AG HEALEY REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH BOSTON HOUSING PROVIDER FOR FAILING TO ACCOMMODATE A YOUNG CHILD’S DISABILITY

AG HEALEY REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH BOSTON HOUSING PROVIDER FOR FAILING TO ACCOMMODATE A YOUNG CHILD’S DISABILITY

Child with Asthma Exposed to Secondhand Smoke and Rodent Infestation; Case Is Part of AG’s Ongoing Efforts to Combat Housing Discrimination in Massachusetts, Including New Guidance for Landlords and Tenants 

            BOSTON – A property management company and its owner have agreed to pay $35,000 in restitution and implement no smoking policies in its Roxbury and Dorchester affordable housing units, to settle allegations that they unlawfully denied a tenant and their young disabled child the reasonable accommodations necessary to address secondhand smoke and a rodent infestation that posed a serious health risk to the child, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.

To help educate landlords, tenants, and those in the real estate business about requirements to provide reasonable housing accommodations, the AG’s Office today issued new resource guidance with information on state and federal housing laws. The AG’s Office also issued guidance for tenants on what to do when conditions in a home negatively impact their health or the health of a family member. Both resources guides are available in English and Spanish.

“Housing providers cannot deny tenants their right to a safe and sanitary home,” said AG Healey. “My office is committed to enforcing nondiscrimination and other laws that protect vulnerable tenants from living in conditions that make them sick, and we will continue to educate landlords and tenants about their rights and obligations under the law when it comes to apartment conditions and accommodations.”

            According to the AG’s settlement with Peabody Properties, Inc., a large property management company, and the apartment’s owner, JPNDC Pitts MM LLC, the two companies violated the state's antidiscrimination and consumer protection laws by failing to make a reasonable accommodation for a young child with asthma, despite repeated requests from the child’s parent and medical team. JPNDC Pitts and Peabody Properties allegedly failed to adequately address secondhand smoke that was seeping into their apartment and failed to mitigate a serious rodent infestation in the building that was aggravating the child’s asthma. While the two companies initially provided air purifiers for the family’s unit at the time they moved in, the air purifiers did not abate the presence of secondhand smoke in the unit and the child suffered serious medical consequences as a result. Requests from the child’s parent and medical team to transfer to a non-smoking unit as further reasonable accommodation were ignored, and the child’s health worsened as a result.

Under the terms of the settlement, JPNDC Pitts and Peabody Properties have agreed to pay the family $35,000, to implement a no smoking policy across the entire JPNDC portfolio of affordable housing units – which includes more than 200 units in the Boston area – and develop a plan to ensure the policy is enforced. Peabody Properties has also agreed to assist the family in accessing waitlists for properties outside of the JPNDC Pitts property portfolio that are smoke-free.

            This case was referred to the AG’s Office from the Boston Fair Housing Commission, which found probable cause that the two companies failed to provide a reasonable accommodation.

AG Healey has been a leader in combatting housing discrimination in Massachusetts and has taken similar action involving discrimination against tenants with disabilities. In 2021, the AG’s Office reached a settlement with the Boston Housing Authority to resolve allegations that it denied a tenant and child with significant health issues access to suitable housing. During Fair Housing Month in April, the AG’s Office announced the resolution of four housing discrimination cases in which tenants were refused housing due to their receipt of public assistance. In the same month, AG Healey reached agreements with two companies as part of an ongoing investigation into the tenant screening and background check industry for potential discriminative algorithms being used to screen prospective tenants for housing. Additionally, in 2020, several South Shore real estate brokers resolved an investigation by the AG’s Office into allegations that they discriminated against prospective tenants based on receipt of public assistance.

 

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office is committed to enforcing the state’s antidiscrimination laws and encourages those who have concerns about housing discrimination to call the office’s Civil Rights Division at 617-963-2917 or to file a complaint online.

 

Today’s settlement matter was handled by Managing Attorney Amanda Hainsworth of AG Healey’s Civil Rights Division, with assistance from Ciara Tran of the AG’s Civil Investigations Division.

