SILVER DOLLARS AND WOODEN NICKELS: To infinity and beyond with avatars

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.

SILVER DOLLAR: To Carson City’s Gary Jesch, who has developed Invirtua, a live animation program that promises to be a breakthrough in the treatment of autistic children. His program is already being used by professionals who treat autistic children and the potential for the program is endless with its use potentially expanding to schools and homes. The goal of the program in which children interact with avatars is to make treatment much less frustrating for autistic children — and those who treat them. The program has received rave reviews from experts in the field.

SILVER DOLLAR: To Carson City Sheriff’s officers Earl Mays and Nick Pinochi for their split second decisions that likely prevented the death of a suspect they detained while their own lives may have been endangered. They faced a decision in which it was difficult to determine if the suspect was armed, but correctly determined the suspect was unarmed. In the end, there were no serious injuries that resulted from the arrest, obviously a much better outcome than one that could have made national headlines.

SILVER DOLLAR: To all those involved in the planning of the Nevada Fair at Fuji Park. And also to all those who attended and to all the youth involved in the showing of livestock. And to Casino Fandango again for helping out with the fair’s parking dance (pun intended). Carson City can take pride that it indeed has a fair, an event otherwise that’s gradually disappearing from Americana.

SILVER DOLLAR: To all those involved in the renovation of Carson City’s FISH thrift store.

SILVER DOLLAR: To the late Dr. Jack Davis for his service to the community. Carson-Tahoe Regional Medical Center renamed its lounge in honor of Davis, who died in February.