昆士醫院舊址賣了給 Fox Rock Properties

(Boston Orange)昆士市12月8日傳出，丟空兩年的昆士醫院舊址，賣了。買主是狐岩物業(FoxRock Properties)。

這是筆三方交易，包括買主狐岩物業，賣主史都華醫療護理( Steward Health Care )，以及持有取回權(Reverter)的昆士市政府。

史都華醫療護理二年前突然宣布關閉這有124年歷史，196張急診病床的醫院，只留下一個急診室，使得昆士市成為麻州第一個境內沒有醫院的大城市。

擁有狐岩物業，以及北昆士花崗岩電信(Granite Telecommunications的 Rob Hale在12月8日宣佈，以1200萬元從史都華護理買下了佔地15英畝的Whitwell街114號。

該公司一方面和想要在這昆士醫院舊址保留醫療用途的昆士市長柯奇(Tom Koch)談條件，一方面想要在昆士是中心的重新發展計畫中，爭取重要腳色。

買賣的條件之一是狐岩物業必須和史都華護理簽署租約，以在2021年12月之前，原址都能保留急診室營運。另外還有權展延租約5年。

狐岩物業是家在南岸擁有50萬平方呎醫療辦公室，工業空間的公司。包括在Norwell的南岸醫療中心，長水地(Longwater Place)，在普利茅斯(Plymouth)的普利茅斯醫療及專業中心(Plymouth Medical and Professional Center)，在Weymouth的90 Libbey Parkway，以及Columbian Wellness & Professional Park。

狐岩物業買下的物業包括4棟樓宇，以及626,000平方呎土地，買價不到史都華護理在2011年以2950萬元從破產法庭買來時的一半。和物業稅的價值4210萬元來比，更是不到三分之一。

昆士市長柯奇和狐岩物業達成，還待昆市議會批准的五年協議是，如果狐岩物業付給昆市府420萬元，或者辦理一項或多項租約，在至少7年內，總共有15萬平方呎面積會作醫療用途，昆市府就願意放棄取回權(Reverter)。

昆市長辦公室表示，如果在五年到期前，狐岩物業都還沒付給昆市府420萬元，或者都還沒簽醫療用途租約，昆市府就重新獲得記載在昆士醫院地契上的取回權。

在此同時，柯奇已指派狐岩物業為昆市府在昆士中心所擁地塊的羅斯(Ross)停車場的發展商，預期著狐岩物業會在那建造新的，包括醫療設施用途的商用樓宇。

協議的一部分條件包括狐岩物業必須在兩年內花150萬元，作吸引醫療用途的市場行銷及發展前期作業。

昆士市長及其他市府官員表示，由於昆士市鄰近波士頓市的醫院，Weymouth的南岸醫院，米爾頓的貝斯以色列醫院，要在醫院舊址重開一家急診醫院，可能性很低。

狐岩物業已同意和醫院附近的鄰居開會，討論適當用途。現在要說在那塊地上做甚麼樣的發展還太早。

CAPAC Chair’s Statement on Passage of FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act

CAPAC Chair’s Statement on Passage of FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act

Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. Senate voted 92-7 to pass the Conference Report on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017. The U.S. House of Representatives previously passed the Conference Report by a vote of 375-34 on December 2, 2016, and it now heads to President Obama’s desk. The final Conference Report, which was negotiated between House and Senate conferees, authorizes approximately $611.2 billion in funding for the Department of Defense (DOD) and other related agencies, programs, and operations for the Fiscal Year 2017. It also includes provisions authored by Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) that will benefit the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, such as language to address military hazing in our ranks and provisions to provide reparations for Guam residents who suffered harm during World War II and to conduct a review of AAPI veterans of the Korean War and Vietnam War who may be eligible for the Medal of Honor. CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) released the following the statement:

“Despite budget gimmicks that jeopardize this critical funding bill, I am pleased that this annual defense authorization bill includes important provisions that help the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, including my language on military hazing. The inclusion of language on military hazing is historic—it requires, for the first time, annual reports from the Department of Defense on anti-hazing policies and progress on its implementation. This provision provides for the greater transparency we need around this important issue, which will help save lives and ensure a stronger military.

