AG HEALEY JOINS FEDERAL AND STATE COALITION TO SHUT DOWN ILLEGAL ROBOCALL AND CHARITY FRAUD OPERATION

 AG HEALEY JOINS FEDERAL AND STATE COALITION TO SHUT DOWN ILLEGAL ROBOCALL AND CHARITY FRAUD OPERATION

Defendants Made more than 1.3 Billion Deceptive Fundraising Calls—Mostly Illegal Robocalls—Claiming to Support Various Groups including Veterans, Children, and Firefighters

BOSTON – Attorney General Maura Healey, along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and 38 states and the District of Columbia, has stopped a massive telefunding operation that bombarded 67 million consumers with 1.3 billion deceptive charitable fundraising calls—mostly illegal robocalls. Nearly 54 million calls were made to Massachusetts phone numbers in less than four years through this telefunding operation. Overall, the defendant companies collected more than $110 million using their deceptive solicitations.

 

Associated Community Services (ACS) and a number of related defendants have agreed to settle charges by the FTC and state agencies that they misled generous Americans into donating to charities that failed to provide the services they promised. The complaint names ACS and its sister companies Central Processing Services and Community Services Appeal; their owners, Dick Cole, Bill Burland, Barbara Cole, and Amy Burland; and ACS senior managers Nikole Gilstorf, Tony Lia, John Lucidi, and Scot Stepek. In addition, the complaint names two fundraising companies allegedly operated by Gilstorf and Lia as spin-offs of ACS—Directele, and The Dale Corporation.

 

“These companies inundated consumers with more than one billion deceptive and illegal robocalls in order to exploit their generosity and trick them into giving to sham charities,” said AG Healey. “We have worked with our federal and state partners to shut down this operation and protect our residents from being duped by scammers looking to profit.”

“Deceptive charitable fundraising can be big business for scammers, especially when they use illegal robocalls,” said Daniel Kaufman, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The FTC and our state partners are prepared to hold fraudsters accountable when they target generous consumers with lies.”

According to the complaint, the defendants knew that the organizations for which they were fundraising spent little or no money on the charitable causes they claimed to support—in some cases as little as one-tenth of a percent. The defendants kept as much 90 cents of every dollar they solicited from generous donors on behalf of the charities.

The defendants allegedly made their deceptive pitches since at least 2008 on behalf of numerous organizations that claimed to support homeless veterans, victims of house fires, breast cancer patients, children with autism, and other causes that well-meaning Americans were enticed to support through the defendants’ high-pressure tactics. ACS was also the major fundraiser for the sham Cancer Fund charities that were shut down by the FTC and states in 2015.

 

In many instances, the complaint alleges, ACS, and later Directele, knowingly violated the Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) by using soundboard technology in telemarketing calls. With that technology, an operator plays pre-recorded messages to consumers instead of speaking with them naturally. Use of such pre-recorded messages in calls to first-time donors violates the TSR. Use of the technology in calls to prior donors also violates the TSR unless call recipients are affirmatively told about their ability to opt out of all future calls and provided a mechanism to do so. The defendants did not make that disclosure. Most of Directele’s soundboard calls originated from call centers in the Philippines and India.

 

The complaint also charges ACS with making harassing calls, noting that ACS called more than 1.3 million phone numbers more than ten times in a single week and 7.8 million numbers more than twice in an hour. More than 500 phone numbers were even called 5,000 times or more.

 

The ACS defendants were the subject of 20 prior law enforcement actions for their fundraising practices. The ACS defendants stopped operating in September 2019. Gilstorf purchased Directele and Dale Corp in October 2019 and, with Lia, the Directele defendants allegedly continued the deceptive fundraising and illegal telemarketing practices. The complaint alleges the defendants violated Massachusetts General Laws chapters 68 § 32 and 93A § 2, the FTC Act, the TSR, and numerous other state laws.

 

The terms of the settlements with the defendants are as follows:

 

Associated Community Services Defendants

 

Each of these defendants will be permanently prohibited from conducting or consulting on any fundraising activities and from conducting telemarketing of any kind to sell goods or services. In addition, they will be prohibited from using any existing donor lists and from further violations of state charitable giving laws, as well as from making any misrepresentation about a product or service. The defendants will also be subject to the following monetary judgments:

 

• Associated Community Services, Inc.; Community Services, Inc.; Central Processing Services, Inc.; and Richard “Dick” Cole are subject to a monetary judgment of $110,063,843, which is suspended due to an inability to pay.
• Community Services Appeal, Inc. and Barbara Cole are subject to a monetary judgment of $110,063,843, which is partially suspended due to an inability to pay. Barbara Cole also will be required to turn over the proceeds of the sale of a vacation home in Michigan.
• Robert W. “Bill” Burland and Amy J. Burland are subject to a monetary judgment of $110,063,843, which is partially suspended due to an inability to pay. Amy Burland will be required to turn over $450,000.

