8 Wednesday, April 5, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon SPRD needs budget committee members The board of directors of the Sisters Park & Recreation District is accepting applica- tions from district residents to fill up to three budget com- mittee vacancies. The budget committee reviews the district’s budget document as proposed by the budget officer. Once sat- isfied with the budget, the Committee approves it and forwards it to the board of directors for public hearing and adoption. The budget meeting is scheduled for May 9, with an additional meeting May 10 if necessary. To be eligible for appoint- ment, a candidate must live in the district, not be an officer or employee of the district, and be a qualified voter of the district. Interested per- sons should submit a letter explaining the reasons for wishing to serve on the bud- get committee, along with a short résumé. These documents must be delivered to the Sisters Park & Recreation District, 1750 W. McKinney Butte Rd., Sisters, OR 97759. P.O. Box 2215, or by email to Liam@ SistersRecreation.com. Applications should be deliv- ered by 5 p.m. on April 12. Lounging in the spring grass... Oregon’s recycling program doubles payout for bottles, cans PORTLAND (AP) — Oregon’s recycling program has doubled to 10 cents its payout for used soda cans and glass bottles. The state was the first in the nation to give 5-cent refunds for cans and bot- tles more than 45 years ago. It decided to increase the refund in an effort to boost recycling. The new 10-cent rate took effect Saturday, and officials with the state’s recycling pro- gram are expecting a busy weekend. Oregon’s groundbreaking 1971 Bottle Bill was rep- licated in nine other states and Guam. But return rates recently dropped below 70 percent, triggering the refund hike as required by law. Naysayers, meanwhile, say it’s bad policy that pri- vate-sector industry pockets the unredeemed refunds — around $30 million in 2015 — during a budget crisis in Oregon. PHOTO BY JERRY BALDOCK Like everyone else, the deer in Sisters are happy to see spring. Area unemployment hits historic low Following the state’s lead, unemployment levels dropped significantly across the High Desert in February. Deschutes County saw its rate plummet to the lowest level on record (comparable county records only go back to 1990). The unemployment rate reached a series low of 4 per- cent in Deschutes County. February tied the largest monthly drop in county his- tory, falling 0.6 percent- age points. The rate is down from last February, when it was 5 percent. Declining Great hair doesn’t happen by chance. It happens Dr. Thomas R. Rheuben by appointment. unemployment is being driven by rapid hiring with over 3,700 additional employed residents from last year. The county added nearly 800 jobs from January as we move past the seasonal employment low. Monthly gains outpaced expectations as the county typically only adds around 200 jobs from January to February. Local Deschutes County businesses continue to hire at a fast pace. Employment levels remain up 3.8 percent from last February (+2,850 jobs), significantly faster than the statewide growth of 2.1 percent. Employment gains continue to be spread across a variety of industries. There was particularly fast growth in information, healthcare, transportation, and finan- cial activities. Other growth industries include construc- tion and manufacturing. After six years of continuous job growth, leisure and hospital- ity (primarily tourism-related businesses) posted two con- secutive months of over-the- year job losses. Enjoy the fl avors of spring General, Cosmetic, Implant and Family Dentistry ~ Over 22 years Serving Sisters ~ We are preferred providers for Delta Dental PPO and Premier, MODA, Advantage, Pacifi c Source, Cigna and the V.A. 541-549-0109 | 304 W. Adams Ave. | Sisters Tim & Ronnica Westcott Jenny Duey 541-588-6611 220 W. Cascade Ave. Come in, Relax, Enjoy! Save 10% when you register at StitchinPost.com for classes... Bendy Bag, Crosscut and Painted Forest. — Serving Breakfast & Lunch — Gluten free and vegetarian options always available Open Every Day Except Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 403 E. Hood Ave. | 541.549.2699 Hand-Dyed Natural Fiber Yarns 541.549.6061 | 311 W. Cascade Ave.