“I am also pleased to see other critical provisions included in final Conference Report, such as recognizing the residents of Guam that suffered great harm during World War II, as well as authorizing the review of certain AAPI veterans who may be eligible to receive the Medal of Honor.

“These provisions are important wins for the AAPI community and demonstrate that our demands to address the needs of our diverse constituencies are being heard.”

BACKGROUND

Military Hazing

In 2011, Rep. Chu’s nephew, Lance Corporal Harry Lew, committed suicide while stationed in Afghanistan after extreme and prolonged hazing by his fellow Marines. Since his death, Rep. Chu has fought to eradicate hazing in the military. During the 112thCongress, Rep. Chu introduced the Harry Lew Military Hazing Accountability and Prevention Act, which would require DOD to develop a comprehensive plan to address hazing within the ranks. In the FY2013 NDAA, Rep. Chu secured language that required reports from each branch of the military to report on hazing policies and incident data to Congress. Finding that these results were inconsistent and indicated substandard tracking results in unreliable data, Rep. Chu successfully amended the FY 2015 NDAA to require GAO to provide an objective analysis about the current status of hazing in the military. In March 2016, Rep. Chu testified before the House Armed Services Committee to urge the adoption of the GAO’s recommendations in the FY 2017 NDAA. 

Rep. Chu’s amendment, which was offered during the House Armed Services Committee’s markup of NDAA in April, would do the following:

·         Require DOD to submit an annual report to Congress to ensure anti-hazing policies are implemented consistently.

·         Require DOD to improve existing training to help servicemembers better identify and respond to hazing at all command levels.

·         Mandate that DOD issue a department-wide guidance on a comprehensive and consistent data collection system that includes information on protected classes such as race and religion.

·         Evaluate the prevalence of hazing through department-wide surveys.

Recognizing Harm Suffered by Guam Residents During World War II

This provision, led by Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo (GU), authorizes claims for living survivors of the occupation of Guam or the descendants of those who died in the occupation during World War II. It recognizes the sacrifice of the people of Guam and establishes a special claims fund to compensate eligible Guam survivors or descendants. In addition to these reparations, this provision also establishes a grant program for research, educational, and media activities to highlight and uplift the stories of the occupation of Guam during World War II.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Medal of Honor Review

Congressmembers Madeleine Bordallo (GU), Ranking Member Adam Smith (WA-09), and the late Congressman Mark Takai (HI-01) pushed for a provision to authorize a review of service records for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) who served during the Korean War and Vietnam War and earned the Distinguished Service Cross, the Navy Cross, or the Air Force Cross, to see if they are eligible for the Medal of Honor. This follows the FY02 NDAA that authorized a similar review for Jewish American and Hispanic American war veterans, and ensures that AAPIs are included in the review process.  

波士頓市長宣佈波士頓為氣候變化做好準備了 (圖片)

麻州長，副州長闡述麻州優良項目 (圖片)

麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)。(周菊子攝)

麻州副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙中華公所本年度最後一次董事大會展望未來(圖片)

張斯麗 12/10 到 BCNC 談新書 " Under the Red Moon"

Join local author Amy Kwei (張斯麗) for lunch as she reads her new book “Under the Red Moon”

Set in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York, the novel takes readers on a journey from the Nanking Massacre and Korean War to the Great Leap Forward, British colonial rule in Hong Kong and immigration to America. The stories of the sisters are interwoven and culminate during the Cultural Revolution.  This is the third book by Amy Kwei.

Three sisters of the Huang clan disperse during World War II.  Golden Ball attends Syracuse University in New York, Silver Bell attends a nearby American high school and Coral Bell, the youngest, remains in Shanghai along with her mother, a concubine.  Set in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and New York, the novel takes readers on a journey from the Nanking Massacre and Korean War to the Great Leap Forward, British colonial rule in Hong Kong and immigration to America.   The stories of the sisters are interwoven and culminate during the Cultural Revolution. 

Under the Red Moon by Amy Kwei
Saturday, December 10 | 12:00-2:00 PM
BCNC | 38 Ash Street | Boston, MA 02111

A $25 ticket purchase includes lunch and a signed book. Proceeds will benefit BCNC's family-centered programs for children, youth, and adults. 

