AG’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP CONSUMERS PAY THEIR HEATING BILLS

AG’S OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW GRANT PROGRAM TO HELP CONSUMERS PAY THEIR HEATING BILLS

$3 Million Grant Program to Provide Additional Funding to State Agencies, Municipalities, And Nonprofits That Assist Households in Paying Monthly Gas Bills

            BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey today announced a new $3 million grant program to help Massachusetts consumers pay or lower their monthly natural gas heating bills.

                                                                                                         

            “Every year, tens of thousands of Massachusetts families struggle to pay their heating bills,” said AG Healey. “My goal with this new program is to make sure our residents have the financial assistance they need to stay warm during the cold winter months.”

            The Natural Gas Fuel Assistance Grant Program will provide additional funding to programs that assist Massachusetts households in paying for their natural gas service. The grant program is open to programs run through state agencies, municipalities, charitable organizations, and nonprofit organizations. Eligible programs may include those that are providing direct assistance to consumers by subsidizing their natural gas heating bills or are providing indirect assistance by helping residents implement energy-efficiency measures designed to lower their natural gas heating bills.  

"Utility companies terminate gas service to large numbers of low income households each year because those customers cannot afford to pay their bills,” said Charlie Harak, a managing attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.  “The Attorney General's program will help thousands of households to stay current on their bills and avoid termination." 

The AG’s Office is especially interested in proposals for programs that will provide funding to families who otherwise would not be receiving fuel assistance, or who are not receiving sufficient help in paying their monthly heating bills. 

            The grant program will utilize funds the AG’s Office secured through asettlement with National Grid for improperly charging its customers reconnection service fees.

As the ratepayer advocate for Massachusetts, AG Healey works to ensure that consumers do not pay more than they should for their natural gas. In July 2017, AG Healey joined a coalition of 35 attorneys general and state consumer advocate agencies in urging Congress to preserve and expand funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), federally funded low-income energy assistance programs.

The two-year grant program will start on Nov. 1, 2018 and will end on Oct. 31, 2020. Interested applicants can visit the AG’s website,www.mass.gov/ago/grants for more information and for application instructions. Questions about the grant program can be submitted by email toAGOGrants@state.ma.us. Applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2018.

AG HEALEY AND LOCAL STUDENTS WIN FEDERAL COURT RULING AGAINST EDUCATION SECRETARY DEVOS FOR AXING STUDENT LOAN PROTECTIONS

AG HEALEY AND LOCAL STUDENTS WIN FEDERAL COURT RULING AGAINST EDUCATION SECRETARY DEVOS FOR AXING STUDENT LOAN PROTECTIONSJudge Rules that U.S. Department of Education’s Delay of the Borrower Defense Rule Violated Federal Law

            BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey and two Boston-area students won a victory in federal court against Education Secretary Betsy DeVos after challenging the U.S. Department of Education’s plan to scrap federal protections for students cheated by predatory, for-profit schools. The opinion called Secretary DeVos’ actions “unlawful,” “arbitrary and capricious” and “procedurally invalid,” and ordered an immediate hearing in Washington, D.C to determine remedies.

            The decision, filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., is the result of a multistate lawsuit led by AG Healey and joined by 18 other state attorneys general, and a related case brought by Public Citizen and the Project on Predatory Student Lending on behalf of two students who attended the now-bankrupt New England Institute of Art, a for-profit school in Brookline, Massachusetts. AG Healey and the students alleged that the U.S. Department of Education violated federal law by abruptly rescinding its Borrower Defense Rule which was designed to hold abusive higher education institutions accountable for cheating students and taxpayers out of billions of dollars in federal loans.

“For years, we’ve fought for needed protections for student borrowers in Massachusetts,” AG Healey said. “This decision is a victory for every family defrauded by a predatory for-profit school and a total rejection of Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos’ agenda to cheat students and taxpayers. It’s time for this rule to go into effect and give thousands of students the relief they’ve been waiting for.”

