[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 12218]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     HONORING THE MONROE EVENING NEWS ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 175TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 23, 2000

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize and pay tribute to The 
Monroe Evening News. The longest continuously published newspaper in 
Michigan. The Monroe Evening News traces its roots back to 1825 when it 
was first published by Edward D. Ellis as The Michigan Sentinel. The 
175 year history of this distinguished paper is one in which the people 
of Monroe County take great pride.
  The Monroe Evening News has survived and flourished because it has 
changed with the times while remaining true to the journalistic values 
first put forth by Mr. Ellis. Perhaps the most significant change in 
The Monroe Evening News occurred in 1994 when the employees acquired a 
majority stake in the paper. In 1999, the employees bought all of the 
remaining shares, making it one of only two newspapers in the country 
to be owned, in its entirety, by its employees. Employee ownership will 
preserve for future generations the controlling local interest that 
characterized its first 175 years.
  With such a long history, The Monroe Evening News has seen many 
changes. In 1987, the publication delivered its first Saturday morning 
edition. The success of the Saturday morning edition led the paper to 
publish a Sunday morning edition only two years later. Today, The 
Monroe Evening News is published seven days a week. In 1998 another 
major change occurred, The Monroe Evening News built a state-of-the-art 
printing facility. This new printing plant enabled the paper to adopt a 
computerized, full color layout. Before the plant was constructed, the 
paper was published on two printing presses that were built in 1924 and 
1932, believed to be the oldest in the country.
  Through 175 years of change and progress, the one constant at The 
Monroe Evening News has been its journalistic commitment to objectivity 
and fairness. These values reflect those of the community the paper 
serves and account for the growth and success it has enjoyed.
  Mr. Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to rise with me in tribute to 
a fine institution, The Monroe Evening News.

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