Winthrop Police Sergeant Receives National Award

The Winthrop Town Council met on Tuesday, May 17, where Police Chief Terence Delehanty recognized one of his own.

On May 12, Sgt. Nick Bettano was honored at a national awards ceremony in D.C. for his response to the racially-motivated terrorist attack in Winthrop last summer.

The TOP COPS Awards Ceremony is an annual event organized by the the Natl. Assoc. of Police Officers (NAPO) to recognize the nation’s top law enforcement officials.

The sergeant posed for a photo alongside Police Chief Terence Delehanty and Deputy Chief John Goodwin, who attended to support him.

“Nick is the frontrunner because he was officer that took the suspect down,” said Chief Delehanty. “He’s deserving of a tremendous honor.”

Referring to Sgt. Bettano and other first responders on the scene that day last June, Council Pres. James Letterie said, “We are incredibly thankful and owe them all a debt of gratitude, and Nick especially.”

Once cleared by the DA’s Office, the Winthrop Police Dept. will be hosting its own award ceremony recognizing the officers who were involved in the 2021 incident.

Dog Park Dedication

Council Pres. James Letterie announced that the newly finished dog park will be named after Councilor Michael McDuffee, who passed away suddenly in 2019 at 62.

“He was a tremendous guy and left his mark on the council,” Pres. Letterie. “He was the leader of the project to get the dog park done, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for that.”

A date for the dedication has not yet been set.

General Updates

As the CBD project draws to a close, the Town is looking to update its parking ordinances in the vicinity. New ordinances were presented and the item will be reviewed by the Rules and Ordinances Committee.

Town Planner Rachel Kelly presented several changes to the Town’s Zoning Ordinance, separate from the new parking ordinances. Public hearings will follow.

Limited Blue Line service and Sumner Tunnel closures may result in mitigation for Winthrop.

Events

Various of Memorial Day Events will take place this weekend. On Sunday at 9 am, the Elks Club will honor veterans. At 10 am, St. John’s Episcopal Church will hold a memorial mass. On Monday at 10 am, there will be a ceremony and jazz band at Cross Street, and 1 pm at Town Hall.

A public hearing on the FY23 budget will occur on Tuesday, May 31, at 7 pm.

There will be a rabies vaccine clinic on June 4 from 10 am to 12 pm in the lobby of the Winthrop Auditorium. Owners must license dogs before vaccination. Licensing will be available.