MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING OF CITY HALL COFFEE SHOP

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES GRAND OPENING OF CITY HALL COFFEE SHOP

New coffee shop, Recreo Coffee, to welcome visitors to City Hall

BOSTON - Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - As part of Boston's work to make City Hall more vibrant and welcoming to all who visit, Mayor Martin J. Walsh this week announced the grand opening of Recreo Coffee and Roasterie at Boston City Hall. Recreo Coffee is owned by Miriam and Hector Morales of West Roxbury, and sources its coffee beans directly from Miriam Morales' family farm in Nicaragua. "City Hall belongs to all Boston residents, and I'm pleased with the City's progress to make City Hall a welcoming spot for everyone," said Mayor Walsh. "Miriam and Hector are wonderful shop owners who make a great cup of coffee, and I welcome employees, residents and visitors to City Hall to visit Recreo Coffee." "We are thrilled to bring our shop to Boston City Hall to serve workers, residents and visitors who pass through each and every day," said owner Miriam Morales. "It's especially special to be able to bring my family's coffee beans from Nicaragua all the way to Boston, and we look forward to becoming part of Boston City Hall." Recreo Coffee was chosen after a vendor request for proposals (RFP) process, managed by Boston Property Management and the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics. The City was impressed by Recreo Coffee's dedication to socially responsible partnerships with local organizations, including a program that promotes education and healthcare for the coffee bean farmers and their families, and their established location in the West Roxbury Main Street District. Located on the third floor mezzanine, Recreo Coffee will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., and will offer a full coffee menu along with baked goods and lunch options. The opening of a coffee shop in Boston City Hall is part of the City's plan to make City Hall Plaza a more activated, inclusive space for all. Additional projects include "Boston Seasons" which features a summer picnic area on City Hall Plaza for the summer and established Boston Winter, a family-friendly winter holiday market and skating rink, on City Hall Plaza last winter. The coffee shop is part of the renovations underway in the City Hall lobby, included in the master plan to reenvision public spaces in City Hall, which is scheduled to be completed this summer.

HOSPITALS PROVIDED $644 MILLION IN COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2016

HOSPITALS PROVIDED $644 MILLION IN COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR MASSACHUSETTS RESIDENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2016

            BOSTON – Massachusetts hospitals provided $644 million in community benefits for residents of Massachusetts in Fiscal Year 2016, according to reports published today by Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office.

            A total of 59 hospitals filed community benefits reports for Fiscal Year 2016. Of those, 49 non-profit acute care hospitals reported a total of $608 million in community benefit expenditures, of which $36 million was reported for free or discounted care provided directly to patients. In addition, 10 for-profit hospitals reported more than $36 million in community benefit expenditures, $6 million of which was reported as free or discounted care for patients. 

“The hundreds of millions of dollars in community benefits provided by Massachusetts hospitals are essential in addressing the health needs of our residents,” AG Healey said. “As we update our guidelines for next year, we recognize the ongoing work of our hospitals to promote community health not only by providing medical services to the underserved, but by coordinating efforts to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities in our neighborhoods.”  

            AG Healey’s Community Benefits Program supports a key component of the mission of hospitals and health maintenance organizations (HMOs). The office’s Community Benefits Guidelines encourage hospitals and HMOs to build upon their commitment to address unmet community health needs each year by formalizing their approach to planning for annual benefits, collaborating with community representatives in developing programs, and filing annual reports with the Attorney General’s Office on their efforts. HMO community benefits reports will be published this summer.

In an effort to streamline reporting requirements, AG Healey convened health care experts in April for the first meeting of the Advisory Task Force on Community Benefits, which is examining potential updates to the AG’s Community Benefits Program. Task force members are discussing strategies for advancing statewide health priorities and exploring recommendations to better align resources and standards across common programs to build the long-term capacity of communities to improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.

The annual reports are available at www.mass.gov/ago/communitybenefits.

The Community Benefits Program is managed by Project Manager Elana Brochin, Legal Analyst Perusi Namulwa, and Assistant Attorney General Sandra Wolitzky, under the guidance of Senior Counsel Karen Tseng, of AG Healey’s Health Care and Fair Competition Bureau.

美國華裔退伍軍人會 6/12 就職典禮

American Legion Chinatown Post 328 Installation event will be held at Hei La Moon next Monday (6/12) @ 6pm.
This event also starts our fund raising drive to have a Chinese American Veterans Memorial in Chinatown in Philip Square.

