Tom Wolf for Madison City Commission?

The Madison City Commission election isn't until April—heck, candidates can't even start circulating petitions until January 30. So when I saw this campaign sign (photo left) along the highway at Second and Chicago on Christmas Day, I thought maybe jokers were just pulling someone's leg. Then on my Saturday bike ride on our blessedly unslushy roads (15°F—the perfect winter biking temperature!), I saw the second sign, right in Tom and Grace Wolf's neighborhood on North Chicago Ave:


Well. I was going to write about how no one can replace Dan Bohl, who steps down from his city commission seat Monday to ascend to the loftier heights of county government. (On Dan's irreplaceability, the city commission appears to agree.) But these signs appear to indicate that Tom Wolf is ready to do the job.

I'd call Mr. Wolf and ask if he's really running, but I hate to bug a guy during the holidays. I will note that if Wolf is running (and if I'm not confusing him with another Thomas Wolf from Madison), he appears to have plenty of experience in various civic projects:

• Wolf is contributing to the construction of a dam on his land west of Lake Madison to catch sedmiment and improve water quality.
• He has been a volunteer with the Madison Police Department.
• He has served on the Lakeview Township Board.
• Wolf is also a Knight of Columbus.
  

So, is campaign 2009 on? (And is Madison the first town in the state to see a 2009 campaign sign go up?) We have two seats to fill, Bohl's and Karen Lembcke's. Given that petitions aren't due until February 27, we might not hear any other names for some time... which is o.k. with me—I've got a presidential inauguration and the 2009 Legislature to concentrate on!