On Assignment w/ CT

The FOX4 Creative Services department ROCKS.  John, Robert, Aaron, Sid, Gary, Sunmi, Linda, Dann are such brilliant, talented, creative people. I know I'm leaving some names out and I'll add them in my next blog. They are the team that produced CT30. I am in awe of their vision, talent, energy and creativity. The 30 minute tribute to my 30 years at KDFWFOX4 moved! It was funny, poignant, overflowing with information. An amazing walk down News Memory Lane for me.

Seeing my former co-anchors was wonderful. The segment with the late Chip Moody was a Joy. Anthony Hopkins saying "well Hello Clarice; what are you doing for dinner." had me Screaming in the newroom!  The shout-outs from "J.R." Larry Hagman; Judge Judy, Tyra Banks & Joshua Allen, Fort Worth's & FOX's So you Think You Can Dance Champion each gave me a Thrill.   

It's all a Beautiful Blur as I Blog. I'm so grateful to Baron James, Richard Ray, Cathy Landin, Mike Doocy, Steve Eagar, Heather Hays, Fil Fleming, Dan Henry for their kind words. They and the rest of the FOX4 News Department are Awesome Individuals. 

3 decades of work flies by.  You do the work day by day and really don't take time to reflect. CT30 has given me the rare ability to just stop and take it all in. A Thousand Thanks to FOX4 for this wonderful, remarkable Special .       

November 13, 1978 is the day I started working in the newsroom at KDFW. I was beyond excited.  Milwaukee is where I started my career as a broadcast Journalist and I was looking forward to the challenges and opportunities in a larger market. Then, we were Channel 4 and a CBS Affiliate.  Now ,we're FOX4 and a FOX O&O.  Then, Dallas/Fort Worth was the nation's 10th television market...now we're #5. So many changes, so much growth during the last 30 years. 

I'm deeply grateful to station management and my colleagues for helping me mark this career milestone with CT30. All this week I'm taking a walk down News Memory Lane... On Assignment:  Berlin when the Wall came down; Saudia Arabia and Kuwait covering Texas troops in Operation Desert Storm; Lake Falcone tracking drug smugglers; Hurricane Alicia; Salute Texas; the Challenger Disaster; The Lost Confederates in Brazil; national political conventions and Presidential Inaugurations; Disaster City in College Station; the Dallas FBI Citizens' Academy; the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia; the weapons training that turns airline pilots into Federal Fight Deck Officers; the training of Bomb Dogs with the TSA's Explosives Detection Canine Teams... just to name a few. Talented and fantastic KDFW photographers have been with me every step of the way as we brought the story home to you.

Happy Highlights?  Covering more than 600 Hometown Heroes across North Texas; covering excellence in the classroom with Class Act which saluted North Texas teachers; covering the Dallas Cowboys in 4 Super Bowls; Christmas in Cowtown; Mayfest, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Komen Race Day. Reporting on my F/A-18 Hornet flight with the Navy's Blue Angels was the thrill of a lifetime.                   

Tragic times include September 11th, the explosions of the Space Shuttles Columbia and Challenger. Reporting on the brave fight and the death of my dear friend, Dr. Suzanne Ahn who died of lung cancer even though she never smoked.  

The last 30 years have truly flown by. Thank you for watching so many, many, many newscasts and stories and assignments. It's been my honor to bring you the news each day at a high level because you deserve nothing less. This is a wonderful, special time for me. I'm overwhelmed.            

This is Brandi, one of the thousands of brave breast cancer survivors at the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure. The annual Survivor's March is the Success Story & the reason why Komen works so hard to raise money to find The Cure. 

 Brandi is one of several Reunions I have each year at Komen. During that inspiring day breast cancer survivors will come up...we'll hug & we'll start talkin'. They'll tell me about their life, their family & their breast cancer battle. I always end each conversation by saying..."God bless you & I'm looking forward to seeing you at Komen next year, ok?" I want to see each & every one of their beautiful/handsome faces. This year 2,030 men willbe diagnosed with breast cancer. 12,000 women in Texas will be diagnosed with breast cancer before 2008 comes to an end.  It was bittersweet when one of my Komen Reunion gal pals told me that her breast cancer has come back. Her daughter just turned 2 years old.  We've GOT to find The Cure.   

More than 3-million people go to the State Fair of Texas every year. Perhaps you've seen Rose Landin. Watch Hometown Heroes on 10.13.08 at 5:30pm and 10.14.08 at Noon.  I'll show you how this Native Texan who is 90 years young makes a difference at the Fair.

Godspeed to the victims of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. 

God's Grace and Peace to their familes and loved ones.  

Get Ready to lace up your athletic shoes 'cuz the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure is Saturday, October 18th at NorthPark Center.  Komen is celebrating it's 25th Anniversary in the fight against breast cancer and the Komen Dallas Affiliate just got a check that tickled them PINK!

Sam's Club gave Susan G. Komen a check  for $75,000.00!  Sam's Club is the 2008 Special Anniversary Sponsor. Sam's Club and the Wal-Mart Foundation are thrilled to make this mega-contribution.    

We were at the Sam's Club on Bucker and 1-30 in Dallas for the check presentation.  Belinda Lawson is the Club Manager.  She and the Associates had the store lookin' festive with pink and white balloons and flowers.  The Associates took it up a notch because the women and men (yay guys..thanks for the support) wore their Susan G. Komen for the Cure t-shirts.  After the check presentation we cut into a Komen cake that was delish.

Please join us on Komen Race Day. YOU will make such a difference in the lives of women and men who are fighting breast cancer.  Go to  www.komen-dallas.org to learn how to register...it's soooo easy and I PROMISE that YOU'LL FEEL GREAT about doing this. 

