Hello Everyone,
I want to start off by thanking every candidate who ran this past Tuesday and every resident who got out to vote and make their voice heard. I am so grateful to all of you for placing your continued trust in me to represent you for the next two years on Beacon Hill. It is an honor and a privilege to represent you to the Massachusetts State Senate, and I am overwhelmed by all the support I have felt this week. I’m very much looking forwards to getting back to legislating when the new formal session begins in the new year and working alongside my colleagues in federal, state, and local government to improve our communities and our Commonwealth.
This week wasn’t all campaign work though. Yesterday of course was Veterans Day, and I was honored to attend events across the district, including events at the Holyoke War Memorial Building, the Agawam Veterans Cemetery, and the Veterans bridge between West Springfield and Agawam. I also had the special honor of presenting residents at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home with cards made by students from all across our District. This is the third year in a row that my office has organized this initiative and we had 18 different schools participating. Thank you to all who make this tradition possible and of course all of the residents at the Home for their service.
Thursday morning, I also attended “Bring a Vet to School Day” Assembly at the Roberta Doering School in Agawam. This was such a great event and it’s so good to be able to engage our youth with our history and what it means to serve our country.
As Veteran, I can say that this is one of our most important holidays. Our Veterans have put their life on the line to protect our way of life and our freedoms. I have worked hard for Veterans this past legislative session. The legislature was able to pass the SPEED Act, expand of benefits for Veterans impacted by Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and of course pass the Bond Bill that will fund the reconstruction of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. While I’m proud of having accomplished this much, it’s just a scratch on the surface of what our Veterans deserve and this above all else is why I’m looking forward to our new legislative session.
This week, my staff held office hours at the Agawam COA on Monday from 11:00am to 12:00pm. Nex week we will be at the Chicopee COA on Monday from 10:00am to 11:00am and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday from 10:00am to 11:00pm. Feel free to stop by with any questions or concerns. Hope to see you there!
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 where you can also sign up for my newsletter!
Sincerely,
John Velis