Hello everyone,
Doors Open Holyoke returns today with a lot of exciting events planned across the city. From 12pm to 2pm, the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round will be offering free rides for families to enjoy that I am thrilled to once again sponsor alongside Representative Duffy! Hope to see you joining in on the fun!
Last Sunday, I was proud to join community members from around Westfield at the Puerto Rican Flag raising ceremony at City Hall. For 30 years, my friends at The Westfield Puerto Rican Association have held this flag raising ceremony to honor the generations who have settled in Westfield and to celebrate their countless contributions to our community.
This week, I continued my tour across the district to highlight funding I secured in the Fair Share Supplemental budget this past spring. On Tuesday, Representative Finn and I visited the Coburn Elementary School to highlight the $300,000 in state funding we secured together for the West Springfield Public Schools. There’s truly nothing better than teamwork, with the help of Mayor Reichelt and Superintendent Raschilla, we made targeted investments that will support educational programing, improve our school buildings, and alleviate some of the costs associated with school transportation. Be sure to visit my website for a full list of the recent funding I’ve secured for our district!
I stopped by the Westfield Fire Department later on in the week to help celebrate Deputy Chief Eric Bishop, who recently graduated from the prestigious Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy! This rigorous two-year program requires a deep commitment to professional excellence and to the safety and well-being of our community. Congratulations and thank you, Deputy Chief Bishop, for your dedication, leadership, and service to the City of Westfield!
This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Agawam and West Springfield. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Tuesday at the Chicopee Council on Aging from 10:00AM to 11:00AM and again on Wednesday at the Holyoke Council on Aging from 10:00am to 11:00am. If you are unable to make office hours, 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