Bounty: A Tropical Story

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January 2022

Short 2021 Report from State Statistics Department:

Top 3 Industrial Export: Cigars 52.530, Cloth 25.122, Beverage 13.583

Top 3 Raw Export: Coal 12.878, Meat 11.521, Wool 8.552

Births Rate: 2,46%. Immigration Rate 1,27%. Death Rate 2,60%, Emigration Rate 0,0%

The natural birth rate was slightly negative in 2021, but for now the Immigrant Department will keep the door closed. As there is enough workforce.

 

The Cattel Road Area Today

The Cattel Road Area 100 Years Ago

 

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February 2022

A new governmental building has been erected next to St. Isidore Cathedral, Cepero Town. It functions as Headquarter of Bounty Police, Legal department of the State Ministry, and cooperates with the Defense Ministry to coordinate security information between the Police Force and Secret Service Headquarters (SBM1). 29 years old Monika Morales (D.Jur.) leads Bounty Police Headquarter. 48 years old Finn Leroy (PhD), leads Legal department of the State Ministry. 30 Years old Raquel De Luca (D.Jur.) leads the coordination of security information.

Legal Department of the President.

 

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Alexandra Taka Family, Mar 2022

Alexandra met Heinrich Taka in 1979, they married and he adopted her two children. At the time she studied at President Smirnov’s School. Alexandra lost her daughter Dea in 1986, the year after she gave birth to their only common child Haruto. At first the family lived in “New Village”, then a smaller apartment Ruben Ruiz Beach Road, later another similar apartment in Miner’s Village. Today she is back in New Village, living on one of the smaller apartment blocks facing Cepero Main. She never finished her studies at President Smirnov’s School. At first, she was working at a Cotton Plantation right outside Cepero Town, but for the majority of her life she was a coal miner in South District. She is now 69 years old and retired.

On the way to a health check at Cepero North Hospital

Haruto Taka was born in “New Village Tower” in 1987. Haruto was sharp at school and got a degree from Bounty City University. At first, he took unskilled jobs, but when Bounty Nuclear Plant was finished in 2010, Haruto got a job as Nuclear Safety Engineer. In the meantime, he had met police officer Jessica Fernández. They are not married, but lives together just as if they were. After wishing for one several years, last year they got a son Daichi. Today Haruto has left the stressful job at Safety Engineer, now working at D'Angelo Clinic (*). Jessica Fernández left the police, now working at Jørgen Jensen’s, producing quality Llama Wool.

Haruto passing through Cepero Park on the way to Cepero Department Store, he what to buy some good cigars and a sharp quality kitchen knife.

 (*) Yep. The education system on Bounty Islands is quite unique 😊

Family Tree

 

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Alba Van de Berg April 2022

Alba Van de Berg died 72 years old. Leaving behind her husband Finn, two daughters Valeria and Susana, and two grandchildren, Susana’s daughters María and Raquel. Finn Van de Berg was never interested in running Shubert Holdings, he’s focus is intellectual and creative, not at all interested in shares and profit. As soon as Alba was gone, he sold the company to American investors.

Alba Van de Berg, The Donkey Curve, April 2021

Editorial:

With the death of Alba Van de Berg and the sale of Shubert Holdings, we will no longer follow the members of the Van de Berg family.

 

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Hugo Leroy June 2022

Hugo Leroy died 71 years old, leaving behind his 74 years old wife Britta Leroy and 48 years old son Finn Leroy.

 A photo of Hugo from 1998, at the time working at The Embassy Grocery.

 

 

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Dorthea Hartmann Family, August 2022

Dorthea Hartmann (born Lewandowski), was born in the family apartment on South Cepero Road, Lucia Village in 1982. The house was demolished in the 90’s when a small park replaced several cheap apartment buildings at the north side of South Cepero Road. The family moved to Moria Tower at Adrian Pérez Road in the southwestern part of Cepero Town, where she spend her childhood, with her father Jakub Lewandowski, mother Nora Lewandowski and older sister Mona. She was educated from President Williams School. The two sisters met the Hartmann cousins. Later Mona married Jan and Dorthea married Uwe Hartmann. Today the family got two daughters, twin sisters Mina and Sena. Dorthea still works at The Experiential Agricultural Institute. Uwe left “Jensen Cattle Feed” when he was offered a researcher position at Pablo Romero Biological Faculty, earning more than double salary, not to mention the prestige. As mentioned, when we last heard from sister Mona, both families live in the same cheap working-class apartment building in Mountain Village, preferring the quiet rural environment to snobby and expensive homes in the city. Uwe and Dorthea are both active members of right-wing political party Humanity First.

Uwe Hartmann drives a red German petrol car, wouldn’t dream of replacing with electric or hybrid.

