PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Liann Bordeau-Buck Memorial Foundation will be raising money for its scholarship fund with a golf tournament on Saturday, Sept. 9, at Miraval Berkshires Resort in Lenox.
The foundation has been holding this event since its establishment seven years ago in honor of Liann Bordeau-Buck, who died following complications from a Cesarean section following the birth of her only child.
Since its creation, the organization has been raising and donating funds to help students at Bordeau-Buck's alma mater, Taconic High School, obtain their educational goals, acting foundation President Jessica Autenrieth said.
There will be two golf flights this year: one at 8 a.m. and another at 11:30 a.m. The event features lunch, raffles, and ice cream sold by Krispy Cones.
Tickets for this event are $125 per person and include 18 holes and a cart, and lunch and awards.
Registration for the event is required and can be done here.
Bordeau-Buck was very friendly and had a contagious laugh, Autenrieth said. The golf tournament keeps her personality alive, she said.
"A lot of friends and family come together for this event. Her personality comes out because everyone's laughing, everyone's there to have a good time and it's all in fun. That's what she liked to do. She liked to have fun," Autenrieth said.
Haddad Motors is sponsoring a hole with a chance to win a car and Berkshire Money Management is sponsoring a hole in one.
"I think that overall it's a lot of businesses coming together. A lot of family and friends are coming together for this event," Autenrieth said.
"And I've seen just in the past few weeks, especially with me reaching out, that people are very happy within the community to reach out and help for initiatives like this."
Knowledge of the foundation and its mission has grown over the years along with its fundraising efforts.
The event has grown so much that it had to move the tournament to Miraval Berkshires Resort, the former Cranwell resort. It previously took place at the General Electric Athletic Association in Pittsfield.
Last year, the event brought in approximately 20 teams raising about $17,000 for the scholarship fund. This year it hopes to have 40 teams with a goal to raise between $20,000 to $30,000.
The funds raised last year allowed the organization to distribute a dozen scholarships ranging from $500 to $1,000 to Taconic students.
With the growth of the foundation, this year it is expanding its scholarship criteria to provide all Berkshire County public high school students the opportunity to apply.
Bordeau-Buck's mother, Donna Scherben Bordeau, created the foundation in honor of her daughter's love of education.
She was passionate about education, particularly science education, and wanted to "soak up everything," Autenrieth said, and loved the ocean so much that she earned a bachelor's degree in biology and marine science.
In the future the foundation would like to do some waterway cleanup projects to keep Bordeau-Buck's legacy and passion alive, she said.
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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages
By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners.
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families.
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field.
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning.
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households.
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs.
A large limb from a 32-foot sugar maple in the park fell next to the fountain area over the weekend. Caution tape and traffic barrels now surround the aftermath.
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The last estimate for construction was overly optimistic because, at the time, it was unclear how long obtaining the two easements would take, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said.
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Full cost estimates have not been completed but based on recent repairs made to the Clapp Park splash pad, it is estimated to cost between $350,000 and $450,000.
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King Kone had a soft opening at the end of the week, offering the frozen treats on a "pay what you will" basis while employees perfected the craft.
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