Marty Hosts Brooklyn Tourism Initiative

On January 21st, Marty and Brooklyn Brewery CEO Steve Hindy, chairman of the steering committee for the Brooklyn Tourism and Visitors Center, hosted a meeting of Brooklyn’s burgeoning tourism industry at Brooklyn's Marriott Hotel. More than 90 businesses, recreational attractions and cultural institutions from across the borough were represented. Marty announced that the Tourism and Visitors Center will open in Brooklyn Borough Hall on February 12th at noon, and he unveiled images and renderings of the Center to the audience. Also viewed was a Brooklyn promotional video produced by the Marriott Hotel. NYC & Co., the city's tourism bureau, also made a presentation, about the benefits of their services to Brooklyn. Attendees then engaged in working sessions about how to best promote Brooklyn's attractions to Brooklynites and to tourists around the world. “We all know how important attracting more tourists is to the economic future of Brooklyn,” Marty said. “Brooklyn's retail stores, businesses and attractions want those tourist dollars in our pockets. We need to let everybody know that you can see the entire world and stay in Brooklyn: in 30 minutes, you can get from Poland to Italy, from China to the Caribbean, from Puerto Rico to Pakistan. We're selling Brooklyn to Brooklyn, and Brooklyn to the world.” Marty also applauded the fact that for the first time in the city's history, NYC & Co. will hold its annual meeting in Brooklyn, on February 12th, the same date of the official opening of the Tourism and Visitors Center. The Center is funded by the Borough President's office, NYC & Co. and grants raised through Best of Brooklyn, a non-profit organization. A team of 30 trained volunteers and two staff members will work at the Center, and Best of Brooklyn will operate its store, which will feature Brooklyn-related merchandise.

Haitian Flag Raised At Borough Hall

On January 27th, Marty honored the 200th anniversary of Haitian independence with a flag-raising ceremony at Borough Hall. The honorable Harry J. Fouché, Consul General of Haiti, attended and spoke about Haiti’s proud history and its hopeful future. Marty presented Consul Fouché with a proclamation commemorating the day's event. “Brooklyn and Haiti truly have a special relationship,” Marty said. “Whatever affects Haiti affects the community here. Our flags even share the same motto: ‘In Unity There is Strength.’ ” The ceremony marks the beginning of a year of bicentennial events across Brooklyn, which boasts the largest Haitian population in America.

Marty and Congresswoman Velázquez Warmly Welcome Home Brooklyn’s Antarctic Explorer

On January 22nd, Marty and Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez welcomed home Crystal Domenech, the Sunset Park teen who recently joined a two-week expedition to Antarctica. Domenech was presented with a proclamation acknowledging her contributions to Brooklyn and New York City. She was selected by Congresswoman Velázaquez as one of five New York City teenagers (representing each borough) to head south. “At 19, Crystal Domenech has done what many people only dream to achieve in a lifetime," Congresswoman Velázquez said. “Given her energy and commitment, it was easy for me to nominate Crystal for the trip to Antarctica.” Domenech joined 75 students from the U.S., Great Britain, Australia, South Africa and Argentina on the Polar Star icebreaker ship. From December 16th to 30th, the young explorers studied the environment and climate change, played with whales and visited penguin colonies on the frigid continent. The expedition was sponsored by the Canadian organization Students on Ice, and the trips of the five New York City students were funded by philanthropist Harold Snyder. Domenech, who graduated from Fort Hamilton High School in Sunset Park last year, has been a volunteer for UPROSE (United Puerto Rican Organization of Sunset Park) since she was 13, when she helped found the Environmental Enforcers (now known as Youth Justice), a youth environmental justice group. This year, she will continue to work with UPROSE while she applies to colleges for next fall. "Crystal's hard work has made Brooklyn a better place, and like so many Brooklynites before her, now she's starting to change the world," Marty said. "She has made our borough proud with her enthusiasm for environmental justice and community youth organizing. And I'm sure the warmth she brought to Antarctica from Sunset Park melted a polar icecap or two."

Brooklyn Borough Board

Brooklyn Borough Board is holding public hearings on the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year 2005. The next hearing will be held: February 17, 2004, at 6:00 PM Billie Holiday Theater, First Floor 1368 Fulton Street (corner of New York Avenue) Brooklyn, NY Testimony regarding the Mayor’s Preliminary Budget is welcome from civic and business organizations, residents, facilities, programs and elected officials.

Brooklyn Mourns

We mourn the passing this month of several remarkable Brooklynites. Fred Halla was an American patriot and a Brooklyn journalist extraordinaire. Herbert Yellin was Brooklyn’s foremost expert on the revolutionary war, and the Battle of Brooklyn. Hes also discovered of Old Stone House. Ben Gluck fought for the residents of Flatbush and Kensington– among his many notable achievements was instituting citizen’s court monitoring. Chuck Sterling was the executive director of TEC Brooklyn. He shaped the future of Downtown Brooklyn by increasing the participation of minority and women owned businesses in its development. Ruth Lewis was a community and political activist, and the wife of the late Assemblymember Woodrow Lewis of Crown Heights.