[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 1175-1176]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                    TRIBUTE TO THE SUMMERVILLE NEWS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. BOB BARR

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 14, 2000

  Mr. BARR of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend a 
publication that, for the

[[Page 1176]]

past 114 years, has exemplified the important role filled by community 
newspapers in cities and towns across America. The City of Summerville 
is located in Chattooga County, in the Seventh District of Georgia. 
This rural county of approximately 25,000 residents, is home to ``The 
Summerville News.'' Just last month, the Summerville News started into 
its 115th year of service to Chattooga County and the surrounding area 
of northwest Georgia. The newspaper is the oldest consumer business in 
the county. It started with presses fed with paper a single sheet at a 
time, by hand, to larger letterpress, and then to offset presses that 
run 16,000 papers an hour.
  Over the years, the Summerville News has come a long way. O.J. Espy 
bought into the News around 1906, and purchased the entire newspaper 
about five years later, in 1911. After his death, his son, D.T. Espy, 
bought out all of his siblings (there were quite a few) to become sole 
owner. He, in turn, sold to his four sons, Bill, Don, David, and Gene, 
in 1968. Since that time, Bill and Don have died and a fourth 
generation is part owner, with others working at the plant. Greg Espy, 
son of Don, is part owner; Tracy Espy, son of David, and Jason Espy, 
son of Gene, are all working with the News to print a product of which 
the entire county can be proud and look forward to every Thursday.
  In thanking the community for 114 years of friendship, Editor Gene 
Espy wrote: ``In a way, a community newspaper is the community. It is 
the news of the people in that community and what they have 
accomplished, failed to accomplish, and hope to accomplish. We take the 
task of publishing the Summerville News seriously. It is important to 
us and we hope it is important to our readers and advertisers and the 
community itself.''
  The Summerville News is to be congratulated on its 114 years of 
dedication and service to the citizens of Chattooga County. Babies have 
been born, dear citizens have died, world leaders have come and gone, 
wars have been fought and won, businesses have opened and closed, many 
left the farms to find employment in other cities, technology continues 
to advance, and still our community thrives. Through it all, the 
citizens of Chattooga County continue to count on The Summerville News 
for local, state and national news; every week, every year, every 
generation. Thank goodness.

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