Activator 1211 Grab a sheet from the front

Activator 12/11 Grab a sheet from the front • What city/town have you always dreamed of living in when you grow up? Why?

Battle Mountain, Nevada • In December 2001, the Washington Post published an article by Gene Weingarten titled "Why Not The Worst? " that popularly titled Battle Mountain as the "Armpit of America. " The town used the unofficial title as a publicity opportunity, and hosted an annual "Armpit Festival" from 2002 -2005, which was sponsored by Old Spice and awarded deodorant-themed prizes to participants.

Phoenix, Arizona • The population growth rate of the Phoenix metro area has been nearly 4% per year for the past 40 years. While that growth rate slowed during the Great Recession, it has already begun to rebound. Being near the center of the state, Phoenix is the jumping off point for the various attractions in the Valley of the Sun, as well as the rest of Arizona.

Welch, West Virginia • When presidential candidate John F. Kennedy visited Welch by automobile caravan in 1960, he saw a city whose businesses were struggling due to a growing poverty rate throughout the county. What Kennedy learned here during his campaign for the 1960 West Virginia primary was believed to be the basis of the aid brought to the Appalachian region by the Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations.