Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Some silver for Metal of Valor recipients

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: To Robert Teixeira Jr. of Mound House and Larry Moore of Dayton, who each were honored with a Medal of Valor from the Department of Public Safety last week for their efforts to rescue a motorist who had crashed after suffering a seizure. Teixeira and Moore pulled Jose Flores-Gonzales of Dayton out of his burning car moments before it was engulfed in flames, saving his life. People like Moore and Teixeira who act selflessly, without thought for their own safety, deserve every honor we can bestow on them.

Silver Dollar: To the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, which, in their new 12,600-square-foot center, are serving more children than ever before. The number of children attending the summer program has grown by about 250 kids a month over last year. The club provides a safe, stimulating environment for Carson City children, and the increased capacity is a great asset for the community.

Silver Dollar: We in no way condone criminal activity, but the man who recently tried to walk out of a market with four cases of stolen beer gets a silver dollar for sheer chutzpah. When questioned by police, the alleged perp said he couldn't put the beer on his bank card because his wife would see the bill, thus ruining the surprise party he had planned for her. To clarify our position: Stealing is wrong. Lying to police is wrong. Having meth in your pocket, as the suspect allegedly did, is very, very wrong.

Coming up with an excuse to outrageous it could land you on the "World's Dumbest Criminals" list - well, that deserves a silver dollar. Maybe he can use it for a down payment on a birthday gift for his wife, to make up for that ruined surprise.