Jonathan Maslow

DENNISVILLE — Jonathan E. Maslow, 59, of this community, assistant city editor and columnist of the Herald News in Passaic and former Cape May County Herald reporter, died Feb. 19, 2008.

Ever active in environmental work, he had been chair of the Dennis Township Environmental Commission, and was widely known for his first-person approach to reporting.

He worked as a reporter with the Cape May County Herald from 1997 until 2002, when he accepted the position at the Herald News.

His beat was Wildwood, but he covered a variety of subjects in the county.

Betty Jean Webersinn, Cape May County 4-H agent, recalled a story Maslow did about 4-Hers raising livestock for sale at the county 4-H fair. He followed the animal and owner from first meeting to the fair. He then purchased the animal from the 4-H member for consumption.

Webersinn said Maslow’s environmental interests at first gave her initial concerns about the story’s outcome, but after it was printed, she said, “It was wonderful what he did.”

Among his awards was one in 2001 from the New Jersey Press Association for Responsible Journalism Enterprise for a thorough investigative story about Marina Bay Towers in North Wildwood. It was entitled “Towers in Service a $14 million Question.”

In 1998 he also received the coveted Joseph M. Sklenar Editorial Award for his story “Will New Jersey Transit Listen?”

The Cape May County Branch of the National Association honored Maslow for the Advancement of Colored People with its 2000 Image Award. Engraved on that award is the inscription “In recognition and appreciation for your contribution to advancement of civil rights in Cape May County.”

A world traveler whose passport looked like one that belonged to a National Geographic reporter, Maslow traveled to Guyana for eight weeks in 1999 on a Sen. John Heinz reporting fellowship to teach environmental reporters how to follow stories that uncovered environmental problems in that South American nation.

Named a Fellow of the Knight International Press Fund in 2000, Maslow did needs assessment of the Russian media in 2001. That two-phase odyssey took him through Siberia in midwinter as well as through other parts of that far-flung nation. There was no language barrier for Maslow, since he spoke fluent Russian as well as Spanish and several other foreign languages.

A play “The Last Lector” was written by Maslow and adapted by the late Michael Laird, artistic director of Cape May Stage and played in that resort city for several weeks.

It was a drama set in a cigar factory in Tampa, Fla. and was taken from a story in “Torrid Zone,” Maslow’s first fictional work.

His other labors of love included being an author, filmmaker and instructor of young journalists.

An avid bicyclist, Maslow would often ride from the Herald’s Rio Grande office to Wildwood meetings on his 10-speed bike. He looked forward to biking on bike paths throughout the county and state.

He is survived by his wife, Liliya Khobotkova, stepson Arseniy Khobotkova, his sister Jane Maslow-Cohen of Austin, Texas; and his mother, Clara Maslow, of Concord, Mass.

A memorial service is planned sometime this summer in Cape May County.

Cards may be sent to the family at: 455 Passaic Ave., Passaic, N.J. 07055.