Family Tree

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September 2022

Schubert Processed Food took over Leone Family Coconut, and relocated it to South Jungle Cepero Island. Before this move, they had persuaded R. Johnson Holdings to remove their woodcutter from the area to protect the limited Coconut palms left on the islands. R. Johnson’s woodcutters was sent to West Jungle North District.

Schubert Food's Coconut depot in South Jungle

 

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October 2022

López Construction build an Apartment complex, at Sugar Road, Saint Mary's District. 14-story high, this was the first residential building to use Solar Panels to reduce power consumption.

 Solar City

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January 2023

Mina Hartmann, daughter of Uwe and Dorthea Hartmann died in the beginning of January. Just three years old.

Three well known political leaders died in 2022. Environment and Nature Minister Arthur Morel (Green Revolution) died 76 years old, replaced by 55 years old Julia Munoz. Defense minister Sergio García (Christian Democrats) died 67 years old, replaced by 47 years old Lotte Rinaldi. Leader of Nationalist Action Sasha Krawczyk died 76 years old, replaced by 70 years old Dmitry Kamiński.

 

Short 2022 Report from State Statistics Department:

Top 3 Industrial Export: Cigars 63.665, Weapons 34.395 Jewelry 21.365

Top 3 Raw Export: Coal 12.681, Iron 8.382, Wool 7.812

Births Rate: 2,27%. Immigration Rate 0,14%. Death Rate 3,27%, Emigration Rate 0,0%

The natural population growth rate again negative, but the birth rate is seemingly average, so hopefully this year had just unusually many deaths. Can’t continue like this and have to follow closely. With many retired and high death rate, the Immigrant Department will open up for a period to fill empty jobs.

 

Adrian Pérez Road, was constructed in the early 50’s to get a faster connection from the nickel and coal excavated in South District, Cepero Island to the Harbor.

Also, Pineapple and Banana was often shipped north on the road. Today the road is one of the most important and busy, in Cepero Town.

1955

 1989

Today

 

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Jane Sanz Family, Feb. 2023

Jane Sanz married then 68 years old Lucas Sanz in 1997. Giving birth to what was allegedly their common child María, the same year. Jane was 33 years old, at the time. After Lucas Sanz death in 2000, she met Allesandro D'Angelo in 2005 and moved into his rented apartment in a house at Plain Hamlet Road, south of Caluca Native Village. Both adults working at S/L Shipping’s depot on Lucia Drive, Lucia Village. Later the family moved to Moria Tower in Cepero Town, to save on the rent having a little extra space, in the household budget. In 2016 Allesandro D'Angelo was unfaithful, Jane found out and left him. She now lives alone, funny enough in the same house where she first moved in with Allesandro D'Angelo in 2005. She knows the owner, 76 years old Thorsten Weber. Her daughter moved out in 2017. Jane Sanz is now 59 years old, still working for S/L Shipping.

Jane small first floor apartment at a side building of the house in Plain Hamlet.  

 

María Sanz was born at Lucia Clinic in 1997. Her family living in a working-class apartment at South Cepero Road, just across the street from the clinic. Her mother was a plantation worker, at the nearby government corn plantation. Her farther unemployed. Her farther died in 2000, she knows him only from the pictures her mother and especially her stepsister Nora have shown her. She saw Allesandro D'Angelo as her father during her childhood, but after he committed adultery towards her mother, the relationship cooled down. María Sanz is 24 years old and uneducated. She works at Hoebeek Construction, located in the Northwestern corner of Cepero Town. Living alone in a small apartment in Fenna Tower, Presidente Jakub District. María Sanz is currently dating 35 years old Jacob Hughes from Somerset County, South West England, living in free village Fungus Town outside Plateau Pillage.

María Sanz at Maria Ruiz Road, almost home.

 

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Maj 2023

As the Leone Family had recently sold their Coconut Operation to Schubert Processed Food, they now had the capital to build a water park on the land they owned next to Faces Of Power sculpture park. It was an instant success with both tourists and locals.

Leone Parque Acuárico

 

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Finn Leroy Family Jul.2023

Finn Leroy was born in 1974, in his parent’s modest apartment at Plantation Street, next to Bounty Bank. Son of circus artist Hugo Leroy. His mother Britta was still studying when she got him. He grew up under sparse conditions, living in different cheap working-class flats, until his mother established herself as a respected doctor and the family moved to a house in the expensive part of town, when he was in his late teens. Finn met Anne in 1996 and moved into her modest apartment. After studying on and off for many years, Finn finished University in 2008. Getting a job at Cattle Road rescue center. Finn and Anne married and got two children. The family moved into Cattle Road Residential Complex, at Long Connector Street in November 2009. Sadly, both children died from a rare genetic disorder, ten years ago. When the Legal Department of the President, was created in February 2022, Finn Leroy was hired to run the Legal department of the State Ministry. From being a middleclass family, with this appointment the Leroy Family is now part of the elite. Living in a huge mansion on Sugar Road. At the surface a very successful family, but the death of both their children, have created deep unhealable scars.

