[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATING THE BOWIE BLADE-NEWS ON WINNING NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. STENY H. HOYER

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 1999

  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of Maryland's 
most informative and well respected newspapers, ``The Bowie Blade-
News.'' The Blade-News was recently named Newspaper of the Year for its 
division, by the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Press 
Association. In addition, Editor John Rouse and five other members of 
the editorial staff were recognized for their work in various 
categories for a total of 14 awards.
  Blade-News photographer Sharon Tazelaar received a first-place award 
for the division in the category of Spot News Photo, beating out 
photojournalists from daily newspapers such as the Washington Post and 
the Baltimore Sun. Other Blade-News staff receiving awards were Sports 
Editor Christine Krapf, and staff writers Cheryl Allison, David Emanuel 
and Donna Reifsnider.
  Having been involved in public service in Maryland for much of my 
life, I have had the distinct honor of working with John Rouse and his 
staff of reporters and photographers. Rouse, who has held the title of 
Editor at the Blade-News for 27 years has worked hard to ensure that 
the Bowie Blade-News upholds the Capital-Gazette Newspapers philosophy 
which is, ``Every issue of every newspaper represents a battle for 
excellence.'' Under Rouse's leadership, the Bowie Blade-News has become 
a vital source of information for the community.
  Mr. Speaker, the Capital-Gazette Newspapers, which owns and publishes 
the Bowie Blade-News, has a long and rich history of informing the 
people of Maryland and is one of the oldest newspaper publishers in the 
country. The company's original newspaper, the Maryland Gazette, was 
first published in 1727 and many of the reports published in the 
Gazette were copied by Benjamin Franklin and other Colonial editors for 
their own newspapers. This newspaper also has the distinction of having 
had the first woman editor and publisher of a newspaper in the American 
Colonies.
  The Maryland Gazette also survived strong local sympathies for the 
Confederacy, all the while sharply criticizing the movement to dissolve 
the Union. In fact, the newspaper was saved by President Abraham 
Lincoln when he appointed the publisher as the federal paymaster for 
the state of Maryland, helping the publisher to subsidize his 
newspaper.
  Under the guidance of John Rouse, the Bowie Blade-News is upholding 
this tradition of seeking out the truth and providing the information 
to the surrounding community. It plays a vital role in the daily lives 
of the people who rely on it for news and information about their 
neighborhoods. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have such an honorable news 
organization in my Congressional District and I ask my colleagues to 
join me in congratulating the Bowie Blade-News on being named the 1998 
Newspaper of the Year by the Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia 
Press Association.

                          ____________________