This week's "Silver Dollar" and "Wooden Nickel" feature looks back on our first year of recognizing positive achievements from the capital region and pointing out others that missed the mark. Here's a recap of some of the well-deserved silver dollars distributed in 2009:
January: After nearly three decades in state government, Nevada Archivist Guy Rocha announced his retirement, earning a silver dollar and our appreciation for his dedication to truth and accuracy. Guy debunked many historical myths that creeped into popular state lore.
February: Carson City residents rallied to help Don Lamb raise money for a $5,000 procedure to save the sight in his left eye. Ophthalmologist Dr. Robert Wolff, Sierra Surgery Hospital and anesthesiologist Dr. Bruce Baldecchi donated time and supplies for Lamb's procedure.
March: Silver dollars went to Carson City competitors at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise. Michael LaBracque and Shawn and Colleen Stainbrook brought home six medals.
April: Carson City Symphony celebrated its silver anniversary, a remarkable accomplishment for an arts organization in a small city (or is that big town?) like Carson. Conductor David Bugli founded the group in 1984 and still wields the baton.
May: Christina Bourne was honored as Carson City School District's Teacher of the Year. Bourne, a music teacher at Empire Elementary School, is a 1997 Carson High School graduate. Becky Ritter, a classroom aide at Eagle Valley Middle School, received the district's Classified Employee of the Year award.
June: 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.
July: Ashton Lee Simola was the center of an uplifting experience. After a wild ride through Carson City traffic with parents Heather and Rob, Ashton was born in the B Elevator at Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center.
August: Local swimmers Ryan Hogan and Tatum Boehnke were honored by the city for their relay swim of the English Channel, raising $4,500 for Caden Huarte, a 3-year-old Carson City boy with a brain tumor.
September: Michael Lloyd of Carson City donated a kidney, saving the life of his friend Diane Andreasen and imparting an important message of selflessness to his children.
October: The Women's Council of the Builders Association of Western Nevada took a day to make repairs around the homes of 13 single and elderly women in Carson City.
November: Nevada National Guard Staff Sgt. Derek Castro of Carson City received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star medals for his service in Afghanistan. Castro was seriously injured when his truck was destroyed in an explosion.
December: Silver dollars and gratitude went to the many organizations and hundreds of volunteers in Carson City who worked to help those in need after a rough, rough year. They collected clothes and toys, food and coats, and helped distribute them to hundreds of Carson families in need. Their efforts will be felt all year long.