- Announcer: The following program
is a PBS Wisconsin original production.
- Angela: Coming up on Wisconsin Life:
[metal clanging] Meet a woman restoring hot rods,
[engine roars deeply]
a coach guiding teens to success...
- One, two, three! - Students: Lancers!
- ...a couple with a heavy metal garden,
[metal clanks]
and a barber cutting hair and jokes.
[laughter]
It's all ahead on Wisconsin Life!
? ?
- Announcer: Wisconsin Life is funded in part by:
Alliant Energy,
Lowell and Mary Peterson,
American Transmission Company,
the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming,
and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.
- Hello, I'm Angela Fitzgerald and this is Wisconsin Life.
I'm gearing up for our next stop,
as I visit the Motorama Auto Museum.
The non-profit museum is in Aniwa
and has over 400 vehicles on site.
There are sports cars, motorcycles,
and even an auto boneyard.
The museum's mission is to educate and preserve
20th-century automobiles,
while offering a place for motorheads to gather.
With several buildings on the property,
there are plenty of chances to see
some of the rarest and most unusual vehicles.
Including over 60 vintage Alfa Romeos,
one of Italy's most famous luxury sports car brands.
The museum also holds events like the motorcycle Rash Rally
and Central Wisconsin Military Show.
It sees hundreds of visitors a year.
We'll get a chance to check out more of the collection here later on.
But first, let's meet a woman who's passionate
about restoring hot rods.
[soft music]
We travel to a body shop in Randolph
to learn about how a car lover
found her life's calling.
[soft country music]
You might think Cemetery Road in Columbia County
is where old cars come to die. [Molly laughing]
- No!
Dead cars come back; to go back to life.
They come here to be driven again.
- Angela: Molly Gursky is making sure
some classic cars never die.
[car door shuts)
- Hi, guy!
I have always been encouraged
by my family, especially my mother,
to be a strong, independent-minded person
and who really cares what other people are gonna think.
You do something that you find passion for.
- Angela: Her passion has propelled her
into the male-dominated muscle car business.
[upbeat music]
- I was definitely one of almost no girls
in auto shop class at West. [laughs]
I can weld all day long,
work with metal, grinding, cutting, forming metal.
It's so satisfying.
It can be very frustrating, don't get me wrong.
It's a puzzle.
So close!
I had a nickname when I was growing up.
That was the "puzzle queen."
So, I like having to think through the planning process,
making the templates,
and you take ownership of it.
I love that feeling.
There you go.
- Angela: It's the love of her life that fueled
Molly's success.
- Molly: Steve is my husband.
We met when I was a senior in high school.
And we have been inseparable ever since.
We live together. We work all day together.
We've got two kids.
You want me to do that? - Steve: Sure.
- Steve has been a huge inspiration for me.
He has stood behind me and shown me the way
on how to build a car from the ground up.
Ha, ha! I win.
- Steve: If you're not confident, you might as well not be doing it
'cause you're just gonna keep making mistakes.
- Just these two? - Mm-hmm.
- Molly: Okay.
- And that's not an issue for Molly whatsoever.
[impact wrench whirring]
- Molly: Steve treats me as an equal,
so we're both equally in charge of our time, our schedule,
our business.
Well, I got my side. [laughs]
- That'll work.
Perfect.
- Angela: Perfection is what the Gurskys aim for
and making it better than new.
- Molly: It's sort of redneck engineering,
but it looks the part, that's the important thing.
It has to look correct...
...and work. [laughs]
[starter turning, engine not starting]
[starter stops]
Hey, she shut off.
So this is one of the vehicles
that has been a very, very long journey in getting it built.
It's hot.
It was used as a parts car,
so anything of value was ripped from it.
Now, we're turning it into one of the rarest
1972 Charger RT
with a 440 and a six-pack under the hood.
And that is one of the most sought-after muscle cars ever.
And it is going home very soon.
Our customers are mostly located in Wisconsin.
There is a very strong culture
of having cars as family heirlooms.
- Angela: Their customers become like family,
their cars like kids,
including one of the Gurskys' favorite builds.
