A Masterful City

DELGADO AINLEY--Inserted in a southwest nook is a town that is the 2017 Best Village Award winner, according to travel publisher Simlish Travel Guide. Delgado Ainley, one of Midlandia's smaller towns, has been ranked as the most charming community in the region. At a population just over 2,600, Delgado Ainley boasts a quietly wealthy base who keep to themselves and enjoy the fresh air and trees that shade the rustic houses of the town.

"It helps that the community is new, and has a very forward-thinking tax policy that keeps out unwanted elements from our home," local resident Gerald Whomson told the Gazette. "We have industry, but they behave themselves. We also keep only the best businesses."

Simlish Travel Guide editor Johanna Bartolomo agrees with that sentiment. "I spent four absolutely delightful days in the Delgado Ainley Bed & Breakfast, and I could have spent another whole month," Bartolomo said. "This is a town of distinction, with quality people and lush surroundings."

Careful planning kept the natural qualities of Delgado Ainley alive

"The best part about Delgado Ainley is the fact that the city was planned expressly to maintain the natural features of the area. No crazy overdevelopment, deforestation, or concrete jungles here. This is a modern city that kept its pastoral soul intact," Bartolomo said.

Still, DA does have one problem that, sadly, is not uncommon in Midlandia: an underperforming rail system.

"Rail all over the region is truly disappointing, and that's especially sad in Delgado Ainley, which built a passenger rail station meant to capitalize on tourists visiting by rail," Rail Thrills magazine publisher Pauley Ronson told the Gazette. "Everywhere you look in Midlandia, if you see train tracks, you're almost guaranteed never to see a train. If you look at the statistics, the region is virtually barren in its rail use, despite many kilometers of track in every city."

Although cities like Seniom Sed and Red Dawn have commercial and industrial uses for their rail systems, almost nobody in Midlandia uses passenger rail, preferring to fly at one of the many airports in the region.

"Part of the problem is the lack of a coordinated central planning agency for rail usage in the region," Ronson said. "What we need is for the cities to get together and appoint a board who will take responsibility for promoting railroads. Until then, all the Midlandia cities will work against each other, or at least in a haphazard way."

Fortunately for the residents of Delgado Ainley, though, railroads were not part of the judgment criteria for their new award.

"I don't give a hoot or a holler about trains," Bartolomo said. "Just keep feeding me these fresh clams, and more of these unique local wines, and I'll be just fine."

Delgado Ainley

Biggest Library in Region Opens

INDUSTRY HAVEN--Scholars, historians, and readers rejoiced around Midlandia at word of the new Industry Haven Central Library, the largest and most comprehensive collection of books in the region.

"I've been asking for something like this for years, and always getting the short stick," Khrushchev University Humanities Professor Gabriel Tee said. "The best part is, it gives me an excuse to visit the capital more often, too."

The new library, home to over 330,000 books, serves as the hub of the Industry Haven Library System, and is the focal point for library services in the region.

"Inter-library loan? We got it. Reference? Only the best in the region," IHLS Head Librarian Whitaker Lonscence said. "Midlandia Sims will no longer go hungry for the latest and most popular novels and entertainment. It's our goal to make sure that every young Sim in Midlandia can read to their hearts' content."

Industry Haven Central Library

IH's library system consists of four library branches, plus the large Central Library north of downtown, providing supplemental educational benefits to an already well-educated populace. But in addition to books, magazines, and Internet access, the new Central Library also contains a wide selection of DVDs and Blu-Ray video content, video games for various systems, and other software. Even cake pans and art works from Midlandia artists are available to be checked out at this massive new library.

Mayor Vladimir Putin has stated more than once his investment in education, noting that educated Sims drive most of the growth in the region.

"We must make sure that no IH resident is left behind in the war for educational success," Putin said. "All citizens must be prepared to serve the glorious Motherland using their hearts, their hands, and especially their minds."

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Region's First Avionics Plant Opens

FRESH START--Midlandia's first factory devoted to aircraft parts manufacturing, Rispex Avionics, Inc. opened its doors this week in the region's newest town.

"We can't tell you how thrilled we are to be the home base for Midlandia's burgeoning aircraft industry," Mayor Nechisti Sabak said Wednesday. "Fresh Start residents are educated, eager, and ready to show the region just what we're capable of doing," Sabak said.

