MountainOne Bank Hires AVP, Community Mortgage Lending Specialist

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — MountainOne hired Jason "Jay" Bianchi to join the residential lending team as AVP, Community Mortgage Lending Specialist. 
 
Reporting directly to the Head of Residential Lending, Bianchi will work out of the Berkshires, and serve as a member of the Bank's Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Committee.
 
Bianchi's primary job responsibilities will include promoting the Bank's overall CRA efforts through customer outreach, assisting potential borrowers with residential mortgages in underserved areas, enhancing community engagement through a series of financial literacy programs, and partnering with federal, state, and local affordable housing organizations on down-payment-assistance programs.
 
"We are excited to have Jay join MountainOne," said Peter Radigan, SVP, residential and consumer lending officer. "We are eager to grow our lending team in the Berkshires to meet the credit needs of our community."
 
Bianchi holds a degree in Business Administration from Berkshire Community College and brings over 15 years of banking experience to MountainOne Bank. Previously, he worked for NBT Bank – in both New York and New England – and Greylock Federal Credit Union in Berkshire County. In addition, he brings a CRA-related background and extensive experience in residential lending, community engagement, and financial counseling.
 
Bianchi has a history of volunteerism, with his efforts focused on mental health awareness and advocacy, suicide prevention, animal welfare, environmental causes, and youth sports. In his free time, you can find him digging in the garden, wandering in the woods, playing in the snow and, in general, letting the music move him. He resides in Pittsfield with his family.

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Clarksburg School Officials Cut Fiscal 2026 Budget by $90K

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
CLARKSBURG, Mass. — School officials have shaved $90,000 out their $3 million budget for fiscal 2026. 
 
The reductions bring the total budget to $3,093,756, a 4.26 percent, or $126,346, increase over this year. 
 
The cuts include a reduction in hours in the school for the dean of students, cutting the tuition to Drury High by a third, imposing tuition for 4-year-olds in prekindergarten and trimming supplies and training. 
 
Town officials had pushed for the school to cut back from an anticipated 7 percent increase. That's frustrated school officials who point out the operating budget is only going up by 0.67 percent but covering nearly $200,000 for retirees' insurance and FICA is responsible for the hike.  
 
The Select Board was nominally supportive of the amended budget presented at Monday's joint meeting of the School Committee, Select Board and Finance Committee but held off on endorsing it until the town budget is presented next week. 
 
"I appreciate your hard work going down. We don't have the town budget ready yet, so I'm not sure if we're in trouble," said Select Board Chair Robert Norcross. "I'm not sure if I can be in favor of this if we have to cut some more. So we are going to work on that."
 
Assistant Superintendent Tara Barnes had outlined two possible options in mid-April how to get the spending plan down to 2 percent or 4 percent; the latter called for about $90,000 in cuts and reduction in positions.
 
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