Suffolk DA Reaches Road Safety Settlement with Tour Company in Fatal Crash

Suffolk DA Reaches Road Safety Settlement with Tour Company in Fatal Crash

Agreement Mandates Cameras, Sensors, Additional Personnel, and Charitable Donation

BOSTON, Dec. 15, 2017—Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley today announced that he had reached a compliance agreement with Boston Duck Tours Ltd. and one of its drivers that will help to prevent collisions like the one that claimed the life of 28-year-old Allison Warmuth last year.

“The enhanced safety measures set out in this agreement reduce driver distraction and increase the safety of vulnerable road users on scooters, mopeds, and bicycles,” Conley said. “This is a fair result that incorporates significant input from Ms. Warmuth’s family and leaves all our options on the table in the event of noncompliance.”

The agreement was finalized Monday and reflects more than a year of factual investigation and legal analysis by Suffolk prosecutors. Under its terms, Boston Duck Tours Ltd. has made or will soon make significant technological and personnel changes to improve the safety of its amphibious vehicles on Boston’s roadways.

Boston Duck Tours Ltd. has already added a second employee to each duck boat during each tour, so that operators will no longer be distracted by the additional duties of delivering a sightseeing monologue. The company has also installed cameras capturing the area immediately in front of each duck boat, equipment to record and maintain that footage, monitors to display th footage for drivers, and proximity sensors to the front and rear of each duck boat to notify operators when the vehicle is within two feet of any object. The company has already instituted personnel changes that include:

·         Obtaining RMV reports for all employees who operate duck boats and updating those reports annually;

·         Not hiring or employing any operator with two or more moving violations in any calendar year during his or her employment or the 10 years prior to employment;

·         Not hiring or employing any operator with five or more moving violations in any 10-year period, with possible exceptions if the 10-year period concluded more than 15 years prior to application or employment; and

·         Requiring all operators to attend a safe driving course annually.

Boston Duck Tours will also institute personnel changes, effective immediately, that include:                     

·         Not hiring or employing any operator at fault for three or more collisions in any five-year period;

·         Not hiring or employing any operator convicted of a felony connected to or associated with the operator’s driving record; and

·         Requiring safety re-training for any operator who, while operating a duck boat, receives a traffic citation known to Boston Duck Tours Ltd. or is at fault in a collision known to Boston Duck Tours Ltd.

Additionally under the agreement, Boston Duck Tours Ltd. will contract with an independent vehicle engineering firm to review compliance with the terms of the agreement and provide a written report on the functionality of the sensors, cameras, monitors, and recording system each year through 2022. Should the independent reviewer offer any recommendations as to modification to those components, Boston Duck Tours Ltd. has agreed to implement them.

Boston Duck Tours Ltd. further agreed to modify its tour routes each April 30 through 2022 to avoid the area where Allison Warmuth was killed on that date last year and to make a $5,000 donation to the nonprofit Livable Streets Alliance.

Finally, Boston Duck Tours Ltd. agreed to bar the employee who struck and killed Allison Warmuth from employment as an operator on any of its duck boats, and that operator agreed not to appeal the civil citation issued to him by Boston Police in connection with that collision.

If Boston Duck Tours Ltd. and the operator comply with their obligations under the agreement, then Suffolk prosecutors will take no further action to bring charges against the company and/or the operator who struck Warmuth as she and a friend rode her 2014 Cali Classic scooter near the corner of Beacon and Charles streets on April 30, 2016. Warmuth suffered fatal injuries; her friend rolled out of the larger vehicle’s path and was not physically injured.

In considering this resolution, Conley said, prosecutors considered the relative strengths and weaknesses of evidence admissible at trial, the likelihood of success in light of other motor vehicle homicide prosecutions in Massachusetts, the maximum penalties of a $3,000 fine or house of corrections time available on conviction, the penalties actually imposed by judges in similar cases, and the prospective benefits of the safety and personnel policies the agreement would put in place.

Together, those factors weighed in favor of negotiation. If at any time before 2022 Boston Duck Tours Ltd. intentionally violates any substantive term of the agreement, however, Conley’s office maintains its authority to seek criminal charges.

