January 14, 2016. 9:30am
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc.
Attendees: Sherry Dong, Angie Liou, Christopher Blackler, Anna Fan, Fred Bennet, Kun Chang, Michelle Li, Barbara Rubel, Courtney Ho, Joan Abbot, Richard Goldberg, Megan Cheung, Bet Har Wong-Chan, Annie Chin-Louie, Dion Irish, Kate Chang, Dion Irish, Mark Liu, Carrie Tang, Ling-Mei Wong.

Meeting notes:
Boston Elections Department: Update/Introduction
Dion has served in various – city departments
Updating Ward & Precinct Lines. Boston has not seriously considered our
addresses and voting wards and precincts for 90 years- not since 1924. We’ve
been busy doing a city wide review. Just this week, we’ve completed
comprehensive review over past 6 months. This included updating addresses,
moving 3 precinct lines. For example, one precinct line went through the middle
of a building that didn’t exist when they drew the line. We put out press release
this past Tuesday. We are confident on our new ward and precinct lines. We’ll
generate new maps shortly. This re-precincting was more housekeeping and
clean-up.
-Overall vision for department: engaging, innovative, modern. And to continue
building on great partnerships with different organizations.
-Increase voter turnout – we don’t own it, but we own a piece of the pie to
increase turnout.
– We are welcoming ideas from anyone and get them on the table!
Almost every community in the Commonwealth is required to reprecinct
regularly. Boston doesn’t have to, and we haven’t done it for 80 years.
-It’s going to be possible this year in MA for the November election only. It’s
11 days before November election date. So starts Oct 24, 2016. Early Voting
is required by law at City Hall during business hours. Other cities can go
beyond that.
-Everyone is allowed to early vote.
-We will still have absentee voting with a reason.
-Early vote possible by mail.
– Electronic poll books or printed poll books?
– Central or precinct tabulation?
– Waiting for the State to release the regulations. For example
Early voting would require poll workers for 11 days. They would need
different training than typical poll workers which work for 1 day. This would
be like a third election, and costly.
– Early Voting
-You can find information about election data, election history on the
department website.- Voting Data
Dion Irish, Commissioner

CCEP Chinatown Education and Provider Plan
– Chinatown Community Educational Partnership
○ 2014 – CCEP partners presented their program offerings
○ 2015 – CCEP presented their demographic
– In 2014 TCC welcomed CCEP into our regular meetings by offering presentations:
○ Updating the CCEP flow chart, perhaps make it an online wiki
Present entrance requirements for the higher level programs, and how do
we get more people into these programs
○ Bring in student speakers, success stories.
○ More conversation groups, especially for the lower level classes.
○ Joint training for various staffs at our organizations
-Invite input at a TCC meeting to make best use of CCEP’s agenda item each
month
-CCEP members recently met to discuss how to best use our standing agenda item
at TCC. Richard reported on the results of that conversation.
-Can organizations share student tracking information so we can see how they
progress from organization to organization?
Richard Goldberg, Director of Education, Asian American Civic Association

Women, Infants, Children
Bet Har Wong-Chan
WIC is a government funded program to provide food to four groups of people:
pregnant people, post-partem, nursing moms, and children under 5.
Update, we can provide a special formula for free for women who can’t nurse. They
need to go through their pediatrician but it is available.
We have more dairy options now, including different types of yogurt.
We also have new whole grain options.
1. infant feeding classes – nursing, using formula.
2. how to calm down a crying baby- there are at least nine ways.
South Cove WIC offer two prenatal classes:
A new website in Chinese and English with informatino for pregant women, parents, or care takers.
Nutrition Education Online program – if kids are low risk, participants have to come at least once a year participants can come see a nutrition staff. But now, English speakers can fill out survey online and avoid that visit. Which is more convenient.
General reminder: grandparents are eligible for WIC if they are primary caretakers.
WIC came up with new dietary guidelines. We give them to pediatricians.
– 185% of federal government poverty guideline, which changes annually
○ free food via a debit card usable at markets.
○ Free nutrition counseling and education.
○ Referrals to medical and social services. E.g., food stamps.
– Benefits:
Call us, make an appointment, fill out appropriate forms on nutrition and health status.
○ Proof of income There are special cases. If someone is MassHealth standard, then they
automatically qualify
○ MA resident. Unlike Food Stamps, WIC does not ask participants about their residence status.