Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Inmates help make a difference from inside

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 the Nevada State Prison inmates who put their hard time to good use by taming wild horses for use by the Border Patrol.

WOODEN NICKEL: To the kids who smashed two solar arrays at Seeliger Elementary School, costing taxpayers more than $1,200.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the heavy-equipment operators who managed to prove true a long-held legend that there was a cache of old casino chips buried under the Ormsby House. The workers who dug up the chips moved the pile offsite so collectors could glean the treasures, which make nice keepsakes - and which could bring a few bucks.

WOODEN NICKEL: To banks that are considering imposing monthly fees for using debit cards. Many consumers have tried to do the responsible thing by reducing their use of credit and shifting to pay-as-you-go debits, but it seems they can't win.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the youths who raised money to fight cancer by participating in Saturday's "Skate the Lake" at Lake Tahoe, an event to raise money and awareness for Boarding for Breast Cancer. Since its inception in 2005, the event has raised more than $50,000 and spawned a sister event in Los Angeles, "Skate the Coast."