Wanted: Good people doing good things

Wouldn't it be nice if a story about a person returning a lost wallet was considered about as newsworthy as a person planting flowers in his yard?

Yet a story this week on Curtis Harnar, who found and returned a wallet while fishing on the west fork of the Carson River, didn't bring any negative reaction as being pointless.

Rather, people seemed to appreciate the reminder that there are lots of good people in our community quietly doing great things, even if they're as simple as returning a lost wallet.

For Harnar, mailing the wallet back was "no big deal," and he added, "I thank my parents for teaching me the value of honesty. I taught it to my sons, also."

It's good to remember that despite all the negative news the newspaper is bound to report, including drugs, deaths and violence, there's still room for stories about the good things.

In fact, if you look closely, you'll see the paper is filled with them, from students to athletes to volunteers.

Yes, there always seems to be an endless supply of bad news to report but, in balance, there are more honest people than dishonest in our community, even if others seldom hear about their good deeds.

We think people should hear about those good deeds whenever possible, and that's why we sponsor the Community Awards and why we encourage you to nominate someone. It's simple, but remember that the deadline is Monday.

To nominate someone, write a letter or e-mail of about 150 words explaining what makes your nominee special. Include your name, address and phone number.

Then drop it off at the Appeal building or send it to us at: Nevada Appeal, Community Awards, 580 Mallory Way, Carson City, NV 89701; you can also e-mail nominations to editor@nevadaappeal.com.

The nominees will be judged by the Appeal's reader panel, and the awards will be given out during a luncheon ceremony on June 20 by First Lady Dawn Gibbons and Appeal Publisher John DiMambro.

The categories are: public servant of the year; educator/school administrator of the year; mentor of the year; organization of the year; artist of the year; athlete/sportsperson of the year; student of the year; Heritage Award (for those who work to preserve our local history); boss of the year; employee of the year; and citizen of the year.