In racing this is known as the homestretch. In football, the two-minute warning. Crunch time. Gut check. To journalists, a pressing, drop-dead deadline.

Yes, entries to the much heralded, much imitated and much anticipated Contest to Replace the Above-Pictured Columnist are due Friday. This Friday. Anytime before midnight Pacific Daylight Time. The Large Judging Body will be up late Friday evening to be sure entrants adhere strictly to the deadline.

Winning this contest cannot be overestimated. For various winners over the years, it has led to permanent employment, national syndication, marriage proposals and even a seat on the Davis City Council.

Yes, last year a native — though relatively unknown — Davisite named Dan Wolk entered the contest on a wing and a prayer. Such a longshot was he that his emailed entry originally landed in the “junk” mailbox of the Large Judging Body.

Nevertheless, young Dan was selected as a winner of the contest and within weeks his name had rocketed to the top of the long list of candidates to replace Don Saylor on the Davis City Council.

Saylor, who has never won this contest, was relegated to an obscure position in Woodland and was never heard from again.

Davis newcomer Linda Katehi, a resident of College Park, entered the contest on a lark, yet after her winning entry was published, she rapidly became a household name in a town known for famous people.

The Above-Pictured Columnist, meanwhile, has never won this contest and has now been laboring in the same job for 42 years. So much for upward mobility.

As noted several years ago in this Final Warning column, our town’s politicians are extremely shy about entering any sort of writing contest. It could be fear of failure, or worse yet, fear of success. After all, if they win, they’ll be committed to whatever they promised in this space. And if there’s anything a politician runs from, it’s being locked into a course of action.

Dave Rosenberg, former mayor of this town and advisor to governors, was a strong exception to this rule. He was never shy with his opinions while in office, and now offers his opinions regularly while wearing a black robe in the Yolo County courthouse.

Herb Bauer was a multiple winner of this contest, but it took his wonderful entry several years ago to convince this town to throw him an incredible 100th birthday party.

I have been asked several times why the deadline was moved back a week after the contest had started. The reason is simple: Davis is full of procrastinators.

Plus, with the public schools beginning two days before the deadline, maybe we’ll scare up an entry or two from the talented youth of this town. That would be a bonus well worth waiting for.

To reiterate, any subject is fair game. Agreeing with my opinions, whatever they are, is not required. In fact, it’s a sure recipe for disaster.

You can write about issues dear to Davisites, dear to your heart or not dear at all. You can ever write about deer hunting, dear or not.

Come to think of it, even though this is the last time you’ll be gently reminded about Friday’s deadline, you still have six full days to get this thing done. That’s at least six times longer than most journalists get from start to finish.

The ball’s in your court. The Large Judging Body awaits your reply. Anxiously.

— Entries to the Contest to Replace the Above-Pictured Columnist are due Friday, Aug. 26. Entries may be about any subject and should be between 400 and 800 words in length. Email entries to [email protected], and include the author’s daytime and evening telephone numbers and a brief biography.

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