December 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 16

Community Center

Notable News
n John " Jack "
Hewitt, former
executive director of the Maryl a n d - Na t io n a l
Capital Park and
Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), died Saturday,
October 25. He first joined M-NCPPC staff in 1946 as an administrative
assistant and was appointed administrative aide to the vice chairman and
park commissioner in 1948. By 1957, he
was appointed director of parks. Outside M-NCPPC, Hewitt was an instructor at the Revenue Resources School
at North Carolina State University; a
contributing author and member of
the editorial board at the international
park and recreation professional journal
Trends; a lecturer for the Indiana University-sponsored Great Lakes Park and
Recreation Training Institute; a faculty
member with the Southwest Park and
Recreation Training Institute in Ardmore, Oklahoma; and a consultant for
a seminar on stream control for Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg,
Virginia. Among his many accolades,
Hewitt received the American Institute of Park Executives' Mr. Chairman
Award in recognition of his enthusiastic
devotion to public service and outstanding leadership, as well as the Governor's Citation in 1992 for outstanding
contributions in the field of parks and
recreation. He was also cited for excellence in William H. Whyte's national
award-winning book on urban planning, The Last Landscape; given special
recognition by the Izaak Walton League
of America, Silver Spring Chapter, for
outstanding accomplishment in the field
of conservation; and was honored by
the Maryland Recreation and Parks
Society for his outstanding service.
14 Parks & Recreation

n Tony Langoni, an influential park
and recreation professional with more
than 45 years in the industry, died November 1 at the age of 79. Langoni began his career in the late 1950s as a
recreation specialist for the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo,
Colorado, and later served within that
institution as acting recreation director. Later, residents would report high
levels of satisfaction with recreational
and leisure programming under his direction as the park and recreation director for the City of Pueblo. Langoni
is also remembered for his assistance
in creating one of Colorado's earliest
known partnerships between a municipal park and recreation department and
a local school district. His vision as a
recreation professional also helped create one of the first multipurpose recreation centers in Pueblo. Langoni served
as past vice president and president of
the Colorado Therapeutic Recreation
Society; past member of the NRPA
Standards Committee; Midwest representative on the NRPA Forum; past
member of the executive board of the
Therapeutic Recreation Society; and
past area coordinator for the Colorado
Special Olympics. In 1993, just prior to
Langoni's retirement, the Pueblo City
Council passed a resolution naming the
city's new multifield soccer complex
the " Anthony J. Langoni Sports Complex, " recognizing him for his dedicated
service to the community. Among his
other accolades, in 2003, Langoni was
awarded NRPA's Fellow Award for his
professionalism, leadership ability and
outstanding job performance.
For more news from around the industry, visit www.parksandrecreation.org/2014/December/Notable-News.

| D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 | W W W. N R PA . O R G

NRPA Connect
Hot Topics

ven though the year is coming
to an end, that doesn't mean
the conversations are stopping on NRPA Connect! Below is a
preview of some of the topics being
discussed on the only professional
networking platform dedicated to the
park and recreation profession:
1) Turf Damage from Lacrosse:
Does playing lacrosse cause more
damage on turf than soccer or football? Read what your colleagues suggest for the best turf management
practices to promote healthy turf on
athletic fields.
2) Aquatic Inflatable Toys: Thinking about purchasing inflatable toys
for your pool? There are many factors to consider before making this
purchase, including insurance coverage, lifeguard positioning and health
codes. See what participants think
are the risks and rewards.
3) Shared Use Off-Leash vs.
Fenced Dog Parks: Visit this discussion to learn what your colleagues believe are the pros and
cons of shared use off-leash dog
parks and fenced dog parks.
4) EpiPen Policy: What policies
are recommended for the use of
EpiPens and other epinephrine autoinjectors? How do these policies
differ from other medication regulations? Check out this discussion to
read how professionals weigh in.
Participating is easy! Visit www.nrpaconnect.org to contribute!
- Hayley MacDonell, NRPA's Membership Programs Manager

December 2014 - Parks & Recreation

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