 

Directele Defendants and ACS Senior Managers Scot Stepek and John Lucidi

Each of these defendants will be permanently prohibited from any fundraising work or consulting on behalf of any charitable organization or any nonprofit organization that claims to work on behalf of causes similar to those outlined in the complaint. They’ll also be prohibited from using robocalls for any form of telemarketing, using abusive calling practices, or making any misrepresentation about a product or service. In addition, the defendants will be required to clearly and conspicuously disclose when a donation they are requesting is not tax deductible and the two corporate defendants—Directele Inc. and The Dale Corporation—will be required to cease operations and dissolve. The defendants will also be subject to the following monetary judgments:

 

• Scot Stepek will be subject to a monetary judgment of $110,063,843, which is partially suspended due to an inability to pay. Stepek will be required to sell a ski boat in his possession and turn over the net proceeds from the sale.
• Directele Inc., The Dale Corporation, Nikole Gilstorf, and Antonio Lia will be subject to a monetary judgment of $1.6 million. Gilstorf and Lia also will be subject to a judgment of $110,063,843. The judgments are partially suspended due to an inability to pay. Gilstorf and Lia will each be required to turn over $10,000.
• John Lucidi will be subject to a judgment of $110,063,843, which is partially suspended due to an inability to pay. He will be required to turn over $25,000.

Other state agencies joining the case with the Massachusetts AG’s Office and the FTC include the attorneys general of Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,  Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming; the secretaries of state of Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee; and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Utah Division of Consumer Protection.

The complaint and stipulations were filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The funds being surrendered by the defendants will be paid to an escrow fund held by the State of Florida and, following a motion by the participating states and approval by the court, be contributed to one or more legitimate charities that support causes similar to those for which the defendants solicited.

Consumers with questions about this settlement can contact the FTC’s Consumer Response Center.

AG Healey’s Office encourages potential donors to consider the following points when they are contacted by a solicitor for charitable donations:

• Is the solicitor calling your home a volunteer or a professional fundraiser?
• How much of every dollar donated will go to the charity?
• Confirm the charity’s name and the services it offers.

For additional tips on donating, consumers may also review our Giving Wisely Advisory and the Donating Dos and Don’ts: A Guide to Charitable Giving.

For Massachusetts, the case was handled by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Lyons of AG Healey’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division. 

John Barros今日加入 波士頓市長參選人增至5名

John Barros 過去數個月來，在臉書上頻繁主持小企業會議。(檔案照片)

            (Boston Orange 綜合編譯)波士頓市長參選人又多一名了。在波士頓市經濟發展長職務上已任職7年的巴洛斯(John Barros)，終於正式宣佈參選了。

            巴洛斯說他有幫助波士頓在病毒大流行之後，因應，恢復和重新開放所需要的經驗和技能。他一生致力於關鍵議題，有著其他候選人所沒有的經歷，參選是因為他相信自己才是幫助波士頓市因應此刻所面對挑戰的正確人選。

            巴洛斯在2013年時曾參選波士頓市長，如今再次跳入選戰，要和三名波士頓市議員，Andrea Campbell，Annissa Essaibi George，吳弭(Michelle Wu)，還有麻州眾議員暨急救房醫生的Jon Santiago競爭。

            巴洛斯強調他的經營非牟利機構，草根階層組織，以及在波士頓市府擔任內閣首長經歷，讓他成為接替現任市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)，並帶領波士頓成為一個安全，正義，更公平城市的最佳人選。

            巴洛斯現年47歲，在洛士百利(Roxbury)的杜爹利街(Dudley)長大，是一名佛德角(Cape Verdean)移民之子，功課很好，上了長春藤大學，進了曼哈頓的大企業工作。2010年時，他成為波士頓學校委員會有史以來第一位有佛德角血統的委員。

            2013年波士頓市長初選，他的得票率排名第6，之後進華殊政府工作。

            巴洛斯表示，他也打算優先處理氣候變化，平等及包容等議題，尤其是可負擔住宅，以及支持市內學校及家庭。他說他將針對已陷入困境的麥迪遜公園技術職業高中，稱該校是波士頓市的寶石，需要支持和培育。

            巴洛斯為他曾經領導波士頓市的差距調查感到驕傲。該調查結果發現市府發交給黑人，拉丁裔及白種女性所經營企業的合約，金額極少。但他抗拒批評者指華殊政府在改善那些數據上做得不夠的說法。

