goose0183

Sunday I move from the swamps of South Louisiana to the beaches of Maui to live with my brother. I'll be occupied with trivial things like finding a job, finding a job, and finding a job. As soon as I get access to a computer I'll begin my work again; until then I'll be correcting some transportation issues with my city. I want to thank everyone for your comments and for reading, I should be back within a few weeks. Aloha!

  lmao I actually thought about that, "I hope they don't misread that as a CJ entry.....nahhhhh". My flight is tomorrow morning, so naturally a very safe boeing 777 from a very safe airline goes down with 227 passengers. Yah, I'm thrilled about THAT. Meanwhile, in the world of things I can control, I'm almost done converting my highway system to RHW, not a feat achieved quickly, especially with a slop mod I just put in. My tiles are ready for development on my west side; i'll post some links to those tiles and you can develop them as you wish while I get settled. You have complete creative control over terrain, nameology, etc......the only continuity is that these tiles are in Jefferson County, of which Fairview (not built yet) is the county seat...that's it! Aloha!

The way I am doing this city journal is a bit unusual, but here it is in a nutshell: My name is Timothy Simm, a journalism student at the University of Alaska - Anchorage in the year 2547, and I have chosen to chronicle the development of Emerald Basin, a metropolitan development project in Alaska in the year 2014. Technology now allows me to travel back and fast forward through time at will, so that I may view long term changes quickly. As the region progresses, I put in journal entries coupled with a briefing from the applicable department tasked with whatever it is I'm writing about at that time. The current format has me writing journal entries like I am now, but then creating the briefing in a Word document and PrntScn'ing it into Paint and attaching it to the journal entry, so that you can click on it and it will expand. This is the quickest and cleanest way for me to do this, and it frees up the types of pics I want in these reports. However, I'm not sure how its playing with the reading public, so this entry has a poll where you can give me some feedback.........Attached pic of Word Document page, or direct pasting and attaching of pics into the window. Let me know!

Deleted the RUM and installed a slop mod.,...will I need to redo the entire network or will it mod itself?

Lol yah pretty coarse, but extremely informative so my feelings are intact :), that's why I made this entry, I want to know what to improve on from more experienced sc4 players. Some of the problems you mentioned I'm aware of, like the MHW/Avenue interchanges....while incredibly ugly, they remain functional, and it's just a matter of me not knowing what the problem was. 95% of my plugins are done correctly, you've done a nice job of laying out the 5% i screwed up on lol, but thank you, you saved me a lot of time figuring out how to make these things work and now I can set to correcting them. Anything else you can think of please pass along to me, despite the sad shape of my city I really am a stickler to detail, ive just never dealt with so many plugins at once. Thanks again!

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the details we lose sight of the big picture.....I just realized that none of you are playing the game with me, thus none of you can actually see my city, apart from the snippets I've provided. To remedy that, I've taken a snapshot of St. Matthew in its current year, 2066, with a few labels here and there to give you the general idea. A street map will be available once the city is 90% zoned. Until then, enjoy.

Even when you click on the report? It should magnify. Its really more of a time saver and convienience to me using word documents because im not limited on pic size. I'll blow up future reports more so that they are definitely legible......thanks for reading!

Saving my money now for a flight to the north side of Emerald Basin!

Looks like we're getting all the attention! OBD apparantely has big plans for this neighborhood, and they have already spent tens of thousands of Simoleans building up infastructure and social services. My house may double in value in the not so distant future!

May 15th, 2056, South Bank: Welcome to civilization Fisherville! It's not exactly an economic stimulus, but the residents are thrilled that they can bathe without using baby wipes. The usual report follows....

January 20th, 2055, My South Bank Residence, 4:21 P.M.: Looks like I may have actually picked a decent neighborhood to live in while I observe this incredibly beautiful region develop into a major metropolitan area. Back to South Bank, three schools and a city college downtown gives these residents plenty of opportunity to succeed. Fisherville, located to the immediate east of the community of South Bank, remains completely uneducated. With recent water main expansions to the area, Fisherville primarily serves as a tap for the dirty/manufacturing industries directly across Mystic River. No plans for any development there, at least on an education level, are scheduled. Below is the report...

