Bay City Post, March 2016

WELCOME to the fifty-fourth issue of the Bay City Post! - Keeping you updated on the best city on the grid!

It's March, and those blustery winds are bringing some changes to our fair city. Ivan Suen, long time landlord over at Northstar Properties, has decided to sell his properties at drastically-discounted rates to his tenants, and to donate all of the proceeds to Child's Play, Bay City's charity of choice. In addition, he has transferred the Bay City Heliport to a group of people who love both Bay City and SL aviation (see story below). While Bay City (and myself in particular!) will miss Ivan's creativity, sharp sense of humor, and dedication to Ever-like mayhem, he has promised to stop by and visit the builds he is leaving behind, namely the Bay City Brewery and Club Sandwich.

March is also bringing a change to the Bay City Post, as I will be taking over editing responsibilities from our esteemed (not the) Mayori and Interim Editor, Marianne McCann. Sitting at the editor's desk in the Post offices tonight, I can see the fires burning at the driving school across the Plaza, and can see Ever Dreamscape's smiling face on the billboard above it. I hope to show that Ever's spirit of playful creativity and organized mayhem is alive and well in our fair city, and shining through these pages every month. 

And so...on with the March issue of the Bay City Post!

Kinnaird (Kinn) Fiachra,  Editor

IN THIS ISSUE

• “Molewatch” with Ace Reporter: Marianne McCann

• “Cheeky Geek” with Qie Niangao

• “Bay City Cruisin'” with "Deadline" Dakota Schwade

• “The Interview” Join Uccie Poultry-Seale as she interviews ADudeNamedAnthony

• “In Other News” with ADudeNamed Anthony

• “The Race Report” with ADudeNamed Anthony

• Black, White, and Red (all over) with ThomasHooker

All that, and maybe some more!      

The Toxic Taco's attempt to make their own "extra thick shamrock shake" leads to disaster!

More Breaking News -  New Owner for the Bay City Heliport!

Congratulations to Bay City's own TJ Hooker, proud new owner of the Bay City Heliport.  He and I are in the process of transitioning the land group, but I am happy to report that Bay City will continue to have multiple places to fly.  -Ivan Suen

In photo above, TJ Hooker, Silvia Hooker, and Brian Hackett discuss plans for the Heliport

Prior to the passing of Ever Dreamscape, as her health was deteriorating, she met with me over at the Bay City Post. The upshot of that meeting? I would be the new editor of the paper in her absence. At the time, it was assumed it would be a temporary assignment, but the fates had another idea.

I expressed concerns with her, knowing that my own schedule is always perpetually overloaded. This was just one more plate for me to spin, and I was already more than over loaded. Plus, knowing I already head the Bay City Alliance, it seemed to me that it would be better with a another voice in the mix.

So I have always looked at myself as an "interim" editor, hoping to find a new voice to take on the role. I am proud to say that we have indeed found such a person, as Kinn takes on the duties of editor of the Bay City Post. I am sure she will do a fabulous job, given her own writing on the Mainland Matters blog and elsewhere.

I'll still be around, of course, providing Molewatch and other needs around the paper.

I'm proud of what I did manage to get out under my watch, including a fairly involved cleanup of the Post website, but I think everyone will benefit by an editor who can truly build the paper in a more timely fashion.

So welcome, Kinn!

(...and be sure to fix the editor's chair. Those casters are terrible!)

Sunny Salutations   \o/

Marianne McCann, Interim Editor

Bay City Post, February 2016

WELCOME to the fifty-third issue of the Bay City Post! - Keeping you updated on the best city on the grid.

Love is in the air!

Bay City Post time again, y'all! Welcome to the best bid-cage lining your Linden Dollars didn't buy! It's February, and Winter is soon to give way to spring. I look forward to warmer days ahead. 

We've got an action-packed issue this time out, with ThomasHooker taking over Kinnard's police blotter, and some great outings from all the usual suspects around town!

Enough from me for now, let's delve into da Post!

Sunny Salutations   \o/

Marianne McCann, Interim Editor

IN THIS ISSUE

• “Molewatch” with Ace Reporter: Marianne McCann

• “Cheeky Geek” with Qie Niangao

• “Bay City Cruisin'” with "Deadline" Dakota Schwade

• “The Interview” Join Uccie Poultry-Seale as she interviews Kinnaird

• “In Other News” with ADudeNamed Anthony

• “The Race Report” with ADudeNamed Anthony

• Black, White, and Red (all over) with ThomasHooker

All that, and maybe some more!      

