Local

 The tenth season of Wisconsin Life on PBS Wisconsin offers plenty to get excited about. Host Angela Fitzgerald connects viewers with people whose passions, experiences and expertise celebrate the best of Wisconsin, introducing new stories from every corner of our state. And this season has a very local highlight.

Middleton pilot David Tan was featured in an all-new episode of Wisconsin Life, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 on PBS Wisconsin. The episode is now available to stream at pbswisconsin.org/WILife and on the free PBS video app on all streaming devices and Smart TVs.

Originally from Singapore, Tan learned to fly while attending boarding school in England. He went on to join the Singapore Air Force and flew rescue helicopters. These days, his rescue missions look a little different. He works with Pilots N Paws, an organization that matches aviators with animals in need of rescue from natural disasters or overcrowded shelters.

After over two hours of discussion, the Middleton Common Council voted 7-1 to approve the first reading of an amendment to the Future Land Use (FLU) Map, which would designate the western half of 2159 Allen Blvd as “avenue mixed-use” and the eastern half, which borders single-family homes, as “established neighborhood.”

Plots designated as avenue mixed-use could be used for “wide range of indoor and outdoor retail, service, office, institutional, and residential uses outside of the downtown area,” according to city documents. “These are generally larger and/or more intensive than business in the Neighborhood Mixed Use category.”

The City of Middleton is proposing to repeal and replace Chapter 10 (Zoning Ordinance), Chapter 22 (Sign Code), and Chapter 33 (Outdoor Lighting Code), and to adopt a new Zoning Map. Upon adoption of the ordinances and new zoning map, all properties in the City that are not located in a Planned Development District will receive a new zoning classification. 

A hearing on the possible changes will take place Tuesday, November 14 at 7 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers, 7426 Hubbard Avenue.

Emergency open-heart surgery at age 47 forced photographer Cameron Gillie to make significant lifestyle changes. He started to combine exercise and photography, a practice that evolved into the biggest photographic project of his decades-long photography career: to hike and photograph the Ice Age Trail.

Gillie set out to tell the story of Wisconsin’s landscapes, communities, and people by backpacking the 1200-mile-long Ice Age National Scenic Trail. His recently published photography book “Around Wisco: Hiking the Ice Age Trail” chronicles his journey as he explored Wisconsin on foot.

The beautiful 264-page book is a mixture of photojournalism and nature photography. Cameron documents the scenic landscapes left behind from the last ice age. In addition, he photographed the small towns he passed through and the proud hard working people who call Wisconsin home.

GREEN BAY–Gordon Eugene Ellis, 75, of the Village of Howard, sadly passed away from a sudden brief illness on May 17, 2023 at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.

He was born on April 19, 1948 in Baraboo, Wisconsin, the second oldest of eight children of Riley J. and Alberta E. (Harms) Ellis, who later divorced on Aug. 30, 1977. 

In 1967, Gordon graduated from Marshall High School where he was on the school's football and track teams, high school chorus, served as a student council representative, was a member of the Marshall "M" letterman club and the All-School play, and he was elected as senior class president.

MIDDLETON–Laughter yoga is a form of the art that using yoga breathing techniques along with laughter exercises to help alleviate stress and depression. The technique brings more oxygen into the blood stream making its practitioners feel heathier both physically and mentally.

Now laughter yoga is available in Middleton at the William "Sonny" Simon, VFW Post 8216 every third Saturday of the month beginning at 10 a.m.

The class is led by veteran and VFW member Stephen Lee.

MIDDLETON–Middleton Fire District (MIFD) Battalion Chief Brad Subera received the First Responder of the Year Award for Wisconsin Assembly District 79 (Middleton), which is represented by Alex Joers.

On October 17, first responders from across Wisconsin were recognized in the State Capitol with a First Responder of the Year Award for their service and sacrifice.

Subera said he learned of the award when MIFD Fire Chief Aaron Harris called to see if he was home so he could stop by and delivered news of the award on his arrival. 

Both Harris and Adrienne Leslie, MIFD Office Manager wrote letters of support leading up to the award.

“I was surprised and honored,” said Subera who has spent 31 years with the department. 

Subera began as a volunteer for MIFD in 1992. “When it sparked my interested was the TV show ‘Emergency,’” he quipped.

At the time he was working at Gordon Flesch, and several coworkers were volunteer firefighters.

MIDDLETON–Retired Middleton City Administrator Mike Davis has found a volunteer gig to occupy part of his time and allow him to share his knowledge of Middleton history.

Davis has long been involved with studying history and he and his wife, Julann Jatczak, have been members of the Middleton Area Historical Society (MAHS) for more than 20 years. Davis was on the organization’s board of directors for eight years, the last three of which he was president.

“I have a passion for history,” Davis said of his decision to start up Stroll & Tell, a walking tour of Middleton history. He said he came up with the idea and Ruth Bachmeier, current MAHS president came up with the name. The late Jeff Martin, who also served as MAHS president, created a flier for the event.

The tour discusses 15 landmarks in downtown Middleton and is just under two hours long. “Fitting it in to an hour and a half was a challenge,” said Davis.

MIDDLETON–The City of Middleton Plan Commission reviewed the latest changes to the draft zoning ordinance, which will overhaul the existing zoning codes when adopted. A public hearing for the ordinance rewrite is set for the Nov. 14 plan commission meeting.

City Planner and Zoning Administrator Mark Opitz reviewed the changes starting with single family zoning districts. Opitz presented three options: option one would add duplexes and two-flats as conditional uses in areas zoned single family residential; option two would add duplexes and two-flats as permitted uses in single family zoning; and option three would expand areas on the zoning map where the two-family zoning districts are applied.

Opitz said the conditional use option is problematic and staff do not recommend the third option because it does not align with the goals of the zoning ordinance rewrite.

MIDDLETON–Middleton Police Department (MIPD) officers responded to a call last week that left a building damaged, a pedestrian injured and the suspect in the hospital.

Police were called to the Ace Hardware at 2540 Allen Blvd. at 7:18 p.m. on Oct. 11 for a car that had driven into the building. Upon arrival officers discovered the driver had intentionally rammed the vehicle into the building and was stealing items.

The driver then pulled the vehicle out of the building and fled the scene. In the process the suspect hit a pedestrian and then another vehicle. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released.

Police disabled the vehicle a few blocks away, but the driver refused to get out. MIPD requested assistance from Madison Police Department and the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, including a negotiator.