Finally, a physical building where I can go fight my traffic tickets! It's a pretty awesome area of downtown; very lush with flora and well designed. Props to the Ops Department for doing such a great job with the landscaping. It's also nice to have a City Jail and Central Police station....crime was getting a bit out of control there for a bit, but with addition of the Central Police Station and South Bank Precinct, that appears to be under control. The St. Matthew City Museum was also finished recently.....can't wait to go look at art and pretend to know what I'm looking at.....at least the tickets are cheap! As always, below is the official report:

Date: May 20th, 2031 Population: 22,790 Summary: The Office of Basin Development has released its first update on the lone population center of Emerald Basin! St. Matthew is in its 17th year as a city, and after some initial economic problems that most cities face in their early stages, its budget has stabilized and now has the funds to expand at will. The format of these updates will be simple: each department will give its analysis on the current state of affairs as it pertains to that department’s responsibility. There will be no set date that reports will be issued on at this time; rather, after a period of sufficient activity, the Office of Basin Development (OBD) will issue an update on the city. Without any further delay, here is the update for St. Matthews! The Office of Basin Development is located on the second floor of city hall: Department of Economic Development (formerly Department of Finance): The first 8 years of St. Matthew’s financial picture were bleak; the city had to constantly take out loans to stay afloat, and much of North and East bank were constructed piece by piece, or paycheck to paycheck rather. Once enough tax revenue was being generated to offset the loan repayments, cash on hand skyrocketed. Funds plummeted after the city underwent major reworking of the interstate and transportation network, but St. Matthew is currently recovering nicely. As shown below, 33% of the city’s expenses are currently loan repayments; yet, we remain in the black by just under $4,000. This leaves plenty of headroom for more loans and rapid expansion.The economic picture as it relates to Sims’ incomes and job participation is healthy for a young city. The majority of the population works in the industries for relatively low paying jobs, but demand remains high and the city is booming. With massive education expansion plans, a middle class should soon emerge accompanied by a service industry boom coupled with a decline in dirty industry. Department of Transportation: With 8 bridges, 4 rail lines, and two interstates, St. Matthew is the transportation hub of Emerald Basin. Currently the only mass transit is our new bus system, as traffic demands are relatively low. Commuters from the South, East, and North Bank travel across the river to Hall Island, the primary employment center of the region. The Industrial Park and Central Business District are both located here and connected to both highway and rail. With commute times relatively low, it should be some time before a new mass transit system is required. Department of Education: St. Matthew currently has one high school and two elementary schools. No higher education buildings are expected in the near future until the population surpasses at least 50,000 Sims. As of now, the education level is sufficient for Sims to find employment in the manufacturing and service industries. As the city grows, a city college will be placed most likely in the vicinity of downtown. Department of Business Affairs: St. Matthew is now home to KYKZ 96.1 FM radio station! Located downtown near City Hall, the radio station addition is a sign of economic growth in the area. As the town is still in its early stages, not all departments have enough progress to produce a full report; as growth continues and expansion takes place, updates will be made. Thanks for reading!

[sharedmedia=blog:entries:23367]   The above entry has my region map.....you can see where I-20 exits to the west, right along the coast. We'd obviously have a town there to bridge the connection

The Chair of the Office of Basin Development, James Forthmeyer, has announced that Emerald Basin is ready for zoning. With the transportation network 80% complete and the entire region rendered, residents and businesses can start to move their interests into the area.

Nothing gets the hair standing up on the back of my neck like quarterly financial reports! Here it is, direct from the brand new census vault located in Government Square! We even have a photo for you in case you get lost flocking there: 3rd Quarter Report for St. Matthew:

An article in the paper caught my eye this morning: the hospital blocks from my house was having a funding shortfall, and possible closure was being looked at! First a major fire, now my hospital is going under.....did I pick the wrong neighborhood? I was able to catch the Director of Health, Kathleen Sibelius, giving her briefing at the hospital this after noon. Click on the pic to see a copy of her drivel!

Timothy Simms here again. I've finally moved into my new place in St. Matthew! If you're not sure who I am, check out the very first journal entry. That should give you a good idea who I am and what my goal is. In a nutshell, I'm a journalism student from the future who has chosen my senior thesis to be covering the development of a major metropolitan area. But you can read all about that in Entry #1. Like I was saying before I rudely interrupted myself, I've moved into St. Matthew, a shoebox house located on the South Bank. My housing warming gift was a major explosion and five alarm fire at the power plant. Crazy. Below is the briefing from Director Rourke, click on it to read! Here is a closeup:

  Thanks; I plan on spending years of time on this.....and I wouldn't mind winning CJ of the Year my rookie year! I rectified the bridge situation; basically by not doing it diagonal at all lol. About our regions....maybe we can simulate a neighbor connection. I could sending you the city tiles around the I-20 connection on the very western edge of my region, you could develop it as you wish, and then send them back to me, I could send you the finished product, and we'll see if the overlap will work. I could even develop some of your tiles on your I-20 connection. Don't know if any of that is feasible, let me know what you think.

