Hello everyone,
I hope you all had a great week! With the Senate having passed its budget the week before Memorial Day I was overjoyed to have been able to spend this week connecting with constituents and attending events across our district.
On Monday I had the opportunity to join a number of our district’s thoughtful Memorial Day ceremonies. I kicked off the day bright and early to join community members from Agawam and West Springfield for the annual wreath laying at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge. Later that morning I joined Easthampton for their parade and ceremony followed by a visit to the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery’s annual ceremony before ending my day in Russell. I am so grateful for all those who helped organize these events and the countless other observations of Memorial Day this week to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation.
With high school graduations right around the corner I had the opportunity to join Westfield’s Dollar for Scholars annual award night on Tuesday. Congratulations to all the recipients, I have no doubt you all have bright futures ahead of you!
Speaking of graduations, this past Thursday the Westfield Technical Academy Aviation Maintenance program had a special send off for their graduating seniors over at Barnes Municipal Airport. Over the past few years these students have had an incredible high school experience learning how to repair and maintain aircrafts to help prepare them to become FAA certified mechanics following graduation. We are beyond lucky to be one of the very few schools in the country to provide our students with this opportunity and help prepare them for a thriving workforce. Congratulations to all the graduates!
On Thursday evening my good friends from the Massachusetts Organization for Addiction Recovery held a public policy forum right here in Western Massachusetts. As the Senate Chair for the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery I was proud to update all those in our region dedicated to helping those with substance use disorders about legislation before the committee and our monumental substance use disorder bill that was signed into law a few months ago.
This week Team Velis hosted office hours in Russell, and I was thrilled to connect with constituents at our Southampton office hours on Wednesday morning. Next week Team Velis will be hosting office hours on Monday at the Agawam Council on Aging from 11:00am to 12:00pm. 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,   Â
John Velis Â