4 From the Editor Among the eclectic collection of articles in this issue is a story from writer Michael Daigle about the ongoing battle to improve and maintain the water quality in Lake Hopatcong. It’s a subject that has been written about for decades. It is tedious, technical and complex but of the utmost importance. Lake Hopatcong News has been chronicling the subject since its inception in 2009. My predecessor, Jessica Murphy (who left LHN to become president of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation), set the bar high with excellent coverage from the Lake Hopatcong Commission meetings and its efforts towards getting the lake healthy. Jess’s background (environmental science, journalism and life-long lake resident) gave her an understanding of what is a very multifaceted subject and the ability to inform the public through accurately written articles. When I took the helm as editor in late 2012, I jumped right into the mix and began attending commission meetings. Luckily for me, Jess continued her streak of never missing a meeting and we’d sit side by side, busily scribbling notes as the meetings dragged on. I was writing down words and phrases I’d never heard before, did not know the meaning of and had no confidence that I’d be able to explain them in a written story, let alone publish as fact. Inevitably, the next day I would sit with Jess to get background, clarification or a simple explanation on more than one subject that was discussed during the previous evening. It helped that during this time, the foundation was headquartered in the same building in Nolan’s Point, where my office is located. My other ace in the hole was—and still is—Donna Macalle-Holly, grants and program director at the foundation and the former administrator for the commission. Donna’s ability to clarify procedure, policy or a formula is immeasurable. Thanks to both Donna and Jess—and sitting through eight years of meetings—I now have a somewhat better understanding of the science and policy of Lake Hopatcong. But understanding it doesn’t mean I was able to write about it with clarity and precision. After struggling through my first year of stories, I decided I needed to hire someone knowledgeable and skilled in the subject. That’s where Michael came in. As I’ve mentioned before in this column, Mike and I worked together for years at the Daily Record. As with most newspaper reporters at the time, Mike was tasked with covering an array of topics. Through the years, he became most proficient in stories about politics, government and the environment. No longer employed at the paper, he was the only person I called to ask if he would cover these subjects again for the magazine. I am so glad he said yes. His ability to sift through the quagmire of information—and making sense of it all—is what is needed for a story to be ready for publication. What sets his work apart from others is his ability to “report.” He is old school, in the most complimentary way. He has conversations with the right people, digs into websites, analyzes data, pulls from his own internal library—i.e. years of experience—and gathers all the information necessary for a well-informed story. And that is what he did with the story in this issue of the magazine. It is lengthy, but concise. It is well researched and informative. It is accurate. When fact checking with some of the subjects interviewed, I was pleased when one, John Tucci from EverBlue Lakes, thanked me for the accuracy of the reporting and the exactness of his quotes, saying that Mike got it “100 percent correct,” while another web publication “basically got it 100 percent wrong.” Getting it right. Such a simple concept. Also in this issue is a piece by Ellen Wilkowe, who got it right with her story about Hopatcong resident Tony Barone, whose life was turned upside down after taking a DNA test through the genealogy company Ancestry. It proved to be quite a task for Ellen, maneuvering through the twists and turns of Tony’s life. But with patience and perseverance, she was able to tell his story. Melissa Summers writes about Lola and John Scala, who were named Hopatcong’s Seniors of the Year at a small event in mid-June. Unfortunately, John was unable to attend the event and passed away just days before this publication went to print. I have been acquainted with the Scalas for a number of years, running into them at different events, even featuring them on these pages in 2015. I always looked forward to hearing one of John’s jokes. I was fortunate enough to see John with Lola at their home on the day of the award presentation. He told me three jokes. Thanks, John. —Karen ake Hopatcong News Easy INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION Breezy Garden State Yacht Club hosts stress-free sailing Saturdays FINDING A NEW FAMILY GRANT MONEY HELPING FIGHT HABS HEROES HONORED IN HOPATCONG MID SUMMER 2020 VOL. 12 NO. 4 LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS <strong>Midsummer</strong> 2020 ON THE COVER Avery Rosenfeld with Marcy Salwen Levitt, Honey and Greg Hertzig aboard Rosenfeld’s 1973 Flying Scot. To the left is Noah Steinbaum in a Sunfish sailboat. -photo by Karen Fucito KAREN FUCITO Editor editor@lakehopatcongnews.com 973-663-2800 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Michael Daigle Melissa Summers Ellen Wilkowe COLUMNISTS Marty Kane Barbara Simmons Heather Shirley EDITING AND LAYOUT Maria DaSilva-Gordon Randi Cirelli ADVERTISING SALES Lynn Keenan advertising@lakehopatcongnews.com 973-222-0382 PRINTING Imperial Printing & Graphics, Inc. PUBLISHER Camp Six, Inc. 10 Nolan’s Point Park Road Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 LHN OFFICE LOCATED AT: 37 Nolan’s Point Park Road Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849 To sign up for home delivery of Lake Hopatcong News call 973-663-2800 or email editor@lakehopatcongnews.com Lake Hopatcong News is published seven times a year between April and November and is offered free at more than 200 businesses throughout the lake region. It is available for home delivery for a nominal fee. The contents of Lake Hopatcong News may not be reprinted in any form without prior written permission from the editor. Lake Hopatcong News is a registered trademark of Lake Hopatcong News, LLC. All rights reserved.
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