The Leroy Mansion

Family Tree

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January 2024

The heavy publication known as “Facts and Figures” released by Department of Political Science, more recently with the help of State Statistics Department, will not be continued. Today Bounty Islands got its own Television Station, TV1 City. A series of educational programs, developed with the help of leading scientists, will be broadcasted in the coming period, replacing the publication.

 Today at TV1 City: Booze and Smoke (8 PM – primetime television)

Vincenza De Groot leader of Museum of Original Culture explain:

Sugar and with-it Rum production was the foundation of Bounty economy from the late 1800’s and at least up to the revolution. At the time the Governor or his close aristocratic friends from the old world, owned all the plantations and production. With just one exception, the “free” Maria Bird Rum distillery, which is now rebuild and houses Maria Bird Gold & Jewelry. Not all documents from this early period have survived, but it looks like Tobacco and Cigar became the most important production chain from about 1924 or 1925. In 1920 there was four sugar plantations and three distilleries. Just one tobacco plantation, producing only for raw export.

Professor of Economics at Bounty City University, Jane Thomas explains:

From the late 20’s Cigar’s became, with a large margin, the predominant factor in Bounty economy. Rum was still important, but not like cigar’s and also cheese cloth and raw exports like gold, meat, fish, and vegetables was some years just as important. It surely did not help the distilleries that Rum prices was unusually low in the 1940’s. In 1945 there was still four sugar plantations and three distilleries. Now also four tobacco plantations and one big cigar factory having two production lines.

 Chairman of the board of Bounty Cigar's Limited, Martina Bonnet explains:

When Maria Bird Rum Distillery was turned into a Jewelry in 1981, it was the final evidence that Rum had become a marginal product, compared to new and more profitable businesses developed in the 2^nd part of the 20^th century. But back to my territory. With the Schubert Family entering the Cigar marked in 1948, we saw the last Cigar factory starting production. Over the coming 75 years the tobacco industry would maintains its position as the most important source of income on the Islands, although some of the new products like weapons and especially cloth would come close.

From 1970 to 1995 there was 6 tobacco plantations, but there was some shipping issues and supply of tobacco was often an issue. Those issues have been solved partly by the modern greenhouses partly by improved logistic and factory technology. Something that has also helped the rum industry. Just as the better prices on the marked mainly coming from improved product quality.

 

The very high production of Rum in 1920 is unusual, a perfect year, normal years in the 20’s and 30’s was about 25% lower

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Tami Taka, Jan. 2024

Tami Taka daughter of Montserrat and Heinrich Taka, was born in her mother’s apartment, Plateau Village, North District in 1965. Her parents married and moved to Cepero Island in the late 60’s, where she grew up in Lucia Village. Her mother died when she was just 11 years old. A few years later her farther met Alexandra, they married and the family moved to New Village, Cepero Town, where Tami spend her teenage years. During her life Tami have worked as truck driver, goat farmer and hotel room attendant, today she works at Leone Family’s Iron mine in Mountain Village. Living alone in a small cheap apartment at Plateau Village. Her old friend Dmitry Kamiński has, over the latest decade, slowly developed opinions belonging to the extreme right. Last January he became the leaders of Nationalist Action. She sees him as a disgusting fascist and cut him off completely. Luckily that haven’t changed the deep mutual affection and friendship she got with his son Adrián Kamiński. Who see her as a mother and visit her often. Today Adrián is 26 years old and married to 25 years old Lucía, doing very well, with good jobs and a large house (*). Tami Taka is 58 years old.

Today, Tami thought she needed Roti Wrap from Plateau Chicken Fried, on her way home after a long day at the mine.

(*) I like him, from now he will become an independent character in the story.

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February 1^st. 2024

Today at TV1 City: The First Village. (7.30 PM – primetime television)

Vincenza De Groot leader of Museum of Original Culture explain:

In 1904 the Governor of Bounty Islands, send expeditions north, looking for fertile land to expand sugar production, hoping to be able to support another distillery with sugar. Today we haven’t got a map of the North District before the revolution, and it is likely that such map never existed, but we know something from archives found in Fenna Chapel. In 1905 a gravel track was established approximately where Mountain Road is today, over the next years a Sugar Plantation and Sheep Ranch was established. As we know for sure the early production of sugar was manure fertilized, we can also expect there must have been at least one manure depot present. If we trust Fenna Chapel archives there was no village present at this point, the peasants must have lived in Bounty Town, although there might have been some shacks, not mentioned in the archives. Over the next three years we get the first mention of Mountain Village. In 1910 about 30 peasants was working in the plantations and ranches. Facts and figures, Mar. 1995 mentions that 18-20 families lived in the village, recent excavations, have shown it was more likely 13-14 families. In 1950 it was 18 families in 1960 just 12 families living in Mountain Village. The introduction of multi culture farming by Arthur M. Leroy, happened mainly in the 50’s and 60’s, reducing the numbers of families in rural areas, forced to find different jobs elsewhere.

