Last week’s snowstorm added an exclamation point a year that was already sludgy. Instead of barreling ahead, everyone was holed-up, waiting for the storm to pass.

Long gone are the days when Chaska was growing by a thousand people a year and houses were popping up like spring dandelions.

Instead, everyone – residents, politicians, business owners – were all coming to grips with the fact that cash just isn’t flowing into the coffers like it used to.

Which brings us to what we thought was the biggest story of the past year – the economy. The subject rose to the top of the 2009 top 10 story list, compiled and ranked by Herald staffers.

1. The economy

Ahhhh. Pleasant were the days of 2008, when the economy only made it to No. 3 on the Herald’s top 10 list.

This year, it seemed every story reported was a direct result of the economy: businesses closing in downtown Chaska; District 112 raising student fees and cutting 83 teacher positions (then hiring some back); the city of Chaska dealing with a $1 million revenue shortfall and bumping up most of its utility fees.

Even SouthWest Transit has taken a hit, since higher unemployment means fewer people are taking the bus to work.

Perhaps the most dramatic evidence of the pain are the Food to Fight Hunger events, held every few months by the Love INC and Second Harvest Food Shelf. The event attracts hundreds of Carver County families in need. During one July event, the groups distributed 20,000 pounds of food to 300 families.

There is one plus side to the money mess. This year, for the first time, the Carver County Library System checked out more than 1 million items. “With what’s been going on in the economy, these libraries are being used more and more,” noted Melissa Brechon, Carver County Library director.

2. The new CHS

For over a century, Chaska had a lock-hold on the area public high school – until this year.

Chanhassen High School opened its doors on Sept. 8. The new school will alleviate crowding, primarily at the middle school levels.

In January 2004, the district purchased 95 acres of land in Chanhassen. Then, in 2006, voters narrowly approved a new $93 million high school in Chanhassen.

With the new high school, some Chaska residents and city councilors worried about the impact on community identity. However, for now, Chaska students will still attend Chaska High School, while Carver, Chanhassen and Victoria students attend Chanhassen High School.

There are other changes in store – new sports and activity rivals. In fall 2010, the Chaska Hawks and Chanhassen Storm will join the Missota conference. Chaska has belonged to the Lake Conference since 1994.

On Sept. 25, Chaska and Chanhassen started out its inter-district rivalry with a football face-off, ending with a 47-7 victory for the Hawks at a packed Chanhassen Stadium.

3. Mayor resigns

Gary Van Eyll surprised many in August when he announced he would be resigning as mayor to take a job with the U.S. Census Bureau. The move left the young council without a leader and generated a fair amount of discussion as to how Van Eyll’s position should be filled.

After wavering back and forth for some time over appointing the position or holding a special election, the council chose to move forward with an election.

Four candidates – Jay Rohe, Mark Windschitl, Bob Snyder and Doug Williams – filed for office in November with the winner to be chosen by voters on Jan. 19.

Van Eyll wasn’t the only one to announce his resignation in 2009. Both District 112 Superintendent David Jennings and Carver City Administrator Jim Elmquist gave their intentions to leave their posts at the end of the school year and Jan. 29 respectively.

4. PGA comes to town

Everyone loves it when the circus comes to town. Well, while Chaska doesn’t have circuses, it does have something better – Hazeltine National Golf Club.

From Aug. 10-16, the world’s best golfers competed for the PGA Championship at Hazeltine. The city of Chaska, its firefighters, and police officers, and thousands of volunteers ensured the event went well.

Meanwhile, residents kept a look-out for champ Tiger Woods, back when he was best known for his prowess on the golf course. (He was sighted at Chaska’s own Rex Theater, family in tow, at the movie “G-Force”).

In the end, Chaska would be on the tip of the tongue of South Korean sports fans when Yong-Eun Yang became first male born in Asia to win a major golf tournament. The No. 110-ranked Yang bested Woods by three strokes to clinch the tournament.

The Hazeltine clubhouse and its greens are now going through massive renovations. Golf fans will have to wait until the next big tournament, the Ryder Cup Matches, arrive in 2016.

5. Focus on downtown

With growth and development grinding to a near halt in town, Chaska began to turn its focus to the downtown area.

In October, the Chaska City Council selected Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. to develop a master plan for the downtown at the cost of $83,000. A kickoff meeting took place in late December where the consultants gathered input from civic and business leaders as well as residents. The plan could take up to a year to develop but should give the city “an integrated strategy for future planning and long-term sustainability.”

