Whitewater Run

Whitewater Run is the largest city in the region of Whitewater. Divided by the Great Whitewater River, the city had a population of 82,193 in January 2013. The city is the largest economic center of the entire region. The city was founded in May 2012 [RL] and was formally incorporated in July 2012 [RL]. The city's economy is primarily based on commerce, telecommunications, transportation and banking. It used to be the largest agriculture city in the entire north, however it has since fallen to the second smallest agriculture city, next to White Settlement. Originally the city had a significant oil industry, however this industry moved to the eastlands of Whitewater.

History
Before Whitewater was claimed in March 2012 as a part of the nation of Durham, it was inhabited by the Northern Tribes. The Northern Tribes are still prevalent in the east lands of Whitewater and some tribal villages remain in the west. Abandoned tribal villages can be found in the south. This is evidenced from the update "A Walk Down The Nature Trail", part 1 and 2, where a coal mine is discovered by a hiker. Police invade the mine and arrest the tribals. Whitewater Run was founded near a tribal village, however the villagers were driven out further east. Such invasive manners of attaining land has caused several stirs. The regional council would decide what to do about tribal abuse in March 2013.

In May 2012, John Riley "JR" Landsdowne founded the city. JR himself has been running in the regional elections for the past few months, however.

Topography
Whitewater Run and its surrounding areas are mostly flat. The areas to the south are slightly hilly while the western areas are relatively ridged. The area to the north and northwest are some of the flattest areas in the entire region. Several small variations in the terrain are also noticeable to the east, including a fairly sharp drop in terrain. To the south there are hilly banks along the Great Whitewater River.

The city itself is founded on an island. To the west is a small portion of the Great Whitewater River, while the portion of the city east of the Great Whitewater River is connected to the island by ferry. The Great Whitewater River is easily navigable and any bridges crossing it are required to be high enough for ferry clearance. Ferries typically travel between White Settlement and Whitewater Run as well as many cities along the way, including Branch Island, Wellsham, Six Lakes, Greely, Greentree, and Wooded Island Point. Whitewater Run, albeit being to the north, is a main port town.

Climate
Whitewater Run has a wet humid continenal climate with long, cold, wet but highly variable and short, mildly warm summers. Approximately 1/3 days in the year the city experiences rain. The city frequently receives thunderstorms, many of which are severe. Tornadoes are relatively common as well, due to the flat land. Being exposed to the North Durham Ocean to the north and the Pembroke Mountains to the east, it experiences both sea and mountain winds. There are no mountains for nearly 4,000 miles south of the city, and no mountains all the way to the Great Sea to the west, it is exposed to weather from three directions. The eastern Pembroke Mountain air flows west and meets with humid and cool ocean air. The city has a elevation, extending from sea level to 220 feet above sea level. The highest elevation in the region itself is about 2,700 feet, for comparison. Warm, dry winds from the mountains to the east can provide breaks from the cold.

Snowfall is frequent in the city and can start as early as July, but can end as early as February. Up to 25 inches of snow may fall in five hours and may not stop for days. This sort of snowfall creates tremendous problems when it melts, snowmelt can raise water levels in the river as high as four feet. Ten feet of snow can fall in a period of 4 days. This sort of snowfall can paralyze the entire region, stopping all trade, transportation, and commerce, knowing out power, and freezing water pipes, effectively shutting down the region for extended periods. For many people, in order to simply get out of their house, they have to escape through the roof, although many newer homes are equipped with large overhangs and porches so that one can exit a building and shovel their way out.

Rainfall can often raise water levels as high as ten feet if it rains for an extended period of time. If there is frequent rain, followed by freezing temperatures, floodwaters can freeze over, creating a very large problem.

Many climatologists say that due to these problems the region at lower elevations is uninhabitable. The regional council will hold a vote sometime early in 2013 regarding flood protection, including seawalls and levees. In addition, RailLink and the Regional Highway may close during winters. Icebreakers are employed during the winter by WaterLink as the only means of transportation between cities during the winter.

Culture
Cuisine Staples of Whitewater Run cuisine include lamb, dairy, and fish. Popular foods include coldwater crab, a species exclusive to Whitewater, as well as cod, haddock, mackerel, herrings, and anchovies are popular seafood choices. Whitewater Run is known for its authentic British-type cuisine also, including fish and chips, scones, and kippers. In addition, snow-cones and ice cream are popular frozen items. The region also farms wheat items during the summer, so various types of bread and other wheat items are common. Mushrooms are also commonly grown. Other forms of food including common fast-food items such as chicken and hamburgers are frequently eaten as well.

