IN THE WAR ON DRUGS, A VICTORY IS CELEBRATED IN NORTH AMITYVILLE

EAB Branch Opening is Capstone of Redevelopment Effort

UNIONDALE, N.Y., Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- At a site that became known
nationally and notoriously as "The Four Corners" -- an intersection in North
Amityville noted for drug trafficking, prostitution, and even the more than
occasional murder -- EAB today held the grand opening for a new,
state-of-the- art bank branch, the first ever in the community.

Several ceremonies were combined into the community's celebration of the
completion of the first phase of NACEC Plaza, which also includes the
daycare center Tutor Time and a newly constructed Rite Aid pharmacy. (NACEC
is the acronym for the North Amityville Community Economic Council which has
been instrumental in achieving the redevelopment.) In addition to the EAB
ribbon-cutting for its branch, the Suffolk County Police Department
dedicated a community police substation, and the entire site was officially
dedicated as NACEC Plaza. Local government officials, including Town of
Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer, participated in the event, along with U.S.
Attorney Zachary Carter from the Justice Department and HUD spokesperson
Adam Glantz, both of whom represented the long-standing involvement of their
departments in the area redevelopment efforts. A related event following
the NACEC Plaza festivities was the dedication of the nearby North
Amityville Youth Center. A "Winter Carnival" sponsored by EAB for the youth
of the community and arranged by the United North Amityville Youth
Organization was the centerpiece of the celebration.

Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the branch, EAB's president and
COO Brendan Dugan commented, "EAB is here in North Amityville for the long
term, to support and work with the community, and to be here and help
celebrate its future accomplishments. As we proceed, we look forward as
well to EAB home mortgages and home equity loans playing a big role in the
future of the community."

The EAB branch features tellers on TV screens and pneumatic tubes that
service transactions, all designed to maximize a limited space with
technological efficiencies while maintaining friendly, personalized service
for customers.

EAB is a New York State chartered bank with assets of $14 billion. It
operates 90 branches in the New York metropolitan area, several of which are
full-service in-store branches, as well as lending production facilities in
New Jersey and Connecticut and, through its leasing subsidiaries, leasing
offices nationwide. EAB is a wholly owned subsidiary of ABN AMRO Bank N.V.,
the world's eighth-largest bank, with assets of $500 billion and 1,900
locations in 71 countries.