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BOROUGH BOARD UNANIMOUSLY PASSES RESOLUTION CONDEMNING PROPOSED FIREHOUSE CLOSINGS

On May 6th, Brooklyn’s Borough Board, which is comprised of Marty, Brooklyn’s City Council delegation and each community board chairperson, unanimously passed a resolution strongly condemning closing five Brooklyn firehouses and a total of eight citywide. “This is certainly not a budget issue; this is a political issue,” Marty said. “The city does not have to close a single firehouse because there are many ways that $11 million can be found to keep these firehouses open. If anything is going to be done, it’s up to us – the public – to lead this fight. It’s our health and safety – and that of New York’s bravest – that is on the line.” Deborah Wallace, Ph.D., Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, who has done extensive research on the impact of previous firehouse closings, detailed the very serious health and public safety dangers on these actions. Lieut. Jim McGowan and Captain John Dunne, senior officers from the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, also made a presentation on the dangerous impact of these proposed closures. Councilwoman Yvette Clarke, Councilman Vincent Gentile, Councilwoman Diana Reyna and Councilman Kendall Stewart were also in attendance.

BROOKLYN SAYS SILENCE THE VIOLENCE

On May 10th, Marty hosted an important conference at New York City College of Technology for about 500 young people and parents, educators, social workers and faith-based and corporate leaders to address the serious and deadly problem of youth-on-youth violence in Brooklyn. In particular, the conference provided a forum where youth and parents were able to learn from the experiences of others who have faced similar challenges and were able to choose a positive path. "If you respect yourself, I know you will respect others and never resort to violence. Brooklyn can and should set an example for the rest of the world to follow. Violence never pays, and it can cost you everything,” Marty said. “To avoid becoming part of the cycle of violence, it is crucial to understand emotions, especially anger, and to learn communication skills that help us express anger and other difficult emotions without resorting to violence.” There was a panel discussion and workshop presentations featuring professional and youth speakers from various fields – law, media, medicine, social work and education. Marty and the Brooklyn Youth Violence Prevention Coalition (BYVPC) coordinated the conference.

MARTY TO EMPLOYERS: WE NEED YOUR HELP!

On May 8th, Marty launched a campaign to get more Brooklyn employers to participate in Brooklyn Summer HEAT (Help Employ Ambitious Teens), the successful program he created last year to encourage businesses to hire Brooklyn young people over the summer. Last year, Summer HEAT helped more than 130 teenagers get jobs with more than 40 companies. Since summer jobs are even scarcer this year, Marty is calling on more local employers to give a teenager the opportunity to get off the street and into the world of work. Summer HEAT generates private and non-profit sector employment opportunities for Brooklyn youth ages 16-18. Marty is looking for businesses and non-profit agencies to hire young people for a minimum of just 6 weeks from July 7th to August 22nd. It would only cost about $800 to hire just one young person. Summer HEAT is also looking for corporate sponsorship, both monetary and in-kind support. Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation and Independence Community Bank also participated and are partnering with Marty again this year in Summer HEAT. Several other Brooklyn employers, who will join the Summer HEAT team again this year, also were in attendance, including Citistorage, Keyspan, New York Job Partners and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Several Summer HEAT youth program partners also were on hand, including Bushwick Beacon, Crown Heights Youth Collective, Saint Mary's Community Services and YWCA Brownsville. Call 718-802-3653 or log onto www.brooklyn-usa.org to find out how you can participate in Summer HEAT.

MARTY SALUTES BROOKLYN NURSES

On May 7th, Marty honored all of Brooklyn’s dedicated nurses in celebration of National Nurses Week. “Nurses are an integral part of the health care team from providing hands-on care in our health care institutions - to promoting important public health initiatives, and from health education to health administration and research,” Marty said. “We value and pay tribute to our nurses, and encourage young men and women to pursue the many exciting options available when they choose nursing as a career.” SUNY’s Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center recently held a career fair at Borough Hall with representatives of 14 nursing programs providing information about their training programs.

AROUND THE BOROUGH

On June 26th, the Kingsborough Community College Foundation presents “An Evening of Music by the Sea,” with a special performance by the Brooklyn Philharmonic. The event is co-sponsored by Marty and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. For more information call 718-368-5148.