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星期二, 6月 17, 2014
王氏青年會今夏提供青少年免費會籍
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS LANDLORDS AGREE TO PAY $23,000 TO RESOLVE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS, CREDIT REPORTING VIOLATIONS
WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS LANDLORDS AGREE TO PAY $23,000 TO RESOLVE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS, CREDIT REPORTING VIOLATIONS
Settlement
Provides Victim with Restitution and Future Rental Opportunity;
Requires Landlords to Implement New Credit Screening Policy
GREENFIELD
– Two Western Massachusetts property owners have agreed to pay $23,000
to resolve allegations that they discriminated against a 59-year-old man
due to his mental disability and receipt of rental assistance, and
failed to provide notice to prospective tenants after denying rental
applications because of poor credit, Attorney General Martha Coakley
announced today.
According to the complaint, filed with the consent judgment in Franklin
Superior Court, Adam Zaykoski and Jessalyn Zaykoski, of Gill, allegedly
refused to rent to a prospective tenant because of his disability, and
because he received a rental assistance subsidy from the Mental Health
Association (MHA). In addition, the Zaykoskis allegedly violated
consumer protection laws by failing to provide the prospective tenant,
as well as other applicants, with an “adverse action notice” that would
have alerted them to the fact that their rental applications were denied
because of poor credit histories.
“Equal
and fair access to housing is a right of all residents of the
Commonwealth,” AG Coakley said. “Massachusetts residents must be
provided with proper notice about the use of their credit histories in
housing decisions so that they can make sure that landlords base their
decisions on reports that are accurate.”
The
MHA is an organization that provides residential and support services
to enhance the quality of life for individuals challenged with mental
impairments. As part of the MHA rental assistance program, MHA signs the
lease on behalf of the subsidy recipient who in return pays a reduced
rental payment each month to the MHA.
Under the terms of the consent judgment, the Zaykoskis, who own and
manage a four-unit rental in Gill, will pay $16,000 to the prospective
tenant, and provide him with notice the first time any one-bedroom or
studio apartment becomes available in their building. The Zaykoskis
will also create and implement a credit screening policy that will
require them to send adverse action notices to any prospective tenant
who is denied an apartment due to credit history, and require them to
use an alternative process for determining whether a tenant who receives
public assistance has the ability to pay rent. Additionally, the
Zaykoskis will pay $5,000 to the Massachusetts Fair Housing Commission
and $2,000 to the Commonwealth, and at least one of them must attend
training on federal and Massachusetts fair housing laws.
Under
Massachusetts law, it is illegal to discriminate against housing
applicants because they receive public assistance or because of a
disability. It is also a violation of the Consumer Protection Law and
the Fair Credit Reporting Act to fail to provide adverse action notices
to prospective tenants whose rental applications are denied because of
credit histories. Consumers must be provided with notice of negative
decisions based on credit histories so that they have the opportunity to
correct inaccurate or incorrect information.
This matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Michelle Leung
and Ann Lynch of AG Coakley’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance
from Richard Steward of the Investigations Division.
