The Democratic Committee 2008 Annual Dinner and Award Ceremony was a huge success. There were over 150 people enjoying themselves. It clearly looked and felt as if there had been a rift in the Amherst Democratic Committee it had healed over.
Janice Dunne and Adrienne Kotler were responsible for the classy job done organizing the event and the room. The wonderful booklet created by Debbie Norton and Tom Szalda was an excellent keepsake to remember people from our past and the events of the evening.
The host of the evening was Dennis Ward, Amherst Democratic Chairman. He did a fine job keeping the program running smoothly.
The food was superb starting with various salads, pasta, a special chicken dish and delicious roast beef cut to order. The music was a mix of Frank Sinatra and other great standards.
The honorees for this event were the Democratic woman and man of the year: Mary Lowther and John” Jack” Culkin; the Community Service Award went to The Fairways Group; the last award went to a grand lady of the Amherst Democratic party, Charlotte Mador.
The keynote speaker was Erie County Comptroller, Mark Poloncarz.
The guests were politicians, friends and family members of the recipients, including Len Lenihan, the Erie County Democratic Chairman, newly elected Supreme Court Justice Tracey A. Bannister and Frank Sedita, our newly elected DA. Amherst Town Council members Dan Ward, Debbie Bucki and Mark Manna, past Amherst Supervisor Susan J. Grelick, Erie County Legislator Michele M. Iannello, Erie County Legislator Tom Loughran and Jerry and Prisicalla Schad among others.
There was a memorial sheet for those Democrats we lost this year including John Ward, Mark Jasen and Tim Russert. May peace be with them all.