未洽當監管 工程公司被罰款550萬元

BOSTON-BASED ENGINEERING FIRM TO PAY $5.5 MILLION OVER CLAIMS IT FAILED TO PROPERLY OVERSEE CONSTRUCTION OF PLUM ISLAND’S WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM

Multi-Million Dollar Repair Fund Will Enable Newburyport to Remediate Corrosion in Water System and Implement Critical Improvements to Sewer System

            BOSTON – A Boston-based engineering firm will pay $5.5 million to settle allegations it failed in its obligations to adequately oversee construction of Plum Island’s water and sewer systems, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. 

Construction of the systems, which are maintained by the City of Newburyport, was funded through loans from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s (MassDEP) Clean Water State Revolving Fund and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. 

“This company failed to take the necessary steps to make certain that this project was built in accordance with its own technical specifications,” said AG Healey.  “We are pleased that we could come to an agreement that provides Newburyport with the resources needed to undertake needed repairs and ensure the integrity of Plum Island’s critical infrastructure.”

According to today’s settlement, CDM Smith, Inc. (CDM) will pay the state $5.5 million, of which $5.3 million will be paid to the City of Newburyport and placed in a trust fund earmarked for costs and expenses related to the repair, modification, or optimization of Plum Island’s water and sewer systems. 

“I’m grateful to the Attorney General for all of her office’s work on this and for helping us reach an agreement that will provide our city with the resources necessary to repair this system,” said Newburyport Mayor Donna Holaday.

“The contractor on this water and sewer project failed to oversee and manage its installation, resulting in serious repair costs and service disruption for residents,” said Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha. “I thank the Attorney General’s office for pursuing and achieving a settlement that holds the contractor accountable.”

“The city has been working hard to manage their systems,” said MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg. “Today’s settlement will ensure that Newburyport can make the needed improvements.” 

 “Serious problems with the water and sewer infrastructure on Plum Island have been deeply concerning for some time now, and they need to be properly addressed,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “Fortunately the Attorney General, working with the Mayor and other local officials, have secured a path forward that will bring accountability for those charged with overseeing the project and the resources needed to correct the defects that have us all concerned.”

"I greatly appreciate Mayor Holaday's focus on this matter, the strong advocacy of Attorney General's Office attorneys, as well as the efforts of the state's Inspector General's Office," said Sen. Kathleen O'Connor Ives (D-Newburyport).

“I am glad to see this come to a close and I know that the residents of Plum Island are too,” said Rep. James Kelcourse, (R-Amesbury).  “So many people worked hard to get to this point and we are grateful to them for it."  

"As someone who is in the construction business I very much want to see contractors who do work for the Commonwealth be held responsible for their actions,” said Rep. Lenny Mirra, (R-West Newbury). “Residents and taxpayers will be glad to know that we have an Attorney General's office that will work with elected officials to protect our interests."

In 2000 and 2002, CDM won contracts to design and oversee construction of a water and sewer system for Plum Island, a barrier island that includes parts of the City of Newburyport and the Town of Newbury, with more than 1,200 homes. Under the two contracts, CDM wrote the technical specifications for the project, including a requirement that ductile iron pipe be wrapped in polyethylene to inhibit corrosion. CDM also acted as the on-site agent to ensure that the contractors responsible for building the project did so in accordance with CDM’s specifications.

The AG’s Office commenced its investigation after an initial investigation by the Office of the Inspector General following a 2011 water main break revealed that ductile iron pipes at the site of the break had not been wrapped in polyethylene and were severely corroded. Today’s settlement resolves the AG’s allegations that CDM: did not conform to its design and construction oversight obligations; did not properly familiarize its on-site agents with the ductile iron specification; and did not ensure that contractors abide by those specifications, thereby exposing critical components of the system to corrosive elements.  

            This case was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Gillian Feiner, Chief of AG Healey’s False Claims Division and Betsy Harper, Deputy Chief of AG Healey’s Environmental Protection Division, with assistance from Assistant Attorney General Justin Lowe and Paralegal Krista Roche.  Additional critical assistance was provided by Eric Worrall, David Ferris, and Thomas Mahin of MassDEP and Pamela Talbot, Director of MassDEP’s Environmental Crimes Strike Force.

