Thank you for the additional feedback. It has been very helpful.
The problem with the resolution for widescreen monitors should be resolved now. The problem stems from having the canvas scale with the width of the monitor rather than the height. I flipped that ratio and verified it with a friend who has a widescreen monitor. The need for fullscreen mode results from my resolution choice (1920x1080) and doesn't scale well if I modify the ratio settings on the WebGL export. It's something I'll keep in mind the next time I build a game for itch.
I like some of your suggestions for reorganizing the UI elements, particularly option 4. I had bounced that idea around while working on the game, but decided I could go back to it if time permitted. On a second note, the references to Offworld's UI are helpful for further improvements on how I can layout the assets.
Again, your idea for a historical log on the town would be a nice addition, however, my hope was to keep the player engaged in the world by having them keep track through other means about where they can find some information. Personally, if I had the game keeping track of where everything was at for me, I would just mindlessly click around without paying much attention to what I'm doing. If I continue development on this project I'll perhaps add that as and additional option or throw it in to a casual difficulty level.
Thanks again for the feedback. I'll be sure to give your game a play once I get home from work.