Hello Westfield, I hope you have all been well! This past week has been one of the busiest in a while…
On Monday, I attended a forum with the Western Mass Vet’s Outreach Project. The Vets Outreach Project is a non-profit that aims to improve patient care for military members and vets by educating healthcare workers on military culture and related conditions. This particular meeting focused on the issue of veteran’s substance abuse. It truly heartbreaking that our veterans community has been hit so hard by the recent opioid epidemic, but meetings like this will hopefully lead to an improvement in care and a reduction in use over time.
On Tuesday, I had the honor of going to the Westfield State Foundation dinner up at the University. This was a great opportunity for Westfield State to show what they stand for in light of the recent racial attacks on campus. The Foundation truly represents the values of the students there and I am so thankful for the work they do in the community. I also attended an event held by the Westfield Spanish American Association, where the impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico was discussed. Many of WSAA members have family on the island that they still have not been able to reach. WSAA is a fantastic organization and I look forward to assisting them in anyway I can to help those affected by the storm.
Wednesday was the busiest day of the week by far. It started at Westfield Technical Academy and Gulfstream Aerospace, where I attended “Job Shadow Day.” They have been a leader in local employment, filling thousands of jobs through their aviation technical programs. Their partnership with Westfield Technical Academy is one of the most cutting edge and productive programs in the area and trains high school students in the skills they need to work with Gulfstream. Seeing the program in action was a really cool experience.
From there, I headed to the the YMCA, which received donations from Bay State Noble, and Kohl’s for the prevention of childhood obesity. The program, MIGHTY, which stands for Moving, Improving, and Gaining Health Together, is an intense six-month group commitment for children and young adults between the ages of 5-21. The program emphasizes physical activity, nutrition, and a change in habits for the entire family.
We also a had a long formal session on Wednesday, taking over 60 roll call votes regarding the budget for next fiscal year. After taking all the votes, I raced back to Westfield for the Boys and Girls Club annual meeting, where they honored a few distinguished individuals. Jeff Amanti, who received the Helping Hands Award, has done so much for the Boys and Girls Club and has been critical to their success. Marcia and David Sanford also received the Wall of Fame Award- they have gone above and beyond for the city of Westfield and I’m glad I was able to help celebrate their contributions. Although I never had the honor and privilege of meeting David, his impact on the The Boys and Girls Club and the City of Westfield was tremendous.
Thursday was a nice change of pace. In the morning I attended a legislative breakfast for the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, where we discussed the impact of local businesses on the economy. Thursday was also my favorite day of the year: Westfield Day at the Big E! This is always a great time for our community to come together, put aside politics and appreciate how great of a city Westfield truly is. I loved marching in the parade and seeing everybody in the Westfield community there supporting our city.
Finally, Yesterday I attended a meeting with other members of the Western MA delegation and the Baker Administration to discuss the conditions at the Soldier’s Home. I always say that the Soldier’s Home is a true pillar of our community and I am glad anytime I get to visit our vets. I finished off the week with my return appearance as Ezra Clapp in the Westfield Cemetery Ghost Tours.
As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch with my office. We can be reached at 52 Court Street in Westfield, MA and our phone number is (413)-572-3920. Hopefully we have a few more nice days left before the winter begins, enjoy them!
