Memorial Day 2021 Issue

4
From the Editor
The cover story for this issue is an in-depth look at two Morris Habitat for Humanity builds
happening simultaneously in our area. One build is on a property in the Lake Shawnee
area of Jefferson for the Davis family, who will move into their home sometime before the end of
this year. The other build is at Roxbury High School, where students are helping to construct a
modular home that, when completed, will be transported to a property in Landing. That part of
the build will take about two years to complete.
Two very interesting and very newsworthy stories combined into one. The story is long—longer
than any other story published in this magazine in my tenure as editor. But, please, don’t let
the length deter you from reading it. Writer Melissa Summers has crafted a very informative,
thoughtful piece. Maybe, after reading it, you might even be inspired to volunteer at a Habitat
build site.
You might have noticed in the past that stories for this magazine begin and end on one or two
pages. This is intentional, mostly for layout purposes.
When I assign writers a story, I usually let them find the best path to a finished product. The
only parameters I ask is that they meet a deadline date and they write to a word count—sometimes
as little as 800, sometimes as much as 1,200. Comfortable lengths by most accounts. It’s only
recently that I’ve broken my own rule and let the length of the story be determined by the subject.
It started with Mike Daigle’s story about the Lake Hopatcong Commission, the Lake Hopatcong
Foundation and the four lake-town mayors banding together to help secure funds for Lake
Hopatcong. That story, which was published in the 2020 Holiday issue, ran over three pages.
In this year’s Spring issue, Jess Murphy’s well-reported and well-written piece on the Jefferson
Township Municipal Alliance also ran three pages.
Let’s face it, if you let writers write, they will—and rightfully so.
When I started working at the Daily Record back in 1984, newspapers were still thick with
pages and pages of copy. Photographs were big, headlines were bold, stories were long. There were
charts and graphs and pullout quotes scattered throughout.
But it wasn’t long before newsrooms across the country were reacting to the times.
Higher production costs led to less editorial copy. And, Americans, according to a multitude
of focus groups, were too busy to read long stories. So, despite the outcry from writers and
photographers everywhere, shorter stories and smaller photos became the norm.
I remember the battles in the newsroom between writers and editors, between photographers
and editors. In the end, though, those doing the layout always won. There was only so much space
for so much content.
And all this happened before the internet. Now, our collective attention span barely registers.
I often hear from readers how much they enjoy the magazine, that it is read cover to cover.
I certainly appreciate the kind words and hope that these few “longer” stories aren’t a deterrent
to reading an issue from front to back. These stories are more of
an anomaly, rather than the norm. I trust Melissa, Mike and Jess
will understand.
But back to the Habitat story—not the length—the actual story.
It is the second Habitat story in two years (Fall 2019 Vol. 12, No.
6), and it will not be the last. We will be following the progress of
the Roxbury High School students; look to the LHN website for
updates. And, when a family is picked for that house, we will report
about it in the magazine.
So many stories, so little space.
—Karen
STUDENTS PARTNER WITH
SMITHSONIAN AND LHF
GREAT-GRANDSON OF
JOE COOK OFFERS GIFTS
AREA NURSES VOLUNTEER
AT VACCINATION SITES
ONE FAMILY’S
PANDEMIC JOURNEY
ake Hopatcong News
INFORMING, SERVING AND CELEBRATING THE LAKE REGION
Building a
Community
MEMORIAL DAY 2021 VOL. 13 NO. 2
Morris Habitat for Humanity finds
a way forward despite the pandemic
LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Memorial Day 2021
ON THE COVER
Roxbury High School senior Gavin Yiu helps
install a wall to the floor of the modular
home being built by students for Morris
Habitat for Humanity.
-photo by Karen Fucito
KAREN FUCITO
Editor
editor@lakehopatcongnews.com
973-663-2800
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Michael Stephen Daigle
Melissa Summers
Ellen Wilkowe
COLUMNISTS
Marty Kane
Heather Shirley
Barbara Simmons
EDITING AND LAYOUT
Maria DaSilva-Gordon
Randi Cirelli
ADVERTISING SALES
Lynn Keenan
advertising@lakehopatcongnews.com
973-222-0382
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Lake Hopatcong, NJ 07849
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