zefnar33

Disclaimer: This story is completely fictitious and any resemble to real-life names is totally coincidental. The Story of Charton If there was a contest to elect the worst town in the Midwest, Charton would easily win hands down in all categories --- for the worst governance, the worst standard of living... the list goes on. http://img107.echo.cx/img107/3478/10az.jpg align=baseline border=1> The town of barely 1,000 is flanked by the Jongher River to the south, and the Orlio River to the north. Farmway 105 runs through the town, connecting it to cities and towns in the Midwest. Farmland encircles this town; the soil is rich in nutrients and the climate is perfect for growing crops. Indeed, it was this fertile soil that attracted settlers to the town many years ago. But that was then. Today, the town is facing an unprecedented crisis --- outward migration. Conditions are so bad in Charton that its residents can't wait to get out of the city. If you were to walk through Charton, you would have thought it was a ghost town; from its original 2,000 inhabitants, the population of the town has shrunk to just below 1,000. http://img107.echo.cx/img107/2297/29yw.jpg align=baseline border=1> Cornan Church sits right smack in the middle of the town. This characteristic white-and-blue church stands testament to the dwindling fortunes of Charton. A long time ago, there would be long car lines outside the church --- people queuing to thank God for the abundant wealth of the land. Now, cars still form long queues on Farmway 105, but this queue doesn't lead into the church --- it goes in the direction of Chicago. Everyday, there are jams on Farmway 105 as immigrants leave the town looking for a better life in nearby cities. Most people blame the fall of this farming town on the mayor, who has been in power for the last 10 years. In his watch, corruption was the order of the land and farmers had to pay a protection tax of $50 to the tax collector every month. This did not go down well with the farmers at all; many simply packed their bags and left. Other farmers who used to contemplate moving to Charton went to other Midwestern towns instead, leaving Charton high and dry. With so little farming jobs available, the population was hard hit. Unemployment stood at 40%, a level never before seen. And not a single day goes by without reports of theft. It seems as if the good old days where everyone had a job was gone, replaced by an era of problems and troubles... (to be continued)

Thirty years later... Charton has grown into a full-blown city with 60,000 inhabitants. http://img157.echo.cx/img157/4555/75gr.jpg align=baseline border=1> http://img157.echo.cx/img157/1826/86tv.jpg align=baseline border=1> Note: I have been working on developing this city but am occasionally interrupted by sudden game crashes and exits. In the next update, I will showcase much more of the city.

Growing up in this sorry state of affairs was a young politician named George Norte. Deep down in his heart, Norte knew that the only way to bring his hometown back to the prosperity of yesteryear was to get rid of the corrupt mayor. In the town's fifth mayoral election, young Norte contested the leadership of the town. He was the first ever to contest the elections. It shocked the town. Throughout the election campaign, the incumbent mayor, who was already in his second term in office, was so confident that the townsfolk still supported him that he chose not make any public appearances. But Norte impressed with his grand plans for Charton. He promised an era of prosperity and jobs; of abundance and wealth. Murphy's Law dictates that when anything can go wrong, it will, at the worst possible moment. On election night, the incumbent mayor finally realised his mistake. George Norte won by 580 to the mayor's 94 votes. The outcome was clear. The people of Charton wanted change; changes for the better. Within his first 100 days in office, Norte had rolled out his plans to transform Charton from doomtown into boomtown. More jobs were needed --- he drew up plans for the Normunt Manufacturing Zone, situated on derelict farmland across the Orlio River. http://img244.echo.cx/img244/3271/35lc.jpg align=baseline border=1> Industrial taxes in the Manufacturing Zone were lowered to just 3%, and within months, over twenty new factories had moved into the Midwestern city. http://img244.echo.cx/img244/826/46bh.jpg align=baseline border=1> The successes of the Manufacturing Zone were apparent. Thousands of jobs were created in the process --- more than the city could accomodate. Within a year, longer queues formed outside Cornan Church. But this time, those in the queue were new immigrants attracted by the jobs. http://img244.echo.cx/img244/4950/54hf.jpg align=baseline border=1> New housing was needed for these new workers. Three to four storey apartment blocks sprang up around Cornan Church, and the town now boasts a population of over 6,000. Meanwhile, the town was also shedding its ghost-town image and starting on its transformation to a budding Midwestern city. Among the new immigrants were a significant Japanese population. They used to call Chicago home but were now yearning for a return to small-town life like that in Japan, which they found in Charton. http://img244.echo.cx/img244/8440/66dg.jpg align=baseline border=1> The Japanese community settled in the area just south of the Orlio River, and west of Farmway 105. They built characteristic Japanese houses and pooled money for a Buddhist temple, the Shinburi Temple. With its beautiful courtyard fringed by mint green-roofed shrines and a large main hall of worship, the Temple quickly became Charton's newest landmark. The Americans were so intrigued by the quaint Asian architecture that temple caretakers decided to conduct weekly tours explaining the importance of religion in Japanese society. Throughout the remainder of Norte's five-year term, unemployment hit record lows while living standards continued to rise. The town saw the formation of its first fire brigade and police troop, its first clinic, and its first high school. It seems that Charton was on the verge of an unprecedented chapter of growth and boom... (to be continued)