波士頓房東會辦講座 提醒房東注意消費者保護法、衛生條例

波士頓房東會創辦人潘樹仁(右)和劉仲岳一起主持房東座談。

           (Boston Orange) 波士頓房東會 (BLA) 日前在網上舉辦講座，提點房東，在麻州出租房屋有消費者保護，衛生條例，公平房屋法等至少3大法律議題不可忽視。與會房東們深有感受，討論熱烈。

              波士頓房東會原名波士頓亞裔房東會 (BALA)。該會創辦人，中城地產公司負責人潘樹仁為一視同仁，歡迎所有房東參與，交流並分享經驗，最近決定變更協會名稱。

              在這次的房東講座中，潘樹仁和當年的美洲銀行共同創辦人劉仲岳一起，和房東們討論

              潘樹仁指出，麻州是個對租客友善的州，很多法令偏向保護租客，有意當房東的人，最好在把房子租出去前，先了解一下麻州的93A消費者保護法，衛生條例 (Sanitary code)，以及公平住宅法 (Fair Housing Law)等法令規定，以避免踩了「地雷」，搶救都來不及。

他說前述這幾樣內容，每一樣都可以獨立成為一堂課，就連律師都要花不少時間理解，房東們出租房屋時更需要格外小心。

              一般來說，房東們首先要知道，出租房屋時不能收申請費，其次和租客交談時要注意使用的詞彙，避免歧視性字眼，收押金得另開帳戶存起來，房屋租約的內容和附件必須與出租房屋的個別狀況相符合，如果想要過濾房客，更得注意技巧，以免不小心觸犯歧視等法律禁忌，那就得不償失了。

              至於一棟或一層房屋是否符合出租的相關法令要求，房東們必須先了解衛生條例 (sanitary code)，一一檢查，都達標後再招租，例如是否符合麻州政府的除鉛要求，想限制房客抽菸得符合哪些規定等。

              潘樹仁指出，許多房東在了解出租房屋的複雜性後，會想要請管理公司來處理，這時房東得注意物業管理公司是否了解房屋所在地的法令規定，是否具有專業敏感度，懂得查察房客，最好是找既有經驗，又同時持有，並懂得使用物業管理軟件與硬體設備者。他的中城地產公司辦有中文的房東101課程，歡迎有需要者和該公司聯繫，617-834-4071。

麻州參議會研議廢除收養兒童家庭養狗品種限制

Senate to take up legislation removing breed restrictions from consideration in DCF foster placements

All good pups can be a family's best friend, regardless of breed

(BOSTON—9/25/2024) On Thursday September 26, the Massachusetts Senate will take up legislation to ensure families can foster a child regardless of the breed of dog in the foster home.

Under the new law, the Department of Children and Families would consider factors such as a pet's history of dangerous behavior and their health records, instead of a pet's breed. Currently, a family who is thinking of adopting cannot do so if they own breeds including Rottweilers, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, or a dog which mixes at least two of these three breeds.

According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a dog's breed is a poor predictor of behavior, and is uninformative with regard to how easily a dog is provoked by something frightening or uncomfortable.

According to 2021 census data, nearly one in every three households (30%) in Massachusetts has a dog. Boston ranked eleventh nationally among metro areas with the highest pet ownership ranks, with 38.7% of households owning a pet.

The legislation also clarifies that human service workers are able to report instances of animal abuse when acting in their professional capacity.

H.4911, An Act relative to animal welfare and reporting of animal cruelty, abuse or neglect, was previously passed by the House of Representatives in July 2024. The Senate’s version of the legislation that will be taken up on Thursday makes only non-substantive technical changes to the House-passed version of the legislation.

The Senate's Thursday session will begin at 11:00 a.m. EDT, and be streamed live at malegislature.gov/Events/Sessions/Detail/5006.

