TRANSPORTATION COMPANY CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH PERPETRATING $19 MILLION FALSE BILLING SCHEME

TRANSPORTATION COMPANY CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH PERPETRATING $19 MILLION FALSE BILLING SCHEME

Services Were Allegedly Never Provided or Not Provided as Claimed; Cash and Gift Cards Offered to Recruit New Clients

BOSTON – A transportation company, its owner, and three managers have been indicted in connection with an alleged scheme involving $19 million in false claims billed to the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth), Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. The company primarily provided MassHealth members with non-emergency transportation services to methadone clinics.

            The AG’s Office alleges that between April 2011 and September 2015, Westminster-based Rite Way LLC (Rite Way) fraudulently and repeatedly billed MassHealth for transportation services that were never provided, including claims for individuals who were hospitalized in inpatient settings, no longer used the company’s services, or were deceased on the claimed dates of service.

“We allege that in order to rack up millions of dollars in payments from the state, this company orchestrated a massive false billing scheme for transportation services that they never provided or were not necessary,” AG Healey said. “To protect the integrity and success of our MassHealth program, we need to make sure companies are not intentionally taking advantage of taxpayers and the patients who are truly in need of these services.”

Rite Way, its owner Michael Davini, and former managers Gary Carbonello, Dwayne Pelkey and Lynn Maguire were indicted last week by a Statewide Grand Jury on the following charges:

Rite Way

·         Larceny Over $250 (2 counts)

·         Medicaid False Claims (4 counts)

·         Kickbacks (1 count)

Michael Davini, Rindge, N.H., age 56

·         Larceny Over $250 (2 counts)

·         Medicaid False Claims (4 counts)

·         Kickbacks (1 count)

Gary Carbonello, Leominster, age 46

·         Larceny Over $250 (2 counts)

·         Medicaid False Claims (2 counts)

·         Kickbacks (1 count)

Dwayne Pelkey, Winchendon, age 49

·         Larceny Over $250 (1 count)

·         Medicaid False Claims (1 count)

Lynn Maguire, Abington, age 50

·         Larceny Over $250 (1 count)

·         Medicaid False Claims (1 count)

·         Perjury (2 counts)

The defendants will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court at a later date.

The AG’s Office began an investigation in 2013 into Rite Way after the matter was referred by MassHealth.

“In the fall of 2013 MassHealth identified allegations of fraudulent billing by transportation provider Rite Way LLC and referred the company to the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Unit,” said Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, Marylou Sudders. “MassHealth then suspended all payments to Rite Way and subsequently terminated its contract. We are pleased with the outcome of the investigation and hope it signals that the actions of Rite Way are reprehensive and will not be tolerated by MassHealth as it continues to strengthen its program integrity to ensure its members have access to medically necessary services.”

“Data analytics enabled us to substantiate and quantify MassHealth’s concerns about Rite Way,” said Auditor Suzanne Bump. “The Attorney General did the right thing last year by initiating the suspension of payment to Rite Way when we shared our findings with them, and she’s doing the right thing again by bringing forward these charges.”

Until September 2015 when it ceased operations, Rite Way was a fee-for-service transportation company that provided MassHealth members with non-emergency transportation. The company was headquartered in Westminster and provided transportation services throughout the state with offices located in Worcester, Barnstable, Norfolk, and Hampden counties.

MassHealth provides non-emergency transportation services to aid its members in traveling to obtain covered medical services when public or personal transportation is not available or not suitable due to the member’s physical condition and circumstances. Pursuant to its regulations, MassHealth only pays transportation providers for non-emergency wheelchair van services provided to members who: (1) use wheelchairs; (2) need to be carried up or down stairs or require the assistance of two persons; or (3) have severe mobility handicaps that prevent them from using public transportation, dial-a-ride, or taxi transportation. 

The AG’s investigation also revealed that beginning as early as 2011 and until September 2015, Rite Way allegedly submitted fraudulent claims for non-emergency wheelchair van transportation provided to ambulatory individuals. Most of the members transported did not require wheelchair van services and were not transported in wheelchair vans.

