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By David Nordby The Brillion News BRILLION – The City of Brillion is looking into a potential public-private partnership (P3) with Integrated Public Resources LLC (IPR). IPR, which is a McMahon Group company, presented at the Brillion City Council meeting last month on the potential partnership. The city has been gathering more input from various groups around the community since that night. The proposed scenario would include IPR purchasing assets of the water and sewer systems in Brillion. In return, Brillion would then take that money and be able to use it where they wanted. Potential options that have been discussed include a new fire station or police station. As part of the deal, IPR would be hired to build the stations or other possibilities that will be discussed. Initial meetings between the city and IPR took place late in 2015, before the decision was made to have the introductory presentation last month to introduce IPR to the city planning, RDA and utility commissions. McMahon has had a relationship with Brillion since the 1990’s and speaks with the city multiple times a week for ongoing projects they’re involved in. “The main goal is to not ruffle any feathers … We want to continue to work with the city,” TJ Lamers, IPR’s project manager, said. This was a notion that IPR repeatedly emphasized during their presentation as well. With all the variable parts that are moving and the ways the city could use a potential sale for their benefit, the city wants to make sure they discuss every detail. Mayor Gary Deiter says the city will not rush into decisions. “We’ve gotta make damn sure that if we go in this direction that it is right,” Deiter said. According to Deiter, community members haven’t been negative over a potential deal but some might have been scared off due to unfamiliarity with public-private partnerships. “We’ll be going to each committee,” Deiter said. “We’re trying to get clarification.” IPR meanwhile will wait to see if there’s anything else that the city needs, including that clarification. “The ball is pretty much in the city’s court, at this point,” Amy Vaclavik, said. “McMahon has had a long relationship with Brillion and I think we’ve built that trust over time,” Lamers said, regarding any worry that community members may have. After a nearly hour long presentation from IPR, some of those concerns were brought up by one member of the RDA, Ralph Rice. Many members of the community sat around the table excited at the prospect of working with IPR while others sat confused. Rice was able to bring up questions that hadn’t been brought up to that point, vocalizing the potential downside of giving up assets of the city. While the city waits to decide what their next step will be, Rice still doesn’t believe he can get on board with a partnership. “You start talking about transferring assets to a fixed asset … I don’t think any city should ever condone that,” Rice said. Please see the complete story in the March 17, 2016 edition of The Brillion News.

NOTE: The following is an opinion piece. The opinions stated in commentaries, here and otherwise in our newspaper, are those of the author and not The Brillion News, Zander Press Inc. or the owners or staff. The Brillion News welcomes letters to the editor to respond to this or any other topic of interest. Commentary by Ed Byrne There are few things you can count on in modern society, but here’s one you can take for granted: the Wrightstown Village Board will be dealing with an ordinance to regulate parking recreational vehicles on residential lots. The issue began with aesthetic concerns. Some folks felt that village streets were starting to look like a trailer park. Actually, we have been building toward this point for a long time. If you look at a picture of a residential street taken 100 years ago, you’ll notice a big difference between that and a similar photo taken today. The difference: no garage doors on the front of every home. In many ways, we have become such a mobile society that home is not where the hearth is, but where the garage is. It is where we park all of our vehicles. Home is where we sleep, grab something to eat on the run, watch TV or play video games, and occasionally – if we’re lucky – interact with our family and with neighbors. Our mobility, thanks to the internal combustion engine, has made our home into little more than a bed and breakfast – or a motel where we happen to get our mail. There are several reasons why Wrightstown has the trailer park problem. Please see the March 10, 2016 edition of The Brillion News for the complete commentary.

The Brillion News WRIGHTSTOWN – A 28-year old Wrightstown man man was injured late Wednesday afternoon when his Jeep Cherokee crossed the centerline of County U, north of Wrightstown, and collided with a straight truck. The Eagle III EMS helicopter was called but later cancelled and the injured man, Jeremy J. Nutt, was taken to St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay by a surface ambulance. His injuries are not believed to be life threatening. The Wisconsin State Patrol said the crash happened on County U near French Road, the east frontage road to I-41. Nutt’s truck collided with a larger truck driven by Gary G. Beining, 49, also of Wrightstown. He was not injured. The Brown County Sheriff’s Department, Wrightstown Police, Greenleaf Fire Department, Wrightstown Fire Department, Eagle III and County Rescue all assisted the WSP at the scene, which is in Outagamie County.