Assistant District Attorney Adrian Bispham led the investigation into Warmuth’s death and the legal analysis of potential charges. Anite Cetoute was the victim-witness advocate assigned to the case.

BOSTON MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH, MAYORS OF WORCESTER, PROVIDENCE AND HARTFORD ANNOUNCE REGIONAL GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM AS PART OF REGIONAL GUN SAFETY COLLABORATION

BOSTON - Friday, December 15, 2017 - Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, and Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza today announced in partnership with Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, and New England physicians and medical professionals a first-in-the-nation coordinated gun buyback day in their four cities on December 16. The day marks a remembrance of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which happened five years ago Thursday. "Plain and simple: guns have taken the lives of too many people here in Boston, in our Commonwealth, in New England, and in this country," said Mayor Walsh. "Cities are banding together and stepping up with initiatives to decrease gun violence in our neighborhoods, which is important. With that in mind, we also encourage anyone with a firearm that is in a vulnerable situation or state-of-mind to take advantage of this gun buyback partnership and help us save lives on the streets and in homes." "For the men and women of the Boston Police Department, the mission has always been clear, and one less gun can mean one less tragedy," said Boston Police Commissioner Evans. "My officers work hard each and every day to make our city a safer place by taking guns off our streets and out of our communities. Help us continue to make our cities and our region safer by turning in a gun."  Medical professionals led by Michael Hirsh, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at Children's Medical Center at UMass Memorial Medical Center and Medical Director for the City of Worcester Department of Public Health, joined the efforts of other medical professionals to decrease youth violence and take guns off the streets by raising funds within their local health care organizations and hosting coordinated buyback days throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. "We need to stop talking about guns solely in terms of public safety. There are over thirty-thousand gun deaths in America every year, but two-thirds of those deaths are suicides. Suicides are not a symptom of public safety, but of public health and mental health. Many of those suicide guns are unsecured and often unwanted," said Doctor Hirsh. "My fellow trauma surgeons and I see the results of unsecured guns every day."    "As I trauma surgeon, I all too often see the deadly effects of gun access and the insurmountable toll it takes on victims, their families and those who treat them," said Peter Masiakos, director of pediatric trauma services at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. "Using our collective power, physicians and political leaders have a responsibility to address the public health crisis that is gun violence. This is an opportunity to safely rid our streets on unwanted weapons and save lives." Boston Police Department's gun buyback program, "Piece for Peace," is a proactive campaign to take guns off Boston's streets. The buyback program asks city residents to turn-in guns at designated drop-off locations citywide in return for a $100 Visa gift card. The "no questions asked" program allows individuals to anonymously dispose of firearms without fear of charges for illegal possession when turning in the weapon. BPD hopes to distribute more than $15,000 in gift cards tomorrow, thanks to funding provided by MassGeneral Hospital for Children and the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization, Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center. For locations and information on the Boston Police Department's gun buyback efforts this weekend, please click here. In 2014, Mayor Walsh started the New England Regional Gun Summit that brings together city leaders from across New England to work collaboratively in sharing strategies to reduce gun violence and the trafficking of illegal firearms. The regional partnership focuses on collaboration and open dialogue on the reality of gun violence in our cities. Dr. Hirsch, Mayor Petty, Mayor Bronin, Mayor Elorza and others from cities big and small across New England, are participants in the gun summit which has led to several regional initiatives and events, including the development of gun buyback programs in other cities.    "An unsecured gun is not just a public safety issue, it's a public health issue," said Mayor Joseph M. Petty. "We need to provide an outlet for people to get unwanted and unsecured guns out of the home safely. I am proud to stand with my fellow mayors and the medical professionals in New England to address the issue of gun safety." "I'm proud to join Hartford's medical community and our Police Department in this regional effort to get guns out of homes safely," said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. "Gun violence is both a public safety issue and a public health issue, and we're fortunate to have longstanding partnerships aimed at reducing the number of guns in our community." "Any effort to curb gun violence is a step in the right direction considering the tragedies that have claimed innocent lives across the country," said Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza. "Providence stands with nearby cities and towns declaring that one life lost to gunfire is too many. We're proud to join a regional movement to rid our streets of weapons that have shattered families and communities." "An unsecured gun in a home is a danger to everyone who lives and visits," said Dr. David Shapiro, chief, surgical critical care; vice chairman, surgery service line and interim chief quality officer at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center. "By collecting guns that people don't want in their homes, we are proactively reducing the threat of an innocent person being harmed by that weapon. Unsafe handling and unsecured guns are a public health concern. We participate in a wide array of programs to decrease injury-buybacks and safety events are one important component." "We are proud to participate in this regional gun buyback initiative," said Brendan Campbell, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of pediatric trauma at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford. "We encourage anyone with an unwanted firearm in their home to exchange it for a gift card, so that it won't be an opportunity for criminals or a curious child. We also remind gun owners of the critical importance of storing firearms safely and securely." Each city will be holding its buyback on December 16th but with hours, reimbursement rates, and locations varying between cities.  WORCESTER Funded by District Attorney Joseph Early and UMass Memorial Hospital, the Worcester Goods for Guns Buyback has grown over the last sixteen years to include twenty-four cities and towns in Central Massachusetts. As well as accepting all firearms the Goods for Guns buyback also accepts replica and toy guns as well as handing out trigger locks. HARTFORD In Hartford, the 9th Annual St. Francis Buyback Day has been moved to coincide with the regional gun buyback initiative on December 16.  The Hartford effort has been led by doctors David Shapiro and Brendan Campbell of Saint Francis Hospital and Connecticut Children's Medical Center. PROVIDENCE In the City of Providence's buyback initiative is sponsored by Hasbro Children's Hospital's The 4-Safety Program, a partnership between Hasbro Children's and Dunkin' Donuts, together with the Providence Police Department, and the office of the Providence Public Safety Commissioner. Weapons can be brought to the Providence Housing Authority at 50 Laurel Ave. between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. For more information, contact Andrea Cheli, 4-Safety Program Coordinator at 401-444-0379 or 4safety@lifespan.org.