Authorities allege that Rite Way offered and paid cash to MassHealth members to recruit others to use its transportation services. Davini and Carbonello allegedly personally offered and paid existing clients cash—up to $50 per referral—and other incentive rewards like Visa and Dunkin’ Donuts gift cards in exchange for the referral of new clients.

The AG’s Office also alleges that Maguire committed perjury by making false statements during her testimony before a Worcester County Grand Jury investigating this matter.

All of these charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

In 2014, the owner of a medical transportation company in Webster was sentenced to jail and ordered to pay full restitution for defrauding MassHealth more than $470,000 by billing for services under the names of deceased individuals and for other medical trips that were never provided. 

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Ian Marinoff, Investigations Supervisor Dean Bates, Investigators Robert Ames, Aleksandra Andriyevskaya and Eduardo Guardiola, all of AG Healey’s Medicaid Fraud Division. MassHealth and the State Auditor’s Office assisted in this investigation.

TREASURER DEBORAH B. GOLDBERG DELIVERS REMARKS AT THE GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

TREASURER DEBORAH B. GOLDBERG DELIVERS REMARKS AT THE GREATER BOSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Treasurer Goldberg speaks on college savings, the future of online lottery, and other topics at the Boston Chamber’s Government Affairs Forum

BOSTON – Today, Treasurer Goldberg spoke to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce as parts of its Government Affairs Forum on several topics, including the successful launch and expansion of $eedMA, the Commonwealth’s first-ever college savings account program which kicked off last August in Worcester, the implications of potentially legalizing marijuana this November, and the future of bringing the Massachusetts lottery online.

Read Treasurer Goldberg’s full remarks below.

“Thank you, Miceal, for that kind introduction, and thank you for Bank of America’s support of this government affairs forum today.

I’d also like to thank Jim and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to speak this morning.

It is always a privilege to be before you, the leaders who help our economy prosper in this city and throughout our state.

Last year, I shared with you the challenges facing the Treasurer’s office across our eleven, vastly different subsidiaries.

Now, as I approach the halfway mark in this term, I’d like to share the progress we’ve made and talk about some of the challenges we see coming up.

I believe my job is to ensure economic stability and opportunity for every Massachusetts resident. Through commonsense business practices, and with an eye to the future, we hope to deliver results that meet those goals and preserve the Commonwealth’s strong fiscal standing for years to come.

$eedMA:

I have always said I am a businessperson. And as one, I, too, am painfully aware of the fact that an educated and skills-based workforce is one of our greatest challenges.

So, this past year, the Massachusetts School Building Authority –  which I chair –  in collaboration with Northeastern’ s Dukakis Center, did a jobs study which resulted in a report titled “Meeting the Commonwealth’ s Workforce Needs.” 

It focused on our future labor demands and projected 1.2 million job vacancies will be created over the next 10 years. However, these jobs require vocational and technical training, an associate’s degree, or higher.

At the very beginning of my administration, I created the Office of Economic Empowerment, led by a Deputy Treasurer. One of our primary goals was to create a seeded college savings plan, at no cost to the taxpayer, which would also include financial literacy education for the child and their parent or guardian, embedded into the program.

I am excited to announce, that this past August, we officially kicked off this program, called $eedMA, as a pilot in Worcester. The city’s population, size, location, and economic, ethnic and industrial diversity make it literally a “living lab” to test a future statewide program.

So, what is this program?

Parents and guardians who enroll their kindergartener into a 529 account through $eedMA receive a $50 deposit with no strings attached.

You’re probably wondering, “Where do these funds come from?” 

We have created public-private partnerships with organizations that understand, as you and I do, that Massachusetts needs an educated, highly trained workforce that also understands how to navigate the complex financial world we all live in.

The exciting part about these 529 accounts is they have no limits, in the traditional sense. They can be used toward books, tuition, fees, supplies, vocational training and more. And should the child for whom the account was opened no longer need to use it, other members of the family can take advantage of the savings for vocational training or college.