*** Your donation will be matched by a $40,000 challenge grant from the Amelia Peabody Foundation to support BCNC Quincy Youth Programs. Double the impact of your gift! ***

For additional questions, please contact Jean Quintal at jean.quintal@bcnc.netor 617-635-2540

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB TO PAY $19.5 MILLION FOR ALLEGED IMPROPER DRUG MARKETING TO ENCOURAGE PRESCRIPTIONS TO CHILDREN, ELDERLY

BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB TO PAY $19.5 MILLION FOR ALLEGED IMPROPER DRUG MARKETING TO ENCOURAGE PRESCRIPTIONS TO CHILDREN, ELDERLYAG Healey Joins Multistate Settlement; Massachusetts to Receive More Than $400,000

BOSTON – Resolving allegations that it improperly marketed an antipsychotic drug to children and elderly patients, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) has agreed to pay a total of $19.5 million in a multistate settlement, including more than $400,000 to Massachusetts, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. 

In a complaint filed today in Suffolk Superior Court along with a consent judgment, AG Healey alleges that BMS engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices when it marketed an atypical antipsychotic drug known as Abilify.

“We allege that Bristol-Myers Squibb improperly marketed this drug to encourage prescriptions to children and seniors and misled the public about its safety for those populations,” said AG Healey. “Companies cannot use deceptive practices and unfair marketing to increase their sales at the expense of patients’ health and well-being.”

The investigation, conducted by AG Healey and 42 other state attorneys general, concluded that BMS’s promotional efforts for Abilify contained misrepresentations and material omissions. 

Abilify – the brand name for the prescription drug aripiprazole – was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of schizophrenia in 2002 and, since then, has been approved for several additional indications. The complaint alleges that, starting in 2002, BMS promoted Abilify to treat certain other conditions prior to receiving FDA approval for those uses.

In particular, BMS promoted Abilify for use in elderly patients with symptoms consistent with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, despite the lack of FDA approval for these uses, and without first establishing the drug’s safety and efficacy for those uses. In 2006, Abilify received a “black box” warning stating that elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis who are treated with antipsychotic drugs have an increased risk of death. 

Additionally, the complaint alleges that BMS promoted Abilify for uses in children not approved by the FDA, minimized and misrepresented Abilify’s risks, and overstated the findings of scientific studies by not revealing limitations that would materially affect the interpretation of the study results.

Along with a payment to the states involved, BMS’s marketing of any formulation containing the active ingredient aripiprazole will be restricted by the terms of the settlement. The company will be prohibited from making false or misleading claims about Abilify, its safety or efficacy in comparison with other drugs, or the implications of clinical studies relating to the drug. BMS will also be subject to limitations on financial incentives to sales representatives and health care providers, dissemination of information that may promote off-label use of Abilify, and other practices affecting off-label promotion.

The states also joining the BMS settlement include: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

This matter was handled in Massachusetts by Assistant Attorney General Stephen Vogel and Deputy Division Chief Eric Gold, both of AG Healey’s Health Care Division.

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Baker-Polito Administration Awards Over $744,000 For Conservation Partnership Grants

Baker-Polito Administration Awards Over $744,000 For Conservation Partnership Grants

Funding Will Protect 330 Acres of Commonwealth’s Natural Resources

BOSTON – December 8, 2016 – The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $744,545 in funding for local land conservation projects across the Commonwealth. The grants are being provided to ten land trusts by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs’ (EEA) Conservation Partnership Grant Program and will protect over 330 acres of land from Cape Cod to the Quabbin Reservoir.

“Local conservation areas are important investments that provide citizens of the Commonwealth access to open spaces and the opportunity to enjoy nature,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Conservation Partnership Grants are instrumental in helping protect Massachusetts’ unique natural habitats for our residents and visitors alike.”

“By establishing close partnerships with local land trusts, our administration is committed to protecting Massachusetts’ ecological resources for future generations,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “The Conservation Partnership Grant Program allows the Commonwealth to provide our local partners the resources they need to protect our state’s the most important working lands and wildlife habitat.”

The Conservation Partnership Program assists non-public, not-for-profit corporations in acquiring interests in lands suitable for conservation or recreation purposes. Potential projects fall into one of two categories: Land or a conservation restriction (CR) purchased by an eligible applicant or due diligence for land or a conservation restriction gift donated to an eligible applicant.

