Cheers & Kudos Sept. 4

I want to take a moment to sincerely thank District Attorney Neil Rombardo and Assistant DA Gerald Gardner.

There was recently a situation where a large group of citizens felt we were unfairly targeted. Instead of ignoring the group, these two men took time from their busy schedules to listen to us, look at pictures, reason with us and to get involved. Instead of saying this has never been done before and then doing nothing, Mr. Rombardo made a decision, took action and with Mr. Gardner beside him, worked together to solve a bad situation.

In the time that I have known both Mr. Rombardo and Mr. Gardner, I have had a great respect for them and this was just another time that they showed the public that they are honest, understanding public officers. I think we all learned from this and the DA's assistance reestablishes our faith in the justice system.

In this economy and with all the sadness around us, it was so nice to be heard and to have someone in Mr. Rombardo's position step forward for us citizens. Wouldn't it be nice if the whole country could come together like this - citizens and those in charge talking, resolving and agreeing? Maybe Washington could learn a few things from Mr. Rombardo. Though my name is penned to this letter, I'm sure I speak for everyone involved that day: THANK YOU.

Kathy Rhea

Carson City

Every month, diverse groups and individuals host fundraisers, challenges, work projects, and food drives that help keep the Dayton Food Pantry running.

This summer, The Nevada Division of the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration office collected and donated over 400 pounds of canned goods to the Dayton Pantry. The Nevada Division office was participating in Feds Feed Families (www.fedsfeedfamilies.gov), a national campaign by federal agencies to collect 2 million pounds of food for local food banks. In order to encourage participation, the Nevada Division held a "Canstruction" competition where teams of engineers and other staff stacked canned goods into impossible-looking sculptures and then donated the canned foods to local food banks. This year the Nevada Division's staff of 15 collected and donated over 1,000 pounds of food to area food banks.

Dayton's Smith's Grocery is an on-going supporter of the pantry. They gave a large discount on the 3,400 items the pantry purchased this month, including 1,250 pounds of potatoes, for $2,322.50.

In the spring, the annual Feinstein Challenge empowered the community to come together and make a difference. The community challenge, led by Mary Piper and an energetic team of local volunteers, challenged local groups to gather food and raise funds for the pantry. Schools, businesses, clubs, and individuals raised $5,122.30 in cash and collected 12,434 items of food. The Feinstein Family Fund contributed $304 in recognition of this community effort.

For more information about how to get involved with the Dayton Food Pantry, a partner of Healthy Communities Coalition, please contact director Freida Carbery at 775-246-7834.

Dayton Food Pantry