Families continue to sign up as we speak. Our pilot is enrolling kindergartners this school year and next. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is doing our longitudinal data, and MEFA has been a great partner.

Our long-term goal is to take this program statewide, expanding it throughout Massachusetts.

These accounts have received funding from prominent partners. And in fact, Monson Savings Bank, upon hearing about our program in Worcester, approached us. Last week, we jointly announced that they will seed accounts for their kindergartners and we will run the program.

So, the good news about this, is that our program is already spreading. But in order to take it statewide – and keep it tax dollar-free – we will be looking for many more partners.

$eedMA will go a long way toward providing the skilled workforce that your businesses require and the consumers, our economy needs to grow.

There is more information in the material on your tables, and I encourage you to take a look.

Marijuana:

Shifting gears, and turning directly to the more immediate future: in a few short weeks, voters will choose whether to legalize recreational marijuana here in Massachusetts.

Regardless of my personal stance on this issue, the Cannabis Control Commission authorized by the ballot question would fall under my purview as State Treasurer!

Yes … the State Treasurer’s office.

For that reason, since last January, we have been doing everything we can to prepare for this.

I sent my General Counsel and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs to Washington State and Colorado to observe operations and meet with regulators. They learned a lot!

This industry has the potential to impact all state offices and agencies in Massachusetts, including but not limited to public health, public safety, the Attorney General’ s office, and all of our cities and towns and their police and fire departments, and local zoning and building departments.

Additionally, there are skillsets that will be necessary to ensure that the Cannabis Control Commission properly does its job. We’ll need people who are experienced in public health, public safety and marijuana-related issues – just to name a few.

The CCC will be responsible for regulating all recreational plants in Massachusetts from seed to sale. And we have already identified some early concerns as we anticipate the implementation and enforcement of this law.

Despite the work we’ve done, the timeline to start retail sales is quite aggressive and costly.

The ballot initiative anticipates sales will begin in January 2018. But it sets that deadline, without any revenue to support the additional work of every one of those departments and the brand new commission.

There are zero appropriations tied to this proposal, so we will be tasked with overseeing a new industry without any funding, until the first retail applications are submitted in October 2017.

That gives us three months to review applications, conduct background checks, and approve retailers to get sales underway.

And the potential consequences of that – such as failing to meet licensing deadlines – are harsh.

I’ll give you an example:

If the CCC does not issue a denial notice to a prospective retailer within 90 days of an application, the license has to be issued. 

So, visualize this - a new start up without funding, that has public safety and public health concerns, has the time pressure to get it done quickly or the licensee is automatically approved. 

We will need to work closely with the Governor and the Legislature to mitigate this and any other problems that could arise.

Then, when recreational marijuana sales actually begin in Massachusetts, our state excise tax rate set by the ballot question is quite low – 3.75 percent. How does that stack up to other states?

Well, right now, Colorado’s excise tax is 29 percent, and Washington is 37 percent.

Oregon and Alaska’s excise taxes are set at 25 percent. And in New England, Maine’ s proposed ballot initiative would set a 10 percent excise tax while Vermont’ s failed legislation called for a 25 percent excise tax.

Even if you roll in our 6.25 percent sales tax and a potential 2 percent local option tax—on top of the 3.75 excise tax proposed—Massachusetts would pale in comparison to other states. There’s something wrong with this revenue picture.

Edibles are on our radar as well. We cannot let marijuana-infused snacks or candy fall into the wrong hands.

You should have seen the edibles that Colorado introduced when they first legalized recreational marijuana. They looked like Pop Tarts, gummy bears, cookies and brownies. And their packaging looked like standard snack products, but the THC in them was not the marijuana you might remember from back in the day.

Washington State has done it right!  By restricting packaging, colors and other qualities that might appeal to children, edibles make up just 10 percent of their market. In Colorado, where edibles were less regulated, they comprised nearly 50 percent of the market. Colorado has since made changes based on what they have seen, and they have begun to follow Washington’s lead.

We will need to regulate the recipe, the packaging, the serving size, and the THC consistency to uphold public health and consumer safety.