“This is a major victory for students and for anyone who cares about having a government that operates under the rule of law, instead of as a pawn of the for-profit college industry,” said Project on Predatory Student Lending Director Toby Merrill. “Because of the willingness of two students to stand up to the Department of Education’s unfair and unjust policies, hundreds of thousands of students will be protected. We are proud to represent them, and deeply grateful to Attorney General Maura Healey and Attorneys General across the country who have chosen to stand with students and against this predatory industry time and time again.”

Judge Randolph Moss of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has scheduled a status conference for Friday, Sept. 14 at 10:30 a.m. to address remedies. The AG’s Office will be asking the court to order the Department to implement the Borrower Defense Rule immediately and in full. 

The Borrower Defense Rule was finalized by the Obama administration in November 2016 after nearly two years of negotiations, following the collapse of Corinthian Colleges, a national for-profit chain. The rule was set to go into effect on July 1, 2017.

In May 2017, Secretary DeVos announced that the Department was reevaluating the Borrower Defense Rule and later announced its intent to delay large portions of the Borrower Defense Rule without soliciting, receiving, or responding to any comment from any stakeholder or member of the public, and without engaging in a public deliberative process. The Department simultaneously announced its intent to issue a new regulation to replace the Borrower Defense Rule.

Without the protections of the Borrower Defense Rule, many students defrauded by for-profit schools are unable to seek a remedy in court. The Borrower Defense Rule also prohibits schools from enforcing mandatory arbitration agreements and class action waivers, which are commonly used by for-profit schools to thwart legal actions by students who have been harmed by schools’ abusive conduct.

AG Healey’s Office has been at the forefront of efforts to secure relief for defrauded students. Last month, the AG’s Office urged the Department to rescind its proposed regulations that provided no realistic prospect for borrowers to discharge their loans. In December 2017, AG Healey sued Secretary DeVos for failing to provide federal loan discharges for students victimized by Corinthian Colleges and subjecting them to wage garnishment and tax refund interception. InJune 2017, AG Healey demanded that the Department stop delaying loan discharges for students victimized by predatory for-profit schools, including claims that have already been approved. In October 2017, AG Healey sued to protect the Gainful Employment Rule, a federal regulation designed to protect students and taxpayers from predatory for-profit schools.

Addressing fraud and abuse in student lending has been a top priority for AG Healey since taking office, whether taking predatory schools to court, changing the practices of student loan servicers, going after unlawful student loan “debt relief” companies, or helping student borrowers find more affordable repayment solutions through her first-in-the-nation Student Loan Assistance Unit.

Massachusetts borrowers who are looking for student loan help or information should visit the AG’s Student Loan Assistance page or call the Student Loan Assistance Unit Hotline at 1-888-830-6277.

馮偉傑初選大勝 羅德島州長席位在望

馮偉傑贏得初選後接受媒體訪問。(周菊子攝)

(Boston Orange 整理報導)羅德島州的9月12日初選，不到9點，結果就已揭曉，共和黨籍的馮偉傑(Allan Fung)和民主黨籍的現任州長雷萌朵(Gina Raimondo)將再次對陣。

在416個投票站有415個開票完畢後，他們兩人各自的得票數與得票率分別為，共和黨籍的馮偉傑得18,544票，56.4%，民主黨籍的雷萌朵得66,784票，57.1%。

馮偉傑贏得共和黨提名後致詞。(周菊子攝)

他們兩人的主要對手，共和黨的羅州眾議員兼少數黨黨鞭Patricia Morgan，和民主黨的羅州前州務卿Matt Brown，依序各得13,192票，40.1%，39,225票，33.6%。

11月6日的大選，除了他們兩人外，角逐州長席位的還有從共和黨轉為無黨派的Joe Trillo。

由於初選是兩黨各自推選代表參選者，得票數與得票率只意味著他們在各自所屬黨派贏得的支持度，11月6日的大選，將是另一場完全不同的戰爭。

馮偉傑與妻子芭芭拉和岳母合影。(周菊子攝)

