[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 48 (Thursday, March 19, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E723]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       HONORING THE ESCANABA DAILY PRESS ON ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY

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                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 19, 2009

  Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Escanaba Daily Press 
on its 100th anniversary. The Daily Press has survived the ups and 
downs the newspaper industry has faced over the past century and 
watched several local competitors fold, yet remained as a strong and 
independent voice for the Escanaba, Delta County and Schoolcraft County 
communities. Madam Speaker, I ask that you and the entire U.S. House of 
Representatives join me in honoring the Escanaba Daily Press and the 
men and women, past and present, who work so hard every day to bring 
the community its news on this historic milestone.
  In 1909 the Escanaba Morning Press was founded by John Norton and 
Herbet Little. After only a few months of operation, Little left and 
Norton took over sole management of the paper. The first edition of the 
Morning Press was published on March 19, 1909 at 1119 Ludington Street. 
Within two years the paper was moved to its present building at 600 
Ludington Street where it has operated ever since.
  In 1922 the Escanaba Morning Press changed its name to the Escanaba 
Daily Press and became an afternoon paper on September 29, 1947. In 
1954 the paper was sold to Frank Russell of Marquette, Michigan and 
George Osborn of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. In 1966 it was purchased 
by the Panax Corporation, which sold the Daily Press to Thomson 
Newspapers in 1980. Since 1998 the Escanaba Daily Press has been under 
the ownership of Ogden Newspapers.
  Despite changes in ownership over the years, the Daily Press has 
remained an independent voice for the people of Escanaba and all of 
Delta and Schoolcraft Counties. As community newspapers across the 
country have confronted consolidation, closure and downsizing, the 
Daily Press keeps going strong because of this independent voice and 
the trust of their readers.
  In the late 1970s it was the reporting of the Daily Press in a series 
on insurance scams that was the driving force in updating state 
insurance laws. In 1988 the Daily Press won the Associated Press 
sweepstakes award for doing the best work of any paper of its size in 
Michigan for a series on the shotgun slaying of four family members and 
the subsequent week-long search in local woods by the FBI for the 
suspect and his kidnapped ex-wife.
  The Daily Press has won countless awards over the years for editorial 
writing. In one contest, Michigan Press Association judges said they 
were ``well written editorials that take a clear position even when 
those positions might be unpopular.'' In another instance, the MPA 
wrote that the ``Daily Press takes seriously its role as a government 
watchdog.'' In an AP annual news writing contest, judges commented, 
``Every editorial submitted dealt with local issues, with two taking 
aim at city government. These are issues that newspaper editorial pages 
are supposed to address. Good job.''
  Madam Speaker, newspapers like the Escanaba Daily Press are a vital 
part of our communities. Their reporting is a valuable resource in 
tracking the history of our communities, reflecting and reporting on 
our daily lives. The Daily Press has served the Escanaba community and 
all of Delta and Schoolcraft Counties well over the past century. I ask 
that you, Madam Speaker, and the entire U.S. House of Representatives, 
join me in congratulating the Escanaba Daily Press and its past and 
present staff on 100 years of operation.

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