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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 2017)
12 Wednesday, November 22, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Sisters Country birds Keep parking areas, sidewalks clear of snow By Douglas Beall Correspondent As the seasons change from the warm leaves of autumn to the leafless branches of winter, the dark- eyed junco (Junco hyema- lis) comes down from their mountain breeding area to feed in the towns and farm- land of Central Oregon. This diverse bird displays numer- ous combinations of eye and feather colorations. There are 15 specified races, with the most common in our area being the pink-billed Oregon junco. Juncos are mostly ground-feeding birds that can be heard chirping as they are feeding on small seeds and insects. The female junco weaves her nest using fine grasses and rootlets on higher altitude forest floors and lays three to six blue and gray speckled eggs. Incubation lasts only 12 to 13 days, and the young exit the nest in 10 to 13 days. Unique to the junco are the white outside tail feath- ers which flash as they fly, PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL Oregon junno. warning others in the flock of possible dangers. Local juncos have slightly shorter wings than juncos that migrate long distances. A group of juncos are known as a “ubiquity,” a “crew,” a “flutter” or a “quarrel.” To view more images of the junco, visit http://abird singsbecauseithasasong. com. Oregon unemployment tax rates drop Unemployment tax rates for most Oregon employers will be lower in 2018. Tax rates will drop to schedule three for employers that pay into the unemployment insur- ance system. Ta x s c h e d u l e t h r e e includes an average rate of 1.97 percent for the first $39,300 paid to each employee. In 2017 Oregon operated on schedule four which had an average rate of 2.26 percent. The specific rate each employer will pay under the new schedule depends on how much they have used the unemployment insurance system. Oregon annually adjusts employer tax rates using eight tax schedules based on the solvency of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Movement between the eight schedules of tax rates represents part of the self-balancing aspects of Oregon’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund law. Each September a formula contained in state law deter- mines how much should be collected during the next year to maintain a solvent fund. Each schedule has a range of tax rates based on an employ- er’s previous Unemployment Insurance experience. The last time Oregon was on tax schedule three was in 2009. A healthy economy and strong job growth helped to contribute to the reduction. As the winter season sets in, the City of Sisters is providing information and reminders about snow-plow- ing and sidewalk clearing. The City of Sisters is ask- ing all residents and business owners to park vehicles off the street during a snow event, to allow plow drivers to clear streets as wide as possible. Do not put garbage cans out until the morning of col- lection, so that City snow- plows can operate as effi- ciently as possible during the nighttime hours. When the City is plowing, snow may end up as a berm across your driveway (with significant snow it may even cover a sidewalk and/or fire hydrant). This is unavoidable during times with large snow accumulation. Removal of driveway berms and clearing sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent resident and/or business owner. Snow removal in alleys and parking areas is the adja- cent property owner’s respon- sibility. The City will focus its resources on keeping travel lanes open. When plowing the parking area at your home or business, be mindful of storm drains. Covered drains will create unnecessary flooding. Snow mounds can also reduce visibility to adjacent streets, alleyways, and sidewalks. The City requests that prop- erty owners don’t place snow mounds in handicapped- accessible parking spaces. Per City Ordinance No. 473, when the Public Works Department determines that it is necessary to remove snow or widen a street, temporary “No Parking” zones may be established. “No Parking” zones will be signed not less than four hours before the start of the snow removal operation. Many of our neighbors rely on a clear sidewalk to get to and from work or school, or to access the school bus. When a sidewalk has not been cleared of snow and/or ice, pedestrians may be forced to walk in the road, causing a dangerous situation for both the pedestrian and the driver of a vehicle. City code requires every property owner or occupant to maintain the adjacent side- walks in good repair. The property owner/occupant is responsible for snow shov- eling/de-icing the adjacent sidewalks within six hours of daylight following the snow- fall or ice event. This includes sidewalks adjacent to an empty lot. As you clear your side- walks, remember to remove snow in the bulb-out area and all the way to the street. Connect to your neighbor so there is no gap between your property and theirs. This will vastly improve connectivity and make for a safer town for everyone to enjoy. Refrain from using ice-melt or simi- lar products that contain salt because they can damage sidewalks. The City uses bird seed or sand as an alternative method for keeping the side- walks safe and accessible. For more information visit www.ci.sisters.or.us. or call Nicole Abbenhuis, City of Sisters Public Works Department, 541-323-5220. CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS MULTI-STATE December 8 1 p.m. & 6 p.m. Best Western Ponderosa Lodge, 500 Hwy. 20 W., Sisters Multi-State $80 Oregon Included Oregon Only: $45 Shaun Curtain 360-921-2071 or email FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com | www.FirearmTrainingNW.com
