group for your commitment to an unprecedented degree of coordination over the last four years,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Because of your work, we’ve successfully overcome the largest challenge to extending broadband to our final ‘Last Mile’ communities in our goal of closing the digital divide.”   The membership of the Make Ready Working Group included: Eversource, National Grid, Verizon, Westfield Gas and Electric, Comcast, Charter, ITG, Sertex, MassDOT, the Department of Telecommunications and Cable, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI).    Throughout the four-year period, the Working Group continuously tracked and pressed for the acceleration of Make Ready work with a focus on eliminating roadblocks where fiber construction crews were actively building new network.  To track progress, a complex integrated schedule, created and managed by the MBI, became the primary tool to coordinate efforts and resources.    New tactics and protocols were also implemented, with utilities being asked to “swarm” crews into high-priority towns to complete Make Ready work.  As coordination increased, fiber construction crews were eventually fully synchronized such that construction could start in a particular neighborhood immediately upon the completion of Make Ready in that section of a town.  Prior to this approach, standing practice was to hold off on construction until Make Ready work was completed for the entire town.    “The success of the Make Ready Working Group will serve as a new model for how we can work together to tackle complicated challenges associated with upgrading and extending modern-day infrastructure that is a necessity in today’s world,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy.  “As the pandemic demonstrated, internet connectivity is more vital than ever, and this work will ensure that no one region remains at a disadvantage as we continue along the path of economic recovery.”   “I want to congratulate the Make Ready Working Group for their extraordinary efforts to ensure broadband coverage will soon complete its reach across the entire Commonwealth,” said Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba.  “In this day and age, high-speed internet is a vital component of how communities function and businesses operate, and thanks to this group’s commitment, we were able to save a significant amount of time and accelerate progress toward the goal of making sure access is universal.”   “The importance of the Make Ready Working Group in helping bridge the divide between the digital haves and have-nots cannot be understated,” said Department of Telecommunications and Cable Commissioner Karen Charles Peterson. “Massachusetts has been consistently looked at as a leader in removing barriers to accelerate the deployment of high-speed internet access and the Working Group is another important example of how we continue to do this by working collaboratively.”   “Westfield Gas + Electric appreciates the efforts of the Baker-Polito Administration in unifying this diverse group of utilities,” said Tom Flaherty, Sr., General Manager of Westfield Gas + Electric. “Together we were able to streamline the complex work schedule of the last four years, bringing critical broadband access to many Western Massachusetts communities on a relatively short timeline.”   “We commend the Baker-Polito Administration’s willingness to understand and prioritize make-ready work, which may not be glamorous, but is essential to providers’ ability to timely reach and connect unserved families, and can help shave years off of the timeline for doing so,” said Camille Joseph, GVP, State Government Affairs, Charter Communications. “This effort is already paying great dividends for the Commonwealth’s efforts to close the internet access gap, including through deployment of Charter’s gigabit connectivity to the unserved towns of Princeton, Hancock, New Marlborough, Peru, Sandisfield, Tyringham, Hinsdale, Lanesborough, and West Stockbridge.”   “From the beginning of this program, Comcast has been a dedicated partner to Governor Baker, Lieutenant Governor Polito and the entire MBI team in their effort to connect residents and businesses in 13 rural communities of western Massachusetts to Comcast’s fast, secure and reliable fiber-rich network that offers a range of broadband speeds, including multi-gigabit services,” said Daniel Glanville, Vice President of Government Affairs and Community Impact for Comcast's Western New England Region.  “We are proud of our partnership and remain committed to continuously investing in and evolving our network to stay ahead of customer needs now and into the future.”   “National Grid is proud to support the vital work of bringing broadband access to the cities and towns of Western and Central Massachusetts alongside the Baker-Polito Administration,” said Steve Woerner, New England President, National Grid US. “We will continue to assist our communities across the Commonwealth, building on the impressive work to date of the many dedicated individuals involved in providing this critical infrastructure to residents and businesses.”   “We’re proud of the hard work, skill, and dedication it took from all stakeholders to coordinate and complete such an important construction project at this scale,” said Eversource Vice President of Electric Field Operations Bill Ritchie. “Working through the pandemic and some of the toughest terrain in Massachusetts, this public-private partnership accomplished an essential step in ensuring that underserved communities have access to this critical service. In particular, it took diligent cooperation between our employees and Verizon to transfer or shift our infrastructure to make room on the pole to facilitate fiber attachments.”   “Sertex Broadband is proud to be a part of closing the digital divide in Central and Western Massachusetts,” said Michael Solitro, Sertex founder and CEO. “Over the last six years, our crews have crossed rivers, climbed mountains, and dragged cable through forests and woodlands in all weather to make lightspeed internet access a reality for more than 12,000 residents and businesses.”   "It has been an honor to collaborate with MBI, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development and members of the Make Ready Working Group to complete this portion of the ‘Last Mile’ project," said Verizon Vice President Stephanie Lee.  "The efforts of our partnership are contributing to bridging the digital divide by enabling broadband connectivity in 53 unserved and underserved communities in western and central Massachusetts."