Emma Laurent was a typical peasant woman in 1920, only 21 years old she already had three children, the first when she was 16. Usually she would become no more that 40 years old. If she was lucky 1 out of the 5-6 children, she would likely give birth to, would make it past their teens.   

 

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February 8^th. 2024

Today at TV1 City: The Forgotten Village. (8.15 PM – primetime television)

Mikel Vázquez from State Statistics Department explain:

As mentioned by Vincenza De Groot, there was a decline in the population of Mountain village during the 50’s and early 60’s, culminating around 1965, where just 10 families were living in a group of 2-3 story apartment buildings, a little south of the original village center. In the meantime, an Iron mine opened and created new jobs, but that did not help much as it was build on land previously occupied by a ranch, that had to be demolished. The situation changed in the first part of the 70’s. From just 12 families in 1970, it grew to 24 in 1975. Notably this was not based on a lot of new jobs, it seemed to be that previously some people working in the Mountain Village area, preferred to live in the city. Where as in the 70’s people working in the city, settled in Mountain Village. After this short boom the population stabilized on this level until the 90’s. In the early 90’s, some outdated apartments were demolished and the very modern Plateau Tower was constructed in the nearby village, resulting in another population decline. In the beginning of 1996 just 18 families were left. A new turning point came around 2000, when R. Johnson started new wool productions and opened their SunWear factory. Later more jobs was created first with The Experiential Agricultural Institute in 2008 and the Nuclear Power Plant in 2010. But it did not effect the population as much as you might expect. In January 2010 there was 21 families living in Mountain Village. One reason for the relative low number of families might be the fact, that the village needed public transport and basically had no service buildings whatsoever. Most workers chose to live in Plateau Village or the north part of Bounty City.      

 Around 2005, most of the workers on the sugar plantation in Mountain Village was Italian immigrants, as Luigi Fabbri, Allesandro Esposito and Anna Barone all portraited on the painting "Those Forgotten" by Finn Van de Berg in 1997. Oli on Canvas, Part of permanent exhibition, Cultural House

 

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February 15^th. 2024

Today at TV1 City: A Powerhouse (8.00 PM – primetime television)

 Council Member Charlotte Fischer explain:

The construction of Bounty Nuclear Plant outside Mountain Village finished in march 2010. At the end of 2011 the first test with limited amounts of uranium took place at the plant. In the summer of 2012, the plant was fully functional. Making Mountain Village the epicenter of energy production on the islands. During 2019 and 2020 the first phase of Mountain Village Wind-Power Park was constructed further adding to the energy production in the Mountain Village area. The 2^nd phase is currently under construction. The wind turbines themselves does not add new jobs to the village, but the construction and maintenance companies in the city, get good contracts. There may have been a marked for new quality housing already back in 2010, but no investors saw the opportunity. We saw the first upper-class family, living in the village at the end of 2013. Surprisingly not working at the powerplant.

Interview with Heike Koning, Cardiologist at Cepero Hospital: It was fine, I took the car after a short walk from the hospital, leaving it a The Donkey Curve, and took the bus from there to Plateau Village. Enjoying the daily walk up the hill to our home. Giving me some badly needed exercise. My husband worked at the nearby plantation, giving him the time needed to take care of our home. 

Voiceover: Jesse and Heike Koning still live in the village.

Charlotte Fischer continues:

Besides the two upper-class families now living in Mountain Village, recently also a few middle-class families moved to the village, increasing the number to a record high 26 families. This is probably a trend we can expect to continue, as there are still people working in the area, living very far away.

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February 22th. 2024

Today at TV1 City: National Population Development (8.20 PM – primetime television)

Ángel Castro from State Statistics Department explains:

This month the population of Bounty reached 1500 people. But lets start with the beginning. After the revolution the total population on Bounty Islands was just 353 people, a large majority spending their entire life close to their homes, inside what was then Bounty Town. Back then the death rate war very high. Recent studies of archives from the two chapels have shown that in the years around the revolution more than 9% of the population died every year. Making further development of Bounty Society completely dependent on Immigration. There was a reform in the 1930’s changing the age where young people were allowed to work and marry from 15 to 18 years, but as we will shown in graphs, it seemingly did not affect the trends, as the number of children declined in the period, again likely a result of extreme high death rate amongst children.

Children playing at President Smirnov’s School, then located at Park Road.

