BROOKLYN TO ASSEMBLY MEMBER CYMBROWITZ AND STATE SENATOR HALPERIN —
“GET WELL SOON”  

Marty joins all Brooklynites in wishing Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz and former State Senator David Halperin a quick and complete recovery. Kudos to Maimonides Medical Center ’s Stroke Center for its excellent care of Assembly Member Cymbrowitz during this critical time.

HEART OF BROOKLYN CELEBRATES ITS NEW HOME IN PROSPECT HEIGHTS

On February 17, Marty joined members and supporters of the Heart of Brooklyn (HOB) cultural partnership to celebrate the organization’s new home at a Washington Avenue storefront in Prospect Heights . HOB institutions, clustered around Grand Army Plaza , include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden , Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Public Library, Prospect Park, and Prospect Park Zoo. Through HOB, these institutions collaborate to increase awareness of and access to Brooklyn ’s wealth of educational and cultural resources. “From smelling the sweet roses in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden to curling up with a good mystery from the Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn’s cultural institutions feed the heart and soul of Brooklyn and beyond,” said Marty. “I’m confident that Heart of Brooklyn’s location in the heart of the community will help it inspire even more Brooklynites and New Yorkers to enjoy all that Brooklyn has to offer.”

YOKO ONO HELPS BROOKLYN CHESS CHAMPS GET TO NATIONALS

On February 22, Marty welcomed the chess champions from I.S. 228 David A. Boody School in Gravesend to Borough Hall to help them attain their goal of competing in the 2005 Supernational tournament. In 2004 the school sent 22 6th to 8th graders to the Tucson , Arizona , competition, where they took first place in two categories and two team members were named national champions. On January 30, 2005 , the Boody team also took first place at the Annual Greater New York Chess tournament. The team needed to raise $5000 to fund its trip to this year’s Supernationals in Nashville, April 8-10. Following the team’s Borough Hall appearance, a surprising supporter appeared — Yoko Ono, who donated the entire amount to fund the team’s journey. Ono has also funded the Imagine Chess Tournament at the Museum of Natural History for the last four years.

MARTY UNVEILS FIRST PERMANENT AFRICAN-AMERICAN PORTRAIT AT BOROUGH HALL

On February 24 , Marty welcomed hundreds of Brooklynites to his annual Black History Month Celebration, where he unveiled a portrait of Brooklyn ’s first African-American State Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Oliver Williams (1898-1981). Judge Williams becomes the first African-American to have his portrait permanently installed on the walls of Borough Hall since the building opened in 1848. Judge Williams’ children, Oliver L. Williams and Ann Messinger, beamed with pride as Marty honored their father. Born in Brooklyn on May 26, 1898 , he was the first African-American elected to the New York State Supreme Court from Brooklyn , and the third elected in the state. After passing the bar in 1924, he served on the bench of the Civil Court , the City Court and the Municipal Court. In 1963, he was elevated to the Supreme Court of the State of New York in Brooklyn , retiring from the bench on December 31, 1974 . “In 1963, Oliver Williams was a trailblazer on the bench,” said Marty. “Now, in 2005, he is blazing another trail, becoming the first African-American to have his portrait placed on permanent display in this magnificent courtroom — in Brooklyn ’s oldest public building.” Brooklyn-born Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005), the first black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and a Brooklyn hero, was also honored at the celebration with a dramatic reading performed by actor Kaci M. Fannin. Marty announced that next year a grand portrait of Shirley Chisholm will be unveiled to be placed on permanent display in Borough Hall.

MARTY COMMENDS COMMERCE BANK AND PARK SLOPE RESIDENTS ON OUTSTANDING COLLABORATION

On March 3, Marty joined Council Member Bill deBlasio, Assembly Member Joan Millman, State Senator Carl Andrews, Aaron Naparstek of Park Slope Neighbors, John Telesca and Arlene Bianci of the First Street Block Association, and representatives from Commerce Bank to unveil a rendering of the bank’s new Park Slope branch. The building’s final plan is the result of a collaborative effort between the community and Commerce after local residents and merchants voiced concerns about the bank’s original drive-through design and its impact on their neighborhood. Although zoning laws permitted Commerce to proceed with its plan, the bank met with neighborhood groups at Borough Hall and at the Community Board’s office, then adjusted the design using residents’ suggestions. “This project serves as an example to all companies that the best way to do business in Brooklyn is to work with and respect the community,” said Marty . The bank is slated to open in December on Fifth Avenue between First and Garfield Streets.

BROOKLYN ARTS COUNCIL AWARDS GRANTS TO LOCAL ARTISTS

On March 3, Marty joined Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC) President Ella Weiss and representatives from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) at BAC’s annual Arts Regrant awards ceremony. BAC's grants to local artists are made through its Regrant Program, which is funded by the Council on the Arts, DCA and the J.P. Morgan Chase Regrant Program. “I am proud to see that the 126 regrant recipients here tonight are as colorful and vibrant as a paint-filled palette — reflecting the fact that Brooklyn is truly home to everyone from everywhere,” said Marty. “It is artists and organizations like you that make Brooklyn the creative capital of New York — and America .” The Regrant Program encourages participation in the state's cultural funding at the local level, enabling selected local arts councils, county governments and regional advisory boards to “regrant” funds to local arts organizations and community groups for a variety of community arts services and projects. Marty serves as BAC’s Honorary Chairperson.

MARTY – “I’M THRILLED THAT THE ATLANTIC YARDS MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING HAS BEEN SIGNED”

On March 4, Marty commended the City, State and Forest City Ratner Companies for signing a Memorandum of Understanding for the Atlantic Yards Project. “This is a huge step forward for a project that is great news for Brooklyn ,” said Marty. “Atlantic Yards will give us a world-class arena, desperately needed economic development, more than 10,000 permanent new jobs, and thousands of units of housing that will be affordable to low- and middle-income Brooklynites. Now that the MOU has been signed, the real work begins. I am committed to ensuring that there will be a transparent EIS process and ongoing public disclosure of plans, so that this project will be a win-win for the surrounding communities as well as all of Brooklyn .”

BROOKLYN MOURNS

Mary B. Hill, President of the President Street Block Association and loving husband of James, will be missed.

Richie Longo , who depicted Brooklyn in his beautiful artwork throughout his life, will be missed.

Pamela Stanfield, longtime Brooklyn resident, talented botanical watercolorist and Brooklyn Botanic Garden Orchid House volunteer, was a great Brooklynite.