Telephone Bomber orders some hot tacos!

Being a good neighbor

One of the unique challenges in a community like Bay City is that there is no covenant. There is nothing prohibiting your next-door neighbor from deciding they need to build a 20 story charnel house, nor a floating space port full of breedable ewoks. 

It is not a common occurrence for things this outside the Bay City theme to wander in, but there have been plenty of other odd structures in Bay City, even from the city's earliest days. It can prove frustrating -- especially for those who have taken the time and care to make something within theme -- to find they're now next-door to stonehenge.

The bad news: there's no easy solution.

Bay City is mainland, and does not have a covenant. We do have a set theme ("the American urban experience, between 1940 and 1965, perhaps best typified by Chicago circa 1950 and marked by a distinct deco influence"), but it is a guideline, not a hard rule. If you own a parcel, you get final say of what is there, barring violation of the Terms of Service, maturity guidelines, or the Community Standards. 

The Bay City Alliance does offer one tool for new Residents of our city, and I hope that people do consider the use of it: our welcome basket is full of tips and suggestions, including building tips surrounding the city's theme. You are certainly welcome to pass it along to anyone in the city. Maybe when you do, you'll find a kinship, and you can both work on something that will make Bay City better... together.

The thing is, keeping one's structure within the them is better for all. It allows you to keep the value of your property up, and makes everyone look good. Putting up something heavily out of theme, conversely, drags it down for everyone surrounding you. It's simply a case of being a good neighbor.

Bay City Post, January 2016

WELCOME to the fifty-second issue of the Bay City Post! - Keeping you updated on the best city on the grid.

Happy New Emu Year, postites!

I love new years. It’s like a clean slate, a whole new year to get a jump on things. Some do resolutions, too, but I tend to want to clear some of the “to do” list instead.

To start out the year, it’s a big action packed ish of The Post for you this time, featuring the debut of a new column by ADudeNamed Anthony called “In Other News,” an update on the tree lighting and prim drop, and all the fish wrap your Linden Dollars can buy!

Here’s to a stellar 2016!

Sunny Salutations   \o/

Marianne McCann, Interim Editor

IN THIS ISSUE

• “Molewatch” with Ace Reporter: Marianne McCann

• “Cheeky Geek” with Qie Niangao

• “Bay City Cruisin'” with "Deadline" Dakota Schwade

• “The Interview” Join Uccie Poultry-Seale as she interviews Ullock

• “In Other News” with ADudeNamed Anthony

• “The Race Report” with ADudeNamed Anthony

All that, and some other stuff, too!      

NYE Party popper delivery contains fowl surprise!

Yes! Emus! No, I ordered...

What? Yes... I’ll hold

(See more at https://mainlandwanderer.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/delivering-supplies-to-the-fairgrounds/ )

PRIM DROP WELCOMES NEW YEAR

The Prim Drop went without a hitch. We had a capacity crowd for much of the event, and revelers there for about an hour both before and after the event.  A lot of folks had fun, and many new faces showed an interest in our city.

HOLIDAY EVENTS RAISE BUX FOR CHILD’S PLAY CHARITY!

Between the tree lighting, the prim drop, and fund raising efforts in the fairgrounds and at the activity center, we raised a total of L$126,349, with L$101,824 coming in from the silent auction alone!

The tree, created by Kriss Lehmann of Botanical with the event in mind, was brought in via helicopter in the days leading up to the event.

The show itself featured local DJ GoSpeed Racer of KONA stream, followed by performers Christov Kohnke, and Grace McDunnough. All three are long-time favorites of Bay City, and kept the party going througout the lifghting and the auction. 

Items in the auction were donated by ADudeNamed Anthony, Pygar Bu, Owl Dragonash, Cory Edo, Awesome Fallen, Pamela Galli, Persey Garcia, Cica Ghost, Moriko Inshan, Pinco Janus, Kinnaird, Ayame Kintsugi, Livio Korobase, Flutter Memel, Merlin527, MsLaBelle Mistwallow, Haveit Neox, Bryn Oh, Hendrix Portal, Ziki Questi, Strawberry Singh, Sanura Snowpaw, Robin Sojourner, Hyacinth Tiramisu, Eupalinos Ugajin, Siris Vulpeca, Benjamin Wahl, Trinity Yazimoto, and Zen Zarco.

We offer a special thank you to all of the above, as well as Kinnaird and Ziki Questi for their help with the silent auction, and Linden Lab and the Linden Department of Public Works, especially Michael Linden, for their support and assistance.

