Midlandia's First City Celebrates Landmark

LAZY ISLES II--The city nicknamed "Pioneer City" may have lagged behind for several years in competition with more recent Midlandia cities, but recent subtle changes in the first city to join the Midlandia Region prove that its days of stagnation are firmly in the past.

Working in collaboration with neighbor Mayor Tutorial, which provides most of Lazy Isles tourist Simoleons, the two cities created Midlandia's third luxury cruise line, Endeavour Cruises. Mayor Boyd was thrilled to discuss the newest cruise ship in the area, the SS Tempest.

"Midlandians from all over will flock to our cruise line, featuring the biggest and most luxurious ship around. And they'll bring all their money to improve things for the average Lazy Islander," Boyd said.

Lazy Isles II celebrates its latest milestone

Lazy Islanders would perhaps be nonplussed by the more ostentatious displays of the city's growth, were it not combined with steady progress in terms of education and policing, issues that were high on the list of needs in recent polls.

"I could care less about the hoity-toity luxury barges," Porsche Jones said when asked about the changes. "I want the graffiti cleaned off my apartment building. I want the sidewalks cleaned and the street lights working. But I must admit, we're doing much better. It's keeping me here, I was considering moving," Jones said.

One major limiter to Lazy Isles growth is the lack of real estate. Mayor Boyd's strategy has been to reduce, rather than add to, city development, seemingly a bad idea, but he explained his plan to the Gazette recently.

"It's not so much about covering every square meter with development--that leads to a crowded, dirty, congested feel to most residents. So by trimming back strategically on the development, and replacing some of that with open space and trees, Lazy Islanders feel more like this is a quiet, comfortable homefront," Boyd said.

Jones seemed to agree with the new strategy. "I stepped out of my 2-story brick house this morning, and I saw the sun rising over the new maples down Zelda III Avenue. It's the first time in a long time that I felt like I really lived on an island, and appreciated what I have," Jones said. "Really, it's pretty great to be here."

South Isles City Enjoys Quiet Growth

ROADSTER CITY--A center of commerce and insurance, Roadster City may not have the exciting bustle of the Triforce Area cities, but every day it's becoming more and more a competitor worth noting. A city of 70,000, Roadster City has always been called respectable by Midlandia city watchers, but it isn't until recently that the city has really started to stand out and make a name for itself.

"Roadster City does what it does very well, they pay their bills on time and they keep their citizens happy, well-educated, and content. But there hasn't been too much to talk about beyond that," Midlandia Regional Growth Coordinator Chevrolet Drojinsky said.

"What many cities do to attract attention has never really been Roadster City's style," Drojinsky continued. "Flash and bang doesn't seem to be part of the city council's DNA. But businesses appreciate that stability, and they've been rewarding RC by showing up in ever greater numbers."

Roadster City's Business Downtown

"We like to see ourselves as the fiscal heart of Midlandia," Roadster City mayor Defacto said. "Financial hubs by definition like to remain a little conservative in their approach."

Still, signs of Roadster City's rising profile are starting to make themselves apparent, especially with the new Roadster Isle Convention Center opening, the first South Isles convention space. Seaedge Television Center has started a new series profiling leaders in the community to encourage even more growth as well.

"Our new series, 'Outside the Box', is hopefully going to help Midlandians around the South Isles find role models and positive concepts that they can emulate," Seaedge TV producer Jake Farage said. "In the Triforce Area, there are TV and movie stars all around, and we don't need to compete with that directly. But we would like to offer a counterpoint to that tin-plated western style," Farage said. "A little competition can't hurt anybody," he noted.

Some local residents, however, are concerned that Roadster City has not invested enough in entertainment.

"OK, we got a convention center, and that's great," Minerva Hills resident Angela Michon said. "But how many boring business conferences and car shows can one attend before one gets burned out? What we need is some more things to do, and soon," Michon said. "And, yeah, it's great that we live on a beautiful island, possibly the most beautiful in Midlandia. But how do we take advantage of that? There needs to be more investment in our natural assets," Michon said.

Mayor Defacto did not disagree with that sentiment when asked about the lack of entertainment options in town. "I appreciate the patience that our residents have shown. Building a successful city for the long term means having to put aside instant gratification for making a stable base for these kinds of things. I'm confident that we have that base, and that our residents will be pleased to see what grows from our roots," Defacto said. "If they just give us a little more time and a little more faith, everyone will be satisfied. I just hope they will."

Roadster City