Company Notebook

Peter Pan Takes Over Northeast Megabus Routes

SPRINGFIELD — Peter Pan Bus Lines and Megabus have announced a partnership that will result in Peter Pan taking over all the Megabus routes in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states. Peter Pan will now operate those routes 24/7, including service to Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; White Marsh, Md.; and Philadelphia, and connecting passengers to the 100 destinations the company already serves. In preparation, Peter Pan has reduced fares by close to 40%, hired 75 new drivers, and purchased 45 new buses. The entire fleet of Peter Pan’s modern buses includes better-designed seats, video, and Wi-Fi. The company has also relaunched its app, enabling passengers to easily book their trips in advance and featuring its PERKs program, through which users can earn free travel. The company also recently announced a partnership with Trailways and a strategic alliance with Amtrak. It actively forms relationships with ride services like Uber and Lyft to make all aspects of travel it controls or can influence more reliable and affordable.

 

New Straddle Coaster Coming to Six Flags in 2025

AGAWAM — Six Flags New England announced a new roller coaster for the 2025 season, called Quantum Accelerator. The park’s 12th coaster will be the first dual-launch straddle coaster in New England. Riders will mount a steampunk-themed hoverbike vehicle, straddling the seat and gripping handlebars as they lean forward. The ride will begin with a launch, propelling riders into a series of twists, turns, and ground-hugging curves. Midway through the ride, a second launch will accelerate the vehicle to 45 mph. Quantum Accelerator will feature more than 2,600 feet of track and 11 moments of airtime.

 

Cannabis Delivery Business Opens in Holyoke

HOLYOKE — Blossom Flower, a fully licensed cannabis delivery operation located at 1 Cabot St., Holyoke, is now open. The new, Latina-owned business is spearheaded by Damaris Aponte, who has deep roots in Holyoke. As she embarks on this journey, she will have family by her side as her son, Dashaun Goodman, has also come on board. Aponte grew up in Holyoke in the ’80s and ’90s and has established herself as a local leader, volunteering her time through outreach for literacy and financial education, organizing street cleanups, and supporting nonprofit organizations in Holyoke and surrounding communities. She is a graduate of the Commonwealth’s second social equity program and has tirelessly worked to bring Blossom Flower to fruition.

 

Spot On Storage Expands to North Adams

NORTH ADAMS — Spot On Storage is now open at 230 Hodges Cross Road in North Adams. This is the second location for Spot On Storage, with the first facility located in Catskill, N.Y. The project was developed by Vanguard-Fine, LLC. The facility totals 61,900 square feet and offers 462 rentable storage units, temperature-controlled and standard units in different sizes, as well as vehicle, RV, and boat storage. There is computerized gate access and a camera surveillance system as well as a professional manager on site. The property is located adjacent to Cumberland Farms at the intersection of Route 8 and Hodges Cross Road and near the Super Walmart. Spot On Storage is a partnership by Barry Feinman, Ben Feinman, Sam Feinman, and Kenneth Brownell of Vanguard-Fine, LLC of Albany, N.Y. The firm specializes in retail, warehouse, and self-storage development in addition to the brokerage division, which is licensed in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

 

GCC Awarded $200,000 for Clean-energy Training Programs

GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College (GCC) has been awarded a $200,000 planning grant from the Department of Energy Industrial Training and Assessment Centers to develop new clean-energy training programs in industrial machine maintenance and mechatronics. This initiative, in collaboration with regional manufacturers, industry experts, and community partners, aims to address the growing demand for skilled workers in these fields. Three local manufacturing companies provided letters of support for the project, including BETE Performance Spray Engineering and Ames Electrical Consulting Inc., both located in Greenfield, and Worthington Assembly, located in South Deerfield. This grant is part of the Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains initiative, designed to bolster American manufacturing competitiveness and promote economic growth and mobility.

 

Girl Scouts Receive $15,000 Grant from Davis Foundation

HOLYOKE — Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts (GSCWM) announced the continued investment by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation through a $15,000 grant in support of It’s A Girls World, one of the community-based programs Girl Scouts offers. The afterschool program engages Hampden County girls in grades K-6 in STEM, financial literacy, and health and personal wellness topics. The Girl Scout Leadership Experience is a collection of engaging, challenging, and fun activities for girls to develop a strong sense of self, display positive values, seek challenges, learn from setbacks, form and maintain healthy relationships, and learn to identify and solve problems in their community. The support of contributors such as the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation — which supports a variety of nonprofit organizations seeking to improve the quality of lives for those living in Hampden County — makes this possible.

 

Monson Savings Supports Community Organizations

MONSON — Monson Savings Bank President and CEO Dan Moriarty recently met with members of the East Longmeadow Veterans Memorial Committee to present it with a $2,000 donation on behalf of the bank. The donation was made to support the construction of a veterans memorial in front of the town’s Senior Center at 328 North Main St. This is the second contribution the bank has made to this effort over the past few years, bringing its total contributions to $12,000. The East Longmeadow Veterans Memorial Committee was formed in 2017 with the mission of constructing a memorial in front of the East Longmeadow Senior Center. Monson Savings Bank also announced that it was a full season sponsor of the Miracle League of Western Massachusetts’s 2023 season, donating $1,000 to the local organization. The Miracle League of Western Massachusetts, formed in 2015, is a baseball league for children ages 4-19 with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, giving children of all abilities the chance to play baseball, be a part of a team, and have fun.