[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 70 (Thursday, May 7, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1101]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                             TUCSON CITIZEN

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                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 7, 2009

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Tucson 
Citizen which is closing after 138 years.
  The Arizona Citizen was founded in 1870, by John Wasson, a newspaper 
man from California, with help from Richard McCormick, the territory's 
governor and later territorial delegate to Congress. In 1976, Gannett 
Co., Inc. bought the newspaper and changed its name from the Arizona 
Citizen to the Tucson Citizen.
  The closure of the Tucson Citizen is a great loss for the community 
of Southern Arizona. As the state's oldest newspaper, the Tucson 
Citizen has been a part of Arizona's history. During its existence, the 
Citizen reported on Arizona's biggest stories, among them the 1881 
gunfight at the OK Corral and the 1934 arrest of bank robber John 
Dillinger.
  The Tucson Citizen has been a place that Tucsonans turned to for 
local news. The stories published reflected the diverse community and 
the stories that impacted multiple generations.
  Losing the Tucson Citizen is losing a piece of history and losing a 
bit of family.
  For the past several decades, the Tucson Citizen has been a family 
affair. Many a reporter, assignment editor and publisher worked in the 
same newsroom as their previous relatives. This newspaper worked hard 
to connect our present with our past and another voice will be lost 
when the doors finally shut forever.
  From the beginning, there have been individuals dedicated to keeping 
the public informed, communities educated, and discourse alive and 
well. Throughout its existence, the Tucson Citizen has worked to 
provide our community with accurate information. A desire for good 
journalism is vital to fostering a more enlightened public. I ask to 
recognize the Tucson Citizen for its contribution to Southern Arizona.

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