Advertisement. Advertise with us

Bettiol, NBT Honored

At Chamber Dinner

Being escorted by her grandsons, Eric Michelitch, left, and Ryan Laytham, right, Betty Bettiol accepted her late husband’s distinguished citizen award tonight. (Parker Fish/AllOTSEGO.com)
NBT Bank Senior Vice President and Regional Manager Jamie Reynolds accepted NBT Bank’s Distinguished Business Award this evening. (Parker Fish/AllOTSEGO.com)

By PARKER FISH • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA – The crowd rose to its feet with a roaring applause at the annual Otsego County Chamber of Commerce dinner Thursday evening as Betty Bettiol made her way to the podium to accept the Distinguished Citizen Award, given posthumously to her husband, Eugene A. Bettiol Sr.

Accepting the award for her husband that was named in honor of her late son, Gene Bettiol, Jr., was an emotional moment for everyone in attendance, most of which knew Gene through many years of business in Oneonta.

Betty, her daughter Jaci, and her two grandsons Ryan Laytham and Eric Michelitch took to the stage to accept the award, with Jaci making an acceptance speech in her father’s honor.

“My father was not fond of receiving recognition, and would always say, ‘it’s not my time’,” said  Jaci. “Well dad, time is up, and this is for you.”

The Distinguished Business Award was given to NBT Bank, who recently celebrated 20 years of business in Oneonta, and consolidated offices to relocate 14 new professionals to the downtown Oneonta district. Senior Vice President and REgional Manager Jamie Reynolds accepted the award, thanking the community, and Gene Bettiol in particular, who was instrumental in bringing NBT Bank to Oneonta 20 years ago.

“The bank is honored to be receiving this recognition of course,” said Reynolds. “But it truly is special to be joined with Gene being honored as well.”

After the awards were given out, state Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, presented NBT Bank and the Bettiol family with special resolutions, which were both passed unanimously by the state senate, honoring the two recipients.

 

 

Posted

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

Killer Ricky Knapp Dies In Prison

Killer Knapp Dies In Prison; Guilty In SUNY Coed’s Death ONEONTA – Ricky Knapp, the man convicted of the 1977 death of SUNY Oneonta student, has died in Mohawk Correctional Facility, according to prison records. Knapp, 66, died March 8, having served 40 years of a 25-to-life sentence for a 1978 manslaughter conviction in the death of 18-year-old Linda Velzy, a SUNY student from Long Island. According to reports, Velzy was last seen Dec. 9 1977, hitchhiking in downtown Oneonta.…

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO: 05-24-23

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for WEDNESDAY, MAY 24 Otsego County Chamber Awards Dinner AWARDS DINNER—5:30 p.m. The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce invites the community to celebrate this year’s award winners: Geoffrey Doyle, Eugene Bettiol Jr. Distinguished Citizen of the Year; Casella Waste Systems, Business of the Year Award; Creekside Industries, Breakthrough Award; Connie Herzig, Volunteer of the Year; and Dan Buttermann, Leadership Otsego Distinguished Alumnus. Held at the Alumni Field House, SUNY Oneonta. (607) 432-4500 or visit members.otsegocc.com/events/details/2023-annual-spring-awards-dinner-blooming-with-brilliance-1079 BLOOD DRIVE—9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Save up to three lives with the American Red Cross. St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 31 Elm Street, Cooperstown.…

News from the Noteworthy: Locals: ‘Wake Up and Smell the Coffee’

As someone who has lived nearly everywhere, I would like to say something out loud to those who choose to see only inconveniences inside this county-wide community. Please, wake up and smell the coffee. It’s wafting on the breeze from the successful java shop on the corner.…