MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR BRUCE C. BOLLING BUILDING

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR   BRUCE C. BOLLING BUILDING Administration encourages fresh ideas for family-friendly activation in historic heart of Boston to enhance community and meet demand from local economic development

BOSTON - Thursday, August 10, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the City of Boston has released a request for proposals (RFP) to operate and activate the 7,800 square foot street-level space in the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building in Dudley Square. The RFP calls for an operator for the space, suitable to accommodate a wide range of businesses including a restaurant, a major performance space, or a meeting space, that will meet the demand for retail in the area, will enhance the community with a dynamic storefront, and activate Dudley Square with news ideas for family-friendly entertainment and initiatives. "The Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building represents Dudley Square's historic commercial and community center, and we look forward to welcoming a new partner who will continue the innovative spirit of the building," said Mayor Walsh. "I look forward to an imaginative and ambitious proposal that will expand opportunities for residents, benefit the Dudley Square community, and bring to gether Roxbury and surrounding neighborhoods." Located in the heart of Dudley Square, the historic, mixed-use Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building is the headquarters of Boston Public Schools, uniting 500 administrative staff and attracting visitors for public meetings and hearings throughout the year. The Bolling Building is also home to the Roxbury Innovation Center, public meeting and engagement spaces, and approximately 10,000 square feet of leased tenant space at the street level, bringing needed private sector retail and evening restaurant offerings to Dudley Square. The ground-level space on the north front of the building is currently considered a core and shell space, allowing proposed tenants to customize the space to their unique plan for activation. "As a bustling center for daily transit, retail, and community activity, this new tenant will be woven into the fabric of Dudley Square and serve as a crucial stakeholder in its continued revitalization," said John F. Barros, Chief of Economic Development. "As the greater Roxbury community continues to attract new commercial, residential, and mixed-use development, additional retail and entertainment opportunities will bring provide local employment opportunities, community programming, and showcase the neighborhood's unique identity." Located in the geographic center of Boston, Dudley Square contains over 150 businesses, representing retail demand by neighborhood residents of more than $610 million annually. The square is anchored by the Commonwealth's most heavily trafficked MBTA bus station, serving 35,000 people a day. Recent revitalization efforts by the City, including the renovation of the Dudley Branch Library, have served as a catalyst for private development in the greater Roxbury area. Development projects underway or in review include the over 300,000 square foot mixed-use Guscott Rio Grande building at 2343-2345 Washington Street; the mixed-use Tremont Crossing, which includes over 288,000 square feet of destination retail, 116,000 square feet of neighborhood retail, and the 31,000 square foot NCAAA Museum and Exhibition Space; and, the Melnea Hotel and Residences, a 135 room hotel and residential apartment building with 8,000 square feet of retail space permitted. The future of Dudley Square is currently being envisioned through PLAN: Dudley Square, a community plan exploring the development program of publicly owned parcels, which builds upon the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan. Imagine Boston 2030, the first city-wide planning process in 50 years, identified the Bolling Building as a model public-private partnership that should be replicated in other growth areas of the City. More information about the RFP is available here. RFPs can be accessed on the supplier portal, Event ID EV00004540 (compatible with Internet Explorer). A Proposers' Conference to answer any questions will be held Tuesday, August 15, 2017 at 2:00 p.m, at the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, located at 2300 Washington Street, Roxbury. Guided tours of the building will follow. Responses will be due no later than 3:00 p.m. on September 27, 2017. About the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal BuildingThe Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building opened on April 27, 2015, and incorporates the Ferdinand Furniture Building, the Curtis Block and the Waterman & Sons building, into a new state of the art facility. The six-story building houses an estimated 500 municipal employees from Boston Public Schools and features office space, as well as open space for student work, school events, and community gatherings. The building also includes 18,000 square feet of street-level space, and the 3,350 square foot Roxbury Innovation Center. The Building is a 2017 Silver medalist for the Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. The City of Boston's $115 million investment in the Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building has spurred private investment across Dudley Square. The building is a collaboration between the City of Boston's Property and Construction Management Department, and the Boston Planning and Development Agency working closely with the community and historic preservationists. The Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building was designed by Mecanoo architecten and Sasaki Associates. Shawmut Design and Construction served as the CM at-Risk contractor, with project management services being handled by PMA Consultants.

AMAZON’S GLOBAL HEAD OF ALEXA SKILLS KIT TO PRESENT AT FUTUREM 2017

AMAZON’S GLOBAL HEAD OF ALEXA SKILLS KIT TO PRESENT AT FUTUREM 2017 

Michael Francisco to discuss challenges and payoffs of voice-enabled experiences.

