Governor Appoints Commissions to Address Veterans' Health and Quality of Life

12:07PM / Saturday, April 12, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced the appointment of members to two new commissions established under the HERO Act: the Veterans Alternative Therapy Working Group (VAT) and the Veterans Quality of Life Commission (VQL). These commissions will explore treatments and develop solutions aimed at improving the well-being of veterans in Massachusetts.

The HERO Act, signed into law in August 2024, includes provisions for the creation of these commissions to examine innovative therapies and enhance veterans' quality of life.

The Veterans Alternative Therapy Working Group will evaluate the potential of psychedelic therapies, including psilocybin, ketamine, and MDMA, for treating mental health disorders in veterans. The group will analyze research and expert opinions to assess the safety and effectiveness of these treatments under medical supervision.

According to Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago, this working group will provide evidence-based guidance on potential treatments for conditions such as PTSD and depression.

The members of the Veterans Alternative Therapy Working Group are Franklin King (Chair), John Bradley, Paul Morrissey, Paul Jones, Rob McLaughlin, Jason Main, Michael Allard, Roxanne Sholevar, Sharmin Ghaznavi, and Colin Beatty.

The Veterans Quality of Life Commission is tasked with studying and developing proposals to improve the overall quality of life for veterans in Massachusetts. The commission will focus on areas such as employment, healthcare access, and housing stability. It will collaborate with veterans’ organizations and policy experts to create actionable recommendations.

Veterans Services Secretary Jon Santiago stated the commission will identify areas for improvement and develop solutions based on the needs of veterans.

The members of the Veterans Quality of Life Commission are Cory Ahonen, Scott Pita, Leroy Ashwood, Ashley Booker, Al Tenorio, Sarah Bateman, Senator Dylan Fernandes, Sergeant Ryan Puzzo, Bill LeBeau, Robert Breaker, and Melissa Alden.

The establishment of these commissions indicates a focus on evidence-based approaches to veteran care in Massachusetts.

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Dalton Considers Updating its Municipal Code

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
01:21PM / Thursday, August 27, 2026

DALTON, Mass. — The town is considering updating its original 18-year municipal code to 2026 standards.

During a recent Select Board meeting, General Code New England account manager Zach Dumont outlined the 18- to-24 month process.

General Code New England is a division of the International Code Council, which writes all the statewide building codes across the United States. For the last 18 years, the organization has been the codifier for municipalities.

"We work with communities to build, maintain, and update your local municipal code. That is your collection of bylaws, ordinances, regulations, and any other legislation you've ever adopted," Dumont said.

Once the project is complete, the town would have a fully updated set of books and an improved eCode360 site, he said.

"The way the process would work is we would put together a scope of work, a timeline, a price point, and everything that we would want to touch or do as a part of the code project," Dumont said.

When a municipal code is built, it has a general lifespan of about 15 to 20 years, and although that is a long time, it goes by very quickly, he said.

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