Some Like It Hot

Thanks to John Baudouine, of Bullhead City, Ariz. (pop. 15,000), his town is now officially hotter than ever before. Baudouine, a fireman, is no sorcerer: for four years he has been in charge of reporting daily weather statistics to the National Weather Service for his stretch of western Arizona desert. Last April a stickler from the Weather Service told him to move his thermometer from the firehouse's comparatively cool, sprinklered front lawn to more "natural terrain." Baudouine picked a dusty patch 100 yards away, and the high temperatures in Bullhead City were promptly four or five degrees higher. On eight days last month, in fact, television weathermen announced that the town--with temperatures as high as 115DEG F --was the warmest spot in the U.S.

This has made some residents of Bullhead City hot under the collar. Dick Smith, who owns Dick and Lovella's Five Grand Cafe, is leading a petition drive to move the thermometer back. Says Smith of the new publicity glare: "It's caused my business to fall off 20% to 30%." But Baudouine is unapologetic. "This kind of notoriety is good for the community," he says. Cooler heads among Bullhead City businessmen seem to agree. According to a membership survey by the Chamber of Commerce, 90% think the summer superlative is "good for business."

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