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(Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 今 (18) 日宣佈，在7月19日至21日之間，波士頓市進入高溫緊急狀況，估計氣溫將高達華氏95度左右或以上。 為協助居民避暑趨涼，波士頓市內的12所波士頓青年及家庭中心 (BCYF，將在週二、三、四的早上9點至下午5點開放。 查察12個BCYF名單，可上網 boston.gov/heat。由於新冠病毒個案數量近來上升，波士頓市府強烈建議民眾戴口罩。 MAYOR WU DECLARES HEAT EMERGENCY, OPENS 12 BCYF COOLING CENTERS TO ALL RESIDENTS
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(Boston Orange 編譯) 波士頓市議會上週無異議通過，動用美國援救計劃法 (ARPA) 紓困款，投資200萬元，資助波士頓市內「科技回家 (Tech Goes Home) 」項目走進更多社區。
「科技回家」項目宣傳長 (Chief Advocacy Officer) Marvin
Venay表示，新冠病毒凸顯了社會中的數位不平等更，這筆款項將容許該機構幫助更多需要工具及資源，才能進入數位世界的人。他們很感激波士頓市議會議長Ed
Flynn，市議員Kenzie Bok， Julia
Mejia等人的發起與支持撥款。
「科技回家」為波士頓市內3到96歲市民，提供高品質的數位設備，可靠的網路，以及由可信賴的社區指導人員帶領的客製化數位技能訓練。許多課程將完全在網上教授，以符合波士頓的需求，也保護學習者及教員的安全。
有了200萬元的紓困款後，「科技回家」將可和波士頓市內100多個社區組織合作，每年讓4500戶以上的波士頓家庭，或是在4年間讓6到7萬人獲得可靠的，可負擔的網路服務。
Boston City Council Approves $2 Million
Investment in Tech Goes Home Through American Rescue Plan Act Spending Package
BOSTON, July 18 – The Boston City Council voted unanimously last week to approve a new, $2 million investment in Tech Goes Home (TGH), a Boston-based non-profit working to address digital inequity, as part of the City of Boston’s plan to expend remaining relief funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
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| 紐英崙中華專業人員協會舉辦「如何做好完善理財規劃」講座。 (視頻截圖) |
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| 蘇鴻昌指理財有累積及分配2個階段。 (視頻截圖) |
以年輕人來說，規劃財富可先從編列預算開始，列出必要及非必要開銷，並累積一筆至少足以應付半年必要開銷的儲備金。如果有債務，先還利率高的信用卡債，學生貸款等反而可以延後再處理。
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| 紐英崙中華專業人員協會董事長周萬欽主持會議。 (視頻截圖) |
蘇鴻昌指出，做財富分配時，要依各個人預估在世時間長短來計畫。持有401k退休帳戶的人，存款金額至少比照公司的匹配額，以獲得加倍效益。
如果已婚，或已置產，有償還貸款責任時，最好把一旦發生意外，該如何處理個人的身後資產，也預做規劃，以在合理範圍內保障家人的生活。
蘇鴻昌以自己的小兒子去年初意外辭世為例，指出年輕人及早訂立遺囑的重要性。他指出天有不測風雲。人們很難料將來如何。一旦發生意外，家屬得等州政府做遺囑認證，至少半年多以後，才能接管辭世者的生前資產，如果家人沒有其他經濟來源，就可能出現青黃不接，生活難以為繼的窘困。
他指出，訂立遺囑，可以簡單到自己從網站上下載文件，表格，填妥後找律師公證，即生效，也可以是根據個人及家庭狀況，海外資產多寡等有很複雜細節，需要理財規劃師、律師和會技師聯合規劃。
在分配財富上，近年流行辦理信託，把個人資產存入信託。蘇鴻昌指出，這做法的好處是可以避免遺囑認證，在個人辭世後，可以立即照信託條款分配個人財富。由於每州法令不同，每個人的處境有差異，需要比較仔細規畫者，最好找持有資格認證的財務規劃師討論。
紐英崙中華專業人員協會董事長周萬欽，會長林致中在會末表示，該會今年訂10月舉辦年會，將討論自媒體營運。
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Emerson Graduates Open The Door to Intimate Spaces
M’Kenzy Cannon’s PLEASE LET ME IN,
the newest multimedia exhibition in the 1:1 Curatorial Initiative at Boston
Center for the Arts opens August 6.
Important Dates
Public Reception
and Curatorial Walkthrough: Friday, August 12 • 6pm—9pm
On view: August 6–September
10
BOSTON, MA - Fresh
from Emerson College, artist M’Kenzy Cannon and curator Maya Rubio bring the
intimacy of personal space to the Mills Gallery. Formed through video, photo,
and object work, PLEASE LET ME IN, urges gallery-goers to excavate and
co-create the exhibition’s narrative. PLEASE LET ME IN will be the fourth
exhibition in the 1:1 Curatorial Initiative series presented in the
Mills Gallery at Boston Center for the Arts.