The normal ticket price is $45 per person.

Vice Commander Man Ho Chan

Governor Baker, House Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Rosenberg Declare June as LGBT Pride Month

Governor Baker, House Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Rosenberg Declare June as LGBT Pride Month

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg declared June as LGBT Pride Month in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. LGBT Pride Month celebrates the impact and contributions that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and their allies have had on Massachusetts’ rich and diverse history and culture.

“Massachusetts is proud to be a welcoming state and a champion for supporting equal rights of all of our citizens across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Baker.“Along with our administration and our colleagues in the legislature, we are pleased to declare June as Pride Month to celebrate the LGBT community and its allies.”

“By commemorating June as LGBT Pride Month, Massachusetts is proud to celebrate the LGBT community who have fought for justice and equality,” said Lt. Governor Polito. “This proclamation represents a statement of unity from our administration and the Legislature as the Commonwealth reflects on the progress made on diversity and civil rights.”

“Pride Month is an invaluable opportunity to recognize the gains we’ve made in ensuring civil rights and to celebrate LGBTQ culture, while reflecting on the work ahead of us,” said House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo (D-Winthrop).  “I thank all involved in Massachusetts Pride Month for their tireless work in the pursuit of justice and solidarity.”

“As a member of the LGBT community I am grateful and proud to live in a state that recognizes and celebrates the diversity of the human family,” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst). “Nothing is more precious than to live freely and without fear in an accepting community. Thank you to the people of Massachusetts for making that possible for me and countless others.

"From its earliest days as a courageous act of resistance to the revelry that will fill the streets this weekend, Pride honors how very far we've come -- while marking the work left undone,” said Senator Julian Cyr (D – Truro). “Too many LGBTQ people still face fear, isolation, and hardship. Yet many more LGBTQ people are affirmed and thrive thanks to the legacy of 'out' pioneers and allies, like those who led the way right here in Massachusetts. Let Pride Month remind all of us -- LGBTQ or otherwise -- to celebrate resilience, creativity, disruption, freedom, and love."

“It is important that we recognize the great strides we have made in the name of equality for all our citizens, especially among our LGBTQ community,” said Senator Richard Ross (R-Wrentham).

“Pride Month represents an opportunity to both recognize and celebrate the hard-fought rights achieved by LGBT individuals, as well as to remind us there is still more progress to be made in ensuring full equality,” said Representative Kate Hogan (D-Stow). “As our President wavers on recognizing this important tradition, I couldn’t be prouder that Massachusetts has been - and continues to be - a leader nationwide in welcoming and supporting our community.”

“I wish to thank Governor Baker and Lieutenant Governor Polito for this Proclamation declaring June as Pride Month,” said Representative Sarah K. Peake (D-Provincetown). “This reinforces what we know to be true, that Massachusetts celebrates diversity and is made stronger because of it. Now more than ever, this statement is an important affirmation of our shared values. As a member of the LGBT Community, I am personally grateful to the administration for speaking out in support of our community and for using this strong statement as we celebrate Pride Month in Massachusetts.”

"I am proud to join the Baker-Polito Administration and my colleagues in the legislature in declaring June as Pride Month to celebrate the LGBT community. Here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, we respect and appreciate diversity and the civil rights of all our citizens," said Representative Susannah Whipps (R-Athol).

“We recognize Pride month as both a celebration of resiliency and a call to action, rooted in the legacy of the Stonewall riots and more,” said Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth Chair Michel Anteby. “As the Commission honors the long history of LGBTQ youth movements in Massachusetts, we are determined to push forward with the unfinished work of building a Commonwealth where all LGBTQ youth thrive.”

In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Last year, Governor Charlie Baker signed into law, An Act relative to transgender anti-discrimination, to extend protections against discrimination for gender identity to any place of public accommodation, with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) adopting regulations or policies to enforce its provisions.

Governor Baker Nominates Attorney Diane Freniere and First Assistant District Attorney Sharon Donatelle to Superior Court

Governor Baker Nominates Attorney Diane Freniere and First Assistant District Attorney Sharon Donatelle to Superior Court

BOSTON – Governor Charlie Baker has nominated Diane C. Freniere and Sharon E. Donatelle to serve as Associate Justices of the Massachusetts Superior Court. Attorney Freniere has 26 years of experience and concentrates her practice in white collar criminal defense, regulatory compliance and complex civil litigation; Attorney Donatelle has served as the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office since 1992, where she currently serves as First Assistant.

