Wisconsin Life

Announcer

The following program is a PBS Wisconsin original production.

Angela

Coming up on "Wisconsin

Life

"

metal clanging

Life

Meet a woman restoring hot rods,

engine roars deeply

Life

a coach guiding teens to success... One, two, three!

Students

Lancers!...a couple with a heavy metal garden,

metal clanks

Students

and a barber cutting hair and jokes.

laughter

Students

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

is funded in part by

We travel to a body shop in Randolph to learn about how a car lover found her life's calling.

soft country music

is funded in part by

You might think Cemetery Road in Columbia County is where old cars come to die.

Molly laughing

is funded in part by

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. Her passion has propelled her into the male-dominated muscle car business.

upbeat music

Angela

I was definitely one of almost no girls in auto shop class at West.

laughs

Angela

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. 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. 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

Molly

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

Molly

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

Angela

I love the horsepower.

engine revving

Angela

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

Angela

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.

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I teach a lot of life skills through the game of basketball

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

Becky Green

...while he played basketball.

Will Green

We got married August 2002. And, I got to dance with my mom, my first dance.

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Will Green

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

Will Green

Oh, you gotta keep moving. Oh, okay, Ralphie. Good pass! At Mentoring Positives, I use basketball as a hook.

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Will Green

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

Will

Powerful engines, vibrant exteriors and rare cars, the Motorama Auto Museum has it all.

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Will

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. 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. 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

Angela

I mean, it is a nice car. Thank you so much. - Okay, you're welcome.

upbeat jazz music

Angela

It's an amazing collection that continues to grow year after year.

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Angela

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

Michael

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.

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Michael

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

Michael

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. 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. 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. 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

Angela

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

have depended on two things

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

Angela

Oh boy, yeah. 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

Angela

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

Angela

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

Angela

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

Angela

And I am old! I shouldn't say that.

laughs

Angela

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

[email protected]. 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.