Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/753051
Weknowtoprotectour personal identification and lock our doors at night, and we're learning from the di- rector of the FBI to put a piece of tape over our webcams to protect our privacy. But the last thing we'd ex- pect are nasty tricks from our friendly lenders, bank- ers and credit card com- panies. PAYDAY LOANS. You're broke, and payday is two weeks away. You request to borrow $100 from a payday loan company. It makes you hand over a personal check for $115 and sign a contract with all kinds of fine print, and it agrees to hold the check until your next payday. In two weeks it either depos- its the check or hands it back to you with "VOID" stamped on it if you pay $115 in cash. But you're as broke after those two weeks as you were before. For just $15 cash more, the loan shark says, you can extend the loan for an- other two weeks. In other words, the cost of the ini- tial loan is a $15 finance charge — or 391 percent APR. Then you have to pay another $15 to start over. Soon, you owe more than you borrowed in the first place. Payday loan com- panies are in the business of bleeding people for as much money as possible. Now that's freaky. FURNITURE RENTAL. It sounds like a great idea to rent stuff when you can't afford to buy it. But don't be so sure. Let's say you go to the local rent- to-own store. They say: "No problem. You can rent a 27-inch television for only 78 weekly payments of $9.99, and then you'll own it." It sounds great, but don't believe it. Rent- ing to own is a creepy way to throw your money away. In 78 weeks you will have coughed up $779 for a tele- vision that retails in other stores for, say, $217. That translates to an annual percentage rate of 230 per- cent. If that doesn't give you goose bumps, noth- ing will. COURTESY OVER- DRAFT. Banks across the country have adopted a frightening new type of overdraft plan with huge fees. Here's the scary part: You may not even know you have it. Known as "courtesy overdraft," this is different from overdraft protection tied to your savings account or line of credit. This "courtesy" ser- vice uses the bank's money to cover the checks you write over your balance. And the fees can be bloody outrageous. They don't even ask you whether you want it as incidents arise; enrollment is automatic if you made a blanket agree- ment when you opened the account. In addition to the bounce fee of $25 to $40 per overdraft, some banks tack on a daily fee of $2 to $5 until the checks are made good. Consumers must pay the money back within two to four weeks or risk facing severe col- lection actions. You do not want this service, so if they will not remove it, it may be time to look for a new bank. CREDIT CARDS. Just how chilling are some of today's credit card offers? My all-time pick has to be the Visa card offer from Plains Commerce Bank. You pay $79 to apply for the card. Once approved, you'll have to shell out an acceptance fee of $225, an annual fee of $50 and a monthly participation fee of $6, for a total of $281. And it gets scarier. When you add up all the fees, you've paid $360 for a credit line of less than $20, even though you've never used the horrid thing. If that's not enough to send chills up and down your spine, wait until you lock eyes with the inter- est rate: 19.92 percent APR. It's hard to imagine a more scary credit card. And so we come to the end of story time. But make no mistake. This is not make-believe. All kinds of tricks like these are just waiting to be played on you. Consumers, beware. EmailMaryatmary@ everydaycheapskate.com. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Beware tricks just waiting to be played on you By Mary Hanson mhanson@tuleyome.org They're small, cunning, swift and sometimes a lit- tle gross. The only kes- trel found in the Americas and the smallest falcon, the American Kestrel is a unique, tiny and tough lit- tle raptor that adapts well to living around humans. Vaguely the size of a small dove but with a stockier body, American Kestrels hunt during the daytime hours for things like large insects, voles, mice, and other small ani- mals. The more aggressive kestrels can even tackle and dispatch birds and an- imals a little bit larger than themselves. They hunt by sight, using their sharp vi- sion and their ability to see into the ultraviolet spec- trum to find prey in crop- lands, grassy areas, wet- land areas, and even ur- ban parks. Kestrels will hunt by "kiting" — hover- ing over the ground — or chasing prey across the ground with a low "straf- ing run." Really deft kes- trels can also snag drag- onflies and smaller birds right out of the air while in flight. If they've caught more than they can eat, the kestrels will hide the leftovers in bushes, roots or other hidey-holes and come back for them later. American Kestrel fe- males are slightly larger than the males, which is normal for most species of raptor, and their voices