Installed deep in the gallery, a
living bedroom will welcome visitors to explore an unknown stranger’s most
intimate space and its hidden secrets. Large scale projections with warped home
interiors and found object creations will push guests into “the realm of the
Other.”
PLEASE LET ME IN is a piece of
object-spatial theatre, an environmental performance in which gallery-goers
become a character in the sticky world of existential mystery constructed by
Cannon and Rubio, gathering the threads between self and divine, intimate and
unknowable, bedroom and black hole.
Like past exhibitions
in the 1:1 Curatorial Initiative series, PLEASE LET ME IN, presents a
collaborative project between one curator and one artist. The Public Reception
for PLEASE LET ME IN at 6pm on August 12, will be part of a full day of BCA
programming. BCA will also be hosting Open Studios in the Artist Studio
Building next door and a Project Room Show with BCA Studio Resident
Karmimadeebora McMillan within the Mills Gallery.
ALLSTON-BRIGHTON ACHIEVES LANDMARK COMMITMENTS FROM HARVARD WITH ADVANCEMENT OF ENTERPRISE RESEARCH CAMPUS
A product of the
community’s mobilization, ERC includes 25% income-restricted rentals, $25M for
an Allston-Brighton Affordable Housing Trust, community needs assessment and
comprehensive planning funds
Boston, Mass. – At its monthly meeting on Thursday, July 14, the Boston Planning & Development Agency
(BPDA) Board of Directors voted to approve Phase A of the Harvard Enterprise
Research Campus (ERC) in Allston. Encompassing 9.4 acres within an existing 14.2 acre
Planned Development Area (PDA), the Phase A of the ERC will consist of
approximately 900,000 square feet of development that is to include laboratory,
office, residential, hotel, conference, and retail use. With this approval,
Phase A of the ERC advances landmark commitments, mitigation, and benefits to
affordable housing and future planning processes in the Allston-Brighton
neighborhood from both Harvard University and development partner Tishman
Speyer.
Approval of the Phase A proposal is the first
step taken by Harvard in its stated plans to develop a significant portion of
the University’s extensive landholdings in Allston and Brighton for commercial
purposes. Harvard University owns approximately 170 acres of developable land
in North Brighton and Lower Allston; with properties totaling a cumulative 360
acres, the University is the largest single landholder in Allston-Brighton.
Following an extensive review process informed by the Harvard Allston Task
Force (HATF), community members, and neighborhood activists, approval of Phase
A sets a precedent for future development planned for Harvard land in Allston
and Brighton.
“I am grateful to Mayor Wu, Chief Jemison,
Representatives Moran and Honan, the Harvard Allston Task Force, and community
members for their advocacy throughout this project’s extensive review process,”
said Allston-Brighton City Councilor Liz Breadon. “Our collaborative
efforts have helped to produce a much-improved project that better serves the
needs of Allston, Brighton, and Boston residents. Most significantly, this
process allowed the City to commit to a comprehensive Allston-Brighton
neighborhood planning process, complementary community needs assessment, and,
in conjunction with Harvard, future planning processes for the remaining
22-acres of the ERC and the over 50-acre Beacon Park Yard.”
“Thank you to the residents, advocates, and
activists fighting for Allston and Brighton,” said State Representative Mike
Moran. “With the dedication of the Harvard Allston Task Force, the Allston
Civic Association (ACA), and the Coalition for a Just Allston Brighton (CJAB),
we have achieved this transformative community benefits package from Harvard
University, laying the groundwork to ensure that all future phases meet the
needs of our neighborhood.”
Harvard and Tishman Speyer have committed to
designate 25% of the 345 housing units included in Phase A’s residential
component as on-site income-restricted rental units through the City of
Boston’s Inclusionary
Development Policy (IDP); this commitment represents the largest percentage of income-restricted
units included a single project by a private developer in Boston to date. These
86 on-site IDP rental units will be made available to households between 30%
and 100% of the Area Median Income
(AMI). Significantly, this
expanded range of unit affordability better reflects median incomes in the
Allston-Brighton neighborhood, which sit at approximately 50% to 60% of
AMI.
“This is both transformative and historic. The
housing affordability commitments made in Harvard’s Phase A proposal will have
a tremendous impact and will help correct for past errors,” said At Large
Councilor and Harvard alumna Ruthzee Louijeune. “We now have an excellent
precedent for how private stakeholders, community leaders, activists, and
cities can work together to address our housing crisis and infrastructure
challenges. I’m proud of our Allston residents and advocates, and I’m
encouraged by the steps my alma mater is taking to be a better neighbor.”
"I applaud the Coalition for a Just
Allston-Brighton, the Allston Civic Association, community leaders, and the
residents in Allston and Brighton who advocated for the increase of the
much-needed affordable housing in our city,” said At Large Councilor Erin
Murphy. “The time to act is now, and I stand with the people of
Allston-Brighton and my colleague Councilor Liz Breadon. We will continue to
work together to create a more affordable, equitable, and inclusive Boston.”