SPEAKING OF CHILD’S PLAY

Our “first life” Ambassador, Rachel Seelowe, went to Child’s Play Charity’s annual  dinner and fundraiser, and took a bunch of photos. https://www.flickr.com/photos/rachel_seelowe/ While there, she got a chance to briefly meet with Child’s Play staff, and shared with them what we’re doing in Second Life.

The upshot? They have now visited us, and will be setting up a dedicated account to handle donations in Second Life. Hooray for Child’s Play Charity!

ONE HOT BIRTHDAY PARTY

Revelers secretly met at Toxic Taco to celebrate the birthday of Bay City’s finest mexican eatery's owner, Sylvia Tamalyn

You might say the party was a blow out!

SNOWBALL BATTLE

Bay City emerged victorious in the annual Linden vs. Resident Snowball Battle when, in the last moments of the fight, a number of Bay Citizens overtook the Lindens holding the red fort. As a final act, Bay City Resident Marianne McCann (Hey, that’s me!) ended up atop a Linden on the highest ice tower. 

Thanks to the lab for the fun and hijinks!

Change

One thing strikes me as universal in Second Life, and that is the inevitability of change. There is very little here that will always exist in its current form. It is just as much a part of first life as well, but it's more obvious here in Second Life, where six days pass to first life's one. 

It's most obvious, of course, when a beloved region goes offline. Those of us who've been around for a while can regale you with tales of Nakama, or Spitoonie Island, or The Far Away, for just three examples. Mainland, of course, is in a near-constant state of flux.

We lose residents constantly, whether due to first life death or simply because they find something else to pass their time. 

New names -- some alts, and some fresh faces -- come in and create their own place here. New friendships are made. Change comes once again. 

The dramas... they're temporary. We don't worry much about what happend to GOM, or the tax revolt, or all of that. They remain a part of our fabric and history, but there are other things we concern ourselves with. 

When I first arrived on these digital shores, in an Orientation that has changed several times, and stumbled my way to the bottom of every river, this was a place where the sun and moon themselves would change for the holidays. It was also a place where 9,000 people logged in at once would take down the very grid

The technology of this world also continually changes and evolves. When I first came here -- nearly ten years ago now -- we had a different sky, It was pretty, but had a tendency to look a little brown and smoggy at sunset. There was no mesh, no materials - heck, no sculpts. Not even a flexiprim to be found except somewhere on the beta grid, I suppose. 

I'm a big fan of the history of this world. In it, there is some sense of permanence. That The Statue of Man existed in the alpha, or Steller Sunshine's mansion are simple facts that cannot go away.

Yet that mansion is now the Governor's Mansion, and the Statue of Man now oversees a very different world. For every "Beanstalk" there is a Atlas Casino. Change is, even within our history, inevitable.

So let us take a second to celebrate this place and this time we have together. Enjoy it now, and take joy in this moment.

Bay City Post, December 2015

WELCOME to the Fifty-First issue of the Bay City Post! - Keeping you updated on the best city on the grid.

TIS THE SEASON

It's that merry and bright time of year, when Bay City holds its annual tree lighting and silent auction, as well as the lighted boat parade and skate party, the prim drop, and so much more!

The tree lighting will be on Sunday, the 13th of December from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. SLT, as the Bay City Fairgrounds in the North Channel region. We'll have music from DJ GoSpeed Racer (she'll also DJ at the skate party), Christov Kohnke, and Grace McDunnough.

We'll also be doing fundraising for Child's Play again. As you likely already know, they're a 501c3 non profit organization offers online communities such as ours an opportunity to help seriously ill children around the globe during their hospital stays with the purchase of games and gaming equipment.  We've provided a lot for them over time, even donating US$1,675.00 to them over the last year.

We'll have the silent auction again, of course, Many have already donated goodies for the event, and I hope folks will come out and be a part! Even if you can't make it, there will be donation bins at the fairgrounds for the month -- and some at the bay City Activity Center too: read about that in Dakota's column this month!

However you choose to celebrate, have a great holiday!

Sunny Salutations   \o/

Marianne McCann, Interim Editor

IN THIS ISSUE

• “Molewatch” with Ace Reporter: Marianne McCann

• “Cheeky Geek” with Qie Niangao

• “Bay City Cruisin'” with "Deadline" Dakota Schwade

• “The Interview” Join Uccie Poultry-Seale as she interviews Hendrix Portal

• “The Race Report” with ADudeNamed Anthony

All that, and yet moar!      

Please be careful with fire around your Christmas trees!

Special thanks to Toxic Taco for this important demonstration!