            巴洛斯指出，那些數據雖然令人震驚，但並不是剛剛才發生，2003年就有一份同樣主題的差距調查，但沒有定論。他說市府以前沒有乾淨俐落的數據來處理這重要問題，或滿足實質性差距的法律定義。但有了這調查後，情況就改變了。

           他說，”我們必須確保我們做的這工作，能把波士頓市帶上正軌。我為我們有正確工具感到驕傲，也為市長簽署了有高理想目標的行政命令，將使報告和問責有了清楚規定感到驕傲。

            巴洛斯在Nubian廣場的一家小企業Haley House推出了他的第一場競選活動。這名已婚，有四個小孩的父親，已從市府離職，回到小企業行列，重新成為他和一名兄弟，表兄弟共同擁有餐廳，Cesaria的共同業主。

           巴洛斯說，這家餐廳和許多其他小企業一樣，受到新冠病毒大流行的衝擊，有些幾名經理在無薪工作，以支撐餐廳經營下去。

            他說第一次參選市長時，他打的是一場上坡戰，因為他必須努力的向廣大波士頓市介紹自己，還要證明他能做城市領導，但是在華殊政府任職8年之後，他能夠很有效的證明，他的經驗是所有其他參選人比不上的。

Gina M. Raimondo Sworn in as 40th U.S. Secretary of Commerce

           (Boston Orange)在美國參眾兩院聽證會以84比15票通過後，雷萌朵(Gina M. Raimondo)在副總統賀錦麗(Kamala Harris )主禮中，於3月3日宣誓就任美國第40任商務部部長。

雷萌朵的職務包括促進經濟發展的國際貿易行政，工業及安全局，以及美國人口統計局，美國專利及貿易辦公室，全國海洋及大氣候行政局，經濟發展局，少數族裔企業發展行政局，全國電信及資訊行政局，經濟分析，全國標準科技局等等。

雷萌朵表示商務部有一個簡單重要的使命，刺激薪水好的工作，賦予企業家能力創新、成長，幫助美國工人及企業。

雷萌朵之前是羅德島州第75任州長，也是該州有史以來第一位女州長，把州內失業率降低到1989年以來的最低點。擔任州長前，她是羅德島州的財務長，處理該州無經費支撐，卻有責任要支付的70億元退休金。在擔任公職前，她創辦有自己的風險投資公司。

Gina M. Raimondo Sworn in as 40th U.S. Secretary of Commerce

WASHINGTON – Today, Gina M. Raimondo was sworn in as the 40th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Secretary Raimondo was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris after a bipartisan vote of 84-15 in the United States Senate. In her role as Secretary of Commerce, Raimondo will lead a key agency focused on promoting economic growth, which includes the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of Industry and Security, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Patent and Trade Office, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Economic Development Administration, Minority Business Development Administration, National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and National Institute of Standards and Technology.

“The Commerce Department has a simple but vital mission — to spur good-paying jobs, empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow, and help American workers and businesses compete,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Growing economic opportunity for American businesses and workers is the mission that has driven my career, and as we face overlapping crises that have hurt our economy and robbed too many families of their sense of financial security, that mission is more critical than ever. The Commerce Department will work relentlessly to create good-paying jobs, level the playing field for our workers and businesses, and build an economy that does not leave any communities behind. I am honored to assume this position and ready to get work for the American people.”

Secretary Raimondo most recently served as the 75th Governor of Rhode Island and its first woman governor. As Governor, she brought unemployment down to its lowest rate since 1989 and helped spur a record number of new businesses in Rhode Island year after year. Under her leadership, Rhode Island became a national leader in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the most tests per capita in the nation and one of the fastest-recovering economies. Prior to her time as Governor, she was Rhode Island’s General Treasurer where she tackled the state’s tackled the state's $7 billion unfunded pension liability. Before entering public service, Secretary Raimondo worked in venture capital – founding her own firm in her home state of Rhode Island.

Follow Secretary Raimondo on Twitter at @SecRaimondo.

BPCAE控告波士頓公校案 法官准民權團體參與爭辯

             (Boston Orange 編譯)波士頓公校系統修改三所考試學校錄取新生辦法引發的法律訴訟，3月2日上庭後，法官William G. Young允許第三方的民權聯盟干預，要求涉案三方異中求，3月16日再次開庭。

              代表波士頓公校系統的律師同意，將把學生錄取通知書從原定的3月29日延至4月中再發出去。

                波士頓市公校系統因為新冠病毒疫情，決定三所考試學校今年不辦考試，改以學生的學業成績和居住地點的郵遞區號，做為2021年度的錄取新生衡量標準。

             這辦法將把三所考試學校20%的學位，完全以學業成績及2019年的麻州標準考試成績(MCAS)為依據來分發，另外的80%學位，將以學業成績，MCAS分數，以及郵遞區號的綜合考量來分配，波士頓市內學齡兒童最多的鄰里，將獲得最多學位。

