Senate Resolution No. 787 BY: Senator OBERACKER HONORING Gary Brightman upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Chenango County Distinguished Citizen's Award WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and commend those distinguished citizens who would devote their life's work and purpose to community service, contributing to the welfare of the citizens of their communities and this great Empire State; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Gary Brightman upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Chenango County Distinguished Citizen's Award; and WHEREAS, Gary Brightman, a native of Norwich, New York, joined his family's business as a young man, and went on to acquire his master's Plumbing and Heating license from the City of Norwich; and WHEREAS, In the late 1980s, he built the very first self-storage building in Norwich and had a vision of a log cabin complex on the East River Road; he began construction with his high school sweetheart, Holly, to house their unfinished furniture store and Holly's beauty salon; and WHEREAS, Gary Brightman's succeeding business venture, Rentals To Go, was born when he noticed the shortcomings of another company's estimated delivery time; now, The Storage Center, LLC has grown to provide self-storage rentals in seven Upstate New York towns, including Norwich & Sherburne, among others; Rentals To Go provides portable toilets and related equipment to construction sites and special events throughout the United States, with multiple locations in New York, Florida, and Delaware; and WHEREAS, He currently devotes his time managing about 100 employees for his two businesses, The Storage Center, LLC & Rentals To Go, alongside his three sons Carter, Grant, & Cole; and WHEREAS, Always having been an active figure in his community, Gary Brightman volunteered his time for the Norwich Pop Warner and Norwich Football Boosters as his kids were growing up, among other fundraisers; and WHEREAS, Gary Brightman's personal involvement in the community over the years includes being one of the founders of the Norwich Pumpkin Festival, assisting with the reconstruction of the parks for the B.I.D. Park Renovation Project (Friends of the Park), and the YMCA; and WHEREAS, From a business perspective, Gary Brightman has assisted with the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, yearly construction of Santa's Igloo in the park, Chenango County Fair, Norwich Blues Festival, and countless others; these examples of his devoted service resulted in him receiving the Commitment to Community award in 2010; and WHEREAS, After many years of hard work, Gary Brightman now spends his winters in Siesta Key, Florida, coming back to his roots in Norwich for the rest of the year to continue working alongside his three sons, enjoy time with life-long friends and family, and to continue supporting his beloved community; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individual for the benefit of others which Gary Brightman has displayed throughout his life; and WHEREAS, It has always been the objective of this Legislative Body to honor and support those individuals who have displayed their commitment to the betterment of their communities, and it is the intent of this Legislative Body to inscribe upon its records, this tribute to Gary Brightman, that future generations may know and appreciate his admirable character, his many benevolent deeds, and the respect and esteem in which he is held by his peers; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor Gary Brightman upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the Chenango County Distinguished Citizen's Award, and to wish him continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Gary Brightman.