Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-14-16 Online Edition

Features
Memorial Garden Dedicated To Fallen Tampa Police Officer
CHIEF ERIC WARD
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Sixteen years ago, a Tampa Police officer was fa- tally wounded by a suspect. She became the first woman at the department killed in the line of duty.
Shortly after Master Pa- trol Officer Lois Marrero died, members of her squad planted a magnolia tree in her honor as a living testa- ment of her life.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tampa Police Chief Eric Ward and members of the department dedicated the Lois Marrero Memorial Gar- den. The District One District is located at 3818 West Tampa Bay Blvd. The cere- mony took place at 2:30 p.m.
Created by volunteers and twenty (20) community sponsors, the garden is de- signed to serve as both a place for quiet contemplation and for milestone celebra- tions, a spokesperson for the department said.
“This place of respite
MASTER PATROL OFFICER LOIS MARRERO
1960 --- 2001
could not have been accom- plished without the sponsors and volunteers working to- gether to make it a reality. This Memorial Garden will embody the integrity and compassion Officer Lois Marrero showed not only to those she knew, but also the nameless, faceless many she did not know, but was proud to protect and serve,” the spokesperson said.
An 18-year veteran with the department, Officer Marrero died on July 6, 2001. She was 40 years-old.
Officer Marrero was chasing Nestor DeJesus, who had allegedly committed a bank robbery when she was ambushed. She was shot three times and died as a re- sult of her injuries.
After the shooting, DeJe- sus barricaded himself in- side an apartment in the complex and later took his own life. His girlfriend, Paula Gutierrez, an al- leged accomplice, was con- victed and sentenced to life in prison.
City Receives Recognition From Two Organizations
Recently, the City of Tampa received two individ- ual awards.
The first was the Certifi- cate of Achievement for Ex- cellence in Financial Reporting. This award was presented by the Govern- ment Finance Officers Asso- ciation (GFOA) compre- hensive annual financial re- port (CAFR).
This Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental ac- counting and financial re- porting, and its attainment represents a significant ac- complishment by a govern- ment and its management.
Mayor Bob Buckhorn
said, “It’s no surprise our Revenue and Finance team is being recognized by GFOA for their expertise in present- ing the City’s annual finan- cial statements.
“Our team is comprised of some of the nation’s top staff who work day in and day out to make sure we have our fiscal ducks in a row. We appreciate their diligence and attention to detail each year.”
Chief Financial Offi- cer Sonya Little stated, “It’s an honor to be recog- nized by the GFOA. I am for- tunate to work with such a skilled team of professionals who are committed to pro-
MAYOR BOB BUCKHORN
viding the highest level of ac- countability and trans- parency through financial re- porting.”
The City of Tampa Parks and Recreation Department was also the recipient of an award.
The department recently received re-accreditation from CAPRA, (the Commis- sion for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies). The award was presented last week at the National Recre- ation and Park Association 2016 Best of the Best Cere- mony.
In 2011, the City of Tampa became the 100th agency to receive CAPRA ac- creditation from the Com- mission.
The Parks and Recreation Department also received an award for the 2016 Excel-
lence in Innovative Program- ming. The award highlighted two of NRPA’s three pillars of impacting communities, Tree-Mendous Tampa Free Tree Program (Conserva- tion) and Tampa’s Stay & Play Program (Social Eq- uity).
During the summer, more than 21,000 teenagers visited community centers and pools to participate in various activities and leagues. Over the last three years the Tree-Mendous Tampa program has planted close to 3,000 trees, helping to renew the urban forest of Tampa and provided sustain- ability to the area.
In terms of the award, Mayor Buckhorn said, “Our city takes great pride in our Parks & Recreation pro- gramming and the services they offer.
He further said, “The Tree-mendous Tampa pro- gram has transformed a once bland urban landscape to a lush and vibrant green can- vass that’s revitalized our city.”
Greg Bayor, Director of the Parks & Recreation De- partment said, “We are very proud of the National Recre- ation and Parks Association recognizing Tampa’s out- standing Parks and Recre- ation Staff and their positive impact in our communities.”
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