Three Rivers Region

[dedgren]

Well, let's extend some recognition here.  As probably most of the followers of this MD know by this time judging by the number of really great comments, we passed the milestone of 10,000 page views on 3RR at SC4D just after our one year anniversary (from its start as 3RR-ST) this past Monday, the 12th.  That 10,000^th view [linkie] was had by 3RR Regular^* Phil (pvarcoe - Terraforming Teton) at just after 7:30 in the morning on Tuesday, the 13^th.  Only the day before, our great friend Al (Gaston) made the 700^th comment on 3RR [linkie].  Let's start with Al first.

* * *

Al is already, by virtue of having spotted a mistake I made in a mini-tutorial over at 3RR-ST last fall, a 3RR Fact Checker.  To celebrate his contribution at that time [linkie], we noted the amazing coincidence that there just so happened to be a mountain named for him in the southwest corner of 3RR:  Mount Gaston.  We drive by the signs every so often



and it also appears in the 3RRGS Atlas (of which more someday).



This time around, we took the time to pull off the road and read the historical marker, which you first saw here yesterday.



And here's the entry from the 3RR Gazetteer:

• Mount Gaston (Mountain - SE Quad Holly Twp - lat. 48° 31' 06" N / lon. 95° 27' 46" W - elev. 2,221 ft/677 m amsl.)  Mount Gaston is a large, but relatively low mountain in the Southern Range.  Because of its size and location almost immediately adjacent to the eastern front of the range, which runs north-south there, it is a prominent landmark and dominates the landscape in the upper Leaf River area.  An unimproved private road (gated) leads to the summit, on which several communications towers and a fire tower (abandoned) are located.  The mountain received its name from one A. Gaston, an early settler and farmer in the Twin Glacier Valley.  Reportedly, Gaston raised crops for a few hard years then told friends he was leaving the region and going back to Iowa because it was "too d-mn cold."  This is commemorated on 3RR Historical Marker No. 197, located at milepost ___ along R-___.

So, Al- our continued thanks for your great participation here.  See you around 3RR!

* * *

On to Phil.  Whoa, dude.  I can see you there, hunched over your computer, frantically refreshing the screen...

...9,996... ...9,997, yeah! ...darn, 9,997 again ...ALL RIGHT! 9,998! ...9,998 ...9,998 ...9,998, c'mon... ...9,999, go, BABY! ...9,999...

...

...

...BINGO!

Now that, my friend, is what they call...

...wait for it...

...DEVOTION.  You are the man, Phil.  We could not have made it without you.

...jeez, I wonder who poor ol' 9,999 was?

So, okay...already.  I think I hear the too much fun alarm going off.



My friend, there's a small city in the far north of 3RR you might find interesting.



Here's where it is on the map.



And here's its Gazetteer entry.

• Pvarcoe (City - NE Quad Granite Twp - lat. 49° 06' 32" N / lon. 95° 15' 34" W - elev. 883 ft/269 m amsl.)  Pvarcoe is a charter city located just south of 3RR's border with Canada.  It lies in a low saddle between the foothills of the western part of the Northern Range and the Lexington Hills.  It derives its name from an original station established on the Duluth, Winnipeg & Western ("DW&W") railroad line when it was constructed through the area in 1871; the origin of the name Pvarcoe itself is unknown.  Population (2007 est.): 10,000.  Local Government:  Mayor, 5 member City Council.  Police and Fire:  Regional Trooper Post #4, Rural Fire Service Station #17.  Medical Services:  Small not-for-profit hospital and associated clinic, privately run open to public emergency care facility.  Postal Service:  Rural Postal Station #6.  Air Service:  General aviation, runway length 3,800 ft/1,160 m paved.  Rail Service:  Passenger, freight.  History and General Information:  The farthest north reaches of Three Rivers Region were not known to be permanently inhabited until the 1860s, when a few hardy settlers homesteaded the area after building a rude corduroy road from the eastern end of Upper Taylor Lake.  The area and the low pass through the Northern Range just over the border into Canada were determined by an 1870 surveying party to be the best route north of Pineshore for the DW&W RR line to Winnipeg, and rails reached the place that has become the city from Pineshore in September, 1871.  When construction halted there for the season, a station and construction camp called Pvarcoe Station was established.  By 1890, the area's population had grown to the requisite 500 inhabitants needed to apply for a city charter, and one was granted on August 1, 1891.  Due to its relative isolation, in that roads (the corduroy road was quickly abandoned after the railroad was built) did not reach the area until 1919, Pvarcoe developed more or less on its own, and today benefits from the wealth of historic buildings in its downtown dating from the turn of the 20th century.  The city also developed as a service and supply area for local mines located in the Lexington Hills and mountains to the west.  A small deposit of upsidaisium was discovered on the northern slopes of Mount Zelo, just west of Pvarcoe, in 1928, creating a short-lived boom during which the city's population swelled to twice its current size of 10,000.  A 3RR customs office was established in Pvarcoe in 1938.  During the latter half of the 20th century, the city's population and its fortunes remained relatively stable.  It is one of the most attractive small cities in the region, and has begun to attract a growing number of bed and breakfast operations and business supporting the steady stream of backpackers and other outdoor enthusiasts who have "discovered" Pvarcoe.  A large ski area and lodge development is proposed on the eastern slopes of Mount Zelo, but the controversy over whether this represents acceptable development has held up permitting for almost 10 years and, to some degree, polarized the community into ski area supporters and "aginners."  Many now doubt the area will ever be built, and especially given the region's current freeze on new economic development revenue sharing.  The "Deux Tetons Climate Change Research Facility" was sited and built just southwest of the city at the base of the mountains of the same name as a joint US/Canada/3RR project, commencing operations in 1997.  The facility has become both a major employer and contributor to the city's economy.  A community campus of 3RR University is also located in Pvarcoe, with 950 students in full-time attendance.

