[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      HONORING THE TONAWANDA NEWS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. THOMAS M. REYNOLDS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 17, 2005

  Mr. REYNOLDS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to 
recognize the Tonawanda News, based in North Tonawanda, New York, on 
the occasion of its 125th Anniversary. Over the past 125 years, the 
Tonawanda News has become the written record for the Tonawandas, a 
trusted source of information and a cornerstone of the community that 
it serves.
  The Tonawanda Daily News was founded on April 1, 1880, by Dr. George 
S. Hobbie, when the newspaper's first edition rolled off the presses 
with just four pages of newsprint. It was the Tonawandas' first and 
only daily newspaper dedicated to reporting news in the cities of 
Tonawanda and North Tonawanda. Even in its humble beginnings, Dr. 
Hobbie knew the importance of building the newspaper's reputation and 
credibility among readers, and saw that it promptly appeared at noon 
each day. The Tonawanda News went on to be run by the first female 
publisher in New York state, Mrs. Ruby Hewitt, who played an important 
role in the growth and prosperity of the paper.
  Over the last 125 years, the paper's circulation and reputation have 
grown tremendously; and all the while, the Tonawanda News and its staff 
have strived continually to provide the residents of the Twin Cities 
with accurate and timely news and information. Today, the Tonawanda 
News is known as one of the most reliable and accurate newspapers in 
Western New York. The journalistic standards that Dr. Hobbie, Mrs. 
Hewitt, and others instilled in the paper's staff over the years have 
not been forgotten; the paper remains committed to the values upon 
which it was founded, and the rich tradition that it has built.
  I would like to offer my congratulations to the publishers, editors, 
and staff of the Tonawanda News, past and present, for all their hard 
work. I hope and expect that our ``Hometown Newspaper'' will be around 
for another 125 years.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that this Congress join me in celebrating the 
125th Anniversary of the Tonawanda News.

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