- Steve: It's probably the 1951 Ford Custom Convertible.
- It was purchased new from Grinde Motors in DeForest.
And it has been local ever since.
It turned out absolutely immaculate.
The look on the owner's face was so priceless.
That one made me cry, that reveal did,
just 'cause you could see the joy.
I'm building somebody's dream.
- Angela: And at the same time, Molly is living hers.
- This was my dream to own a business.
It was Steve's dream to build amazing cars.
And now, we're doing it together.
I love the cars.
[deep purr from engine]
I love the horsepower.
[engine revving]
And I love doing burnouts.
[tires squealing]
? ?
- Angela: Now the story of a Madison mentor
who's using his talents to make a positive impact
on teens in his community.
- Those are all things we kind of elaborated on.
You know, every day you leave the house,
don't just be a good guy in front of me.
You know, be a good guy when I turn my back.
I'm Will Green.
I'm the founder and executive director of Mentoring Positives.
[upbeat electronic music]
This is a mentoring program that I started
in Madison in 2004.
We work with kids from a socio-emotional standpoint
to help them be successful adults.
We primarily serve the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood.
Darbo's been one of Madison's
longest-running challenged neighborhoods,
drugs,
not having a lot of resources, right here.
But these are good kids. They're in conflict.
That's what we do, is grab 'em and say there's another way.
- Hi, everyone! - How you-all doing?
- Y'all seniors, right?
So y'all gotta make sure y'all get here,
'cause it's not about one, two people.
It's about everybody. Y'all bring it in, man.
One, two, three! - Students: Lancers!
- All right, good, everybody find a partner.
I'm the head coach at Madison La Follette
for the girls' varsity basketball team.
The one bounce is defense,
and then the next one is like Foot Fire.
Okay, you ready?
[cheering and clapping] Yeeaaahhh. - Girls: Defense!
- I teach a lot of life skills through the game of basketball:
perseverance, working hard, teamwork,
being a good person outside the basketball court.
[soft guitar music]
Man, basketball to me when I was growing up,
I just loved to do it.
I had a great coach that taught me the fundamentals
at a very early age, and
I started to build this confidence in myself,
which I wasn't a very confident guy.
I went to play at UW-Eau Claire.
Led the team at three-point shooting,
free throw shooting, assists, steals.
- Becky Green: I was a freshman and he transferred there as a junior.
I was a cheerleader at the university...
[chuckles] ...while he played basketball.
- Will Green: We got married August 2002.
And, I got to dance with my mom, my first dance.
[soft piano music]
She had me when she was 14.
I never had a father, so I was a "mama's boy."
She was a very caring person.
The loudest person at my games.
She taught me how to take care of myself
and I love her for that.
My mom was dealing with breast cancer.
By January 2003, she was bed-ridden
and she passed away that year.
I thought how could--
You know, you go back to regular life
with this loss.
It just pushed me over the edge
to start a mentoring program.
Her name was Muriel Pipkins
and for me to give back and honor her name,
I took the "M" and the "P" and I created Mentoring Positives.
[kids chattering, bouncing balls]
Oh, you gotta keep moving.
Oh, okay, Ralphie.
Good pass!
At Mentoring Positives,
I use basketball as a hook.
[upbeat music]
They all think they're going to the NBA.
I don't crush that dream, but they got a better chance at being a doctor or a lawyer.
And so, I just use that as a platform.
Play some D, arm's length!
A lot of these kids should be playing for a high school team.
They just may not make the team because their grades,
they get in trouble, for whatever reason.
So, I'm taking 'em out to have games outside of the community.
So, we'll go to the Dells, to Rockford.
I wanna provide that atmosphere for them
of being a part of a team and being out there,
'cause I know how big that is.
You know, I'm just wondering what y'all thinking
about y'all future?
What do you think that's gonna look like?
- My plan is to go to Ohio State University
for marketing and business, 'cause over there they'll have--
- Will: It is so valuable to have a mentor
to bounce stuff off of, get advice from,
and really have somebody for guidance in your life.
