September 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 17

Briefly Noted
Q The park and recreation community mourns the loss of Nathaniel
Washington, former NRPA president
and commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Recreation, who
passed away on June 1, his 84th birthday. Washington's extensive career in
recreation also included leadership
positions at the Newark (New Jersey)
Recreation and Parks Department
and Fairleigh Dickinson University.
As an active leader within NRPA,
Washington served on the board of
trustees from 1974-1982 and holds
the distinction of being the association's first minority president in 1980.
He also was a founder of the National
Recreation and Park Ethnic Minority
Society and participated as a member
of many other park and recreation-related associations and organizations.
Notably, he also held a lifeguard certification until the age of 78. Recreation professionals in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey, as well as across the
country, will miss his enthusiasm and
leadership in recreation throughout
the greater Philadelphia area.
Q A park director in Pennsylvania
has received accolades for his quick
action that saved numerous lives
during a shooting at a recent board
supervisors' meeting in Pennsylvania. At the August 5 meeting in
Ross Township, a disgruntled citizen
opened fire, fatally wounding three
and injuring at least six others. The
gunman retreated, and West End
Open Space Commission Executive
Director Bernie Kozen was attending
to the injured when he saw the shooter return. Kozen tackled the shooter,
subduing him until police arrived.
The alleged shooter was reportedly
upset that the township had taken
legal action against him due to excessive refuse on his property.

QFrom coast to coast, state parks are
gearing up to celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Public Lands Day on
Saturday, September 28, 2013. National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort
for public lands. In 2012, about 175,000
volunteers worked at 2,206 sites in every state, the District of Columbia and
in many U.S. territories. NPLD volunteers collected an estimated 23,000
pounds of invasive plants, built and
maintained 1,500 miles of trails, planted 100,000 trees, shrubs and other native plants, removed 500 tons of trash
from trails and other places, and contributed $18 million through volunteer
services to improve public lands across
the country.
Q New evidence suggests the nation
is finally turning the corner in the
campaign against child obesity. Small
but significant improvements in obesity rates of low-income preschoolers
were counted in 18 states from 2008 to
2011, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention Director Thomas Frieden
said on August 5. " This is the first report to show many states with declining rates of obesity in our youngest
children after literally decades of rising rates....Although obesity remains
epidemic, the tide has begun to turn
for some kids in some states, " Frieden
says. " While the changes are small,
for the first time in a generation they
are going in the right direction. "
QA pregnant woman sitting on a New
York City park bench was struck and
killed by a falling tree on August 4.
The Parks Department said Yingyi Li-

Dikov, 30, was struck by the 50-foot-tall
tree in Kissena Park in Queens when
it snapped about eight feet from the
ground. Residents say they hope this
tragedy pushes the city to spend more
money on park maintenance, although
the parks department said the 70-yearold tree was in a section of the park that
had last been inspected on June 20.
Q In mid-July, the Utah Supreme
Court ruled that the state had a duty to
protect 11-year-old Sam Ives from the
bear that killed him in 2007 while his
family was camping in American Fork
Canyon. The ruling was similar to one
a federal judge issued for the boy's family, and against the U.S. Forest Service,
in 2011. The federal judge also ordered
the U.S. government to pay Ives' heirs
$1.9 million. The Utah Supreme Court
ordered the case back to a lower court,
where a civil trial may proceed.
Q A new watercraft named " The
Warrior " is helping wounded soldiers
at Fort Rucker, Alabama, enjoy the
great outdoors once again. The new
boat, which debuted in early July,
helps wounded warriors and physically disabled people enjoy time on the
water. Its features, including a ramp
that allows a person in a wheelchair
to directly roll onto the boat, make it
easy for those dealing with a variety
of physical impairments to enjoy the
water. The boat can hold up to eight
people and can be used for fishing and
other types of water sports.
For more news from around the industry, visit www.parksandrecreation.
org/2013/September/Briefly-Noted.

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September 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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