It has been 63 days since we last put a print edition of The Newtown Bee to bed, shutting down the pounding of the presses on Commerce Road, and not knowing what this hiatus to our weekly production — the first in the history of the paper — would mean to our future.

Concerned with the safety of the staff as the coronavirus upped its ante in March, our publisher R. Scudder Smith deemed a temporary closure to be wise. It has been a long two months as a reduced staff took on the responsibility of keeping the community informed with only the website and social media at our disposal, determined to remain a reliable source for information on the coronavirus pandemic, our local government, and daily events and updates that impacted every citizen of Newtown.

We thank all of those who have recognized the value of community news by continuing to follow us at newtownbee.com, and acknowledge the dedicated efforts of our associate editor John Voket, who continued to disseminate Governor Lamont’s daily updates and information from Health District Director Donna Culbert and First Selectman Dan Rosenthal in order for Newtown’s residents to have critical news. His willingness during our closure to report Newtown’s news kept readers in the know as the town moves through a crisis that cannot compare to any other in recent history. With a more robust staff in place now, we are committed to bringing the news to all of our readers — especially those who have felt deprived of the print edition.

We thank town officials, particularly the first selectman and health director, for their availability and cooperation in sharing vital news in a timely manner. Making us privy to the special circumstances that have affected town government so that readers could remain informed while sheltering in place was beneficial to all.

We are grateful to the public for sharing with us the stories of life during this crisis. Finding ways to step up and reach out to others when told to maintain a distance is a skill that this town has mastered, and we are thankful for those who have done so and let us know.

The support of businesses who have advertised with us at newtownbee.com is something for which we are immensely thankful. Journalism, whether with a staff of four or forty, whether online or in print, is not free. We hope that the value of advertising in our paper has not been overlooked and that we can welcome back to print the many who have supported us over the years, as well as businesses new to us.

We are thrilled to be back in print, knowing that many readers rely on this format for the news. To spread wide the broad sheets and leisurely digest the weekly news is a pleasure we are happy to provide once again.

Thank you, one and all, for being there for The Newtown Bee, in good times and bad — just as we are here for you.