Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: A tough week as the world loses great ones

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.

Wooden Nickel: Entertainment news and celebrities have become a big part of our culture, especially during the past decade. The public's thirst for celebrity news seems nearly insatiable at times.

The death of pop icon Michael Jackson touched off remembrances and an outpouring of affection across the globe for the inimitable performer. His death overshadowed the loss of two American television stars, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon.

Silver Dollar: More than a week after their shih tzu Willi went missing at Fuji Park, owners Jim and Sandy Castor received a call they were beginning to fear would never come.

Kimmy Gatien found Willi running loose in a Gardnerville park earlier this week and later learned about the Castors' lost dog through a friend who had read a story in the Nevada Appeal. When Gatien realized she had found the lost dog, she came to the newspaper and a reunion was arranged in short order.

A tear-filled hug fest ensued in the Appeal lobby as dog and owners celebrated.

Silver Dollar: Good Samaritan Wayne Nash, the Carson City man shot in the leg after he stopped to help a motorist on Mother's Day along Highway 395 in Washoe Valley, received the Nevada Department of Public Safety's Civilian Medal of Valor this week.

Nash was shot in the right leg. A 17-year-old teenager was shot and killed by a man who fled the scene and was later apprehended. Nash had several surgeries following the incident to repair damage from the shooting.

"If I am a good Samaritan," a tearful Nash said at a ceremony this week, "it's because of my family values. Family values start at home and I'd like to thank my mom and dad for teaching me values and compassion."

Silver Dollar: Home sales increased in the Western region of the country in May.

The region posted a 9 percent annual increase as homebuyers jumped on low interest rates and falling prices, according to reports from the National Association of Realtors. The news was offset somewhat by the median home sales price in the West. That tumbled more than 30 percent from May of last year to $197,700.

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