Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins; 307; Smith Center for Therapeutic Riding, Firestorm Paintball, Dual Saxophonist Ron Drischel

A special presentation of WMD you Tampa-St. Petersburg Sarasota. We have some nice music for you. Nice but unusual. Tales of feel gone glory gorier fire children fast growing sport. In. The other portions. For some of. Those Once a moment of Griffy in this role of a Gulf Coast Journal. Great writer Matthew. This WQED edu production is exclusively brought to you through a generous grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice. Building strong communities leadership partnership endowed philanthropy. Journal the Gulf Coast is crowded all

co-star. And so for this volume we had just a bit inland to places not quite so crowded places with sweeping rivers and open lands lands on which some exciting things are happening. Some inspiring things. In a wide open pasture just off I-75. Behind an accomplished neighborhood. Here's a place where green. One. Can. Go. Good talking. To the untrained eye it might look like an ordinary stable but it is much more in this pasture is a powerful medicinal treatment and one that can be found in a pill or a bottle but that can be found on Horbay. If you're happy you know it clap your hands.

This is the Smith Center for therapeutic riding. If you're happy and you know it shout. Here children and adults with special needs can improve their physical limitations and quality of life. In a clinic without walls. Yes it's called hypnotherapy Hippo's Greek for horse. In its most basic sense hypnotherapy is using the movement of the horse to elicit a physical change in a rider with special needs. Christy Aylward is Smith's Center's physical therapist. She uses hypnotherapy to treat patients with conditions like cerebral palsy spinal cord injury Down's syndrome even autism. The movement of a horse actually very closely mimics a person's walking. So when you put a child with a disability on a horse's back when the horse moves and instills that movement which is a sensation or movement onto the child and the child experiences that sense of movement that is a good.

Hypnotherapy helps improve coordination posture balance and motor skills. Progress comes sometimes quite quickly sometimes after the first session. Generally I can tell them without a doubt they're going to see it after four sessions. But some parents report after one or two sessions or 30 minutes once a week writers can start as young as 18 months. For Christy earlier treatment translates into more dramatic results. What's in there. I claim for hypnotherapy in 30 minutes it usually takes me three hours to join the clinic and it makes my life a lot easier. I don't have to walk so hard to get the child to engage in the activity. I don't have to make it really exciting to want to get them to climb up the stairs or kick a ball or throw something at a target. I just say let's go ride your horse. And that's really all it takes. OK. Three year old Mikey Rodriguez overcome many obstacles.

Sciolino and dad. Born extremely premature at just 23 weeks. Little more than halfway through his mother's pregnancy Mikey came into this world with the odds against him was born one pound three ounces. They never were sure. First 24. We always had faith. Now we believe in ghosts. Their prayers were answered. But Mikey's early arrival came with a price profound developmental problem for all you know stay stuck in that stage like probably another almost physical limitations were only part of the problem.

He used to do this all the time on the horse and this means I'm overwhelmed. Don't touch me. I can't touch you. I can't engage. Just let me get through this. And I don't know what to do when Mikey's pediatrician prescribed therapeutic riding. His parents weren't sure what to expect. I thought he was going to the track. Like Speedy Gonzalez kind of fires. I never thought like a teenaged horse was used for this kind of event or therapy. It's going to be hard to believe Mike he didn't want anything to do with his horse. Mickey the first few times he came to the Smith Center go. Go. Go. I think she you resistance quickly became results. But. Even though he won nothing to do with his horse he started walking independently after a second session. Do you go. It takes a special

horse to help a child with special needs. Some are retired show horse others former polo ponies. Like service dogs undergoing intense training process before being chosen. I would say sometimes it takes a very special horse with a very certain type of a certain type of personality. A therapy horse must be really patient. Patients have to learn. To use a regular rider. They have to learn how to ride a horse to respond this way. As for the eyesight I have asked him about himself and I feel this for them. To for me to go faster I have to be able to associate. This is a child who needs extra special care and I'm listening to my leader versus my rider. And so these horses have a very special and unique job. You know I saw some funny looking cow physical

progress is easily measured but it's the intangible improvements that are often the most profound. That's the most difficult for me to explain that that's the most obvious when a parent can say to me you know I really couldn't hold my child before they started hypnotherapy they didn't want me to touch them. I couldn't get near them. Now he'll let me hug him even if it's only for two seconds. And that's amazing. Thank you. That's better. That's for Mikey the baby who was in a hurry to come into the world. Well he's still in a hurry. And he's making great strides. He is much more tolerant to changes in his routine. He allows us to touch him touching different feels and textures whereas anything before was almost noxious to him. And now he craves it. Well you might say. From a strictly physical standpoint I really think that Mikey will