Harvard University has also committed a total
contribution of $25 million to seed the creation of an Allston-Brighton
Affordable Housing Fund, the structure of which is to be further defined by the
BPDA, Allston-Brighton elected officials, and community members. This Fund will
be used to support efforts towards the production and preservation of
affordable, income-restricted housing in Allston and Brighton. Harvard will
also donate a parcel of land located at 65 Seattle Street in Allston for the
production of affordable homeownership opportunities.
"We are thrilled that our City Councilor
was able to help facilitate this agreement which will allow us to move forward
with our next phase of work,” said Cindy Marchando, Chair of the Harvard
Allston Task Force. “The community has not changed its vision of a
transformative, inclusive, diverse environment where people can afford to live
and continue thriving. We look forward to working collaboratively on making
sure all residents have access, affordability and opportunity in
mind!"
“I want to thank Councilor Breadon and her staff
for their efforts on behalf of our community, working in collaboration with the
various stakeholders, to forge an agreement to proceed with Phase A of the
Enterprise Research Campus,” said Anthony D’Isidoro, Harvard Allston Task
Force member and President of the Allston Civic Association. “The agreement
provides a firm foundation for subsequent phases to pursue additional
guarantees for an equitable resolution to a once in lifetime opportunity to
transform a 36-acre site into a special welcoming destination with an
impeccable quality of life.”
In addition to these commitments to housing
affordability, Harvard University has also made significant commitments related
to future planning processes in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood. Harvard will participate in City-led planning
and rezoning efforts for the remaining 22 acres of the Enterprise Research
Campus and the 50 acre Beacon Park Yard, and will contribute $1 million towards
these planning efforts. Harvard has also agreed to contribute $1 million
towards an Allston-Brighton Community Needs Assessment, which will be utilized
to inform future community benefits and planning processes.
Baker-Polito Administration Increases Visibility into Executive Branch Workforce with Expansion of Diversity Dashboard
BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced updates to its state employee diversity dashboard that will increase visibility into the composition of the Commonwealth Executive Branch workforce and encourage further accountability as the Administration continues to prioritize efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.
The diversity dashboard, launched in October 2020, is an interactive, publicly available tool on mass.gov that visualizes data describing the Commonwealth’s Executive Branch workforce. It was created to allow the public to better understand the employee demographics that make up the state government’s various secretariats, agencies, and departments.
The first phase of the dashboard included the total number of employees, total employees over the previous 12 quarters, and geographic distribution, racial demographics, and gender breakdowns of the workforce. This data could then be filtered by Secretariat, Agency, fiscal quarter, job category, and/or full-time/part-time status. Data is updated in April, July, October, and January, after the close of each fiscal quarter.
The upgrades rolled out today will triple the number of data fields displayed on the dashboard. The additional data will show Executive Branch employee promotions, hires, separations, salary bands, age bands, lengths of service, disability status, and veteran status. This data will also be able to be filtered by the fields listed above.
“We recognize the importance of a diverse workforce and continue to work towards reflecting the diversity of Massachusetts in all facets and levels of government,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud to expand the diversity dashboard, which will give the public a more comprehensive view into the makeup of the Executive Branch and hold us accountable to our workforce goals.”
“The enhancements to the dashboard we are announcing today reflect our administration’s continued commitment to transparency and diversity in hiring,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “We will continue to strengthen our efforts to ensure the Commonwealth’s public workforce reflects the vibrant communities across the state.”
Since taking office, the Administration has made progress in diversifying the Executive Branch workforce. The overall net percentage of diverse employees has increased by 18%, with the percentage of women in the workforce increasing by a net 4.1% since 2015 and the percentage of People of Color in the workforce increasing by 5%.
“There have been measurable improvements in the diversity of the Executive Branch and we are proud of our accomplishments so far; however, we realize that more work is needed,” said Chief Diversity Officer Sandra Borders. “We remain focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in all aspects of hiring and employment."
“The enhanced transparency that the updated diversity dashboard offers will not only ensure accountability on this critical priority but also provide a fuller view of our workforce demographics for those looking to join public service at the state level,” said Chief Human Resources Officer, Jeff McCue.
“I would like to thank Governor Baker on the continued efforts to make data about the reality of our workforce available to our communities on a transparent, user friendly platform,” said State Representative Chynah Tyler (D – Boston), Chair of the Black and Latino Caucus. “The Black & Latino Caucus was proud to lead in discussions with the Administration that led to these recent platform upgrades and additions. This workforce dashboard will help to make progress on diversifying state personnel and ensure equitable hiring and promotions.”
“Today, Massachusetts moves forward with greater transparency that will lead to a better future for the state’s workforce overall,” said State Representative Russell Holmes (D – Mattapan). “It is imperative that the public see the diversity of the hiring, promotions, and terminations of the state’s workforce segmented by department and at every level of government. Aggregating the workforce and comparing the workforce to the state’s population can mask poor hiring and retention performance by department managers. Today’s update to the dashboard lives beyond this administration and will ensure that masking is prevented for years to come.”
View the updated diversity dashboard here: https://www.mass.gov/info-
