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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