- CJ: Will Green.
If you ever need somebody to talk to,
that's like the person to go to.
Before we get ready to hoop, he'll be like,
"Basketball is cool and all, but there's more to it.
"I'm, like, evolving you guys as young men."
- Will: Okay, let's get one!
- Rapheal Ragland: My father wasn't always there
and that was one of his main things about not having a father
and what could we do to still succeed
without having there father and be there for our kids?
That was one of the biggest lessons that I took.
[inspirational piano music]
- Becky Green: Especially the kids that we work with,
they see that he's genuine.
They know when people care or not, and Will cares.
He allows them to see him.
To really see who he is.
- Will: Kids wanna be a part of community, because we all do.
It's inside of us to be accepted and wanted,
and it's on us to make them feel valued and seen.
Every kid I'm working with
is one caring adult from being a successful adult.
I've always felt like I've had an angel looking over me.
My mom, I think she would be...
...so proud of what we've done.
Every day I push the love that she had for us
to all kids and families.
They're yearning to be a part of a community
and we're gonna give 'em that.
- I'm at Wisconsin's largest auto museum in Aniwa
to check out their historic collection.
[playful, high-energy music]
Powerful engines, vibrant exteriors and rare cars,
the Motorama Auto Museum has it all.
[upbeat jazz music]
The curator of this museum once raced cars,
and is now an expert on the collection he helped build.
- Well, it started as my collection of cars,
which was eclectic and rare automobiles.
It is now the Motorama Auto Museum, a 501 non-profit.
- Very nice!
And so, how many vehicles do you have
as part of your collection?
- There's over 400 vehicles here.
- Oh, wow. - There's quite a few people
that are into cars and vehicles in general
that are getting older.
They want them to be preserved,
and so, their goal is to save this stuff.
- That's awesome!
And make it available to the public? - Correct.
- So what can visitors expect when they visit the museum?
- Well, each room is a different genre.
We're standing in the race car room.
There's one that's weird cars.
There's the boneyard display.
There's a whole variety.
So, there's something to interest everybody.
I love these old cars.
I look at 'em as history,
so they need to be preserved.
The really, really rare stuff
needed to be where people could see them.
There's an awful lot of cars here that are one of a kind,
one of two, one of five.
You don't want them to be sold
and wind up in some rich guy's garage, never to be seen again.
So, that was the real basis for starting the museum.
- Angela: Wonderful. Can we check out more? - Sure.
- Let's see what we have in here.
Our first stop was to the bike barn,
home to some pretty uncommon automobiles.
- So this is an Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider.
Giulia means "little jewel."
It was Italian and sexy and fancy.
- Angela: And there are different features that they put in their car?
- Tom Zatloukal: Yes, every car has its own little unique thing.
The big point about these was
the styling and the effect when you drove them.
They made cool noise.
- Oh, okay. - And it's a two-seater.
It's a fun car.
It's a car you go on a date with.
- Angela: Absolutely. You drop the convertible top back; people can see you.
- Oh, yes. - Very nice.
Can we check out some more cars? - Sure! - Awesome.
- Tom: This is a Packard Cavalier, 1953.
- Angela: It's beautiful.
- They were special because of the wild colors.
It had the big motor in it.
This particular car has had a total of three owners,
including a museum.
It has 23,000 miles. - Oh wow, that's it?
- Yeah, that's why you keep it for a museum.
- Angela: Because it's so well preserved.
- Yes. How you can tell your Packards apart:
if the wings stand up, it's a normal one.
If the wings lay back, it has the big engine.
- Because the-- whatever bird this is, going faster because--
- Yes, yes, yes. - Aha, I get it! I get the visual aid.
- Also, it has all the gold plating on it.
- Angela: So, tell us about this one.
- This is a 1952 Jaguar 120 Roadster.
- Mmm, very nice, so Roadster meaning like the two seat?
- Tom: Two seat, yes. - The convertible? - Yes.
- Okay. - Yes.
This particular car is known as "Pat's Jag."
- Angela: Who's Pat?