level out by the time he's kindergarten age which is in about two years he will be able to play appropriately with his peers on the playground and be safe. And that's what's important. The challenge is for the Rodriguez family had been great. The rewards have been even greater. God gives special kids special. And. I think. We've done. That. Prescription right might seem a treatment too simple for complex medical problems but ask those who have witnessed they'll tell you anything. Is possible in this field. From a field of dreams to a field of combat from a place where people and horses help people. To a place where

people try to pretend they're killing people on the Gulf Coast and across this country. This is one of the fastest growing sports. We begin our survey it out of all places a fire station. The firefighters of Sarasota County station 11 work 24 hour shifts keeping the public safe for one man in particular it's more than a job. It's a family tradition. My dad was a firefighter with the city of Venice Fire Department has now grown up as a kid I was always a childhood dream. Dan Rankin is a firefighter first and foremost. But one day a co-worker showed him an activity that would eventually be back to a different kind of. Fire. One of the guys came in with a paintball gun and you know guys guys will be guys you know as was like it was a lot of fun. So we all went to the store picked up some paintball Quitman went out in the woods started playing and you know right away I was hooked. As the players improved they needed better equipment more equipment. Something

hard to find in the area. So Dan stepped in to fill a need and fire storm paint ball was born. I started out basically with $200 in the back of my truck you know just with some paint balls and within six months I started accumulating enough product to actually open up the sport. Paintball is one of the fastest growing experiences for the world. There are several types who play recreational tournament professional even World Championship. Businesses and church groups often gather to play and build teamwork. There are sponsors and trophies and all the aspects of any popular sport. Dan Kari's equipment for all levels of play. This right here would be here assembled competition PAIP on marker but it also be used for recreational play. Who invented paint ball will the first paint ball marker was invented in 1970 by Daisy manufacturing. The makers of B.B. guns.

It started with people on a farm or out marking trees and cattle with an oil based paint. You put a couple of guys out in the woods you know as some sort of projectile someone's going to end up getting shot. And there are masks and protective garments to protect players from paintballs that fly up to 200 miles an hour. Not exactly pain free. So why would anyone want to put themselves in harm's way intentionally. The rush of sliding into a bunker you've got thousands of bowl colored balls coming at you at once. And the miracle of not getting shot by one is like unbelievable just. It's just an adrenaline rush once that ref says go go go go go. You hit it you got. Here is where the real story is. East of Venice in a field surrounded by clock Ammash inhabited by blow up barricades and people with. Painful warriors. Typically you'll have five guys starting out in one day 9:05 another base. We give them a

countdown of five seven or eight and then we you know call games on Thursday. The youngest warrior on this day is 12 year old column PELLETIERE column has all the gear the belt to carry paintballs the gloves to protect his arms and wrists and the intimidating mask. It's like your adrenaline is pumping all the time and you never know what's going to happen so it's one of the most fun sports I've ever played. Do you like do. To be perfect as if I thought I had. I think I have what it takes to be a professional. I think I. I could. Go. To the very same day and dedicate hundreds of hours to him. Just before the match. The barriers are inflated.

And the players to get pumped. Dan's mother Cecilia likes to watch her son in action. Very true. He's running the business but at the same time he's got so many different ages of children plus adults and different personalities and he manages all of them as parents have often remarked on how well Dan handles the teenagers as the story go. We murder of. Skilled paint ball is become a better marksman team players and communicators. Sometimes the excitement makes it hard to tell who's the kid growing up. Danda remember the 68 year old pastor who found peepholes appeal to Laughland it was carried on and going on like you know like a 10 year

old boy. I thought something else will say this is most money never had a. Good laugh on that he laughed like that. Dan Rankin's steady example of safety and good sportsmanship is right on target for players of any age who want him. On the banks of the makyo river east of Venice. We've been here before to this end of the road refuge called snow cave. Last visit was to see 30 or so old time banjo players whooping it up Meggan delightful music. This time a different kind of music and really different kind of music.