四年前，雷萌朵贏得州長席位時，共得到131,899票，得票率40.7%，馮偉傑得到117,428票，得票率36.2%。這一年還有一名中庸黨(Moderate)，二名無黨派人士參選州長，分散了本來可能投給馮偉傑的票源。

選舉結果揭曉後，各大報章都很關注這選舉。紐約時報，華盛頓郵報等全國性報紙，都做了報導。

羅德島州菲律賓移民後代也支持馮偉傑。(周菊子攝)

羅德島州的普域敦斯報(Providence Journal)在開頭第一段就點出馮偉傑是華人移民之子，已連任四屆克蘭斯頓市市長。

馮偉傑在勝選致詞時說，還有7星期，就可以把全面性的大規模改革帶到史密斯丘(Smith Hill)去，翻轉無能到可怕地步，對不起耆英及最容易受傷害的兒童的雷萌朵政府。

他說，”該適可而止了( “Enough is enough″)”，我們可以做得比雷萌朵更好。

            馮偉傑在競選時承諾將廢除雷萌朵針對個別公司的稅率優惠項目，把羅德島州的銷售稅從7%降到5%，對非法進入美國的移民，以及”庇護城市(sanctuary cities)”政策採取較強的態度。

           華盛頓郵報稱雷萌朵靠著她的創造工作機會，改善經濟，修補支離破碎的學校系統及道路等政績，以及提出大專院校免學費政策，贏得了民主黨提名。

Matt Brown在競選時，試圖以雷萌朵的籌款成績之豐，來描繪她和企業利益太靠近。在人口僅一百多萬的羅德島州，雷萌朵競選連任籌得的經費總數，卻已逾760萬元。

Matt Brwon也說，醫療保險，住宅，教育，兒童護理都花費太多，如果他當選州長，他會打造不同類型，對每個人都好，而不只是對少數人有利的經濟。

紐英崙婦女新運會慶創會78週年

紐英崙婦女新運會舞蹈班成員合影。(周菊子攝)

紐英崙婦女新運會理事，幹部們和駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典，杜麗雲(中)夫婦合影。(周菊子攝)

已高齡90的李伍綺蓮(左)是紐英崙婦女新運會的
中流砥柱。(周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)紐英崙婦女新運會9月8日慶祝創會78週年，在帝苑大酒樓與三，四百名嘉賓同歡。

大會由林黎輝，阮奕雲擔任司儀，主席李盧蓮馨致歡迎詞，主席張青梅致答謝詞，成員包括歷屆會長的紐英崙婦女新運會舞蹈團，由李伍碧香率隊表演排舞娛賓。

駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長徐佑典，波士頓第二區市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)都應邀出席，先後致詞，送表揚狀。

鄧秋華(中)等紐英崙婦女新運會的資深理事長期支持婦女會的活動。
(周菊子攝)

紐英崙婦女新運會在波士頓是個歷史悠久，意義深遠的機構，1940年由時為蔣委員長夫人，也是衛斯理學院校友的蔣宋美齡所發起創辦，起初的主要目地是協助籌款，濟助建國經費，後來專注於服務社區，早年辦英語班，近年辦健康講座，組團到中華一養院等機構探訪老人家。

紐英崙婦女新運會的會址，歷經時代變遷，也從泰勒街搬到必珠街桃園餅家樓上，再搬到紐英崙中華公所地下室。

歷任紐英崙婦女新運會會長，包括現已高齡逾90的李伍綺蓮，以及梅伍銀寬，李慧芳，李曹慶萍，李廖認寬，湯鳳鳴，呂錦芳，鄧秋華等人，至今依然積極餐與會務，服務社區。(圖片已於9月10日發表)

紐英崙婦女新運會兩名新任會長張青梅(左)，李盧蓮馨(右)。(周菊子攝)

波士頓經文處處長徐佑典致詞，引用聖經篇章。(周菊子攝)

波士頓市議員愛德華費林頒發表揚狀給紐英崙婦女新運會。左起，
阮奕雲，會長張青梅，會長李盧蓮馨，林黎輝。(周菊子攝)