Our goal this year is 1,000 teams...we need you.  I'm the Honorary Race Chair and I'm grateful to be able to give back. So, register and bring a friend..double or triple your committment by getting friends and family involved.  It's a beautiful thing to see the waves of support on KOMEN RACE DAY for our sisters and brothers in the battle.   

WHO-AH!  In July when the Lamar County Red Cross learned that 500 Texas Army National Guard soldiers would be training at Camp Maxey...the citizens of Paris took action.  They have embraced the soldiers and given them an outstanding "home away from home" when they have down-time from training.  The soldiers will head to Iraq soon and they'll take memories of the warm hearts of the people in Paris, Texas with them.  You'll see my Paris, Texas Hometown Heroes on Monday 8.25.08 at 5:30pm and Tuesday 8.26.08 at Noon. BTW, cool and unintended...the red cowboy hat that's above the soldier's head is part of the logo of the city of Paris, Texas. What's obscured is the Eiffel Tower that the red cowboy hat tops!                         

Hi Friends...get ready to lace up your athletic shoes! up ic . FOX 4 is a proud sponsor of  Susan G. Komen for the Cure and we're all going for another record-breaking fund-raising year.

Terry Swain is a Komen Board member and she's the Race Chair. Terry is also a 6-year SURVIVOR! I'm thrilled to join her team as the 2008 Honorary Race Chair...Komen is honoring me as my 30th anniversary approaches with KDFW FOX4.  

This year we've set great goals and with YOUR help I know we'll reach them. 

We want 1,000 teams and so far we have 260 teams.  We're on pace and we need you...so why not register now?  You can do that at www.komen-dallas.org

Our 2008 overall gaol is to raise $3-Million to fight breast cancer and I know we can do it.  1 in 8 women will be diagnosed wtih this diease in their lifetime. The money you help us raise will go to REST... Research, Education, Screening and Treatment.

In 5 years KomenDallas has raised $8-Million...more than $6-Million of that money STAYED HERE AT HOME to help women and men battling breast cancer.

NorthPark Center is a marvelous host for Komen Race Day and they were a great host for the 2008 Komen Kick-Off.  There was a pink 25th anniversary cake for Komen and Terry and I had help from Komen sponsors; Sam's Club and NorthPArk... cutting the cake and then passing out slices to the passers-by.   Yum & Fun!

I've given away a case and a  half of Komen Promise Rings. If you'd like one it's FREE...just send me a stamped-self-addressed envelope ...Clarice Tinsley, KDFW-FOX4, 400 N. Griffin, Dallas, Texas 75202.  I'll pop two in the mail for ya...you wear one and give one to a girlfriend. You promise to do monthly self breast-exam, see a doctor once a year and get a mamogram. Remember EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES.

YOU can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer.  When you register for this year's Race...get your friends & family & co-workers  to register with you.      

Stephen and I attended one of the deployment ceremonies for the Texas Army National Guard at NAS-JRB in Fort Worth. It was inspiring to see the soldiers focused and standing at attention.  Their families lined three sides of the auditorium and you could see the pride on their faces. The men and women will be away for more than a year doing work in a dangerous part of  the world. It struck me that unless you have someone serving in the military; the sacrafice and the pride of deployment is something most Americans just don't see and don't think about; but we should. Imagine holding down your life and the homefront while making sure that your children are healthy, happy and flourishing while your loved one is working in a war zone.  Imagine being a parent while your child is in that war zone. After the ceremony we talked to the families and as we walked away Stephen said to me "those are great American families".  My husband is 100% correct.

   Col. Lee Henry, Commander of the 56th IBCT,36thID was featured in the story I reported last week about the Texas Army National Guard and he was one of the people who spoke during the deployment ceremony.  He said the number one job is to bring every soldier home. He's proud of them and ready to lead almost 3600  Texans in the mission in Iraq. I had my camera and took a picture of Stephen with the Colonel for my blog. Then the Col.  asked me to take a picture of him with his family because he wants you to see how proud he is of them. Guess what?  They're equally proud of him...just as the other  families are proud of their soldier.  

Col. Lee Henry, Commander of the 56th IBCT, 36th ID, Texas Army National Guard calls today's Guardsmen and women the "new greatest generation".  He told me that they show a deep level of committment and are signing up for the Guard and staying in. Col. Henry says the success of the Texas Army National Guard...is made up of what he calls a 3-legged stool. 

The first leg is retention; maintaing a great relationship with the employer of each soldier is critical.  Once deployment ends, the Guard wants to make sure that the soldier has a job to go back to when they come home. The relationship that the Guard establishes with that employer is essential; making sure the employer understands why being a member of the Guard is important and letting them know how much they appreciate holding the job open while the Guard soldier is away.

The second leg is the homefront.  The Family Readiness Group supports the families  while the soldier is deployed. That's vitally important.  When the soldier knows that his or her family is taken care of they can better focus on the mission.  Col. Henry says that support could be financial or  finding a resource to fix a broken water heater... the Colonel says this kind of family support definately takes stress off of the soldier. 

The third leg of the stool is training. The Texas Army National Guard again says the employer relationship is important because they need to understand why the Guard needs to be away to train before being deployed. The Colonel says  the Texas Army National Guard must master 34 core Army warrior tactics and 11 battle drills. He credits Texans with being a focused group of soldiers. He says the Guard has the "latest and greatest in weapons, training and technology."

They train at Fort Polk, in Lousiana and we've posted lots of pictures to show you what  the Texas Army National Guard goes through. You can see the Photo Gallery  by doing a keyword search: Texas National Guard Or follow the link below: 

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?
contentId=7029880

The Texas Army National Guard will be in Iraq for it's 3rd deployment by November.  The mission of the almost 36-hundred men and women; convoy security, command post operations, force protection and visitor bureau responsibilities.