THE SILVER CITY

Founded in 1878, Silver City quickly became a very successful mining town. Known for having the world's third largest open copper pit mine and stunning scenic locations, it is a well known retirement town. Quiet, beautiful, and with a gentle climate, it may not be idyllic, but it is a desirable place to live.

In the late 90's, several massive grants allowed Western New Mexico University to flourish and prosper, drawing in new business and giving the town a bigger bustle. These generous donations have reinvigorated the old mining town, and even now, there is a consistent economic upturn. Several new companies have invested and purchased land in the area to expand the town's borders. Silver City flourishes in spurts- it's not unusual to see the population boom with little warning.

However, with the influx of new life, new problems have arisen. Drugs (especially methamphetamine,) is a major concern in the area. Police find occasional success in shutting down small operations, but the issue is an ongoing one. The underfunded police department struggles to keep up with a steadily increasing crime rate. With the consistent need for housing and business, shadier construction companies have begun to expand like a plague, creating cheap and unsafe buildings that only appear to meet regulation enough to pass inspection.

The Buffalo Bar

Once a run down country bar, with the recent revitalizations to Silver City, the Buffalo is now a much clasier, upscale and old fashioned bar. It caters mostly to old money clientele; the movers and shakers of land development, city council, and college admins tend to wheel and deal here. The bar doesn't have a strict dress code, so to speak, but clearly this is not the place to get white girl drunk and make an ass of oneself if one hopes to have any real standing among the city's elite.

Buffalo Bar Gauntlet Rating - 8

The Gila Movie Theater

This old movie theater is the passion project for a local film studies professor who passed away a few years ago. His estate runs the theater in his memory; this is not the place to go for modern blockbusters. Throughout the week, film classics are shown here- mostly of the silver screen variety, though some relatively newer classics sneak their way in. The weekends, however, belong to cult classics. Horror movies, comedies, musicals- the reels are varied, but the seats are cheap and the building is always in excellent condition. During the week, there is an absolute zero tolerance policy for disruptive viewers. The weekends are a little more lax in this regard. Concessions are cheap and simple- Clearly the theater doesn't make the sort of money that chain theaters do, but there's no sign of closure in the near future for the Gila.

Gila Movie Theater Gauntlet Rating - 5

Silver City Village

This is an upscale shopping and dining district that opened one year ago. Controversially, a historic mining camp was paved over to make room for the titanic open air mall. The local college students are the lifeblood of this area; upscale and trendy, several popular chain restaurants and clothing stores compose an 80 acre maze of modern comfort and convenience. The main plaza area boasts enough space for local music acts or crafts festivals.

Silver City Village Gauntlet Rating - 9

Western New Mexico University

Once a lower rated school and the clear alternative to NMU, WNMU is now the school of choice for artistic and creative fields. In addition, the Mustangs Football team has just recently grown to be accepted into NCAA Division I and is expected to compete next season.

The team itself has flourished enough to put the school on the map (so to speak,) and draw enough interest and attention for increased funding alone, but the school itself has drawn several professors that would be qualified for ivy league schools. Even more obscure courses like Astrobiology, Entertainment Engineering and Design, and UFOs in American Society have found a place here at the university.

Boasting significant student Dorms, the university is a hub of free learning, modern thought, and free exchange of new ideas. It is credited for revitalizing the area almost singlehandedly, and the town is quickly becoming dependant enough on the university's success that they will have to meet whatever needs are presented.

Western - NM - University Gauntlet Rating - 5-9

Silver City Police Department

The police department has been in the throes of painful transition from 'small town idyllic' levels of crime, to the more pressing needs brought on by an influx of new residents, seasonal visitors, and new industry. Perpetually underfunded and undermanned, the department struggles to stay in control. With limited space in the perpetually booked county jail, and the loss of seasoned officers due to a few untimely deaths and transfers, things are tense. The department may not be heroically gritty like the NYPD is often painted to be, but they are clearly struggling to curtail the flow of drugs, internet prostitution rings, and serial crimes such as car theft, arson, and vandalism.

Currently, the police department has managed to scrape together enough funding (with support from the university,) to open a small forensics division. Along with this, a burgeoning cyber crimes division has also been opened in close partnership with the university, though it has yet to procure real 'results' as far as cracking into the prostitution and drug trades.

Silver City PD Gauntlet Rating - 8

Gila District Hospital

The GRMC is a hospital behind the times and sorely lacking in meeting the needs of its people. This isn't for lack of trying, but simply due to growing pains. Currently, the hospital is lacking in senior staff. The same boom that's hit the local university seems to be inversely proportional to the number of doctors courted away to private practices or to larger cities. Right now, the senior administrator is frantically attempting to pull together the staff necessary to keep the hospital above board. The hospital is notably lax in insurance requirements; a vast and beneficial mercy treatment program ensures that medical care is available, through clever charitable tax options that are masterfully navigated. Staff is frequently overworked, and the hospital lacks major wards that larget cities have access to. This hospital is holding on by shoestrings and dedication alone, and has been fighting off attempts at buy-outs from more successful medical organizations, but if things don't change soon, the Gila Regional Medical center will likely undergo drastic changes.. Changes that will mean a colder, more uncaring medical system.

Gila District Hospital Gauntlet Rating - 8