So, Phil.  That's Pvarcoe.  Sounds like a nice place, eh?

Later.


David

* * *

p.s.  Please don't forget, if you haven't already done so, to go here [linkie] and sign up to develop a 3RR quad.  That's something else we won't be able to do without YOU!  Thanks in advance.  DE

[Rayden]

... Reportedly, Gaston raised crops for a few hard years then told friends he was leaving the region and going back to Iowa because it was "too d-mn cold."

There's some people who don't know how to appreciate what they have

[Cali]

when its cold, its cold

[Heinz]

really excited for every update you have, david. will try to wait til u get back for pvarcoes'
hoping to hear more from you soon. as we say here, ingat! (take care)

[thundercrack83]

I remember the initial unveiling of Mt. Gaston! Congratulations again, my friend! And David, I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I love the 3RR Gazetteer idea. I'll be looking forward to the next update!

[Gaston]

Thank you David for showing Mount Gaston again.      You really don't know what that little mountain means to me.    Cold or not I think I'll move back up there and redo the fire tower.   I think it would be a great place to live.


---Gaston
very late here off to bed very soon.

[Heinz]

the places you create are so innovative!  i'm not sure if i'm at par with the great mayors out there but
in case you're short on candidates, i'm up for

11.  Town 1-10k
13.  Place/Village
10.  Small city 10-25k or 12.  Island town  1-10k

one question though. how do you define #13 Place/Village?

[pvarcoe]

Woohoo, 10000 people.
Thats got to be one of the larger spots in 3RR.
Thanks David, that was a very cleverly written portion of backstory.
I of course loved the climate change research facility.
Based on where you place 3RR between US and Canada (as best I can tell),
I probably live less than a couple of hundred miles from pvarcoe, so very cool!

All in all, pvarcoe sounds like a very nice place.
Thanks again 

btw, refresh didn't seem to work for me to up the page views,
I had to go to a different thread and then return,
now thats dedication (or desperation) 

[Giligone]

Hahaha, thats a funny backstory. The upsidasium made me laugh. What exactly is it used for? lol I didn't realize 3RR was so close to Canada. Wooo!! Go Canada!     Great work once again. Looking forward to more from the world of 3RR. 

[dedgren]

LOL, Giligone...

The upsidasium made me laugh. What exactly is it used for?

All rights reserved in the original copyright holder.  Used under the Fair Use Doctrine on this not-for-profit website.

Here's a link that will help you find out [linkie].  Another Canadian connection, btw.

Later.


David

* * *


p.s.  Please don't forget, if you haven't already done so, to go here [linkie] and sign up to develop a 3RR quad.  That's something else we won't be able to do without YOU!  Thanks in advance.  DE

[Zaphod]

Sorry I havent followed this like I shouldve

Anyways, I have always been wondering how the heck you were actually going to develop this map. Now I know.

This is so cool! I have taken part in simcity multiplayer before but this seems to be a whole lot more interesting than the other projects. For one, it looks more fun because there is a very clear goal in what sort of region is to be built. Not just a random assortment of cities with a grossly limited plugins setup, but a thought out team project that also lets a person get his or her name and work up on the wall so to speak.

count me in


I'd like:

11: Small city

or

10: town


If possible, I'd appreciate a tile with a rail connection. Some sort of minor water feature would be nice, too, either for a minor recreation facility(swimming area and a dock, no fancy resorts), or for a major industry or power plant.

Finally, if all those choices are taken, im not picky, but I do not want a big city, or a nature preserve


PS: You ever been to bartlesville, OK, or Midland, TX or Billings, MT?

Thats sort of what I have in mind here. Simgoober has some cool midrises..and I like RNP's petrochemical sets

[thundercrack83]

So there's another addition to the 3RR map, eh? Congratulations, pvarcoe, on the new settlement in 3RR named...Pvarcoe! And 10,000 people, too? One for each view! Congratulations again, my friend!