Tweet it: Michael Francisco, Head of @amazon Alexa Skills Kit, to speak at #FutureM17 on 9/20! Learn more about his session: http://bit.ly/futureMagenda

August 9, 2017, Boston, MA – Amazon’s Head of Alexa Skills Kit, Michael Francisco, to present at the upcoming FutureM conference, taking place on September 20 – 21, 2017 at the Innovation & Design Center in Boston, MA.

Francisco will speak on Wednesday, September 20 at 1:15PM. His session, titled “Conversational UX: The Business of Voice,” will offer attendees insight into the challenges and payoffs of designing and integrating voice-enabled experiences, and how—with advances in technology and sheer computer power—it’s now becomi

ng practical to utilize AI and VR in many everyday applications.

“The largest tech titans have shown their commitment to conversational user interfaces this year with a host of new technologies and products,” said Amy Quigley, President of MITX.  “We are thrilled to have Michael Francisco of Amazon, one of leading companies in this space, joining us at FutureM 2017!” 

This year’s theme, Connecting Forward Thinkers, reflects our mission to provide the ideal arena for decision makers and creative thinkers to unite and collectively shape and challenge the future of marketing and business.  Attendees will explore the newest technologies and insights that are changing the way marketers think, create, engage, and measure.

Conference sessions are open to all attendees, speakers, sponsors and guests. For a full schedule of topics and list of speakers, please visit: http://www.futurem.org  

HEALTH CARE COMPANY THAT IMPROPERLY BILLED HUNDREDS OF MASSHEALTH MEMBERS PAYING MORE THAN $750,000

HEALTH CARE COMPANY THAT IMPROPERLY BILLED HUNDREDS OF MASSHEALTH MEMBERS PAYING MORE THAN $750,000

Company Allegedly Directly Billed Members for Services Covered by State Medicaid Program; Settlement Returns Money to Hundreds of Members, Provides for Credit Repair

BOSTON – A nationwide provider of home healthcare products will pay more than $750,000 for directly billing people for services covered by the state’s Medicaid program (MassHealth), Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

Today’s settlement provides refunds to hundreds of affected MassHealth members.

Under the terms of the assurance of discontinuance and related settlement agreement, Apria Healthcare LLC (Apria) has agreed to pay $99,008 in restitution and $665,934 in penalties to resolve allegations that the company directly billed members for services that were already covered by MassHealth.

“MassHealth provides critical healthcare to low-income individuals, including people with disabilities, children and senior citizens, yet this company billed them for services that were already covered,” AG Healey said. “Through our settlement with Apria, hundreds of members who paid bills they did not owe will get their money back.”

Apria provides medical services and devices, including durable medical equipment, to MassHealth members and has two Massachusetts locations in Springfield and Wilmington.

The AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division began an investigation after the matter was referred by MassHealth’s Provider Compliance Unit and the UMass Medical School Enhanced Coordination of Benefits Division, who received complaints from members that Apria was trying to collect money from them for services covered by MassHealth.

The AG investigation revealed that between December 2011 and April 2017, Apria inappropriately billed more than 1,000 members for hundreds of thousands of dollars of services already covered by MassHealth, in violation of MassHealth regulations and state consumer protection laws. The AG’s Office estimates that more than 500 of those patients paid those bills and will receive restitution from this settlement.

The AG’s settlement with Apria requires that the company cooperate with the AG’s Office to repair the credit of any consumers whose claims were sent to third-party collection agencies and whose credit scores may have been negatively impacted. It also requires the company to institute a compliance monitoring program.

               This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Nita Klunder and Investigator Robert Ames, both of AG Healey’s Medicaid Fraud Division. MassHealth assisted in this investigation. 

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2017 CITY OF BOSTON SCHOLARSHIP FUND AWARDEES