劉雲平呼籲延緩軍售阿拉伯

CONGRESSMAN LIEU LEADS BIPARTISAN EFFORT TO POSTPONE ARMS SALE TO SAUDI ARABIA

WASHINGTON - Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) led a bipartisan group of 64 Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Barack Obama urging him to postpone the sale of new arms to Saudi Arabia. The goal is to give Congress sufficient time to debate the merits of the deal in light of the Saudi-led Coalition’s operational conduct in Yemen. The letter is co-led by Reps. Ted Yoho (R-FL), John Conyers (D-MI), and Mick Mulvaney (R-SC). Congressman Lieu has previously raised concerns about the Coalition’s killing of civilians in letters to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last September and to Secretaries John Kerry and Ash Carter in March. He has also introducedlegislation to establish new guidelines for weapons sales to Saudi Arabia.

QUOTE FROM REP. LIEU:
“The actions of the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen are as reprehensible as they are illegal. The multiple, repeated airstrikes on civilians look like war crimes. Hospitals, schools, and wedding parties are not legitimate military targets. Saudi Arabia is either intentionally targeting civilians or deliberately indifferent in executing its military operations – either case flies in the face of long-standing international standards of conduct. The United States of America should never support such atrocities in any way. They are not only immoral and unlawful, but they seriously harm our national security and moral standing around the world.”

EXCERPT FROM LETTER:
“The [Saudi’s] military campaign has had a deeply troubling impact on civilians . . . Any decision to sell more arms to Saudi Arabia should be given adequate time for full deliberation by Congress. We are concerned, however, that the timing of this notification during the August congressional recess could be interpreted to mean that Congress has little time to consider the arms deal when it returns from recess within the 30 day window established by law.”

FULL LIST OF CO-SIGNERS:Amash, Bass, Blumenauer, Beyer, Brownley, Capps, Capuano, Chu, Cicilline, Clark (MA), Cleaver II, Cohen, Conyers, Crowley, Danny Davis, DeFazio, Doggett, Edwards, Ellison, Eshoo, Farr, Gabbard, Grayson, Grijalva, Hastings, Honda, Huffman, Jones, Hank Johnson, Keating, Lee, Lewis, Lieu, Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowenthal, Lujan, Lynch, Nolan, McDermott, McGovern, Moore, Mulvaney, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal, Norton, Pallone, Pascrell, Payne Jr., Peterson, Pingree, Pocan, Polis, Price, Rush, Schakowsky, Tonko, Tsongas, Van Hollen, Watson Coleman, Wilson, Yarmuth, Yoho

ENDORSED BY: 
Oxfam, Amnesty International USA, International Christian Concern, Friends Committee on National Legislation (Quakers), Just Foreign Policy, Americans for Democracy & Human Rights in Bahrain, Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, Yemen Peace Project, Human Rights Watch, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Physicians for Human Rights, Christian Solidarity Worldwide – UK, In Defense of Christians, Jubilee Campaign USA, The Hudson Institute Center for Religious Freedom, International Christian Concern

THE TEXT OF THE LETTER CAN BE FOUND HERE.

Quincy Police Lieutenant Charged with Defrauding his Department

BOSTON – A Lieutenant with the Quincy Police Department was charged in an indictment unsealed today in connection with collecting double pay while working for the Quincy Police Department in 2015.

Thomas Corliss, 51, was indicted on 12 counts of mail fraud and one count of fraud involving federal funds.  Corliss was released on conditions following an appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Jennifer C. Boal.

As alleged in the indictment, an internal investigation by the Quincy Police Department revealed that Lieutenant Corliss had fraudulently collected double pay for working multiple details and/or police shifts that overlapped on multiple occasions in 2015.  It is also alleged that Corliss collected his regular pay while on vacation in the Bahamas and on Cape Cod in 2015.  In total, Corliss’s defrauded the QPD of more than $10,000. 

The charge of mail fraud provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.  The charge of fraud involving federal funds provides for a sentence of no great than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of 250,000.  Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz; Ronald G. Gardella, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Office; and Harold H. Shaw, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Chao and Ryan DiSantis of Ortiz’s Public Corruption Unit.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations.  The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law. 

EXPERIMENTAL PLAZA TO "POP UP" IN DOWNTOWN CROSSING

EXPERIMENTAL PLAZA TO "POP UP" IN DOWNTOWN CROSSING

Morning of coffee on temporarily expanded sidewalk will allow engineers and planners to study design of future plaza on Franklin St.

