Silver Dollars and Wooden Nickels: Quail rescuers earn bucket full of silver

The 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 Kohl's and McDonald's, for giving area job seekers what may be the first glimmer of hope in many months by holding two job fairs to fill 130 and 60 positions, respectively. With our unemployment rate still climbing, any and every opportunity to work is a positive. Good luck to all those who applied.

Silver Dollar: To Gov. Jim Gibbons, for accepting the federal Edujobs funds, all $83 million, that will create or maintain 1,400 teachers' jobs for the coming school year. Gibbons said Thursday he was evaluating whether the strings attached to the money would commit Nevada to continuing that added spending in future years before deciding whether to accept it. But a spokesman said even if the money is only good one year, it will help up to 1,400 people make their mortgage payments and other bills. Good call, Governor.

Silver Dollar: To the recent report by Moody's Economy.com that showed Carson City poised to make a comeback in the housing market. The report says Nevada's housing market - especially Carson City's - will be among the strongest in the nation by 2014. It's forecasting a 31.6 percent increase in Carson City housing prices over the next four years, and ranked Nevada No. 5 of 10 "strongest markets by 2014." From Moody's lips to God's ears ...

Silver Dollar: Finally, a plastic cup full of silver dollars for Steve and Sue Lehrke of Carson City. Steve used a cup on a string and a broom handle to corral one-by-one seven baby quail that had fallen into a storm drain, reuniting them with their worried parents. Who doesn't adore those top-knotted birds and their puffball babies? We think they should be the state bird even though they are, ahem, California quail. Let's hear seven cheers for the Lehrkes, and a good deed that warms the heart.