“From the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s nearly 500,000 acres of parks and forests to small family farms, the Commonwealth’s open spaces have large impact on the lives of all residents,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton. “The Baker-Polito Administration continues its commitment to investing in open spaces in which residents can recreate and enjoy all that Massachusetts has to offer.”

The following ten projects will receive the Conservation Partnership grants: 

Grantee	Project Name	Project Description	Grant Award
Andover Village Improvement Society	Franciscan Acquisition	The project will acquire 26.60 acres of land that is part of the Bay Circuit Trail, upstream of the water intakes for Andover, Lawrence, and Methuen, and within NHESP BioMap2 core habitat.	$85,000
Brewster Conservation Trust	Gulls Way Forest	The project will purchase an 11.11 acre property supporting two buildable residential lots and will protect a native Cape Cod forest.	$75,000
Buzzards Bay Coalition	Shaw Cove Fields and Marshes Conservation Project	The project will acquire 62 acres on Nasketucket Bay adjacent to a large contiguous area of existing protected open space and will protect the bay's resources, as well as working farmland.	$85,000
Dennis Conservation Trust	Swan River Overlook	The project will protect 3.5 acres that are a combination of upland, brackish marsh, and salt marsh and will help protect the water quality in Swan River, a Critical Natural Landscape.	$75,000
East Quabbin Land Trust	Carlson Road Realty Trust CR Acquisition	The project will acquire a CR on 53 acres that abuts the Muddy Brook Wildlife Management Area and helps to add to a corridor of protected land between the WMA and the Quabbin Reservoir.	$85,000
Greater Worcester Land Trust	Malden Brook Woods	The project will protect 13.66 acres of land that is one of the last unprotected portions of Malden Brook Farm, which remains the last working farm in Holden.	$80,350
Kestrel Land Trust	Pelham Emerald Necklace Project	The project will connect to existing protected open space and ensure the continuity of core habitat available to wildlife, securing public access from Arnold Road and enabling the expansion of existing trails for passive recreation.	$85,000
Massachusetts Audubon Society	Butterworth - Rutland Brook WS	The project will acquire 84 acres in fee to add to the existing Rutland Brook Wildlife Sanctuary and help to protect water quality in the Quabbin Reservoir.	$85,000
Opacum Land Trust	Thomas Forested Parcel	The project will protect a 76 acre parcel of woodland that is adjacent to Brimfield State Forest and will provide an additional entry point to the forest.	$85,000
Rutland Land Conservancy	Cannon-Putname Nature Preserve	The project will help pay for the due diligence on a gift of land that has frontage on two roads and contains hardwoods and a wetland.	$4,195

“Investing in conservation projects is crucial to protecting our resources on the Cape,” said Cape and Islands Senator Dan Wolf (D-Harwich).  “Thank you to everyone in the office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for advancing this funding to protect our open space, wildlife, and water quality.” 

“I want to thank the Baker-Polito Administration, as well as Secretary Beating, for their ongoing commitment to preserving our fragile environment on Cape Cod,” said State Representative Timothy R. Whelan (R-Brewster). “Both the Dennis and Brewster Conservation Trusts will be bolstered in their efforts to preserve Cape Codes natural beauty by this significant commitment, for which I am extremely grateful.”

“The first land trust was founded over 100 years ago right here in New England, and the many others since, throughout the region, have played an indispensable role in protecting open spaces of all kinds,” said Senator Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources & Agriculture.  “These groups are a major part of that mission and I am thrilled that they have received support from the state to continue the great conservationist work that they do.”

“Thank you to the Baker-Polito Administration and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs for awarding these funds and recognizing the importance of preserving our open spaces,” said State Representative Kimberly Ferguson (R-Holden). “I am thrilled that the Rutland Land Conservancy was chosen as a recipient. Congratulations to all of the communities who received grants, as they will be providing increased opportunities for outdoor recreation and resource protection which benefit the citizens of the Commonwealth and generations to come.”

