Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Silver to 'Three Cups of Tea' author

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 Greg Mortenson and organizers of the Capital City Reads Initiative, who brought the author to Carson City for a hugely popular speaking engagement at the Carson Nugget. Many, if not all, of those who met the co-author of "Three Cups of Tea" and author of "Stones Into Schools" were thoroughly charmed by this gentle, humble man who has helped build 131 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, educating 58,000 students. Carson City was lucky the author, who receives more than 2,000 requests for appearances a year, chose us.

WOODEN NICKEL: More than $300 million - that is the reported marketing budget for the Census this year. That money is being spent on sponsoring a NASCAR team, on commercials and most recently, sending everyone a letter telling us all to LOOK for the Census this week in the mail. We understand how important the census is. We also encourage everyone to fill out the census and send it back ASAP. But what a waste of not only money, but paper. In a time of double digit unemployment rates, this money would be better spent by creating jobs or better educating our children.

SILVER DOLLAR: To Carson High graduate Matt Hogan who on March 19 will represent the U.S. in the "United States vs. Irish Debate." It doesn't matter how the University of Nevada, Reno senior does during the debate, just being picked is quite an honor. Hogan is one of three college students in the nation picked to represent the U.S.

The U.S. debaters are chosen by the National Parliamentary Debate Association based on three criteria: sportsmanship and diplomacy, forensic and academic achievement, and effectiveness in public debate.

The U.S.-Irish debate is held each year at the beginning of the NPDA's Championship Tournament, which is always held around St. Patrick's Day and is being hosted by Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, this year.