PHOTO STORY: A Saturday stroll through downtown Reno amid COVID closures

RENO, Nev. — Look, it's not all bad. I need to be clear about that right up front.

For every “doom and gloom” COVID-19 anecdote you read on social media, for every “negative” story about the crisis and its impact to the economy, you'll find countless examples of great things happening across Northern Nevada from a “we're in this together” mindset.

Take, for example, the Downtown Reno Partnership, whose ambassadors are literally “cleaning up downtown,” carrying disinfectants to wipe down areas everyone touches, such as doorknobs, trash can handles and traffic light buttons.

Or, there's Q&D Construction. The company's president, Lance Semenko, is taking a unique approach to helping restaurants amid closures by purchasing one lunch each week for Q&D employees — and, he's challenging other companies to do the same through the so-hashtagged #LocalFoodLove challenge.

Yet other examples shine by way of emergency relief funds from the Community Foundation of Western Nevada (in partnership with Washoe County and the cities of Reno and Sparks) and the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra (with key support from Plumas Bank, NV Energy Foundation, Microsoft Reno and Bank of America).

Still, despite the notion that "we're in this together,” it doesn't change that we're living in unprecedented times right now, and the future of many local businesses hang in the balance — a consequence of COVID collateral damage, if you will.

With these impacts in mind, I took a stroll Saturday afternoon through downtown Reno to get some exercise and some much-needed Vitamin D, and was mesmerized by what I saw (or, perhaps, by what I didn't).

It was, in a word, "surreal."

Armed with an iPhone, here's what I saw (I've included the websites of all the businesses photographed — please consider visiting them, or any other regional business in need, and doing what you can to buy or donate during this uncertain time):

Go here to read more from The Nevada Independent about how Wild River Grille owner Chuck Shapiro is navigating this uncertain and unprecedented time.

Kevin MacMillan is editor of the NNBW. Email him at kmacmillan@nevadanewsgroup.com.

RENO, Nev. — Look, it's not all bad. I need to be clear about that right up front.

For every “doom and gloom” COVID-19 anecdote you read on social media, for every “negative” story about the crisis and its impact to the economy, you'll find countless examples of great things happening across Northern Nevada from a “we're in this together” mindset.

Take, for example, the Downtown Reno Partnership, whose ambassadors are literally “cleaning up downtown,” carrying disinfectants to wipe down areas everyone touches, such as doorknobs, trash can handles and traffic light buttons.

Or, there's Q&D Construction. The company's president, Lance Semenko, is taking a unique approach to helping restaurants amid closures by purchasing one lunch each week for Q&D employees — and, he's challenging other companies to do the same through the so-hashtagged #LocalFoodLove challenge.

Yet other examples shine by way of emergency relief funds from the Community Foundation of Western Nevada (in partnership with Washoe County and the cities of Reno and Sparks) and the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra (with key support from Plumas Bank, NV Energy Foundation, Microsoft Reno and Bank of America).

Still, despite the notion that "we're in this together,” it doesn't change that we're living in unprecedented times right now, and the future of many local businesses hang in the balance — a consequence of COVID collateral damage, if you will.

With these impacts in mind, I took a stroll Saturday afternoon through downtown Reno to get some exercise and some much-needed Vitamin D, and was mesmerized by what I saw (or, perhaps, by what I didn't).

It was, in a word, "surreal."

Armed with an iPhone, here's what I saw (I've included the websites of all the businesses photographed — please consider visiting them, or any other regional business in need, and doing what you can to buy or donate during this uncertain time):

Go here to read more from The Nevada Independent about how Wild River Grille owner Chuck Shapiro is navigating this uncertain and unprecedented time.

Kevin MacMillan is editor of the NNBW. Email him at kmacmillan@nevadanewsgroup.com.