Governor Healey Nominates Associate Justice Amy L. Blake as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court

Governor Healey Nominates Associate Justice Amy L. Blake as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court 

If confirmed, Justice Blake will serve as the first woman Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura T. Healey nominated Justice Amy L. Blake to serve as the next Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. If confirmed, Justice Blake would replace Chief Justice Mark Green, who recently retired after serving nearly 23 years on the Appeals Court, and seven as Chief. Justice Blake will now continue forward to the Governor’s Council for confirmation.  

“Justice Blake’s decade of service on the Massachusetts Appeals Court and additional experience with the Probate and Family Court and in private practice make her an outstanding candidate for Chief Justice,” said Governor Healey. “I’m proud to nominate her and appreciate the Governor’s Council’s review of her nomination. I’m also grateful for Chief Justice Mark Green for his leadership on the Appeals Court.”  

“The Appeals Court does important work for all our residents, and Justice Blake is uniquely qualified to lead this court,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “I am excited to work with the Governor’s Council as they move to consider this nominee.” 

The Appeals Court is the state’s intermediate appellate court. The Appeals Court is a court of general appellate jurisdiction, which means that the justices review decisions that trial judges from the several Departments of the Trial Court have already made in many different kinds of cases. The Appeals Court also has jurisdiction over appeals from final decisions of three State agencies: the Appellate Tax Board, the Industrial Accident Board and the Commonwealth Employment Relations Board. The Appeals Court consists of a chief justice and 24 associate justices. 

For more information about the Appeals Court, visit its homepage. 

About Justice Amy L. Blake: 

Justice Amy Lyn Blake has served as Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court since 2014, when she was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick. 

Prior to the Appeals Court, Justice Blake served as an Associate Justice on the Probate and Family Court from 2008-2014. She was previously a Partner at Casner & Edwards, LLP, an Associate and Partner at White, Inker, Aronson, an Associate at Yasi & Yasi, PC and an Assistant District Attorney for the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office. She also served as an adjunct faculty member at New England Law. 

Justice Blake is the District One Director of the National Association of Women Judges, a fellow of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and an Associate Editor of the Massachusetts Law Review. She served as co-chair of the Board of Overseers of the Boston Bar Journal and actively serves on a number of committees, including the Trial Court's Public Outreach Committee and the Supreme Judicial Court's Committee on Judicial Guidelines for Self-Represented Litigants. 

Justice Blake has previously been named Jurist of the Year by the Middlesex County Bar Association, and Lawyer of the Year by the North Shore Women Lawyers’ Association.  She has also received the Distinguished Jurist Award from the Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers. 

Justice Blake graduated from the University of Rochester and New England Law. While in law school, she was named a New England Scholar and awarded the Amos L. Taylor Award for Excellence in Achievement. She lives in Peabody with her husband.  

吳弭市長指派沈其樂回任波士頓市府計畫長

沈其樂。(波士頓市府提供)

              (Boston Orange 綜合報導) 波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) 9月24日宣佈，指派沈其樂 (Kairo Shen) 出任計畫長，接替甫於9月13日卸任的Arthur Jemison，訂10月15日正式掌管 波士頓市計畫發展局 (BPDA)。

              沈其樂獲有麻省理工學院建築碩士學位，早從1993年起，就在波士頓市重建局工作，其後在萬寧路市長 (Tom Menino)市長時代一路晉升到為波士頓市重建局(BRA)的計畫主任。接著馬丁華殊市長 (Marty WEalsh)於2014年上任，一年半後宣佈推出波士頓市50年來第一個全市發展計畫 「想像波士頓2030」，改聘Brian Golden為BRA主任後，沈其樂轉赴麻省理工學院，從2020年迄今，擔任房地產中心主任，開授”製造城市 (City Making)”課程，總管碩士學位班。

              波士頓市在公佈任命的9月24日新聞稿中指出，過去2年多來，沈其樂做為第80章現代化指導委員會 (Article 80 Modernization Steering Committee) ，一直在餐與波市頓市的土地發展與計畫。未來，沈其樂將保留他和麻省理工學院的關係。

