MassWildlife: Black bears are active and searching for food

12:01PM / Monday, April 15, 2024Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — MassWildlife officials are reminding the public that hungry bears are emerging from their winter dens and seek out food.?

If you live in northern Middlesex County, Worcester County, western Massachusetts, or other areas where bears have been spotted, take these steps to prevent conflicts with black bears:

Take down your bird feeders. Natural foods, such as acorns and other nuts, are usually available on the ground, but last year's fall hard mast crop was meager.?Bears will often ignore seasonally available natural foods, like skunk cabbage, in favor of an easy meal at a backyard bird feeder.?Other species, including wild turkeys and coyotes, may also frequent bird feeders which can lead to more human-wildlife conflict.?If you?enjoy watching birds in your yard, MassWildlife suggests adding a water feature or?growing native plants, shrubs, and trees to attract birds.?
Secure other human-associated food sources on your property. Store garbage in closed containers in a garage or outbuilding and put it by the roadside the morning of pick up. Individuals should also secure?bee hives, chickens, and?livestock.? Coops and chicken wire provide inadequate protection from black bears. Properly installed and maintained?electric fencing?is the only way to protect chickens or bee hives?from bears.
Protect your pets. The presence of a dog could trigger a bear to be aggressive. Check your yard for bears before letting your dog outside. Keep dogs leashed when they're outdoors and never let dogs chase or interact with bears.

There are at least 4,500 black bears in Massachusetts and their range is expanding eastward. Take action by educating yourself and your neighbors about proactive measures to avoid conflicts with bears.?

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Pittsfield Schools Schedule Morningside, Budget Hearings This Week

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, April 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold another public hearing for the potential closure of Morningside Community School.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m., community members will have the chance to give feedback in the Reid Middle School library. Last month, the Pittsfield Public Schools announced the possible closure of Morningside, which serves elementary grades, for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools.

In the last couple of weeks, the district has solicited input from employees and community members through meetings at the school.

Morningside Community School was built in the mid-1970s with an open classroom concept. Morningside serves about 374 students and has a 7 percent accountability score, outperformed by 93 percent of the state.

For fiscal year 2027, the district has allocated about $5.2 million for the school. The committee has also requested a version of the proposed $87.2 million district budget with Morningside closed.

Pittsfield has another open concept school, Conte Community School, that is planned to consolidate with Crosby Elementary School, and possibly Stearns Elementary School, in a new building on the Crosby site by 2030. The status of the project's owner's project manager will be discussed on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. at Taconic High School during the School Building Needs Commission meeting.

That leaves the school officials wondering if Morningside students could have better educational outcomes if resources followed them to other nearby schools. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips has stressed that a decision has not yet been made.

Considerations for the school’s closure include: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.