Snow prompts procrastinators to action

Sooner or later, every year, it happens. Winter floats into Carson City on a magic carpet of snow and the "I should" lists turn into "I gotta" lists.

Telephones were ringing Thursday and Friday at local tire dealers, furnace maintenance companies and firewood companies as the fluffy white carpet reminded procrastinators to complete their preparations for the season.

"It's been our best day of the year today," owner Charlie Morello of Allied Tire & Auto Service said Friday. "We've sold about 75 tires so far, about three times the normal volume."

Boyd Stapley at Rolling Rubber said this tire store also was pretty busy with snow tire installations.

"We've been ready for a year, but nobody was thinking ahead. They have to do a '360' in the middle of an intersection before they think about it," Stapley said.

Sue Cavellero, vice president of Cavellero Heating and Air Conditioning, said the snowfall makes people more aware of what they should be doing all year in terms of maintaining their heating systems.

"Most of our calls have been about equipment that's not working. We always get busier where there's a holiday weekend but, with the snow, things are really crazy," Cavellero said.

Don Sullivan, owner of Acme Heating and Air Conditioning, said his crews were running behind taking care of people who waited until the last minute to call about their furnaces.

"They all phone us up at the same time. It happens every year," Sullivan said.

"This storm seems a bit early this year, but I've seen it snow pretty heavy here in August - you just never know."

People who have waited to restock their firewood supplies are finding the selection is tight right now, according to Rosie Tice of TNT Firewood in Mound House.

"We're getting a new supply of hardwood next week, so people are coming into the yard to get a rack or a pickup load of softwood to hold them over until they can get a delivery," said Tice, who has owned the business with husband Randy since 1996. But she said not everyone has waited this long.

"We've been swamped for the past 30 days or so," she said. Planning even further ahead has its benefits, she added.

"The people who buy their wood in the spring usually get the best quality and the best deals," Tice said.