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
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National ACE Opens Applications for the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund in Partnership with the Grubhub Community Fund to Help Struggling AAPI-owned Restaurants
Independent restaurants across the country can apply for a grant up to $100,000 through the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund
CHICAGO, IL and WASHINGTON, D.C., May 18, 2022 -- The National Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (National ACE) today announced the second year of the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund to support independent, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned restaurants, a program enabled by a grant from the Grubhub Community Fund. With the industry facing unprecedented challenges since the pandemic began over two years ago, the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund is available to help restaurants respond to supply chain disruptions, increased inventory costs, workforce development, and discrimination. The monetary grants can help pay employees' wages, expand operations, renovate for new business needs, upgrade equipment, explore e-commerce offerings, or repair damage to the place of business caused by anti-Asian sentiment.
"Our AAPI-owned restaurants have experienced severe losses throughout the pandemic and even worse, continue to be victims of hate, discrimination, and bias at their places of business," said Chiling Tong President and CEO of National ACE. "Grubhub's ongoing commitment to AAPI-owned restaurants is demonstrated by the continuation of this amazing grant opportunity. The contributions from Grubhub and its diners will provide relief for AAPI restaurant owners who may not have received financial assistance from the federal government or those who are trying to emerge from the long-lasting and devastating impacts of the pandemic."
Eligible restaurants across the country will be able to apply for a $25,000 grant, and over 70 restaurants will be awarded in September 2022. Three finalists will be awarded $100,000, $75,000, and $50,000 live at the National ACE Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. from September 19-21, 2022.
AAPI-owned restaurants were among the hardest hit during the pandemic’s early days. By April 2020, roughly half of the Chinese restaurants in the U.S. had closed because of the pandemic, coupled with consumer prejudice and misperceptions.
"As the country emerges from the pandemic, restaurants still need help getting back on their feet, and that’s why Grubhub is doubling down on its support and partnering with National ACE again to help diverse restaurants," said Dave Tovar, Senior Vice President of Communications & Government Relations at Grubhub. "Every restaurant has been impacted by the pandemic, but the AAPI community has faced uniquely difficult challenges over the past two years. We hope by highlighting the important role diverse restaurants play in their communities - from the cuisine offered to employment opportunities to serving as community gathering spaces - that we can help these restaurants grow and thrive."
From June 1 to June 22, 2022, the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund will accept grant applications from all AAPI-owned restaurants throughout the United States.
To qualify for grant assistance, AAPI-owned restaurants must satisfy all of the following requirements:
The restaurant must be Asian American/Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian majority-owned (at least 51%);
Must be based in the United States;
Must be currently operational;
Must show proof of their primary licensed activity as "the preparation and serving of food";
Must operate in a maximum of three locations (cannot be a franchise).
Applications will open at 9am ET on Wednesday, June 1, 2022 via www.AAPISTRONG.com.
The application period will close on June 22, 2022 and grants will be distributed to restaurants throughout Fall 2022. Interested restaurants can learn more about the AAPISTRONG Restaurant Fund and the full application process at https://www.aapistrong.com/current-grants
Congresswoman Judy Chu Tests Positive for COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) issued the following statement after testing positive for COVID-19:
“On Tuesday morning, I took a rapid antigen test and received a negative result. I routinely get PCR testing and on Tuesday evening, I received a positive result. After consulting with the House Physician, I am isolating in accordance with CDC guidelines. I am currently asymptomatic and thankful to have received my vaccination and two booster shots. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated and boosted if you have not already.”
Baker-Polito Administration Announces $2.1Million in Awards through the Regional Economic Development Organization Grant Program
Awards support 38 projects focused on regional business growth, small businesses, and economic recovery in downtowns and main streets
BOSTON – Wednesday, May 18, 2022 – Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a total of approximately $2.1 million in awards to nine eligible entities across the Commonwealth to fund 38 projects that seek to strengthen the state’s economy on a regional basis through support for existing small businesses, business growth, and efforts to increase economic activity in local downtowns and main streets.
The Regional Economic Development Organization grant program was established in partnership with the Legislature and is administered by the Massachusetts Office of Business Development. The program provides competitive grants that are awarded to applicants based on the ability to successfully support businesses through proposals that account for the varying regional needs of the Commonwealth’s economy. This round builds on a prior round of REDO awards which resulted in an additional $3 million to 11 regional economic development organizations to sustain ongoing efforts to foster economic activity at regional levels, and to support 29 additional projects in support of economic development priorities.
