This Saturday, the late Akron Councilman Rich Swirsky will be honored for his service to the city. For nearly a decade, Swirsky represented part of downtown and Highland Square. Now, the neighborhood鈥檚 Triangle Park will be re-named in his honor. Mayor Dan Horrigan remembers Swirsky pushing council to protect green spaces in Akron and offer more recreation opportunities.
鈥淚 think he helped a lot of people understand what that public space meant, because it made an investment into their neighborhood," Horrigan said. "That was Rich鈥檚 gift: to say, 鈥榣ook at these things and how valuable they are, and this is why.鈥� I think that鈥檚 part of what good public service is. And that鈥檚 definitely what Rich brought to his constituents in his Ward.鈥�
A lifelong Akronite, Swirsky also taught in the city鈥檚 public schools and worked with Ohio Citizen Action on labor and environmental issues. He died last May after a six-month battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