- Pat was a friend of mine's wife.
- Hm-mmm.
- And I restored this car 40 years ago for her.
And she loved it and cherished it.
And, she passed on.
After that, the car was never driven again.
So eventually, Ed says it needs to come to the museum--
that was her husband-- and so there it is in all its glory.
No, you cannot buy this car.
- [laughing] I mean, it is a nice car.
Thank you so much. - Okay, you're welcome.
[upbeat jazz music]
- It's an amazing collection that continues to grow
year after year.
[soft music]
Next up, we meet a farmer and a blacksmith in Primrose,
using heavy metal to spruce up their farm.
- Michael: The old story is that from 12 years old,
I always said I'm not gonna stay here,
and so I was always looking for a place
where I eventually would end up.
[machine clanging]
Everybody in Germany is dreaming about seeing the Grand Canyon
and Yosemite and whatever else.
So I just traveled, and I came actually through here.
I always make this story, and it's true, my car broke down
and I couldn't find anybody to fix it right away.
I said this is a really nice area.
Then when I finally decided to make it a move
to United States, this was my destination in the end.
- I'm the oldest of five children and I'm the only girl.
When I was born, my dad told my mother,
he says, "You know, we're gonna have to have some boys
"because if we're gonna farm, we're gonna need some farmers here."
And he loves to tell this story
because I'm the only one that's on the farm.
[gentle guitar music]
- I lived just down the road here and I knew Marsha's son.
And so I approached him one time.
I asked him whether his mom would teach
horseback riding lessons, Western style.
And he said, "Well, we can probably make something out."
And so he found himself a willing guy
for exchanging horseback riding lessons
for helping how to make hay.
- My first husband was diagnosed with cancer in '95
and this came about in '96.
And it was good because I had been his caregiver
and it was terminal, and we knew that.
So, it gave me a chance to get out
an do what I enjoyed doing and spend some time out there.
A reason to be out.
There were three times,
and I remember each of them very well,
when after we got done riding,
Mike would come in and visit with my husband,
and bring a book, bring some chocolates, whatever.
And each time after he left,
after that little visit,
my first husband would always say,
"My, that's a nice young man."
And to me, after he passed away and time went on
and our relationship from a friendship resolved
to be much more,
I thought it was really nice that my first husband
approved of my next husband.
[bright music]
We always had beef and we always had hogs.
I always had horses.
Then after that, I also got involved in gardening,
extensive gardening.
And I found an outlet with the restaurants in New Glarus.
I've been doing that for probably 15 years, if not longer.
And then other things have come up, too,
with the lavender and we sell Christmas trees.
- Michael: I'm a terrible shopper.
But when we got married, I said, "When it comes to birthdays,
"anniversaries, or Christmas, or anything,
"I am gonna make something different here.
"I'm gonna make you something for your garden,"
because with all the perennial gardens
that we had already at that time,
I could always make something
that would be fitting into the background.
On the other side, also if it's a bigger item,
then it's for a few years, it's not just for one.
- And I think the thing too that
what he's created in all these structures,
I love perennial gardening
and I love designing pathways and little--
you know, he would make a structure,
and I'd say, "Okay, it's got to go somewhere."
I wanted a labyrinth path in the prairie,
but I didn't wanna make a formal labyrinth path,
'cause it would cut down too much of the prairie,
so I just made a meandering path that I mold
and it goes to the center, which is the way they work.
And then there's a stone to sit on and there's an oak tree,
because it's Single Oak Farm.
But I wanted something to show the entrance way to that,
'cause when people come for the Garden Stroll,
they could never find the labyrinth path.
- Michael: The Garden Stroll being our annual fundraiser.
- Marsha: Yeah, we've done that for--
This'll be our 11th year
and we've done it for many different causes over the years.
It's quite a day; we usually have 100, 200 people here,
depending on what we're raising money for.
And it's all given back to whoever we're putting it for.
- Michael: So you're looking everything from--
We did Haiti, we did--
- Marsha: We did Pine Ridge one time.