NOTE: The following is an opinion piece. The opinions stated in commentaries, here and otherwise in our newspaper, are those of the author and not The Brillion News, Zander Press Inc. or the owners or staff. The Brillion News welcomes letters to the editor to respond to this or any other topic of interest. Commentary by Ed Byrne The state legislature’s initiative to permanently revoke the licenses of serial drunk drivers is a joke too. As in the case of that crash that killed the Hobart couple and left two teens orphaned, the accused drunk driver had already lost his license to revocation and paid no attention to the laws saying he couldn’t drive. Then there’s a Denmark man, charged with his 10th or greater OWI on February 23. In 2012, he was sentenced to four years in prison plus four years of extended supervision for felony drunk driving. He was ordered, at his sentencing, to not consume alcohol. That guy should have been locked up for life, just as we already do with serial sex offenders. Lock them up and wait for them to die in prison. Please see Ed Byrne’s complete commentary on sports and life in the March 3, 2016 edition of The Brillion News. The commentary also features Ed’s take on the Old Glory Honor Flight program.

Barbara Jean (Lasee) Klann, age 68, of Reedsville, WI  died naturally on Friday, February 26 2016. Barbara attended West DePere High School, graduating with the class of ’66 and furthered her education at Holy Family School of Nursing and Silver Lake College.  She was a member of the Reedsville Lions/Lioness Club for many years, and an active member of Holy Family Parish.  Family and friends will remember Barb’s passion for needlework, crocheting, knitting and sewing.  She was an excellent cook and loved spending time gardening. Barb is survived by her Family, Father of their children: Michael Klann;  their children: Jennifer (Stephanie) Engles-Klann , Jill (Al) Foth, Christopher (Sarah) Klann; and 5 Grandchildren:  Erin, Lucas, Elijah, Oliver, and Ella.  She also leaves behind her siblings Sr. Sharon Lasee, Gary (Joyce) Lasee, Carol Kekula, Mary Holl, Mark (Peggy) Lasee, Julie (Rollin) Gridley, Margie Lasee, and  Randy (Cindy) Lasee, and brother-in-law: Duane Buechler.  She will also be sadly missed by her many nieces, nephews, in-laws, other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister: Joanne Buechler, and a brother: Donald Lasee, and other in-laws. Funeral Mass will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2016 at Holy Family Catholic Church in Brillion.  Officiating at the Mass of Christian Burial will be the Rev. Timothy Brandt. Family and friends may call at the Wieting Funeral Home at 215 S. Main St. in Brillion from 6:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.   A prayer service will conclude the visitation at 7:30 p.m., officiated by Rita Heraly.  The visitation will continue on Thursday morning at church from 10:00 a.m. until 11:15 am. In lieu of flowers the family has requested donations be made to NAMI National Alliance on Mental Illness in her name.

The Brillion News WIAA girls’ basketball playoff games continue on Friday, February 26, with games at 7 p.m. The games are regional semi-finals. Winners advance to the finals on Saturday, February 27, at 7 p.m. In Division 3: Wrightstown hosts Sheboygan Falls on Friday. The winner advances to play the Oostburg-Southern Door winner on Saturday. In Division 4: Reedsville hosts Shiocton on Friday. The winner plays the Algoma-Mishicot winner on Saturday. In Division 5: Hilbert hosts Heritage Christian on Friday. The winner advances to play the Oakfield-Sheboygan County Christian winner of Saturday.

The Brillion News The Brillion varsity boys’ basketball team was given a first round bye as the No. 3 seed in the WIAA Division 4 tournament. The Lions open play on Friday, March 4, against the winner of the Weyauwega-Fremont vs. Kewaunee game (which will be played at Kewuanee on Tuesday, March 1). Wrightstown was given a No. 2 seed in the Division 3 tournament, and also opens play on March 4, hosting the winner of the March 1 game between Oostburg and Two Rivers, which will be played at Two Rivers. In Division 4, Reedsville (seeded 10th) opens  play Tuesday, March 1 at No. 7 seed Stevens Point Pacelli. The winner advances to play No. 2 Algoma on March 4 at Algoma. Reedsville and Brillion are in the same subsectional and could meet in the regional final on Saturday, March 5 In Division 5, Hilbert (seeded No. 5) opens on March 1 by hosting No. 12 seed Milwaukee Eastbrook Academy. Stockbridge opens on March 1 at No. 1 seed Milwaukee Young Coggs Prep.

