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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2021
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APPEAL TRIBUNE
Oregon's unemployment rate jumps following decline
Bill Poehler
Salem Statesman Journal
USA TODAY NETWORK
After seven months of declines, Ore-
gon’s unemployment rate increased in
the final month of 2020.
The state unemployment rate
jumped to 6.4% in December, from 6.0%
in November 2020, as the state lost
25,500 jobs. Most of the job loss was in
the hospitality and leisure sector, which
includes bars, restaurants and hotels.
Oregon’s unemployment rate was
still better than the national 6.7% in No-
vember and December.
The most recent freeze on businesses
in Oregon due to the impacts of the CO-
VID-19 pandemic happened on Nov. 18,
which caused some restaurants and
bars to close again for in-person service
or close altogether.
“While it’s not the level of job loss
that we saw in April 2020, 25,500 is a
large loss over the month,” State Em-
ployment Economist Gail Krumenauer
said.
Employment in the leisure and hos-
pitality sector declined by 28,600 jobs
in December, which included 17,600
jobs in full-services restaurants, ac-
cording to the Oregon Employment De-
partment.
There were some sectors that picked
up significant numbers of jobs in De-
cember, including couriers and messen-
gers (3,600); retail trade (2,200); trans-
portation, warehousing and utilities
(2,200); health care and social assis-
tance (2,200); and professional and
business services (2,100).
The state had 1,783,300 non-farm
jobs in December, a decline of 174,000
jobs from December 2019.
Oregon’s unemployment rate, which
is calculated on the 12th of each month,
went from an all-time low of 3.3% in
February 2020 to 3.5% in March and
skyrocketed to an all-time high of 14.9%
in April.
But since April, the unemployment
rate steadily declined as businesses re-
opened, dropping to 6.0% in November.
The unemployment rate was slightly
Wildfire
pass, $9 for a 3-day pass or a daily per-
mit for $4.
h Be sure to be prepared with the
winter 10 essentials.
h The trail junctions are well-
marked, but it helps to have a map of the
network of trails. You can grab one at
the sno-park near a big sign with a map
of the area.
h If you’re interested in getting into
cross country skiing, I’d highly recom-
mend joining and getting tips from the
Oregon Nordic Club’s Willamette Valley
chapter.
h Make sure to thank, contribute to
or volunteer with the Cascade Volun-
teers, who do lots of work clearing logs
off the trails so we can enjoy it, along
with the Mount Jefferson Snowmobile
Club.
Continued from Page 1B
that with the largest trees gone, views of
Three-Fingered Jack are remarkably
clear for long stretches of trail, and
you’ll soon get some nice sights of Black
Butte as well.
Blowout Shelter offers glorious
views
After 2.6 miles on the North Loop,
you’ll reach a junction and turn left to
visit North Blowout Shelter, one of three
delightful little huts in the backcountry
where explorers can warm up by a fire,
eat lunch and enjoy a knockout view of
Three-Fingered Jack and Black Butte.
Originally built in the 1980s by the
Willamette Chapter of the Oregon Nor-
dic Club, the shelter was burned by the
B&B Complex. However, it was quickly
rebuilt in the same location.
The word blowout apparently comes
from a nearby explosion of volcanic cin-
ders, according to a story in the Nugget
Newspaper of Sisters.
After lunch, I snapped back on my
skis and headed out of the B&B burn
zone and into the most challenging ter-
rain that I’ve skied this year.
North Loop into Twin Buttes
offers hilly challenge
The next three miles were some of
the most fun but also potentially haz-
ardous sections of trail that I’ve skied
this year.
The route dropped downhill on some
roller-coaster run rises and falls on
North Loop. At a junction, I keep
straight onto Twin Buttes Trail instead
of completing the North Loop, which is
only 4 miles itself.
Twin Buttes gets into less traveled
terrain but still has quite a few ups and
downs. One hill was so steep and nar-
higher for women for much of 2020, but
that has equalized.
“That gap seems to have closed, but
that’s because men’s unemployment
rate has risen to 6.4%,” Krumenauer
said. “That’s in line with women.”
The state employment rate will likely
continue to rise in January.
According to the Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics, there were 12,663 initial claims
for unemployment benefits in Oregon
the week ending Jan. 9 and 12,810 initial
claims the week prior.
Bill Poehler covers Marion County for
the Statesman Journal. Contact him at
bpoehler@statesmanjournal.com
or
Twitter.com/bpoehler
The northern route through the winter trails at Ray Benson Sno-Park features
wooden Blowout Shelter, forest burned by the 2003 B&B Complex Fire and views
of Three-Fingered Jack and Mount Washington. ZACH URNESS / STATESMAN JOURNAL
row that I slipped and fell and had to
brace myself before awkwardly sliding
downhill and into the trees. I decided to
take off my skis and use my snowshoes
to climb to the top.
At the end of Twin Buttes, I turned
right onto Claypool Butte Trail and fol-
lowed a remarkably beautiful forested
route through dense patches of trees.
There was new snow and little trail to
follow, so I had to look carefully for the
blue diamonds marking the route. At
one point, I came up a rise to a striking
view of Mount Washington. It was my
favorite part of what had already been
an excellent route.
Eventually, Claypool Butte Trail in-
tersected with the South Loop and led
me back to the parking lot at Ray Benson
Sno-Park.
Overall, this route through an old
wildfire scar to a wooden shelter and
down a fun and challenging series of
hills was my favorite of my series this
winter spent at Ray Benson.