 

To view the AG’s reasonable accommodations resource guide for housing in English, click here. For Spanish, click here.  

 

To view the AG’s guidance on tenant rights related to apartment conditions in English, click here. For Spanish, click here.

第126屆波士頓馬拉松賽為非牟利機構籌得3560萬元

 126^th Boston Marathon Raises $35.6 Million For Area Non-Profits

BOSTON – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced that $35.6 million was raised for more than 200 non-profit organizations through this year’s 126^th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18. The B.A.A. Official Charity Program and the John Hancock Non-Profit Program have combined to raise more than $460 million since the charity program’s inception at the 1989 Boston Marathon.

The $35.6 million raised this year includes donations raised through the B.A.A.’s Official Charity Program, the John Hancock Non-Profit Program, and from other qualified and invitational runners. A total of 2,566 participants ran as fundraising athletes at the 126^th Boston Marathon. Further details can be found on the Boston Marathon’s fundraising page through GivenGain.

“The non-profit community across Greater Boston is resilient, and, as a non-profit itself, the B.A.A. takes great pride in being a catalyst for more than 200 charitable organizations to raise critical funds in support of their missions,” said Nicole Juri, the B.A.A.’s Director of Development. “The return to our full field size and traditional Patriots' Day date enabled our non-profit partners to raise even greater funds for a variety of meaningful causes.”

“It is outstanding to see the funds raised by this year’s Boston Marathon participants, all in support of non-profit organizations that are a driving force for our community and carry personal meaning for so many,” said Marianne Harrison, president and CEO of John Hancock. “We are committed to making lives better by empowering sustained health and well-being, and we are grateful to help bring that mission to life through the John Hancock Non-Profit Program. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this year’s race so inspiring and impactful.”

Earlier this year, the B.A.A. and John Hancock held the first-ever Boston Marathon Giving Day, which resulted in more than $1.1 million in donations over a 24-hour period to the 200 non-profit programs affiliated with the 126th Boston Marathon. Boston Marathon Giving Day was the second largest single day of donations to non-profits connected to the race, behind 2018 #GivingTuesday.

The B.A.A. annually provides non-profits associated with the B.A.A. Official Charity Program and John Hancock’s Non-Profit Program with invitational entries into the Boston Marathon. Each non-profit organization directly manages its own application process, athlete selection, and fundraising minimums, deadlines, and requirements.

The 126^th Boston Marathon marked the first Patriots’ Day race since 2019 and featured a 98.4% finish rate, with 24,918 athletes from 111 different countries and all 50 states earning their unicorn medals.

The B.A.A. will notify non-profit organizations who have been selected to participate in the 127^th Boston Marathon as part of the B.A.A. Official Charity Program in Summer 2022. More information can be found on the B.A.A. Official Charity Program and the John Hancock Non-Profit Program.

The next B.A.A. event is the B.A.A. 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital on Sunday, June 26. Athletes can register online and compete with Boston Marathon champions and Olympians. Media interested in covering the 2022 B.A.A. 10K may apply for credentials here.

波士頓慈濟人文學校歡送7人畢業 表揚吳慧柔、賴思涵獲美東榮譽 不捨張秀玲離任

畢業班學生和家長合影。 (周菊子攝)

        (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州牛頓市報導) 「感恩、尊重、愛」加「信心和勇氣」。波士頓慈濟人文學校校長彭淑敏在6月6日的畢業典禮中，鼓勵、祝福7名畢業生，要無所畏懼，將來回校當助教，參加慈少，回饋社區。

波士頓慈濟人文學校校長彭淑敏(左二)請波士頓經文處處長孫儉元 (左起)，波士頓慈濟
負責人長金滿，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮擔任頒獎嘉賓。 (周菊子攝)

             波士頓慈濟人文學校是個很特別的學校，不只教中文，還教授靜思語，茶道、花道、棋藝、親子蔬食，創意素食、國畫、羽毛球、舞蹈、皮影戲等豐富的人文及文化課程。目前全校共有學生大約100人，語言課老師11人，文化及人文課老師約20人。

