I hope you have all been able to enjoy the warmth and sunshine this week. I’d like to start off by wishing happy 100th birthday to Western Mass.’s very own World War II veteran Carl Mattson. I was happy to present him with a special citation alongside Rep. Pease of Westfield and the Westover Young Marines at Indian Motorcycles in Springfield. Thank you for your service, Carl!
Recently, the commonwealth welcomed not only a new governor but also began the new legislative session, the 193rd one, to be exact. The beginning of session is almost like a clean slate, legislatively speaking. Now legislators file new legislation and legislative committees are restructured. Among my many committee assignments, I’m proud to announce my new committee leaderships roles. I was chosen by the Senate president to serve as the chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Abuse and Recovery. And I’m especially proud to say that I will retain my chairmanship of the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs, a position that as a veteran myself I’m honored to have been reappointed to. I’m already very much looking forwards to all the work we’ll accomplish in this new session.
Tuesday morning, I held a special coffee hour with the residents of Hampden Village retirement community in Westfield. We discussed topics from across the board, including current legislation, committee assignments, of course my one-year-old son, Carson, of whom they could not get enough pictures. Thank you to the Hampden Village for inviting me to come speak.
Thursday, I was fortunate enough to tour the West Side Boys & Girls Club. Having been a member of the Boys & Girls Club when I was younger and a volunteer to this day, I can say with certainty that this is one of my favorite organizations, as well one that can have some of the deepest impacts on our community. It was great to tour, and I can’t wait to see it again after the completion of their renovations.
Tonight is both Agawam’s and Holyoke’s colleen contests. For those unfamiliar, these contests are a way for the young women of Irish descent to showcase and develop their heritage. I wish best of luck to all the contestants tonight and look forward to seeing the winners and their courts at the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
This week, my team hosted office hours in Chicopee on Tuesday and again in Holyoke on Wednesday. Next week, we will be at the Southampton COA on Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. Please feel free to stop by with any questions, comments, concerns, or just to say hello!
If you are unable to make our office hours or need assistance any sooner, I can always be reached at my email, john.velis@masenate.gov, or by phone, 413-572-3920. You can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com, where you can also sign up for my newsletter.
Sincerely,
John Velis