 

 

After a period with limited population growth in the 30’s, we saw increased growth in the 40’s and 50’s. Reaching the magical 500 residents in 1944. At this point both North District and especially Cepero Islands had populated arears, but the majority lived in Bounty Town with larger residential areas near Cattle Road, between Pasture Road and Saint Mary’s Church, at the Harbor and near Fenna Chapel. There was another low increase period in the 60’s, a little faster in the 70’s and 80’s. The population reached 1000 people near the end of 1993. At this point Cepero Islands had become highly populated especially due to the new larger and taller residential towers introduced in the mid 1980’s.

Residential Towers and other residential buildings on Cepero Island, december 1993.

After a period with high increase of population in the 90’s, the government opted for a more controlled immigration, aiming for as high as possible natural growth, resulting in a slow growth rate from 2010 to 2020. Recently the immigration door opened again, to fill the increasing number of vacant jobs, making the fastest increase in population ever, over the period from 2020 to 2023, as mentioned reaching 1500 just a few days ago.

José Castro from Department of Political Science explains:

Taking a look at the populations age development as a percentage of total population over the years, in this graph (below). We see that the total number of children (gray and orange) has fallen more or less continuously over the years, from almost 30% in the 20’s and 30’s to around 15% today. The number of elderlies, growing from a few in 1940 to about 5% today. The workforce or adult population, has been relative constant at around 80% of the population since 1940. Politically a good situation when attempting to support those that cannot support themselves.  

 

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February 29th. 2024

Today at TV1 City: Banana, Hippies and Public Housing (7.30 PM – primetime television)

Vincenza De Groot leader of Museum of Original Culture explain:

We know that a banana plantation existed on the west plateau from 1918, hence the name Old Banana Road. From the archives we see a few families periodically registered as living in shacks around it. In 1929 a Cocoa plantation was added further west and a manure depot located at what is now Plateau Village Road. In the following years more and more families moved to the area and solid houses was build. Officially the village on the plateau was declared in 1935 reaching 10 families. Plateau Village grew further in the coming years, at the beginning of 1939 12 families was living in the area. In the summer of 1940, it was 13. The year after the government appointed Plateau Village as “Social Community” and started construction of cheap housing in and around the village, resulting in a large increase in population. In 1945 29 families lived in and around the village, in 1950 it was 32, despite the fact that no new jobs possibilities were created. During the 50’s the number of families was relative constant, despite the fact that a coal mine and army base replaced the banana plantation. The first small group of hippies, formed a free village on the plateau in the summer of 1964, but that did not affect the total number of residents in the plateau much. At the end of the 60’s, 34 families lived in the Plateau Village area. In the 70’s, the appearance of Plateau Village changed, more about that in the next episode.

 

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February 29th. 2024

Today at TV1 City: Gold & Concrete (7.30 PM – primetime television)

Mikel Vázquez, State Statistics Department explains:

During the 70’s, the original wooden buildings on Plateau Village Road, dating back to the early 30’s was worn out, they were demolished and new concrete building was erected at Plateau Village Road and at the junction of Old Banana Road and West Jungle Road. At the end of the 70’s, 38 families were living in the village. At the end of the 70’s gold was found deep in the West Jungle. A mine was operational from 1981. At the same time the hippies build “Stoned Planks” with a power saw cutting planks from timber. Despite those new job opportunities, the number of families in the village fell to 35 during the 80’s. “Plateau Tower” was constructed in 1993 close to the hill at Old Banana Road. Near the end of the decade Plateau Village Square was constructed and four upscale apartment buildings erect at Plateau Village Road. At this point a 2nd mineshaft was already added to the gold dig and Torres family had built a goat ranch at west jungle road. By the turn of the century 60 families lived in the village.

Plateau Village Square

Art photography by David Pérez, part of the series "breathing spaces" by Anne & David Pérez, 1998-1999 today at Museo de Arte Moderno, Bounty City.

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7th. March 2024

Today at TV1 City: Uranium, Milk & Fashion (8.30 PM – primetime television)

Council Member Charlotte Fischer explain:

At the turn of the millennium Plateau Village was thriving. With its own clinic, providing local healthcare, and truck service delivering important raw resources to other parts of Bounty Islands. Construction of modern housing had almost been doubling the population over the previous 20 years. From 2000 to 2010 no new job was created in the area, but the number of families wishing to settle in the community grew from 60 to 69 over the decade.

Plateau Village reached its population peak in 2010, with 69 families.

Besides the automatization of the Government owned uranium mine, nothing changed in the village, until López Construction started assembling a modern milk farm for Bay Cheese Limited in 2017. The farm started operation in June 2018. Soon after The Torres family transformed their goat ranch on West Jungle Road into a leather tannery, not wanting to compete with their main costumer on the milk market. These changes did not attract new families, quite the opposite, the number of families fell to 57 and several houses had vacant apartments in the beginning of 2020. In June 2021 R.J. Caribbean Fashion Design was finished and started recruiting. In December 2021 the government decided to end the social housing projects in Plateau Village, buildings containing a total of 18 small flats was demolished, most of the residents moved to other apartments in the village, never the less the total number of families fell again, today there is 54 families living in Plateau Village.