have a deeper pitch, but the males are more ornately colored. The females are warm rust-brown on top with heavy barring and buff underneath, but the male's head and wings are slate-blue and its belly is soft white with black spots. Both sexes sport thick black vertical lines on the sides of their faces that make them look like they have "sideburns". These lines help them to see bet- ter in bright sunshine. Ex- cessive peripheral light is absorbed by the black lines which thereby increases the contrast of objects on which the kestrel's eye is focused. Think of it like the "eye black" used by football players under their eyes. These birds prefer to nest in cavities. They'll of- ten take over the old nest- ing spots of woodpeck- ers or bluebirds, and they adapt well to man-made nest boxes. During the breeding season, males will court females with of- fers of food and some at- tention-seeking high-fly- ing antics. Once the pair bonds, they usually stay to- gether for life. It's the male that goes in search of nest- ing spots, but it's the fe- male who decides exactly where she wants to live. True to their tough-guy reputations, these small raptors will chase off larger birds that try to horn in on their nesting sites. I've witnessed on several occa- sions American Kestrels chasing off Red-Shoul- dered Hawks and Turkey Vultures that got too close to their home turf. One of the more gross habits of kestrels sur- rounds their nestlings' bathroom activities. Since the baby birds can't even sit up until they're about five day old and can't fly until they're a month old, it's difficult for them to take potty breaks. So, they waddle around to position themselves in the nest, and then squirt their feces on the walls of the nest cavity. After a few weeks of that, the nest can get pretty stinky. Although American Kes- trels are North America's most common and wide- spread falcon, their num- bers have been declining regularly over the past 50 years or so. Some estimates say that between the late 1960s and now over 66% of their population has been decimated. This is believed to be due to a number of factors including the wide- spread use of insecticides, which kills the kestrel's food source and affects the birds' ability to procreate, pollution and the felling of trees in which the birds like to nest. But humans can actually help boost and secure lo- cal populations by setting up nest boxes and plant- ing gardens that attract a lot of pollinators. Keep in mind, though, that be- cause these birds are pro- tected under the Migratory Bird Treaty of 1918, it is il- legal to trap or keep them without a permit. So, invite them to nest, but don't try to capture or cage them. They're beautiful little "tough guys" that need to be protected — but free. TULEYOME TALES Tiny but tough, the American Kestrel By Patricia Mrofka Assistant district manager, Redding Social Security Matters is Social Security's blog and one of the best places for retirement and other benefit news. November is National Blog Posting Month, which means there's never been a better time to join the con- versation with Social Secu- rity. The blog is our inter- active center for engaging with you by answering questions and concerns in a way that benefits all readers and contribu- tors. Social Security Mat- ters also lets you provide meaningful feedback that can help us serve you more effectively. The blog's comment sec- tion allows you to voice your thoughts and ask questions. The conversa- tion is growing every day. We're doing our best to serve you, and a big part of that is listening to what you have to say. We regularly post items about disability. For exam- ple, check out this article focusing on transitioning into adulthood: blog.so- cialsecurity.gov/helping- young-people-with-dis- abilities-successfully-tran- sition-to-adulthood. And we share ways you can protect your identity: blog.socialsecurity.gov/ protecting-your-social-se- curity-number-from-iden- tity-theft. Blog posts aren't a one- way conversation. We'd like you to share the items that interest you and your family and friends. Using your preferred social me- dia, Social Security Mat- ters lets you share our posts with the click of a button. In addition, you can subscribe to our blog and get Social Security news as it happens. Sim- ply select the blue button titled "Get blog updates." We're updating our blog all the time, and not just during National Blog Post- ing Month. You can join the conversation too. Visit Social Security Matters to- day at blog.socialsecurity. gov. SOCIAL SECURITY Are you posting during Blog Posting Month? The Bureau of Reclama- tion, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, the California De- partment of Fish and Wild- life and Pacific Gas and Electric Company Thurs- day announce the issuance of the final Coleman Na- tional Fish Hatchery Adap- tive Management Plan. The purpose of the plan is to acknowledge, identify, study and evaluate