               這三所考試學校是波士頓拉丁學校(Boston Latin School)，波士頓拉丁學院(Boston Latin Academy)，以及約翰奧布萊恩數學及科學學校(John D. O’Bryant School of Math & Science)。

             去年11月組成，在訴訟中代表14名學生的波士頓家長學業優異聯盟(BPCAE，Boston Parent Coalition for Academic Excellence)，為此於上週五提起訴訟，聲稱該辦法違犯了憲法賦予學生們的權利，而且將人為的有利於拉丁裔及非洲裔學生，有害於亞裔及白人學生。

             這訴訟聲稱按照郵遞區號分配，是反亞裔行為，將在增加拉丁裔及黑人學生的註冊入學人數之際，減少了亞裔及白人學生進入考試學校的人數。

             聯邦地區法院法官William G. Young表示，支持讓學校以郵遞區號做為錄取學生的衡量辦法之一的民權聯盟團體，包括全國有色人種促進會(NAACP)的波士頓分會，大波士頓拉丁人網，亞裔民權行動網(Asian Pacific Islanders Civic Action Network)，亞裔文化資源中心(Asian American Resource Workshop)，也可以在這訟案中提出爭辯意見。

            法官William G. Young要求原告，學校人員，以及民權團體在庭外會晤，並決定他們有哪些意見一致的地方，又有哪些爭議。下一次開庭排在3月16日。

麻州中小學教師3/11起可接種新冠疫苗

麻州州長查理貝克訪問西教區小學，慶祝學生返校上課第101日。

(視頻截圖)

(Boston Orange 綜合編譯)麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)今(3)日宣佈，中小學教師3月11日起可在全州各地的170個疫苗站接種新冠疫苗了。麻州這個月只會收到約58000劑J&J疫苗。

下週，麻州將在Lower Merrimack Valley新增一個區域合作疫苗注射站，查詢詳情可上網mass.gov/covidvaccinemapmass。

美國總統拜登(Joe Biden)2日才呼籲各州政府，最遲在本月底前，讓老師們接種新冠病毒疫苗，以期學校教育可以早日恢復正常。查理貝克坦言，把老師們接種疫苗的排序提前，是響應拜登總統的呼籲。

州長辦公室提供

麻州參議會議長President Karen Spilka也在2日時號召議會同仁向查理貝克施壓，催促他在讓老師們注射疫苗上激進些。

符合資格接種新冠病毒疫苗的幼稚園到12年級老師，大約有40萬人。查理貝克表示，在3月11日起，這些人將納入有資格接種疫苗名單後，州政府的疫情指揮中心將在7個大型疫苗注射站排出特定日期，為老師們施打疫苗。

麻州政府指出，礙於聯邦政府交付的疫苗數量有限，加上現有的已符合注射疫苗資格人數相當多，估計至少要一個月的時間，才能讓所有符合資格者打上第一劑疫苗。

麻州估計，包括第一劑和第二劑，本週會施打共約25萬劑疫苗。3月4日時，會有12000個施打疫苗機會供符合資格人士登記，麻州的大型疫苗注射站已有45000人預約了施打第二劑疫苗。

查理貝克今早和副州長白莉朵(Karyn Polito)等人專程前往位於高羅士打(Gloucester)的西教區小學(West Parish)，慶祝該校返校上課第101日。

在3月份只會收到一次，共約58000劑的J&J疫苗之外，麻州大約每週會收到15萬劑輝瑞(Pfizer)，以及莫當納(Moderna)疫苗。其中大約5萬劑是由聯邦政府的零售醫藥項目，直接配送給麻州的CVS分店。 

GLOUCESTER — Today, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that K-12 educators, child care workers and K-12 school staff will be eligible to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments starting March 11.  This group of workers will join the current eligible groups (including 65+ and individuals with 2+ certain medical conditions). 

The Administration also released details on available appointments for the upcoming week.

Vaccines for K-12 Educators, Child Care Workers and K-12 School Staff

Beginning March 11^th, all K-12 educators, child care workers and K-12 school staff will be eligible to schedule appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine. Educators may book appointments at all 170 sites currently open to eligible residents in Massachusetts by visiting www.mass.gov/covidvaccinemap . 

Additionally, the Command Center will work to designate specific days at the seven mass vaccination sites for educators to get their shots.  More details will be released soon.

