Opinion

I would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the Oswego County Legislature on both sides of the aisle, as well as county department heads and administration, for their work on the 2015 Oswego County budget. The budget which was adopted Dec. 11 demonstrates that, like responsible families and businesses, Oswego County government is making a concerted effort to spend less money and use less of its reserve accounts to pay for expenses. The 2015 spending plan is approximately $305,040 less than the 2014 county budget.

As the year draws to a close, and as director of CNY Arts Center, I get to reflect on all that has happened in a year that ended on an upswing! I am humbled and grateful more than I can express for the passion and encouraging participation of this community. It’s my privilege to acknowledge the heart and commitment of an army of volunteers who continue to show up!

All our community should get involved with the volunteer fire departments. The fire departments need your help to keep this great tradition alive and going strong in Oswego County.

A few years ago I wrote my first love letter to the Oswego community. After the outpouring of help and donations this year to the Human Concerns Center, I had to write the sequel. Oswego is in the midst of a reawakening. Our community is uniting together to improve our neighborhoods, parks and general spirit. Yet, our community cannot become a first-class place to live unless we make it the kind of place that benefits us all. And we are.

Thanksgiving is the time of the year the Oswego Public Library reflects on the generosity of those in our community who have helped us provide services to our patrons. This year, the Children’s Room is thankful for receiving a substantial grant from the Oswego County Youth Bureau to help with the costs of the Summer Reading Program.

From the many community members who attended, to the businesses and organizations that helped make the event possible, our Stone Soup Luncheon was a perfect example of engaging the community to come together to show their support for the our mission of ending hunger in Oswego County.

Oswego County has two social workers providing service to all of Oswego County Health Department programs, including Hospice. As one of these social workers, I often hear, “I don’t know how you do what you do working with people like that.” People like that meaning clients who know they are dying as well as their families. What so many do not realize is that Hospice is not about dying.

In this season of thankfulness, on behalf of our board of directors and the hundreds of children and their families that we serve at the Child Advocacy Center of Oswego County, I extend my sincerest thanks to those caring businesses and individuals who have supported our events throughout the year.

I am writing to ask residents to support John Katko, the Republican challenger to Rep. Dan Maffei. I write not just as an elected Republican legislator here in Oswego County, but as a person who knows many of the Katko family, including John.