From our readers

Letter to Editor:

This letter is in response to Supervisor Darrell Enix’s letter to the editor dated July 11, 2012, in which he indicates his support for the emergency services. We would like to clarify background information relating to the decision to purchase the tender (tanker) truck for the Fire Dept.

The tender truck was purchased with the help of a 95/5 grant from FEMA. The initial decision to apply for a grant was approved by the previous board on February 16, 2009. The initial grant application was denied. A second grant application was submitted on May 28, 2010, with the $189,000 grant being awarded on January 14, 2011. Based on the terms of the grant, FEMA would pay $179,550 and Brazeau would pay $9,450. Upon finalization of the bid, the cost was $192,515. FEMA paid $179,550 and Brazeau was to pay $12,965.

The Brazeau share was paid as follows: $4,449.50 was taken from the FIRE DEPT. BUDGET and $8,515.50 was taken from the FIRE DEPT. FUND RAISER/PICNIC ACCOUNT. The funds in the Picnic Account come from the generosity of the residents and friends of the Fire Dept. Key decisions leading up to the acquisition of the tender truck were made PRIOR TO the current board, which was elected in April 2011.

One other point omitted from Supervisor Enix’ letter is the December 20, 2011 vote in which he and Supervisor Hanna reduced the amount of the LOSA (Length of Service Award) payment. For those who are unfamiliar, LOSA is a program that is co-shared by the State of Wisconsin and volunteer emergency service organizations. It is designed to help municipalities keep their volunteers interested and active over time. Each volunteer member must earn the required amount of points to be eligible for the program and must participate in the program for 20 years to be fully vested.

At the inception of the program, the State’s maximum contribution matched the Brazeau contribution of $250 per qualified member. The State annually increased its maximum contribution until reaching $316.38 per qualified member this past year. On December 20, 2011, Supervisors Enix and Hanna voted to reduce the Brazeau contribution back to $250, thus reducing the State’s contribution down to $250. While this difference may not sound like much money, when you combine the state and local contributions and multiply it by 20 years, the difference does add up for our dedicated volunteers. Perhaps if Supervisors Enix and Hanna would have volunteered for our town, they would understand the importance of this program.

Please vote for Gerald Kempka and Rodney Gretzon on Aug. 14, 2012.

Supervisors Enix and Hanna MUST be recalled.

We sign this letter as ACTIVE 33-year Charter Members of the Brazeau Volunteer Fire Department.

Hubert Wiedemeier,

Gerald Kempka,

Robert Wardecke

To The Editor:

OUR MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT SUICIDE

By: Father Ron Rolheiser, OMI

Every year I write an article on suicide because so many people have to live with the pain of losing a loved one in this way. I rarely go for even a week without receiving a letter, an email, or a phone call from someone who has just lost a family member to suicide. In virtually every case, there is a corresponding sorrow that there really isn't a lot of material out there, religious or secular, to help console those left bereaved. A friend of mine, who through some very dark years has had to work through the pain of losing her husband to suicide, plans one day to write a book to try to offer consolation to those left behind. There is a desperate need for just such a book.

When someone close to us dies by suicide we live with a pain that includes confusion ("Why?"), guilt ("What might we still have done?"), misunderstanding ("This is the ultimate form of despair") and, if we are believers, deep religious anxiety as well ("How does God treat such a person? What's to be his or her eternal destiny?")

What needs to be said about suicide? At the risk of repeating what I have been writing year after year:

First, that it's a disease, something that in most cases takes a person out of life against his or her will, the emotional equivalent of cancer, a stroke, or a heart attack. Second, that we, the loved ones who remain, should not spend undue time and energy second-guessing as to how we might have failed that person, what we should have noticed, and what we might still have done to prevent the suicide. Suicide is an illness and, as with a purely physical disease, we can love someone and still not be able to save him or her from death. God too loved this person and, like us, could not interfere with his or her freedom. Finally, we shouldn't worry too much about how God meets our loved one on the other side. God's love, unlike ours, goes through locked doors, descends into hell, and breathes out peace where we can't. Most people who die by suicide will awake on the other side to find Christ standing inside their locked doors, inside the heart of their chaos, breathing out peace and gently saying: "Peace be with you!"

