 
Assembly Resolution No. 69
 
BY: M. of A. Brindisi
 
        COMMEMORATING  the Bicentennial Anniversary of the
        Observer-Dispatch
 
  WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to pay tribute  to
those  illustrious  journalistic  entities  which  have  diligently  and
consistently, year after year, recorded the history of their communities
and brought local news and news of the larger world  to  their  readers;
and
 
  WHEREAS,  Attendant  to  such  concern,  and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this  Legislative  Body  is  justly  proud  to
commemorate  the  Bicentennial  Anniversary  of the Observer-Dispatch in
Utica, New York; and
 
  WHEREAS,  Published  continuously  for  the  past  200  years,   the
Observer-Dispatch  is  the  Mohawk  Valley  region's flagship newspaper;
throughout its history, the paper has reported on the area's  booms  and
busts,  crimes  and  creativity,  births and death and so much more; the
paper has tracked the little city's rise from a tiny  canal  town  to  a
20th Century regional economic powerhouse; and
 
  WHEREAS,  In 1817, Eliasaph Dorchester founded the weekly newspaper,
the Utica Observer; in 1848, it became  a  daily  newspaper  and,  after
several  mergers  with other newspapers, became the Observer-Dispatch in
1922; and
 
  WHEREAS, In that same year, the Observer-Dispatch was  purchased  by
Frank  E.  Gannett,  who  founded  the  Gannett  Company;  he  owned the
newspaper until 2007, when it was purchased by GateHouse Media,  one  of
the  largest  publishers  of locally based print and online media in the
United States; and
 
  WHEREAS, For a while, the Daily Press was published in  the  morning
and  the  Observer-Dispatch  in the afternoon; in 1959, those newspapers
were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for public service for an  investigation
into local corruption; and
 
  WHEREAS,  The two newspapers merged into a single, seven-day morning
publication, the Observer-Dispatch, in 1987; the company  added  digital
delivery  of  news  and information in January of 2000, when it launched
uticaOD.com; and
 
  WHEREAS, In 2004, Gatehouse  Media  acquired  the  Mid  York  Weekly
newspaper,   serving   Hamilton,   New   York,   and  weekly  Pennysaver
publications, which  are  distributed  throughout  Oneida  and  Herkimer
counties;  in  addition,  the  company publishes Your Valley in Herkimer
County; and
 
  WHEREAS, The Observer-Dispatch, now two centuries old, has kept  the
citizens  of  Utica  and  both Oneida and Herkimer counties informed and
enlightened about their communities  that  command  their  interest  and
shape  their  lives;  it presents news, opinions, and feature stories of
paramount interest to residents of the Mohawk Valley; and
 
 
  WHEREAS,  Under  the luminous direction of Publisher, Terry Cascioli
and Executive Editor, Ron  Johns,  the  Observer-Dispatch  continues  to
maintain  a high quality and relevant newspaper, and delivers a superior
product to all of its readers, as well as serves as an expressive  voice
to  the  people of his community by providing a platform for all members
of the community; and
 
  WHEREAS, Our newspapers provide a  tremendous  service  to  citizens
across  the  State  of  New  York by keeping them informed about current
events; the democracy of our State  and  Nation  is  strengthened  by  a
responsible  citizenry  which  is  actively  engaged in reading and kept
abreast of news affecting their lives; and
 
  WHEREAS, As the Observer-Dispatch moves into the future, it  carries
with  it  the  legacy  of  a  distinguished  journalistic history and an
outstanding record of growth and achievement; now, therefore, be it
 
  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commemorate  the  Bicentennial Anniversary of the Observer-Dispatch; and
be it further
 
  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to Terry Cascioli, Publisher, Observer-Dispatch.
Commemorating the Bicentennial Anniversary of the Observer-Dispatch

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