the im- pacts of operating a large scale fish hatchery in a wa- tershed being restored for natural salmonid popula- tions through the Battle Creek Salmon and Steel- head Restoration Project. The goal of the plan is to provide solutions and pro- cesses to support optimiza- tion of hatchery programs, operations, and infrastruc- ture so that the hatchery mitigation goals and ob- jectives are achieved, while maximizing its compati- bility with the Restoration Project. The plan was produced through a collaborative ef- fort over a four-year pe- riod. Key stakeholders en- gaged in the AMP develop- ment included the Battle Creek Watershed Conser- vancy and the Golden Gate Salmon Association. The plan is intended to closely coordinate with the Restoration Project plan, so that together the two adaptive management plans form a single inte- grated framework for long- term adaptive management in Battle Creek. This inte- grated process is formal- ized in the Memorandum of Understanding Regard- ing Integrated Adaptive Management of the Resto- ration Project and hatchery, signed by Reclamation, the Service, NOAA Fisheries, CDFW and PG&E. Since its establishment in 1942, the hatchery has served as an important mitigation component of the federal Central Valley Project, partially compen- sating for lost natural sal- monid production result- ing from construction of Shasta and Keswick dams. Currently, the hatchery an- nually propagates three sal- monid stocks: fall Chinook salmon, late-fall Chinook salmon and Central Valley steelhead. Restoration of the Battle Creek watershed upstream of the hatchery focuses on providing fish access to his- torical habitat and the nec- essary instream flows to benefit naturally occurring salmonid populations. The Restoration Proj- ect is a collaborative ef- fort between Reclamation, the Service, NOAA Fisher- ies, CDFW, PG&E, various resource agencies and lo- cal stakeholders to restore about 48 miles of habi- tat in Battle Creek and its tributaries for threatened and endangered Chinook salmon and Central Val- ley steelhead, while main- taining clean and renew- able energy production at the PG&E Battle Creek Hy- droelectric Project. Con- struction of the Restoration Project is currently on-go- ing with the completion an- ticipated in 2021. The Final plan is avail- able at http://www.usbr. gov/mp/battlecreek/docs/ cnfh-amp-final-nov2016. pdf. If you encounter prob- lems accessing the docu- ment online, call 916-978- 5100 (TTY 800-877-8339) or write to mppublicaf- fairs@usbr.gov. Copies of the document are avail- able at the Tehama County Library, 645 Madison St., Red Bluff. Information regard- ing the plan is available at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ battlecreek/cnfh.html. Information regarding the Restoration Project is available at http://www. usbr.gov/mp/battlecreek. BUREAU OF RECLAMATION Coleman hatchery management plan released Mary Hunt MARYHANSON Male American Kestrels have slate-blue wings and black spotting on chest and belly. Dec.8,9&10,2016 Thurs, Fri, & Sat. 9:30am-6:00pm For custom orders or pre orders 824-5014 or 385-1328 ALL FRESH WREATHS, ARRANGEMENTS, HOME MADE CANDY, CANDLES & COOKIES MANY GIFTS AND IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS ProceedsForHighSchoolScholarships 238 Main Street, Red Bluff (across the street from Tractor Supply) Holiday Scholarship Boutique Red Bluff Garden Club's www.gummsoptical.com (530) 527-2510 1-800-481-LENS (5367) 910MainSt.,SuiteC,RedBluff prescriptionsavailable Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 12/31/16 With coupon Reg. $13.95 525 Antelope Blvd, Red Bluff (530) 527-5272 Locally owned & operated FULLSERVICETIRESHOP 9 locations throughout California & Oregon Tires•Brakes•Alignments•Shocks Celebrating 43 Years Mon.–Fri.8am-5pm•Sat.byappointment Wilcox Oaks Golf Club Social & Pool Family Membership $ 312 00 annually 527-6680 or 527-1020 604MainSt.,RedBluff 530-529-5154 NoJobToBigorTooSmall Now Offering Catering For Your Special Event Weinviteyoutocheckoutourwebsite for our complete menu & photos www.redblufflosmariachis.com BanquetRoomAvailablefor -Corporate Events - Reunions - Private Events - Parties - Rehearsal Dinners - Catering wwwnortherncountiesroofingsystems.com FreeEstimates 530-356-0686 Owner on site Lic# 955662 • Residential • Commercial • New Construction 25yearsprofessional experience. QualityWork Very Reasonable Rates Red Bluff Transmission • Automatic • Manual • Computer Diagnosis • Clutches • Transfer Cases • CV Axles CALL TODAY! 529-4493 440 Antelope Blvd. #6 Bob's Youcantmissus... Weonly moved 50 feet!! CALIC#778199 GERBER 385-1153 HINKLE ROOFING & CONSTRUCTION, INC (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff HolidaySpecial $ 25 00 a month No Enrollment Fee WHAT A GREAT GIFT TO YOURSELF, OR A LOVED ONE LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, November 18, 2016 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6