                          沈其樂和波士頓華人社區也一直保持聯繫，和當年在土地發展業界工作的陳家驊，和致力研議波士頓華埠總體發展計畫的華人前進會都關係良好。

              過去這些日子以來，一直擔任代理計畫長的波士頓市計劃局副計畫長Devin Quirk，將恢復原職，繼續監管波市頓計畫局的每日運作，並擔任沈其樂和吳弭市長的顧問。

                      波士頓市的都市發展計畫，在萬寧路市長時代由波士頓重建局 (BRA)這半官方組織掌管。市長雖有指派董事的權利，卻不能直接指揮這機構工作。民間對這機構，一直有不少怨言。馬丁華殊市長時代，為改變形象，把這機構改名為波士頓計畫發展局 (BPDA)。

              波士頓市長吳弭早在競選市長前的2019年，已揚言要廢除波士頓重建局 (BRA) 。她當選市長後，也立刻展開行動，先是波士頓重建局局長Brian Golden去職，接著延聘Arthur Jemison出任計畫長，在波士頓市議會推動通過提案，今年七月正式把BPDA變成波士頓市政府部門之一。

              然後，從外地來到波士頓當計畫長2年半的計劃長Arthur Jemison，8月宣佈離任，英文報章9月初，刊發一篇文章，形容土地發展商近來很難在波士頓市政府中找到一雙願意聆聽耳朵，同時披露，Arthur Jemison將出任底特律房屋局(Detroit Housing Commissio)行政主任。

              在波士頓市政府發佈的新聞稿中，沈其樂表示很高興在教書、研究十餘年後，帶著全新觀點回到市政府。如今的波市頓市和10多年前已經很不一樣，他很期待繼續波士頓市已邁出的改革區域規劃，讓土地發展的審核更透明，更容易預測的努力腳步。

BOSTON – Tuesday, September 24, 2024  – Today, Mayor Michelle Wu announced she has appointed Kairos Shen to be the City’s new Chief of Planning. In this role, Shen will lead the City of Boston Planning Department, which was established by Mayor Wu in July of 2024 to restore planning as a core function of City government. Shen will build on the work launched under former Chief Arthur Jemison, moving the city to a consistent and modernized zoning code, comprehensive short and long term planning, inclusive design standards, and streamlined and predictable development review.  

“I’m thrilled to welcome Kairos into leadership of Boston’s Planning Department and all the critical functions shaping the built environment for affordability, equity, and resilience,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As a longtime friend and advisor, Kairos brings an unparalleled knowledge and expertise of this work and our communities. His decades of public, private, and institutional experience in Boston, and the relationships he has built across the City, will help the new Planning Department advance our ambitious work to grow Boston and make our City a place everyone can call home.”  

Over the last two years, Mayor Wu has taken significant steps to change and improve the culture of planning and development in Boston, reforming the structure of the department and launching the first citywide rezoning and development review reforms in many decades. Mayor Wu has counted Kairos as a mentor and trusted advisor since her early days working under the Menino administration nearly 15 years ago. For the last two years, he has served as a member of the Article 80 Modernization Steering Committee, which will release consensus recommendations for public feedback this week. 

“I’m excited to return to City Hall with a fresh perspective after a decade of teaching, research, and mentoring the next generation of urban planners and designers,” said Kairos Shen. “Boston is a different City than it was ten years ago, and I’m inspired by the incredible strides Mayor Wu has taken in just two and a half years. I’m looking forward to advancing the significant work that has already begun including zoning reform and making development review more predictable and transparent.” 

