U.S. 1’s death notices are usually succinct. We think of them as milestones, rather than obituaries, even though we know each and every one of the people whose deaths we note could be the subject of a lengthy write-up.
That’s certainly the case with Janet Lasley, who died May 13 at the age of 56. Just a little over two years ago, when Lasley seemed to have the upper hand in her epic struggle against cancer, U.S. 1 profiled her in its annual women in business issue (February 13, 2008). We have known Lasley since her days as a UPS delivery person (one of the first women in that role) in the 1970s. And we briefly shared an office at 870 Mapleton Road with her husband and partner, architect Marc Brahaney.
One point that the longer obituary notices may not make: While many people in our community will remember Janet Lasley as a community-minded business owner and pioneering woman in business, she had role models in her own family. Her father, John Lasley, is a retired executive at Opinion Research Corporation and has been active in many community causes. Her mother, Kay Lasley, was for many years the proprietor of the scuba diving shop on Alexander Road, Princeton Aqua Sport. We express our condolences to Janet’s family and friends.
#b#To the Editor: Print to Digital#/b#
Richard K. Rein’s May 12 column on Jeff Jarvis and print journalism in the age of Google elicited the following online comment:
I remember my first encounter with the Tal-Star typesetting system at the Asbury Park Press, which computerized years before other papers like the New York Times could get permission from its unions. I knew as soon as I sat down at one of the terminals that I would never want to use a typewriter and KorrecType again!
News content will always need curation and creation by trained professionals, but the delivery mechanism is inevitably shifting from dead trees to dead electrons. People under 30 rarely read a printed paper, but they are considerably better connected to their peers/friends in distant locations. Where Baby Boomers might think of “calling” a college buddy occasionally, younger digerati are texting and Facebooking in a continuous daily stream of contacts. The media has to figure out how to be part of that ongoing interchange.
I also have to speak in defense of Twitter as an important communications tool. There are real conversations and collaborations taking place in the Twitter universe. I personally have developed relationships among my 2,750 Twitter associates (followers) that have led to revenue-producing engagements for my podcasting consultancy (“@PodcastSteve”).
Steve Lubetkin
Professional Podcasts LLC, Cherry Hill, steve@professionalpodcasts.com
