Hello,
Happy 250th Anniversary to the Town of Southampton! Later today the Town will be holding a birthday party over at Conant Park with music, ice cream, and of course, birthday cupcakes! While I wish I could be there to celebrate this momentous occasion, I will be participating in my monthly drill as a member of the Massachusetts National Guard. I am, however, grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside the Governor to issue a celebratory proclamation that will be shared during the festivities!
I started off my week over at the Holyoke Veterans Home to meet a few residents for coffee. From learning more about their time in the service to all the improvements in care the residents have seen over the past few years, it simply was a special time connecting with these residents. While I’ve also seen the new building grow and near completion in some of the exterior work from passing by, it truly is breath taking to stand in its shadows outside the current Veterans Home.
On Wednesday the Western Massachusetts Veterans Treatment Court celebrated the final session of Judge Laurie MacLeod ahead of her retirement. For ten plus years Judge MacLeod has presided over the Veterans Treatment Court in Holyoke, helping well over 70 veterans find new opportunities in life. Thanks to her dedicated work in pioneering this specialty court—one that prioritizes probation with therapy and treatment over incarceration for justice-involved veterans—the program has since been replicated across the state. Thank you, Judge MacLeod, for all that you’ve done for our veterans and the entire Western Massachusetts community!
For too many families and children with intellectual or developmental disabilities it can be difficult to find community and resources. Thankfully a new program in Easthampton was created by three local mothers to help provide a space to support neurodivergent children and their families! I was thrilled to go visit the Neuro Bridge program in person on Thursday to learn more about their workshops, informational sessions, and one-on-one consultations to help parents support and advocate for their children. Thank you, Amy, and Sunia for inviting me to drop in and all that you are doing to help create a more inclusive community.
Before I rounded out the week, I had the opportunity to sit down with the new Superintendent of the Easthampton Public Schools, Michelle Balch. I really appreciated learning about her priorities for the new school year that will support our teachers’ professional development and student’s learning. For community members interested in getting to know the new Superintendent, community listening sessions are being organized during September and early October!
This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Holyoke. Next week there will be no community office hours however, please know I can always be reached by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and you can find me online at senatorjohnvelis.com.  
Best,
John Velis