Wooden Nickels and Silver Dollars

T he Nevada Appeal's Silver Dollar and Wooden Nickel feature recognizes positive achievements from the Capital region and, when warranted, points out others that missed the mark.

Silver dollar: To the tune of about $6,000 in savings, the Carson City Airport benefited from Experimental Aircraft Association volunteer efforts earlier this month.

EAA Sierra Chapter 403 members installed airport runway signs instead of hiring a contractor to do the work. Jeff Callahan at All Star Rents of Carson City donated the use of a large trencher to help install the signs.

Based at the airport, the Carson EAA chapter supports community involvement in aviation with its Young Eagles program every third Saturday of the month. The purpose is to welcome young people (8-17) to the world of aviation by offering an introductory flight in a small aircraft. EAA promotes general aviation through education and providing scholarships and information on aviation careers.

Wooden nickel: This represents an ongoing nod to our challenging economy " in February gaming results for 2008 revealed it was the worst year ever for the state.

Carson City area casinos witnessed their biggest annual drop in winnings, falling 6.4 percent to about $112 million in Carson City, Minden and Gardnerville from 2007 to 2008.

Silver dollar: A Nevada Senate panel last week voted in favor of a bill that allows police to stop drivers they believe are not wearing seat belts. The bill, SB116, now moves to the full Senate for consideration.

Existing law prohibits police from stopping a driver suspected of not wearing a seat belt. Although belts are required in Nevada, drivers can only be ticketed if they were lawfully stopped for another reason and are found to be unbelted.

There are arguments against the bill's passage, including that the bill takes away personal liberties and allows police to stop anyone for any reason to determine seat belt compliance. However, we side with proponents who say the bill would save lives, reduce injuries and save taxpayer money in the form of health-care costs for injured drivers and welfare services for survivors of people killed in wrecks.

Silver dollar: In tough economic times, it's good to see professional organizations making an effort to help folks out.

The Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors is searching for one deserving individual or non-profit organization to receive a "Not-so-Extreme" Makeover.

The scaled-down version of the television reality show will do limited repairs and retrofits that do not require a building permit or major expenses. Recipients must live in Carson, Douglas, Churchill or Lyon counties, excluding Fernley. Volunteers from the Realtors group will donate time, resources and money to purchase supplies for the project recipient. Contact the Realtor board at 885-7200.

- Editor's note: Do you have a suggestion for a Silver Dollar or Wooden Nickel award? Send your idea to editor@nevadaappeal.com.