Author: john_velis

Hello Everyone,  

This Monday marked the 22^nd anniversary of the September 11^th Attacks.  We will never forget the lives we lost nor the brave men and women who ran into danger that fateful day.  I attended many events right here in Westfield including a wreath laying at the 9/11 memorial on Elm Street for the families who lost loved ones, a raising at the Fire Station on main street, and another ceremony at the Sons of Erin later in the evening.  Thank you to everyone who made these events possible and to all our first responders who continue to be there when we need them most. 

With formal legislative session back in full swing, this week was jammed packed with hearings.  This week, two committees on which I proudly serve— the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, held hearings and received testimony on a myriad of bills.  This is the just the start of the legislative process and I’m looking forward to all that we are going to accomplish in the legislature this session.   

Tuesday morning, legendary Western Mass burger joint, White Hut, opened a second location after almost 84 years in business in their West Springfield location. This new Holyoke location is sure to become just as beloved as the first.  Congratulations to the team there and thank you for inviting my office to the ribbon cutting.   

Tuesday evening, Representative Pease and I attended Southampton’s Select Board meeting to provide them with an in person update as to what’s going on in Beacon Hill.  We discussed many issues facing not just the town of Southampton but the entire Commonwealth.  A big thank you to the Select Board for having us and I look forward to the next one. 

Thursday afternoon, my team and I met with Tapestry Health in Holyoke.  This organization provides critical and often lifesaving services to those in our community suffering from substance abuse disorders.  I saw first-hand the work they do to prevent overdose deaths and to connect people with the resources they need to start on the path of recovery.  As Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Recovery, it’s paramount to creating effective legislation that I see in person how the substance abuse epidemic is ravaging our communities.  Thank you to Tapestry for having us and we are lucky to have you shoulder to shoulder in this fight.   

This week my team hosted office hours at the Chicopee COA on Tuesday and at the West Springfield COA on Wednesday.  Next week, we will be at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday from 10:30am to 11:30 and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday from 11:0am to 11:00am.  If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com  

Sincerely,  

John Velis 

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone was able to enjoy some end of the summer fun with the long weekend, especially with the hot weather.  Remember to stay cool in the heat this week.  If anyone needs any information on local cooling centers or splash pads, do not hesitate to reach out to my office.   

As Summer comes to end, formal session in the legislature begins again.  As Chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Recovery, Vice-Chair of the Joint Committee on Elder Affairs, and a member of several other Committees.  I’m looking forward to bringing the voice of Western Mass to Boston and having an impactful legislative session.   

Wednesday, I was invited to join my fellow Greek-Americans at Springfield City Hall to celebrate the beginning of Glendi— a week long cultural festival celebrating the Greek diaspora and Greek culture.  Local officials and members or the Greek Orthodox Church gathered around for some brief remarks and to raise the Greek flag over city hall.  A big thanks to Mayor Sarno for hosting us.   

Later that afternoon, I was interviewed by Maria Quinn, the Director of the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Support Center at Holyoke Medical Center.  We discussed the many ways that the substance abuse crisis is affecting our communities and the many ways that legislature and healthcare industry can work together to combat it.  I was also able to tour their facility afterwards and get a first hand glimpse of all the great work they are doing over there.   

Thursday morning, Senator Lydia Edwards, the Chair of the Joint Committee on Housing, took the time to come to Western Mass to discuss the unique ways that the housing crisis is affecting both our region and the state as a whole.  We were joined along with many other local housing advocates who are working tirelessly to help end this crisis.  

This week we also celebrated several new beginnings, starting with a ribbon cutting on Thursday for Westfield’s Columbia Greenway Shared Use Path. This MassDOT project has been a longtime in the making and I am grateful to all the state and local officials who have made this possible. On Friday, my team joined community members in Agawam for the ribbon cutting of the Behavioral Health Network’s new youth community crisis stabilization center in Agawam. The center will operate 24/7 and is an important part of the state’s Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform.  

This week my team hosted office hours at the Agawam COA on Tuesday.  Next week, we will be at the Chicopee COA on Tuesday from 10:00am to 11:00am and on Wednesday, we will be at the West Springfield COA from 11:00am to 12:00pm.  If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com  

Sincerely,  

John Velis 

Hello everyone! 

Happy September.  I know for many of our school districts, this week marked the first-time students are back in the classroom for the new school year. I hope all our students, staff, teachers, and administrators are adjusting well after their first week back! 

This Monday I joined our state’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, West Springfield Superintendent Stefania Raschilla, and West Side teachers at West Springfield High School. It was great to engage with our state education officials and hear from local teachers about their work in West Side. Later that afternoon I was also able to stop by my team’s office hours at the Westfield COA to chat with some constituents. 