But I also receive a lot of very critical letters every year suggesting that I am making light of suicide by seeming to lessen its ultimate taboo and thus making it easier for people to do the act: Wasn't it G.K.

Chesterton himself who said that, by killing yourself, you insult every flower on earth? What's about this?

Chesterton is correct, when suicide is indeed a despairing act within which one kills oneself. But in most suicides, I suspect, this is not the case because there is huge distinction between falling victim to suicide and killing oneself.

In suicide, a person, through illness of whatever sort, is taken out of life against his or her will. Many of us have known loved ones who died by suicide and we know that in almost every case that person was someone who was the antithesis of the egoist, the narcissist, the over-proud, hardened, unbending person who refuses, through pride, to take his or her place in the humble and broken scheme of things. Usually it's the opposite. The person who dies by suicide has cancerous problems precisely because he or she is too sensitive, too wounded, too raw, and too bruised to possess the necessary toughness needed to absorb life's many blows. I remember comment I once heard at a funeral. We had just buried a young man who, suffering from clinical depression, had committed suicide. The priest had preached badly, hinting that this suicide was somehow the man's own fault and that suicide was always the ultimate act of despair. At the reception afterwards a neighbor of the man who had died came up and expressed his displeasure at the priest's remarks: "There a lot of people in the world who should kill themselves, but they never will! But this man is the last person who should have killed himself; he was the most sensitive person I've ever met!" Too true.

Killing yourself is something different. It's how some of the Hitlers pass out of this life. Hitler, in fact, did kill himself. In such a case, the person is not too sensitive, too self effacing, and too bruised to touch others and be touched. The opposite. The person is too proud to accept his or her place in a world that, at the end of the day, demands humility of everyone.

There is an infinite distance between an act done out of weakness and one done out of strength. Likewise there is an absolute distinction between being too bruised to continue to touch life and being too proud to continue to take one's place within it. Only the latter makes a moral statement, insults the flowers, and challenges the mercy of God.

Submitted by

Tina Tappy,

2012 Walk Co-Chair

Dickinson Co. Out of

the Darkness Walk

Editor:

Once again, the perilous efforts of a small group of interested persons gathered in August 2011, to plan and organize the 2nd Annual Marinette Logging and Heritage Festival. We gathered with excitement and optimism and promised to be inspired by the hope of putting together another festival that would showcase our City and make this a successful event for the residents of our community.

A change in date was imminent with Marinette always having a celebration on the 4th of July. July 4th is always a “floating” holiday and difficult to get volunteers, parade entries, crafter/ vendor participants, bands, entertainment and other activities to make this a fun-filled family orientated festival. Costs involved are extremely high to fund an event on a holiday. In the past, Marinette & Menominee were fortunate to have very active Jaycee chapters who provided a July 4th celebration for the community. This no longer exists. The committee choose ”Marinette this is YOUR festival” as a theme and vowed to proceed forward with plans. Each member of the committee put tireless time and effort into the different areas of the planning. In spite of negative comments from many, we were able to move forward.

Thank you to all who assisted in the planning and staging of another festival. Once again, your belief in what we wanted to accomplish was incredible. Each of you provided a unique part of our committee. Your dedication made the festival happen once again.

We thank all the sponsors, the numerous businesses, community organizations and concerned citizens who assisted, and the city police department and EMS staff kept everything running smoothly. Volunteer musicians entertained on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. It takes a huge amount of people to make this happen!

Once again, I am very proud of Marinette, our rich history and the wonderful people who live and work here.

Judy Alwin,

Marinette Logging,

Heritage Fest Chair

Dear Editor:

The Crivitz Food Pantry, which has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, currently serve approximately 200 families monthly. We are fortunate to have donors who contribute the funds we need every year. One of our most successful fundraisers is the raffle ticket sale coordinated by the Crivitz Business Association.

