07-20-2013-Weekend - Wise County Messenger

10A WISE COUNTY MESSENGER, Decatur, Texas, Saturday, July 20, 2013DECATURSpeaker tells newspaper group‘You are walking into sacred ground.’BY BOB BUCKELbbuckel@wcmessenger.comDecatur counselor BeverlyRoss had a really big groupsession Friday.Speaking to the 83rd annualsummer convention ofthe West Texas Press Association,Ross, the directorof Wise County ChristianCounseling, touched thehearts of newspaper peoplefrom all over West Texas asshe explored the emotionalwhirlwind reporters oftenwalk into at the scene of afire, wreck or other trauma.“The minute you get outof your car, you are walkinginto sacred ground,”she said. “There are thingshappening there that wordscannot express.”But even though reportersmay face resistance, the victimsof trauma “have a needto be heard,” Ross said.Ross founded the faithbasedcounseling service in2006. She and her staff dealwith marriage and familymatters and counsel childrenand adults suffering fromdepression, anxiety, griefand other issues. WCCC is anonprofit agency and workson a sliding fee scale, so thatno one is turned away whoneeds help.Sharing the experience oflosing her 31-year-old daughterto a sudden illness in 2010,she spoke as both a counselorand a survivor of trauma.“It’s about your eyes,” shesaid. “Compassion is whencourage and vulnerabilitycollide. The courage to stepin and face someone’s painshows in your eyes.”JOE DUTY/WCMESSENGER • Buy reprints at wcmessenger.com/reprintsA MEMORABLE POINT — Beverly Ross spoke Friday to theWest Texas Press Association at the Decatur Civic Center.She urged newspaper peopleto have that courage andto give people a safe place tohave their story told.She also noted that reportershave to filter whatcomes from pain and fear.“The first thing you hear,very often, is their fear,” shesaid. “It’s very seldom pretty.”She pointed to a studythat shows fear, anger andtrauma can drop a person’sIQ by 50 points.“The brain is not programmedto react to traumaand think at the same time,”she said. “By you havingcompassion and respect,they are much more likelyto open up and tell you theirstory.”The idea, she stressed, isnot to manipulate people inany way, “but to bless them.“People want their storytold with reverence and respect,”she said. “There ispower in the written word.Do what you do with greatrespect, tell that story withhonor and reverence.“What you write will beGoogled by generations tocome,” she added.The convention continuesSaturday at the DecaturCivic Center witha panel discussion on thetopic, “When national newscomes to your doorstep” andends with an awards brunchstarting at 11 a.m.Judge: To lead NCTCOGContinued from page 1Aaround Dallas and FortWorth.According to the NCT-COG website, the organization’spurpose is “tostrengthen both the individualand collective powerof local governments and tohelp them recognize regionalopportunities, eliminateunnecessary duplicationand make joint decisions.”“If you look at all themembers, there are a lotof cities that are larger inpopulation than our wholecounty,” McElhaney said.“But it’s not intimidating.It’s natural, and I enjoy it.”He said he and NCTCOGPresident Steve Terrell,who is mayor of Allen, havesimilar public service backgroundsand share similarpersonal values and ideologies.Other officers includeSecretary-Treasurer KathrynWilemon, mayor protem of Arlington; and PastPresident Bobbie Mitchell,Denton County commissioner.NCTCOG directors includeClay Jenkins, DallasCounty judge; B. GlenWhitley, Tarrant CountyJudge; Vonciel Jones Hill,Dallas councilmember;940-627-5987 • WWW.WCMESSENGER.COMNEWS@WCMESSENGER.COM • ADS@WCMESSENGER.COMMcElhaney to seek third termCounty Judge Bill McElhaneytold the Messenger Thursdaythat he will seek a third term inoffice.He said he plans to make anofficial announcement throughthe Republican Party in the nextweek or two. “I’m in the seventhyear of an eight-year tenure,and it’s been an honor for me toserve folks,” he said.McElhaney said he feels likea lot has been accomplishedon his watch, but he has morework to do.“If we look at what we’veDaniel L. Scarth, FortWorth mayor pro tem;Lissa Smith, Plano deputymayor pro tem; MarcusKnight, Lancaster mayor;A.J. Mathieu, Joshua councilmember;Keith Self, CollinCounty judge; and Dr.Larry Marshall, Benbrookcity councilmember.McElhaney is a graduateof the CommissionersCourt Leadership Academy,sponsored by the TexasAgriLife Extension Service’sV.G. Young Instituteof County Government,which is a two-year program,and he’s been a fellowin the Texas JudicialRANDYWILLIAMSBUICK • CHEVY •CADILLACGMC •HYUNDAI•PRE-OWNED940-627-2177done, if we look at the list of thelong-range planning committee,we’ve done a lot, but we’ve stillgot a ways to go,” he said. “Ifeel like I’ve got several thingsthat we need to finish ...”McElhaney said it’s a “continuouseducation and a lot ofhard work, but I’m at a pointthat it’s still exciting to me.”The judge said he’s receivedphone calls from individuals andgroups encouraging him to runagain.“I thought that was a goodsign,” he said.Academy since 2007. Theacademy is a partnershipbetween the Texas TechUniversity School of Lawand the Texas Associationof Counties. Fellows arethose judges who “attainsignificant judicial educationabove that required bystate law.”He is also an active memberof the Nor-Tex CountyJudges’ Association.McElhaney received abachelor of business administrationdegree in financefrom North TexasState University in 1977and served 21 years on theBridgeport school board.Let RANDY SAVE YOU MONEY onYour Next NEW or PRE-OWNED Vehicle!REAL PATIENTS. REAL STORIES.“Baylor’s vascularteam saved my leg.”— Lonna HaleLonna Hale was working in her front yard when she felt a severe pain in her leg. “It was excruciating,” she says.Lonna had peripheral vascular disease, a condition so dangerous it sometimes requires amputating a limb.The vascular surgeons on the medical staff at The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano performed surgery to repair herarteries and save her leg. Today she says, “I feel wonderful now. I’ll be back to gardening this summer. It’s one ofmy favorite things to do.” And as far as her experience with Baylor, she says, “You just can’t ask for better care.”For more information about heart and vascular servicesat The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano or for a physicianreferral, call 1.800.4BAYLOR or visit us onlineat TheHeartHospitalBaylor.com.1100 Allied Drive, Plano, Texas 75093Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System’s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neitheremployees nor agents of those medical centers, The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano or Baylor Health Care System. ©2013 Baylor Health Care SystemTHHBP_561_2013 116 CE 07.13