Paul Scott comment: "Calm down, now"

You think Decorah is the best small town in the country.  I think Decorah is the best small town in the country.

But journalistic objectivity prompts me to point out the Forbes article naming Decorah one of the 15 Prettiest Communities in America proves that the honor was not exactly awarded after rigorous analysis.

Take, for instance, the statement "Decorah hosts an annual Nordic Fest every July, which attracts an estimated 75,000 people."  Who, exactly, made this wildly inaccurate estimate?  Maybe it was "Williams," the first nameless person quoted for lodging advice.

I think Des Moines Register reporter Kyle Munson got it correct when he wrote in that newspaper, "Thinly researched lists of the top this or that in America proliferate online because they generate easy clicks through gratuitous photo galleries." 

Not that the latest honor for Decorah shouldn't be used to promote tourism in the area.  After all, we already successfully handled 75,000 visitors at Nordic Fest!