Presenter
Presented by Mrs. Harris
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WHEREAS, "The Mill Hunk Herald Quarterly" and "The Martian Chronicles" were the inspiration for the first, February/March 1985, issue of The Northside Chronicle, Larry Evans, the newspaper's first editor, noted similarities with the book and North Side life as he got to know the all-stars of the neighborhood business districts, the War Street, Manchester and Perry North; and
WHEREAS, publishing every other month, the Chronicle instantly inspired district writers and community interest and would never have gotten off the ground except for seed money from the Community Technical Assistance Center, and early editorial meetings that included debates regarding community survival, self-determination and preserving the unique heritage of the Grand Old Allegheny; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Evans left his Middle Street home where the now monthly The Northside Chronicle was published for a graduate fellowship at Rutgers, so John Lyons took over the Chronicle for 20 years through funded and non-funded times feeling the Chronicle essential to connecting neighborhoods relaying positive news; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Lyons, worked in Purchasing for the City of Pittsburgh, produced the Chronicle as a labor of love taking no pay and felt duty to his North Side neighbors to keep their news front and center, Mr. Lyons barely had an ad base and used some of his own money to publish the Chronicle, he closed the Chronicle for three months in the summer of '86, but his commitment saved the newspaper; and
WHEREAS, serious debt in 2003 lead to the Northside Community Development Fund buying control and moving the Chronicle to the Fund's office on Middle Street, down the street from where the Chronicle began, and investments allowed Mr. Lyons to print in color and use digital lay outs; and
WHEREAS, thrown by Mr. Lyon's death in 2005, the Chronicle struggled for a bit both financially and editorially, finally hiring Dan Richey as both editor and ad sales, who also was the first to write a business plan with the intent to make the Chronicle self- sustaining; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Richey, who had never seen the North Side before, took the scraps left behind by Mr. Lyons - no contacts, no records - and tried to make a new life for the Chronicle covering hard news not covered by the local press with support from friends, neighbors and the North Side Leadership Conference, all who love the North Side and would not let the Chronicle die; and.
WHEREAS, Mr. Richey hired Andy Medici to edit and Jen Spicer, the first full-time ad salesperson in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Medici started an on line version of the Chronicle keeping citizens up to date with immediate news while the monthly Chronicle prints crucial information for North Side communities, a tradition carried on by Henry Clay Webster who edited the Chronicle from 2009 to mid-2010;
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes The Northside Chronicle and its current Managing Editor, Emily Leone, and Assistant Editor Kelly Thomas for producing the publication that North Siders continue to look to for important news that affects their business districts and neighborhoods every day, continuing to improve the quality, look and content making The Northside Chronicle an established neighborhood newspaper;
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the day of the 25th anniversary celebration, November 23, 2010, be known as "The Northside Chronicle Day" in the City of Pittsburgh. .