The ballot question also restricts Massachusetts residents to growing up to twelve plants per household. It remains to be seen how local police departments will be able to handle the increased burden of enforcing that. And it’ s worth noting that Washington does not permit any home growth at all, while Colorado, Alaska and Oregon do under certain limits.

As you can see, this is an extremely complex issue. We must be thoughtful about the process we put into place, as well as the resources and funds to implement this properly, and we must collaborate with many state agencies and municipalities.

Having less than a year to intake and process applications seems like a constricted time frame in order to do this correctly and safely. As you can see, we are not waiting until voters go to the polls to begin preparations.

Online lottery:

I’ d like to close by discussing the future of our lottery, which is the most successful in the country, and the only source of unrestricted local aid to all 351 cities and towns in our state.

And I’d like to keep it that way.

As a former local elected official, I know firsthand that unrestricted local aid is critical. It can help pay the salary of a classroom aide, provide emergency overtime for public works employees who snow plow streets all night only to collect garbage the next morning, and it delivers countless other services that communities need.

Now, you may have read the headlines about the lottery’s record-setting profits this year. It’s true, we did generate $989.4 million, while surpassing $5 billion in sales for the second straight year. And I applaud our lottery team for the great work they have done.

But that narrative doesn’t tell the whole story. The reality is our numbers were boosted by that huge, multistate Powerball game last winter, which resulted in adding $27 million in profits to our bottom line.

Without that, I might be reporting a lottery downturn. In fact, scratch tickets, which comprise about 70 percent of sales, are now experiencing a decline.

As you are also well aware, we are bracing for increased pressure as casinos open. Any good businessperson will tell you that you cannot “wait and see” how the competition plays out.

We must continue to update and diversify our lottery games in order to protect our long-term growth. This past session, I supported legislation that would allow us to sell lottery tickets online and through mobile applications.

The bill was ultimately unsuccessful, but I believe we ought to take it up again next session. And I intend to file a bill that will do that.

Interestingly enough, industry experts have stated that moving the lottery online will allow us to better monitor players who have a gambling problem.

It can set spending limits, track who plays and how often, and permit self-exclusion. Those capabilities are simply not available currently.

At the same time, the Internet has proved to be a lucrative and beneficial business platform. Just look at the Daily Fantasy Sports boom.

I think we’d be hard-pressed to find many businesspeople in this room today who are still limited to offline, point of sale transactions.

Additionally, our lottery player is aging, and Millennials today do spend a great deal of time on their phones. iLottery will make our products more accessible, so we can appeal to younger players while we continue to serve our existing customers.

Ecommerce is here to stay. The lottery is a mature business, but one that cities and towns rely on for support. Remember, we are not a profit-driven business, we are a mission-driven business.

We must join the 21st century if this business is going to continue to thrive and meet its mission.

This is a critical economic opportunity that Massachusetts cannot afford to let fall by the wayside. I will do everything I can to make sure our lottery remains the strongest in the country.

Conclusion:

Although there are many other areas of business in the Treasurer’s office, if I went into all of them, you’d be here until tomorrow.

So, I wanted to use this forum to address some of the issues on people’s minds today. As you can see, the tasks are very different from one another, but equally interesting and equally challenging.

As I approach the two-year mark in this term, I want to thank all of you in the business community for everything you do to help us build up our economic base for all Massachusetts residents, and I look forward to our continued work together in the months and years ahead.

I thank you for your kind attention today, and with that being said, I would now like to open the floor to questions.”