There are approximately 400,000 K-12 educators, child care workers and K-12 school staff in Massachusetts.  Due to a severely constrained federal supply and the existing population that is currently eligible for vaccines, it is estimated that it will take a month for all eligible individuals to secure a first appointment.  This timeframe is only subject to change if federal supply increases dramatically, including the recently authorized Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

Vaccine Appointments

This week, the Commonwealth anticipates over 250,000 doses will be administered between first and second doses across all providers throughout the Commonwealth.

On Thursday, March 4, 12,000 new first appointments for mass vaccination sites will be made available to eligible groups. Over 45,000 new second dose appointments have also been scheduled at mass vaccination sites.

The number of new appointments (first dose appointments) is less than previous weeks due to the volume of second dose appointments. 7,500 appointments have also been booked by the call center (211) for older adults who were unable to use a computer to book an appointment and required assistance.

As more individuals have received a first vaccine dose  across the Commonwealth, there is a greater  need to book second appointments, so the mass vaccination sites have fewer first dose appointments available on a weekly basis.

Later next week, a new Regional Collaboration will go live: the Lower Merrimack Valley regional collaboration, to include the City of Amesbury, Georgetown, Groveland, Merrimac, Newbury, Newburyport, Rowley, Salisbury and West Newbury. Details on this collaborative will be on the website at mass.gov/covidvaccinemap next week.

Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

The COVID-19 Command Center was notified that Massachusetts is receiving only one shipment of 58,000 doses for the month of March. These doses have been allocated – primarily to hospitals and health systems.

Based on information the Commonwealth has received from the federal government, the Administration does not expect to be able to order more J&J doses until the end of March or early April.

While the Commonwealth is receiving limited doses of the J&J vaccine in March, the Administration is continuing to plan for eventual widespread distribution of the J&J vaccine

波克萊台商會3/8 昆士市3/15 辦會議慶祝婦女節

 (Boston Orange) 跨入三月份，大波士頓有一系列以女性為主題的演講活動，其中聲勢最浩大的是波克萊台灣商會和15個組織合辦，訂美東時間3月8日晚，7到8點半舉行的”和婦女領袖晤談(A Conversation with Women Leaders)”。

            這活動分生物科技，以及政治經濟兩場座談，講者包括中華民國駐美代表蕭美琴，刻正競選波士頓市長的波士頓市不分區市議員吳弭(Michelle Wu)，哈佛大學商學院首名台裔女教授黃樂仁(Laura Huang)，美迪西基金(Foundation medicine)全球投資組合策略主管暨資深副總裁Amy Lin，Clinical Development Operation 副總裁   Tara O'malley，以及默克(Merk)在2月25日宣佈以18.5億元收購的Pandion療法聯合創辦人Jo Viney等人。

昆士市計劃局小企業行銷講座。(圖片來自臉書)

             報名可上網：https://btcc.eventbrite.com。

北美台灣人工程科學協會(NATEA)則訂3月5日的晚上5到7點，以及3月12日舉辦”婦女高峰會”，介紹10名在科技、創業界的女性，以慶祝2021年的國際婦女節。講者包括播客主持人Vickie Tung，谷歌高級軟體工程師Jenny Chieh，Dictionary.com產品管理主任Jolie Huang，微軟金融服務消費者組主管Michelle Peterson，500 Startups執行長Christine Tsai，北美台灣人工程科學協會董事Alice Huo，Fomulate Ventures創辦人Morgan Lai等人。查詢詳情可上網https://natea.org/upcoming-events/。

3月5日至6日，有一場以黑人，土著及有色婦女(BIWOC)同聚，談健康，療癒及希望的會議。講者包括亞裔婦女健康會的黃千姬。查詢詳情可上網BIWOC Gathering Circle。

                         3月15日晚上6點，有昆士市計畫局舉辦的”小企業市場行銷”網路會議，講者包括CareDash的資深數位行銷專員Tiffany Tang，亞美專業人士協會波士頓分會(NAAAP Boston)主任暨Meduvi創辦人Renee Lin，以及婦女加速器共同創辦人Susu Wong。查詢可上網https://fb.me/e/1atets0G0。(更新版)

吳弭(Michelle Wu)競選波士頓市長 倡議可負擔幼兒托育計劃

吳弭在臉書上宣揚他倡議的可負擔全民學齡前兒童教育項目。

           (Boston Orange綜合報導)刻正競選波士頓市市長的吳弭(Michelle Wu)今(2)日宣佈，為彌平波士頓市的兒童照顧差距，要為0至3歲兒童制定真正具普遍性的可負擔高品質學齡前教育計畫。

