Senate Resolution No. 2653

BY: Senator GRIFFO

COMMEMORATING the 160th Anniversary of The Daily
Sentinel of the Utica-Rome region of New York

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 160th Anniversary of the Daily Sentinel of the
Utica-Rome region of New York; and

WHEREAS, Earlier Rome papers in the 1820s sharing the same publisher
included the Rome Telegraph and Democratic Sentinel The two began
publishing as the Rome Sentinel (including Rome Weekly Sentinel and Rome
Daily Sentinel) in the 1840s; and

WHEREAS, Since as early as 1855, Sentinel articles, editorials, and
photos have been reprinted or used as sources by other papers such as
The New York Times, as well as the Associated Press; The Sentinel
covered the activities at nearby Griffiss Air Force Base, including the
presence of nuclear weapons there, until the closure of Griffiss in
1994; and

WHEREAS, The expanse of news coverage spanning 16 decades is an
impressive accomplishment; over such time, The Daily Sentinel has
covered significant moments ranging from the Civil War to modern
developments in the digital age; the publication's archives are full of
local history, capturing the essence of life in Rome and surrounding
cities through wars, economic shifts, cultural transformations, and
technological advancements; and

WHEREAS, The Sentinel company additionally founded a radio station,
WRUN, which signed on April 24, 1948; WRUN stood for "Rome-Utica News"
and had the renowned Dick Clark as an announcer before his entry into
television; WRUN was sold in 1970; and

WHEREAS, In early 2022, the paper rebranded as the Daily Sentinel,
and switched from carrier delivery to delivery via the U.S. Postal
Service; at this time, the Sentinel expanded their local news coverage
to all of Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties, and increased employee
wages to ensure that the publication to remain family owned, proving a
success still today; and

WHEREAS, Over the following year, the boards of the Utica City
School District and the town of New Hartford voted to switch from the
Utica-based Observer-Dispatch to the Sentinel as their official
newspaper; in its organizing meeting for its 2024 term, the Utica Common
Council voted to switch the city's official newspaper to the Sentinel, a
testament to its popularity, reliability, and earned trust of the
community it serves; and


WHEREAS, The Daily Sentinel remains committed to evolving with the
times, adapting to economic, social, cultural, and technological changes
over the years; as a result, a Daily Sentinel news app will be launched
in June of 2024, a great feature for dedicated consumers of the
Sentinel's publications; and

WHEREAS, 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 Daily Sentinel 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 160th Anniversary of The Daily Sentinel of the
Utica-Rome region of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Daily Sentinel.