第八屆絲竹春吟音樂會10/8晚登場

絲竹春吟甄選會現場。(中華表演基金會提供)

中華表演藝術基金會將於2016年10月8日，週六晚上8點，在波士頓第一教堂(First Church of Boston, 66 Marlborough Street, Boston, MA) 舉行第8屆「絲竹春吟」青少年中國器樂音樂會。

音樂會所有演出者，都是10月1日徴選出來的優秀青少年。 當晚節目將包括揚琴、古箏、二胡、琵琶、和嗩吶等等 。音樂會入場免費,歡迎社區大眾出席，但建議出席者每人捐10美元。

「絲竹春吟」是個以9至22歲青少年為主要對象，為激發他們學習中國器樂意願，引導他們對中國文化產生興趣，並提供觀摩與表現機會的活動，今年已邁入第8個年頭。

10月1日的徴選，並無國籍與地區限制，舉凡9至22歲青少年，能親自到波士頓甄試現場的，都獲得了參加徴選機會。

今年的徴選會評審委員有東北大學音樂系主任Anthony De Ritis、朱蓉、陸惠風、郭雅志、郭天生等音樂家及藝評學者。演出曲目以傳統中國樂曲為主。音樂會將另邀請專業人士做示範演出。今年邀請李平演出楊琴。

查詢請洽: 中華表演藝術基金會會長譚嘉陵
Email: Foundation@ChinesePerformingArts.net, www.ChinesePerformingArts.net

蔡英文總統接受華爾街日報（Wall Street Journal）專訪

蔡英文總統昨（4）日接受美國《華爾街日報》專訪，針對兩岸關係、臺美關係及南海爭議等議題回應媒體提問，專訪中總統特別強調，在兩岸關係上，她的「承諾不變」、「善意也不變」，但「不會屈服在壓力之下」，也「不會走到對抗的老路上去」。
　　針對兩岸關係，總統重申她520就職演說的內容已展現最大的彈性與善意，也把臺灣最大的公約數都考慮進去，希望中國大陸尊重臺灣民主機制產生的立場與判斷，回到520之後那段時間，雙方盡力維持理性及冷靜的立場。她強調，維持現狀的承諾不變、善意也不變，但是我們不會屈服在壓力之下，也不會走到對抗的老路上去。總統並呼籲兩岸儘快坐下來談，找出一個雙方都可以解決的辦法，但是不希望在雙方有意義地會談時，受到政治框架的影響。
　　總統認為，對臺灣人而言，臺灣是一個很民主的社會，即便大家對很多事情有不同的想法，但基本上都希望我們的民主，或者因為民主機制而產生的立場或判斷，中國大陸必須要尊重。
　　她希望中國大陸不要誤解，也不要誤判這個情勢，以為用壓力就可以讓臺灣人屈服。總統表示，她相信在民主的社會，這種壓力是所有人民一起承擔，不是政府就可以直接做決定，必須探求及探知民意之後才能做出決定，政府不可能做出違反民意的事情。
　　談及經貿議題，總統也認為，兩岸的經濟互補性已經慢慢減少，雙方其實愈來愈是一種競爭關係。我們將以創新能力、工業基礎，以及技術研發的能量，再次促使臺灣經濟能夠升級、轉型，讓臺灣更有國際競爭力。另外一方面，東南亞及南亞國家與臺灣的經濟互補性更高，我們也希望推動「新南向政策」，再次強化與東南亞與南亞國家經濟、貿易及文化上面的連結。
　　在國際交往上，總統則強調實質關係的重要性，她說，我們跟其他國家在發展關係的時候，重的是實質的關係，追尋的是市場邏輯，如果市場或經濟上存在互補性，這個關係就必須去發展，讓經貿關係與實質關係上，能夠產生一種互利互惠的關係。我們也會盡力強化與其他國家的關係，並盡其所能貢獻國際社會，以爭取國際支持，讓臺灣可以更積極、更有意義地加入國際社會。
　　針對南海諸島與相關海域的問題，總統則說明，我們的相關主張符合國際法與海洋法的相關規定，也主張南海爭議應該由多邊協商來解決，並希望所有的國家能確認臺灣是這個南海爭議中相關的當事人，並參與多邊協商。我們也將持續強化在這個區域的角色，包括海上救難、人道救援、科學研究等，將現在我們實際占領的太平島作為救助或研究功能的基地。
　　總統答問內容為：

http://www.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=131&itemid=38112&rmid=514

Taiwan's first woman president, Tsai Ing-wen, in an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal, discusses the island's fraught relations with China, tensions over territorial disputes, the upcoming U.S. election and her views on Hong Kong. Photo: Craig Ferguson for The Wall Street Journal.