波士頓台灣人生物科技研討會請何大一分享經驗
六月十四，十五兩日在哈佛大學科學中心舉行的第二屆波士頓台灣生物科技研討會，吸引了美國八州加上來自台灣的共二百廿多人參加，再度佐證了波士頓是美國生物科技重鎮這一事實。
這場會議共安排有三名主講人，不下五十名的博士後，研究生，創業者，教授，分享各自的研究心得，討論學術界，業界環境，還有一場招聘資訊會，幫助有心回台灣，或在本地就業者找工作機會。
大會的三名主講者包括研究愛滋病治療出名的中央研究院院士，洛克斐勒大學愛滋研究中心執行長何大一，GeneTech神經科學及分子生物副總裁沈華智，杜邦先鋒（DuPont Pioneer）企業事務及發展資深主任沈碧君。
發明愛滋病雞尾酒療法，1996年獲時代雜誌選為年度風雲人物的何大一。2011年時，受台灣“宇昌案“風波影響，何大一見報率暴增。今年二月，他在科學期刊上發表新藥GSK744LA，在治療愛滋病研究上又有了新成就。
 | |||
| 沈碧君（中）的發言真誠，有見地。出席年輕人會後團團圍住她提問。 |
何大一指出，愛滋病已導致三千五百萬人死亡，目前世界上有約三千五百萬人染有愛滋病，幾乎每天都有6300人染上此病，如何防治，已經是越來越重要的問題。雖然他認為在未來的五到十年內，大概都還無法研究出治療艾滋病的疫苗，但經由比爾蓋茲基金會贊助，他研究的GSK744LA已在美國進入臨床第二期研究，第三期臨床研究將以高危險的同性戀男子，以及異性戀非洲裔人為實驗對象。 |
| 第二屆波士頓台灣生物科技研討會主席杜荷洲報告。（菊子攝） |
十六日時，沈碧君的演講，打動了很多年輕學者的心。她勸年輕人做個6Ｃ人，要有良心（Conscience)，有信心（Confidence)，有惻隱心（Compassion)，有人脈（connection)，有勇氣（courage），有一貫性（consistency)。
這場會議的學術講座有新澤西州醫學院微生物及分子基因副教授張瓈云，布朗大學流行病學助理教授黃彥棕，麻州大學醫學院分子醫學教授葉亦棟，哈佛大學再生生物學助理教授許雅捷等人分述他們在學術界的研究，教學概況。
業界有基因科技(Genentech)公司博士後研究員張焞（豎心旁）凱，百傲健（Biogen Idec）醫學組沈慶鴻，Tetrapha製藥公司研究科學家陳豈禮，Vertex製藥資深研究科學家施心沛，麥肯錫（McKinsey）專案經理Jeffrey Tsao，Lazard醫療護理投資銀行業專員盧柏源等人，L.E.K.咨詢公司顧問張瑞強，知識點360集團醫藥作者彭賢巍分享他們的就業緣由，也展示生物醫藥領域可有的許多種不同生涯規劃。
國立交通大學生物科技學院院長鍾育志，中央研究院基因體研究中心主任陳仲瑄，中央研究院分子生物研究所所長鄭淑珍，中央研究院植物暨微生物研究所的賀瑞華院士，中央研究院農業生物科技中心副主任徐麗芬，台灣微脂體股份有限公司美國主任廖文華等人在招聘資訊座談中，回答提問。
會議主席杜荷洲表示，波士頓台灣生物科技協會除了研討會外，每兩個星期就舉辦一次學術座談，目前正在為今年十月到明年五月的座談招募講者，有意分享研究成果，練習發表報告技巧者，可洽該會btba.tw@gmail.com。圖片說明：
治療愛滋病研究專家何大一為第二屆波士頓台灣生物科技研討會演講。（菊子攝）
何大一（右起）在會後和波士頓台灣生物科技研討會創辦人陳昇宏博士，張瓈云副教授等人坦言，台灣的政治環境影響了生物研究發展。（菊子攝）
沈碧君（中）的發言真誠，有見地。出席年輕人會後團團圍住她提問。（菊子攝）
第二屆波士頓台灣生物科技研討會有包括德州，加州，紐約等地的兩百多人參加。（菊子攝）
麻州民主黨支持正副州長候選人各三名
麻州民主黨十四日在屋斯特（Worcester）召開黨代表大會。州長，副州長各有三人獲得15%黨代表支持，將名列九月九日的初選選票。
今年的麻州州長選舉，民主黨有五名參選人。麻州財政廳廳長葛羅斯曼（Steve
Grossman），以35.2%的黨代表支持率，把競爭對手遠拋在後。
波士頓環球報稱在民意調查中領先葛羅斯曼35%的麻州總檢察官柯克莉（Martha
Coakley），獲得23.3%的黨代表支持。
曾任聯邦醫療護理高層主管的貝理克（Don Berwick）緊追在後，黨代表支持率為22.1%。
麻州州長選舉的兩黨初選部分，民主黨因此成為三頭馬車局面。
波士頓環球報指出，貝理克的成功搶攻，證明了民主黨內對兩名主要候選人仍有不滿，有意尋求可替代者。
生物製藥界高管艾維龍（Joe
Avellone），曾任國土安全局國際事務助理秘書長的柯姸（Juliette Kayyem）依序或的7%，12.1%的黨代表支持，都未跨過名列初選選票上的最低門檻要求。
柯研的一名競選助理日前表示，柯研可能會以其他方式繼續參選。
民主黨麻州黨部昨（十六）日回覆本報查詢，表示他們並沒有今年到底有多少亞裔黨代表的統計，但各候選人的得票統計如下：
副州長席位有四名候選人，三人將可名列初選選票。支持率最高的是麻州軍事英雄基金（Massachusetts
Military Heroes Fund）創辦人兼會長凱瑞根（Steve Kerrigan），37.6%，其次為麻州灣及美瑞谷聯合路（United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valle）的發展主任雷克（Mike
Lake），35.4%，以及劍橋市議員張禮能（Leland Cheung），16.2%。
財政廳廳長：三名候選人全都獲得足夠的支持，依序為高伯格（Deborah
Goldberg），38.9%，康若伊（Thomas Conroy），33.9%，以及范高德（Barry Finegold ），27.1%。
總檢察官只有兩名候選人，獲得的民主黨代表支持率旗鼓相當。杜文（Warren
Toman），51.8%，奚莉（Ｍaura Healey），48.1%。
麻州副州長候選人凱瑞根(Steve Kerrigan) 的競選陣營昨（十六）日宣佈，碧樹（Braintree）市市長蘇利文（Joseph
Sullivan），衛茅斯（Weymouth）市市長蘇凱（Sue Kay）相繼加入支持陣容，如今已有八名市長支持凱瑞根參選麻州副州長。
