A Last Look at Steelhead

As we all say goodbye to 2015, for those in the Steelhead community they've also had to say goodbye to their old home, the Steelhead Estates. While one of the sims had been saved, sadly most were not. No more classes at the old schoolhouse. No more volcano parties at Mount St. Hellens. No more parties at the Wulfenbach Consulate building, and no more of the town meetings noted for everything from science news discussed to exploding sheep.

Fuzzball Ortega took posted this picture on Facebook a few days ago, what may be the last picture taken of these lands. He gave them maybe a week until they would finally fade away into the virtual nether.

But as a new year dawns, so does the hope that perhaps the community's fortunes will change. Hopefully new Steelhead sims will arise to join Nevermore / Ravenwood Forrest as new homes for this lively community of Steampunk fans.

Bixyl Shuftan

Steelhead Sims Finally Closed

The long-delayed end of the Steelhead sims may finally be happening. Set to close after the month of September, the sims would remain up for weeks afterwards, with the last known event happening there in late October. Finally yesterday, November 24, on Facebook, Fuzzball Ortega posted, "Looks like the Steelhead sims are finally closed for good. The sims are showing on the map, but don't have names of each sim listed. And I'm unable to teleport over."

The exact date of when the sims were no longer open is up for debate, the land reportedly been accessible as late as November 17. RockAndRoll Michigan commented on Steelhead chat in Second Life they had actually closed the day before, on November 23. But for most the date was unimportant, those on at the time reminiscing of what was now fading away, "lots of great memories,  first time I walked around  city hall ,  the wonderful bridges and hills .... the people of course and always first .....  Lunar makes such great settings."

Fortunately one of the Steelhead sims had been saved by Willow Leafstorm, now under the name Ravenwood Forest. Parties had continued to be held there every Friday. Now it seems the place will truly be all that is left of the noted Steampunk-themed estate as the rest finally fades into the virtual nether.

Ghost Stories at Steelhead

On Monday October 26, a few of Steelhead's residents headed back to the old estate area for a little ghost storytelling. The place being abandoned seemed to add a little to the eerie feel from the darkness, Halloween being just around the corner, and the spooky specter that was circling nearby.

Riven Homewood entertained the small group which had gathered near the fire with a couple spooky tales,  "Connon Alberecht's Scrapbook," and "The Sandman."

With the Steelhead Estates facing deletion any day by Linden Lab since the beginning of the month, the community has largely moved on to Ravenwood Forest . Still, residents are still coming back to see their old home while it still stands. It's possible this may be one of the last events held there.

Steelhead and Mont Saint Michal Still Up, For Now

Last month, we reported about the Steelhead Estates and the Mont Saint Michal sim set to close after September 30. But in a stroke of luck, it seems these picturesque locations haven't gone away yet.

Stopping by both locations, Mont Saint Michael was completely untouched, with several residents taking advantage of the extra time to explore around. Similar story with the Steelhead Estates. Steelhead, Steelhead Harborside, Steelhead Boomtown, and Steelhead St Hellens were still around. Only Nevermoor wasn't there, having been renamed to Ravenwood and moved after ownership was transferred to Willow Leafstorm.

As to why the sims are still up, perhaps Linden Lab simply haven't gotten around to taken them down. Or maybe the Lab really is listening this time, postponing the day of reckoning for something to be worked out somehow. In any event, the sims are still around for people to walk about in and enjoy, at least for now. How much longer is anyone's guess, except possibly Linden Lab's.

Bixyl Shuftan

Scenes From Steelhead's Last Party

"All good things must come to and end," as the saying goes, and Friday September 25 marked the end of official events at the Steelhead Estates with their last Friday night dance. Taking place at the Town Hall, it was quite literally the last hurrah of the community's home as they and their friends gathered to make the final party a memorable one.

See the pictures in Events.

Scenes From Steelhead: "The End is Nigh!"

With the Steelhead Estates approaching their doom, yesterday the place began to look like it. Dropping by the place yesterday, a skyship had crashed into one of the stores, the "Three Cogs Shop," setting it aflame. With the streets deserted, there was no fire brigade to haul in water. Tobias would type in an announcement, "Don't try to put the fire out. Stew and me need the insurance cash."

