SILVER DOLLARS AND WOODEN NICKELS: A sense of duty

The Nevada Appeal’s Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels feature recognizes achievements from the capital region and, when warranted, points out other acts that missed the mark.

We’ll never forget to honor those who have a sense of duty, who are called to protect us and we saw up close two more examples of that in Carson City this week.

SILVER DOLLAR: He’s already received a Silver Dollar from us, but that won’t stop us from recognizing the sense of duty our own hometown Capt. Bob Wiley, who will take command of the USNS Carson City. To say we’re proud would be an understatement. the USNS Carson City is scheduled to be commissioned in November and Wiley is scheduled to take command of the vessel next year.

SILVER DOLLAR: Spc. Jason Disney Sr. from Fallon also had a sense of duty after 9/11 and the fallen solder was honored last week in a ceremony at the U.S. Army Ordnance School in Fort Lee, Va.

SILVER DOLLAR: Sadly, five people, including four National Guard members who had a sense of duty lost their loves in the tragic shooting at the Carson City IHOP on Sept. 6, 2011. The annual run to remember their lives was held last Sunday. Nevada Guardsmen Lt. Col. Heath Kelly, 35, Master Sgt. Christian Riege, 38, Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney, 31, and South Tahoe resident Florence Donovan-Gunderson, 67, all lost their lives. Let us always remember them.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the 37 graduates from the Nevada Department of Public Safety training course, who were honored Thursday at the Carson City Community Center. The sense of duty of took 37 graduates who took the oath of office Thursday has carried them into law enforcement positions where they are charged with making our state safer.

SILVER DOLLAR: To another law enforcement officer who has a sense of duty, Cody Bindley, who joined older brother Brett Bindley as a Carson City Sheriff’s Deputy when he was sworn in last week.

SILVER DOLLAR: To Carson City’s Sage Donnelly, 15, for becoming a World Champion, dominating the competition to take the title at the International Canoe Federation Junior World Women’s Freestyle Kayak event in Ottowa River, Canada.

SILVER DOLLAR: To Carson High student Chandler Blueberg for winning the local American Idol competition in Reno, which advanced her to the next American Idol competition in San Francisco.