BOSTON - Monday, August 29, 2016 - The Boston Transportation Department (BTD) is experimenting with widening sidewalks to create a plaza at the intersection of Franklin Street and Arch Street in Downtown Crossing. Planters and fencing will create a temporary plaza space that will be filled with tables and chairs from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Tuesday, August 30. Visitors can stop in to drink coffee while looking at possible designs for the space while engineers monitor traffic and anticipate issues that need to be addressed in future designs. BTD is working with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Public Works Department, the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District and Millennium Partners to implement the pilot project and upcoming phases. The architecture firm Höweler + Yoon has been commissioned by Millennium Partners to develop the designs for the next phase of the experiment. "We recognize that Downtown Crossing is an area of the city where most people get around on foot -- and we want to create a better walking environment for them," said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. "This experiment is one of the many initiatives created by the City to ensure Boston is a welcoming destination for all pedestrians." The intersection of Franklin Street and Arch Street is particularly wide because it was once the location of architect Charles Bulfinch's Tontine Crescent. In the 1790s, a series of row houses was built on a curve, and the wider area in the middle of the street was a small park with trees. Though the buildings were demolished in the 1850s, the shape of the street remains. "With the T station at Franklin and Washington reopening soon, we know foot traffic will pick up on this street," said Chris Osgood, City of Boston Chief of Streets. "We're taking a tactical approach to improving this area for pedestrians. In the future we can imagine a whole network of parks and plazas from Shopper's Plaza to Post Office Square and on to the Greenway." Franklin Street currently accommodates two lanes of westbound travel and a right turn lane at Arch between Devonshire and Hawley Streets as well as handicap and commercial parking. The pilot project will look at the traffic capacity needs for both blocks and the opportunity spaces to create better pedestrian accommodations as well as seating and shade. "This is an opportunity to look at the urban design and engineering considerations that need to be factored into the final design," said Gina Fiandaca, Boston's Transportation Commissioner. "We want to watch the changes in real time and be sure that we meet the needs of all road users in a permanent plaza."

MA Department of Higher Education Awards $910k in Dual Enrollment Grants to Public Campuses

MA Department of Higher Education Awards $910k in Dual Enrollment Grants to Public Campuses

Funds Will Allow More Local High School Students to Take Early College Courses,

Earn Credits Toward Post-Secondary Degrees

Boston, MA – August 29, 2016 – Just in time for the start of a new academic year, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education has awarded $910,000 in individual grants to 22 public colleges and universities to expand opportunities for high school students to get a jump start on college.

Grants funded through the Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) will allow students to take free or low-cost college courses at local campuses and, in some cases, attend classes taught on location at their high schools or on line. CDEP students earn college credit  toward an associate or bachelor’s degree, often saving thousands of dollars in the process. Along with cost savings, research shows that dual enrollment courses help prepare students for the rigor and expectations of college-level work, making the experience especially valuable for 1st generation students and economically disadvantaged students who may not have access to college preparatory experiences and opportunities. In Massachusetts dual enrollment students who enroll in community colleges are 50% less likely to require developmental (remedial) classes compared to their peers who had not taken a dual enrollment course.

“We are thrilled to be able to help these students earn college credit as they start to develop their career pathways,” said Education Secretary Jim Peyser. “Dual enrollment is an important part of our administration’s broader commitment to expanding early college experiences.”

“As a new academic year begins, we want to open the dual enrollment doors as wide as possible, serving as many students as we can,” said Carlos E. Santiago, Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education. “We know that this experience is a game-changer for young people, especially those who come from families where no one has attended college before. The program also strengthens the partnerships between high schools and local colleges, allowing for meaningful collaborations that support student success.”

Last year, CDEP funding provided for the enrollment of slightly more than 2,000 students. This year’s projected enrollment is 3,380. The primary goal of the fiscal year 2017 funding is to “increase dual enrollment of underrepresented students, which may include first-generation college students, low-income or economically disadvantaged students, students of color, and particularly male students of color.”

The following colleges and universities are among those chosen to receive funding:

The University of Massachusetts Boston will give students in Boston and Quincy an opportunity to enroll in a 2-semester course sequence, allowing them to adjust to college-level math work in the familiar setting of their own high school before taking a second course at the UMass Boston campus.

Fitchburg State University will expand its partnerships with area high schools to include Leominster High School, and will offer courses to groups (cohorts) of students in the late afternoon and on Saturdays to accommodate their schedules.

The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will partner with the city of Pittsfield and Berkshire  Community College to create a summer academy for students who will earn up to six college credits.

Bristol Community College, which annually serves the largest number of dual enrollment students in the state, will include early college awareness activities, campus visits and financial aid workshops to raise the college aspirations of the students in Fall River and New Bedford, communities which have some of the lowest educational attainment levels in the U.S. for cities of their sizes.  

Holyoke Community College will launch a new, three-tiered College Now program for sophomores, juniors and seniors at targeted local high schools. The college is one of 44 institutions participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s experimental pilot to allow use of Pell grants for dual enrollment coursework and related expenses.