http://www.wsj.com/video/president-tsai-taiwan-will-not-succumb-to-china/C3868C8E-EE14-4E73-B2CE-2FC74F36CD7F.html

數千僑胞齊湧回台 同賀雙十國慶

「中華民國105年十月慶典回國僑胞接待服務
處」5日上午開放辦理僑胞報到，僑務委員會
委員長吳新興歡迎海外僑胞返國共同
慶祝中華民國105歲生日。

雙十國慶將至，僑務委員會本月5日開始受理十月慶典僑胞報到作業，預計將有近4000位來自世界各地的僑胞報名。委員長吳新興表示，歡迎海外僑胞返國共同慶祝中華民國105歲生日，本月9日僑委會也將在台北小巨蛋舉辦四海同心聯歡大會，邀請僑胞、僑生及國內民眾一同參與。

為歡迎僑胞回國參加雙十慶典，僑委會「中華民國105年十月慶典回國僑胞接待服務處」5日上午9點在台北中央聯合辦公大樓南棟1樓開放辦理報到。吳委員長一早即偕副委員長呂元榮視察聯合報到處及承辦國內旅遊參訪的旅行社攤位，並向在現場等候的僑胞致意。

吳委員長表示，今年5月已有1700多位海外僑胞回台參加中華民國第14任總統暨副總統就職活動，但此次返台參加慶祝雙十國慶的熱情仍然不減，首日報到情形相當踴躍。另外，全球僑胞也積極在僑居國舉辦約330多場的國慶系列活動，包括升旗典禮、國慶茶會、國慶餐會、各類球賽及展覽等多元豐富的活動，在在顯示僑界團結一心共同慶祝中華民國國慶。

今日首位報到僑胞是旅居紐西蘭奧克蘭的鄧榮達，72歲的他移民20多年來幾乎年年返台慶祝國慶，今天一早6點多就在報到處等候，立志成為第一位報到的僑胞。鄧榮達說，旅居海外，最希望看到自己的國家得到國際認同，因此每年都想回國看看台灣最新的發展。從美國夏威夷回台的陳美月也分享從踏入桃園機場起就看到台灣的進步，同時感受到猶如回娘家的濃厚人情味。

接待服務處現場不但設置承辦僑胞十月慶典旅遊參訪活動的國內旅行社攤位，並有介紹十月慶典「安心專案」的全台醫療健檢機構，藉由僑胞實際感受的口碑力量，將台灣優質醫療服務推展到海外，並在世界各地協助行銷中華民國。(僑委會提供)

「中華民國105年十月慶典回國僑胞接待服務處」
5日上午開放辦理僑胞報到，預計將有近
4000位僑胞返台參加雙十國慶。

State and Local Officials Celebrate Opening of Aqueduct Trail in Needham

State and Local Officials Celebrate Opening of Aqueduct Trail in Needham

BOSTON – October 4, 2016 – Today, during a celebration at Eliot Elementary School in Needham, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) joined legislators and local officials to open a public trail along the historic Sudbury Aqueduct in Needham and Wellesley. Through a MWRA Aqueduct Trails Program partnership, the Town of Needham will maintain the MWRA-owned trail.

“Through the MWRA Aqueduct Trails Program, our administration is able to help municipalities provide outdoor spaces for their residents,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito.“Opportunities for outdoor recreation improve quality of life and respect for our environment, so our administration is working with municipalities and other partners across the Commonwealth to allow all Massachusetts residents access to the beautiful outdoors.”

“By opening aqueduct trails to the public, we can provide paths for people to commute and exercise, and open up much-needed connections to existing trails,” said EEA Secretary Matthew Beaton.“This cost-effective program is just one of the ways the Baker-Polito Administration is working to provide access to outdoor recreational opportunities to all Commonwealth residents, regardless of zip code.”

