Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 503; Actor Gabriel Ortiz, Project Cure, Pigeon Racing

This special presentation was produced in high definition by W. edu Tampa St. Petersburg Sarasota. We go to raise. Or rather. Let the race come to us. That's the style that draws them in four feet. Of all boys. Meet an extraordinary trauma to the gun factor. My son. Drove in from which ordinarily couple seats will still cost lunches for kids like gold to people who don't have a clean dressing. And help children far away are being helped by the caring of one woman right here. This volume of a Gulf Coast Journal. WTT production is exclusively brought you really generous I'm going to go down to the many. Building strong unity leaders Martin and down the land. Dear Journal. Our tendency as humans when we meet someone is to

consider what they're like what talents they may have. When the greatest story might be how they got to be as they are their backstories. Gabriel Ortiz is a young actor he works this beautiful Ocelot theatre and others along the Gulf Coast. He is a very talented young man but his greatest story and one he tells so movingly is how he got to be the way he is. Take three steps forward. Pick up the clothes take three steps back and turn to your left and move into the next room. I have heard that several times in the past few years and no matter how many times I hear the still shots the first song with the high is the first day I was in the way it's been this fucking guy this is the story of one

man's journey through pain. Survival forgiveness and accepted as a woman when I was three years old my dad was arrested and convicted the 17 years and sank Wednesday frisson of 43 counts of armed robbery that he admitted to some of the many the one man play called my prodigal son was written by actor Gabriel Ortiz. It's autobiographical about his life growing up told through 13 years of letters to and from his father in prison that I know I have no role you for a long time so I have a lot to tell you. How Gabe Ortiz got to the Gulf Coast can be traced back to his old neighborhood in Soho. The way. I was growing up with my mother who was a heroin addict. My father was in prison for. The first part of my life. His father Manuel Ortiz was a gang banger a crook.

Genie a fair skinned gringa in love. My father introduced her do heroin when. When she was still pregnant with me. Both had children from previous marriages. I have six brothers four on my mother's side. There is two on my father's side four of my brothers have. Been in jail for everything from. Attempted murder to armed robbery manslaughter addictions sales and possession. Yet young Gabe managed to escape the influence of his surroundings. My family were my angels. In a strange way. I had all of my brothers to protect me they didnt have anyone to protect them. She used to call this house a shooting gallery and that's where my mom would cop from

different drug dealers in town. I seen people die in that house. She says disturbing snapshots of that life were revealed in the play. She's good with me. First thing is this drug. I gotta do this song. And I can do all these other things and I can be the momma you always wanted me to be. He could cry victim to his childhood and rightfully so. But he doesn't. Talk about connecting the dots where we can we can look back at our life with. Regret or we can look back and say what that. Experience. Connected me to this experience. And because of that I went there and because of that I'm here and I can't resent my mother for her life. I mean because of how I grew up. It's made me into the man I am today. Coming around this corner here.

I remind of a part of my play where we're talking about my dad's arrest and my brother actually was looking outside of that classroom window he was looking outside the classroom window he looked down and there was these cop cars that were all the way around the corner. So man I got up I ran up the classroom I took off down the stairs. This punk tried to catch me but I jumped the fence and I went to the house and he was already in the cop car when I got there you know and I walked up to him and he says something like You know I'll be back soon. Remember what I told you. And as I pulled away from the curb. I picked the sort of rock star thrown about the car than you know. He never came back. Manuel Ortiz spent the next 12 years in San Quentin. I loved my dad. I didn't know anything about him. I knew I mean he and I had a special bond and he really raised me from prison and I want you to listen to me and see

OK hey look at me when I talk in the prison Amy easy. Nor was it easy for a 13 year old to watch his family fall apart. Remember this was the spot where on the last day that we were to evacuate from my home. My mother sat me down here. She sat right next to me. And she said you know son I I want you to know that it's not always going to be like this. And. She said but for the next couple months you know I may have to start taking up prostitution. I may have to. We may have to live in a hotel. And right at that point my grandmother drove up and they sat in the car and I sat and watched them for about an hour. I told her that she could come live with me but she couldn't have any more drugs. And. She stayed for a while but she went on her way and. I had my baby boy that took care.

