Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: It is time for the snow, wind to go away

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.

WOODEN NICKEL: To Mother Nature, while the extra snow dumped this week was a nice boost to the snowpack, please go away and comeback in at least six months. We would like to put away our winter clothes and break out the shorts sooner than later. The wind and the snow that came last week was the last straw in our ear muffs.

SILVER DOLLAR: The economy is showing small signs of taking baby steps. February auto sales drove Carson City's taxable sales up a half-percent - to $48.5 million - over the same month last year.

The jump made City Finance Director Nick Providenti happy.

"With the new car dealers coming on line and the opening of the Kohl's at the end of September, we're hoping there's light at the end of the tunnel," he said.

The increase in taxable sales also rose in Douglas County. Douglas was up 1.8 percent.

SILVER DOLLAR: The news that work will start Monday on the next portion of the Carson City freeway was welcoming news. This phase of construction, which does not include an extension of the freeway, will include erecting bridges on Clearview Drive and Koontz Lane, which will eventually carry cars over the freeway. The bridge phases is expected to create jobs for about two years.