Times, they are a-changin'

T
imes in Newcastle are changing and the News Letter Journal is fully involved in embracing those changes and helping to move the community forward while still providing the best service possible. 
It is time for the community, and the paper, especially, to say farewell to a fearless leader Bob Bonnar and our trusty designer Stephanie Bonnar as they embark on new adventures after dedicating more than 20 years to the community. 
We want to begin by saying thank you. Thank you for giving us a place to work and explore our passions, thank you for teaching us to always utilize our First Amendment right to the “freedom of press” and for, most importantly, teaching us that while we might not always be the favorite people in town, we are some of the most important people and have a duty to keep the public informed, whether it is popular or not. 
I (Alexis) personally want to thank you both for being great role models, for loving my children, for introducing me to a career that I enjoy and for always pushing me to get through the bullshit and keep my head up. I think you did a lot of that for everyone in this office. 
And from the community, I know they all want to thank you for doing what was right in almost every situation, making the important issues something that we all had more knowledge of and always providing a great service to the community. 
You two will be greatly missed. 
But through this time of change, from the relocating of Decker’s Market to the private practice of Ashley w and the new travel center that will soon be located at the four-way, we want to encourage the community to embrace the change, celebrate the new and remain dedicated to the old. 
Support the local entrepreneurs that trust this community and have a passion that runs deep enough to open their shops on Main Street, or anywhere else in town. Check around town for school supplies and other necessities that used to be readily available at Shopko, because other businesses are embracing that change and working hard to fill the need and, most importantly, continue to be the community we have all grown to love. 
Continue to wave at your neighbors as you pass them on the street, continue to have those conversations in the grocery store, and continue to come forward and support anyone or anything that is in need of a hand up, because that is the community we have all come to love. That is the small-town life that you will not find elsewhere. 
But through those things, continue to encourage the new and the old, to support those businesses who are taking a shot on Newcastle and Weston County and remember to embrace the changes as they come our way, because we sure are. 
Again, thank you, Bob and Stephanie, for all you have done for everyone in this county and around the state (although not everyone will agree with everything you did for the town you have always called home). Good luck on your next adventure and, remember, you will always have a place in the News Letter Journal’s heart!