 Nearby was a possible cause of such "fowl" mayhem: the Doom Hen Mk3, "Bwahahhahh! Cower before my ..*ahem* nevvermind."

With the city doomed anyway, Tobias had something else to unleash, "At each end of main street in main sim, you will find Steam Tank rezzers created by Ravenghost the excessively talented! You have team A and team B. Go battle! (Click tank panel for HUD)."

What else will happen as the onetime home of the famed Steelhead community faces it's final days?

Bixyl Shuftan

Update on Steelhead: Nevermoor is Saved

Some welcome news concerning the Steelhead Estates. This week, Willow Leafstorm announced that she now had ownership of the Nevermoor sim, and it would continue to stay up. But there would be one change: the sim name.

Dear Friends and Citizens of Steelhead.  I am happy to announce a portion of Steelhead has been saved from the Linden axe.  Nevermoor has been transfered over to my care and custodianship.   However, as per agreement with the previous owner  I had to change the name and move the region, but the spirit of Steelhead will live on.

There was more to say at the Town Hall meeting Tuesday night.

Greetings Steelhead!  I have good news.  Nevermoor has been transfered over to to the ownership of Willow Leafstorm and will survive the Linden axe. I'm working on getting rental lots ready for people to move into. There will be a new rental system as well as a new pricing to help prevent monetary short falls. The new rental scale is easy enough to remember and calculate.  The new pricing is basically L$1 per square meter. ... Please note the Initial land fee and deposit have been reduced.  The fee will be also waved for current Steelhead and Ravenwood residents for limited time.  And that is the Willow plan. As you are already aware the sim has been moved and renamed as per request of Lunar.  The new name is Ravenwood Forest. More details will be forth coming.  I do work full time and this will be a slow transition process with a lot of learning on my part.

In a time when so many locations have been closing, Steelhead being just one example, finally some good news.

The sim is located at Ravenwood Forest (129, 129, 25)

Steelhead's last Town Hall meeting was something of a bittersweet one, with a number of residents giving their thanks to those who brought them over, and a reminder of the place's orgins, "It was originally Ambertown, and Steelwolf Pascal purchased it from the original owner for Katt Severine. There are dark times in Steelhead, I don't have time to go into, but long story short, Lunar and Tensai came in a couple of months after I did, and in January of 2007, Lunar and Tensai became managers and I became Sheriff."

"This has been a very rough month. But, remember, regardless what happens. WE will always be Steelhead. ... The Steelhead sims as you know it, is because of them. The Steelhead spirit as you know it is because of each and every one of you."

The exact date when the sims will be gone is unknown, "these sims may be in the queue for removal at the end of the month, but they could stick around another month before LL removes them." The last Friday night dance is planned to be at the Town Hall. After that,the  Green Fairy Cabaret in Ravenwood Forest will be holding them.  Of Steelhead's school for kid avatars, classes will continue to be held at Antiquity.

Steelhead has been on the grid for 9 years. That is a great accomplishment. As awesome as the Steelhead sims are, they were nothing without the citizens of Steelhead City. You are all an amazing group of people, and through you, the Steelhead Spirit will always remain strong, and will endure. Thank you all so much for an amazing nine years.

And so the community bravely faces the end of it's estate, with the small relief that one corner of their land will continue.

Bixyl Shuftan

Update on Steelhead

Although the Steelhead community is facing the loss of it's sims, life, or rather virtual life, goes on. The Friday Night dances have been continuing, the one on Friday September 11 being a 1950's "RockABilly" theme, at the "Prop Spinners" Pub, with Fuzzball Ortega as the DJ.

Two more Friday Night dances are planned, the one on September 18 at the Harborside Horizon Ballroom in Steelhead Harborside, and the last one at the Green Fairy Cabaret in Steelhead Nevermoor on September 25.

At the Tuesday night City Hall meeting on September 8, some residents were still stubbornly holding on to hope, Softpaw Sommer saying, "I am utterly refusing to pull down anything to; the last week of September." Fuzzball Ortega announced he had gotten a quarter sim to place Club Gearz and an outdoor venue there, "It's set to group, you are free to visit. At present the only thing there is a flag." The location is at Template Craze Amore (55, 173, 22).