三名民主黨籍副州長候選人中唯一的華裔，張禮能十五日在回答本報提問時表示，另外兩名候選人，分別在二年前，一年前就已宣佈參選，今年二月才正式宣佈參選的張禮能對自己的獲得16%
支持率，感到可以理解。他強調，各候選人中，只有他有實務經驗，絕對是更適合的人選。
圖片說明：
劍橋市議員張禮能（Leland Cheung）(左)和妻子周吟（右）帶著女兒Lena參加波士頓香港龍舟節。（菊子攝）
麻州眾議員陳德基（左起），昆士市市長柯奇（Tom Koch）陪同麻州副州長候選人凱瑞根(Steve
Kerrigan)到碧樹（Braintree）市市長蘇利文（Joseph Sullivan）的轄區參觀。（圖由凱瑞根競選陣營提供）
GOVERNOR PATRICK JOINS SECRETARY JEWELL TO ANNOUNCE NATION’S LARGEST OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY AREA AVAILABLE FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
GOVERNOR PATRICK JOINS SECRETARY JEWELL TO ANNOUNCE NATION’S LARGEST OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY AREA AVAILABLE FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
742,000-acre zone off Massachusetts coast more than doubles federal offshore acreage available for utility-scale wind energy projects
BOSTON – Tuesday, June 17, 2014 – Governor Deval Patrick today joined U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank to announce that more than 742,000 acres off the shore of Massachusetts will be available for commercial wind energy leasing. The proposed area, located 14 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, is the largest in federal waters and will nearly double the federal offshore acreage available for commercial-scale wind energy projects.
“Today’s announcement is a momentous occasion and the culmination of years of cooperation and hard work between the Commonwealth and federal officials,” said Governor Patrick. “Through our investments and proactive planning, Massachusetts is poised to lead the charge in offshore wind energy development, with the economic and environmental benefits that come with it.”
“Massachusetts is leading the way toward building a clean and sustainable energy future that creates jobs, cuts carbon pollution and develops domestic clean energy resources,” said Secretary Jewell. “Thanks to Governor Patrick’s vision and leadership, the competitive lease sale in Massachusetts will reflect the extensive and productive input from a number of important stakeholders, including the commercial fishing and shipping industries. Through sound science and true collaboration, we have identified an area best suited for offshore wind development that seeks to minimize conflicts with other important ocean uses.”
Tuesday’s announcement was made at the Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC). Owned and operated by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the WTTC tests manufacturers’ wind turbine blades to see how they will perform in the field and is the largest wind blade testing facility in North America.