Mord dropped Gabe says connecting him to the next phase of his journey. And that was I think a really life changing experience because suddenly I went from all of this you know this environment riddled with you know drugs and and violence and gangs to a place that was safe and and warm and and a place that I think really changed my life at a point that I needed that to change. Because had I not I don't know what would happen. So. Whenever you love somebody. And you want to do what you can do for them that doesn't make any difference how many children you have gave. Grandmother was strict. Respect was mandatory. So was church. Church is where Gabe fell in love with theater. I saw the power that it had on the community. And immediately I was hooked

and I think that opportunity gave me an outlet for all the rage that was going on inside of me. More dots connected more doors opened gave graduated college at Cal State Northridge got his master's degree in acting at Penn State the first in his family to go to college the only one to get a degree. Mom. Mom look at me mom look at me. I promise you that I'm never going to leave you OK. Mom look at me. Part of his thesis was to write direct and perform his own one man show. Why you don't believe me right. You think mom is a liar. Dave created an autobiography based on conversations with family members and letters written while his dad was in prison. That's the last thing I want my enemies to see. My focus was to take that story and trace the effects of incarceration on the

family telling me I'm a gay began to write he realized it was less about incarceration and more about his own spiritual journey. Through that process I realized that. For me. 100 percent Forgiveness isn't possible. Because there was so much that I held onto. But what was important was that. I come to terms with them. I come to. Accept them. And so although forgiveness was impossible 100 percent acceptance was the name of the play in my prodigal son after the biblical tale of the young man who loses everything and returns home to seek forgiveness from his family much like his own dad. Sure he was the alcoholic and the drug addict and the bad husband the bad father in the wife beater and the scammer and the schemer. But he was mine. He was mine.

And he was my prodigal son. After college Gabe bounced from East Coast to West performing in regional theater. A connection to Sarasota both theater led him to the Gulf Coast. I met so many wonderful actors. I learned so many things about how to work professionally. What she sees you baby might be should act differently with you. He's performed in several productions at the ASA low the back lawn and the banyan theater companies. Good morning good morning. Let's go. But his latest Leading Role is the one he prefers the most let the benevolent elements the role of educator. Oh benevolent. Benevolent. Right at Oasis middle school he is Mr. ORCI vice principal. The title requires teaching administrative and transporting students to and from school.

Are you saying now Julie that I smell of war for me. He's a success story walking into the classroom each day that he deals with them. And because he's so genuinely loving and caring and supporter of them the children the DNA with the things that they deal with that they see that he's overcome. What are some different ways that you can I see myself in most of those children. I'm blown away with what they bring me and I'm blown away with these experiences even at this age 11 12 13 that they've already they've seen more light than so many children in America today. It really touches you in a deep deep way. You ready. Just because I see God in front of you why not take me to jail and I did not do anything and I know I did either. My my hope is that I will work with children from 13 to 22 alongside professional artists in the creation of original urban theater. That's my goal.

Hi dad. How many OK. Yes schools fine. You know I hate math. Fourteen years after his release from prison Manuel Ortiz finally saw Gabriel's portrayal of years of their lives on stage. What she said that you never wanted to have me. And I called her a liar because it isn't true. Right. There was one point where I'm talking on the phone to my father and looking out towards the audience and he s he sort of in the back by himself. And I was looking straight into his eyes when I said this. And. And when I get them you know. I'm going to be the best damn daddy in the world. OK. I promise you I mean. I love you son.

Manuel Ortiz died six months later. Gabe accepted his redemption. So often people look back and say I regret that I wish I would've never done that. But the experience of it is what matters. Everything that I've. In the spirit of everything that I've done in my life. We are not all given to tell our stories so touchingly. Of course just so we're aware of them. Just so we know. And then knowing our backstories what than what to make of the rest of our

lives. Well this was one Gulf Coast woman's answer. Judy Kraut is a retired nurse who lives in Venice Florida where. Her storage space doesn't hold furniture from up north that won't fit in her Florida House. These are simple functions. Alcohol pads it holds medical supplies boxes and boxes of them destined for hospitals in developing countries. So there's a lot of people who need a lot. I just said you know I think. Well maybe we could find you know a stethoscope blood pressure cough or something around to. Ask a few friends.

She could not have known what that initial idea would grow into. She got her husband Bill a retired neurosurgeon involved. We both had the medical backgrounds. And. It just seemed like they had. A relatively easy thing to do. Soon they were driving up and down the Gulf Coast collecting supplies. Come morning how are you. Doing. OK fine. On this day they visit a warehouse for Tide Roll hospice. Right. Yes for you. That's perfect. Perfect supply is ordered for hospice patients who have passed away get a second life. The majority of these would be scrapped they'd be thrown in the dumpster. Due to expiration dates or simply not having any need for the. Points and we also as Judy and Bill began their work they discovered much of what is so useful overseas would go wasted if it stayed here. Oh that was that was the magic for me. Because I've worked in hospitals for

30 40 years and I never realized he. Had just a case of changing equipment and what happens to very good equipment which is considered quote outdated in America. But actually it's very basic very functional. So in the long run it's everything they throw away is our game plan just like yours like gold to people who don't have a clean addressing. Judy and Bill's efforts are part of a larger endeavor called Project cure. It's an organization that delivers medical supplies to needy hospitals around the world. The first agenda team to make sure a facility can make proper use of the drugs. Then project your team's return to hospitals that get supplies to make sure they're used as intended. I wouldn't do it unless they had these checks and balances. This is verified and that's what that's what I like.

