STANDING Brooklyn’s Biggest Booster
Dems party at annual holiday bash
Local lawmakers and Democratic
leaders gathered for an annual holiday
party on Dec. 5 at Gravesend’s Metropolitan
Ballroom.
The Brooklyn Independent Democrats
political club hosted a who’s-who
bash for the borough’s top civic leaders,
inviting judges, elected offi cials,
district leaders, and members from
Brooklyn’s top political parties, including
the Thomas Jefferson Democrats
and the New King Democrats.
The annual soiree — a Brooklyn
tradition for about 20 years — featured
live music, an open bar, and gourmet
food — such as meat carving boards,
salmon, and dessert platters — according
its organizer, who said the get-together
was a huge success.
“The party was great,” said Lori
Citron Knipel, the district leader for
the state’s 44th Assembly District encompassing
neighborhoods including
Park Slope and Windsor Terrace.
The event also included speeches
by local offi cials, who expressed their
support and admiration for the borough’s
healthcare workers, and conversations
between local luminaries,
who enjoyed having the chance to
catch up.
“My favorite part is seeing everybody
and seeing everybody have a
good time,” Knipel said.
COURIER L 42 IFE, DEC. 13-19, 2019
Three cheers for the Be Proud
Foundation, which hosted an
award ceremony on Dec. 6 in
honor of Brooklyn’s law enforcement.
Around 100 southern Brooklyn
movers and shakers gathered
for the 14th annual Police Appreciation
Luncheon in Sheepshead
Bay to toast the city’s Police Department,
said the founder of the
Be Proud Foundation.
“In my opinion, it doesn’t matter
what we’re doing for police
officers – it’s not enough,” said
Raisa Chernina. “I don’t want to
call them police, I call them my
friends.”
Frank Seddio receives his
award during the Be Proud Foundation’s
police appreciation luncheon
on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019.
Photo by Caroline Ourso
The luncheon honored former
cop Frank Seddio — who now
serves as chairman of the Kings
County Democratic Party — as
well as Sgt. Anthony Caggiano of
the Community Affairs Bureau
Brooklyn Outreach Unit.
The honors — hosted at Signature
Restaurant on Emmons
Avenue — served as recognition
of both Seddio and Caggiano for
their outstanding contributions
toward keeping Brooklynites
safe, said Chernina.
Standing O salutes the event’s
honorees and the Be Proud Foundation
for the successful event!
Three cheers for Dime Community
Bank, which hosted dozens of
local businesses at its successful
fi rst business lending forum on
Dec. 4.
Nearly 40 small businesses attended
the Williamsburg-based
bank’s event, where the fi nancial
honchos provided invaluable advice
to the entrepreneurial upstarts,
said the senior vice president
and director of retail sales.
“We are trying to educate our
local businesses and let them
know about the solutions we have
and how we can help them grow
their business,” said Angelo Frangella.
Kevin Gallagher — the bank’s
senior vice president of Small
Business Administration lending
— served as the keynote speaker
of the forum, focusing on loans for
small businesses.
As a “preferred lender,” Dime
can make loan decisions faster
than other banks because it has
the ability to write and underwrite
loans as well as approve them on
behalf of SBA.
According to Gallagher, many
business owners don’t realize
there is money available to them
with the right credit qualifi cations,
and since joining the Dime
family in January he has worked
to ramp up the company’s Small
Business Association lending.
The business lending forum is
one of many that Dime Community
Bank is planning to better
network area business with its
lending experts — and comes after
the company hosted a home buyer
expo which connected community
members with experts on real estate.
Standing O salutes Dime Community
Bank for the successful
event!
GIVING THANKS: Attendees honor New York’s Finest. Photo by Caroline Ourso
BK honors cops at annual luncheon
Senior Vice President and SBA Group
Leader Kevin Gallagher, and Marybeth
Kushner at Dime Community Bank’s
business lending forum.
Photo by Corazon Aguirre
HOLIDAY CHEER: Brooklyn’s judges rang in the holiday season at the annual Brooklyn
Independent Democrats’ party. Photo by Marcus Stevens
Assemblyman Bobby Carroll gives a speech,
above, while Lori Knipel poses with her
daughter, Rachel Knipel, below.
Photos by Marcus Stevens
Community bank
hosts lending forum