It’s that time of year again - the annual raffle ticket sale has begun. Many businesses in and around Crivitz have these raffle tickets for sale. In addition to a chance to win fantastic prizes, you are giving money directly to the pantry. Tickets will be sold at the Brat Fry in front of Witt’s Piggly Wiggly Aug. 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by and support the Crivitz Area Businesses and the Crivitz Area Food Pantry.

Thanks in advance for your generosity.

Cara Behrendt,

Crivitz Area Food Pantry

Recent stories, opinions and photos

Issue Date	Department	Headline
05-16-2013	Front Page	Mike, Anita Folgert Are Recipients Of Touhey Award
05-16-2013	Front Page	Predicts New Learning Center Will Be “A Shining Light” For Marinette Schools
05-16-2013	Front Page	Tourism Draws Millions For State, 4 County Area
05-16-2013	Front Page	Water & Sewer Committee Moves Ahead With Loan
05-16-2013	Front Page	Commend City Officer’s Work On Murder Case
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Lorna M. Techmeier
05-16-2013	Obituaries	James R. Schaut
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Nora E. Salewsky
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Ralph R. Runge
05-16-2013	Obituaries	James P. Reindl
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Uta Rasmussen
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Virginia Ellsworth Plier
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Ursula J. Peters
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Walter J. Moucha, Sr.
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Kasimir Melnyk
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Bernadette E. Meek
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Shirley Jean Johnson
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Julie N. Jeske
05-16-2013	Obituaries	George L. Hayden
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Patricia L. Gomber
05-16-2013	Obituaries	James A. Erickson,
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Frank M. Dudek
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Judith A. Carrillo
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Shirley Ann Bishop
05-16-2013	Obituaries	Donald M. Allard
05-16-2013	Sports	Marinette Golfers Win Menominee Meet; Bieberitz Is Medalist
05-16-2013	Sports	Track Regionals To Begin May 20
05-16-2013	Sports	Peshtigo Captures M-O Conference Crowns
05-16-2013	Sports	Coleman Finishes Perfect�Again!
05-16-2013	News	Set Babysitting Class for May 25
05-16-2013	News	Town Peshtigo Sets Cleanup Day
05-16-2013	News	Marinette Legion Brat Fry Dates
05-16-2013	News	Church Dinner, Auction May 19
05-16-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
05-16-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
05-16-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Grand Germany Tour Sept. 15-24
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Blood Drive is June 10
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Memorial Services Slated May 27
05-16-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wausaukee Students Help Plant Nursery Stock Trees
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	Jeff Diges Memorial Bike Run June 29, Hold Pool Tourney
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	TB Rescue Bake, Rummage Sale
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	Co. Elderly Golf Scramble July 12
05-16-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz Sister Cities Future On Line At May 22 Meeting
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman High School Graduation is June 1
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	2 Top Coleman Seniors
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	Fine Art Nite at Coleman School
05-16-2013	Community - Coleman	Coleman Services for Memorial Day
05-08-2013	Front Page	Marinette Police Memorial To Officers Lost In Duty
05-08-2013	Front Page	City Adopts New Sewer Rates, Fire Dept. Fees
05-08-2013	Front Page	Co. Move Toward Medical Examiner Model Rejected
05-08-2013	Front Page	Centenarian Marks Birthday May 5th
05-08-2013	Front Page	Folgerts Chosen For Touhey Award Recipients
05-08-2013	Front Page	Million Dollar Bail Set In Homicide Case
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Irene Zoellner
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Lila V. Tippett
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Clarence E. Treptow
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Dennis L. Tachick
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Roger K. Schiefelbein
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Sharon A. Ronan
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Robert Ranallo, Sr.
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Jerry Rakowski
05-08-2013	Obituaries	James Prefontaine
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Spencer B. Patz
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Lila E. Miller
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Patricia Mathey
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Helen J. Lemery
05-08-2013	Obituaries	William H. Keller
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Alice Johnson
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Ronald Cedric Henning