It gives confidence to donors too. It's nice because you can tell the people you know I can guarantee it's going where we say it's going to go. On this breezy morning Judy bill and some other members of their church are ready to unload to storage spaces. Well I think if we do it like a chain thing we have every right in there. There's no glamour in this work there's little glory. You get charges. But still rich in rewards just mostly satisfying. You know since I finally have the time. And we think it does good. Anybody can write a check. But I think if you just put forth a little bit. More effort. You know you can do all kinds of. I guess. That. A child lying sick in an African hospital will never meet Judy crowd. Might never know that her road to recovery began half a world

away. In one woman's. Heart. Here in the journal we've often covered races athletic competitions of many kinds. But never a race quite like this. Never racers as beautiful as these. In the remote place 100 miles north of Sarasota County it's shaping up to be a fine day. For the braces. This weekend's pigeon race begins with very little fanfare. Hundreds of birds first from their cages. It's a breathtaking. Beautiful sight. Eventually each bird will find his way to a finish line many many miles away.

One hundred nineteen point six miles away to be exact is where Dick Bachman wait and watch is. That's the sound that draws them in four feet. Thirty nine pigeons competing in two races this day all are flying back to their destination. Dick's backyard in Englewood each pigeon has. A perch he claims as his own and he'll fight to defend it. That's where he spends the day and sleeps the night. And and this is what he flies home for. Dick has been racing pigeons most of his life. He is a proud member of the Charlotte Harbor homing pigeon club. To him every race counts. That means every second counts the time it's ten forty five and 22 23 24. Nearly three hours have passed since Dick's pigeons and more than a thousand others were released to

race. He says Soon they'll be in sight and we have a bird's eye view. Modern pigeon racing got its start in Europe in the mid 19th century. The pigeon loved and respected for its stamina fueled by their tremendous pickerel was the pigeon can fly up to 70 miles an hour. What is most mysterious and amazing to every pigeon racer. No one is exactly sure just how these flying athletes find their way home. Cornell University had a program going for years to try to figure out how pigeons and bees and other birds navigate their way back and no one can find out how they do it. Yet it's not undeniable unknown keeps pigeon racers so excited about the game. Want kids. These pigeons must cross the official finish line. This small trap which is also the front door of their home at the base of this trap are the sensors and each pigeon has a ring

on his leg. And when that pigeon with the Chippering steps on the sensor it goes electronically and it's registered in the clock. Hi David this is Dickie. Dick dials up his competition to see how fast their flocks are flying in reverse and you have. All you have nine good. Very good. I have 25. You're And there's a feed in a frenzy. Dick dashes inside to his computer where he enters his race results to Club headquarters. Well the results are up here and it looks like I was lucky enough to win. And the time was fairly fast. Eleven hundred seventy nine. Yards per minute. Dick's prize winning pigeons make it back home in less than three hours and off to win him a few bucks and eventual trophy to add to his collection and bragging rights at least for the week.

Let me just get a big kick out of it. If I didn't win any races I would do it. Charles Lindbergh once said If I had to choose I would rather have birds than airplanes. Dick Bachman agreed. Occasionally as we close a volume of a Gulf Coast Journal thanking you hoping you'll be with us next time we would like to take a moment for what we have come to call poet tah graffiti. A bit of poetry and a photograph. On the Gulf Coast there's always beauty around that we oblivious past by ignoring. We're too busy. But if only we'd found those orchids suspended if we'd gone exploring with eyes full open and hearts aware we'd have seen the radiant stained glass of plants.

We didn't know were there. And the magical moon set and the grid view whose. Beauty to devour. We disregard settling for a far less nourishing snack lesson to learn really hard when offered a banquet. Why eat a Big Mac. No more to say feast on beauty today. All right ready but probably by 0 5 UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP UP ABOVE A bottom of a bot above above above a buff. But I've got a body got a body got a lot of got a lot of got about a got a body got fun I've got a body got bought out by the bodyguard by that by the by the by the OK Fifi foolish father fix the

feathers of the fence a farmer Finlay you can order this or any other volume of a Gulf Coast journal with Jack Perkins on high quality before the ad lib called 1 800 3 5 4 9 3 3 8. Or visit our website at W edu dot org and. This w edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. Building strong communities leadership partnership Anytown philanthropy.