On August 8th, Marty, along with Judith Zuk, President of Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Marilyn Gelber, Executive Director of Independence Community Foundation, announced the winners of the Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest at the site of the winning residential block, Fulton Street between Carlton and Cumberland in Fort Greene. Winners from the first place commercial block, Bond Street between State and Schermerhorn, were also present to receive their awards. Top residential honors went to the "Fulton 10" (Fulton Street between Carlton and Cumberland), sponsored by the Atlantic Village Homeowners Association in Fort Greene. Top commercial honors went to Bond Street (between State and Schermerhorn), which is sponsored by the Bond Street Merchants Association of Boerum Hill. A special commendation for the most entries received by any neighborhood was awarded to Bedford Stuyvesant.

Kudos to Councilmen Bill DiBlasio and David Yassky for allocating money that will allow garbage to be picked up twice a day along 7th Avenue. The BP also wanted to praise Jackie Connor and her husband Charlie for their tireless efforts in helping to keep 7th Avenue clean. Marty hopes that other council members review this program for other heavy commercial streets such as Kings Highway, Emmons Avenue and Avenue U for their allocations next year throughout Brooklyn.

Shanice Murphy lost her three-year fight against leukemia last week. Shanice was just 8 years old. Brooklyn's hearts and prayers are with Devorah Murphy and her family during this difficult time.ontinue

The 24th Annual Seaside Summer Concert Series continues every Thursday Night until August 22nd at 7:30pm at Seaside Park at 5th Street and Surf Avenue in Brighton Beach, across the street from the New York Aquarium. Jay Black and the Americans, Ben E. King and Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge will perform on August 15th. The public can bring their own chairs or they can be rented for $5 per chair. The 20th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Concerts are every Monday Night until August 19th at 7:30pm at Wingate Field, which is located between Winthrop Street and Kingston Avenue opposite Kings County Hospital. The Mighty Sparrow Show - The Annual Caribbean Extravaganza will close out the series on August 19th with a rain date the following night. The public is encouraged to bring their own chairs because seating is limited. Performers are subject to change without notice. Call the concert hotline for updates on either concert at 718-469-1912 or 718-802-3700. And you don't have to worry about spending a fortune on tickets because these concerts are FREE!al Policy

On August 7th, the Borough President announced his appointment of Donald Weber, an award-winning educator, to the Panel for Educational Policy. Mr. Weber, 61, served for 17 years as the superintendent of School District 21 and was named the Superintendent of the Year in 1999 by the New York State Council of School Superintendents. Under his leadership, District 21's standardized test scores were continually amongst the highest in Brooklyn. Mr. Weber established
magnet schools, like The Bay Academy for Arts and Sciences & The Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted and Talented, and magnet programs at every intermediate school in District
21 that continue to attract the best students from all over Brooklyn."Don Weber is the perfect candidate for this position after a distinguished, almost 40 year educational career. His extensive
knowledge of students, teachers and administrators makes him the best advocate for Brooklyn's public schools," said the Borough President. Mr. Weber's first priority is to convene a Brooklyn Educational Summit in the fall to make sure that parents from all over Brooklyn have a strong voice in helping to shape important policy decisions. After the summit, Mr. Weber will continue to reach out to parents across the borough by holding monthly educational town meetings.ces Mor e Than $6 Million in Funding f or Brooklyn's Parks

On August 5th, Marty was pleased to announce $6,505,000 in capital funding for the fiscal year 2003 for the borough's parks. Among the parks that Marty is contributing to include: Wollman Rink in Prospect Park is receiving $2 million this year and an additional $1 million next year for the design of a new skating rink. The Amphitheater at Asser Levy Seaside Park is getting $50,000 this year and $500,000 next year to help design and construct a partially covered structure for seasonal use during the summer months. The handball and volleyball courts at Coney Island are receiving $50,000 this year and $500,000 next year to design and construct tournament level facilities. The South Oxford Park is getting $50,000 this year and $500,000 next year for interim improvements to a portion of the site that is slated to become a park and recreation center. The PS 44 Playground is receiving $500,000 this year which will go towards much needed renovations. This money is supplementing Councilman Al Vann's successful effort to restore existing funding for the project. PS 309 - Police Officer Rinaldo Salgado Field is getting $200,000 this year to reconstruct the asphalt field with a new synthetic playing surface for softball and soccer. The Narrows Botanical Garden in Bay Ridge is receiving $200,000 for a new decorative fence to
protect the garden against vandalism. The Underhill Playground in Prospect Heights is getting $845,000 to make sure that its play equipment meets safety standards. The Department of Parks and Recreation is receiving $500,000 in funding for new trees to be planted across the borough for the fall 2003 planting season. The Department of Parks and Recreation is getting $850,000 for the restoration of the Bronze Eagle