Honor Wallkill Valley Times

Senate Resolution No. 4896 BY: Senator BONACIC COMMEMORATING the 35th Anniversary of the Wallkill Valley Times 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 35th Anniversary of the Wallkill Valley Times; and WHEREAS, The Wallkill Valley Times was established in 1983 by Carl Aiello, the newspaper's current and only editor; and WHEREAS, With its humble beginnings in rented office space in the Walden Mini Mall, the Wallkill Valley Times began as a tabloid-sized paper with modern typefaces and a three-column format; for the first three months, all of its typesetting was done outside of the office; and WHEREAS, In June of 1983, the Itek was purchased and each and every story was typed on its keyboard; furthermore, every line of every ad was set on the machine which produced copy on a photo process paper; and WHEREAS, MacIntosh computers and Desktop Publishing brought a revolution to the newspaper industry, enabling a better use of graphics and a more intricate design; and WHEREAS, After purchasing its first Mac in 1987, the Wallkill Valley Times became the first weekly newspaper in the area to electronically paginate, using techniques that, during that time, were more commonly found at USA Today and Time-Life; and WHEREAS, The Wallkill Valley Times currently has more than 20 computers with an entire range of functions from writing stories, to ad composition, photo editing and page design; and WHEREAS, The photography process has also changed dramatically; for much of the newspaper's existence, Carl Aiello's father worked in the darkroom, developing all black and white film and producing screened prints which could be pasted directly onto a page; this process was simplified in 1990, with the arrival of its first flatbed scanner; and WHEREAS, The Wallkill Valley Times continued to grow, and in the spring of 1986, Carl Aiello purchased the former Windmill Farm Market, a cement block shell of a building adjoining the mall property; three years later, an additional 700 square feet was added to the building; and WHEREAS, Wallkill Valley Publications became a two-paper company in

1989, with the launching of the Mid-Hudson Times, which was designated an official newspaper for the City of Newburgh in 1999; although the two newspapers looked alike in design and format, its content differed; and WHEREAS, The third member of the Times Community Newspaper group was established in 2003 with the Southern Ulster Times, serving the Towns of Lloyd, Marlborough and Plattekill, and the Highland and Marlboro School Districts; and WHEREAS, One year later, the search was once again underway for a larger office space, and in August of 2006, the company moved to Stony Brook Court where today, it occupies 3,000 square feet and employs more than 25 people; and WHEREAS, For more than a century, the Wallkill Valley Times has remained steadfast to its mission, delivering to its readers significant news affecting their daily lives and featuring in-depth news reports of key local and regional issues; stories on regional business trends; complete sports coverage; specialty reports on schools, health and higher education; and lifestyle reports chronicling area entertainment events and local social events; and WHEREAS, Furthermore, the Wallkill Valley Times reports on aspects of hometown life important to its readers while providing merchants large and small with an efficient vehicle to promote their goods and services; 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 Wallkill Valley Times 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 35th Anniversary of the Wallkill Valley Times; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Carl Aiello, Editor, Wallkill Valley Times.