MARTY WELCOMES CRUISE SHIP ORIANA TO BROOKLYN

On September 24, Marty joined Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYC & Company President Cristyne L. Nicholas in greeting the cruise ship Oriana at what will be Red Hook’s new Pier 12. Council Member David Yassky also attended. “Visitors will have a chance to observe Brooklynites’ longstanding reputation for being reserved, modest, and shy,” joked Marty. “Once they step off the boat and experience Brooklynites’ world-famous hospitality, who knows? They might just stay forever.” The Queen Mary 2 will be the first ship to dock at the completed terminal next spring.

PLAN AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TO ADVANCE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK

On September 19, Marty joined City Council Members David Yassky and Bill de Blasio, State Senator Martin Connor, Assembly Member Joan Millman, and Congress Member Nydia Velázquez to propose changes to plans for Brooklyn Bridge Park that they believe will move the project from the planning stage to construction. With the goal of supporting the environmental impact statement for the park so that the necessary properties can be transferred and the construction begun, the officials will work with the City and State to incorporate the changes to the plan, including: providing interim park improvements and access near Atlantic Avenue; reducing the height of the residential building on the upland of Pier 6 to 20 stories or less; preserving the full Con Edison site as parkland; developing residential projects, if feasible, elsewhere in DUMBO, in lieu of the Con Edison site; providing active indoor and outdoor recreation facilities; developing a middle school for Region 8; and developing a ferry terminal at Atlantic Avenue with accessory commercial activity. “Community input must be the foundation of any great public project such as Brooklyn Bridge Park,” said Marty. “After many years of community input, we believe it is our responsibility, as elected officials, to see that the park finally gets built for Brooklynites and all New Yorkers to enjoy. That is why we are here today, speaking with one voice.”

MARTY CALLS FOR A HALT TO OPTO EXPANSION

Marty, fed up with NYC Transit’s apparent disregard for the public’s safety concerns, appealed to Richard Brodsky, Chair of the State Assembly’s Committee on Public Authorities, to halt the use of One Person Train Operation OPTO on the L and G Lines while the system’s safety is evaluated. (Trains run with OPTO have a motorman on board, but no conductor.) Despite appeals to NYC Transit to delay implementation until safety issues are resolved, the MTA initiated the first L line (OPTO) trains in June, and plans to expand its use on the L in November. The Franklin Avenue Shuttle, also run by OPTO, derailed in September. In August, a labor arbitrator found that using OPTO violates the MTA’s labor agreement with its workers. “Especially in this post 9/11 environment, everything possible must be done to keep our subways safe,” said Marty. “Eliminating train conductors makes us more dependent on technology and less able to respond to breakdowns and emergencies. Before replacing more eyes and ears with remote sensors and closed-circuit cameras, a risk assessment should be publicly carried out and discussed. OPTO may save money, but it shortchanges the safety of riders.”

PROSPECT HEIGHTS STREET NAMED FOR MARY PINKETT

On September 8, Marty joined other elected officials, members of Mary Pinkett’s family, and friends in remembering the late City Council Member’s life and accomplishments, as a portion of Washington Avenue in Prospect Heights was co-named in her honor. Ms. Pinkett was a labor advocate who became the first African American woman elected to the City Council, where she represented Brooklyn’s 35th District for 27 years, until term limits required that she step down. The street co-naming was led by Council Member Tish James, who represents Ms. Pinkett’s former district. Ms. Pinkett passed away in December, 2003. “For many years, Mary was one of the most active members of the City Council,” said Marty. “She was a friend and someone who helped me a great deal. When I first got elected to the Senate, I went to see Rabbi Rosenfeld in Crown Heights to ask him what I could do for the residents of his community. He said, ‘Just do what Pinkett does.’”

MARTY CALLS ON MOTORISTS TO REPORT PRICE GOUGING AT THE PUMP

On September 13, Marty urged Brooklyn motorists to report any potential price-gouging at the pump. “We will not tolerate having our hard-earned dollars burned by excessive and unfairly inflated gasoline prices,” Marty said in a statement. “The State’s Gasoline Price Stability Task Force is closely monitoring retail gas prices, and the attorney general has promised that gas wholesalers or retailers violating New York’s price gouging law will face severe penalties.” The state’s toll-free hotline to report price-gouging is 800-214-4372. Complaints can also be registered at the Consumer Protection Board's website, www.nysconsumer.gov, or by calling Marty’s office at 718-802-3875..