“Congratulations to the Greater Worcester Land Trust on receiving a Conservation Partnership Grant from the Baker-Polito Administration for the protection of the last working farm in Holden, Malden Brook Farm,” said State Senate Majority Leader Harriette L. Chandler (D-Worcester). “I commend the partnerships that have been made through the grant program and look forward to the implementation of the grants.”

BCNC Receives funding from ArtPlace America’s 2016 National Creative Placemaking Fund

BCNC Receives funding from ArtPlace America’s

2016 National Creative Placemaking Fund

29 projects were chosen to receive $11 million in funding

BOSTON, December 8, 2016 –ArtPlace America announced that Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) is one of 29 projects chosen, from almost 1400 applications, to receive funding through its National Creative Placemaking Fund in 2016.  

ArtPlace America’s National Creative Placemaking Fund is a highly competitive national program – funding 2% of initial applications – that invests money in communities across the country in which artists, arts organizations, and arts and culture activity will help drive community development change in the sectors of agriculture and food; economic development; education and youth; environment and energy; health, housing; immigration; public safety; transportation; or workforce development.

“Creative Placemaking seeks the full and robust integration of arts, culture, and community-engaged design into the decisions that define the ebb and flow of community life. These grant recipients embody what this looks like at its most effective best,” said Rip Rapson, president and CEO of The Kresge Foundation and Chair of the ArtPlace President’s Council. “The sheer volume of applications for these grants suggests the growing updraft of creative placemaking efforts throughout the nation.”

“We are absolutely thrilled to be adding this dynamic set of projects to our portfolio this year,” says F. Javier Torres, Director of National Grantmaking. “The thoughtful and innovative strategies in this year’s projects are truly indicative of the vital role that artists and arts and culture organizations play in strengthening local policy, and the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities.”

The complete list of the 2016 projects for ArtPlace’s National Creative Placemaking Fund may be found here.

BCNC will receive a total grant of $450,000 over the next three years for “One Chinatown” – a community-based center for arts developed in partnership with Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) –  the state’s largest and most affordable community college – slated to open in January 2017.

“I am humbled to be a part of this project, because I believe it is important for this moment in history,” said Giles Li, Executive Director of BCNC. “One Chinatown represents coming together during hard times. Two disparate communities who both live in Chinatown belong here. Two different types of institutions can show the world a new kind of relationship is possible between a neighborhood and a college. We are building a space for all people – poor and rich, young and old, immigrant and native-Bostonian – that supports a vision for a united Chinatown, city, and world.”

“BHCC is proud to partner with BCNC in the creation of One Chinatown,” said BHCC President Pam Eddinger. “This initiative perfectly aligns with our goal of providing culturally-inclusive education to all students.”

One Chinatown leverages the assets of both BCNC and BHCC, as well as other community partners, to build connections between the low-income immigrant community typical of Chinatown and the growing population of urbanites, who have moved to the neighborhood in recent years. One Chinatown will engage residents of Chinatown in a public conversation about challenges and pathways to good community health and emotional well-being in an age of rapid gentrification.

Located on Parcel 24, a piece of land that was returned to the Chinatown community 50 years after it was suddenly taken away, the 5,000 square-foot One Chinatown will feature a studio theater, gallery, classrooms, and community space.

About ArtPlace America

ArtPlace America (ArtPlace) is a ten-year collaboration among 16 partner foundations, along with 8 federal agencies and 6 financial institutions, that works to position arts and culture as a core sector of comprehensive community planning and development in order to help strengthen the social, physical, and economic fabric of communities. 

ArtPlace focuses its work on creative placemaking, projects in which art plays an intentional and integrated role in place-based community planning and development. This brings artists, arts organizations, and artistic activity into the suite of placemaking strategies pioneered by Jane Jacobs and her colleagues, who believed that community development must be locally informed, human-centric, and holistic.

About Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) is the largest nonprofit social service provider dedicated to Asian families in the Greater Boston area, supporting over 2,000 children, youth, and adults each year at three locations in Boston and Quincy. 

The mission of BCNC is to ensure that the children, youth, and families we serve have the resources and supports they need to achieve greater economic success and social well-being. BCNC helps families access the resources and services available to them, provide opportunities for them to learn and acquire skills, and create a community of mutual support and encouragement.  For more information, go to www.bcnc.net.