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES 2017 CITY OF BOSTON SCHOLARSHIP FUND AWARDEES

BOSTON - Thursday, August 9, 2017 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh this week joined the City of Boston Scholarship Committee in awarding 35 students $2,500 scholarships to help fund their education. The Scholarship Fund was established in 1995 to provide assistance to residents who plan to pursue a two- or four-year undergraduate program within Massachusetts.   "Each City of Boston Scholarship awardee clearly demonstrates a deep commitment to our community and strong academic promise," said Mayor Walsh. "Thank you for the time and effort you put into sharing your experiences and dreams through the application process. You are the future leaders of Boston, and I wish you all the best as you embark on your higher education journey." Currently, over 100 students receive an annual scholarship of $2,500 through the fund. Scholarship recipients may reapply each year. Applicants must be residents of Boston and have graduated from high school by the time the awards are made in May. The scholarship program, which operates under the authority of a Scholarship Committee, is managed by the Mayor's Education Cabinet. Funds for the scholarships are made possible from contributions made by citizens and corporations. The City of Boston Scholarship Committee has awarded 868 students scholarships since 1995, which totals to almost $2.2 million. This year, Boston celebrated the sixteenth year of an endowed scholarship donated by the Rosen Family in memory of Jeffrey Dunipace Rosen and celebrated the third year of the Community Development Scholarship, established in remembrance of Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and a Community Spirit Scholarship in memory of former public servant and City of Boston Scholarship awardee, Dawn Jaffier. "Being a member of the scholarship committee is one of the highlights of my life. Playing a role in helping fund student's education is extremely fulfilling," said Byron Beaman of the Mayor's Scholarship Committee. "Taking part in the ceremony and meeting the families of these students is heartwarming and the appreciation you feel from them makes reading all the applications worth it." This year's scholarship awards strengthen the post-secondary access initiatives that the Mayor has launched or supported over the last year, including Free Community College Tuition, Boston Bridge and ongoing support activities for students through the Success Boston partnership. "This year, with the help of both uAspire and Success Boston, the Mayor's Education Cabinet and the Mayor's Scholarship Committee began redesigning the fund to better meet students' financial needs," said Boston Chief of Education Rahn Dorsey. "In preparation for next year's process, we will continue to work with college access experts and higher education officials to identify ways to that ensure Boston students find affordable ways to reach - and complete - a postsecondary education." Residents who fit the criteria are encouraged to participate in the 2018 application process, which will begin in January 2018. For more information on the City of Boston Scholarship, visit Boston.gov or send a note to cobscholarship@boston.gov.

臺灣青年波士頓搭僑 回顧成果分享心得

到波士頓的臺灣青年搭僑計畫5名學員與僑務委員蔣宗壬(右四)和
梅錫銳(左五)、寄宿媽媽僑務顧問郭競儒(左三)和僑務促進委員馮文鸞(右二)，以及波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉夫婦(右五、右六)合影

由僑務委員會遴選前來波士頓參加搭僑計畫的5名臺灣青年，8月7日在波士頓僑教中心發表學習成果與心得報告，回顧自8月1日以來為期一週的僑務見習及參訪行程，每位學員分別發表在波士頓僑界所見所聞的心得，也都表示收穫滿滿、獲益良多。

僑委會臺灣青年海外搭僑計畫波士頓組學員以照片及影片

回顧一週以來的參與搭僑計畫的過程

這場成果發表會由波士頓僑教中心主任歐宏偉主持，邀請今年搭僑計畫寄宿媽媽郭競儒和馮文鸞、僑務委員蔣宗壬和梅錫銳，以及協助接待學員的歐主任夫人張豊珠，與僑教中心全體職員參加。歐宏偉表示，僑胞是國家在海外最重要的資產，搭僑計畫的重點就是希望能搭上僑胞的熱情與睿智，讓國內青年學子與海外鄉親建立連結與互動，特別勉勵學員們懷著知足、惜福與感恩的心，以僑胞為師為友，努力充實自己，將來在各領域都能有卓越的發展，一起為國家打拼；此外，歐宏偉也期許來年能有更多的僑界先進，共同支持此一深具意義的臺灣青年海外搭僑計畫。

僑教中心主任歐宏偉勉勵學員以僑胞為師為友，努力充實自己，

將來在各領域都能有卓越的發展，一起為國家打拼

學員們先以照片及影片回顧一週以來的參與搭僑計畫的過程，非常感謝駐波士頓臺北經文處處長賴銘琪，以及波士頓與羅德島州僑社各界前輩的指導、協助和接待，也特別感謝僑委會規劃辦理這項計畫及僑教中心的細心安排；每位學員都特別強調，透過這一週的見習與參訪，更能認同僑委會的功能與價值，以及僑務工作的重要性，同時更加瞭解海外僑胞鄉親對國家的付出與貢獻。

 成果發表會結束前，女生組學員邱亭瑋、王羿雯和李柔慧，以及男生組學員陳東晟和曾泓銘，特別在僑務委員會的錦旗上簽名後，致送給「林媽媽」郭競儒與「媽媽樂」馮文鸞，感謝兩位寄宿媽媽一週來的接待、照料與關懷；學員們也特別感謝僑務委員蔣宗壬、紐英崙中華公所主席陳家驊、僑務諮詢委員王本仁建築師、專業人員協會董事長王世輝、僑務顧問游勝雄、羅德島州華人協會會長吳子平與葉超、欖城安良工商會會長陳任卓、關懷救助協會會長王志維等僑領的熱情接待，對於慈濟波士頓聯絡處和佛光山波士頓三佛中心，積極提供僑胞與主流社區各項慈善公益及人文活動，也留下相當深刻的印象。(圖與文:波士頓僑教中心提供)