Media Whitewater Run has three local newspapers, one of them being "The Run Herald." WBTA 10's main offices are located in Whitewater Run, and the region's largest radio station, 108.7WXTA, and its largest newspaper, The Whitewater Gazette, are headquartered in Whitewater Run.

Arts The arts district in the southern section features several theatres. Notable venues include the Century Theatre, a more modern setup, as well as the Whitewater Center, a older style theatre. The Whitewater Run Concert Hall is located downtown. Also included downtown is the Whitewater Museum of History, as well as the Whitewater Run Zoo.

Religion The city has a large Protestant Christian influence. Whitewater Run is home to the Durham Theological Institute as well as upwards of fifteen different churches scattered throughout the city. In addition the Whitewater Run Church cathedral, as well as an Islam temple are present in the city,

Sports The most major events in the city are sports related. In rugby, the "Pine Bowl" is held in the city and is usually the largest sporting event in the city. High school football events are frequently held in the West Creek Stadium. In baseball, the "Whitewater Series" are held in North Park.

Economy
In the city's beginnings, it relied on farming and oil industries. The key to growth came in later 2012 with the transportation, telecommunications, and banking industries. Despite being a relatively small city in population, it is home to several companies such as RailLink, Whitewater News Partners, FutureEnergy, ReForest, and Rockway Mining are all headquartered downtown. In addition, many corporations such as DurhamAir, Target, and Petco have regional offices in Whitewater Run.

Wealth classes are highly mixed in the city. Many new arrivals in the city are part of the lower class, boosting the lower class population by nearly 25% in recent years. 50% of the population are members of the lower class, 45% are part of the middle class and 5% are part of the upper class.

Government
The city uses a council government, with J.R. Landsdowne serving as council leader. The city is officially incorporated as a city-council. There are 8 council areas, these being commerce, recreation, economy, healthcare, education, transportation, public works, and law enforcement. The city's total budget was $14,550 (in simoleans) with income around $17,700 (in simoleans). Two representatives are elected to the regional council from the city, once every two years. The council leader is elected once every four years.

Healthcare/Education
12 elementary schools and three high schools make up the city's primary education system. It is home to two community colleges and a branch of the Durham University. Included on the Durham University campus is the Whitewater Run Medical District. It is also home to the Eastland Medical Center on the east side of the river.

Transportation
Roadways There is one major roadway leading out of the city, the Regional Highway. There are 6 major arterial throughfares in the city. Many bike paths and sidewalks exist. It is the most "walkable/bikeable" city in the entire region, and one of the most "walkable/bikeable" in the nation of Durham. In addition, the John Riley Landsdowne Bridge connects the west island and east mainland. This bridge is a tollway and has a total of six lanes.

Railways The passenger rail service RailLink connects the east island to the west in addition to the J.R. Landsdowne bridge. The RailLink line has two stops in Whitewater Run.

Tramways Downtown Whitewater has a tramway loop with seven stops. The tramway hasn't extended into the suburbs yet, however. In addition, the Airport Tramway connects Whitewater Run International Airport to East Uptown

Waterways The WaterLink ferry service connects the eastern mainland with West Island. In addition, WaterLink provides water access to several other cities in the region.

Monorail The East Island Monorail connects the Industrial District to the East Uptown neighborhood, and then to North Greentree neighborhood. It currently has 5 stops. An extension into Greentree has been proposed.

Airways The Whitewater Run International Airport to the extreme north of the city provides air access to the city. It is connected to East Uptown via tramway.

Police/Fire Services
The city has 8 police stations in various portions of the city. It also has 14 fire stations, and a fire landing strip. For both departments, the headquarters are located downtown. There is a total of 40 squad cars and 35 fire trucks and one fire plane serving the police and fire services. In addition, there are provincial fire and police stations servicing the entire northern area. This provides 3 squad cars and and 3 fire trucks. Backup fire services come from Greentree.

Demographics
The city had a population of 82,193 as of January 2013. The median age was 39.2. 52% of the population were immigrants from other portions of Durham, 25% are native Whitewaterans, and 23% were immigrants from other countries. 32.3% of the population had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples. There were 19,575 households in the city, making the median number of people in one household 4.19.

Approximately 35% (6,851 approx) of these households had one or both of the spouse's parents living with them, a sharp increase from 19% (3,719) from the last census. This has lead to several home sales which housed younger new arrivals (most (about 28%) of which, according to surveys, were professionals that had graduated from college) filling these homes.