Plateau Village 1th. of March 2024

 

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21th. March 2024

Today at TV1 City: Students Teachers and Scientists (8.15 PM – primetime television)

Headmaster of Bounty City University, Francisco Fernández:

Before we start, let us first define number of people educated or uneducated. In the program we are talking about all educated people living on Bounty Islands, regardless if the are working or unemployed, we do not count uneducated children. It does not matter what job they have got. We count their education only.

In the colonial era, only immigrants were educated, as there were no schools on the Islands, besides what the children was thought by the nuns in their Sunday school. Despite that, quite many was educated, as the influx of foreigners was relatively high compared to the total number of residents. In 1920, just as the revolution was over, 33% of the population had an education, of those 13,7% at university level. Cristina Cepero leader of the transitional government, initiated the construction of what was then named “Lower Educational Institute” in the first months after the peaceful revolt, the institute opened in December 1920. This institution was the core of education from 1920 to 1950, increasing the number of people with a short education from 19,4% in 1920 to 48,2% in 1950. The original school at Park Road was demolished in 1952, replaced by President Smirnov’s School at South Coast Road.

Adrián Ciccone heading home from Lower Educational Institute with classmate Montserrat Ramos.

Picture today hanging at the teacher's room President Smirnov’s School. (March 1950)

 

From 1950 to 1990 education suffered on the Islands. It was not specifically due to bad intentions by the politicians, they did what they could. Bounty City University provided the option to take higher education already in 1973 and in 1988 President Williams School supplemented education on 2^nd level. It was more likely the fact that most of the new jobs created was hiring uneducated workers, forcing educated workers to take those jobs, thereby not inspiring the next generation to spend that much time at school. The total workforce grew rapidly, while the number of people with education slightly decreased.

 Bounty City University today.

 

The turning point came in the 90’s, not because new schools or universities was built, we still got the three already mentioned today. It was because the job marked changed, more and more businesses and institutions recruited skilled workers, while fewer and fewer jobs required uneducated workers. The numbers of people with a long education grew from 5,8% in 1990 to 21,4% in 2020. The numbers of people with a shorter education grew from 28,3% in 1990 to 48,7% in 2020. Surpassing the number of uneducated in 2008. We got some indications that the high number of immigrants coming to Bounty Islands since 2020 may result in a new increase in uneducated people, but as far as we can see, more and more people start education, so that may only be a short-lived phenomenon, honestly, we don’t really know.

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4th. of April 2024

Today at TV1 City: The First Settlement (8.15 PM – primetime television)

Vincenza De Groot leader of Museum of Original Culture explain:

Spanish settlers from Puerto Rico first settled Bounty Islands, when 71 families arrived in 1578. Building a village at the area where Presidente Jakub District is today. They came looking for gold, but was disappointed not finding anything. The settlement was all together unsuccessful and the population steadily declined over the next 300 years. When King Alfonso XIII after coming to power in 1882, started new investment in Bounty Islands, we know from a letter he received from “The Governor” in 1888 that 31 families was living in the village. All living in and around the area where Fenna Chapel lies today, of those 70% very poor, living in simple huts or shacks. The first new settlers started to arrive in 1884, the beginning of the Bounty Islands, we know today. As any records the governor may have had, disappeared during the revolution we don’t exactly know what happened before the revolution, but we have some clear indications. Mainly based in a simple map found in Fenna Chapel, dated to between 1899 and 1903, the map is in a bad condition, but historians can conclude that at the turn of the century the original village have spread out over a much larger area, most likely due to a more widespread agricultural production. Leaving what is today Presidente Jakub District with a population of maximum 20 families. Now living in two areas separated by The Governor Mansion.

 The Fenna Chapel Map, Museum of Original Culture

 

Another map was discovered in Spain in the 1960’s. At first it was seen as fake, but today historians believe it was made around 1910, and brought to Spain with a trade ship. The map covers the area that is today, Bounty City. Basically, showing that the population in what is now Presidente Jakub District, was most likely unchanged between 1900 and 1910 as no new residential building was constructed. In 1920 we got the first secure data showing what 24 families was living in the area. After the revolution Presidente Jakub District grew rapidly. Partly because new jobs were created with the 3^rd distillery, the tobacco plantation, a truck depot and Chapel Clinic. Partly because people working at North District, settled in the area. Around 1930 42 families lived in what is now Presidente Jakub District. The formation of Plateau Village during the 30’s sucked up some residentials, previously living it what is today Presidente Jakub District and the population declined to 37 familied in 1940

Fenna Chapel area, late 1920's, Museum of Original Culture

 