The new Sudbury Aqueduct trail is about one mile long and runs westward from St. Mary Street, across Cedar Street, along the edge of the Eliot Elementary School on Wellesley Avenue and eventually to the Needham/Wellesley Town line near Hunnewell Street. The Aqueduct Trail then continues in the Town of Wellesley. 

“The program has been well received by the communities,” said MWRA Executive Director Fred Laskey. “These aqueducts are wonderfully scenic and it’s great to see people out enjoying them.”

“The Town of Needham is so pleased to make these new trails available,” said Needham Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick. “They create opportunities for off road pedestrian paths in nature settings. Connecting Great Plain Avenue to Echo Bridge with minimal street crossings makes it a great option for families.”

In 2012, MWRA, EEA and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) announced the MWRA Aqueduct Trails Program to facilitate public access to inactive aqueducts through partnerships with local communities. This program has made available over 30 miles of trails for public use along the historic Sudbury, Weston, Wachusett and Cochituate Aqueducts. 

Through the Aqueduct Trails Program, communities can enter into agreements with MWRA and assume some stewardship and operational responsibilities for trails on inactive aqueducts. Because some of the aqueducts still serve as emergency back-up for the region’s water supply system, MWRA retains care and control of the property. Only passive recreation is allowed – no dirt bikes or ATVs.

“By connecting communities through this open space initiative, public access for recreational opportunities will improve throughout the Metro West community,” said State Senator Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury).    

“It is exciting to see two new aqueduct trails opening in my district following the establishment of a Natick trail back in 2012,” said State Senator Richard Ross (R-Wrentham). “I'm confident both Needham and Wellesley residents will benefit from these new public paths as they will encourage many to spend time outdoors as well as take in the beautiful landscape of their home towns.”

“It is wonderful to see the MWRA add public recreation opportunities,” said State Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton). “I’m sure many residents will now enjoy these new outdoor areas.”  

“I’m glad to see that these aqueducts will be open to the public,” said State Representative Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley). “Public access to these trails will promote recreational opportunities in communities across Metro West, as well as open up land that would otherwise be unused.”

The MAPC has championed this effort and has been using a federal Community Transformation Grant, in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), to provide design and trail planning assistance to municipalities. 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL WE BOS WEEK TO SUPPORT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL WE BOS WEEK TO SUPPORT WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

WE BOS Week to be held October 17-21

BOSTON - Tuesday, October 4, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement today announced the second annual WE BOS Week, a week-long event designed to support women entrepreneurs. The City of Boston's Women Entrepreneurs Boston (WE BOS) program will once again bring together Boston's entrepreneurial networks: events will be held throughout the City featuring high-profile speakers, skill-building workshops, coaching sessions and networking opportunities to help women entrepreneurs build their networks, and learn new skills to scale and grow their businesses. "Boston is home to a vast network of entrepreneurs, startups and thriving businesses -- and the City of Boston is committed to ensuring women play a major role in our business success," said Mayor Walsh. "Promoting economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs is important to the vitality of our City as a whole, and I am proud to support the second annual WE BOS Week." Last year over 1,000 women participated in 13 events held throughout WE BOS week in partnership with 10 organizations. This year, WE BOS week will plan 16 events, through the support of the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement, the Mayor's Office of Economic Development and 13 additional partners. While Boston has a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem, women-led businesses continue to face challenges including access to funding and difficulty finding mentors and networks to support them as they grow. The Diana Report release in 2014 found that women-led startups only receive 3% of venture capital (VC) funding.   "Here in Boston, 35% of businesses are owned by women. These businesses employ 36,100 people and generate $3.3 billion in revenue," said Kara Miller, Women Entrepreneurs Boston Program Manager. "However, we know that access to investors and funding is one of the biggest challenges facing women entrepreneurs. That's why this year, WE BOS week will offer several opportunities for women-led startups to meet with VCs and Angel investors to get feedback on their business. I'm thrilled with the support we have already received, and look forward to hosting programs that will foster women's businesses during WE BOS Week and throughout the year." The Refiney accelerator and Goldenseeds will be offering office hours where businesses can meet with VCs and Angel investors. SheStarts will also host a speed networking event for startups looking to meet investors.   The WE BOS Week kick-off will be held in partnership with Mass Innovation Nights at Women Founders Night on Monday, October 17th from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. at District Hall.  At the event, 14 women-led startups will showcase their businesses. For a complete list of events happening throughout Women Entrepreneurs Week, visit www.we-bos.com or follow @we_bos on Twitter. About WE BOS The WE BOS program advances Boston's women entrepreneurs by providing the resources and network they need launch and grow their business. Since the launch of the program last fall over 1,500 women have participated in WE BOS through one-on-one coaching, educational programming and networking opportunities. In partnership with the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement and the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, WE BOS supports all women entrepreneurs, including startups, home-based businesses and the established brick-and-mortar mainstays of Boston's neighborhoods, with the goal to increase the number of established women entrepreneurs in the City of Boston and to strengthen and grow Boston's existing women-owned businesses.