With the school year beginning, our office is also saying goodbye (for now) to many of our summer interns. This past Wednesday was the last day of work for our summer intern Katelyn.  She was an enthusiastic and committed intern who I know will go to accomplish great things. We’re always so sad to see our student interns move on but are grateful for all the work they do for our office. Many thanks to Katelyn for everything this summer and best of luck for what comes next! 

This past Thursday, August 31^st, marked the solemn occasion of International Overdose Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, and I joined community members at events in Easthampton, Holyoke, and Westfield this week to mark the day. The goal of the movement is to remember loved ones who have died from drug overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind, take action to encourage support and recovery for everyone impacted by substance use and overdose, and end overdose by spreading awareness of overdose prevention strategies.   

Massachusetts lost 2,357 lives to opioid-related overdose deaths in 2022, a new record high for Massachusetts. That is 2,357 lives tragically cut short and thousands of families throughout our state that are still grieving the loss of their loved ones. We need to do more to support our neighbors who are struggling and to combat these heartbreaking numbers. As Chair of the Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery Committee, I am committed to working on legislation this session to combat this epidemic and am proud to be in that fight with so many incredible advocates in our region. 

In addition to our office hours at the Westfield COA on Monday, my office also hosted office hours at the Southampton COA on Wednesday.  Next week, we will be at the Agawam COA on Tuesday from 11:00am to 12:00pm.  If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com  

Sincerely,  

John Velis 

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone is enjoying these last few weeks of summer. The mornings have started to get chilly and pretty soon the tips of the leaves will begin to change.

I started off my week Sunday morning at the Easthampton Farmers Market. Rep. Carey and I had a great time. We are truly lucky to have a community of local artisans and farmers who put something like this on. The strawberries I went home with were delicious too.

Tuesday morning, I had the honor of riding along with the Holyoke Police Department’s Behavioral Health response division. This group of law enforcement officers are trained specifically to respond to mental and emotional crises. Those officers who respond to these calls are at the front line of the policy work that we do in the Joint Committee of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Recovery. HPD is doing remarkable work and I thank them for letting me come along.

Tuesday afternoon I met with the staff of Nueva Esperanza in Holyoke. This organization does great work for the community development and advancement of Puerto Rican and Afro-Caribbean culture here in Western Mass. Among their many contributions to our community, the recent “Fiestas Patronales” in Holyoke was a huge success and if any of you attended, like myself and my family, you would have seen firsthand this group’s impact. Our meeting Tuesday was to discuss how we in the legislature can best work alongside them to help in their mission. I look forward to what we will accomplish together.

Thursday afternoon I met with two national recovery advocates to hear what Massachusetts can do to improve on that front. It was a great conversation and was very interesting to learn about initiatives across our country. Thursday evening, I presented Ryan Mossmiesl of West Springfield with a citation for the completion of his Eagle Scout requirements. Ryan, as a former baseball player for West Springfield, noticed his dugouts had no place to store equipment and for his final project, he built the brand-new gear cubbies. Our community is lucky to have you, Ryan. Keep up the good work.

Friday morning, we celebrated the 95th birthday of Westfield resident, Jane O’Donoghue, where my team and I presented her with an official citation from the State Senate. Congratulations, Jane!

This week my team held office hours at the Russell COA on Tuesday, and I was glad to personally hold office hours at the Chicopee COA on Thursday. Next week, we will be at the Westfield COA on Monday at 12:30pm and at the Southampton COA on Wednesday at 10:00am. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com

Sincerely,

John Velis

Hello Everyone, 

I hope everyone has been enjoying what remains of their summers. 

This week was an exciting week of new beginnings in our district. Monday morning, I attended the ribbon cutting for the brand-new Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital in Holyoke.  As a cooperative effort with the Baystate Health System and LifePoint Heath, this facility will provide the greater Springfield area with critically needed beds for patients suffering from mental health issues.  As Chairman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse, and Recovery, I’m thrilled to welcome Valley Springs to our community and glad to have services like these available to constituents in our region.   

Monday afternoon was also the official groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Holyoke Veterans’ Home where I was honored to move one of the first shovels of dirt for the project. It’s been over three years since the tragic loss of veterans during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and after much hard work and collaboration from many of my colleagues in the legislature, we finally reached an agreement to build an entirely new Home with state-of-the-art facilities to help prevent such tragedies from ever occurring again. The new Home will have- and almost exclusively private rooms -. This new facility is a huge triumph for veteran services here in the Commonwealth and I’m extremely proud to have assisted in its passage. The Home is scheduled to be completed in 2028 and I cannot wait to see the doors open to our vets and their families.   

This week I also had the pleasure of visiting American Legion Post 351 in Holyoke.  I always love spending time in my community, especially with my fellow veterans at our great Legions. I was happy to stop by and get to know some of their leadership there better. 