紅襪隊邀居民8/12上波士頓廣場遙距看球賽

紅襪隊提供。

                      (Boston Orange)這個週六下午，你可以在波士頓廣場，悠然席地而坐的欣賞紅襪隊球賽。

波士頓市政府和高地街(Highland Street)基金會，以及紅襪隊合作，舉辦的第四屆”球場之外(Out of the Park)”活動，邀民眾8月12日(週六)下午，兩點半起免費出席，在波士頓廣場(Boston Common)的大銀幕上欣賞紅襪隊和洋基隊(Yankees)對抗。現場將有漫畫家，氣球藝術家，以棒球為主題的遊戲等等適宜家庭的活動，有賣吃的小攤。紅襪隊吉祥物”威利(Wally)”，”泰西(Tessie)”也都會到現場與民同樂。

球賽預計4點開始投出第一球。

                        紅襪隊也邀民眾查詢該隊的官方推特，@RedSox，查詢這場活動，可電洽617-969-8900，上網，http://www.highlandstreet.org/ootp，加入@HighlandStreet for #OutOfThePark: http://atmlb.com/2uj2VYr 。

AG HEALEY OPPOSES EPA’S PROPOSED TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION OF RULE CUTTING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND OTHER POLLUTANTS

AG HEALEY OPPOSES EPA’S PROPOSED TWO-YEAR SUSPENSION OF RULE CUTTING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND OTHER POLLUTANTSFiles Comments Supporting Rule that Prevents Methane Emissions from New Sources in Oil and Gas Sector

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today joined a coalition of 14 attorneys general, the State of Colorado and the City of Chicago in submitting public comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), calling the agency’s proposed additional stays of a rule that reduces greenhouse gas emissions from new facilities in the oil and natural gas industry illegal and harmful to public health.

The comments argue that the EPA’s attempts to suspend the rules are unlawful because EPA has exceeded its authority under the Clean Air Act, and that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt’s involvement is improper in light of his prior involvement as the Oklahoma Attorney General in a lawsuit challenging the methane new source rule (2016 Rule). 

“Scott Pruitt’s continued attempts to upend these critical clean air protections are not only illegal, but dangerous to the health and well-being of our residents,” said AG Healey. “As state attorneys general, we will hold the Trump administration accountable for rolling back environmental protections and undoing the progress we’ve made to protect our planet.”

The 2016 Rule now in place limits emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas by encouraging the use of technology in leak monitoring at all well sites and compressor stations. The controls required by the rule are also expected to reduce emissions of other pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde.

Methane is a particularly powerful agent of climate change; pound-for-pound, methane warms the climate about 34 times more than carbon dioxide over a 100-year period. The oil and natural gas sector is the largest industrial source of methane emissions and accounts for a third of total methane emissions in the United States.

The methane new source rule became effective on Aug. 2, 2016. Shortly after it became effective, the rule was challenged in court by several industry groups.

On June 5, 2017, Administrator Pruitt announced a 90-day administrative stay of the 2016 Rule, arguing that the oil and gas industry had raised objections that were not addressed during the rulemaking process. In response, AG Healey led a coalition of 14 state attorneys general and the City of Chicago in intervening in support of a lawsuit brought by a group of environmental organizations seeking to immediately stop the stay. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals promptlyruled that the 90-day delay was unlawful and vacated it.

On June 16, 2017, Administrator Pruitt published for notice and comment two additional proposed delays of the 2016 Rule, totaling 27 months.

The attorneys general note that if the 2016 Rule is delayed for 27 months, at least 48,138 tons of methane, 13,272 tons of VOCs, and 506 tons of hazardous air pollutants will be emitted that would have that would have been prevented by the Rule.

For years, Massachusetts has played a leading role in the fight to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, including leading a coalition of states, in coordination with numerous environmental groups, in the landmark case of Massachusetts v. EPA. In April 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Massachusetts and concluded that the EPA had authority under existing law to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. 

Massachusetts has been involved for almost five years in support of the issuance and maintenance of the 2016 Rule. In December 2012, Massachusetts, New York, and five other states notified EPA of their intent to file suit, asserting that the EPA had not complied with its mandatory duty under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards to determine whether it is appropriate to regulate methane pollution from the oil and gas sector.

Joining AG Healey in filing today’s comments are the attorneys general of California, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia. The State of Colorado and the City of Chicago also joined in submitting the comments.  

This matter is being handled for Massachusetts by Melissa Hoffer, Chief of AG Healey’s Energy and Environment Bureau, and Assistant Attorney General Peter Mulcahy, of AG Healey’s Environmental Protection Division.