By Stephen Stirling
Several community leaders came out to 149-37 14th Ave. to welcome the new financial institution, including state Sens. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza (D-Bayside), City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and Queens Chamber of Commerce President Albert Pennisi.”When you deal with Sovereign Bank you deal with real people, and that's something that's very unique,” Pennisi said.”Real customers say very good things about us,” Frank Besignano, the bank's New York retail executive, said after Pennisi's statement, pointing out that he himself was a client of the bank.”Our goal is to make our offices an integral part of the community,” Besignano added.As part of their grand opening ceremony, the bank made several grants to community organizations, including $10,000 to the Kupferberg Arts Center at Queens College, $3,000 to Whitestone-based Transitional Services for New York, which provides services for individuals with mental disabilities, and $2,000 to the Whitestone Community Volunteer Ambulance Corps.”Sovereign is proud to support the work of these outstanding organizations as we formally open this new office in Whitestone,” said Nia Rock, vice president of Sovereign Bank.The Whitestone Sovereign Bank branch will be open on Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information on the bank or its services, call 718-640-9070 or visit its Web site at www.sovereignbank.com.Reach reporter Stephen Stirling by e-mail at Sstirling@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