李盧蓮馨(右四)獻花給李伍碧香(左三)，代表婦女會謝謝她教大家
跳舞。(周菊子攝)

波士頓華埠社區中心9/29邀你體驗唐人街藝術節

BCNC Holds First Experience Chinatown Arts Festival

Boston, MA – On September 29^th, 2018, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) will be holding its first-ever Experience Chinatown arts festival at three locations in Boston’s Chinatown: the Pao Arts Center at 99 Albany Street, Rose Kennedy Greenway – Chinatown Park, and One Greenway Park at 66 Hudson Street. Experience Chinatown aims highlight and celebrate Asian immigrant and Asian American voices in the arts, culture, and creativity.  The event will to show another side of Chinatown, a new take on Asian American cultures and highlight today’s Asian American artists.

From 11:00am-3:00pm, the free, full-day event for all ages will include workshops, music and dance performances, food trucks, and pop-up happenings. Experience Chinatown will feature Cambodian dance with Angkor Dance Troupe, Bollywood-inspired dance fitness with BollyX, film previews from Boston Asian American Film Festival, Japanese Taiko drumming with Genki Spark, Chinese lion dance with Nüwa Athletic Club, kite-making with the Museum of Fine Arts, and more. Visitors will be able to make new friends and create with their families through hands-on arts activities.

After dark, the lights dim and the Pao Arts Center theater transforms into the place to discover the latest Asian American performers. This 18+ ticketed event will feature jazz, folk, dance, hip-hop, and punk by Brenda Lau, Anju Madhok, Jennifer Lin, Rex Mac, and Saraswathi Jones/Awaaz Do. You can purchase your tickets here: https://bcnc.net/upcoming-events/experience-chinatown-after-dark.

That same evening, be sure to check out the multi-channel installation WITH/OUT WATER by Yu-Wen Wu, which will premiere outside at One Greenway Park (66-68 Hudson St.) from 7:00pm-10:00pm. This free exhibition of video projections explores environmental awareness and climate displacement.

Schedule of Events:

11:00am-3:00pm                       Experience Chinatown Arts Festival

7:00pm-9:00pm                         Experience Chinatown After Dark

7:00pm-10:00pm                      With/Out Water by Yu-Wen Wu

Supporters and partners include: Asian Community Development Corporation, ArtPlace America, Bank of America, Barr Foundation, Capital One, City of Boston, Comcast, Creating Connection Experimentation Fund, supported by Arts Midwest Metropolitan Group and Barr Foundation, The Fuller Foundation, The Kensington, Maloney Properties, Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, Tower at One Greenway, Tufts Medical Center, and Tufts University. For more information, go to: https://bcnc.net/upcoming-events/experiencechinatown

包氏文藝中心將於9月29日（星期六）舉行《體驗唐人街藝術節》，歡迎大家一同來參與這個亞美文化新體驗！當日節目包括舞獅、舞蹈、太鼓演出，寶萊塢健身工作坊、各種手工藝班等等，還有藝術小市集和美食車。所有活動將會在11時到3時進行，地點包括唐人街牌坊，包氏文藝中心和乞臣街66號的戶外草地。我們期待大家能夠騰空參與！

中華頤養院9/18營養早餐會將趣談食物

                   South Cove Manor at Quincy Point presents Healthy Aging Seminar “Fun Food Facts”
Tuesday, September 18, 2018 9:30am – 11:00am

South Cove Manor at Quincy Point, a non-profit rehabilitation center located in Quincy, is pleased to announce that our next monthly Healthy Aging seminar “Fun Food Facts: Being Smart about Nutrition” will be held on Tuesday, September 18, 2018 at 9:30am at our campus at 288 Washington Street, Quincy.

Dawn Macleod-Kulig, Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist, is the featured speaker, and will address the importance of a healthy diet as an essential element of a successful personal wellness program.  Ms. Macleod-Kulig is a consulting dietitian and has many years of clinical elder care experience.

