From Kriss Marion

Blanchardville

To the Editor:

This year I had the pleasure of taking my grandson to his first Pecatonica Homecoming. As in so many of our small towns, dozens of people contribute to our Blanchardville celebration and lots of graduates come back home to make floats and throw candy to the kids lined up along the parade. I’m so grateful for all who contribute. It’s always a terrific time, and a great opportunity to showcase our home-town pride and energy. 

One of my favorite parts of this year’s parade was 51st Assembly Candidate Leah Spicer marching down Main Street with a baby on her back and two little ones in tow. Noticeably absent from our little parade was incumbent Assemblyperson Todd Novak, who is also the (perhaps overly-busy) mayor of Dodgeville. 

It got me thinking about whether I’d seen Mayor Novak in other parades this year, or whether I’d seen him out and about at other local functions lately. I haven’t.  I haven’t seen him out knocking on doors either. Have you? 

Novak has also refused Spicer’s invitation to debate, and in fact the last time Novak agreed to debate was against Jeff Wright, right here in the Pecatonica auditorium, SEVEN YEARS AGO. I don’t know about you, but I want to be represented by someone who’s confident enough and respects voters enough to get out and show them what he or she believes in, incumbent or not.

But debate preparation, parades, and door knocking take work, and that’s what I like about Spicer. She knows how to work. She’s raising three small children, helping out on her parents’ farm in Iowa County, serving as the Clyde town clerk, and running a farm-to-table restaurant she owns with her partner. All of this while knocking on doors every day and marching in parades big AND small.

If you want an assemblywoman who will produce results, then you want someone who has already produced them in the form of something as wildly successful as Spicer’s restaurant, Homecoming, which opened to rave reviews in the midst of COVID and continues to have lines out the door of the historic White School in Spring Green. I want success for Blanchardville and all of Southwest Wisconsin, so on November 8, I’ll be voting for Spicer and success instead of the same old same old tired status quo. It’s time to up our game!