While Carlin avoided any cases of COVID-19, the coronavirus did bring out the best in the small northeast Nevada community.
The gold mining town of 2,300 rose to the occasion as the pandemic lockdown saw changes in everything from how seniors in need are fed to how children celebrate their birthdays.
Carlin Mayor Dana Holbrook told State of Nevada that “everyone stepped up” as its senior meals program went from in-person dining to delivery.
“People were volunteering to help to get these meals out there,” Holbrook said, adding that the meals program was able to serve more seniors when it started delivering the food in the community 25 miles west of Elko.
Birthday cheer was also delivered, going to young people celebrating without parties.
“We’ve had the police department participate. The fire department participates,” Holbrook said. “And they drive by these kids’ houses and honk and wave and flash the sirens and lights.”
And Carlin enjoyed a rarity this year for Nevada and the nation: High school seniors got an in-person graduation ceremony. The 11-person graduating class of the Carlin Combined School, and their two invited guests each, socially distanced at the football stadium as friends and family members drove around on the track and honked.
“We don’t have Wal-Mart in town but we’ve got good people,” Holbrook said.
Dana Holbrook, mayor, Carlin