On November 2nd, the 2010 Boston ballots will include the following candidates for governor: Charles Baker (Republican), Timothy Cahill (Independent), Deval Patrick (Democratic), and Jill Stein (Green-Rainbow).  In addition, it will include the following three questions: 1) Should the alcohol tax be repealed? 2) Should the state law allow the issuance of a single comprehensive permit to build units that includes low- or moderate-income housing be repealed? 3) Should state sales tax be reduced to 3%?After conducting a random survey, […]

Language immersion programs have become increasingly popular in cities and towns across the country.  If approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Boston Chinese Immersion Charter School (BCICS) will launch in the Fall of 2011 and become Boston’s first Chinese immersion school program.Language immersion programs are not a new concept; they were first introduced in 1965 in Montreal, Canada to provide English-speaking students living in a predominantly francophone province of Quebec with the opportunity to […]

The following is adapted from an interview of Dr. BJ Magnani, Chief of Clinical Pathology at Tufts Medical Center on the See, Test and Treat Program. Reporter:  Dr. Magnani, I know that you are the Chief of Clinical Pathology at Tufts Medical Center.  What type of work does that entail?Dr. Magnani:  Many of the medical laboratories in the United States are overseen by board-certified pathologists.  Pathologists are physicians who study tissue, cells and fluids that are obtained from the body.  […]

The Quincy Mayor’s Asian-American Advisory Committee convened on October 16 to discuss several upcoming events and initiatives. The Quincy Fire Department is participating in a fire safety contest through Liberty Mutual Insurance to win a $10,000 fire safety grant.  Residents can participate in a short online quiz by October 30. The committee also wants to inform the community that free energy audits are available by calling 617-750-4329.  Sponsored by the City of Quincy in cooperation with National Grid and the […]

Only weeks away from Election Day, self-proclaimed “Quincy kid” Tackey Chan, recently sat down with the Sampan to discuss his candidacy for state representative. Sampan: Describe your story and background – who gave you the name Tackey? Chan: [Laughs] People are always curious about my name.  It comes from the Chinese name Chan “Duk Gei” 陳德基 – and my parents used the old Wade-Giles phonetics system (T=D; K=G), straight from the Cantonese, and got “Tackey.” My parents immigrated to the […]

Updates on three areas in Chinatown: the Chinatown Park, Parcel 24, and Kensington Place were the main topics at the recent Chinatown Safety Committee Meeting on October 6. Representatives from the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the organization responsible for the stretch of greenway along Surface Road including the Chinatown Park, came to the meeting in hopes of starting a dialogue about the look and feel of the park with community members.  Having planted 1200 plants already, the Conservancy has […]

The Chinatown Coalition met at the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood center on the 14th for its October monthly meeting, speaking with Massachusetts Representative Michael Capuano on the upcoming State Election, discussing the Immigration Policy associated with the Asian American Community, and touching base on the Institute of Contemporary Art’s new programs. Americans will vote on Nov. 2 in the congressional midterm elections. As a result of President Obama’s falling approval ratings and the stumbling economy, Democratic control of Congress is at […]

The Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE) held their eighteenth annual meeting and dinner on September 24, 2010 at China Pearl.  Throughout the night, dishes after dishes of Asian cuisine were served, totaling 11 courses that ranged from seafood in a bird’s nest to yee fu noodles.  It was a night of business and social affair.  Over 100 members, friends, and guests were present to mingle and dine. The meeting started with a tribute to David Wong, co-founder of […]