“With the REDO program, our Administration can continue supporting efforts that help drive economic growth based on the needs of each, individual region of the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “By strengthening the businesses we have now, and by working to attract new businesses to our downtowns and main streets, we can ensure that each region benefits from the increase in economic activity created through the support of this program.”
“By helping regional economic organizations execute on solutions that best address the individual needs and challenges of each of the state’s regions, we can accelerate our progress toward economic recovery,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “I want to congratulate the recipients in this round of REDO awards and I look forward to their efforts to help leverage the unique assets that exist in all corners of Massachusetts to help our business community continue to grow and thrive.”
REDO grant recipients’ efforts will focus on a range of initiatives including: an assessment of competitive strengths, weaknesses and opportunities; representing the regional business community in long-range workforce planning efforts to ensure robust skills and talent pipelines that meet regional needs; representing the regional business community in collaborative, long-range workforce skills, transportation and land use planning; promoting regionally significant industry clusters; promoting connections across sectors of the regional economy; maintaining an inventory of key development parcels; marketing their respective regions; and providing assistance to businesses and industrial prospects which may locate in the region.
“The REDO program has been critical to our recovery by providing necessary resources to allow economic development entities to create regionally-tailored economic development initiatives that meet their respective needs,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy. “In addition, REDO’s flexibility allows us to take a targeted approach to supporting our small businesses, which helps ensure our economic recovery is evenly distributed and statewide.”
Examples of eligible grants include non-construction façade improvement and investments in signage and aesthetic improvements, continuation of pop-up businesses, projects similar to the Shared Street and Spaces Program that support enhanced foot traffic and local commerce, and main street recovery projects with high local impact for small businesses.
Baker-Polito Administration Files $1.7 Billion Fiscal Year 2022 Supplemental Budget
SALEM – The Baker-Polito Administration today will file a Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) supplemental budget that proposes investments in transportation, housing, environmental infrastructure, economic development, child care and education initiatives.
The legislation includes approximately $1.7 billion in spending, supported by state tax revenues that exceed FY22 benchmarks through April by $4.23 billion (14%). The current surplus also prompted the Administration to formally upgrade the FY22 tax benchmarks today, increasing the total fiscal year projection to $37.666 billion.
Governor Charlie Baker made this announcement today in Salem at the site of what will be Massachusetts’ second offshore wind port. The supplemental budget would direct $100 million to ports in Salem, New Bedford and Somerset. These funds will support infrastructure to ensure Massachusetts becomes a global leader and a hub in the offshore wind industry.
“Unprecedented Fiscal Year 2022 revenues afford us this opportunity to make targeted investments in some of the Commonwealth’s most pressing areas of need,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “With rising prices due to inflation, ongoing supply chain issues, and other pandemic-related delays impacting both the time and cost it takes to complete projects, it is critically important that we act quickly to ensure that we are able to maximize the impact of these surplus tax dollars for the citizens of Massachusetts and expedite our response to critical needs.”
“This spending plan proposes initiatives that will benefit residents and communities across the state, with a focus on expanding opportunities for disadvantaged populations,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The bill would increase the availability and quality of housing, build business opportunities in underserved communities, support transportation and environmental projects, and strengthen education and child care systems.”
The legislation includes funding to support a variety of transportation and environmental infrastructure projects, including $235 million for transportation projects, $200 million for Cape Cod water and sewer initiatives, and $100 million for ports in Salem, New Bedford, and Somerset. It also builds in funds necessary for the implementation of more than $9.5 billion provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) over the next five years, as well as funding that will allow Massachusetts to access additional federal funding through matching grants. These funds complement investments proposed in the pending MassTRAC infrastructure bond bill and recently announced in the FY23-27 Capital Investment Plan.
Continuing the Administration’s focus on addressing housing availability and building on the recently filed economic development legislation, An Act Investing in Future Opportunities for Resiliency, Workforce, and Revitalized Downtowns (FORWARD), this bill would provide $310 million for housing development. It proposes $200 million for workforce housing, $100 million for public housing redevelopment in Boston, Cambridge, Salem, and Worcester, and $10 million to increase permanent supportive housing for individuals and families experiencing chronic homelessness.
A further $180 million is allocated to targeted economic development initiatives, including $80 million to support efforts to improve small businesses’ options for purchasing commercial real estate, $50 million to provide financial assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged developers, particularly those owned by women and people of color, who are seeking to undertake large housing construction projects and $50 million to de-risk lending to small business owners in underserved markets where access to capital is otherwise limited.