得獎學生和嘉賓合影。 (周菊子攝)

             在今年的畢業典禮中，學校安排的學生表演，也充分展現該校著眼於人文角度的教學內容，應用現代科技，揉合影音教材的不同學習模式。從幼中、幼大班及一年級學生以手語表演「幸福的臉」，二年級朗讀「阿羅有枝彩色筆」，三年級表演短劇「老鼠娶新娘」，四年級朗讀短劇「愛心樹」，五年級朗讀短劇「戰火下的小花」，六年級以影片展示朗讀繞口令，八年級以影片介紹寵物，到九年級演出「皮影戲」，都讓座中家長們看得饒有趣味。

             七年級學生原本預定表演合唱「高山青」，因老師臨時無法參加，表演也就取消了。

波士頓慈濟人文學校校長彭淑敏頒美東榮譽學生獎給吳慧柔。 (周菊子攝)

             波士頓慈濟人文學校校長彭淑敏指出，該校的豐富文化課程，大都是曾任美東中文學校協會會長，現任波士頓慈濟人文學校人文課主任的張秀玲，以無比熱情設計，並帶動老師們教授，沒有她，該校不會有那麼豐富，那麼高水準的文化課程，如今她因工作關係將喬遷他州，讓人非常不捨。

             波士頓慈濟人文學校今年在牛頓市慈濟會所舉行的畢業典禮，分高、低年級2個組別舉行，不但有頒獎儀式，還安排每個年級學生分別表演，展現學習成果。

波士頓慈濟人文學校校長彭淑敏頒美東優秀學生獎給賴思涵。 (周菊子攝)

             在畢業典禮中，波士頓慈濟負責人長金滿代為頒發美國白宮總統獎給8名慈少，波士頓慈濟人文學校校長彭淑敏和人文課主任張秀玲頒獎給慈悲大挑戰，演講比賽，靜思語繪畫比賽，校外朗誦比賽、正體字比賽等優勝者，還特地表揚獲得美東中文學校協會優秀學生獎的賴思涵，獲榮譽學生獎的吳慧柔。

             王筠婷、林宸安、魏韶琳、黃彥霖、賴思涵、魏 慬、吳慧柔等6女1男的畢業生，分別從校長手中領取畢業證書，還用中文說了一段學習心得。

住在羅德島州，卻不辭路遠來波士頓慈濟人文學校當人文課主任的張秀玲，即將喬遷華府，
離開學校。她表示在慈濟有一家人的感覺，很感恩有機會和大家相處一段歲月。 (周菊子攝)

            駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮這天都作為嘉賓，應邀出席。孫儉元處長在致詞時表示，畢業既是一個階段的結束，也是另一階段的開始，他勉勵畢業生們在學習華語這條路上繼續堅持下去。他還指出台灣在這方面有很多資源，許多高中、大學都辦有和美國學校交流的項目，政府也設有華語獎學金，鼓勵人們學華語，希望同學們充分利用。他也強調要感謝僑教學校老師們不辭辛苦的在海外傳承中華文化。

波士頓慈濟負責人長金滿代表頒發美國白宮總統獎給得獎慈少。

            這場由教務主任劉品貝，副主任廖素圓規劃，並由廖素圓主持，在波士頓慈濟位於牛頓市會所舉行的畢業典禮結束後，波士頓慈濟人文學校還舉辦了一場戶外園遊會，有學生現場表演才藝，有戶外遊戲，還有宋永麒老師示範太極書法，鄧淑芳與僑教中心主任潘昭榮擺的書攤，慈濟師姊們做了波霸奶茶，精美自助餐供學生及家長們享用。 (更新版)

麻州州務卿選舉 Sullivan挑戰Galvin 辦3場轉播辯論

 Tanisha Sullivan Challenges Secretary Bill Galvin to Three Broadcast Debates

On heels of MassDems endorsement at convention, Sullivan declares debates are needed “so voters can learn more about the difference in our visions for the office”

June 6, 2022 — Today, Tanisha Sullivan, who is now officially on the ballot against William Galvin for MA Secretary of State, issued a challenge for him to participate in at least three live broadcast debates between now and the Democratic primary, scheduled for Sept. 6. 