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11th of April 2024

Today at TV1 City: Three Classes (8.15 PM – primetime television)

Mikel Vázquez from State Statistics Department explain:

In 1944 Presidente Jakub District was officially declared. At this point the population of the district was as low as 22 families, several old colonial style homes had been demolished and some fires had also temporarily forced families to settle elsewhere. At the end of the decade, it was still rater low, with 28 families. It was clear that exploration of Cepero Islands had permanently move the financial and residential center of Bounty Town south. Despite that Presidente Jakub District was revitalized in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s with construction of modern middle and upper-class housing, attracting new families. At the beginning of 1960, the district reached 44 families. By 1970 it was 49. In January 1980 it was 51 families. With the construction of Council of the Districts in the 70’s in South Presidente Jakub District this area was now housing the absolute elite, as seen on Andreas Wolf's famous painting. The addresses was amongst the most expensive, in Bounty City. In the northern part of the district, Hotel America, Two Embassies and Maria Bird Jewelry provided for a more mixed population. Many living in the new Fenna Tower. The Tower off course responsible for the increase in the population, reaching 54 families in early January 1990.  

The mansion of Dr. Sofia Pellegrini  

Andreas Wolf, Oli on Canvas, painted during the autumn of 1986, today at Museo de Arte Moderno, Bounty City

 

[Tamijo 2,036]

18th of April 2024

Today at TV1 City: Mónica Ruox, Corpus Christi &  Pineapple Chow (7.30 PM – primetime television)

Council Member Thomas Harris explain:

In the 90’s the population in Juan Pérez Residential Area declined, as four middle class apartment buildings was knocked down. But the population in the northern part of the district grew rapidly in the period. Presidente Jakub District was the home of 58 families at the end of the decade, a few of them in shacks, close to Mónica Roux Monument. In the first decade after the turn of the century, the development in the north part of the district continued, with working class apartment being build next to the monument. 66 families lived in Presidente Jakub District in the beginning of January 2010, more than 87% north of The Parliament Building.

The new apartments at the north side of Shack Village Road. 

 

From the end of 2009 to the beginning of 2012 many changes happened. In December 2010 The Cultural House was moved to Juan Pérez Residential Area, from its previous location in Saint Mary’s District, at the cost of some family homes. In Mónica Ruox residential area, López Construction had bought land east of Fenna Chapel and demolished the Parking House in the previous decade, they now constructed a series of working-class apartment blocks on both sides of Shack Village Road, at the beginning of 2012, 83 families lived in Presidente Jakub District. In 2013 Hotel America and the connected burger joint was relocated to Cattle Road District. López Construction had miscalculated the need for cheap homes and many of their apartments remained empty. In late 2014 they started to demolish relative new buildings east of Fenna Chapel. New upper-class homes replaced them during 2015. In the beginning of January 2016, 80 families lived in Presidente Jakub District.

The new modern and exclusive homes constructed in Mónica Ruox residential area 2015.

The Spiritual Baptist Church “Corpus Christi” was erected in 2017 on Old Banana Road. Restaurant “The Pineapple Chow”, located at the north side of Mónica Roux Monument opened its doors in 2019, and also TV1 Bounty City, was constructed in Mónica Ruox Residential Area, Southeast of Fenna Chapel in 2019. At the cost of four middle-class residential blocks. Today 71 families live in the Presidente Jakub District.

[Tamijo 2,036]

April 2024

Sena Hartmann the daughter of Dorthea Hartmann (born Lewandowski) and Uwe Hartmann died 3 years old. As mentioned, her twin sister Mina died in January 2023.

Bounty Bay Residential Complex, or just Bounty Bay Residential was constructed on Fisherman’s Road, Harbor District.

 

[Tamijo 2,036]

25th of April 2024

Today at TV1 City: Sailors, Cheese, Cigars & WorkWear (8.00 PM – primetime television)

Vincenza De Groot leader of Museum of Original Culture explain:

We haven’t got any evidence showing that people lived in permanent buildings in what is today Harbor District, prior to the construction of some apartments for the sailors working at the Naval Station in 1908 or 1909. It is not unlikely that some families may have lived in temporary shacks or huts. The best guess is that 5 to 6 families lived in the area in 1910. After the revolt in 1920 we got  secure records showing that 13 families lived in what is now Harbor District, including some living where Connection Passway is today. Directly on the border between Harbor District and Cattle Road District.

The old “Sailor” apartments on Navy Road still exists, here on a private photo from 1973. Today at Museum of Original Culture.   

