State Senator Peter J. Durant

Yesterday my office was excited to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour the new Sully's Veteran's Food Pantry at Project New Hope, Inc. on James Street in Worcester.

The team of volunteers at Project New Hope has really outdone themselves with this beautiful, well-stocked food pantry that helps Veterans and Gold Star Families in so many ways.

We were happy to present a citation on behalf of myself, and Sens. Moore and Kennedy to recognize this great effort.

One of the best parts of serving as your State Senator is celebrating the accomplishments of our constituents.

Today, I was especially honored to recognize Kaitlin McMillen, a member of Scouting America Troop 7180 in Holden, for earning the rank of Eagle Scout.

Her achievement reflects years of hard work, determination, and service to others.

Congratulations, Kaitlin on this well-earned accomplishment!

It was an honor to be part of the opening ceremonies for Relay for Life in Gardner tonight.

This event is a powerful reminder that cancer touches nearly every family, while also showcasing the strength, resilience, and compassion of our community.

Thank you to the survivors, volunteers, and organizers who make the Relay for Life so meaningful.

Tonight, we remembered loved ones, celebrated survivors, and showed that no one fights alone.

The Hardwick New Braintree Police Department treated senior citizens to a chicken barbecue today and despite the heat, a great time was had by all.

Donnie Berthiaume and I got to meet Barry, a comfort dog from the Barre Police Department. What a beautiful pup! We also got to chat with so many seniors who shared concerns or just said hello.

It was through the generosity of Webster First Federal Credit Union, Hardwick / New Braintree, Ma Police Department and Barre Police that this event took place.

It was nice to see District Joseph D. Early Jr., Worcester County District Attorney's Office providing information about scams targeted at seniors and representatives from National Grid helping address questions about their services.

The Massachusetts Legislature today set Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9 as the official dates of Massachusetts’ annual sales tax holiday.

During the holiday, the state’s 6.25 percent sales tax will be suspended for most retail items priced under $2,500.

A 2018 state law, which made the annual sales tax holiday permanent, requires the Legislature to vote to set the dates of the holiday each year. That was done today and I am happy to announce the dates for this year so residents can prepare for back-to-school shopping or plan for larger purchases.

What a great time we had celebrating not one, but two ladies who've lived a combined total of 202 years. Heywood Wakefield Commons hosted this double birthday party yesterday.

Arlene and Lorraine are just wonderful ladies and imagine the stories they can tell? They've lived through so many changes in our world. I was so happy to meet them both and I hope to have the chance to visit them again, maybe for their 102 birthdays!

The legislative breakfast at Harrington Hospital in Southbridge this morning was extremely informative. It was interesting to learn about programs like hospital at home snd virtual primary care. The UMass Hospital system is actively exploring how we will deal with the healthcare deserts that are cropping up in our area of the state.

There are a lot of viable ideas which could help improve things for Massachusetts residents who don’t have easily accessible healthcare.  I’m looking forward to working with partners in the district on these issues.

Last night I attended the Wind Beneath Their Wings awards at Davis Elementary School in Holden to present citations to the winners.

How amazing to see so many people of all ages in this community being celebrated for being positive influences for youth.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Thank you to Representative Kim Ferguson for your steadfast leadership over the last 16 years!

Our office is grateful for the partnership we have to ensure the needs of our shared district are heard!

We look forward to ending this session with great results for the district!

Congratulations to all the award winners!

Our Annual Dinner Honorees

What a special event it was! At the Chamber’s Annual Dinner State Representative Kim Ferguson and Business Owner Marie Mouradian were officially honored for their outstanding contributions, dedication and leadership.

Representative Ferguson was presented with the 2026 Community Leadership Award for her 16 years of exceptional public service, steadfast civic leadership and continued dedication to our local business community.

Marie Mouradian, owner of Window Designs Etc., was presented with the inaugural Chamber Champion Award. As a board member for 15 years and past president, Marie had selflessly used her social media expertise to elevate our Chamber online.

Congratulations Kim and Marie!

(Photo L-R: Jen Stanovich, Chamber executive director; Johnna Carlson, president; Kim Ferguson, Marie Mouradian, Jeff Prunier, incoming Chamber president.)