新英格蘭玉山協會會長換屆 許翠玲交棒宋晶晶

新英格蘭玉山科技協會會長交接，許翠玲(右)交棒給宋晶晶(中)。
玉山理事陳立洋(左)幫忙拉布條。(圖由玉山提供)

(Boston Orange)新英格蘭玉山科技協會(MJNE)12月10日下午會長換屆，許翠玲卸任，宋晶晶接棒。

許翠玲在位於屋斯特市的Abbvie Bioresearch Center擔任專案經理。她在交接儀式中回顧了該會2017年活動，包括11月以結合醫療和互聯網為主題的年會，以及籌資與投資者關係的工作坊、協辦科技部長陳良基訪問波士頓活動、提高影響力的報告方式工作坊、科學中醫與健康養身的宏觀介紹，還有多次其他專業主題的分享會。

她表示，該會得以在去年內舉辦許多次內容豐富的活動，吸引許多來自各界的專業人士參與，該會幹部的熱心，團結，功不可沒。她期待新任會長宋晶晶帶領新英格蘭玉山科技協會邁向更成功的一年。

接任會長的宋晶晶博士是Sanofi Genzyme公司的臨床診斷主任，在生物科技業已有15年經驗。她在接任致詞中感謝卸任會長許翠玲過去一年來的領導及付出，她將在接承前人成果中繼續努力。

卸任會長許翠玲雖然卸任會長一職，但熱心不減，她還在會中宣布了未來一年的活動計劃概要，包含針對年會做不同安排，調整社團內部結構等等。

查詢該會詳情，可上網www.mj-ne.org。(內容及圖片由玉山提供)

著名鋼琴家陳必先訂 1/27 訪波士頓演奏

中華表演藝術基金會

Foundation for Chinese Performing Arts

Presents

Pi-Hsien Chen 陳必先 , pianist (brief bio see below)

Saturday, January 27, 2018, 8 PM

New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall

Tickets: $15-$50, Order online: www.ChinesePerformingArts.net

Program

MOZART: Fantasie c-Minor KV 475

                             MOZART: Sonata c-Minor KV 457                                   

     LIANG 梁雷: My Windows 我的窗      

         SCHOENBERG: Five Piano Pieces Op. 23

 – intermission --

BOULEZ: Third Sonata (1962)

           SCHUBERT: Sonata G-Major Op.78, D 894

Tickets: (Children under 6 not admitted)

$50: VIP Reserved Seats, $30: open seating at non-VIP section , $15: student open seating at non-VIP section

100 free student tickets (age 14 and up) available at :

http://www.chineseperformingarts.net/specials/20180127/index.html

Rush tickets $10 for students and senior, available 6:30 pm on concert day at Jordan Hall Box Office only, 617-585-1260.

