SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION SAVINGS MEANS BROOKLYN SHOULD GET MORE CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS

On the heels of Marty’s detailed report outlining how Brooklyn is not getting its fair share of funding to address serious school overcrowding throughout the borough, Mayor Bloomberg announced that an addition to the Queens Vocational High School will save the City almost $11 million, or almost 30% in construction costs, due to the restructuring of the School Construction Authority (SCA). That savings, when applied to 2005-2007 of the Department of Education’s Capital Commitment Plan announced in January, means the City could save at least $186 million. This money should be directed to Brooklyn to correct the glaring funding imbalance that is hurting students across the borough. “This is great news for Brooklyn. During these challenging financial times, we all must find ways to improve efficiency and accountability,” Marty said. “Since the City is now building cheaper schools in Queens, more schools and classrooms should be built in Brooklyn to stop shortchanging thousands and thousands of our students. This is not about ignoring serious overcrowding in Queens, but making sure Brooklyn receives its fair share – nothing more, nothing less. That certainly isn’t happening right now.” At 185% of capacity, Midwood, is the most overcrowded high school in the City, except for a small alternative Manhattan high school. Just $33 million would build the desperately needed Midwood Annex, which was eliminated from the City’s January Capital Commitment Plan

BUILDING A BETTER BROOKLYN . . BLOCK BY BLOCK

On June 11th, Marty hosted another Brooklyn Block Association Assembly. He stressed the importance of the Brooklyn Federation of Block Associations, which will, among other things, address important quality of life issues and be a powerful purchasing body. People who attended the assembly held at Brooklyn College received discounts to a number of Brooklyn stores. Another important topic was how block associations can and should collaborate to improve their neighborhoods and the entire borough. There were presentations by Patrick Condren from the Bay Ridge Community Emergency Response Team, Ellen Kirby from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and a number of city agencies, who answered questions and handled complaints. All of Brooklyn’s block associations, and neighborhood and civic associations were invited. In addition, Brooklyn’s Community Board chairs and district managers should also be in attendance. The first assembly was held last November.

LIGHTEN UP BROOKLYN CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH

Don’t forget to head out to our beautiful parks all over Brooklyn to participate in Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003. You can lighten up and tighten up with Marty, while you find the exercise that works best for your lifestyle. Throughout June, Brooklynites can join Marty in trying all kinds of free fitness and exercise routines in 20 Brooklyn parks on weekends, and at the special fitness events scheduled throughout the month. The exercise menu includes aerobics, pilates, canoeing, dancing, walking, running, bicycling and many other events, all geared to get Brooklynites into the habit of regular exercise. They are led by instructors and personal trainers from almost 25 gyms across Brooklyn. All classes are FREE. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control reported that nearly 21% of American adults are obese. More than 44 million Americans are considered obese, a 74% increase since 1991. Obesity often leads to diabetes, which is growing at an alarming rate in New York City. According to the NYC Department of Public Health, diabetes has doubled to nearly 8% of New York City adults in the last eight years. Exercising just 30 minutes a day can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 60%! For more information on Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003, log onto www.brooklyn-usa.org or call 718-802-3875.

THERE’S STILL TIME TO ENTER THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE TO THE WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

Brooklyn photographers have until the end of June to capture the best and most unique photograph of our magnificent Bridge, from the Bridge or of people on the Bridge. Three Adult Winners (18 and up) and 3 youth winners (17 and under), one in each category, will each win a new Nikon camera and have their work featured on Best of Brooklyn postcards to be sold to benefit the not-for-profit Best of Brooklyn, Inc. “There is no better subject to photograph than the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge. Take advantage of this great opportunity to turn your passion for photography into a brand new camera. It’s certainly worth a shot!” Marty said. ENTRY FORMS are available at www.brooklyn-usa.org or by calling 718-802-3809. Forms and photos can be emailed to cgreer@brooklynbp.org. Pictures must be taken between May 24 and June 30, 2003. Winners will be announced in July. The Brooklyn Bridge to the World Celebration was a daylong civic and tourism initiative held last month to honor the 120th birthday of the world’s most famous bridge.

GET READY TO CELEBRATE THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE’S 100TH BIRTHDAY!

On June 9th, Marty joined the Brooklyn Arts Council at the Peter Luger Steak House to kick off the festivities for the 100th birthday celebration of the Williamsburg Bridge on June 22nd. This once-in-a-lifetime event celebrates the history, occupational labor and communities that distinguish this beloved New York City landmark. “There is no doubt that Brooklyn has the best bridges in the world. The Williamsburg Bridge is a perfect example of what Brooklyn is all about - it is an important link to where legends are made and dreams come true every day,” Marty said. “This engineering masterpiece exemplifies that absolutely anything is possible in Brooklyn, and we should do all that we can to preserve and celebrate its remarkable history. Believe me, there is more than enough love in the Brooklyn family for all of our incredible bridges.” For more information, log onto www.brooklynartscouncil.org or call 718-625-0080

BROOKLYN MOURNS

All of Brooklyn is mourning the sudden passing of Michael Handy, who was the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans Affairs. He was a force in veteran affairs for more than 30 years and was invaluable in supporting our troops at home and abroad, as well as making sure those we lost were always remembered.