Every Monday night you can hear you can feel the memos Schult the sound of the saxophone filling the air just vanish traveling through the trees along the Makah river. You can trace the tenor and the alto soundscape straight to smoke haven. Where an interesting man and his band make music in a most unusual way. I don't understand what he's doing. If you actually. They say Ron Driscoll belongs in Ripley's Believe It Or Not I can't I can't even imagine. Someone. They call him DEWALL Sachs wrong for his phenomenal ability to play not one but two saxophones at the same time. Get them to other extremities. I enjoy doing it and I'm not doing it just to show

off or anything I just go because I love it. I walk around my house all day. Plan. Plan two horns with melodies running through my mind or playing the melody because it just feels so great. Ron says there are a few musicians in the world who have attempted this feat but none have mastered the range of the repertoire that Ron has become locally famous for. One amazing thing. I've been playing this now. Since 1984. Playing. Said. Not yet. Does. Anybody ever come up and. I'd like to learn how to. Run on the other hand. Desperately wanted to learn long ago. He was born into a musical family. His father Carl was a popular big band pianist Ron learned clarinet when he was a kid but his heart gravitated toward the majestic roar of the sax. He got good enough to play for his state's orchestra. Eventually formed his own rock and roll band main event but Ron's success with only one sax wasn't enough for him.

I felt like boy if I could only play two of them that would really help. That kind of scattered my brain because I as much as I tried. I also found that it was impossible to do this. Or so it seemed to swell. I kept on trying. What I really found out about it was really striking down the past person being just walking off each one born. But I think I must have passed a pretty girl because I'm. A good looking. And as I'm singing that song you know my fingers are almost planned the notes on this and then say wait a minute Ron had a second only finish. He said something just clicked and he figured out how to teach himself how to play dual saxes so I turned around and got my call. You know in just about three or four tries. And that was my first baby on the dual sax. Asked Ron how to explain this extreme hand to mouth coordination. Well here's the lowest note that I

can play on this one. OK. Now here's that same note on the tenor. But I can get one down. So then you just play in harmony. Harmony is amplified by his 14 year old grandson Justin whom he is raising by himself. Well I find that even though it's difficult to play in that sense it's much more difficult to raise a child because the senses are always going to be the same. It's made it's going to make them any different. A child has his own personality. You have to reach. Ron is reaching Justin by what else. Teaching him to play the sax. When I was six I was in the studio with my grandpa and I first blew the horn. Scared you run out of the room.

Justin has come a long way since then. He now shares the snow cave on stage with dual sax ROM and the Hornets. It makes him feel like he's an extension when he's up on the stage play music playing with him but there are some songs that I just walk up the stage. And he plays and I'm like hey I'm like I'm in his shadow right inside of part of me is inside of him urging him on you to play well I'm so proud. He's a good teacher. He's taught me I. Understand. I've been here for such a long time. When I hear my songs I like to ask my grandpa to give me the notes and I can play. Next week I'll. Play. How many kids you know who can play the difficult Harlem Nocturne on the saxophone. Player and how many musicians do you know who will serenade you as you

vote on by. Well whatever I say about. To. Run out. And jump up on a table and give them the old Queen Mary. Hello. Just another part of the show this bluesy old Florida snow cave and the scene word dual sax Rawn Justin and the band. Seem to play right in. I'd certainly like to play in my soul saxes forever. I don't ever lose that ability. Don't be surprised if someday Ron shows up here playing a trio. By himself. Yeah. He's practicing to try to play three sax. At a time. Now the grandfather and his grandson have a bond and a passion for music that is. Twice as much. As we occasionally do we wind up this volume of a Gulf Coast journal with a moment of

something we call poetic Griffy the bringing together of original poetry and original photography. In this case inspired by a photographic expedition up to Wyoming. And by the return home. A. Coming from a state whose highest hill was built by Disney engineers. Perhaps one looks with envy as the Golden Globe. Here's to crown a snowy Teton. The early risers earned reward. And then that sudden mystical bone. The Bible describes as a vow from the Lord. The. Primal beast of past. Of Now. Galloping horses and the plains they roam and the stragglers slowly catching up slowly at his own pace. Heading home

to burnish barns for me. Just past when. They say was West. When the cabin was let the winter in. But also the view they were. We. In Florida are blessed. No Alpine glow but. Oh. My the throbbing hues of Bayside. The. Glaring green so apropos of spring in my Aksana verdant lush. Face of the water. Molten glass. The silent river Grinch. Pass. Right here. There's somewhere a way but. Here. So here's a toast. To those. Who. Prabal. Those who play and return.

Still in love with this. Golf. Poke. You can order this or any other volume of a Gulf Coast journal with Jack Perkins on a high quality DVD format for just 1999 plus shipping and handling. Call 1 800 3 5 4 9 3 3. Or visit our website at WIOD you get. 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 and endowed philanthropy. To