European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 3, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Bazine. A it the now edition of places rated in the works cities across the country gear up to compete in the rating game. The Best places i America by Usa Levitt Hickman associated press alphabetically speaking Yuba cily Calil was used 1o being Lasic Lis is but catching the caboose in Rand Mcnally s places rated almanac tour years ago instilled residents  Down o their Loos Al nil they fumed they raged they stamped their collective civic eel then they Gol mad City leaders decided " Here Are Only two places to be on the list1 the top and Tho Bottom said Mary Knapp  chamber of Commerce executive vice president i depends what you make of both of them " what Tubac itans made 1mm last place was Ahe apol fir is rate Public . In the �0 years since one e a Thorndike created his goodness Index Lor american cities academicians special interest groups magazines and he oderal government have cranked out a Pfel Nofa of rankings identifying the Best. Of All possible towns. Stressed out live in state College a Saya one Survey Cedar rapids Iowa says another. Best place or a hip. Contemporary career woman Seattle. Savvy Magazine says. Easiest place to make blends san Francisco Forbes Magazine says no. 1 Overall it s Pittsburgh says one Survey Danbury conn., says another in a nation where everybody Lovos Iho underdog but nobody wants to be one. Where everyone says it does t matter what other people think but no one believes in City ratings have become a source of indignation elation irus Lral Ion and always fascination. ,.now it s almost Lime for another edition of places haled the most objective and carefully researched of the Bunch like the presidential election it appears every Lour years and a Lolo people Don t like the results. The Jalloul has included threatened lawsuits map and Magazine burnings and on a number o occasions campaigns or civic improvement but ask researchers Fly officials and municipal groups what City rankings moan and How seriously to take them. And the answers seem to be riot much. And not very.  there s no Host City just like there 5 no Best work of  said Bert Sperling a Portland Ore computer researcher who despite that opinion created so Tiwary that Ratos cities. Who s 0 say Vangogh s Sunflower is better Ihan a. .1 Vinci s the last supper ?1. And who s i say there Are 32ff Teller places to live than Yuba City?.why, ,. Places Ralo authors David save goal and Richard Bayer Hal s who a ,. When Yuba  reflected on How to make the Best out of being inc. Worst. They decided to lighten up. If you screamed and ranted and raved,1 you made a tool of yourself Knapp said. We decided id make a urn thing of  first 1.000 residents burned hundreds of Rand Mcnary maps at a Community Pep rally packaged the ashes in a Walnut Box and had a docs mortician present Hern to a Rand Mcnally vice president who flew out rom Chicago just Loi the occasion then the City helped a radio station in Pittsburgh rated no 1 in the same Survey award an All expense paid trip to Yuba City As a contest prize the. Happy winners toured the City by limousine and Rode a float in uie 105th annual Bok Kai festival a Good time was had by All. And at year s end when Lite Magazine wrapped up 1985, in was Yuba cily not Pittsburgh mat received a Lull Page. And they Spe fied Nifte name right Knapp unused a Little amazed it look places rated to not Only rocket Yuba City out of obscurity but to propel the metro ratings game onto the Best seller list. The idea sprang irom the authors desire to move out of. Boston and their discovery that there Wasno Singie source Lor Good so id data on Hie in u s. Cities they decided to compile a comprehensive american cities reference guide and sold Rand Mcnally on the idea Iri 197b. The Tirol edition. With Allan la at the top and Lawrence mass. In the cellar came Outt Nibbi. Wore Ihan 300.000 Book sales later. Savageau says he s a bit disappointed Hal the Book is considered Mic the topic of cocktail parly Chichal Ihan Tho serious reference look the authors intended and he acknowledges ils popularity still baffles him. "1 would t go out and buy a Book lha i said pills Burgh was. Iho Bosl plaice in the  he said taking a rare break trom his Cemp Uler and the latest edition. O places  due out this Faff from Simon & schuster incl which acquired the series last year irom Rand Mcnally. When Iho san Ristics Laid Tho exalted Manlel of extreme i Vaisly on Pittsburgh. A cily once known As Hett Wilh the lid Oil even Rand Mcnally did l believe in Athirst the crowning of pills Burgh Illus Rales the key difference Between places hat Uci and other City rankings Tho saw Cau Boyar study gives i Jual weight to climate housing crime transportation health care recreation. Education the arts and economics. That might tend to give an Edge to jargon cities,.which have More amenities and. Does t  account which la Clors people think arc.moslimpoitanl., ,. Other studies tend to focus on one aspect of life such As Relief irom stress. Who clothe advocacy group Zero population grow la found in  rapids and a study in psychology today Magazine found in slate College. -. Or they consider the preferences "1 a specific group of people As Money. Magazine docs polling 251  ils 1987 Survey pills Burgh was 43rd, Nashua n.h., was to 1. Last year. Pittsburgh moved of no. 20, Dan airy. Conri., was lop of the Heap a change irom one year to the nent in whal   consider Mosi ". Important. Say education Over Leisure or transportation Over weather plus Aven a Small shift in a City s vital statistics can account fora wild fluctuation said Sperling Whoso company fast Forward has created a comp Loi program called. Places . Used by Money some of the cities Hal have been  rated have used it to say of yeah9, and show they have a Strong Community ,-" said Randy Arndi spokesman for the National league of cities it depends on the resourcefulness of Iko City the league would t dream of ranking ils 1,400 members. I Don t know who these surveys Benell. It cent the authors everybody does t live in the period place but it s Home to us Arndi said. Whether you live in Scarsdale or Saginaw life is whal you make of in the same can be said of City ratings. In Iho next places rated Savageau and Boyer plan a Section designed to make everyone Happy by showing How under certain conditions using actors in the Book any Burg can be a Pittsburgh for instance if the Only thing you re interested in Are cities in Cal Lornia with a Moderato climate and Low cos of living Savageau said Yuba City would be the Best place in the whole country " monday april 3, 1989 the stars Ano stripes Page 13