“There is no office in Massachusetts with more of a duty or responsibility to advance the fullness of our democracy than the office of Secretary of State. It is about more than registering people to vote or issuing certificates of good standing, and voters deserve to learn more about what this office could and should be,” said Sullivan. “I challenge Secretary Galvin to participate in at least three broadcast debates so voters can understand the difference in our visions for the office.”

‘GBH has offered to host an informal debate between Ms. Sullivan and Secretary Galvin on “Greater Boston” with Jim Braude as moderator, which the campaign has committed to and scheduling for early August. 

With 62.4% of delegates voting for Sullivan at this past weekend’s Democratic Convention, a super majority, she earned MassDems’ endorsement and became the first woman of color to receive the party’s endorsement in a statewide race. Sullivan easily surpassed the 15% threshold needed to get on the primary ballot. 

紐英崙中華專協夏日野餐聚會 預告10月年會談自媒體

紐英崙中華專協夏日野餐烤肉聚會，部分出席者合影。 (謝開明攝)

紐英崙中華專業人員協會會長林致中 (右起)，董事長周萬欽請波士頓經文處
處長孫儉元致詞。 (謝開明攝)

             (Boston Orange 周菊子麻州報導) 紐英崙中華專業人員協會 (NEACP) 6月4日和大波士頓建中校友會攜手烤肉，在牛頓市 Auburndale匯聚近百人，在陽光燦爛，樹蔭處處的公園中暢聚，宣佈第45屆年會訂10月22日舉行，將探討自媒體時代的經驗與傳承。

             紐英崙中華專業人員協會 (NEACP)創立於1978年，從蕭蔚擔任董事會董事長那屆開始，積極推動年輕化，今年由刻在哈佛大學附屬麻省總醫院 (MGH) 做博士後的林致中接任會長，還邀得一批年輕人加入理事陣容，中華專協的青春活力也越見豐沛。

左起鄭竹秀，梁嘉晉 （理事）, 王士綸（理事）,林致中（會長）,康雅雰（前會長）
,藍凡耘（志工）等中華專協理事及志工是這次野餐繪的主要工作人員。 (周菊子攝)

          4日這天，林致中和前任會長康雅雰，理事梁嘉晉、王士綸、以及志工藍凡耘、許祐湉、黃楷智、鄭竹秀等人分工合作，從準備香腸、熱狗、漢堡、香菇，金針菇，花椰菜，從Costco買來橙汁，台灣番石柳汁，小橘子，西瓜，到現場辦登記，輪流燒烤，忙得不可開交。本人無法到場的康麗雪，還特地派丈夫、兒子做代表，把她在家裡做好的炒麵、炒米粉、義大利麵帶到現場，使得食物種類更加豐富。

藍凡耘 (右)和許祐湉(左)都曾任哈佛台灣同學會會長，和林致中有著有如三劍客的友誼，
這天都來當志工。 (周菊子攝)

             活動開場時，中華專協現任董事長周萬欽特地感謝林致中及幹事團，以及董事王子仁一早趕到Costco買了許多隻烤雞 (Rotisserie chicken)，讓參加活動的人都能享受到豐盛食物。他說明了一下野餐活動流程後，強調聊天是這次聚會的主題，大家吃得高興，玩得開心最重要。

             駐波士頓台北經濟文化辦事處處長孫儉元，波士頓僑教中心主任潘昭榮這天都應邀出席。孫儉元處長特地帶了水果到場，表示很高興第一次參加中華專協的實體活動，直言這比在網路上見感覺溫暖得多。

中華專協董事長周萬欽 (中)和波士頓經文處處長孫儉元 (左)，科技組組長謝水龍 (右)
暢敘。 (周菊子攝)

              中華專協會長林致中則在感謝僑委會贊助後表示，這次活動有逾百人報名，多虧義工們幾天前就開始幫忙做準備。烤肉活動之後，中華專協預定在9月17日邀中研院賀曾樸院士談探索黑洞，10月22日舉辦第45屆年會，主題已訂為「自媒體時代的知識與經驗傳承」。