During the 20’s Original Leather moved out of the area, the later so famous Robert Johnson build his ranch, Bay Cheese and Bounty Cigar's opened their factories. But despite the new jobs created, the workers mostly settle in other part of town and the number of families was unchanged. In the 30’s Bounty Cigar's opened their 2^nd production line, an Army camp was placed in the area that is now Harbor District, and Connection Passway constructed to make easier travel between Cepero Island and Bounty Town. New middle-class homes was built close to Trade Street, but older houses was demolished. Most of the many people working in the area still lived in homes elsewhere. We still got just 12 families with address in what is now Harbor District in the beginning of 1940. R. Johnson WorkWear opened in July 1941, Harbor District was officially declared in 1944 and despite the fact that the district would never become a residential heavy area, the population grew in the 40’s, at the end of the decade 22 families lived in Harbor District.        

Bay Side Residential, 1949.

[Tamijo 2,036]

2nd of May 2024

Today at TV1 City: La Familia Hospital & District Police (8.15 PM – primetime television)

Mikel Vázquez from State Statistics Department explain:

Nothing changed in Harbor District during the 1950’s, 21 families got a home in the district at the end of 1959. The same number of families was living in the district during the 60’s 70’s 80’s. In the meantime, Loyal to Familia had built the LtF Diver's Club, Shipyard and Club Babilonia. In the 90’s Bounty City Hospital and Harbor District Police both opened. In this period more residential buildings were also constructed, increasing the number of families to 31 by the end of the decade.

Some of Harbor District’s few residential buildings, is seen in the background of Anne Pérez photo of Ruben Ruiz Memorial  

       Art photography by Anne Pérez, part of the series "breathing spaces" by Anne & David Pérez, 1998-1999 today at Museo de Arte Moderno, Bounty City.

[Tamijo 2,036]

9th of May 2024

Today at TV1 City: Johnson Building & Bounty Bay Residential, (8.00 PM – primetime television)

Council Member Thomas Harris explain:

Several residential apartments blocks were demolished to make room for The Johnson Building in 2007, adding more job opportunities, but decreasing the number of families living in Harbor District. In 2010 there was 30 families left. In 2018 some new working-class apartment blocks was constructed on Fisherman’s Road, increasing the number of families in the district to 40 by the end of the decade. In April 2024 Bounty Bay Residential Complex was finished. Today 51 families live in Harbor District.

  

[Tamijo 2,036]

16th of May 2024

Today at TV1 City: Banana, Cattle, Processed Food and Supermarkets, (8.45 PM – primetime television)

Voiceover: The data used in this program, is measured over a longer period, 5-6 years have been analyzed to calculate the average values/year. Simply to eliminate variations coming from delayed shipments or extreme low/high production peaks.      

Francisco Muñoz, author and owner of gourmet restaurant Cibaria Insulam explains.

In the early colonial period, the original food production, besides what the household grew for domestic use, was cattle and corn. In the late 1890’s came coconut harvesting and the fishing pier was added in the beginning of the 1900’s. With the expansion north and formation of Mountain Village milk production started around 1907-1908. Banana production started at the plateau, in 1918. Besides what they could pick up locally, there was one food marked in 1920. People's Market at Coconut Road. Bounty historians have no secure data about the yearly food production in the early 1920’s but their best guess is that something like this was produced every year:

Banana, 65.000 – 70.000 pound; Coconut, 160.000 – 170.000 pound; Corn, 180.000 – 190.000 pound;  Fish, 40.000 – 50.000 pound; Meat, 70.000 – 80.000 pound; Milk, 38.000 – 42.000 liter

 People's Market early 1920’s

In the early 1940’s, we got much more data and can calculate more precisely how much of each product was available, and how it was used. Bounty Islands got its 2^nd food outlets with the addition of Village Convenience Store in Cepero Village, in the early 40’s. With the formation of Bay Cheese Ltd in 1927, we got a new food source, we did not have in the early 1920's.

Jumping another 40 years forward to the early 1980’s. In the 80’s we got three new food variants we did not have in the 1940’s, Shellfish, Pineappels and Processed Food. There are three food outlets. People's Market is now located in Cattle Road Residential Area, and Bounty City has a new food store “St. Mary's Grocery” located close to the Church at North Harbor Road. Village Convenience Store still located at New Village Road, Cepero Town.

Today Bounty Islands got 8 food stores. Two large supermarkets, one in Harbor Road Shopping Mall in Saint Mary’s District and one in Cepero Department Store at Adrian Pérez Road, Cepero Town. 6 smaller markets or shops. People's Market at South Coast Road, The Embassy Grocery at Domicile Street, Cepero Convenience Store at New Village Road, Lucia Comestibles at Lucia Drive, Grasso & O’Neill’s Market at O’Neill’s Pathway and D'Angelo Grocery at D’Angelo Main Road.

 The two food shops in D’Angelo Islands are struggling to make ends meet, may be one to many.

Since the 1980 we have now got a new important source of nutrition, beverage. Covering juice, energy drinks and other beverage produced by Schubert Processed Food. Another notable difference is that corn is now used in meat, wool and milk production on the modernized farms, making it an important first part of many production chains.