Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Drought is an ever-bigger problem

The Nevada Appeal’s Silver Dollars and Wooden Nickels feature recognizes achievements from the capital region and, then warranted, points out other acts that missed the mark.

SILVER DOLLAR: Pete Livermore announced Wednesday that he won’t seek a third term in the Assembly. Livermore, 72, hinted at divisions within the Republican Party as a factor in his decision, and the former Board of Supervisors member added that he will be involved in Carson City’s future. We thank the ex-Marine for his service to both his country and his city.

WOODEN NICKEL: Carson City is eligible for federal disaster aid because it’s adjacent to multiple counties that have been declared natural disaster areas. The reason? Drought that has hurt farmers in multiple western and central states, as well as ski resorts in our region. The conditions were captured in a photo on the front of Wednesday’s Nevada Appeal; it showed an unusually low Washoe Lake, with snow-free hills in the background. If we don’t get some precipitation soon, we’re going to be in bad shape going into summer.

SILVER DOLLAR: All employees in the Carson City School District will receive a 1 percent raise, culled from unspent funds from some line items in the budget. It’s the first raise for district employees in four years, and it’s good to see both our community’s educators and their colleagues getting a boost.

WOODEN NICKEL: The city’s district attorney and assistant district attorney warned residents last week about a scam being perpetrated by a group calling itself Property Transfer Services. The outfit has been sending solicitations to new property owners recommending that they obtain a copy of their current grant deeds — for the low price of $83. The Clerk Recorder’s Office offers the same service for $4. Unfortunately, fly-by-nighters are always coming up with new ways to cheat people out of their money. Be vigilant and don’t let it happen to you.