僑委會委員長吳新興訪薩爾瓦多 出席傳統僑社年會

吳委員長訪薩爾瓦多 出席中美洲傳統僑社年會

僑務委員會委員長吳新興（前左）恭賀巴拿馬華裔小姐
（前右）榮獲中美洲華僑小姐的殊榮。

僑務委員會委員長吳新興（中致詞者）在薩京中華民國廣場向國父
孫中山先生銅像獻花致敬，並向中美洲傳統僑社領袖說明台灣
已實現「民有、民治、民享」的政治目標。

（本會訊）中華民國僑務委員長吳新興表示，中美洲地區傳統僑社對於中華民國民主政治政黨輪替的發展十分認同；傳統僑社認為只要台灣堅持中華民國憲法的精神，落實孫中山先生民有、民治、民享的理念，中美洲傳統僑社仍將一秉初衷堅定支持中華民國政府。吳新興係於本月28日結束出席「中美洲暨巴拿馬六國中華總會、華僑總會聯合會第51屆年會暨第44次懇親大會」後作出談話。

中美洲傳統僑社每年均會輪流在中美洲六國辦理懇親會，本年輪由薩爾瓦多主辦。本年更特殊的是多明尼加共和國亦派員參加，並以觀察員身份全程參與活動。大會更於27日無異議通過「上總統致敬電」，也發表「聯合聲明」，強調「我等將秉持僑界的先賢傳統，堅定支持中華民國台灣，凡當國家有需要時，我等必於第一時間挺身而出，期作為中華民國最堅強的後盾」。此次大會再度評選出巴拿馬華裔小姐為中美洲的「華僑小姐」，此乃巴拿馬連續兩年獲得此一后冠。

此外，吳新興也在主辦單位薩爾瓦多華僑總會安排下，率領各國與會代表向薩京中華民國廣場的國父孫中山先生銅像獻花致敬，儀式簡單隆重。吳新興委員長向各國傳統僑社領袖們說明，台灣自由民主的現狀已經實現了孫中山先生「民有、民治、民享」的政治目標，各國與會代表咸表認同，並期盼台灣成為華人世界民主政治發展的典範。

吳新興此次中美洲訪問，在我駐薩爾瓦多共和國李新穎大使的陪同下，也就台商經營、海外當地僑教工作等事宜，分別和台灣商會、中華商會，以及中文學校校長、教師進行了數次的座談。台商及僑胞們紛紛反映，在政府全力關注「新南向政策」的時刻，台灣的外交重鎮中美洲各國也需要國內的投資、資金的融貸，以及農業科技各方面的協助，以鞏固台灣在此一地區的邦誼。台商也呼籲台灣的年青朋友放開腳步前往中南美洲，尋找人生工作與事業發展的新機會，也期盼僑委會能夠推介華文教師前往當地教學，並對僑委會長年提供教科書及師資培訓表示感謝。 

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高碩泰訪波為紅襪隊開球 晤波士頓市長

駐波士頓經文處長賴銘琪（右）陪同駐美代表高碩泰為紅襪隊開球。

臺灣旅美職棒投手王建民所屬的堪薩斯「皇家隊」8月26日晚間出戰波士頓「紅襪隊」主場，中華民國駐美國代表高碩泰應邀在波士頓芬威球場（Fenway Stadium）擔任貴賓，為兩隊三連賽的首場比賽開球。

高夫人、駐波士頓臺北經濟文化辦事處賴銘琪處長夫婦、陳銘俊副處長夫婦、朱永昌組長及麻州眾議員陳德基等人受邀出席觀禮。

駐波士頓經文處長賴銘琪（左起）陪同駐美代表高碩泰為紅襪隊開球。
右為經文處副處長陳銘俊。

高大使當晚身著地主紅襪隊球衣開球，大會司儀特別介紹高大使是頭號棒球迷，也是臺灣駐美國的最高層級外交官員，致力強化兩國之間的交流與友誼。高大使熱愛運動，包括網球丶高爾夫球、棒球及壘球都是好手，當晚以矯健的身手投出快速直球，立即獲得全場觀眾的熱烈掌聲。大會並同步在大螢幕展示高大使投球的英姿，為臺灣與麻州的文化交流與國民外交擲出了一記漂亮的好球。

高大使在台灣求學期間一直參與棒球運動，歷任台北太平國小、大同國中、建國高中、臺灣大學、政治大學棒球校隊隊長。(駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處供稿）

波士頓市長馬丁華殊（Marty Walsh）熱情地摟著台灣駐美代表高碩泰。

左起，駐波士頓經文處處長賴銘琪，波士頓市長馬丁華殊，台駐美代表高碩泰夫婦，麻州眾議員陳德基。