NORTHUMBERLAND — With humble surprise, Jeffrey “Bing” Bingaman made his way onto the stage to accept the 2009 Pineknotter of the Year award at the opening night’s festivities of the 37th annual Pineknotter Days on Monday.

“It’s a total surprise,” Bingaman said after he was enveloped in hugs and received numerous congratulatory handshakes from friends and neighbors. “It’s great. I never thought in my wildest dreams it would happen.”

The Pineknotter of the Year is chosen based on applications submitted to the five-member voting committee, which consists of past award recipients.

“Any one of them would be worthy to be the winner,” said Joe Epler, a committee member, “but you can only pick one.”

Last year’s award went to Tom Slodysko, the borough’s street supervisor.

“It’s geared toward what they have volunteered with in their community,” said Jeff Kimball, a member of the Northumberland-Point Township Kiwanis Club and co-chairman of the event. The recipients have gone above and beyond the call of duty, he said, and have helped others as they remained active in the Northumberland-Point Township area.

Bingaman has been a resident of Northumberland his entire life, and he graduated from Shikellamy High School in 1967. He was a charter member of the Northumberland Rescue Squad, which was formed in 1972, and was active with the Northumberland Fire Company No. 1, serving as chief in 1979. Later, he served with the Northumberland Hook and Ladder Fire Company as captain, chief in 1989 and two terms as assistant chief. For 20 years, he was a state-certified fire instructor, educating thousands of people.

Bingaman also has been an active volunteer with the Pineknotter Soapbox Derby.

He and his wife, Barbara, live on Eighth Street. They have one son, Christopher, and four grandchildren.

The “Pineknotter” reference comes from an old football rivalry between Northumberland and Sunbury, Epler said. Northumberland sits on hills with lots of pine trees, so Sunburians dubbed Northumberland residents the Pineknotters. The knot of the pine, Epler said, is the toughest and most sturdy part, so the name seemed to fit for the football team.

Northumberland called Sunbury the “juggy-rums,” because of the frogs that would croak in the swamplands there. Its football team later was named the Owls because it was the first team in the area to hold games at night.

Good Citizenship Awards were given to C.W. Rice Middle School students Keegan Myers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Blaise Myers, and Bernadette Chaney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Chaney.