Later in the week, I toured the Northampton Recovery Center with Senator Comerford. Facilities like these provide critical services to those struggling with substance abuse disorders. Actually seeing the work being done in the field of recovery is crucial to my job as a legislator and knowing how the legislature can best work alongside care providers is key to combatting the substance abuse epidemic here in the Commonwealth. A big thank you to the Center for hosting and to Senator Comerford for inviting us along.   

This week my team held office hours at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday. Next week, we will be at the Russell COA on Tuesday at 11:30am and at the Chicopee COA on Thursday at 10:00am.  If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com  

Sincerely,  

John Velis 

Hello Everyone, 

I hope you all are getting to enjoy the summer before it comes to an end.  With these cool mornings and back-to-school ads, it’s hard to believe that we had as long and hot summer as we did.  

To start off my week, I took a tour of Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital on Monday morning.  I was joined by Representative Duffy of Holyoke, Roy Sasenaraine and Sean Mitchell of Valley Springs Behavioral Health Hospital and Mike Knapik of Baystate Health. Behavioral health services are a vital component to our healthcare system and I look forward to continue working with the facility and all involved.   

Monday afternoon was also the annual Western Mass Veteran Service Office Purple Heart Lunch.  As a veteran myself, I understand how difficult it can be returning to civilian life.  Our local VSOs play a critical role in connecting our vets with resources and community.  My office works hand in hand with many of them and I’ve seen what they have accomplished for our veteran community.  A big thanks to all of them for their continued work to aid our former service members.   

Wednesday morning, I had the pleasure of presenting Heather White of Westfield with a citation for her work with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, an organization focused on saving lives, bringing hope to those affected by suicide, and advocating for behavioral health programs. Our community is lucky to have Heather and I was glad to present her with this recognition.  

Thursday, I was invited to tour Colorful Resilience in West Springfield.  This group provides mental health services geared towards, but not limited to, immigrants, 1st generation, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ individuals.  I had a great conversation with their staff about mental health services in general here in the Commonwealth.  These folks do truly great work in our community. 

Yesterday morning, I and my staff took a tour of the Childrens’ Museum at Amelia Park in Westfield. In the recent budget negotiations, my office was able to secure $10,000 of funding for the museum and I’m very much looking forwards to how the museum will utilize this to better our children and community as a whole.    

This morning, I attended the Medal of Honor Highway dedication of Route 20 in Palmer.  This ceremony celebrates Massachusetts being the final state to pass a Medal of Honor Highway bill and completing this coast-to-coast monument to our service members who have earned this award— the highest decoration of any in our Armed Forces. I was proud to file this legislation last session and it’s special to hear from veterans about what this dedication means to them. 

This week my team held office hours in Agawam on Monday and in West Springfield. Next week, we will be hosting them at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday at 10:30am and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday at 10:00am. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com  

Sincerely,  

John Velis 

Hello Everyone, 

I can hardly believe that this was the first week of August.  Summer has absolutely flown by.  I hope everyone has been taking advantage of the cooler temperatures as well.   

After much deliberation, the Senate and the House passed our final version of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget and sent it to the Governor’s Desk Monday morning. From investing in our education and transportation systems, to supporting our behavioral healthcare workforce and providing critical local aid, this budget responds to the pressing challenges our state is facing and invests directly into our Commonwealth’s greatest asset, our residents.  I will have more highlights to share soon on specific funding my team secured for the district. For now though, I would like to thank all my colleagues, on both sides of the aisles and both sides of the legislature, for all their hard work in completing this legislation that is vital to the function of our Commonwealth.   

I would also like to thank my colleagues for their prioritization of a much smaller, but critical, supplemental budget that we also passed this week for the 2023 Fiscal Year. Included in this was twenty million dollars of flexible funding for rural and farming communities impacted by the recent flooding, many of which are right here in Western Massachusetts.  This will make a huge difference in the economic recovery of our region and has already been signed into law this week by Governor Healey.  

I would like to congratulate the graduates of the 88th Recruit Training Troop of the Massachusetts State Police, who were officially sworn in Thursday in Springfield.  From our district, we will be welcoming new officers Christopher M. Ortega of Agawam, Jesus E. Arocho of Chicopee, John M. Sarnacki of Chicopee, George S. Hotz of Easthampton, Alondra N. Sanchez of Holyoke, David Soto of Holyoke, and Orlando Huertas Jr of Westfield. Through your perseverance and dedication, you have earned the honor of being a Massachusetts State Trooper. Thank you for protecting our Commonwealth and good luck with the start of your careers.  

On Thursday morning, Team Velis attended a monthly meeting of many of the Animal Control Officers from Western Mass to better understand issues surrounding animal welfare. I look forward to working alongside all these hardworking officers to better promote the safety of animals in our communities and our office is grateful for their insight! 

Next week my office will be holding office hours in Agawam on Monday at 11am in the COA and also at the West Springfield COA on Wednesday at 11am. If you can’t make office hours, I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 527-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com  

Sincerely,  

John Velis