[Cali]

congrats indeed

[BigSlark]

I've been busy the past few days, so I'd like to congratulate you on 10,000 views and say that I enjoy your inclusion of "everything" that exists in 3RR.

As for the project, I'd like to apply for number 10, 11, 9, 14, 1, and 4 (in that order).

In the event the new RHW comes out before this begins, could it be integrated as well? RHW-2 is amazing in rural areas, check out the RHW Pictures thread that exists "elsewhere" to see what I'm talking about.

[dedgren]

A table...

Index	Development Characteristics	Available	Candidates	(Pref)
1	Large city CBD and core	2
2	Large city primarily industrial	2
3	Large city primarily commercial/ warehousing	2
4	Large city primarily hi-to medium density residential	1
5	Large city primarily medium to low density residential	2
6	Port	2
7	International airport	1
8	Upscale suburbia	2	Tarkus (3)
9	Middle-class suburbia	3	Travis (1)	Tarkus (1)	Unkles27 (3)	BigSlark (3)
10	Small city 10-25k	4	Unkles27 (1)	BigSlark (1)	Tarkus (2)	Zaphod (2)	zniehadajet (3)
11	Town 1-10k	6	M4346 (1)	zniehadajet (1)	Zaphod (1)	Gaston (2)	Unkles27 (2)	BigSlark (2)	threestooges (3)	meldolion (3)
12	Resort/Island town 1-10k	2	Gaston (1)	threestooges (1)
13	Place/Village <1k	8	meldolion (2)	M4346(2)	zniehadajet (2)
14	Rural agricultural	10	meldolion (1)	threestooges (2)	Travis (2)
15	Rural regional park	4	Rayden (1)	Gaston (3)
16	Rural nature preserve	2	M4346 (3)

More in a bit.

David

* * *

p.s.  Please don't forget, if you haven't already done so, to go here [linkie] and sign up to develop a 3RR quad.  That's something else we won't be able to do without YOU!  Thanks in advance.  DE               

[threestooges]

Good to know who's going to get what, but just out of curiosity, what are the numbers next to the names? Priority of development? Our preference? Inquiring minds etc. Also, out of curiosity, what would you define a resort to be? Take it easy and enjoy the weekend.

[Yoman]

         Hello David,

I'm still loving that history of yours that you write. Give such feeling to those small little towns. I'd personally love to build the international airport for you and I'm armed with a number of custom airport lots and am also a member of the Airport Consortism, the team that produces the 747s, terminal pieces, CRJ-700s, etc. The only downside is my plugins folder is the most disorganized mess you'll ever see. I'd proabably leave the tree planting etc to you. Before someone starts on the airport I suggest waiting until our latest line up of 747s, CRJ-700s and terminals becomes availbile to use. It would greatly enhance the quality of your airport. I would develope a plan for the layout of the airport, run it by some aviation enthusiasts to make sure it is realistic, then get to work. One of the key areas I could improve the realism of your airport in would be the plane livery's, I have a number of Flight Sim models converted to be used in Simcity (awaiting textures) so that the plane selection would look very realisitic.

Well thats just my imput, I couldn't really do any towns, forrests, etc. because my disorganized plugins are built to recreate the turkish feel, halfway around the world.

                                                                                                                                  Thanks,

Oh and by the way, if you ever want to create an army to tear up those peaceful farms of yours I'm the man to ask
                                                                                                                                       Owen

[Tarkus]

Hi David-

Had to laugh at the "upsidasium" reference . . . I actually didn't know it was out of Rocky & Bullwinkle, but as someone who almost became a chemistry major (and memorized the Periodic Table ), I always am oddly amused by stuff ending in "-ium" like that . . .  It actually kind of sounds like the "systematic names" that IUPAC [linkie] came up with back in the 1980s because all the nuclear physicists were fighting . . . element 111 was "unununium" for a number of years.

Interesting looking at the chart you put up too, and what everyone prefers.

And congrats to Gaston and Pvarcoe for "getting on the map".  That's kind of an interesting name for a town--Pvarcoe . . . would that be pronounced "pa-var-kō" or would the "p" be silent?  Inquiring minds want to know . . . 

-Alex

[Heinz]

glad to be on the chart.  but pal, if ever there are any(im sure there are a lot) of "better" mayors for the job, i'd gladly give my slot to them. if there arent any that sign up(that would be rather impossible) i'd gladly do it. i'm just really thrilled to be part of this collaboration in any way or form.
seems to me, you havent been able to really track down and acknowledge every reply. i'm thinking you're developing 3rr or maybe some RL stuff? hope things are ok there in Alaska. take it easy and see you around. 

[emilin]

This is really turning into a major event. I think you will have to spend quite some time managing the work though - I don't know if this is an international expression or not, but "leading these people is like herding cats" is a metaphore that comes to mind. 

Anyways, 3RR is definatly the SC4 project of the year.

Still hoping to see that development plan, by the way.