Order Online: http://www.chineseperformingarts.net/tickets/index.htm, (no fee)

Email: Foundation@ChinesePerformingArts.net

Pi-Hsien Chen 陳必先, pianist

"Chen creates a masterful "Art of the Fugue". -- The Boston Globe

"...Ms Chen's recording of Jean Barraqué's Sonata is remarkable. She takes a sparkling, crystalline view of the music in a way that brings it near the music of Barraqué's principal French contemporary, Pierre Boulez...." -- The New York Times

"...Pi-Hsien Chen interleaves the four books of the Music of Changes with nine Scarlatti keyboard sonatas.... The juxtaposition works wonderfully with the irregular multilayered sound masses of Cage's pieces." -- The Guardian, U.K.

Pi-Hsien Chen 陳必先 was born in Taipei in 1950.  She left Taiwan when she was 9 and entered the University of Music in Cologne, Germany when she was 10. The European media praised she as the "Chinese Miracle" . In 1972, she received the First Prizes of the International ARD Competition in Munich,  the Arnold Schoenberg Competition in Rotterdam, and the Bach Competition in Washington, D.C.

Pi-Hsien Chen appeared in most of the world major concert halls, and performed with major orchestras, such as London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Zurich Tonhalle, Royal Philharmonic, Tokyo NHK, and all the German Radio Symphony Orchestras; with conductors Bernard Haitink, Paul Sacher, Colin Davis, Charles Dutoit, among others. She has also been a partner in the Asko Ensemble in Amsterdam, Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, and Ensemble Intercontemporain in Paris.  She gave performances in Schwetzinger Festspiele, London Proms, Osaka Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, Festival d'Automne Paris, Festival Wien Modern, Triennale Cologne, and the Festivals of Lucerne and Osaka.  She represented German Music at EXPO 2000 in Hanover, appeared with Alfons Kontarsky.

She collaborated with composers John Cage, Elliott Carter, Pierre Boulez, Karlheinz Stockhausen, György Kurtág, John Patrick Thomas, and Péter Eötvös. An IRCAM documentary shows Boulez assisting Pi-hsien Chen as she prepares for the world premiere of his Douze Notations. In the  documentary film "Black and White" about Elliott Carter, she was the pianist in his Double Concerto and Two Chamber Orchestras.  She has been a professor at the Hochschule für Musik Köln since 1983,  and at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg since 2004. 

Baker-Polito Administration Supports Local Food Ventures

Baker-Polito Administration Supports Local Food Ventures

BOSTON – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) has awarded $799,794 to three groups through the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program (MFVP), a grant program that addresses food access and encourages new food ventures that create additional economic opportunity. The announcement follows an award of over $700,000 to four agricultural groups in September.

“Our administration is pleased to continue supporting new agricultural enterprises that create economic growth and provide opportunities for jobs and new businesses in the Commonwealth’s growing agriculture and food industries,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We look forward to continuing our support of Massachusetts agriculture and building upon the success of these ventures since the program first began a few years ago.”

“Access to locally grown and produced food is crucial to families and communities around the Commonwealth,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The funding awarded through the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program will enable community-based organizations to continue their mission to provide healthy, nutritious food to individuals across our state – regardless of income.” 

The MFVP was first funded by the Baker-Polito Administration in the 2017 Capital Plan and provides financial support to food ventures sited primarily in or near communities of low- or moderate-income, including Gateway Cities and rural communities. With expanded investment, completed projects will improve access to Massachusetts-grown, harvested or caught food products through the development of collaborations with local agricultural enterprises and private/public entities. The program also helps implement the goals of the Massachusetts Local Food Action Plan. 