Shen will begin transitioning into the role in early October and will begin serving as the Chief of Planning on October 15. He will maintain an affiliation with MIT while working for the City. Shen currently teaches “City Making” at the MIT Center for Real Estate, drawing on knowledge, research, and practice across the fields of planning, design, public policy, finance, and real estate. Shen was Executive Director of the MIT Center for Real Estate from 2020-2024. In that role, he oversaw the Master of Science Real Estate Development degree program as well as the Center’s relationships and partnerships with the development, architecture, and design industries. Shen’s passion for teaching was to guide, mentor, and prepare students for solving complex challenges within urban planning such as social equity, housing affordability, and climate resiliency. 

Prior to his career in academia, Shen worked in City Hall in a number of different roles in planning and design over the course of two decades under Mayor Thomas Menino and Mayor Martin Walsh. Shen had a hand in shaping the City’s most pivotal planning initiatives and development projects from 1993-2015, a period of substantial growth and investment in the City. Shen is a graduate of Swarthmore College and has a Master of Architecture from MIT. 

Devin Quirk, who has been serving as Interim Chief of Planning, will resume his role as Deputy Chief of the Planning Department. Quirk will continue overseeing all aspects of day-to-day operations of the Planning Department and serving as advisor to Shen and Mayor Wu. Quirk has 14 years experience working in the City of Boston, recently leading efforts to create and launch the City’s Planning Department, and has served in roles leading real estate development, affordable housing creation, and community planning across multiple cabinets within City Hall.   

“Kairos brings a rare set of expertise to this role – exceptional professional experience of all aspects of our work, deep knowledge of Boston’s neighborhoods, and relationships across the real estate industry and community,” said Deputy Chief Devin Quirk. “He is the right leader to advance the Mayor’s agenda for a more predictable and transparent development environment and I’m excited to work with him in this new capacity.”

Biden-Harris Administration Announces First CHIPS Commercial Fabrication Facilities Award with Polar Semiconductor, Establishing Independent American Foundry

CHIPS Investment Expected to Nearly Double U.S. Production Capacity of Sensor and Power Chips at Bloomington, Minnesota Manufacturing Facility

Today, as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced its first award under the CHIPS Incentives Program’s Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities of up to $123 million in direct funding to Polar Semiconductor (Polar). The award follows the previously signed preliminary memorandum of terms and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. The award will expand and modernize the company’s manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Department will distribute the funds based on Polar’s completion of project milestones.

“Semiconductors – those tiny chips smaller than the tip of your finger – power everything from smartphones to cars to satellites and weapons systems. I signed the CHIPS and Science Act to revitalize American leadership in semiconductors, strengthen our supply chains, protect our national security, and advance American competitiveness. And over the last three and a half years, we have done just that, catalyzing over $400 billion in private sector investments in semiconductors and electronics that are creating over 115,000 construction and manufacturing jobs. This year alone, the United States is on pace to see more investment in electronics manufacturing construction than it did over the last 24 years combined,” said President Joe Biden. “Today’s announcement that the Department of Commerce has finalized the first commercial CHIPS Incentives award with Polar Semiconductor marks the next phase of the implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act, and demonstrates how we continue to deliver on the Investing in America agenda. Polar’s new facility will also be completed under a Project Labor Agreement to support its construction workforce, creating good-quality union jobs in Bloomington, Minnesota. Today’s announcement is just one of the many ways our Investing in America agenda is reshoring U.S. manufacturing, investing in workers and communities across the country, and advancing America’s leadership in the technologies of tomorrow.”

“Today represents an important milestone in the implementation of the historic CHIPS and Science Act as we announce the first award agreement with Polar,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in Polar will create a new U.S.-owned foundry for sensor and power semiconductors and modernize and expand Polar’s facilities in Minnesota, strengthening our national and economic security, bolstering our supply chains, and creating quality jobs.”  

The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment will support Polar’s efforts to almost double its U.S. production capacity of sensor and power chips within two years. This award catalyzes a total investment of more than $525 million from private, state, and federal sources to transform Polar from a majority foreign-owned in-house manufacturer to a majority U.S.-owned commercial foundry. Through Polar’s semiconductor manufacturing operations, the Administration’s investment is expected to create over 160 manufacturing and construction jobs in Minnesota. 

