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1996 SESSION

966017724
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 156
Offered February 26, 1996
Commending The Winchester Star.
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Patrons-- Potts, Barry, Benedetti, Bolling, Chichester, Colgan, Earley, Edwards, Gartlan, Goode, Hanger, Hawkins, Holland, Houck, Howell, Lambert, Lucas, Marsh, Martin, Marye, Maxwell, Miller, K.G., Newman, Norment, Quayle, Reasor, Saslaw, Schrock, Stolle, Stosch, Ticer, Trumbo, Waddell, Walker, Wampler, Whipple, Williams and Woods; Delegates: Abbitt, Albo, Almand, Armstrong, Baker, Barlow, Behm, Bloxom, Brickley, Bryant, Callahan, Cantor, Christian, Clement, Connally, Cooper, Councill, Cox, Cranwell, Crittenden, Croshaw, Crouch, Cunningham, Darner, Davies, Deeds, Diamonstein, Dillard, Drake, Dudley, Fisher, Forbes, Grayson, Griffith, Guest, Hall, Hamilton, Hargrove, Harris, Heilig, Howell, Hull, Ingram, Jackson, Johnson, Jones, D.C., Katzen, Keating, Kilgore, Landes, Marshall, May, McClure, McDonnell, McEachin, Mims, Moore, Moran, Morgan, Murphy, Nelms, Nixon, O'Brien, Orrock, Parrish, Phillips, Plum, Puller, Purkey, Putney, Reid, Reynolds, Rhodes, Robinson, Rollison, Ruff, Scott, Sherwood, Shuler, Spruill, Stump, Tata, Tate, Thomas, Van Landingham, Van Yahres, Wagner, Wardrup, Watkins, Watts, Way, Weatherholtz, Wilkins and Woodrum
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Consent to introduce
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WHEREAS, on July 4, 1896, exactly 120 years after the Declaration of Independence, The Winchester Star published its first edition; and

WHEREAS, the triumvirate of John I. Sloat, V. B. Garton, and John Hoover founded the The Star with a few hundred dollars; a used, hand-powered press; and, in the words of John Sloat, "limited ability"; and

WHEREAS, the paper's first year was especially tumultuous, as its founders quickly discovered that three men could not produce a newspaper, leading to the hiring of a pressman and a typesetter; and

WHEREAS, Richard Evelyn Byrd, a noted lawyer and subsequently Speaker of the House of Delegates from 1908 to 1912, purchased the The Star in 1897 and was its editor and publisher from 1897 to 1908; and

WHEREAS, Harry F. Byrd, Sr., succeeded his father as president and publisher from 1908 to 1935, while also serving Virginia as a State Senator, Governor, and United States Senator; and

WHEREAS, on July 1, 1935, Harry F. Byrd, Jr., later a Virginia and United States Senator, took over the duties of editor and publisher, serving until 1981, when the current publisher, Thomas T. Byrd, became the fourth generation of his illustrious family to publish The Winchester Star; and

WHEREAS, from its self-described humble beginnings, The Winchester Star weathered the storms, both literal and figurative, to become a fixture in the daily life of the city and counties it serves; and

WHEREAS, over the past century, The Winchester Star has grown along with the City of Winchester and the Counties of Frederick and Clarke, covering their triumphs and disasters, their births, marriages, and deaths, and their historic occurrences; and

WHEREAS, in celebrating its centennial, The Winchester Star can look back with pride on a century of exceptional service to Winchester-Frederick-Clarke, the Shenandoah Valley, and the Commonwealth; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend and congratulate The Winchester Star on the occasion of its 100th anniversary; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to president and publisher Thomas T. Byrd as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for the determination, perseverance, and consistent journalistic excellence of The Winchester Star.