“The Massachusetts Food Ventures Program ensures widespread access to food choices and availability to Commonwealth residents, particularly in low- or moderate-income communities,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “By awarding these grants, the Baker-Polito Administration continues its commitment to encourage job creation and entrepreneurship, while greatly improving post-harvest opportunities for farmers.”

Funded projects include new construction that will create temporary and full time employment, as well as create food-based facilities that will foster job creation and expansion of food access and distribution in low to moderate income areas.

“We have already witnessed the results from investing in infrastructure for local food production, in the first year of this new grant program,” said MDAR Commissioner John Lebeaux. “Through the support of local agricultural, enterprises thrive and underserved communities continue to have access to nutritious Massachusetts-grown products.”

Key areas for investment for the MFVP are food processing infrastructure to meet the needs of the expanding local food system; improved distribution systems to support opportunities for equitable access to fresh local food; and retail outlet strategies that enhance access to healthy food. 

The following groups received grants:

Daily Table, Dorchester - $290,285

This grant will enable Daily Table to purchase materials and equipment for the final phase of construction for the second location of a not-for profit food retail outlet. This market will provide healthy prepared meals, food access, create new job and training opportunities.

Community Servings, Jamaica Plain - $391,296

This grant will allow Community Servings to purchase an emergency back-up generator, four refrigerated delivery vans and specialized industrial kitchen equipment. This investment will support the region's only provider of medically tailored meals to low-income individuals state-wide, create jobs and procure produce from local farmers.

Franklin County Community Development Corporation, Greenfield - $118,213

This grant will support Franklin County CDC’s purchase of specialized food processing equipment which will expand the capacity of the Western MA Food Processing Center.

“Like myself, the Baker-Polito Administration recognizes the importance of creating partnerships between local farmers and urban communities. The Massachusetts Food Ventures Program will allow for expansion and increased access to Massachusetts-grown food and products,” said State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester).  “One awardee, the Daily Table, is an important retail store that provides healthy options at prices everyone can afford; they now will be able to open a second location in Roxbury.”

“I am elated that Community Servings is a Local Food Ventures grantee,” said State Representative Liz Malia (D-Jamaica Plain). “This money will support Community Servings, so that they can serve more patients through culturally appropriate, medically tailored, home-delivered meals and nutrition education, while also providing CORI-friendly jobs in under-served communities throughout Massachusetts.”

“I want to thank the Baker-Polito Administration For their leadership in addressing the important issues of food access and food security,” said State Representative Dan Hunt (D-Boston). “Innovative programs like Massachusetts Food Ventures connect the dots between rural production and urban consumption, and are a big part of the effort to make our local food system resilient and inclusive.”

MDAR’s goals have been to increase and sustain the capacity of local food producers and enterprises to provide tangible, measurable benefits to residents in low-moderate income communities which include:  increased access to healthy fresh food, entrepreneurial opportunities, economic enhancement, and increased access to Massachusetts produced foods.

Newton Celebrating Major Milestone in Austin Street Project

Celebrating Major Milestone in Austin Street Project

Newton, MA – Newton Mayor Setti Warren and Austin Street Partners celebrated the ground lease signing between the City of Newton and Austin Street Partners today on-site at 28 Austin St.

"Celebrating this milestone for the development of the Austin Street Lot is a great moment for our community and for the many people who were vocal and active supporters of this project,” said Mayor Warren. “While I am proud to have been a champion of this concept for my time in office, I know that we would not be here without the business community, activists, and residents who supported this work for many years dating to before I came into office. This mixed-use development gives people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to live and thrive in Newton while also ensuring that Newtonville will be a vibrant village center in the years to come."

This public-private partnership will bring new housing and retail space to Newtonville, while preserving public parking at the Austin Street Municipal Lot. The development will include 68 rental apartments, 23 (33%) of which will be affordable, retail and restaurant space, a public plaza, and over 120 spaces for public parking. Due to the high percentage of affordable units, all 68 units will be added to the city’s Subsidized Housing Inventory (SHI).

