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02/29/96 Contributions of slain Ft. Lauderdale workers remembered To “celebrate the lives,” of five Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Parks and Recreation employees fatally gunned down by a former co-worker a week before, nearly 1,000 well-wishers and friends joined the victims’ families at Ft. Lauderdale’s Performing Arts Center on Feb. 16, praising the contributions of those who were slain and expressing gratitude for the victims’ commitment to their communities and loved ones. AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee and Florida Council 79 Pres. Blondie Jordan, who is also an IVP, took part in the memorial for beach maintenance workers Joseph Belotto, 40, Mark Bretz, 36, Kenneth Brunjes, 46, Donald Moon Jr, 44, and Joseph “Tim” Clifford, 37. They also asked for strength for Lelan “Joe” Brookins, 43, who was recuperating from gunshot wounds. All were, or are, members of AFSCME Local 532. The men were in their blue and white beachside trailer with their co-workers, readying themselves for work on Feb. 9 much as they had so many days before when Clifton McCree had worked with them during his 17 years as a city employee. Shortly before 5 a.m., McCree, who had lost his job as a Parks and Recreation employee in 1994 and encountered difficulty securing an income since, entered the trailer firing two pistols. In a matter of minutes, McCree shot and killed the men, then turned a pistol on himself. A suicide note McCree left in his pocket raised serious questions about what had brought McCree to that fatal day. Reeling in shock, AFSCME Local 532 Pres. Cathy Dunn and other members of Ft. Lauderdale’s community asked for a public memorial praising the good provided by the victims rather than a memorialization of the tragedy that ended their lives. For years, these men were among those who kept Ft. Lauderdale’s beaches clean, usable and beautiful enough to attract local residents and tourists by the hundreds of thousands. "These men were creating beauty and this is how they would want to be remembered,” said McEntee. “Life is much like the sea and the beach they tended. There is the pounding of the surf all day, the serene tranquility at night. But it is always there. We will miss these men but our lives are better today because they were here.” The city has joined Local 532 in seeking a full investigation of the incident. It was labeled by the news media as the worst tragedy in Ft. Lauderdale’s history. | |
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