                 目前波士頓市處於托兒照顧危機之中，有80%波士頓家庭花在托兒照顧上的費用，超過家庭收入的10%。麻州是全美托兒照顧第二貴的州，以至於可負擔項目的等候名單非常長。

             吳弭的計畫確認這一危機的存在，並採取全市動員方法，投資在下一代身上，以彌平種族及經濟上的托兒差距，把波士頓打造成對所有人來說都是個對家庭很友好的城市。

作為一名職業婦女，波士頓市議員吳弭對於家有幼兒者，要在波士頓尋覓托兒照顧和早期教育上所面對的挑戰與差距，有著再熟悉不過的切身感受。2014年時，她成為波士頓市第一個懷孕生子的在位議員，生下現年6歲，在Sumner學校讀幼稚園二年級的Blaise。2017年時，她成為第一位生小孩的市議會議長，迎接了現年3歲，沒能得到波士頓公校幼稚園一年級學位的Cass。她曾經為CNN寫過一篇文章，描述作為一名職業婦女，為兼顧工作，到托兒所接送兒子，如何在各種交通工具之間穿梭的經歷。她也是波士頓市有薪家事假法案的起草人，該議案於2015年簽署成法，奧巴馬總統還在勞工節演講中引述。。

             她指出，有科學研究指出，幼童在0至3歲間學習能力最強，學到的東西也會影響他們一輩子，波士頓市在托兒照顧及早期教育上的投資，將為波士頓市、美國，培養更好人才，效益遠大於支出。

             吳弭計畫在波士頓市府成立一個新的早期教育及照顧辦公室，並建立一站式服務，從註冊，外展到資訊的為家長們掃除障礙，協調州，聯邦及本地資源。

             吳弭也計畫利用波士頓公校現有的專業發展架構，探討在麥迪遜公園職業技術高中等學校，設立早期教育及照顧課程，投資培養托兒照顧及早期教育人力。

             鑒於新型冠狀病毒大流行過後，包括波士頓市政府，以及許多公司行號可能不再要求所有員工到辦公室上班，吳弭希望研究修訂市府區域規劃法，利用市府以及私營企業所有的空間，以免租或減租形式，鼓勵更多符合資格者在更多不同地點為市民提供托兒照顧及早期教育服務，紓緩家長的奔波疲累。

             她也計畫鼓勵市府所有部門充分利用政府權力，以做公益行式來支持早期教育，確保資源及項目。

             波士頓環球報指出，早期教育在以往一向被視為職業婦女的個人問題，近年卻在政治圈成為人們強調需要公共投資的公益項目。

             聯邦參議員，也是吳弭的政治導師的伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)參選美國總統時，就把早期教育列為政策之一。這議題在新冠病毒大流行，托兒所及幼稚園紛紛關閉，許多職業婦女被迫離職之際，也更顯重要。

             前幾星期，拜登總統也提出400億元救托兒所計畫。2星期前，議員們和一個全州性，的活躍份子和企業首長所組成的聯盟攜手推出要和幼稚園到12年級學校一樣，收取公費資助的全民早期教育系統。

             也在競選波士頓市長的波士頓市議員Andrea Campbell上週也要求召開公聽會，就波士頓市內普遍性學齡前教育狀態，以及為零到5歲兒童建立全民早期教育的完整計畫，聽取意見。

             波士頓市長馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh)在2013年競選市長時也允諾為所有人提供免費的有品質幼稚園前學習。八年之後，波士頓公校仍然只照顧到市內6400名4歲大兒童的大概一半。許多人認為對家長來說，該系統繼麻煩，又不公平，需要研究一大堆學校，然後經由抽籤競爭，還不保證是否會被接受入學。

             吳弭認為該系統為家庭製造了不必要的困擾及壓力，還一直存在著族裔不平等。在波士頓這也是大家都知道具有很高優先性的問題，她將以作為一名母親的急迫感來處理這議題。

             現年35歲的吳弭和現年38歲的Andrea Campbell各有2名男孩，也都未能免於在波士頓市作為幼兒母親的沮喪。

             Campbell的3歲兒子Alexander今年未能入讀波士頓公校。她住的麥特潘區(Mattapan)甚至沒有公校系統建議可選的那5所學校。

             吳弭那現年6歲的兒子Blaise，起初也進不了學齡前兒童班，排在等候名單上，在有無學位這事上，波士頓公校和吳弭溝通不良，然後吳弭今年3歲的兒子也沒抽中籤，得等明年看是否有機會進4歲的學齡前兒童班。吳弭說我家現在也處於邊緣狀態。

             波士頓環球報稱，當年一個委員會估計，波士頓市長馬丁華殊的有限版托兒照顧及早期教育計畫，得耗資5600萬元時，馬丁華殊和他麾下的政府人員都嚇到了。吳弭並未指出她所提方案得花多少錢，但她強調，不行動的代價，可能更高。

第125屆波士頓馬拉松賽訂10月11日舉行 首7萬報名者可參加虛擬賽

 

B.A.A. Announces Virtual Fall Boston Marathon Open to First 70,000 Entrants

Held in addition to in-person Boston Marathon in celebration of the 125^th edition of the historic race 

BOSTON—The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced it will offer a virtual Boston Marathon, which will be open to everyone aged 18 or over, in celebration of the 125th Boston Marathon this fall. Held in addition to the in-person Boston Marathon scheduled for Monday, October 11, 2021, the virtual race will be open to the first 70,000 registrants.

