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
*******************
All rights of articles and photos on this website are reserved.
MAYOR WU & HOUSE
WAYS AND MEANS CHAIR AARON MICHLEWITZ ANNOUNCE $25 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING
FOR A NEW NORTH END COMMUNITY CENTER
City of Boston also
launching facilities assessment to ensure every neighborhood has a
state-of-the-art community center
波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu，右二)和麻州眾議員麥家威 (Aaron Michlewitz) 爭取 到2500萬元經費，為北端 (North End) 建新社區中心。(周菊子攝)
BOSTON- Friday, January 6, 2023- Today,
Mayor Michelle Wu and House Ways and Means Chair Representative Aaron
Michlewitz together announced state funding for a new Boston Centers for
Youth and Families (BCYF) North End Community Center, replacing the current
BCYF Nazzaro Community Center. The new center will be located adjacent to
the BCYF Mirabella Pool on Commercial Street in the North End. The City
will also be launching a facilities assessment to ensure access to
high-quality BCYF spaces and programming for residents across the City and
that facilities are being maintained at the level that families
deserve.
At a press conference in the North End, the
Mayor and Representative Michlewitz announced the City is receiving $25
million in state funding to support the new North End center, of which $5
million will support renovations to the current BCYF Nazzaro Community
Center building to repurpose it for community uses.
“Boston has a legacy of public spaces that
have created family, community and connection,” said Mayor Michelle
Wu. “Spaces like the BCYF Nazzaro Center are critical infrastructure
for our city and community members so that we can truly have neighborhoods
where people live, work, play, and grow together. Every neighborhood
deserves modern spaces that reflect the full needs of our communities. I’m
thankful to Representative Michlewitz for securing funding for a brand new
center in the North End.”
“I was proud to secure this State funding
for the City of Boston,” said House Ways and Means Chairman
Representative Aaron Michlewitz. “These funds will not only help to
build a brand new and much needed Community Center for the North End, but
it will also help preserve the old Nazzaro Center site and ensure it
continues to be an asset for the neighborhood.”
The City engaged in a community process from
2017 to 2019 led by the Public Facilities Department to envision the future
of a community center in the North End due to the neighborhood’s needs,
outgrowing the existing Nazzaro building. The result was the recommendation
to build a new center next to the BCYF Mirabella outdoor pool on Commercial
Street and repurpose the existing BCYF Nazzaro building for community uses.
The full cost of the new project is estimated to be $50 to $60 million.
The building that now houses the BCYF
Nazzaro first opened in 1906 as a gym and bathhouse. BCYF acquired the
property in 1985 and converted it into a community center.
In late spring 2023, the City will begin
designing the new community center on Commercial Street and will engage the
community to ensure resident’s needs are met.
“I am so grateful for the leadership of
Mayor Wu and our state delegation in choosing to make this substantial
investment in our city’s community centers,” said José F. Massó, Chief of Human Services. “Boston residents deserve safe,
accessible, updated public facilities and this administration has made that
a top priority.”
"As Chairman of the North End Athletic
Association we are in full support of the proposed New North End Community
Center which is long overdue,” said Ted Tomasone the Chairman of
the North End Athletic Association (NEAA). “The addition of this center
and the renovation of the Nazzaro center will continue to make the North
End one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the City of Boston. Chairman
Michlewitz continues to be a dynamic leader for the North End and the City of
Boston."
Additionally, the City will soon begin a
Citywide BCYF facilities assessment, which will ensure that assets are
repaired and replaced proactively. The assessment will inform a
comprehensive plan to better anticipate needed capital investments and plan
for regular maintenance that will prevent sudden closures and the need for
emergency repairs.
Boston Public Schools (BPS) has already
begun an assessment of its facilities as part of the Green New Deal
for BPS, which includes the
BCYF facilities that are co-located in schools. BPS is prioritizing those
facilities that house pools managed by BCYF for assessment. The assessment
of the City’s remaining facilities will prioritize BCYF facilities and will
also include recommendations for the appropriate staffing levels for
maintenance.
“Our Community Centers and swimming pools
are important resources that all Bostonians cherish and rely upon,”
said Dion Irish, Chief of Operations. "We are excited
to receive such generous support from the state, thankful for
Representative Michlewitz’s advocacy, and committed to partnering with the
Human Services Cabinet to build, renovate, and maintain these facilities
going forward.”
“This investment in a new North End
Community Center is one of several major renovations and new builds that
will ensure that Boston’s residents have high-quality, green community
centers with modern features that meet the needs of today’s families,”
said Marta E. Rivera, Commissioner of Boston Centers for Youth
& Families.
