Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Shock waves: Jaycee alive and health

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: The news about Jaycee Dugard, who was abducted from her South Lake Tahoe home 18 years ago when she was 11 and found alive last week, stunned not only our region but the nation and world as well. The story made headlines across the globe.

There are many disturbing and tragic elements to this story, whose details are slowly emerging. However, the now 29-year-old woman and her two children are alive and appear to be in good health - and free of the monsters that imprisoned them these many years. Those two facts provide a foundation of hope for the women and their families as they begin to rebuild their lives.

Silver Dollar: Muchas gracias to the Comunidad Unida Latina, organized by the Community Council on Youth, that has stepped up to carry on the tradition of the annual Salsa y Salsas fundraiser. The longtime sponsor, the Carson City chapter of the Nevada Hispanic Services, shut down earlier this year.

The committee of volunteers decided that the 12-year event was too important for the community to lose.

"We didn't want Salsa y Salsas to die," said chairwoman Leticia Servin.

The fundraiser has been renamed Latino Cultural Fest and is scheduled Sept. 12 in the parking lot of the Gold Dust West Casino. The goal is to broaden the scope and appeal of the event.

For information, including event and booth sponsorship details, call 885-1055.

Wooden Nickel: Nevada's taxable sales fell again in June, 20.5 percent below sales recorded a year ago. The state closed out its fiscal year at about $42 billion in sales - a 12.7 percent drop from the previous fiscal year.

Carson City taxable sales were down 17.2 percent for the year, Douglas 15.5 percent and Storey took the biggest hit - about 50 percent off from 2008.

• Editor's note: Do you have a suggestion for a Silver Dollar or Wooden Nickel award? Send your idea to editor@nevadaappeal.com.