Welcome to the month of April! The month of budding flowers, religious holidays, and my favorite … practical jokes! Many folks in our communities will observe holidays, such as Ramadan, Passover and Easter. I look forward to seeing the way that families in our district celebrate and honor their traditions. Hopefully I’ll sneak in a few great meals, too! It was a busy week in the district, so I will jump right in.
If you want to see one of the most impressive group of students in the state, I recommend paying attention to Easthampton High School’s “We the People” Civics Team. On Monday, Rep. Dan Carey and I witnessed just how much work EHS teacher Kelley Brown and her students put into their work. I took part in a question-and-answer session with the students and participated in a riveting practice hearing. I’m looking forward to this group of students making Massachusetts proud at the national “We the People” finals in Washington, D.C., later this spring.
Later that day, I drove over to the Leeds VA Medical Center to join a rally in opposition of the proposed closure of the site. So many of our local veterans rely on this location to receive critical medical care, and closure of the site would put dangerous barriers between our veterans and the services they depend on. I’m extremely proud to stand alongside veterans, caretakers, and members of the community in pushing back against this idea.
Tuesday morning, I had the opportunity to meet the folks at Western Mass. Elder Care in Holyoke. They have quite the operation in place to deliver meals to residents of the city. From the nutritionists making sure that customers are sticking to their cardiac or renal diets, to the delivery drivers making sure to check up on meal recipients, I was floored by the systems in place to care of senior members of their community.
On Wednesday the Soldiers’ Home Conference Committee held its first meeting. I am humbled to serve on the committee alongside Rep. Joseph Wagner. The work of the conference committee is already underway regarding these incredibly important reforms, and it is critical that we get them right. “Care with Honor and Dignity” is the mission of the Soldiers’ Home, and we will be relentless in completing that mission.
I also want to congratulate the group of Young Marines that graduated at Westover Air Reserve Base on Friday. Young Marines is a national program that instills leadership skills, community service, and physical and mental discipline in local youth. We are all looking forward to seeing the future accomplishments of these young leaders, as they continue to be upstanding contributors in their communities.
As always, if there is anything I can do to assist you, please never hesitate to reach out to my office. I can be reached at my email, john.velis@masenate.gov, or by phone, 413-572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Sincerely,
John Velis