This new  “Best Minnesota Town” competition launched by Minnesota Monthly truly held no interest for me. At the Daily Herald, we know the greatness of Austin, we see it every day. We do our best to promote it in these pages and in our own magazines.

But then a news release from Owatonna reached my email. Their chamber of commerce is crowing.

“Owatonna completely blew away the other candidates in the public voting period, by a margin of 20,000 votes,” said Katie Godfrey, director of conventions and tourism at the chamber. “We are excited to discover the results of the contest. We would be honored if Owatonna were named the Best Minnesota Town.”

Austin, Bemidji, Waconia and Walker are the four other finalists from which Minnesota Monthly’s editorial team will select the winner for this contest.

Owatonna, which claims on its city website to be “the heart and heartbeat of a greater community known as Southern Minnesota,” seems to be very full of itself. That’s not really all that Minnesotan. It’s more East Coast.

It also brags about some special natural springs water where people stop for a drink.

Hmpf. Go ahead, go visit the water fountain, when you get home, Austin will be there for you with some nice tasty spiral ham, or bacon, or some of the best comfort food the world has to offer. You see, Austin makes it’s greatness.

So, Minnesota Monthly, I wish you well in making your decision, but whether you choose Austin or not, leave Owatonna where it belongs — as a rest stop along I-35 next to Cabela’s. We’ll just keep on being great. It’s what we do.

Making Progress

The Daily Herald staff is already working on our annual Progress special edition. The question at the heart of this effort is, “In what and where have we made progress in Austin and Mower County?” I would very much like to hear your answers to that question.

A new quest

This week I finally stopped in at the Coffee House on Main and had a Turtle Mocha and a Packer Panini. I enjoyed them both, and now have decided to set forth on a quest to try almost any dish named after the Austin Packers. What do you suggest I try next?

Lousy joke of the week

As if those scribbles above are not enough, I share this pearl with you.

Q: Why didn’t the world’s most eligible skeleton go to  the ball?

A: Well, he had no body to go with.

Have a nice weekend.

Managing Editor Chris Baldus can be reached at chris.baldus@austindailyherald.com or 507-434-2235.