Joan R. Nass, age 80, of Bellevue, formerly of Manitowoc, entered eternal life on Monday, January 18, 2016 at her son and daughter-in-law’s residence in Bellevue where she has resided the past 14 months. She is survived by one son and daughter-in-law: David and Dianne Nass, Bellevue; three grandchildren: Jamie, Jordan, and Britney; two brothers and sisters-in-law: Ronald and Annie Zutz, Valders; Roger and Kathy Zutz, Valders; two sisters and brothers-in-law: Carol and Robert Gvorak, Sturgeon Bay; Elaine and Alex Lau, Brillion; numerous nieces, nephews along with other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents: Hillary and Bernice Zutz; her husband: Charles Nass; two brothers: Gerald and Hillary Zutz Jr. Funeral services will be held 5 p.m. on Friday, January 22, 2016 at First German Ev. Lutheran Church, 1033 South 8th Street, Manitowoc. Officiating will be Rev. Benjamin Schaefer and Rev. Christopher Hoppe. Burial will take place on Monday morning at Evergreen Cemetery, Manitowoc. Relatives and friends may call at First German Ev. Lutheran Church on Friday from 3:30 p.m. until the time of services at 5 p.m. Following the funeral service there will be a dinner held at the Harrigan Parkside Gathering Center, 620 North Water Street, located on the south property of the Harrigan Parkside Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate memorials in Joan’s name to First German Ev. Lutheran Church. Online condolences to the family may be sent to www.harriganparksidefuneralhome.com. The Harrigan Parkside Funeral Home and Crematory, North 11th and St. Clair streets, Manitowoc, is assisting the family with funeral arrangements.

The Brillion News BRILLION – A concern over prayer during work hours at the Ariens Company in Brillion came to a conclusion on Thursday, January 14. Corporate spokeswoman Ann Stilp released a short statement about the situation, which involved a group of about 40 employees that the company described as “Somalis and/or employees of Muslim faith working here.” Stilp said Ariens had been allowing them to take paid time to pray during work hours, in addition to breaks scheduled for all employees. The company said that was disrupting production, and was unfair to non-Islamic employees. Ariens made a decision to ask employees to pray only during scheduled breaks, and told Muslim employees on Thursday. Stilp said most of them quit after Ariens announced its decision. Some did not resign and no one was fired. Stilp said those who left could return to work under the conditions outlined by the company on Thursday. This is a developing story. A complete report will appear in the January 21 print edition of The Brillion News.

The Brillion News GREENLEAF – It’s tough keeping a secret from Gloria Berg, but the members of the Greenleaf Volunteer Fire Department managed to keep the owner of the D&G Restaurant in the dark and deliver a surprise last Saturday at the height of the cafe’s morning rush. The firemen assembled at the fire station three blocks to the east, and headed for the restaurant, armed with a plaque and more than 25 years of memories. The plaque thanked Mrs. Berg for her abiding support of the fire department. Serious health problems hospitalized her in November and December, and she was unable to work for nearly two months. Gloria’s husband was a member of the volunteer fire department until his death and Gloria always shows up at fire scenes with sandwiches, sweet rolls, soup and coffee for firefighters. “She is a big asset to the community,” Fire Chief Joe Daul said. “It was emotional. She wanted to go around and hug everybody.” A complete story and photos from the emotional gathering are featured in the January 7 print edition of The Brillion News.

The Brillion News HOWARD – Sister Celine Goessel, a member of the Sister of the Holy Cross, came out of retirement to fight human trafficking and she has organized a regional presentation to show people what the problem looks like in northeast Wisconsin. Goessl, who lived in Askeaton for two years, said the problem is growing dramatically in smaller cities and rural areas – as the purveyors leave larger cities where human trafficking, particularly sex trafficking, is targeted in aw enforcement crackdowns. “Wisconsin is among the top five states that have the worst human trafficking activity – and Green Bay has sort of become the hub,” she said. “This past year, the Chicago and Milwaukee police departments have been tightening up and doing stings, picking up a lot traffickers and johns – the sex buyers – and putting them in jail.” She said the pimps have picked up and moved their operations into smaller communities, including here in northeast Wisconsin. A informational program on human trafficking in northeast Wisconsin will take place on Saturday, January 16, from 8 a.m. to noon at St. John the Baptist Church, 2597 Glendale Avenue, in Howard. Organizers would like to know, by January 9, how many people are coming. Pre-registration is handled on-line at https://htawarenessevent.eventbrite,com. The event is free.

The Brillion News BRILLION – The Zander Press Inc. Family/Individual Challenge to raise funds for the Brillion Optimist Club Indoor Splash Pad Fund has been met; however, those still thinking about donating $250 for the cause will be able to due to the generosity of the Brillion Optimist Club. “We would like anyone that would like to get a match within the deadline Zander Press provided to be allowed to get one,” said Sarah Pielhop. Therefore, any donations made before the Jan. 15, 2016 deadline will be matched by the Brillion Optimist Club. Zander Press first issued the challenge in December in an effort to get more families and individuals to donate toward the Indoor Splash Pad fundraising efforts. The donations from businesses and organizations has been excellent but Kris Bastian threw out an idea to her sisters and business partners about creating a Family/Individual Matching Challenge. The idea was nicely received by people within the community allowing the $5,000 donation from Zander Press to become a $10,000 donation. If you would like to donate $250 towards the Brillion Optimist Indoor Splash Pad please contact Pielhop at 920-242-2025 for more information. The offer expires on January 15, 2016.