Hello Westfield and Happy Saturday! Hope you are all enjoying your weekend. Although I was at Army Drill on Monday and Tuesday, this week still managed to be very exciting for my office. With budget season almost here, legislators across the state are attending briefings hosted by organizations and state-funded institutions to get a better feeling for their funding priorities and needs.
Porkchop the Porcupine from the Forest Park Zoo.
On Monday, my aide was lucky enough to visit the Forest Park Zoo Legislative Breakfast, where they discussed their educational and outreach programs, and the possibility of state funding to help with these programs. Did you know that they are one of the only zoos in the area that have a travelling program that visits local libraries, camps, schools, etc… to help educate the Pioneer Valley about the types of animals they house? They even brought a short version of the program to the breakfast. The legislators were able to meet Porkchop the Porcupine, Roll the Armadillo, and crowd-favorite (and minor celebrity) Poncho the Parrot, who has his own weekly television spot. I must say that Western Massachusetts is lucky to have such a wonderful community zoo in our own backyard.
This week, we also had the opportunity to meet with the Western MA Fire Chiefs Association to discuss important line items in the budget and legislative priorities for our local fire departments. It was great to sit with and meet such important and brave leaders in our area. Yesterday, there were also breakfasts for Western Massachusetts Hospital and the Farm Bureau, where I and my staff were able to discuss important healthcare issues and legislative priorities affecting Western MA agriculture.
On Thursday this week, I was honored to attend the meeting of Massachusetts House Leadership at Worcester State University. This meeting was the first official time the House Party Leadership, Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs were able to come together to discuss priorities for the current session. We had a long talk about what we want to get accomplished, and I can’t wait to see what this group is able to do in the next 2 years.
Finally, last night I attended the 70th Annual American Legion Post 124 March of Dimes Benefit dinner to present citations to both the Legion and March of Dimes. Did you know that the Legion’s dinner is the longest consecutive annual fundraiser in the nation for the March of Dimes? It’s so great to see that our community is such a strong supporter of the work they do to help premature infants. I hope you all have a chance to get down to the Legion today and help to support such a great cause.
That’s it for this week, folks! As always, if you have any questions or concerns for my office, we can be reached at 413-572-3920 or [email protected].
