As we move toward the New Year, The Newtown Bee provides in this issue a look back at events, places, and people who have populated our pages.

From the well known to those who dig in behind the scenes of our community, our articles have introduced readers to new ideas, rekindled memories, and hopefully ignited conversations about what makes Newtown tick — and where we go from here.

Our staff is aware that our success depends on the cooperation of officials and generosity of individuals who share their stories. We are conscious of our responsibility to report the news in a way that leaves room for personal opinions to form and for readers to take action as they see fit.

We are thankful for the many subscribers who believe in the integrity of our 142-year-old paper and appreciate the family and employees who bring the news of Newtown to its citizens each week. We are also grateful for the many businesses in town who advertise with us, in print and on our website, reaching thousands of households regularly every week. These businesses benefit from the delivery of the Bee Extra, with their ad within the pages, to all households not already receiving the weekly paper. Subscribers and advertisers support our mission of providing news that can be trusted to those who live and work in Newtown.

We acknowledge these supporters and commit that in 2020 we will continue to provide award winning stories and advertising to you — and to always look for ways to improve how we do so.

This past year saw the inception of our Community Buzz program. We are grateful to the following residents who have taken time to share their thoughts with The Newtown Bee: Jay Mattegat, Lynn Hungaski, Mike Giudice, Katherine Dahlem, Jan Lee Brookes, Jill LeBlanc, Robert LaPorta, Betsy Litt, and Alan Martin. The Community Buzz is a Bee-moderated hour of casual conversation on one topic, intended to help us understand the community’s needs, interests, and desires. We look forward to hosting more conversations in 2020, and hope to add diversity to the groups that take part. If you are age 16 or older and are interested in taking part, e-mail editor@thebee.com, subject line Community Buzz, with your contact information and availability. We will offer the Buzz at various times in order to better accommodate schedules.

So many residents share their stories of perseverance, hope, and struggles. The year past was no exception. That we can assist by bringing these stories to the attention of the public is an honor. It was a privilege in 2019 to have residents take part in our ongoing series about generations of Newtown’s families, as well as the stories of those who have dived into their ancestry. Thank you to all who participated, and to those who might still want to share, please contact alissa@thebee.com.

The next several pages include highlights of 2019 in our town. We are reminded as we produce these recaps that without you — our readers, sources, and advertisers — these articles could not happen. You have our sincere thanks.

(Look for more stories from 2019 in the January 3, 2020 issue.)