The Oswego County Housing Office recently hosted an awards ceremony to recognize the winners of this year’s Oswego County Fair Housing Coloring Contest. Students from across the county are invited to participate by coloring their idea of what fair housing means.

The contest is open to children aged 4 to 12, separated into two age groups. In the 4- to 7-year-old age group, Harper Prall of Fulton won first place; Makenna McWilliams of Fulton won second place; and MaKenna Olschewske, also of Fulton, won third place. The winners in the 8- to 12-year-old age group include Cora Goetz of Hannibal, first place; Jessalyn D. of Hannibal, second place; and Kendall Buckingham of Fulton, third place.

Fulton Savings Bank awarded $50, $35 and $25 gift certificates for first, second and third prizes in the 4- to 7-year-old age group. Pathfinder Bank awarded the same prizes for the 8- to 12-year-old age group. All winners received a bowling party from Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego.

All entries were displayed in the County’s housing office where a blind vote was held for members of the public and other county employees. The winning entries will be shown at the Oswego County Fair in Sandy Creek, Wednesday, Aug. 17 to Sunday, Aug. 21.

The annual contest is one of the ways Oswego County marks the Fair Housing Act of 1968, enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In the years since, the Oswego County Legislature passed two local laws in support of equal housing opportunities for all county residents. The body appointed a Fair Housing Officer and established the Fair Housing Council to promote the Fair Housing Law.

The law prohibits discrimination based on certain personal traits in the sale, rental or advertising of housing, in providing housing brokerage services or in the availability of residential real estate. These traits include race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, family status and nation of origin.

For more information about fair housing in Oswego County, go to https://www.oswegocounty.com/departments/housing_assistance/index.php.

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOR – The winners of the Oswego County Fair Housing Coloring Contest were recently recognized for their entries. Pathfinder Bank, Fulton Savings Bank and Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego donated prizes for the winners. Pictured from left are Oswego County Fair Housing Officer Kelly Allen; MaKenna Olschewske of Fulton, third place, ages 4 to 7; Makenna McWilliams of Fulton, second place, ages 4 to 7; Harper Prall of Fulton, first place, ages 4 to 7; Cora Goetz of Hannibal, first place, ages 8 to 12; Jessalyn D. of Hannibal, second place, ages 8 to 12; Ishrat Ahmed, Pathfinder Bank; and Robert Chetney, Fulton Savings Bank. Missing from photo is Kendall Buckingham of Fulton, third place, ages 8 to 12.