This is Newtown. This is the place where residents flock to town meetings to express their opinions, hoping their voices will influence the decision makers of the community. Think 19 Main Street; Hawleyville gas stations; a permanent memorial to 12/14; development on The Boulevard; the CVH Animal Sanctuary; school safety; wetlands’ development proposals; a new community center; a new police headquarters; development at Fairfield Hills; athletic fields … the list of concerns in which people feel comfortable expressing their opinions goes on.

This is Newtown. The town where multiple fundraisers are ongoing at any time to help those in need locally, nationally, or worldwide. Think Meadowbrooks Farm fire; the Newtown Fund; Newtown Scholarship Association; the Great Pootatuck Duck Race; FAITH Food Pantry; help for Australian wildlife; supporting friends and neighbors with life-threatening illnesses.

This is Newtown. Where volunteers are a force with which to reckon. Five fire departments are staffed by volunteers willing to drop what they are doing whenever scanners sound. An all-volunteer ambulance corps relies on people who train regularly and, like their other emergency responders, jump to respond to calls. Where organizations dedicated to preserving Newtown’s heritage, supporting our elderly and infirm, feeding the hungry, providing rides to medical appointments, and offering new ideas and energy to our schools and sports organizations keep day-to-day plans rolling. Where volunteers come in all ages and skill sets and do what they can to ensure that Newtown remains a livable community.

This is Newtown. Where we find wooded paths to wander and clean brooks for our aquatic friends. Think Newtown Forest Association, Pootatuck Watershed, Trout Unlimited. Think Scout organizations working hand in hand with these groups. Think environmental groups like Newtown Environmental Action Team, helping residents better understand environmental threats and steps we can take to curtail those threats.

This is Newtown. Where groups like Newtown Action Alliance, Sandy Hook Promise, the Resiliency Center of Newtown, and the Care and Wellness Center are focused on keeping our community safe and educating us on how to care for ourselves and others.

This is Newtown. Where foundations rise out of tragedy to contribute to a better world.

This is Newtown. Where diverse faiths gather to give thanks each year, to speak up when one or another is threatened, to show that there is strength in faiths that are unified.

This is Newtown. This is where we work and play. This is where we laugh and cry. This is where we put down roots and look to a better future, through cooperation and understanding.

This is Newtown. This is the town where the hometown paper has recorded the good and the bad, the sad and the humorous, the wins and losses for nearly 143 years.

This is Newtown. This is The Newtown Bee, and this week we celebrate the most recent New England Newspaper & Press Association awards earned by staff members of The Newtown Bee.

We are solidly here, with award winning advertising, reporters, editors, and photographers. For you.

This is Newtown.