ATLANTIC YARDS: “NITTY GRITTY” STARTS WITH EIS SCOPING HEARING

On September 14, Marty responded to the MTA approval of the sale of the Atlantic Yards site to Forest City Ratner by vowing to address all of the community’s legitimate concerns with the project, including traffic, parking, public transit, parks and open space, community facilities, noise, air quality, and density. Marty has also called for the downsizing of the project to better reflect the scale of the immediate area. “Now that the Atlantic Yards bid has been accepted, the next step is for the EIS scoping hearing to be set, when we will delve into the nitty gritty of the planning challenges,” Marty said in a statement. “In addition to the scoping hearing, I have

convened a committee of the Brooklyn Borough Board with City Council members and community board leaders in neighboring districts, to provide continual review and feedback on the plan as it evolves. We are going to roll up our sleeves and make Atlantic Yards a project that everyone, even those who may now oppose it, will ultimately see the great benefit of.”

“CLOSING ST. MARY’S IS IMMORAL”

On September 22, Marty criticized the State for approving the closure of St. Mary’s Hospital without ensuring that area residents continue to receive adequate medical care. “Allowing St. Mary’s to close, with absolutely no plan in place to provide vital services to the community, is a mind-boggling failure on the State’s part,” said Marty. “When poor people get sick or even die because they can’t see a doctor, we don’t call it neglect or genocide, but it is immoral to shutter another health care facility in Central Brooklyn. I called upon the Governor’s Commission for Health Care Services to hold a meeting in Brooklyn and to begin developing a regional plan that takes into account the needs of Central Brooklyn residents and the challenges of their health care providers.” The commission was created by Governor George Pataki this spring to examine the needs and capacities of the health care system and make appropriate recommendations. “To date, all I have been told is that they are not ready to meet and don’t know when they will be,” Marty said. “The medical safety net in Central Brooklyn, home to some 900,000 residents, has been long fragile, and is now on the verge of complete disintegration.”

MARTY URGES SPEED ON SOUTH SLOPE/GREEN-WOOD HEIGHTS REZONING

On September 27, Marty issued his ULURP recommendation supporting the Department of City Planning’s application for the contextual down-zoning of South Park Slope and Green-Wood Heights. With developers rushing to complete projects before new zoning is adopted, he has urged the City Planning Commission to adopt the rezoning with modifications at its October 19 meeting, and urged the City Council to act quickly to adopt the plan as well. “The quality of life and property values of South Park Slope and Green-Wood Heights have been degraded by an onslaught of development that disrespects the scale and charm of these neighborhoods, as bulky buildings have been constructed where well-maintained small homes once stood,” said Marty. “South Park Slope and Green-Wood Heights residents have united to stop demolition from ruining the character of their neighborhoods.” Marty’s recommendations include support for increased density along Fourth Avenue to facilitate affordable-housing production and to promote the transformation of Fourth Avenue into a grand residential boulevard similar to Ocean Parkway.

BROOKLYN MOURNS

Gabrielle I. Edwards, founder and former executive director of St. Mary's Community Services, Inc.

Sandra Feldman, former president of the United Federation of Teachers and its New York local, was a native Brooklynite and a powerful advocate for teachers and students alike.

Michael “Big Mike” Fenimore, longtime Prospect Lefferts Gardens resident and community activist, will be missed.

Leo Fenster , who devoted his career of more than 60 years to real estate and insurance in Midwood.

Sister Mary Franciscus, founder and executive director of Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow in Sunset Park , operated at the forefront of helping disadvantaged Brooklynites and New Yorkers find jobs.

Fred Laverpool, a community activist who helped co-name Fulton Street for Brooklyn Underground Railroad facilitator Harriet Ross Tubman, founded the African-American sightseeing tour Braggin’ About Brooklyn.

Dr. Henry Lowenheim, longtime Midwood Park resident and an outstanding mental-health care professional.

Dominick Massa, Brooklyn Chamber of CommerceVice Chairman.

Ernest Migliaccio, Community Board 6 Land Use Committee Co-Chair, was a devoted grassroots activist.

Elizabeth Kasulis Padilla, pro bono coordinator of the Brooklyn Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, was taken before her time in a tragic bike accident.

Congressman Bertram L. Podell, lawyer and three-term Democratic Representative from Brooklyn ’s 13th Congressional District.

Barbara Remington, of Community Board 3, was a devoted Brooklynite.

Christopher Rose, who was murdered for his iPod, was taken before his time.

Milton Shurgin, a co-founder ofMidwood Development Corporation and longtime member of Community Board 14, was a great Brooklynite.

Deacon Robert Skanes, was a dedicated religious leader for Brooklynites and an active member of the Bedford-Stuyvesant Lions Club.

Frank Spinner, a talented inventor and Brooklyn business owner, was a longtime president of the Society of Old Brooklynites dedicated to honoring Revolutionary War Heroes at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument in Fort Greene Park.

Annie Thompson, founder of Garden of Union and Annie's Garden, fought to improve the quality of life in her Park Slope community and was a great Brooklynite.

Rev. John C. Wright , of Grace Tabernacle Christian Center , will always be remembered for his dedication to the spiritual well-being of all Brooklynites.