Thad Callgari and Lumi (Lumina Elvehjem) talked about having plots in InWorldz and the Second Life mainland, Thad saying they could potentially get four sims in the smaller virtual world. A "Steelheaders" group has been created there already. Kal-El Venkman mentioned the Justice League has about a dozen sims there, "about five which are used for anything." While Lunar is still making posts on Facebook, one resident described him as "being very brave, but I sense an undercurrent of pain."

Since then, it was announced there is a possibility of one sim, Steelhead Nevermoor, being saved. Willow Leafstorm (zoelass) posted in the group announcemnts, "We are working on a transfer for Nevermoor to have it come under my care and stewardship.  However, in the bargain I have to change the name and location. Previous Landmarks may not work.  All details will be forth coming.  The Fae will overcome!"

Talking to Willow at her Sunday Night DJing at the Green Fairy Cabaret, she spoke of the plans for salvaging, "It's looking likely we may be able to do that. It won't be confirmed until I (hear) from Linden Labs (if) my name is set as the owner. I'm hoping to know for certain by Tuesday so I can announce it at the meeting. So I'm waiting to hear from LL. If you feel the earth move beneath your feet it's region being shuffled to a new location."

So it looks like at least one of the Steelhead sims *might* be saved. More details to come.

Bixyl Shuftan

Tales From Steelhead: Interview With Tensai Hilra (2011)

In the second of our stories about the Steelhead community's past, not long after Franq Blackheart did an  interview in April 2011 of estate owner TotalLunar Eclipse, he did another of his partner, Tensai Hilra. Tensai had a few things to say about Steelhead, and her relationship with Lunar.

Read the interview in People.

Tales From Steelhead: Interview with TotalLunar Eclipse (2011)

As the Steelhead community faces being uprooted from it's home of nine years, both the group and it's friends are looking back at what's happened over the years. Answering a call to send their stories, Franq Blackheart whom once wrote for the Steampunk Herald, sent this 2011 interview of Steelhead's owner, TotalLunar Eclipse. Here, he talks some about the community and land, notably the decision to classify one sim, Steelhead Shanghai, as "Adult."

Read more in People.

More on Steelhead's Closing

Of the situation at Steelhead, Lunar made the announcement through his alt Steelhead, as his main account, Totallunar Eclipse, is locked out of Second Life due to a dispute with Linden Lab. He gave the words at the Town Hall meeting on Tuesday Sept 1, "There has been a great deal of talk about my absence and I wanted to go over that with you. Earlier this year my mother had a brain anueyrism. Well that surgery went extremely well and the doctor was suprised and pleased at her results. Then about a month ago she had a stroke, and that didn't go so well. She's not going to bounce back from that. Also its no secret my wife left me nearly a year ago. But the past three weeks have been.... interesting to say the least. A few life changing decisions have been put before me. Big ones having to do with my future, my school, and my career. People who know me know that I love my job managing a tax office. I am giving that up. I am maintaining my job as an analyst, that was a really hard choice, REALLY HARD choice."


"Another choice before me was... Steelhead. I have maintained Steelhead for the past eight to nine years. The past year I have financially maintained her, telling you how much a month would just be counteractive. But let's just say its a lot."

"... I have given this decision a great deal of thought. That's why I have been scarce. I am not happy to announce that I am closing Steelhead. I am drowning in a lot of RL stuff. Yes, all of it. It's been a financial burden of over 400/month. I have thought of downsizing but I have been... well been a bit told that if I do that people would leave, people will be upset over it. (And) I can't sell it if my avatar is locked ... Like I said, I spend a lot of my own money to keep it maintained. My car is dead and I am looking to purchase a house. It's not an easy choice. Sincerely this is not. But I can't maintain it, my health, my family's health, my finances, and for myself."

"I had wanted to downsize and rename it, but it was met with... hesitation. The end of September she will be either gone off the grid or will be in queue to do so. I will refund what I can to those who have put in several weeks of rent. I hope that when I am in a more stable place that I will return and start over. Steelhead will have a big place in my heart. You understand the special place it has for me. Thank you, truly. For making this the best nine years of my life."

"I will contact everyone who has land individually and we will go over some things. I have not contacted any other sim owners, but I will contact Selena and Tenk if you wish to stay in the 'theme.' But we'll blow all the sh*t up before the end, ne?"

