“Beautiful small-town America with a strong sense of community,” was the winning entry in the city’s recent “Best Reasons to Live and Work in Chaska Contest.”

This and 36 “honorable mention” entries are listed here.

Personally, I’m partial to the one “Herald” shout-out. Thanks!

However, I thought the best way to analyze these entries was a “by the numbers” approach, so here goes:

37: Number of entries listed

10: Maximum number of words allowed in this contest

7: Use of the word “community” (not including Chaska Community Center)

6: References to the city’s golf opportunities

3: Mentioning “History” or “Historical”

3: References to the city’s trail system

3: References to diversity

2: Referencing the Minnesota River or levee

2: Number of liquor stores mentioned by name

2: References to the Chaska Community Center

1: Number of entries that brag of the city’s humbleness

1: Mentioning the city's wireless Internet system

1: Usage of the word “suburban”