The Nazzaro Center will stay open until the
new community center is complete. In the coming years, as the new community
center enters construction, the City will engage with North End residents
about the future of the Nazzaro building.
The Nazzaro Center and facilities assessment
announcements build off of recent investments and ongoing work, including
centers across the City that have recently reopened, facilities under
renovation that will open soon, and new projects entering design. In
November, Mayor Wu announced the opening of the East Boston Senior
Center, which is operated by the City’s Age Strong Commission and managed
by the Property Management Department. In October, Mayor Wu and BCYF announced the site of the first full service
BCYF community center in Grove Hall.
Mass Cultural Council Awards $750,000 to 50
Cultural Districts across the Commonwealth
Cultural District Investment Grants
Encourage the Development and Success of State-Designated Districts and
Foster Local Cultural Preservation Efforts
Framingham – Mass Cultural Council, the
independent state agency charged with supporting a vibrant cultural sector
across the Commonwealth, was joined by state, local, and cultural partners
today at the Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University to celebrate
the recipients of the Fiscal Year 2023 Cultural District Investment
Grant Program.
In total, the Council awarded $750,000 to 50 state-designated cultural
districts located in communities in every region of Massachusetts. Each
district received $15,000 to support activities and goals that encourage
its development and success, such as marketing and promotion, capacity
building, artist or vendor fees, the development or implementation of
creative community placemaking, placekeeping, or public art, collaborative
cultural policy or strategic planning processes, or community-engaged and
informed data collection and/or reporting.
“A decade ago, our partners in the Legislature asked Mass Cultural Council
to develop and administer this initiative to spur cultural and economic
activities in cities and towns of all sizes and in all regions of the
Commonwealth,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass
Cultural Council. “We are immensely proud of this powerful network that
works every day to uplift the diversity of creativity and culture living
and working in Massachusetts, and the exciting programming the districts provide
their host communities.”
Established in 2011 by an act of the state Legislature,
state-designated cultural districts drive economic growth, strengthen our
communities’ distinctive local character, and improve the quality of life
for families across Massachusetts. By supporting cultural and creative
experiences, cultural districts attract tourists and entrepreneurs, which
in turn help cities and towns develop their cultural sector and expand
their tax base. Cultural districts are walkable areas with a density of
cultural facilities, activities, and assets. They are easy-to-navigate, act
as hubs of cultural, artistic, and economic activity, and offer a
place-based identity to collaborative community initiatives.
State Representatives Jack Patrick Lewis (D- Framingham), Priscila Sousa
(D- Framingham), and Kate Donaghue (D- Westborough) joined Mass Cultural Council
at the Danforth Art Museum today, as did Susan Nicholl, who serves as
District and Special Projects Director for the Office of Senate President
Karen E. Spilka (D- Ashland) and as a member of the Board of Directors for
the Framingham Centre Common Cultural District. Framingham’s Director of
Planning and Community Development, Sarkis Sarkisian, was also in
attendance on behalf of the city.
“The Mass Cultural Council serves a vital role in supporting and expanding
the rich tapestry of traditions and cultures across our
Commonwealth,” said Representative Lewis. “It is an honor to
join Framingham leaders in hosting the Council today, as $750,000 is
awarded to cultural districts across the state, including the Framingham
Centre Common Cultural District. I’ll never forget joining the late Rep.
Chris Walsh in his office as he helped lay the groundwork for our local
cultural district. This award is a wonderful testimony to his work and the
contribution of so many in our community.”
Today’s investment, three-quarters of a million dollars, represents Mass
Cultural Council’s largest grant round in the history of the Cultural
District Investment Grant Program. The $15,000 grant awards made today are
double the $7,500 awards approved a year ago. Mass Cultural Council
was able to increase the grants due an increase in its FY23 state budget appropriation.
When she learned of her FY23 $15,000 Investment Grant, Franklin
Cultural District Committee Co-Chair Pandora Carlucci was simply
amazed. “This funding will be truly transformative for our district,” she
said.
To date, Mass Cultural Council has approved and supports the efforts
of 51 state-designated cultural
districts across Massachusetts. Communities interested in
establishing a new cultural district are encouraged to connect with their
assigned Communities Initiative staff member.
The following state-designated cultural districts received a $15,000
Investment Grant today:
奚莉宣佈，她要在州長辦公室內設立一個氣候創新及韌力辦公室
(Office Of Climate Innovation and Resilience)，並交由氣候長來領導，負責研擬氣候相關法案，計畫，並追蹤、監管麻州政府各部會機構中的氣候政策進展，確保州政府各部會做決定時，優先考慮環保、氣候影響，採納可持續的實務作業。
