I would like to nominate Rita Crundwell as Dixon’s person of the year. Who else did more to put our town on the map in 2012? Unfortunately, no one. I wish it weren’t true, but we must face the truth. She has made Dixon famous.

Of course, this nomination is not for her good works. We all know the story by now. As city comptroller, she ripped off the city of Dixon to a tune of $53 million. We’ll see very little, if any, of that money.

Her notoriety has spread across the state and the Midwest. Friends of mine were on a cruise through the Panama Canal this past year, and they heard people talking about Rita all the way down there.