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Editor's Note: I Heart Oswego invites you to enjoy an article pulled right from the pages of Oswego's own award-winning Oswego High School Buccaneer Bulletin. The publication recently received 13 Gold medals at the 2012 Empire State School Press Association. Written by co-managing editor Chloe Martin, who was a recipient of a "Silver" award by the ESSA, this article appeared in the February 2013 issue of the Buccaneer Bulletin. "We try to have current events not only in school, but in the community so people throughout the community will be interested in reading our newspaper," Martin said.
Victoria Usherwood Gailinas is the type of woman who gets stuff done. When she sees a problem, she solves it. When Gailinas moved back to Oswego in 2010 after being away for 27 years, she was frustrated with how hard it was to locate different people, services and businesses.
"If you're interested in shopping locally, which I certainly am, it's hard to identify not only who is local but where they are located."
To solve this dilemma, Gailinas came up with the concept for I Heart Oswego.
"I Heart Oswego is a comprehensive directory for every business, every resource, and every event happening only in the 13126," Gailinis explained.
At first, I Heart Oswego remained just a concept for two years because Gailinas was busy introducing roller derby to our city.
"I had a few teams out in New Hampshire, and I didn't want to live here without roller derby," she said.
When Gailinas was finished getting the Oz Roller Girls established, she created a group to go forward with the I Heart Oswego project.
"The first thing we wanted to create was an events calendar. You obviously hear about Harborfest, Bucfest, and maybe Warm Up Oswego, but anything a little more obscure you don't hear about."
To bring exposure to the more unknown events in Oswego, such as various benefits and chicken barbecues, different pages were formed on the I Heart Oswego website to promote these events.
Besides promoting local events in Oswego, Gailinas takes pride in supporting local businesses here in Oswego. On their website, local business ads are prominently displayed.
"Ads on our website are only taken by locally owned and operated businesses because locally owned businesses need our help and we like to help them," she said. "They stand out on our website and we want our locally owned businesses to shine."
Along with promoting local businesses on their website, I Heart Oswego will also let a business take over their building on Thursdays for what they call Downtown for a Day. Downtown for a Day is an opportunity for someone to run their business out of the I Heart Oswego building.
"The purpose of Downtown for a Day is for their business to get as much exposure as possible, and it's free," Gailinis said. "You can also have your business featured here at any time for free. We have local artists and photographer's works displayed here all the time."
Local business owners can also list their business on the I Heart Oswego website or send stories or press releases to be displayed on the website for free. The website is not just for business owners either, it is for anyone.
"Any event being held in Oswego, whether it be Harborfest or a school chocolate fundraiser, can be added to our website and we will be more than happy to publish it. We aim to publish every positive aspect of Oswego, that's why our site byline is Positively Oswego. If it's not warm and fuzzy and happy and fun, then it doesn't go there."
I Heart Oswego has only been in business for about three months, but the positive feedback from Oswegonians has inspired Gailinas to already think about the possibilities of expansion.
"I Heart Oswego already has it's own web developing company, its own marketing division and the I Heart Oswego division which you see on our website. The expansion we have in store isn't for I Heart Oswego, but it's for I Heart Fulton, I Heart Pulaski, I Heart Mexico, I Heart Cicero, you name it."
When asked when this expansion could take place, Gailinas said, "Considering how fast we have already done what we have done, it could be as quickly as this time next year that we do our expansion; it's pretty incredible. We are really happy at the response we are getting, people are telling us that they are happy we are here not only for our services but for being the ones to say Oswego is a good place to be. I think that's the biggest thing we can offer someone in Oswego. Appreciate what you've got; it really is a wonderful place to live and raise your family. We support everything in Oswego."
For more information about I Heart Oswego, stop into their location at 7 W. Bridge St. at the corner of West First Street and Bridge streets in the former King Arthur's building; or visit their website at www.iheartoswego.com where you can chat live with a representative from their office.