For more information about Polar’s award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.

“The Biden-Harris Administration’s investment into Polar marks the first award, of many to come, into communities across our nation to regain our lead in semiconductor manufacturing,” said Lael Brainard, National Economic Advisor.

“Polar and its employees are excited to embark on our transformative project. We welcome new customers and partnerships, and as a domestic U.S.-owned sensor and advanced power semiconductor merchant foundry, we will support technology and design innovation, protect intellectual property, facilitate onshoring and technology transfers, and provide efficient low- to high-volume manufacturing with world-class quality,” said Surya Iyer, President and Chief Operating Officer of Polar Semiconductor. “Through our collaborative and sustained workforce development efforts, we expect to support customers with highly skilled employees today and into the future. We are pleased to close on the significant equity investment from Niobrara Capital and Prysm Capital, and we extend our sincere thanks to our partners at the U.S. Department of Commerce, the State of Minnesota, and the City of Bloomington for their support of the future of American semiconductor manufacturing.”

The purpose of the Award Phase is to finalize comprehensive due diligence and negotiate the final award documents. As stated in the CHIPS Notice of Funding Opportunity for Commercial Fabrication Facilities, the Department will distribute direct funding based on the completion of project components in connection with both the capital expenditures for the project and production and commercial milestones. The program will track the performance of each CHIPS Incentives Award through financial and programmatic reports, in accordance with the award terms and conditions, to establish a compliance program to monitor that commitments are being upheld. 

Boch王氏劇院11月將上演「發光：歡迎來到這個大家庭」

BRETT ELDREDGE ANNOUNCES GLOW: WELCOME TO THE FAMILY TOUR DATES COMING TO THE BOCH CENTER WANG THEATRE ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29 & SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30 ,2025

TICKETS ON SALE HERE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH AT 10 AM LOCAL TIME

NEW ALBUM  MERRY CHRISTMAS (WELCOME TO THE FAMILY) OUT 

SEPTEMBER 27TH ON WARM AND COZY RECORDS

SHARES DUET WITH KELLY CLARKSON, “SWEET DECEMBER”

Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

“There’s nothing better than Brett Eldredge's holiday music to put you in the spirit of the season.”

-People Magazine

Today, Brett Eldredge announces his 12-date “GLOW: Welcome to the Family” tour in cities including Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Nashville and more (full dates below). The tour will open at the historic Boch Center Wang Theatre for two shows on Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30, 2025. Eldredge shared about the tour, "I feel honored that these Christmas shows have became such a tradition for so many families to get in the spirit of the season. This upcoming tour is going to be sprinkled with some extra magic, new original Christmas songs and classic holiday stories. My goal is for everyone to feel right at home and leave as part of one BIG beautiful family!  Merry Christmas, welcome to the Family! Let’s Glow!" The tour, featuring support from Stacey Ryan, will find Mr. Christmas himself perfoming multiple nights at historic venues including The Chicago Theater, New York’s Beacon Theatre, Boston’s Wang Theatre, and will close at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Tickets will go on sale here on Friday, September 27th at 10 AM Local Time.

Recently Eldredge announced Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family), his eighth full-length LP and third holiday album. The album is a collection of eight original holiday songs destined to become seasonal classics and first on his own label, Warm and Cozy Records. See track list below and pre-order the full album on all formats here. The vinyl edition of the album will be available on October 25th.

“Sweet December,” a duet with Kelly Clarkson, is the first song to be available before the album’s release and is out now. Clarkson and Eldredge’s ease and warmth as vocalists and collaborators flow through the song building excitement for holidays to come. As Eldredge explains, “after singing “Under the Mistletoe” together, I knew there was no one else in the world I wanted to sing this song with...Kelly’s voice has this soulful retro feeling. I’ve never done a Christmas song in this style, and I really love it.” Kelly Clarkson also adds, “I’ve been fortunate enough to record songs with Brett, go see him live, and have him on my show! He has one of my favorite voices and I will sing with him anytime, anywhere! I hope people dig ‘Sweet December’ as much as we do!” Listen to “Sweet December” here.