Healthy Aging Seminars is a community education program focusing on health topics of interest and concern to older adults and their caregivers. The free seminars are held on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month from 9:30am - 11:00am at South Cove Manor, 288 Washington Street, Quincy, and include a light breakfast.

Everyone is welcome to attend the program which is generously funded by Lasalle St. Investment Advisors LLC and Jumbo Seafood Gourmet Chinese Restaurant, and tours are available after the program for those interested. No rsvp is needed, and free parking is available.

For more information about the Healthy Aging Seminars, or to suggest a topic, please contact Stanley Thang at 617-423-0590.

TREASURER GOLDBERG ANNOUNCES LATEST RELEASE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LISTINGS

TREASURER GOLDBERG ANNOUNCES LATEST RELEASE OF UNCLAIMED PROPERTY LISTINGS

Over 44,000 New Properties are Owed to Individuals and Businesses

BOSTON - Massachusetts State Treasurer Deb Goldberg today announced the latest grouping of names that have been added to the state’s list of unclaimed property owners. Over 44,000 new properties worth millions of dollars are owed to individuals and businesses throughout the Commonwealth.

“We currently hold over $3.4 billion in unclaimed property at Treasury and it could be yours,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “One in ten Massachusetts residents are owed money. Call our office today to begin the claims process.”

Unclaimed property includes forgotten savings and checking accounts, un-cashed checks, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, dividends, and the contents of unattended safe deposit boxes. Most accounts are considered abandoned and are turned over to the state after three years of inactivity. Last year, Treasury processed over 123,000 claims and returned over $104 million in property to its rightful owners.

This newly released list includes only individuals and businesses with unclaimed property over $100. Treasurer Goldberg urged all citizens to check the comprehensive list for all amounts at www.findmassmoney.com or call our live call center at 888-344-MASS (6277).

The full list of the new individuals and businesses added to the unclaimed property list was published in the Boston Globe on September 10th and will be published in the Herald on September 16th. In addition, the list of names will be published in over 30 regional and local papers.

The Treasury releases an updated list of unclaimed property assets every six months as the new accounts are turned over to the Commonwealth. There is no time limit for a person to claim this property and, in many cases, claimants will receive interest.

麻州眾議員黃子安競選連任 麻州長站台支持

黃子安夫婦和母親黃陳美蘭(前)，麻州州長查理
貝克(Charlie Bkaer)合影。(黃子安提供)

麻州眾議員黃子安(Donald Wong)於9月7日在他家族的九龍餐廳舉辦競選連任籌款會。他那高齡91歲的母親也親自出席支持。他說，是他的父母教會他要回饋社區。他競選連任，就是要為大家，以及下一代努力。作為一名兒子，丈夫，父親，祖父，他都很幸運，從這四個角色，他學到很多書本上學不到的東西。他也從政府工作，經商，以及扶養家庭中，學到很多，尤其是扶養家庭，要顧到醫療保險，貸款，稅，學費，就業，為家人安排時間各方面事務。
他認為，人們需要一個不是為自己，而是為麻州人民生活品質的人進政府工作。他希望能爭取到選民門的神聖一票。
這天的籌款餐會有很多發言者，其中最特別的是麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)。
同為共和黨員的他們兩人，經過三年多的在州政府共事，已成為很好的朋友。(所有圖片由黃子安提供)

Friday, September 7, 2018
My re-election fundraiser
I would love to thank everyone for coming and making this re-election fundraiser such a success. We had some great speakers. 
But the most important persons were my Mother who is 91 years old and my wife. My parents are the ones that has taught me to give back to the community. 
Today, I’m running for re-election for all of us and future generations. 
I’m fortunate to be a son, husband, father, and grandfather. I have learned a lot about life from those four positions, that you can’t learn from books.
Being in government, business, and raising a family has taught me so much. Especially raising a family; Health Care, Morgage’s, Taxes, Tuitions, Work, and scheduling your time for family.
We need a person, who is not in government for themselves but for the quality of life of people in this Commonwealth.
I humbly ask for your vote in November。(all pictures are provided by Donald Wong)