Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: NNDA dreaming it and doing it for Nevadans

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 the Northern Nevada Development Authority for bringing President Obama's Dream It Do It Initiative to the Silver State. Working with The Manufacturing Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers, the NNDA will take key steps to implement the Manufacturing Skills Certification System. The goal is to build the educated and skilled workforce that U.S. manufacturers need to successfully compete in the 21st century economy.

The certification system, backed by the president, is a plan by association's Manufacturing Institute to certify 500,000 community college students across the country with skills that are critical to manufacturing operations. It will provide nationally portable certification through competency-based education and training.

It is these kind of programs that will help make Nevada stronger as the economy continues to improve.

WOODEN NICKEL: As if there wasn't already enough twists and turns in the lead up to Nevada's Special Election, now comes this. On Thursday, Secretary of State Ross Miller said he has asked local election officials to consider the costs and challenges of allowing only mail ballots to be used in the Sept. 13 contest to fill the vacant House seat.

While we are not in the business of running elections, the idea of mail only ballots scares us. How many stories have we heard about uncounted absentee ballots? And while the voting machines may not be the be-all end-all, they at least offer a little more comfort than a postage stamp.

Golden Nugget: To B'Sghetti's for more than 14 years of service to Carson City. We are always sad to hear about a local business closing its door, and were especially saddened to hear about the closing of the Italian eatery.

In a Tuesday letter, owner Scott Doerr said the restaurant would close by June 30.

He thanked the community and those who supported the business, while also offering hope for the future.

"The bypass is nearly complete, the Library project continues to be a possibility, the Greenhouse Project is a reality," he said. "The city has made a commitment to outdoor street life with the addition of the community ice rink, the organic farmers market, Christmas tree lighting, the Taste of Downtown, Nevada Day and various concert series. There will always be those who try to thwart achievement through hateful words and negative actions, but there are far more of you who have optimistic reasons to believe that our city will pull through this economic downturn in much better shape than we entered it."