[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2028-E2029]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CITIZENS' VOICE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 9, 1998

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Citizens' Voice newspaper of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, which is 
celebrating its twentieth anniversary on October 9, 1998. Despite 
tremendous obstacles, the Citizens' Voice has survived and thrived as a 
daily newspaper in a competitive market.
  In the fall of 1978, 205 employees of the Wilkes-Barre Publishing 
Company who were on strike decided to create their own paper. That 
decision led to the publishing of the first edition of the Citizens' 
Voice. Since then, the paper has grown to a circulation of 
approximately 38,000. During that time, the Voice has received numerous 
awards from local and state professional organizations.
  The Voice's first ``home'' was a building scheduled for demolition by 
the Redevelopment Authority on North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre. In 
early 1979, the Voice moved to the mezzanine of the Hotel Sterling in 
the heart of downtown Wilkes-Barre. In June of 1984, the Voice moved to 
its present headquarters on North Washington Street in Wilkes-Barre.
  Mr. Speaker, not too many cities the size of Wilkes-Barre have two 
daily newspapers anymore, but I think the presence of both papers has 
lead to an improvement in the quality of coverage provided to area 
residents. I applaud the Citizens' Voice for its twenty years of 
excellence and wish the paper future success.

[[Page E2029]]



                          ____________________