Weekly Update- October 19th

Hello everyone, 

I hope that everyone was able to enjoy the long weekend and peep some of the leaves.  The temperatures got below freezing for the first time this year here in Western Massachusetts.  I would like to remind everyone that my office stands at the ready to help in applications for fuel assistance.  The earlier the better is a good rule of thumb.   

Wednesday morning, I joined Massachusetts Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler, right here in Westfield to discuss options available to Westfield High students preparing for higher education.  Since 2014, Westfield Public Schools has had the “Westfield Promise Program” which allows students who are still in high school to take introductory courses at Westfield State University, allowing them to have a leg up on deciding where they would like to focus their studies once they are in school.  I would like to than the Secretary for coming all the way out to Western Mass and am looking forward to working together to better our education system here in the Commonwealth.   

Later that afternoon, I joined members of the Holyoke legislative delegation to celebrate the announcement of $1 million in Congressional funding that has been allocated to the Holyoke Health Center’s workforce development program.  This pivotal program would help build our healthcare workforce right here in Western Mass; training students to have fulfilling careers in sectors that are so desperately understaffed.  Thank you to Senator Markey and the federal delegation for helping to secure this funding.   

Thursday evening marked the celebration of the 50th anniversary for the Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation.  The purpose of this corporation has been to return former military assets from Westover back to civilian use and has converted over 1,300 acres to places of businesses over the last half century.  Here’s to another fifty years!

This week my office hosted office hours at the Easthampton COA on Tuesday and at the Holyoke COA on Wednesday.  Next week we will be at the Russell COA on Tuesday October 22nd from 11:30am to 12:30pm. 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 

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