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Algin T. Hendricksen
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Paul G. Grunwald
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Cheryl Lynn Gallo
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Gyneth Gadtzke
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Crystal Ann Gabriel
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Curtis P. Frank, Sr.
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Della A. DeStarkey
05-08-2013	Obituaries	Daniel P. Barney
05-08-2013	News	Girl Scout Carnival at Peshtigo June 2
05-08-2013	News	5th Annual EMS 5K Walk/Run
05-08-2013	News	Brazeau Annual Fundraiser July 27
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Wagner Board Meets May 14
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	SC Fire, Rescue Auxiliary May 13
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Lions To Clean Hwy. 180 May 11
05-08-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Legion Post 66 Meeting May 11
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	CHS 5K Run/ Walk is June 1
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	Legion Trap 22
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	Middle Inlet Plans for Memorial Day
05-08-2013	Community - Crivitz	Middle Inlet Plans 33rd Annual Reunion
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Area Cadets at State Challenge Academy
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Parkway Ladies Start
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Comins Graduates Basic
05-08-2013	Community - Coleman	Graduates Basic
05-08-2013	Sports	Wausaukee Golfers Win 9-Hole M-O Tournament
05-08-2013	Sports	Bulldogs Grab M-O Lead
05-08-2013	Sports	Marines Shine At Home Invite
05-08-2013	Sports	Coleman Clinches M-O Title Share
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Patricia J. Waschbisch
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Bessie Riley
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Russell D. Thurow
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Anne Schumacher
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Janette B. Perry
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Marilyn Mc Keefry
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Timothy J. Lynch
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Donald J. Kubiak
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Marilyn Mc Keefry
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Reino L. Lampinen
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Lonnie L. Kasbaum
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Dave Gajeski
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Gyneth I. Gatzke
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Virgil L. Erdman
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Albert J. Demers
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Bernard L. Courchaine
05-02-2013	Obituaries	David Campbell
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Roy Bylund
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Dale P. Bundy
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Gerda M. Barrick
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Antoinette A. Bacon
05-02-2013	Obituaries	Bonnie R. Artz
05-02-2013	Front Page	Peshtigo Woman Murdered
05-02-2013	Front Page	Crivitz High School Ranks 22 in Survey
05-02-2013	Front Page	Heyer Changes Plea in Murder
05-02-2013	Front Page	City Parks, Recreation Director Marquardt Takes County Job
05-02-2013	Front Page	Public Hearing On 4 Ordinances Precedes May 7 Council Meet
05-02-2013	Perspectives	From our readers
05-02-2013	Perspectives	Tales from the old-timer
05-02-2013	Perspectives	Country Cousin
05-02-2013	Sports	Oconto Falls Girls Dominate Invite
05-02-2013	Sports	Suring Cruises To Track Sweep; Cops 22 1st Place Marks
05-02-2013	Sports	Bulldog Booster Bash On May 4
05-02-2013	Sports	Coleman Improves To 6-0
05-02-2013	News	Walking Club To Paddle on River
05-02-2013	News	Pound Senior Club Meeting is May 6
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Car, Lightning Cause Outages
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	SC Fire, Rescue Auxiliary May 13
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Ladies Luncheon at Assembly Church
05-02-2013	Community - Wausaukee	Eight Wausaukee Music Students Advance to State
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	Crivitz High School 2013 Graduation Ceremony May 18
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	OWI Task Force Town of Stephenson
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	List Theme for July 4th Parade
05-02-2013	Community - Crivitz	CYI Summer Youth Programs
05-02-2013	Community - Coleman	Smarter Than 5th Grader at Coleman
05-02-2013	Community - Coleman	Pound Senior Club Meeting is May 6
05-01-2013	Front Page	Suspect Will Face Homicide Charges In Marinette County
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Roger C. Winter
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Alfred W. Weissgerber
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Josephine H. VandenBush
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Julius Torzala
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Anna Szkolny
04-25-2013	Obituaries	Sylvin J. Steffes