"I am not disbanding the group. I think that'll be something I couldn't rightfully do. ... if we can find another place to hold the school then I wouldn't mind staying an instructor. ... This weekend I'll contact everyone, so whoever has land will be hearing from me. This is really hard for me, like I said I spent a very long time going over every possibility of how I could salvage this."

The responses to Lunar/Steelhead were of sadness and words of support, "Steelhead will always have a big place in our hearts, even if it's no longer here." "Steelhead will never truly be gone, if there's no physical presence it will still live on in our hearts. We are Steelhead." "We're as much family as we are community, and I'm certain I'm not the only one here who supports whatever decision you make and your need to take care of your own RL troubles." "We all only wish the best for you. Lunar-Cat." "You have to do what is best for you. Even something as sad as this." "We can all still stay in touch that way and still have a more floating community through it."

Fuzzball Ortega himself commented, "I've been here longer than anyone, save for Lumi. I don't think it's worth Lunar's typist to go through all the trouble to keep it maintained. Steelhead will live on, and we'll always be Steelhead. That's one thing folks can't take from us. Just won't be on a sim."

The talk went on as to how they could continue certain events, such as the school classes. "The school should be easy to do as a floating sort of thing. Field trips already take us outside." "Caledon has no school at the moment. It should be easy to find a place there to hold sessions." " Perhaps talk to Tenk about a school house? I mean, the urchins will likely burn it, but.." "They've blown up schools in Babbage before." "The Babbage urchins burned down the last schoolhouse anyone dared to hold there."

Willow expressed a wish to salvage the Nevermoor sim if at all possible, "I don't think I can find a place to locate the Green Fairy." Someone offered, "We'll find some way to help you find a place, Willow."

Lunar/Steelhead went on, "I have nothing more I can say beyond that. I love this community, it's more family to me than my own in RL. And I truly mean that. This has been the best eight years of my life. I have learned ALOT and grown a great deal as an individual. And you've all been fantastic, truly.  I will return. Well, I won't really go anywhere, but I will rebuild. When i am in a better place. I will have my Daybreak, that's the name I wanted to rename Steelhead to. And I will stay a teacher, just tell me where we can huddle together for it."

"But, this decision wasn't made easy you guys are my family. And I thank you for the last nine years. This isn't goodbye. Thank you all. And this won't be the last time I say this but... meeting adjourned."

* * * * *

Besides the community group staying together, Fuzzball Ortega stated the Steelhead Salmons will remain intact as a Relay for Life team. He also announced he had gotten a quarter sim in the d'Aillez Estates, in Template Craze Amore. As for Steelhead's sims, people have come forward with offers to run one or more until Lunar was back on his feet. But because Linden Lab has locked his main account, there isn't a way for Lunar to transfer the sims. So unless the Lab can be persuaded to unlock the accounts, it seems the Steelhead sims are headed for a day of reckoning.

Residents have been going around the sims, taking pictures to preserve the memories, as well as friends and Steampunk fans from outside the area. What ultimately happens to the community remains to be seen. Will those living in the Steelhead Estates find a new home they can call their own, or end up dispersed? Time will tell.

Bixyl Shuftan

Steelhead's Mayoral Elections: Willow Leafstorm

Steelhead will soon be voting for a new mayor. There are three candidates for the job, the incumbent TotalLunar Eclipse, and challengers Willow Leafstorm & Jobias Barthelmess. Second Life Newser had a chance to talk with Willow. She talked some about the race, why Jobias was unqualified, and what her goals would be if elected.

Read the interview in People.

Get a Home at the Steelhead Estates

Each sim has a different theme. Please take note of the theme of the sim you wish to rent from. RP and period clothing is not enforced but building code is. No modern buildings or gothic spire of doom. Read the covenant agreement for more details.

Land is parcelled as either residential/commercial/or mixed use.  Parcels beside each other can be grouped together to create a larger parcel. If you have questions regarding zoning in Steelhead please feel free to IM TotalLunar Eclipse or Tensai Hilra.