              林致中透露，中華專協已邀請到姜安蓉、Jon Chen 這2位Youtuber，楊家榮，林欣岫這2位播客 ( Podcaster)在年會中分別從昆蟲、職涯發展、史地旅遊和人物訪談分享他們的故事

曾任中華專協董事會董事長的蔣宗壬 (右一)，蔡明機 (右二) 夫婦同桌小聚。 (周菊子攝)

              中華專協創會元老之一的蔣宗壬，僑教中心主任潘昭榮，大波士頓建中校友會會長鄭新霖醫師也都簡短發言。波士頓經文處科技組組長謝水龍這天也撥冗參加。

高齡90的趙鍾英(中)和年輕人依樣聊得很投機。(周菊子攝)

             中華專協這次烤肉聚會，既有高齡已逾90的趙鍾英，創辦中華表演藝術基金會的譚嘉陵，創辦波士頓北一女校友會的趙小怡，大波士頓建中校友會創辦人之一的王子仁，以及曾任波士頓僑務委員暨紐英崙中華公所的陳家驊，中華專協董事會的董事長蔣宗壬、李小玉，蔡明機，曾任大波士頓中華文化協會會長的周映秋，曾任波克萊台灣商會會長的楊羅東等前輩，也有陳玫菁，謝開明等中生代，和前述的一眾年輕人繪出一幅難得的老中青三代同堂，傳承進行中景象。

右起，周萬欽，陳家驊，蔡明機夫婦，程中林夫婦，王子仁，蔣宗壬夫婦，李小玉，趙育川夫婦，僑教中心主任潘昭榮，陳玫菁(左二)，
林致中(左一)等人合影。 (謝開明攝)

左一起，楊羅東，李小玉，右一起，康韶和，陳家驊等人圍桌小聚。 (周菊子攝)

創辦波士頓北一女校友會的趙小怡和創辦中華表演藝術基金會的譚嘉陵。 (周菊子攝)

大波士頓建中校友會現任會長鄭新霖 (左)和史先澍等人圍桌小聚。 (周菊子攝)

周映秋(左一)和程中林 (右一)夫婦。 (周菊子攝)

多徹斯特日遊行 波士頓市長吳弭剪綵 州長候選人Maura Healey同框

波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu，中)和麻州州長候選人 Maura Healey (左二)，
波士頓市議員 Erin Murphy (左一)等人一起剪綵。 (周菊子攝)

            (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導) 2022年的第116屆多徹斯特日遊行，包括波士頓市長吳弭 (Michelle Wu) ，麻州州長參選人暨麻州總檢察長奚莉 (Maura Healey) 和許多州市議員，有數以千計的人在艷陽高照中，歡天喜地的徒步3.2英里。

                    遊行是從下午一點開始，多徹斯特大道從中午12點開始就連同附近的Lower Mills，Richmond街，華盛頓街一起，暫時封了街。整個遊行隊伍在吳弭市長和小西貢區代表合影，與政要剪綵後，從亞當街一路走到哥倫比亞路。

吳弭市長帶著小兒子一起剪綵。 (周菊子攝)

            在美國，一到夏天，各式各樣活動就陸續出爐，各市鎮、街區都有自己的遊行。波士頓市的這「多徹斯特日遊行」其實有點特別。

米老鼠也來遊行。 (周菊子攝)

遊行隊伍中還有摩托車隊。(周菊子攝)

            查看歷史的人會發現，竟然有人把這活動追溯到1629年，一群人得到英國國王查理一世許可，在麻州海岸定居後，1500人乘船出發。抵達麻州的那第一艘船載著瑪莉和約翰與130人，他們抵達麻州後勘查了地形。6月6日這天決定了落腳地點，而他們選中的地點，就是今時今日的Savin Hill。然後在1630年9月，他們決定把這地方叫做「多徹斯特 (Dorchester)」，一個它們大多數人來自的城市名稱。