Obituaries
Marie (Melba) Benz
July 3, 1927 - January 16, 2021
Marie (Melba) Benz was born July 3, 1927, the
first of seven children, to Alma and Otis Phillips,
in Oklahoma. Before she was of school age, her
family moved to the Lake Labish area of Oregon,
where they farmed. From a young age, Marie loved
dogs, and was always a friend to wayward animals.
She graduated from Salem High School, married
Earl Benz on January 16, 1948, and was the mother
of four.
Earl and Marie opened and operated Benzies
Foreign Auto Wrecking Yard. All of her grandchil-
dren remember the automotive smell of Benzies,
the big “yard dogs”, and Grandma’s vast knowledge
of untold car parts and pieces and willingness to
help friends, family and strangers find exactly what
they need.
Helping was a part of her nature. From delivering
meals and care packages to neighbors, friends, and
family, to lending a helping hand to anyone in need,
to always putting the needs of others above her
own, she was truly a selfless woman. Devastating
heartbreaks in her life sparked a resilience in her.
She developed the gift of being able to help others
get back up and keep going. From her experiences she became an encourager.
Those who knew her said she was the strongest woman they knew.
Marie was passionate about and served many years in the American Le-
gion Auxiliary. A highlight for her was representing Oregon at the National
Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, 1996. She was recognized and honored
for her years of service.
Throughout her life, she loved to travel. She and Earl took several trips
to Europe, always including train rides which was probably her favorite
mode of transportation. They also traveled to South America, and New
Zealand. In her later years, she took several trips and cruises with friends
and other family and was able to see Africa, Egypt, the Panama Canal, and
Ireland. Wherever she went, she seemed to find new friends. It was said
of her, “she never met a stranger”. She enjoyed gardening and canning and
was famous for her frozen strawberry jam, which she loved sharing with
friends and family.
Marie was preceded in death by husband Earl, and two sons, Reginald E.
Benz, and Zachary P. Benz. She is survived by daughter Nancy Morris, son
Bruce Benz, sister Brenda Phillips, grandchildren Scott Golde, Danielle
Mackey, Tiffanie Golde, Leslie Cutler, Lance Benz, Nathan Benz, Jeremy
Benz , and 12 great grandchildren.
A private burial will be held at Willamette National Cemetery. In lieu of
flowers, donations in memory of Marie Benz may be made to Willamette
Valley Humane Society at 4642 Turner Road SE, Salem OR 97317
Avoid the crowds
Ray Benson Sno-Park gets extremely
crowded on nice weekend days or really
any weekend day. Because the sno-park
shares an entry road with Hoodoo Ski
Area, arriving between 10 a.m. and noon
can be a nightmare of slow lines of cars
in the snow. To avoid getting stuck with
the masses, I always try to arrive before
8 a.m., when the parking lot and trails
are very quiet.
Other notes:
h Make sure you have a sno-park per-
mit. They can be purchased online from
the Oregon DMV for $25 for an annual
Art
Continued from Page 1B
For contest rules and a look at previ-
ous winning entries, go online to
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/
stamp_contest/index.asp
Entries will be accepted between
Aug. 27 and 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at ODFW
headquarters, 4034 Fairview Industri-
al Drive SE, Salem, OR 97302.
WORST OF TIMES, BEST OF
TIMES
One thing that you annually dread is
getting a Christmas card returned with
a yellow USPS “return to sender” stick-
er with the message “not deliverable as
addressed; unable to forward.”
In the case of Jeanne Easterling,
widow of the late, great Jerry Easter-
ling, a longtime Statesman writer best
known for his folksy “Country Chaff ”
columns and a longtime fishing and
clamming buddy, the yellow sticker
came as something of a gut-punch.
According to the online obit in The
Nugget, a newspaper in Sisters, Jean-
In a nutshell: North Loop / Twin
Buttes / Claypool Butte / South
Loop
What: A collection of trails beginning
and ending at Ray Benson Sno-Park on
Santiam Pass near Hoodoo Ski Area.
How long: 6.5 mile loop
Elevation gain / loss: 750 feet
Difficulty: It's mostly terrain labeled
"more difficult" on winter recreation
maps. In my option, it's about moderate
difficulty. You should have some experi-
ence going up and down hills.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors re-
porter, photographer and videographer
in Oregon for 13 years. Urness is the au-
thor of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon”
and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can
be reached at zurness@StatesmanJour-
nal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on
Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.
nie, as she was better-known, died on
Nov. 27.
On the flip side, Frank King, three-
plus-decade friend and fishing buddy
and former Statesman coastal corre-
spondent, is alive and well, according
to a recent email.
Frank, celebrated in several of my
columns for his halibut-fishing prow-
ess, was evacuated, twice in Septem-
ber, first when his home near Otis was
destroyed by the Echo Mountain Fire,
then again two days later when the
spreading inferno forced a retreat from
the motel where Frank and family were
sheltering.
No spring chicken – a World War II
vet, Frank turned 98 on Oct. 1 – Frank
and assorted relatives moved into a
leased home in Lincoln City.
He’s using his Blue Racer walker to
stroll a mile a day, and looking forward
to rebuilding his house.
As I said, worst of times, best of
times.
THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: I
asked an old-timer on the Nestucca
River if he’d fished there his whole life.
He smiled and said, “not yet.”
Contact Henry Miller via email at
HenryMillerSJ@gmail.com
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