Taking notes on Nicolet By Tom Murphy News-Chronicle Imitation is, they say, the sincerest form of flattery. If that adage still holds water (is that possible?), Nicolot National Bank ought to be flattered three times over. It seems that a bank even newer than Nicolet, Pinnacle Financial Partners of Tennessee, started a local quarterly survey of business conditions in the Nashville area. American Banker said in its online edition, "It is not uncommon for large banks to draw attention to themselves by publishing economic surveys and even employing staff economists to comment and lecture on business conditions. (Song Wong Son of Wells Fargo is one of our favorites - he once returned a call to his Minneapolis office from the Denver airport because of a deadline.) "But it is almost unheard of," the magazine said, "for companies of Pinnacle's size ($348 million in assets vs. $302 million at Nicolet), with resources stretched so thin, to produce their own research." Nicolet claims no copyright. The bank began gathering data in January, 2001, just two months after the doors opened in the 100 block of South Washington Street. We think the address soon will (and should) move to 100 North Washington, that long-vacant corner at Walnut Street. In any event, Nicolet's survey is conducted by David G. Weege of St. Norbert College and lntellectual Marketing. Weege contacts some 200 business owners and CEOs in Brown, Door, Marinette and Oconto counties. Acceptance is such that Nicolet has asked Weege and IM to expand and include Calumet, Manitowoc, Outagamie, Shawano and Winnebago counties - virtually all of Northeastern Wisconsin. American Banker noted that a couple of other smaller banks, one in New York State and one in Pennsylvania, also have adopted Nicolet's marketing tool. It's story, said a Memphis attorney with community banks as a primary client, advises them to take similar positions. "I travel all over the country all the time," said lawyer Jeffrey C. Gerrish. 'I don't know of a community bank that does anything similar. It's a great idea and I'm going to borrow it." Include Green Bay in your travels, Mr. Genish. We'll introduce you to Bob Atwell and Mike Daniels of Nicolet. DIFFERENT NICOLET It is one of the hazards of jourmalism that people read and hear what they want to read and hear, not necessarily what has been written or said. So it is, apparently, with our recent items on Nicolat Natural, the bottled water people, the Packers, and hot and thirsty fans at Lambbeau Field. As we wrote a year ago, the 87-degree Falcons-Packers game brought an almost universal call for complimentary cups of water. No go, said volunteers manning the stands for their charity and nacho and hot dog mogul, Levy Concessions. Our inventory control would be askew if we gave out cups without ringing up a sale. But we allowed a year's grace, given the renovation and expansion. We felt the situation would be reversed this year. It was, partially. Last year's standoff made the Packers' address the situation in a new publication sent to season ticket holders: Requests would be honored for cups of water at no charge. We suggested the Packers ask Nicolot Natural Artesian Water (based near Mountain in Oconto County, not Crivitz in Marinette County as we mistakenly stated) to set up 50 or more stand-alone jugs (10 gallons or more) of water in the lower concourse. Nicolet President Dave Holdbener read our piece and took it to say Nicolet should give away its product. We understand your concern, Dave, since Levy is responsible for consumer policy and price decisions. But we only said the Packers should absorb the cost. Whether or not they told Levy to underwrite it as part of its concessions contract was up to them. In any event, let it be known that Nicolet Natural of Mountain in Oconto County does not control water distribution at Lambeau Field. The Packers and Levy do. And portable dispensers obviously can be removed before the snow flies and tundra freezes. As Holdbener says, "There are only four or five home games where water is a selter." Curbside: The Greenleaf Wayside Bank broke ground last week for a new branch on County DD in Wrightstown. President Dave Krutz said the bank plans to be open in early 2004. The building is about 3,000 square feet. Expansion to Wrightstown has the bank considering a more pertinent geographical name ... Lee Rommel, the Packers public relations director, attended his 115th Bears' game Monday night. Remmel, 79, is a native of Shawano and started covering the Packers in the late 1940s for the Press-Gazefte. His feat made the Sept. 29 issue of Sports Illustrated.