“The unprecedented nature of Fiscal Year 2022 revenues will allow the Commonwealth to continue building our stabilization fund balance while making the critical investments proposed in this supplemental budget to fund infrastructure and spur economic development,” said Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael J. Heffernan. “We look forward to working with the Legislature to deliver on the important investments laid out in this responsible and thoughtful bill.”
“The Baker-Polito Administration continues to take a forward thinking approach to achieve the Commonwealth’s clean energy and environmental goals,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card. “The filing of this FY22 Supplement Budget will deliver important funds to several ports, which serve critical roles in advancing and supporting the Commonwealth’s offshore wind projects.”
A number of other initiatives are supported in the supplemental budget proposal, including:
$150 million for higher education campus physical infrastructure primarily at Mass College of Art and UMass Dartmouth;
$55 million for child care, including $45 million for a new family child care home ownership and improvement program, which seeks to increase child care capacity while establishing financial security for family child care providers, and $10 million for innovative and flexible models of child care delivery;
$55 million for nursing pathways programs;
$30 million for schools and colleges to modernize science and biotechnology labs; and
$28 million for other costs, including $5 million for the USS Constitution park, $10 million for miscellaneous legal settlements and judgments, and $13 million for collective bargaining agreements authorized in an outside section.
The legislation also includes several policy proposals, including
A re-filed outside section that would update chapter 70, the school finance law, to establish early college and innovation pathways as an enrollment category in the Foundation Budget, to provide sustainable and predictable support for the growth of these pathways, which are demonstrating success in expanding access to college and careers for underrepresented students;
A section that would temporarily allow school districts to reserve some of their state chapter 70 funding for future years without facing state financial penalties, thereby helping them to spend time-limited federal funds;
A section that would permit youth to voluntarily access a broader range of department of youth services (DYS) supports beyond the current timeframe of 90 days after discharge from a DYS facility; and
A section that would continue a department of public health standing order that facilitates insurance coverage for over-the-counter COVID tests and treatments beyond the COVID-19 public health state of emergency.
(Boston
Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)
來到美國的第一個華人,應該不是他,但是在美國公開爭取民權,進國會作證,辦華文報章,使用「華美」一詞的第一個華人,應無疑義就是王清福。5月16日晚,波士頓同源會和紐英崙華人歷史學會合作,請已就此出書的Scott
D. Seligman來做綜述。
中英文版本的"王清福"一書封面。
5月是亞美傳統月,波士頓同源會會長李徐慕連表示,該會與多個不同機構,舉辦了一系列網上講座。5月16日晚這場,由紐英崙華人歷史學會理事羅元旭主持,邀「第一個美國人:
王清福的精彩一生
(The First Chinese American: The Remarkable Life of Wong Chin Foo) 」的作者,在大學時主修美國歷史,獲有哈佛碩士學位,共出版過9本書的Scott
D. Seligman,來談說王清福這位華人社會直到最近幾年才比較多人知道的華裔民權先驅。
Scott D.
Seligman寫王清福的這本書,在2013年3月已出版,厚396頁,亞馬遜網站目前仍然在售。這本書的中文版,也已經在中國出版發行。網路上關於王清福的資料,已有不下100萬筆之多。
華裔美人著名人物名單,絕大多數都是現代人。
在網路講座中,Scott
D. Seligman從爭取民權的代表人物中,黑人代表是馬丁路德金,華人代表是誰,卻沒人知道說起。他說,主要原因是知道美國曾經有個王清福,在政府通過排華法案後,進國會作過證的人,實在不很多,知道王清福早於1883年就創辦「美華新報」,並成為美國歷史上第一個使用”
華美 (Chinese
American)” 一詞的人更少。
Scott D. Seligman等人的調查研究認為,王清福是山東青島人 (當年稱為即墨),原本出身富裕人家,後家道中落,一對傳教士夫婦Holmes收留了他父親和他。這對夫婦在1861年時收養王清福,讓他洗禮,加入浸信會,並於1867年把他帶到美國,念預科後,進過位於華府的當年哥倫比亞大學。1870年,他回到中國上海當海關翻譯,娶妻劉雨山,自己也改名王彥平,還提倡政治改革,改善社會經濟狀況,鼓勵人們戒鴉片,甚至揚言要推翻腐敗的清政府,於是1873年逃到日本,再逃回美國,並於1874年在密西根州入籍美國公民。