People, Places & Events

Gloria Campos tells what she’s learned
By Pearl Cantrell
Monitor Staff Writer
MABANK–The First United Methodist Church women of Mabank served up quiche and inspiration at their annual Mother-Daughter Brunch May 3.
WFAA-Channel 8’s award-winning news anchor Gloria Campos took each and every woman into her heart as she spoke candidly about her experiences as a woman, mother and granddaughter.
“My grandmother was the most influential person in my life,” Campos said.
She described herself as a young girl watching her grandmother struggle to write her name.
“She would always say, study a lot, you don’t want to become a stupid burro,” Campos said.
Thinking her grandmother’s illiteracy stemmed from her being the child of a migrant worker, she later learned it was because her great-grandfather didn’t believe women needed to be educated.
“See, how far we come – that I came from that,” she said.
Campos, 53, hopes to retire in five years, and gave her list of things she’s learned along the way.
• Never stop learning. Campos plans on becoming a CASA volunteer and a master gardener, all skills she has yet to acquire.
• Count your blessings. Her pet peeve is hearing people complain. Be thankful for who you are and what you have, while you strive for your goals. Don’t be envious, either, she said.
• Know when to say “I’m sorry,” and say it. Apologies go a long way. Say it and mean it.
• Use the magic words: “thank you,” “please” and “you’re welcome.” Don’t take each other for granted.
• Nothing is worth having if it hurts someone. If you gain by someone’s hurt, it’s not a gain.
• Reach for the stars. Don’t sell yourself short.
“Don’t be like the top graduate of a Dallas school who said all she wanted to become was a legal secretary,” she said. “I wanted to be the best reporter I could be from when I was in the third grade, and look what I’ve accomplished – but what could I have done, if I had set my sights higher?”
• Happiness is rooted in service to others, as the Dali Lama says. “I believe God put us here to find happiness. If you’re feeling low, go do something for someone else – it’s sure to perk you right up,” Campos said.
• Stay positive. She reminded all of the words of a song: “Life is too short to wait. Life is long to hate.”
“Don’t hold grudges. It turns your heart black,” Campos advised. “Let go of that anger. Let go of ill will toward anyone.”
• Don’t be a fool for love. “There are a lot of men out there who don’t deserve our love. Don’t enter a relationship to reform or save him. It generally doesn’t work out,” she said.
In the same way, women must verbalize their needs and expectations to their mates. “Don’t let each other just drift apart. Build a new way to grow together,” she said.
As the producer of “Wednesday’s Child,” a feature aimed at finding permanent homes for adoptable children now under Child Protective Services care, Campos told the gathering that there are now 10,000 children in the system in Northeast Texas.
“These are our children. We’re paying for their care. We’re responsible for them,” she said.
WFAA’s “Wednesday’s Child” produces about a 65 percent adoption rate, she added.
“The task is large and major. The more than 400 children recently added to CPS’ work load will bring to light how severely understaffed and overworked it is,” she said. “The strain on the system is tremendous.”
Wednesday’s Child Benefit Corp. was founded as a nonprofit 25 years ago to assist children in the system with funds for scholarships, dance lessons, scout uniforms, etc. she said.
“It dispenses about $500,000 every year, and it doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of the need,” she said.
Campos said she believes we are mostly the product of our upbringing, and if the community can brighten the upbringing of any of these children, it will benefit us all. Campos gently encouraged monetary contributions to the worthy benefit, “if you want to do something good for them.”
After taking questions from those attending, Compos closed her presentation by saying, “You see us on TV and think of us as your TV family. Well, we think of all of you as our community family.”


Monitor Photo/Pearl Cantrell
Gloria Campos of No.1-rated Northeast Texas WFAA
Channel 8 and producer of “Wednesday's Child”
reminds the gathering that "as women, we must support
each other in every way."


Courtesy Photo/Summer Rush
Event hostess Helen Preston (left) rests her hand on
her 96-year-old mother Katherine Davis, the eldest
mother at the mother-daughter brunch. Friend and
neighbor Tim Kennedy accompanied Preston to the
brunch May 3 at the First United Methodist Church
in Mabank.

Eustace Primary School second
graders show science smarts


Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Class winners gather for a picture at the annual Eustace Primary School Science
Fair May 2. The overall winner, Jessica Thompson (front), received a telescope;
the other class winners are (from left) Cameron Carpenter, Joseph Cody, Bucky
Womble, Zachary Moore and Katelynn Morse.


Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Using a small motor to turn a cone-shaped spindle, class winner Katelynn Morse
demonstrates how a tornado moves across a farm in her Tornado Alley science
project at the Eustace Primary School Science Fair May 2.

Kiwanis eye future programs, hear Krawfish Boil report
Monitor Staff Reports
GUN BARREL CITY–With both planned speakers unable to attend, Cedar Creek Lake Kiwanis members spent their regular Wednesday luncheon discussing possible programs for the upcoming months.
Veteran lawman Ray Nutt, the Republican nominee for Henderson County Sheriff, was scheduled to speak on new laws, but was attending the Randall Mays capital murder trial in Athens.
Another planned speaker from the Mabank Independent School District is in the hospital after undergoing emergency surgery, Kiwanis president Ralph Fortner reported.
During a brief discussion, members considered ideas and potential speakers for programs, including inviting candidates for office to debate during the months leading up to the November general election.
In club news, members:
• heard treasurer Derek Hoelscher report the club did very well at the second annual Car Show and Krawfish Boil with the Cedar Creek Lake Area Chamber of Commerce last Saturday.
The club sold all 400 pounds of crawfish on hand, and had to make a few quick trips to the grocery store for more corn and soft drinks, members heard. That marked the first time in four Krawfish Boils the club has sold out.
Approximately 3,000 people and more than 100 vehicles turned out for Saturday’s event at the Mabank Pavilion.
• heard past president Dr. Jeanne Caillet report a planned project to plant shrubs and flowers at the Eustace Intermediate School entrance with the school’s K Kids club had been rained out, and was rescheduled for noon Monday, May 12.
• heard the club will again meet at the Whatz Up Family Fun Park in Seven Points next Wednesday, May 14, as the Lakeridge RV Park clubhouse has been reserved by another group that day.