Hello Everyone,
We hope you all are staying warm! With all the cold winter weather that has come our way we would like to remind you all that our office remains available to assist constituents with applications for fuel assistance or locating nearby warming centers.
On Tuesday, Caitlyn had the opportunity to welcome school administrators from the West Springfield and Agawam Public Schools to the State House for a special event organized by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). During this event, both Memorial Elementary School in West Springfield and Phelps Elementary School in Agawam were named 2025 “Schools of Recognition” by DESE for their outstanding achievements last school year. Congratulations to all the dedicated school staff, educators, and students who made these awards possible!
Back in the district on Tuesday, Mark joined Representative Finn at the West Springfield Boys and Girls Club for a brief tour and an update on potential future programs. During the visit, the Club kindly recognized both Senator Velis and Representative Finn for their extensive support of not only their local chapter in West Springfield but also the Boys and Girls Clubs across our state.
Before the week ended, several visitors from the district came by our State House office to discuss and advocate for pending legislation. Whether during office hours or through visits to our Boston or Westfield offices, Team Velis always values the chance to sit down with constituents and hear about the issues that matter most to them. If you find yourself in the Boston area and would like to connect with our office or take a tour of the historic State House, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
This week Superintendent Soto from the Holyoke Public Schools announced that Holyoke High School was beginning work to upgrade the auditorium’s aging sound system thanks to a $120,000 fair share earmark secured by Senator Velis last spring. Be sure to check out the Senator’s website to learn more about the work going on over at Holyoke High and to learn about other funding Senator Velis brought back to our district!
This week Team Velis held office hours in Easthampton and Holyoke. Next week we will be hosting office hours at the Westfield Council on Aging on Monday from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, on Tuesday at the Russell Council on Aging from 11:30am to 12:30pm, and again on Wednesday at the Southampton Council on Aging from 9:30AM to 10:30am. If you are unable to make office hours, you can continue to reach us by email, john.velis@masenate.gov, by phone, (413) 572-3920, and online at senatorjohnvelis.com.
Sincerely,
Team Velis