To the Editor:

Last week’s Ink Drops cited the sad state of trust in the media nationally. And although describing The Newtown Bee as a mere “speck” on the big media landscape, made the point that for the Bee staff, this news “still stings.”

Wow — imagine that, a media platform that still cares about being trusted. How refreshing! That’s just one of the reasons that we should all recognize what a unique gem we have in The Bee.

There are reasons why a newspaper endures since 1877, and trust is certainly one. I am also grateful for the way The Bee acts as a kind of “glue” to bring Newtown together over common stories, issues and challenges.

There seems to be something for everyone in the eclectic coverage of everything from town politics, to senior news, to sports and pets. And how many proud moments have we had as parents when our kids have “made it into the paper” for a sports or civic accomplishment.

Of course, we don’t always agree with The Bee, or with each other in The Bee, but having that forum makes us a better informed and more connected community I do believe. After over 20 years living in Newtown, it is hard for me to imagine a Newtown without The Bee.

It is simply part of the fabric of our town.

A challenge related to being around for 150 years is that it makes it easy to be taken for granted. And that would be unfair to the fine men and women that work so hard to bring us the paper each week, to whom I want to express my deep gratitude.

We are quite lucky to have you. Keep up the great work all, and we’ll all look forward to your next 150 years!

Joe Beier

Sandy Hook