Found the location you like? The rental boxes are locked. All land is in Steelhead group and you need to be in the Steelhead group to rezz objects and begin rent. IM either TotalLunar Eclipse or Tensai Hilra to unlock the rental pole and begin rent. Drop them a notecard if they are not online.

512 sq m 234 prims L$450 per week
1024 sq m 468 prims L$900 per week

From all of us in Steelhead city Welcome home,
 - TotalLunar Eclipse.

Bruce Boxleitner to be Interviewed on Krypton Radio

Krypton Radio, which broadcasts in the Steelhead Estates and other places in Second Life, as well as outside the Grid, will be having a guest known to science fiction fans on one of it's shows. This Saturday on "The Event Horizon" radio show, Bruce Boxleitner of Babylon 5 and Tron fame will made a guest appearance. Boxleitner has a new show in development, Lantern City, a Steampunk series.

Fuzzball Ortega, who is known on Krypton Radio as personality Gary DaBaum, felt that Second Life's large population of steampunk fans, would take great interest about this week's topic.

The Event Horizon airs every Satruday night at 9:00 PM SLT. It is a panel discussion show with writers, artists, filmmakers and others in the science fiction, fantasy, comic book and gaming world.

One can listen in at Krypton Radio here: http://listento.kryptonradio.com:8000 .

For more information on Lantern City, click here: http://www.lanterncitytv.com/ . One can also watch this trailer on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TzTT_gYMyw .

Club Nights

Wednesday night this week at Cutlass was it's "Dungeons and Dragons" night, with DJ Cynthia playing music to the costumed crowd. Among the adventurers was a Beholder, and of course a dragon.

Cutlass events are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 6-8 PM SL time, Sunweaver Space (245, 88, 123)

The following night at Club Zero Gravity was it's Comedy Night, with people dressing up in clown outfits, clown noses, cartoonish avatars, and one laughing hyena. And whom better to play the music than DJ Shockwave, whom entertained the dancers with songs from Ray Stevens, Weird Al, and a few of his own music parodies.

Zero-G events are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6-8PM SL time, Purrfection Estates (229, 11, 3365)



And Friday night was the Steelhead dance, this time on a floating platform held up by balloons. DJ Fuzzball, whom danced away with his partner Eugine, held the event in honor of Amelia Airheart, whose birthday it was.

Friday Night at Steelhead takes place at 7PM, but the location can vary.

Bixyl Shuftan

Reader Submitted: "Mindy and Nibbles at The Critter Races"

Submitted by Mindy of Steelhead, featuring her on her horse-sized guinea pig "Nibbles" and her friend "Mr. Xyfer."

Beach Party at Steelhead

There was a beach party at the Steelhead Estates last Friday. And a number of the residents joined Sheriff Fuzzball Ortega and his girl Eugene, and danced to the tunes at the ready-made beach. Some were in Victorian-Era full body swimsuits, others in swimwear from later times.

The place across the road read "Hotel Coral Essex." But the neon sign had the "Ho" "C" and "Es" blinking so it read ... well, something else entirely. Also, a "land shark" was digging underneath the surface of the sand, but stayed safely away from the partiers.

As the people danced to the 80s tunes, such as "Weird Science" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World (appropriate for the mad scientists in the crowd), people talked and joked about various things. At one point, Fuzzball was asked about volunteering to wear a dress if enough was raised for the Relay for Life Steelhead Salmons. His answer, "You know how hard it is to top 'The Hair?' "

A fun time was had by all.

St. Helens Erupts in Steelhead

On Friday evening May 18th, Mount St. Helens in the Steelhead Estates erupted. The event began sometime around 7PM SL time. Eugenia Burton, a resident of Steelhead, provided the following picture, showing huge, billowing clouds of ash rising into the air, and the skies a striking shade of blood red. The mountaintop was gone, and much of St. Helens scarred, blackened trunks of trees on the sides of the volcano knocked over.

Yours truly wasn't able to get to the event, or the volcano party that was planned to take place by the lake near St. Helens (provided the ash cloud didn't blow their way). But stopping by the following morning, there was still an ash cloud over St. Helens. The event was more ash and less lava than a similar eruption in August 2011.

May 18 is the anniversary of the 1980 eruption of the real-life Mount St. Helens, as well as the birthday of Steelhead resident Tensai Hilra.

Bixyl Shuftan