Tuesday’s announcement was made at the Wind Technology Testing Center (WTTC). Owned and operated by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the WTTC tests manufacturers’ wind turbine blades to see how they will perform in the field and is the largest wind blade testing facility in North America.
The Massachusetts Wind Energy Area is located off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard and, from its northern boundary extends 33 nautical miles southward and has an east/west extent of approximately 47 nautical miles. BOEM proposes to auction the Wind Energy Area as four leases. A map of the Wind Energy Area is here.
Tuesday’s announcement builds on Interior’s work to stand up a sustainable offshore wind program through its ‘Smart from the Start’ wind energy initiative for the Atlantic Coast. To date, BOEM has awarded five commercial wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast: two non-competitive leases (Cape Wind in Nantucket Sound off Massachusetts and an area off Delaware) and three competitive leases (two offshore Massachusetts-Rhode Island and another offshore Virginia). To date, competitive lease sales have generated about $5.4 million in high bids for about 277,550 acres in federal waters. BOEM is expected to hold additional competitive auctions for Wind Energy Areas offshore Maryland and New Jersey later this year.
“The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been working hand in hand with BOEM to foster responsible commercial wind development in federal waters off Massachusetts,” said BOEM Acting Director Cruickshank. “Members of the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Task Force have been great partners in our planning process for the Wind Energy Area and the Proposed Sale Notice.”
To help inform BOEM’s decision-making, the Commonwealth established a Fisheries Working Group on Offshore Renewable Energy to discuss issues and compatibilities between commercial fishing activities and offshore commercial wind energy development, and a Habitat Working Group on Offshore Renewable Energy to discuss available ecosystem data and information within the area under consideration and identify gaps.
The Commonwealth has additionally collected and presented spatial information and data for the Wind Energy Area regarding marine mammals, birds, ocean floor, geology, commercial ship traffic and recreational boating to inform BOEM’s offshore wind planning process. The Commonwealth has also conducted dozens of public meetings and stakeholder sessions to discuss the Federal offshore wind leasing process.
Since taking office in 2007, Governor Patrick’s Administration has worked to position Massachusetts as a hub for the emerging U.S. offshore wind industry. These efforts also include the construction of the Marine Commerce Terminal in New Bedford, the first facility in the nation designed to support the construction, assembly and deployment of offshore wind projects.
The Patrick Administration’s aggressive clean energy initiatives have made Massachusetts a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and emissions reductions. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has named Massachusetts number one for three years running. Last year, Governor Patrick set a new solar goal after reaching the previous goal of 250 megawatts four years early. The Commonwealth now aims to install 1,600 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020. Currently, there are 518 megawatts installed, capable of powering nearly 79,000 homes. The clean energy revolution is yielding economic benefits as well, with 11.8 percent job growth in the last year; nearly 80,000 people are employed in the cleantech industry in Massachusetts.
Tuesday’s Proposed Sale Notice announcement triggers a 60-day public comment period. Comments received or postmarked by that date will be made available to the public and considered before the publication of the Final Sale Notice, which will announce the time and date of the lease sale.
The end of the comment period also serves as the deadline for any companies wishing to participate in the lease sale to submit their qualification package, if they have not already done so. To be eligible to participate in the lease sale, each bidder must have been notified by BOEM that it is legally, technically and financially qualified by the time the Final Sale Notice is published. The Proposed Sale Notice provides more information about qualification requirements. Companies planning to submit a qualification package are strongly encouraged to submit as early as possible during the comment period to ensure adequate time for processing.
BOEM will host a public seminar during the comment period to describe the auction format, explain the auction rules, and demonstrate the auction process through meaningful examples. The time and place of the seminar will be announced by BOEM and related information will be published on the BOEM website.
In addition to the Proposed Sale Notice, BOEM is publishing in the Federal Register a Notice of the Availability (NOA) of a Revised Environmental Assessment and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The FONSI states that BOEM has determined that no reasonably foreseeable significant impacts are expected to occur as a result of issuing wind energy leases and the approval of Site Assessment Plans in the Massachusetts Wind Energy Area. Before a decision regarding the construction of any proposed wind power facility, BOEM will conduct a comprehensive site-specific National Environmental Policy Act review, which will include additional opportunities for public comment.
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