“We anticipate having a reduced field size for the in-person road race on Monday, October 11 but want to celebrate and honor the 125th running of the Boston Marathon through this virtual race,” said Tom Grilk, President and C.E.O. of the B.A.A. “For the first time in our history, most everyone will have the opportunity to earn a Unicorn finisher’s medal for every B.A.A. race in 2021—no matter whether they choose to walk or run.”

Registration for the virtual Boston Marathon will open through the B.A.A.’s Athletes’ Village and will take place separately from the in-person registration. All participants will need to complete the marathon distance of 26.2 miles in one, continuous attempt in order to earn their Unicorn finisher’s medal, but will not be limited to any time restrictions. Participants in the virtual 125th Boston Marathon also will receive a virtual toolkit with an official bib number, champion’s breaktape, start and finish line, and more.

Field size for the in-person Boston Marathon, scheduled to take place on Monday, October 11, has not yet been finalized but will be smaller than previous years in order to enhance participant and public safety. The B.A.A. will strive to achieve a field size composition as close to previous years as possible, with approximately 80% of the field being comprised of qualified entrants and 20% being comprised of invitational entries, including charity program runners. Details about the in-person race, including registration dates, COVID-19 safety measures, and participant requirements will be announced in the coming weeks.

"Building upon the success of the 2020 Boston Marathon Virtual Experience, we again will strive to bring the spirit of Boston to neighborhoods around the world through this virtual race," said Grilk. "No matter where you cross the finish line, the 125th Boston Marathon will be a celebration for all runners." In 2020, 16,183 runners from nearly 90 countries and all 50 U.S. states finished the Boston Marathon Virtual Experience.

In January, the B.A.A. launched Athletes’ Village, a virtual hub for free monthly challenges, paid training programs, and an online community for runners to interact. As part of the #RunTo125 campaign, the B.A.A. seeks to engage 125,000 athletes worldwide through virtual events and Athletes' Village challenges. The #RunTo125 celebrates athletes of all abilities, whether participating in the virtual B.A.A. 5K (April 16-18), Boston Marathon (in-person and virtual), or other upcoming B.A.A. races. Registration is currently open for the virtual B.A.A. 5K, which can be run anywhere over Patriots’ Day weekend.

塔芙茨醫療中心即日起接受公眾預約接種疫苗

波士頓市議員Ed Flynn舉辦疫苗說明會。

         (Boston Orange) 波士頓市議員愛德華費林(Ed Flynn)辦公室日轉告社區，塔芙茨醫療中心因收到了更多的疫苗，現在開始可以接受外界預約接種新冠病毒(COVID-19)疫苗。

                   塔芙茨醫院敦請有意接種新冠病毒疫苗者，先上網查詢自己是否符合現階段的接種疫苗資格。根據州政府規定，目前有資格接種疫苗者為65歲以上耆英，患有2種以上的某種病症者，醫護工作人員，第一線工作人員，低收入及可負擔老人屋宅居民及員工，還有住在長照機構，以及其他集體護理場所中的人。

             符合以上資格者，可上網(www . tuftsmcvaccine . org)預約接種疫苗日期，然後在約定時間到天滿街(Tremont)279號，就在萬豪(Marriott)酒店旁邊的塔芙茨醫療中心去。現場將有口翻譯人員提供協助。

             塔芙茨醫療中心並補充說明，根據麻州公共衛生廳的疫苗指南，輝瑞(Pfizer)，莫德納(Moderna)，以及強生和強生(Johnson & Johnson)這三種疫苗麻州都有，經過聯邦藥品管理局(FDA)和其他法規ㄉ位的嚴格審核，在預防住院和死亡上100%有效。

             人們將無法自行選擇打哪一種疫苗，人們能夠預約到哪一天接種疫苗，或將注射那種疫苗，都將視供應狀況而定。

          下為塔芙茨大學的新冠疫情數據:

塔夫茨大學新冠肺炎疫情波士頓健康科學校區更新(截至02/27/2021)