JAMAICA PLAIN AMERICAN LEGION AGREES TO ADOPT NEW POLICIES, PAY $15,000 TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

JAMAICA PLAIN AMERICAN LEGION AGREES TO ADOPT NEW POLICIES, PAY $15,000 TO RESOLVE ALLEGATIONS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Allegations of Racial Discrimination against Patrons and Vendors at Sweet Sixteen Party; Settlement Also Requires Post to Host, Sponsor Local High School Students

BOSTON – Jamaica Plain Post No. 76, Inc. of The American Legion (Post 76), has agreed to adopt new anti-discrimination polices and pay $15,000 to resolve allegations of racial discrimination against vendors and patrons at a sweet sixteen birthday party, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. Under the settlement, Post 76 will also host an event and sponsor a program for students at The English High School.

            The assurance of discontinuance, entered on Monday in Suffolk Superior Court, resolves allegations of discrimination by Post 76 against African American party guests and vendors based on their race and/or color by harassing them, using derogatory language, and eventually ending the party early.

“This action resolves allegations that guests were treated as suspect and subjected to ignorant and racially discriminatory comments,” said AG Healey. “No one in Massachusetts should be discriminated against based on their race and we need to continue to find ways to reject and end both explicit and implicit bias in all its forms. I am especially pleased that the Post, in addition to taking steps to implement better policies and train its staff, will also give back to the community by supporting local youth at English High.”

The AG’s Office alleges that in January 2015 an African American woman reserved event space at Post 76 for her daughter’s sweet sixteen birthday celebration in June 2015. When her event planners arrived at the venue, a bartender questioned them about the event and initially refused to host the party, saying that those who attended the party—presumably African American teenagers—could be “gang members” and might “get drunk and shoot the place.”

The staff eventually agreed to host the event, but kept the event space open to the rest of the building instead of closing it off as they normally would because of purported safety concerns.

The AG’s Office further alleges that when an African American photographer arrived, he was stopped by the same bartender, who suggested he might be carrying a gun and required him to open his bags so they could be inspected. Throughout the night, Post 76 staff were also overheard making derogatory comments about the African American guests. Post 76 then allegedly ended the party early.

According to the terms of the settlement, Post 76 will adopt a comprehensive anti-discrimination policy and require all staff and volunteers to attend training on state and federal public accommodation laws.

Post 76 has also agreed to host an annual event for The English High School Boston School Cadets Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program and sponsor students to attend the American Legion Boys and Girls State leadership programs.

This settlement also requires Post 76 to pay a total of $15,000 in restitution to the family which rented the event space and penalties to the Commonwealth. 

The AG’s Office alleges that Post 76 violated the Massachusetts Public Accommodations Law and Consumer Protection Act. The Public Accommodations Law makes it unlawful for any business that solicits or accepts the patronage of the general public to distinguish among customers on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. The law prohibits discrimination with respect to both admission into and treatment within places of public accommodation. The Consumer Protection Act prohibits unfair or deceptive conduct in trade or commerce.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorneys General Shaneka L. Davis and Kimberly Strovink of AG’s Healey’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance from Kristen Salera and Shannon Roark of AG Healey’s Civil Investigations Division.