St. Stanislaus School benefit, 9 to 4 in Kolbe Hall, Adams. Bake sale, snack bar, games, Chinese auctions, money raffle, crafts, and pierogi.
Blackinton Union Church, 1373 Massachusetts Ave., North Adams; 10 to 2. Crafts table, bake sale, Chinese auction, the Christmas table, and kid's grab bag. Lunch $4, $2 kids.
First Congregational Church, North Adams, 9-2.
Nov. 28 Becket Federated Church, Route 8, holiday bazaar from 9-3. Lunch, crafts, baked goods, holiday and other items. Information: Mary Peltier, Parish House, 413-623-5217.
Dec. 5
Holiday Fair at First Congregational Church, 25 Park Place, Lee, from 10 to 3; handcrafted items, raffles, children's shop, bake sale, cut Christmas trees and lunch from 11 to 1. Includes angel-themed goods from SERRV. Information, 413-243-1033 or www.ucc-lee.org.
Dec. 12-13
North Adams Country Club, crafts 9-4; food from That's a Wrap from 11-2. Information: Sheryl Morehouse at 413-822-3329.
Planning a bazaar this season? Submit information to info@iberkshires.com to have it listed here.
We're trying out blogs to offer shorter, easy-to-find news. Let us know what you think.
Send press releases and announcements to info@iberkshires.com. Need to contact someone at iBerkshires? Here's how.
Mammography Dispute The government's issued controversial new guidelines stating that women shouldn't get annual mammograms until age 50, rather than age 40.
iBerkshires will be meeting with local medical experts Monday. Have a question you'd like answered on this issue? Send it info@iberkshires.com with "mammogram" in the subject line.
Banks combine down payment assistance with low-interest mortgage.
North Adams - Many first-time homebuyers struggle to pull together the money required for a home down payment and closing costs. Hoosac Bank and Williamstown Savings Bank are offering help in the form of their down payment assistance program. Both Banks are MountainOne Financial Partners.
The down payment assistance program offers grant money - up to $15,000 per household - which can be used for a down payment and/or closing costs for the first-time purchase of a primary residence. In addition to this assistance, participants in the program receive a mortgage that is .50% lower than the banks' market fixed rates. The banks also cover the cost of the home appraisal. The grant money is forgiven - the lien is wholly discharged - if the homeowner owns the property for 5 years. If the home is sold in less than five years, the homeowner must repay a pro-rated portion of the grant.
"It can be challenging to scrape together the cash to purchase a home for the first time," says Cindy Sault, mortgage lender at Hoosac Bank. "Many renters who are able to get along on a weekly basis struggle to make the leap from renting to owning. This program makes it easier for people to stop renting, and start building equity for their future."
The program is available to first-time homebuyers whose income is 80% of the area median or lower. In the northern Berkshires, a family of four with a household income of $59,200 or lower may qualify. Displaced homemakers - individuals who previously owned a home with a spouse but are now buying a home on their own for the first time - may qualify, as well.
For more information about the down payment assistance program, call Cindy Sault at Hoosac Bank, at (413) 662-2132, or Myra Wilk at Williamstown Savings Bank at (413) 458-8720.
Hoosac Bank and Williamstown Savings Bank are wholly owned subsidiaries of MountainOne Financial Partners, headquartered in North Adams. MountainOne has combined assets of nearly $900 million and over 200 employees. Hoosac Bank, Williamstown Savings Bank, and South Coastal Bank provide a broad range of banking services for personal and business customers. Hoosac Bank, established in 1848, has offices in North Adams and Williamstown; Williamstown Savings Bank, founded in 1892, has an office in Williamstown; and, South Coastal Bank, founded in 1868, has offices in Rockland, Braintree, Scituate, and Quincy. Coakley, Pierpan, Dolan & Collins Insurance Agency, founded in 1927 and one of the largest property and casualty insurance agencies in Western Massachusetts, serves personal and business customers through offices in North Adams, Williamstown, and Adams. True North Financial Services, established in 1997, is a registered broker dealer, providing investment, life insurance, retirement planning, and employee benefit services to personal and business customers through offices in North Adams, Williamstown, and Pittsfield.
