Hello everyone,
I hope everyone is getting a much-needed relief from the heat this past week. This was our first heatwave of the year and just as a reminder, if you or any loved ones are in need of somewhere to get relief from the temperatures, my office is readily available to connect you with our local cooling centers.
I’m very proud to announce that this week Massachusetts joined 48 other states in banning the non-consensual sharing of explicit images without the subjects’ consent, also known as “revenge porn”. I was proud to file legislation earlier this year that was included in the final bill signed by the Governor on Friday which will finally make this abhorrent practice a criminal offense and provide victims with an avenue to pursue justice.
This week my team and I joined a few different celebrations across the district. Earlier in the week, Team Velis joined the grand-opening celebrations for Rooster’s Fried Chicken in Westfield and New American Funding in Agawam. On Thursday evening I joined the West Springfield community in celebrating the retirement of Chief Paul Connor after over 29 years of dedicated public service. Thank you Chief, and congratulations on a well-deserved retirement!
Before concluding the week, I made my way over to Dean Technical High School in Holyoke to surprise Principal Rosanne (Rosie) Caracciolo. Earlier this year I was proud to nominate Rosie for the Commonwealth Heroine award which she received last week. While I was unable to join her for the celebration out in Boston, thanks to the staff at Dean Tech, we put together a local celebration before the school year ended. Rosie Caracciolo truly makes our Commonwealth a better place. From being a foster parent to her many years in the Holyoke Public Schools, Rosie has impacted the lives of so many children in our region. The Commonwealth Heroine Award is awarded to dedicated community partners that are doing remarkable work to protect vulnerable populations and I am grateful to the Massachusetts Commission on Women for selecting her for this award.
This week my team hosted office hours at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday and at the Holyoke COA on Thursday. Next week, we have a triple header of office hours lined up. On Monday June 24th, we will be at the Westfield COA from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. On Tuesday, we will be at the Russell COA from 11:30 am to 12:30pm. Wednesday, we will be at the Southampton COA from 9:30am to 10:30am. If you can’t 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.
Sincerely,
John Velis