The Department of Transportation has released its Emerald Basin Regional Transportation Network Map, current as of May 20th, 2013:

Date: May 5th, 2031 Briefing: Included is a comprehensive list of current towns, their mayors, and satellite photos. This list will be updated as needed. St. Matthew Incorporated: June 24th, 2020 Mayor: William Onellion Population: 22,797 Fairview Incorporated: TBD Mayor: Charles Linden Population: TBD Satellite Photo: TBD Mountain Home Incorporated: TBD Mayor: Fred Ashey Population: TBD Satellite Photo: TBD Stormy Bay Incorporated: TBD Mayor: Cody Powers Population: TBD Satellite Photo: TBD Grand Junction Incorporated: TBD Mayor: Brian Cranston Population: TBD Satellite Photo: TBD South Mountain Home Incorporated: TBD Mayor: Craig Brighton Population: TBD Satellite Photo: TBD Wolf’s Point Incorporated: TBD Mayor: Brian Masterson Population: TBD Satellite Photo: TBD

Date: May 17th, 2031 James Forthmeyer, Chair of the Office of Basin Development (OBD), held the first official meeting of the new and improved OBD (formerly the Emerald Basin Development Committee). With rendering of the region and most of the transportation network complete, a more permanent body was needed to serve the interests of the area. Because this method of city administration is unique, the OBD has agreed to allow me, journalism student Timothy Simms, unfettered access to the inner workings of the organization. The following Departments have been added along with their Chairs and descriptions: Office of Basin Development (OBD) o Chair: James Forthmeyer (former Alaska Secretary of Interior) o Description: The Office of Basin Development is responsible for the development of all infrastructure and incorporative activity in the Emerald Basin Region. From the construction of the transportation network to the approval of a school in a small town, all decisions go through the OBD. All city planning decisions are also made at this level The OBD will generate a monthly report of all pertinent census and financial data on the city, which will then be archived. Briefings from various departments will be made on an as needed basis, with region-wide decisions and development operations being handled by DOT and DOO. o Location: Census Repository Building (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Finance (DOF) o Chair: John Smithers (former Alaska Secretary of Treasury) o Description: The DOF is responsible for all things monetary in Emerald Basin. If a loan is needed for a particular city, the DoF must seek approval from the state legislature for appropriation. All tax changes and ordinance adjustments are made through this department. o Location: City Hall (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Operations (DOO) o Chair: George Finley (former Chicago City Engineer) o Description: the DOO is responsible for the execution of all planning done by other departments. For example, if a school is approved by the DOE, the DOO is tasked with assigning the construction contract(s). The DOO also directly handles construction of the Emerald Basin Transportation Network, overseen by the DOT with dissemination of funds handled as outlined in previous journal entries. o Location: City Hall (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Transportation (DOT) o Chair: Michael Brock (former Deputy Secretary for the USDOT) o Description: The DOT responsibilities include planning the transportation network for Emerald Basin and its cities, overseeing the construction as executed by the DOO, and deciding on whether to make a road a toll road or not. The DOT also generates the various network maps of the region. The DOT also names all roads and assigns all addresses and handles the placement of airports and seaports. o Location: City Hall (Fairview, AK) Department of Education (DOE) o Chair: Janet Fontenot (former Harris County Independent School District Superintendent) o Description: The DOE is responsible for the education of all Sims in the Emerald Basin region. Locations of schools, placement of universities, and funding requests all originate with the DOE. o Location: City Hall (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Business Affairs (DOB) o Chair: Monica LaSalle (former head of the Better Business Bureau in Seattle) o Description: The DOB directly communicates with businesses in the Alaska area and across the nation in an attempt to attract their facilities to the area. If a McDonald’s wants to build in St. Matthew, for example, the application goes through this office. The DOB will also compile a database of businesses in the area and their contribution. o Location: City Hall (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Public Services (DOP) o Chair: Arnold Pennypacker (former head of DPW for Los Angeles) o Description: The DOP is responsible for all utilities in Emerald Basin: water, power, and garbage. If a power plant needs to be built in Fairview, the DOP has the authority to appropriate funds directly from the state and utilize DOO assets at their discretion. o Location: Water Treatment Facility (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Parks and Recreation (DOR) o Chair: Leslie Knope (Former City Council Woman for Pawnee, IN) o Description: The DOR is responsible for planning all recreational facilities in the region. Stadiums, parks, playgrounds, statues, etc. all are planned and placed by this department. o Location: McArthur Park (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Emergency Management (DOX) o Chair: Mike Rourke (Former OEM for Los Angeles) o Description: Any time there is a declared emergency by the state, the DOX has the authority to utilize any and all resources in the region to mitigate the situation. The DOX is also in charge of all fire and police services. o Location: Central Fire Station (St. Matthew, AK) Department of Health (DOH) o Chair: Kathleen Sibelius (Former USHHS Secretary) o Description: The DOH is responsible for the health and well-being of all Sims in the Emerald Basin region. Placement of hospitals and clinics fall under the authority of this department. o Location: Advanced Medical Research Facility (St. Matthew, AK)