The Oswego County Housing Office celebrated the winners of its 2023 coloring contest with an awards ceremony in June. Each year, Oswego County children aged 4 to 12 enter the contest to color their idea of what fair housing means to them.

The contest is separated into two age groups. The winners of the 4- to 7-year-old age group are:

• First place: Cash Jensen, Palermo Elementary School
• Second place: Ivy Gregory, Hastings-Mallory Elementary School
• Third place: Harper Goetz, Fairley Elementary School

The winners of the 8- to 12-year-old age group are:

• First place: Maria Weir, Palermo Elementary School
• Second place: Jain Flora, Palermo Elementary School
• Third Place: Dominic Moreno, Fairley Elementary School

Each winner received a monetary gift certificate and a bowling party at Lighthouse Lanes in Oswego. Prizes were sponsored by Fulton Savings Bank, Pathfinder Bank and Lighthouse Lanes.

This year’s contest had 160 entries, the second highest number in the contest’s history. All entries were displayed in the county’s housing office where members of the public and county employees selected the winners in a blind vote. The winning entries were then displayed at this year’s Oswego County Fair in Sandy Creek.

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 has passed two local laws in support of equal housing opportunities for all county residents.

The body also appointed a Fair Housing Officer and established the Fair Housing Council to promote the Fair Housing Law, which 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.

Oswego County also proclaimed April as Fair Housing Month to promote, support and enforce equal housing opportunities for all county residents.

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

ANNUAL COLORING CONTEST WINNERS CELEBRATED – The Oswego County Housing Office held an award ceremony for the 2023 winners of its coloring contest. Pictured from left are Housing Inspector Robert Finn; Housing Specialist Megan Mosher; Reyne Pierce of Pathfinder Bank; Housing Program Coordinator Kelly Allen; Dominic Moreno; Harper Goetz; Maria Weir; Cash Jensen; Oswego County Director of Community Development, Tourism and Planning Tim Stahl; and Oswego County Deputy Director of Community Development, Tourism and Planning Daniel Breitweg.

COLORING A FAIR WORLD – Winners of the Oswego County Fair Housing Coloring Contest were recently recognized for their entries. Contestants aged 4 to 12 colored a picture representing what fair housing means to them. Their entries were judged by the public and Oswego County employees. Pictured from left are Housing Program Coordinator Kelly Allen; Ivy Gregory; and Housing Inspector Robert Finn.