Also in October, Chaska’s Downtown Business Council (a committee of the SouthWest Metro Chamber of Commerce) released its proposal for downtown revitalization. They recommended the city focus on developing better pubic and private parking, updating downtown infrastructure, supporting storefront rehabilitation and establishing a marketing program to promote historic downtown Chaska.

6. Infrastructure woes

It isn’t glamorous, and it isn’t entertaining, but take away our infrastructure and woe is us.

On March 26, the Herald reported a number of these problems in “Showing their age” after a number of bridges and roads in Chaska and Carver were deemed in urgent need of repair. “We have started to look more closely of late at our infrastructure,” Chaska City Engineer Bill Monk told the newspaper.

On March 12, Chaska’s 97-year-old McKnight Road bridge was closed, following concerns of structural deterioration. And late this year, the city council decided to increase taxes ($28 a year for the owner of a $200,000 home) to help fund its long-delayed street replacement program.

Meanwhile, in Carver, the city had most of its downtown dug up for a few months to install a large sewer pipe and upgrade its streets. Carver officials have discussed closing downtown’s 1885 Fourth Street Bridge, because it barely passes muster. And, in November, federal stimulus funding fell through for its Main Street bridge, also built in the 1880s, after it was found eligible for historical review.

7. Athletic Park in danger

When it comes to historical preservation, most Chaskans automatically think about their downtown, with its Chaska brick building and gem of a City Square Park.

So, it may have surprised many residents when the Herald reported, on May 7, that the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota placed Athletic Park on its top 10 most endangered historic places list. The baseball park was built through volunteer effort in 1950, and since then, has been home to the Chaska Cubs.

In 2008, transportation officials announced plans for a future Highway 41 Minnesota River crossing that would connect new Highway 212 and Highway 169 that, as originally proposed, would go right over Athletic Park. (The river crossing was No. 4 on last year’s list.)

“It’s something we wanted to protect because it does represent something very important to the people of Chaska,” said Tracy Swanson, president of the Chaska Historical Society.

8. Still among best

Two years ago Chaska made it into the Top 10 of Money Magazine’s list of best small towns to live. It was a huge point of pride for city officials who had long strived to be “the best small town in Minnesota.”

In 2009, the city didn’t fare quite as well with Money Magazine, dropping from No. 8 to No. 20, while neighboring Chanhassen nabbed the No. 2 spot.

Though it dropped in rankings, Chaska can boast being the only Minnesota city to appear on both the 2007 and 2009 lists, which look at more than 1,500 communities with populations between 8,500 and 50,000.

Money Magazine applauded Chaska for working to “maintain its small-town vibe” but dinged the city for new Highway 212’s bump in traffic and crime.

Mayor Gary Van Eyll wasn’t too worried about the slip, saying, “I think we’re the same community or better since last time.”

9. Bakery closes

After 125 years of providing delicious baked goods to the community, Chaska Bakery closed its doors for good on April 11.

Customers waited in long snaking lines during the bakery’s final days, snapping up mouth-watering pastries, apple fritters and dinner rolls.

Owner Dave Blackowiak, whose family had operated the bakery since 1985, sold the building in March after watching his business steadily decline for years.

“Times have changed,” he said. “The competition is tougher.”

In August, a raw foods business opened in the bakery’s space. While the new food venture couldn’t be more different than the bakery, there are still reminders of the building’s rich history. The large mixers that once whipped up endless batches of sweet rolls are regularly put to work in their kitchen. And the slab of counter where dough was once rolled out early every morning now serves as their showpiece tasting table.

10. Chaska goes green

Since October there has been a new landmark along Highway 212. Earlier this fall, drivers caught their first glimpses of Chaska’s new wind turbine.

The 80-foot, 160 kW turbine was erected just west of Pioneer Ridge Middle School as part of efforts to meet a state mandate for renewable energy. The Minnesota Municipal Power Association, of which the City of Chaska is a member, provided the $300,000 wind turbines to its 11 member cities.

Earlier in the year, the council selected the Pioneer Ridge Middle School site for its high visibility as well as close proximity to existing power sources and minimal impact to neighbors. The city also plans to partner with the school district to use the wind turbine as an educational tool.

The turbine is expected to finally begin spinning its blades and generating power in late December.

-Mollee Francisco and Mark W. Olson