“Today’s lease signing ceremony marks an important milestone for the redevelopment of Newton’s Austin Street Municipal Parking Lot,” said Scott Oran, one of the Austin Street Partners.  “This has been and will continue to be a truly unique and long-term public-private partnership.  Mayor Warren’s visionary leadership and unwavering support from his team of professional city staff have really ensured the project’s success.  We look forward to starting construction in the spring.”

The signing of the ground lease is an important step forward for this project, marking the transition from planning to the construction phase once permits have been obtained. This 99-year ground lease lays out the expectations of the mix-use project as outlined in the special permit. This includes: the number of housing units, the size and shape of the building, additional payments for the streetscape and utility work, construction of the public plaza, and maintenance of the City-operated municipal parking lot.

While this ground lease is not the first of its kind in the city, it is the first time that a ground lease has been signed for a property without a structure on it. Austin Street Partners will pay the city $1,050,000 for lease of the land and the real estate taxes based on the assessed value.

Construction is expected to begin in January 2018, with initial foundation work, and to begin in earnest in March 2018. The project is slated for up to a 15-month construction period, with the building opening by summer 2019.

This development is just the first component to the city’s vision for a vibrant and revitalized Newtonville. Following substantial completion of construction, the city will embark on the Walnut Street streetscape enhancement project in the spring/summer of 2019.

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2018 MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2018 MAYOR'S YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS

BOSTON - Thursday, December 14, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the members of the 2018 Mayor's Youth Council, a group of 85 high school-aged youth committed to improving their communities and empowering other young people in the City. The Mayor's Youth Council (MYC) advises Mayor Walsh and members of his administration on policy and programming, and were selected following an extensive application and interview process. "Boston's young people have a unique voice and perspective in our City, and I'm pleased to welcome our newest members of the Youth Council," said Mayor Walsh. "We are committed to making policy decisions that improve the lives of everyone in our City, and I look forward to gaining the feedback and advice of our youngest advisors." Members of the MYC come from all across Boston and attend a variety of public, parochial,  private and alternative schools. The MYC is a year-round commitment, and members devote eight to 13 hours a month to meetings, events, projects and outreach. The number of youth representing each neighborhood is based upon census data that indicates where young people live in Boston. MYC representatives form issue-centric subcommittees based on input from youth and Mayor Walsh's cabinet structure. The current committees include: Arts & Culture, Education & Youth Engagement, Youth Lead the Change, Civic Engagement, Workforce & Economic Development, and Public Health & Safety. Twelve directors and deputy directors were voted in by their peers to lead the Council's committees. "I chose to apply to the Mayor's Youth Council because I believe in the power, creativity, and willingness to achieve major change that this generation has to offer," said Ashawn Dabney-Small, who represents Dorchester and is the Director of Arts & Culture Committee. "I believe that the Mayor's Youth Council gives this generation a voice to speak out and be the change that we wish to see in the world." In the past year, members of the MYC have worked on a variety of issues related to public safety, participatory budgeting, and civic engagement. The MYC provided feedback to the MBTA on their 5-year plan for transportation in Massachusetts (GoBoston 2030); guided the community input process for how the City of Boston spends $1 million of the City budget through "Youth Lead the Change" participatory budgeting; and led many discussions around current issues and events. The leaders of the MYC shared their collective thoughts on the importance of the MYC. "The governing body of the Mayor's Youth Council believes that civic engagement and participatory budgeting are the best way for youth to effect change," said the MYC Youth Board of Directors. "Understanding that we will inherit Boston, we've been elected by our peers to lead the change that we seek. We know that enacting global change is hard, so we're starting with Boston and are happy to represent Boston's youth in this mission." The MYC is overseen by Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Division of Youth Engagement & Employment. Northeastern University is a longtime sponsor. About Boston Centers for Youth and Families Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) is the City of Boston's largest youth and human service agency. BCYF operates 36 community centers in Boston that offer a variety of engaging and enriching programs for people of all ages created through community input and need. BCYF also oversees many citywide programs including the nationally-recognized violence intervention and prevention Streetworker Program and SuccessLink, Mayor's Summer Jobs Program.