VISALIA, Calif. — A family of Church members have found themselves the subject of a nationwide TV newscast literally from the random throw of a dart.
Warren and Alisa Gubler, members of the Visalia 3rd Ward, Visalia California Stake, were scheduled to be featured with their five children Jan. 18 on the "CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" and again Friday and Saturday mornings on the "CBS Early Show." (The scheduled air dates are after Church News press time for this issue.)
The segment on which the Gublers are to be featured is called "Everybody Has a Story." Subjects for the story are chosen by having a member of the news crew throw a dart at a map of the United States. Wherever the dart lands is where the crew goes to find its feature story. Arriving in town, the crew begins calling numbers in the local telephone directory until they find someone who agrees to be featured.
"It has been a great experience having CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and his cameraman, Les Rose, with us for the better part of two days," Sister Gubler said from her home in Visalia. "They arrived within one hour of when they first called us late Saturday afternoon (Jan. 6) and spent an hour or so visiting with us, then took us all out to dinner and visited with us for about two more hours there."
They would have followed the family during Church meetings, but Church policy prohibits cameras at services in the chapel in keeping with their sacred nature.
No matter. The crew slept late that morning, then caught the family on tape preparing Sunday dinner, including 4-year-old Lora unloading the dishwasher by herself, Kimberly, 6, setting the table, Amanda, 14, and Rachel, 11, helping with dinner preparations. It was 9-year-old Eddy's turn to do the dishes. He was caught saying to the camera, "I'm going to wipe these crumbs right onto the floor, just like I always do." The crew laughed uproariously.
Later, the family was taped engaging in a family home evening lesson taught by Brother Gubler, a recently released bishop. His lesson was on talents, and in keeping with it, the family put on a talent show, featuring Lora and Kimberly performing "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy."
Monday, the older children were taped going about their school day, while mother was photographed holding Lora while she rocked in a rocking chair and read a story to her.
"I think I did a good job answering their questions, and didn't feel nervous," Sister Gubler reflected.
"This was a great and positive experience and will hopefully be a good opportunity for missionary work nationwide to show what an LDS family is like," Sister Gubler remarked.
