Silver Dollars and Wooden Nickels: It’s high time for some precipitation

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: John C. Fremont was the Republican Party’s first candidate for president, and he is thought to be the first white man to both see Lake Tahoe and cross the Sierra Nevada. One of his exploring parties including a scout with a familiar name: Kit Carson, the capital’s namesake. These facts and many others will be featured in the “Finding Fremont: Pathfinder of the West” exhibit at the Nevada State Museum. The exhibit opens with a reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and runs through October. Gov. Brian Sandoval is set to attend the reception, which also will feature music. Fremont’s name also might be preserved for posterity in Lyon County; the Nevada State Board on Geographic Names recently voted to rename a peak there Fremont Lookout. The recommendation now goes to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for final action.

SILVER DOLLAR: Nevada’s general fund revenues rose to $6.5 billion in fiscal year 2013 from $6.2 billion in 2012, according to the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. State Controller Kim Wallin said the report reveals a continued slow and steady recovery; let’s hope the trend continues in 2014.

WOODEN NICKEL: Is Carson City ever going to have significant precipitation again? One has to wonder as we approach the second month of a bone-dry year. Watering already is under way at Governors Field, earlier than usual. Let’s cross our fingers and hope we’re hit with some snow soon. If not, we could face heavy water restrictions this year.

SILVER DOLLAR: The two Genoa Lakes golf courses finally have been purchased after being in receivership for more than a year. The courses have been for sale for several years, and it’s unknown what the selling price was. It’s good to see some potential good news for the courses’ future.

SILVER DOLLAR: Kudos to Carson High School’s Winterfest king and queen candidates. Their smiling faces brightened our front page Wednesday.