Welcome summer! As New Englanders, we know these few short months of good weather will be gone as quickly as they came and it is important to get outside and enjoy it while you can. There’s nothing better than spending these warm days with family and friends, enjoying a host of activities Massachusetts and our neighboring states have to offer. I recently took part in the New England Walk for Burn Awareness at Castle Island. I took my 6 yearold grandson with me and we had a wonderful time. It was an easy two mile walk around the castle with beautiful views of the water and the city skyline. With all the work that has been done recently to clean up Boston Harbor, the Castle Island beaches are the perfect place to enjoy a beach day without having to travel very far. After our walk, we stopped at Sullivan’s, the long standing “snack bar” on the island, where we enjoyed a lobster roll and some French fries. It was a lovely day trip that was also easily accessible.

Another favorite escape of mine is the White Mountains in New Hampshire. With over 100 miles of trails, there is something for everyone to experience. One of my favorite hikes is the hike to Zealand Falls. The Zealand Trail is rated as an easy to moderate hike, and after a quick 2.5 miles, you arrive at the majestic falls. The trail is smooth and flat, lending itself to hikers of all ages. In fact, I was able to take my then 5 and 3 year-old grandsons on this trail last summer and they enjoyed every minute of the walk. The White Mountains are less than a two hour drive from the Boston metro area, and once you arrive you feel like you’ve been transported to a different world. With all the trees, streams, and lakes, the trails in the White Mountains offers a cool relief from the heat of the city.

But one of the best destinations in my opinion is right here in our own backyards, the beautiful Minuteman National Park. We all know the park, most noted for housing the Lexington Green, but don’t forget the multitude of other attractions there. Take advantage of The Battle Road Trail, a five mile biking and walking trail that runs throughout the park. A trip to the North Bridge where you can hear about the opening battle of the American Revolution and experience first-hand accounts of the battlefield is also not to be missed. Having gone back to Minuteman National Park a handful of times, I realize it’s a place I never tire of. I encourage you and your families to set aside time this summer to enjoy these, and the many other

attractions our state and its neighbors have to offer. For a full list of activities in Massachusetts visit www.massvacation.com. And while organizing and going on group outings is a wonderful way to spend your summer vacation, don’t overlook the simple joys of relaxing at

your home, reading a great book, and taking in these warm days with friends and family. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a wonderful summer.

Senator Donnelly represents the Fourth Middlesex District in the Massachusetts State Senate. He currently serves as Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. If you would like to contact Senator Donnelly or his staff, they can be reached at their State House office by calling 617- 722-1432.

Click to view event photos by Jim Shaw and Heather Aveson  |  It would take a lot more than cloudy skies and a little rain to dampen the spirits of athletes and supports at this year’s LABBB collaborative Special Olympics. More than two hundred athletes competed in a variety of track and field events from a softball throw to relay races. For the first time, elementary age athletes from the program joined the middle and high school students in the competition.

LABBB athletes partnered up with members of the Best Buddies program from Lexington, Bedford and Arlington High Schools along with Chenery Middle School in Belmont. More than 400 Best Buddies volunteers are an integral part of making the Special Olympics a success each year. They help with planning, organizing, setting up and runningtheevent as well as accompanying athletes through out the day.

When they weren’t competing, the student athletes could take a break under the Olympic Tent by making crafts, getting their faces painting or dancing with frie

nds to the sounds of a DJ.

The committed staff of LABBB doesn’t just support the students on the track and field, they’ll even take to the cold Atlantic waters to help their kids. For the second year, a group of staffers known as The “LABBB Legends” braved the frigid March waters of Revere Beach to raise more than $6,000 to support the event.

Ken Donnelly

I was honored to have been a part of Lexington’s Memorial Day Ceremonies a few weekends ago. After listening to the speakers and watching such a great showing of community and patriotism, I was inspired to expand on the remarks I shared that morning. For me, it is crucial that we remember and honor those we have lost defending our nation through out the year, not just on Memorial Day. Memorial Day is a time to reflect and remember those we have lost while serving our country. It isalso a time to thank the friends and families of these brave men and women for their sacrifice of losing a loved one, so other friends and families may continue to hold their loved ones close. And, it is a time to acknowledge the immense debt of gratitude we owe to all the service men and women of our armed forces. It is a credit to our nation that we have a day set aside every year to honor and memorialize our fallen troops. Each year on Memorial Day, towns and cities across the country gather at ceremonies just like this one. We watch parades, listen to speakers, and take time to reflect on the sacrifices others have made for us. But Memorial Day is one day.

Our task should be to honor the fallen, not just on this day, but throughout the year. We must hold dear those freedoms so bravely fought for and be strong stewards of our democracy and founding principles so that their sacrifice is not in vain.

As Americans, we are afforded freedoms we sometimes take forgranted but are for many around the world, a mere hope, waiting to take hold: freedom of speech, freedom to follow our own spiritual path, freedom to determine our own destinies. The men and women of the military have fought on foreign soil so that we still enjoy those freedoms

here at home. In return for their sacrifice and for these basic freedoms, we have the responsibility to continue the work that was started by our founding fathers so many years ago to “form a more perfect union.” We honor the service men and women we have lost, when we strive to better that union in our everyday lives. When we serve our communities. When we put ourselves in our neighbors’ shoes, take the time to understand and help them with the obstacles they might be facing. When we perform our civic duties. And when we come together to focus on our common goals for the common good – when we focus on what brings us together rather than what drives us apart. These values are what keep our communities and our country strong. These values are worth fighting for. So let us continue to personify the values we know strengthen our great nation. And let us never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by our brave men and women of our military when we go about our lives, every day, here in the United States of America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. We owe so much to them.

Senator Donnelly represents the Fourth Middlesex District in the Massachusetts State Senate. He currently serves as Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. If you would like to contact Senator Donnelly or his staff, they can be reached at their State House office by calling 617-722-1432.