- Michael: Pine Ridge, and we partnered with food banks.
- Marsha: It started with the Habitat build
that we did in Mount Vernon.
(soft music)
- When it comes to designing something,
I really like the idea that it should be something
that has symbolic or has-- I usually tell my clients,
it should be personalized.
Otherwise, custom work? I mean, what's the use of it?
You wanna make it personalized,
because it will be your piece after it leaves this shop.
There's a monument for Sandy Hook.
Kinda said, you know, there's gotta be something
that I wanna do about it.
When you're doing what I'm doing,
you feel the need to express yourself because it's something
that not exactly makes you burst or anything,
but certainly it leads you to creativity
in order to get that out of your system.
- Marsha: I mean, I think we've complimented each other
on what you've done and what I've added.
- Angela: For our last story,
we join a barber in Chetek who's been cutting hair
and telling jokes for a long time.
[upbeat banjo music]
For the last 60 years, the people of Chetek, Wisconsin
have depended on two things:
good fishing...
...and Harry Bossany.
- My wife calls it, "Floyd's Barber Shop."
She calls me the mayor of Knapp Street.
[laughs]
She says I don't miss a thing.
She said, "You see something, you go check it out."
[laughter]
- Angela: It's that acute sense of awareness
that makes Harry's Barber Shop the place to be
for the need to know.
- He knows everybody.
He knows everything about Chetek.
I mean, if you wanna know something before the paper,
you come and ask Harry.
- Well, right now, I'm I think by far
the oldest businessman in town.
And I can remember when I was younger,
there was a few older guys
that if you wanted to know something about way back,
you looked them boys up and ask them the question.
Now, they're coming to me! [laughs]
Oh boy, yeah.
- Angela: The daily scuttle might be what draws people in,
but it's the last that makes them stay.
- Well, you must be pretty special.
- Well, my wife... my wife don't think so.
[both laugh]
- The wisdom that flows from the jokes,
I mean, you saw it.
The minute you walk in, he's got a joke for you, you know?
- Just trying to find your good side
and you can't find it! - Yeah, there isn't one. - [laughs]
I wish I'd have saved a dime every haircut I gave.
I'd own this whole town by now.
[laughter]
- Angela: It's that quick wit that people have grown to love.
- Harry's Harry. Everybody loves Harry, everybody.
I'm sure his wife does, too. [laughs]
- He's "Floyd" from the barbershop in "Mayberry."
I mean, he listens to polka music every morning.
[polka music]
- Angela: For many, Harry is one of a kind.
- When Harry even retires, it's gonna be--
I think it's just gonna be a loss for this city.
There'll never be anybody like Harry.
- We got a lot of jokes; we got a lot of--
You feel good when you come here.
- [men laughing]
- Angela: And for the people of Chetek,
Harry is everything they ever wanted in a barber.
- Yeah, I've been here a long time.
Yes, a lot of people do know me.
Yeah, that makes me feel old. [laughs]
And I am old! I shouldn't say that.
[laughs] Oh boy, yeah.
- That's a wrap from me today. It's time to go.
If you'd like to learn more about the people and places
you've seen today, including Motorama Auto Museum,
visit WisconsinLife.org.
If you know someone with a story to tell,
email us at: Stories@WisconsinLife.org.
Next time on Wisconsin Life :
- Flush this end up.
- Meet the organizer of an all-girls' construction camp.
- Mmm!
An illustrator helping kids to discover their superpowers.
- Thought later on in life,
I would love to do art for kids in the hospital.
- A furniture maker channeling Frank Lloyd Wright,
and a mixed martial arts fighter.
- I didn't know a single thing
about what the sport even was. [laughs]
- That's next week on Wisconsin Life .
I'm Angela Fitzgerald, and this is our Wisconsin Life.
Tom, let's roll.
[car starts and revs]
[inspirational music]
- Announcer: Wisconsin Life is funded in part by:
Alliant Energy,
Lowell and Mary Peterson,
American Transmission Company,
the Focus Fund for Wisconsin Programming,
and Friends of Wisconsin Public Television.