“Attorneys Freniere and Donatelle have earned respected reputations in the Superior Court for their legal skills, commitment to serving the public and implementing justice,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am pleased to nominate them for the Governor’s Council’s advice and consent. If confirmed, the Superior Court will benefit greatly from their wisdom, judgment and common sense.”

“I am confident these talented women will use their experience and abilities to provide additional leadership to the Superior Court, if confirmed by the Governor’s Council,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “Their dedication and impressive careers of increasing levels or responsibility render them well-suited to continue their public service as judges in the Commonwealth.”

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February, 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth's diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April, 2015.

The Superior Court is a statewide court of general jurisdiction - handling both criminal and civil actions.  The court’s 82 justices sit in 20 courthouses in all 14 counties of the Commonwealth.  The Superior Court has original jurisdiction in civil actions over $25,000, and in matters where equitable relief is sought.  It also has original jurisdiction in actions including labor disputes where injunctive relief is sought, has exclusive authority to convene medical malpractice tribunals, has appellate jurisdiction over certain administrative proceedings, and may hold sittings for naturalization in any city or town.  The court has exclusive original jurisdiction of first degree murder cases and original jurisdiction of all other crimes.

For more information about the Massachusetts Superior Court, visithttp://www.mass.gov/courts/court-info/trial-court/sc/

About Diane C. Freniere

Diane Freniere currently serves as Of Counsel for Markun Zusman Freniere Compton, LLP. Freniere began her legal career as an intellectual property and litigation associate at Hale and Dorr, LLP from 1991 until 1994. She then went on to serve in the public sector for more than 19 years as an Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO), District of Massachusetts. While at the USAO, Freniere served as a line prosecutor in the Economic Crime, Health Care Fraud and Public Corruption units.  Additionally, she served in management at the USAO, supervising all of the white collar crime units and serving as the Executive Assistant United States Attorney. Attorney Freniere graduated cum laude from Boston College Law School in 1991 and received her Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering with honors from Boston University’s College of Engineering in 1985. Prior to her legal career, Freniere served as both an active duty and reserve officer in the United States Air Force. Attorney Freniere lives with her family in Wellesley.

About Sharon E. Donatelle

Sharon Donatelle currently serves as the First Assistant District Attorney for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office; she is responsible for daily operations of the office and maintains the Superior Court caseload of first degree murders while reviewing all indictment decisions. She started her career in the Plymouth County DA’s Office in 1992; as a District Court Prosecutor, Donatelle tried bench and jury of six cases involving misdemeanors and five-year felonies. She has also served as the Chief of the Family Protection Unit for the Plymouth County DA’s Office, a unit designed to investigate and prosecute all child and elder abuse cases and cases against the disabled. She is an adjunct instructor at Boston University School of Medicine, Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, serves as a Board of Bar of Overseers hearing committee member and serves as a member of the DPH S.A.N.E. Adolescent Task Force.  Donatelle earned her Juris Doctor from Suffolk University Law School in 1991 and her Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Saint Michael’s College in 1982. She resides with her family in Sharon.

衛斯理中學學生為華埠籌款

Wellesley Middle School Students Raise funds for Chinatown

Chinese Mandarin and Around the World Students, Staff and Parents

From Wellesley Middle School

Boston, MA. – More than 40 students from Wellesley Middle School visited Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) on May 24^th during a Chinatown field trip. As part of the Chinese Mandarin and Around the World program, students visited Chinatown and toured the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center. Wellesley students joined BCNC’s pre-school children in their classroom activities and presented a check of $400 to support children’s learning activities.  Students and parents raised funds in school, during a Chinese New Year fundraiser.

This is the 5th year for Wellesley Middle School to visit and raise funds for BCNC, organized by teacher Min Zhou.  “I am grateful for this learning experience for our Chinese classes. I hope they now realize Boston Chinatown is a living community with long history and rich culture; not only a place to go for food and grocery. It is especially meaningful to visit Chinatown in this month; Asian Pacific American Heritage Month”, said Min Zhou, Chinese Mandarin and Around the World Teacher.

