[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 121 (Friday, September 5, 2003)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E1719] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONGRATULATIONS TO GENE OWENS ON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE MOBILE REGISTER ______ HON. JO BONNER of alabama in the house of representatives Friday, September 5, 2003 Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to recognize and salute my friend, Gene Owens, on the occasion of his retirement from ``active duty'' with the Mobile Register, Alabama's oldest newspaper. For 9 years, Gene has provided consistent, quality reporting to readers along the Gulf Coast and throughout Alabama, first as the paper's political editor and in recent years, as the Register's popular metro columnist. Prior to moving to Alabama, Gene worked at newspapers in other areas of the country, devoting much of that time to reporting jobs in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Upon moving to the Gulf Coast in 1994, Gene became a familiar face to those of us in public service during his stint as the Register's political editor. In so doing, he shared with the people of south Alabama the talents and personal integrity upon which he built his reputation as a journalist. Elected officials, community representatives and concerned citizens alike could always rely on Gene to provide the best possible coverage of issues facing us in Alabama as well as topics of national interest. From covering local political debates to national party conventions, Gene could always be counted on to give you the complete story on the major issues of the day. While his readers--and those he reported on-- did not always agree with him, we could always be assured there would be equal and fair treatment in his columns and stories, a statement which can not always be said about all journalists. In recent years, Gene moved to cover more local issues, and his columns on more human interest stories won him an entirely new following. His humorous and often folksy manner of sharing local tales, from topics as diverse as an annual Texas State Fire Ant Festival to a discussion on the finer points of the southern ``take'' on the English language, could always be counted upon to inform, entertain and bring a smile to the faces of all his readers. His readers, colleagues and fans never hesitated to share their opinions on and about Gene and his pontifications. Of all the comments the paper received during the past 9 years, the one that perhaps best sums up Gene's career and the public's feeling toward him was left on the Register's open comment line, ``Sound Off,'' and was recently reprinted in a tribute column about Gene. Someone called in to say, ``I hope God continues to watch over Gene Owens. The world is so in need of the humor and wisdom that he so richly shares with us all.'' Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing Gene Owens for his tremendous contributions to both the world of journalism and to his friends and neighbors along Alabama's Gulf Coast. Gene is indeed a genuine Alabama treasure who has freely shared both his wisdom and humor with all of us, and for nearly a decade I have been proud to call him my friend. Along with his many friends and followers throughout South Alabama, ``Pal Joey'' wishes to extend to Gene Owens and his lovely wife, ``Miss Peggy,'' all the best in the months and years ahead. ____________________