•          從2020年8月3日起，總計364,342人次的檢測已在塔夫茨大學全部四個校區完成(波士頓中國城，波士頓芬威/傳教山，梅德福/薩默維爾，格拉夫頓)

•          截止至02/27/2021，波士頓健康科學校區中：

o        17位確診病例被隔離

o          16位密切接觸者被隔離

o          181位患者已痊愈

•          過去7天內，波士頓健康科學校區中：

o          0名學生檢測為陽性，1,476名為陰性（0%陽性）

o          2名工作人員或教職人員檢測為陽性，731名為陰性（0.27%陽性）

•          自從8月3日開始檢測以來：

o          波士頓健康科學校區內，104名學生檢測為陽性，2,128名為陰性 （4.66%陽性）

o          波士頓健康科學校區內，38名雇員檢測為陽性，984名為陰性 （3.72%陽性）

•          平均檢測處理時間保持在24小時內

波士頓市訂4月1日全市恢復街道清掃停車規定

 街道清掃將於 3 月 1 日（週一）起在 North End、South End 和 Beacon Hill 恢復，並於 4 月 1 日在全市恢復。針對 針對街道清掃開立強制執行罰單也分別將在這些日期恢復，違反規定的車輛將予拖吊。 此外，Boston Transportation Department（波士頓交通局）也將於 3 月 1 日針對驗車貼紙和車輛登記過期者恢復開立強制執行罰單。

 

未能於公告的街道清掃時段移車者將處以 40 美元罰鍰； Charlestown 的罰鍰為 90 美元，過夜街道清掃罰鍰為 90 美元。 驗車貼紙或車輛登記過期者將處以 40 美元罰鍰。 停車代碼和罰鍰的完整清單請參閱 波士頓市網站。 若要瞭解更多有關日間和夜間街道清掃計畫，包括 Public Works Department（公共工程部）何時清掃特定社區，您可 線上註冊，接收街道清掃通知和 No-Tow（勿拖吊）提醒服務。

 

殘障標語牌

殘障標語牌/牌照如在公共衛生緊急狀況期間過期，介於當時民眾更新可能存在困難，BTD 將不會開具罰單。 Registry of Motor Vehicles（汽機車登記局）限定以郵寄方式處理殘障標語牌/牌照相關案件。

 

停車場

為支援醫護系統，BTD 已列出設施，為醫療專業人員提供免費、優待或保留車位服務。 若要享有停車折扣，醫護人員需出示醫院識別證。 請參閱參與服務的 設施清單。

 

BLUEBIKES

波士頓市聯合位於布魯克萊恩、劍橋、埃弗雷特及薩默維爾的市政合作夥伴為波士頓都會區所有雜貨店和藥局工作者提供公共單車共享系統 Bluebikes 的 90 天免費通行證。 為支持小型企業的員工，波士頓市也提供 90 天免費通行證給波士頓的零售店或餐廳工作者。 如需更多資訊，可參閱  boston.gov/bike-share。

Translations available in Spanish, Haitian Creole, Cabo Verdean Creole, Vietnamese, and Traditional Chinese.

 

Beginning Monday, March 1, street sweeping will resume in the North End, South End and Beacon Hill, and will resume citywide on April 1. Street sweeping ticketing enforcement will also resume on those dates respectively, and vehicles in violation will be subject to towing. Additionally, the Boston Transportation Department will resume ticketing enforcement for expired inspection stickers and vehicle registration on March 1.

 

Failure to move a vehicle during posted street sweeping hours results in a $40 fine; the fine is $90 in Charlestown, and $90 for overnight street sweeping. An expired inspection sticker or vehicle registration will result in a $40 fine. View a complete list of parking codes and fines in the City of Boston. To learn more about the daytime and nighttime street sweeping program, including when the Public Works Department cleans a particular neighborhood, you can sign up for street sweeping alerts and No-Tow reminder service online.

 

DISABILITY PLACARDS

BTD will not ticket for expired disability placards/plates if they expired during the public health emergency, given potential challenges for people to renew at this time. The Registry of Motor Vehicles is only processing requests for disability placards/plates by mail.

 

PARKING GARAGES

To support the medical community, BTD has identified facilities offering free, reduced rate or reserved parking for medical professionals. To receive discounted parking, medical staff will need to present a hospital ID. See the list of participating facilities.

 

BLUEBIKES 

The City of Boston and its municipal partners in Brookline, Cambridge, Everett, and Somerville are offering all grocery store and pharmacy workers in metro Boston a free 90-day pass for the public bike share system, Bluebikes. To support employees of small businesses, the City of Boston is also offering free 90-day passes to people who work in retail shops or restaurants in Boston. More information is available at boston.gov/bike-share.