40餘名衛斯理中學學生在5月24日時到波士頓華埠實地勘查，並參觀波士頓華埠社區中心。作為中文及環繞世界項目的一部分，學生們到波士頓華埠社區中心，踏進學前兒童班，和他們一起玩遊戲，還送出一張400元支票，以支持波士頓華埠社區中心的兒童學習活動。

該校學生和家長是在學校舉辦慶祝農曆新年活動時，籌募來這款項。

今年是衛斯理中學在該校中文及環繞世界項目老師周敏(譯音，Min Zhou)率領下，第五年到波士頓華埠社區中心參訪，並致贈善款。她說，我很感恩我們的中文班有這學習機會。我希望他們現在能夠了解波士頓華埠是一個活生生的社區，有悠久歷史，豐富文化，並不只是一個吃飯，買雜貨的地方。在五月這個亞美傳統月的月分來華埠參觀特別有意義，

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 2,600 children, youth, and adults each year at four 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, provides opportunities for them to learn and acquire skills, and creates a community of mutual support and encouragement. (From BCNC)

AG HEALEY, 19 ATTORNEYS GENERAL REJECT FINANCIAL CHOICE ACT’S DISMANTLING OF CRITICAL CONSUMER PROTECTIONS

AG HEALEY, 19 ATTORNEYS GENERAL REJECT FINANCIAL CHOICE ACT’S DISMANTLING OF CRITICAL CONSUMER PROTECTIONSLetter to Congressional Leadership Supports the Work of the CFPB; Opposes Efforts of Anti-Consumer Legislation to Curtail Authority

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today joined a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in strongly opposing the Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (H.R. 10), which would eviscerate the role of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and eliminate other critical protections for consumers across the country.

In a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, the attorneys general objected to the proposed law and called attention, in particular, to portions of the Act that would undermine and dismantle the work of the CFPB – the only independent federal agency exclusively focused on consumer financial protection. The Act would eliminate consumer protections implemented as a result of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act in response to the financial crisis. The U.S. House of Representatives intends to vote on the Act this week.

“Created in the aftermath of the worst financial crisis in 80 years, the CFPB has been a vital partner for states in our ongoing efforts to protect students, homeowners, the elderly, veterans, and all consumers from unfair and deceptive practices,” AG Healey said. “Strong consumer protections help create economic opportunity for everyone. I strongly oppose efforts by the Trump Administration and House leadership to dismantle this agency.”

“The Consumer Agency is good at its job. It’s the watchdog that has returned more than $12 billion directly to people who were cheated and run a hotline that’s handled over a million complaints, so it’s no surprise Wall Street wants to chain it up so it can’t do its work,” U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren said. “State Attorneys General understand the importance of having a strong federal partner in standing up for consumers in their states. That’s why they’re fighting back against the reckless Financial CHOICE Act, which would tie up the CFPB and turn loose predatory financial institutions that want to scam working families.”

As of Jan. 1, 2017, the CFPB has handled over one million consumer complaints, and obtained $11.8 billion in relief for 29 million consumers. The CFPB has taken enforcement actions to stem abuses by student loan originators and servicers, for-profit schools, debt collectors, credit reporting agencies, payday lenders, and foreclosure rescue companies.

The attorneys general say the Act would have significant impacts on consumer protection:

• Unfair and deceptive practices: The Act would eliminate the CFPB’s authority to prohibit unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts and practices (UDAAP), which gives the CFPB the flexibility to respond swiftly to new technologies and practices that harm consumers without the need to wait for legislation. 
• Supervision of large banks: The Act would eliminate the CFPB’s supervision and enforcement authority over large banks and permit financial institutions that meet certain criteria to elect to be exempted from the CFPB’s supervisory authority. 
• Payday loans: The Act prohibits the CFPB from engaging in any rulemaking or enforcement with respect to payday and vehicle title loans. Payday lending has adversely affected the lives of financially vulnerable consumers across the country.
• Usurious interest rates: The Act would restrict states’ abilities to enforce interest rate caps. Currently, there are no federal interest rate caps that cover financial products and services offered by national banks. Rather, national banks are permitted to export the interest rate of their home state and disregard the more stringent interest rates. 
• Mandatory arbitration: The Act would repeal the provision of Dodd-Frank that granted the CFPB authority to study and issue rules regarding arbitration in financial services contracts that prohibit proceeding on a class basis and prevent consumers from seeking redress, particularly for small dollar claims. 
• Transparency: The Act would end the CFPB’s current practice of publicly posting information concerning individual consumer complaints in a searchable database, helping them make informed decisions about the companies with which they choose to do business, and increases transparency in the marketplace.

Joining AG Healey in today’s letter, led by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, are the attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, along with the Executive Director of Hawaii’s Office of Consumer Protection.