Easy access to rail lines was cited as a primary reason for the selection of Fresh Start for the factory, as well as an ultra modern bent towards high technology not found in many other cities, said Rispex Avionics CEO Moab Bu.

"The beach and water access is nice, too," Bu said. "Kidding aside, though, Fresh Start makes a perfect platform for our business, and we have the ability to send our products through the region quickly."

Rispex Avionics manufactures aircraft electronics at reasonable prices

Editorial: Capital Waterway Going to Waste

By Air Safari, Special to the Midlandia Gazette

Our capital city, Industry Haven, has many and varied amenities, services, entertainment options, a casino, military base, and thousands upon thousands of jobs. And yet, the city I call home is stagnating. That's right, Industry Haven is stuck in a rut, and it's all due to the fact that city leaders are too conservative. One prime example of this stagnation is Industry Haven's failure to capitalize on a great resource: The Ottawa Basin.

I know Mayor Vladimir Putin doesn't like criticism of the government, but something needs to be said. I love Industry Haven as much as any of its 250,000 citizens. But having lived here for so long, I also know that more needs to be done. I travel around Midlandia and other regions often for my career, and so, unlike many Midlandia Sims, I feel like I have a perspective that is unique. And what I've been seeing is cities taking advantage of waterways-building marinas, seaports, cruise lines, beaches and more. These cities, including two of Industry Haven's neighbors, Eldorado Hills and Constance Hill, have learned that in order to grow, a city must make full use of its water resources.

Industry Haven, on the other hand, has done absolutely nothing with its water resources.

Now, I will grant you, IH does not have the same amount of water access as other Midlandia cities. In several ways, it is landlocked, bordered by suburbs that have nearly full control of the seas of Midlandia. But that is a bit of an excuse--other Midlandia cities have zero access to waterways, including Eyes of Gohma, to name one example. Industry Haven, though, does have the Ottawa Basin, a clean, pristine, self-contained area of water that, administratively, belongs solely to IH.

The Ottawa Basin and SimNation Tower

It's an open secret that the government of IH is frustrated at the lack of growth in the city, as it does its best to stay competitive against its rapidly-growing competitors in the Triforce Area and other parts of Midlandia.

I know Mayor Putin will go to many lengths to win in that contest--riding bears shirtless in the woods, flying with cranes in the skies above Midlandia, rigging elections in far-off regions. Nevertheless, the city council and Putin refuse to touch the Ottawa Basin. Why? This citizen wants to know.

Yes, we've all read the excuses. 'The land area will not support construction of a marina,' they say. 'A seaport will not fit in any location in the basin.' 'There's too much chance of damage to downtown Industry Haven if we terraform.' But this isn't fitting with the can-do spirit of the Industry Haven of old!

What happened to that city, the one that said, damn the rules, we're going to make a success out of this place no matter the odds! It's grown too meek, too conservative over the years. It's now a city where it takes months or even years of debate to even upgrade a road to an avenue, to build a couple of subway stations.

In other words, it's a city that lost its boldness, its drive.

We must get it back, if Industry Haven is to remain the leader in Midlandia.

Mayor Putin, I implore you, be strong! Crush your competitors under the bootheels of Industry Haven's might. Use every resource, every opportunity. For us, for Industry Haven.

Views expressed by contributors do not represent the opinions of the editors and staff of the Midlandia Gazette

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Industry Haven Makes Traffic Improvements and Subway Stops

To alleviate the ongoing traffic congestion issues in southwest Industry Haven, the IH City Transit Authority has added two new subway stops, and completed construction on Entertainment Road, now called Entertainment Avenue.

The new subway stops, Teapot Dome Station, and Casino Station, should help reduce overcrowding at the Ft. Des Moines Stop and the Dogville Stop. Casino Station replaces the Wilsonoff Tennis Stop, which was demolished to accommodate the upgrade to Entertainment Avenue.

"We appreciate the patience of the public while we made this tremendous upgrade to one of our main thoroughfares," IHCTA spokeswoman Miranda Aphex said in a press release on the upgrades. "The benefits to reducing congestion will benefit everyone in Industry Haven and Constance Hill," Aphex said.