The residents of Chippewa Falls Ward 1 have a unique opportunity this year.  It is this year, the year of hope, they have the chance to vote, not for your wimpy, plasticized paper.  Not for your pansy-assed, laminated cardboard. Or, not even for your corrugated plastic with matching H constructed wire frame.   No.  The first ward has the opportunity to vote for the genuine article, real wood.  And, when we are talking wood, we aren't just talking chipboard and twisty pine.  No, nothing like that.  We are talking half an inch of GS2 plywood, sealed and sanded smooth.  We are talking square corners, strength, and for black Helvetica on a white background.   Ward one has this opportunity, and, I for one, hope the first ward seizes it.

This year there is no reason to go any further than an in depth evaluation of signage.  Look at the construction we have here!  Like a rock!  Built to stand the test of time.  The test of battle, and of nature.

For many reasons, we are lucky Chippewa Falls was out of the reach of the hurricane force winds of the category four, Katrina.  But, had we not been, had we been there; gale force winds ripping, tearing and destroying anything in it's path, still this sign would still be standing.   Smiling to the wind, like the man behind it. 

Fine building only just begins at the mortised construction of the upper and lower natural wood frame with inset plywood.  Built straight and true,  the strength is obvious.  Counter sunk screw heads in rough cut, full dimension lumber.  The screws, though impossible to determine their exact makeup, looked to be stainless steel.  Fitting, for a life in politics.  The heads on the screws, the utilitarian phillips head.  Mike Dahlby is having none of your hoity-toity torx head screws. And, the lumber, wide, thick, natural, with square corners, just like god intended them.

Look at the supported A frame, with three-eights inch carriage bolts.  Look to the fact that washers were used, not just on one side, like your corner cutting bean counters.  No!  But on both sides, like a positive, big picture, infrastructure man.  And yet, look at the balance, between practicality and budget compromise.  It's perfect.  A close inpection shows no lock-washers are used.  Why should they be?  This isn't some bank we are bailing out here.  There is no waste here.  There is no more, or less than is absolutely needed.

Not to say there isn't waste anywhere.  There is.  It is a sad fact of our American society that there is always waste in government.   Check the back of the carriage bolts.  Nearly an inch longer than they need to be.  Over half an inch of wasted stock.  Too bad, but what do we expect?  We have to keep our eyes focused to the good.  The things that are done right, there is no perfect political sign.

But, beyond the mere construction itself. Look at the design.  A triad of text.  Look at the limited palette.  This is not the sign of your average wishy-washy, deirier-kissing ladder climber.  No, this is a man who sees things as they are.  In black.  And, in white, ...with just enough red thrown in there to keep it interesting.  All framed by nature and warm hues.

So get out there and vote, ward one.  Vote for strength.  Vote for clarity.  Vote for a political sign you can trust.  Vote Dahlby, for Alderman.

(Not paid for or endorsed by any political party, much less Mike Dahlby, who probably would deny the friendship of, or, even knowing for that matter, any of the freaks and geeks.  Still though, if he slipped us a case of beer, we would appreciate it and nobody would be the wiser)

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