 

This year, Eldredge invites fans to unplug and gather around the kitchen table with Welcome to the Family: The Game, an exclusive board game printed onto the inner gatefold of the album’s vinyl edition. With pop-up game pieces for up to 8 players, it's perfect for festive fun. Plus, fans who roll Santa’s special virtual die could win surprise holiday prizes. The vinyl will be accompanied by a printed inner sleeve and will be available in a website exclusive signed Christmas splatter LP, retail exclusive Evergreen LP, Amazon exclusive red LP, and black LP. The signed Christmas splatter LP will only be available to members of the Locals Fan Club, a tight-knit community for Brett Eldredge fans, offering early access to presale tickets, exclusive content, and special music releases. For over 4 years, fans have been joining the family—don’t miss out! Become a member today here. 

Expanding on the inspiration for the album Eldredge draws on memories that feel lived in, like a favorite holiday sweater. “When you listen, I hope it reminds you to lean into your traditions and maybe reach to someone you haven’t talked to in a while. Loosen up a little and be who you are during the holidays. Embrace love, family, and togetherness. Don’t take it all too seriously. I just want to tell my stories and do what feels right in my heart.”

On the album’s title, Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family), he elaborates, “I had a story in my head of introducing a stranger to my really whacky experience of going home for the holidays and meeting all of the interesting, crazy, beautiful, and awesome characters in my family. I had just experienced another Christmas with 50 people in my house. We opened presents, went to Christmas service, and everybody was sleeping in the attic. At the end of the song, I introduce everyone to my family, everyone from my brother and mother to Uncle Jim and Aunt Margo.”

Brett Eldredge is an award-winning Illinois-born and Nashville-based multiplatinum singer, songwriter, producer, and entertainer. Since 2010 Brett has earned a reputation as an eloquently clever songwriter, a showstopping performer, and with a growing catalog boasting a pair of Gold-certified albums and nine singles certified either Gold or Platinum by the RIAA. Beyond gathering billions of streams, he has notched seven #1’s on Country Radio, launched two albums into the Top 3 of the Billboard 200, and taken home various honors at the CMA Awards, ACM Awards, and BMI Country Awards. He also served up two fan-favorite holiday albums, Glow [2016] and Mr. Christmas [2021]. Among many highlights, his cover of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside!” [feat. Meghan Trainor] emerged as a staple, generating over 207 million Spotify streams and counting. Glow ignited the spark for the annual Glow tour. He draws listeners right into the magnetic pull of the holidays soundtracked by boisterous big band orchestration, heartfelt balladry, and simultaneously warm and robust vocals. 

Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family) Track Listing

1 Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family)

2 It Must Be Christmas

3 Sweet December (featuring Kelly Clarkson)

4 Warm and Cozy

5 The Night St. Nick Got Sick

6 Season of Lights and Wonder

7 Who Will You Be Kissing on New Year's Eve? (featuring Idarose)

8 Welcome to the Family (Reprise)

Brett Eldredge – GLOW: Welcome to the Family Tour Dates

with special guest Stacey Ryan

Fri 11/29 Boston, MA Boch Center Wang Theatre

Sat 11/30 Boston, MA Boch Center Wang Theatre

Sun 12/1 Philadelphia, PA The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark

Fri 12/6 Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre

Sat 12/7 Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre

Sun 12/8 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre

Tues 12/10 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre

Thur 12/12 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Fri 12/13 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Sat 12/14 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

Wed 12/18 St Louis, MO Fox Theatre

Friday 12/20 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

For more information about Brett Eldredge, please contact Emilio Herce (emilio@qprime.com) or Mary Moyer (mary@qprime.com) at Q Prime, 212.302.9790.