Ritchie Delivers $100,000 to City of Oswego

State Senator Patty Ritchie is announcing she has secured $100,000 to help the City of Oswego make upgrades to its park system, as well as its animal shelter.

A portion of the funds secured by Senator Ritchie will go toward covering costs associated with improvements to the City’s Shapiro and Breitbeck Parks. At Shapiro Park, upgrades included the addition of a pickleball court and the refurbishment of a playground.

At Breitbeck Park, one of the main improvements made was the cleanup of the Harbor Trail. In recent years, this area by the water had become overgrown and unattractive. Thanks to funding from Senator Ritchie, crews were able to clear brush and large rocks that had blocked the view from the trail. In addition, funds were also used to create two overlooks, allowing more people to take in the beautiful views seen from this area of the City and to create new signage for both parks.

“One of the City of Oswego’s biggest assets is its waterfront, and I’m pleased to play a role in giving more people—whether they are residents of the City or visitors—an opportunity to experience its beauty,” said Senator Ritchie.

“Improvements to the Harbor Trail go hand-in-hand with those made at Shapiro Park. Thanks to investments in this area of the City, more people—and especially children—will be encouraged to get outside and get active. I’m excited to see how these changes help improve quality of life for those who live in Oswego.”

“Thanks to the assistance from Senator Patty Ritchie we were able to complete our Oswego Harbor Trail project and use the new trail to get more people to Oswego’s waterfront and finally take advantage of being a waterfront community,” said City of Oswego Mayor William Barlow Jr.

“Senator Ritchie also assisted with our improvements to Shapiro Park, including building a pickleball court, refurbishing the playground and new signage. These projects have both played a key part in revitalizing Oswego and contributed to our efforts to restore our parks, revive our neighborhoods and improve our waterfront. I appreciate the Senator’s continued support and look forward to working together to do more of these projects in the future.”

Remaining funds will be used to make upgrades at the City’s Animal Shelter, including a new surgery room, as well as a fenced in area for the animals to run around and socialize.  The City hopes to begin work on the project soon.