[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 129 (Monday, September 14, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NORTHEAST TIMES

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                        HON. ALLYSON Y. SCHWARTZ

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, September 14, 2009

  Ms. SCHWARTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and congratulate 
The Northeast Times for 75 years of community journalism. From its 
modest beginnings, The Northeast Times has served as an important 
chronicle for the people of Philadelphia's Northeast neighborhoods, 
providing them with a forum for information and dialogue on critical 
issues and fostering a sense of local history, community pride, and 
citizen empowerment.
   In 1934, Temple University journalism student, Richard Thorpe 
Lawson, launched the Mayfair Times. With just a handful of pages in 
each issue, the paper covered local news and was supported by 
advertising from mom and pop stores in the area. Lawson eventually 
expanded his staff, purchased better printing equipment, and moved into 
a building on Frankford Avenue. The newspaper expanded to cover 
additional neighborhoods in the Northeast, including Frankford, Tacony, 
and Holmesburg.
   After Richard Lawson's death in 1961, his wife Eleanor Smylie 
succeeded him in the business, expanding to almost 100 employees. She 
computerized operations, changed the publication's name to The 
Northeast Times, and updated the format to a smaller tabloid size. In 
time, Eleanor's children, Robert and Tim, became responsible for 
publishing and advertising sales. The Northeast Times continued to grow 
in the 1980's and 1990's, expanding throughout the Northeast and 
extending into some suburban neighborhoods in Bucks and Montgomery 
counties.
   The Northeast Times continues to inform and give voice to the 
people, businesses, and community organizations of the Philadelphia's 
great Northeast on significant issues, as it has since 1934. Both the 
local coverage and opportunity for civic participation provided by The 
Northeast Times builds and maintains communities. I ask that my 
colleagues join me in celebrating this milestone 75th year and 
recognizing the critical role played by The Northeast Times in our 
city.

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