            1870年時，這地方正式併入波士頓市。1904年6月5日，多徹斯特歷史協會組織了第一次的「多徹斯特日」，以紀念多徹斯特在1630年成立，1905年再辦第一次的多徹斯特遊行。由於這2次的活動辦得非常成功，到第3年時，波士頓市政府居然發給2000元來辦這活動，當年的波士頓市長John F. Fitzgerald也參加了。

            今年，2022年的「多徹斯特日遊行」，由波士頓市有始以來的首名亞裔、華裔市長吳弭剪綵。站在她身邊的有6月3日才獲麻州民主黨黨代表大會提名參選麻州州長的現任麻州檢察長奚莉 (Maura Healey) ，以及波士頓不分區市議員Erin Murphy。

遊行隊伍中的漫畫人物。 (周菊子攝)

            遊行現場並不擁擠，但吳弭市長身邊卻擠滿了遊行籌辦機構工作人員，保護市長的隨行人員，湊熱鬧的遊行者，搶鏡頭的媒體，以至於也來參加遊行的波士頓市不分區市議員Julie Meijia，波士頓市議員Ricardo Arroyo都被擠到了鏡頭外。

            聯邦眾議員Ayanna Pressley，麻州眾議員Nick Collins，薩福克郡治安官Steven Tompkins，也都各自遠遠的夾雜在遊行隊伍中。

參加遊行的隊伍綿延不絕，佔滿了整條街。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓市長吳弭和小西貢文化區代表合影。市長辦公室人員在一旁保護，把市長和舉牌
抗議者隔開。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓市長吳弭(右二)和同性戀團體合影。 (周菊子攝)

麻州州長候選人奚莉 (Maura Healey，右)和波士頓市議原Erin Murphy 在遊行中合影。
(周菊子攝)

波士頓市議員Julia Mejia。 (周菊子攝)

波士頓市第一先生，吳弭市長的丈夫 Connor Pewarsrki在遊行中照顧小兒子。(周菊子攝)

波士頓市議員Ricardo Arroyo和波士頓市長吳弭
(Michelle Wu)在遊行中打招呼。(周菊子攝)

多徹斯特小姐及小小姐坐在車上遊行。 (周菊子攝)

麻州眾議員Nick Collins。 (周菊子攝)

薩福克郡治安官Steven Tompkins。 (周菊子攝)

聯邦眾議員Ayanna Pressley (右)也組了個遊行隊伍來參加活動。 (周菊子攝)

上週末24小時內 美國發生3起槍擊案 9人死亡

 

                       (Boston Orange 編譯) 在上週六晚至週日早上的24小時之內，美國3個城市發生槍擊案，9人死亡，20多人受傷。

賓州費城發生的槍擊案是2人之間的爭執，升級到拔槍相對，子彈飛進餐廳區一家擁擠的酒吧，射死3人，傷及12人，嚇得人們爭相逃避。

週六晚的午夜時分，在田納西州Chattanooga的一家酒吧附近，又發生一起槍擊案，殺死3人，傷及14人。

根據WEYI電視台引述警察局的報導，週日早上，在密西根州Saginaw又發生一起槍擊案，3人被殺，2人受傷。在這起槍擊案中，死亡及受傷的人中，沒有無辜的旁觀者。

警方還未匯報任何涉案嫌疑犯。

            沒多久之前，紐約州水牛城的一家雜貨店才發生槍擊案，10人死亡，德州Uvalde的一所小學有21名槍擊案受害者，奧克拉荷馬州Tulsa的一棟醫療大樓，也因為槍擊案有4人死亡。

            在德州的這宗槍擊案是一名18歲的年輕人，拿著AR-15半自動步槍掃射，殺死了20名學童。

            支持槍枝安全者在推動美國政府採取更嚴格的槍枝管制，以減少槍枝暴力。

            根據非牟利研究機構「槍枝暴力檔案 (Gun Violence Archive)」，今年截至現在，美國境內已至少發生240起大規模槍殺案。該機構的大規模槍擊案定義為在一宗槍擊案事件中，除了開槍者之外，至少有4人死亡。