Food drive benefits local shelters

In these rough economic times, pets go hungry too. Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic and County Executive Russ Pry are encouraging citizens of Akron and Summit County to consider making pet food and kitty litter donations during the month of March.

The pet food drive will benefit the Humane Society of Greater Akron, Summit County Animal Control and many animal rescue organizations countywide.

“The Akron–Canton Regional Food Bank just kicked off their annual Harvest for Hunger campaign,” Plusquellic said. “It’s important we also remember the needs of our pets as well.”

Job creation, financial stability, safety and building a thriving community is what most of us, if not all, hope for in our city. What boosts our confidence is having someone in office who cares and has a track record of making positive changes in the community.

"When you get articles like this," said County Executive Russ Pry, holding up a November copy of the Fiscal Times, "You look at the 10 different places and see Akron, Ohio, rated as number eight in the United States in the middle/coming out of the worst recession in our lifetime. You see that for tough times we've been able to do some pretty good things" he said proudly.

Pry has worked to keep the economy rolling in Summit County by doing things such as helping to keep Goodyear and Bridgestone facilities in the area, for instance.

As the globe turned on County Executive Russ Pry's desk and he spoke of the changes that have been made in the county since taking office, it's clear that he has no lack of vision for this community.

His office, overlooking the city and all of its people, roads and tall buildings, mirrors his job in a way, which is overseeing the operation of the county government. Pry oversees 10 different departments within Summit County, which has approximately 3,400 employees and at one point was the 17th largest employer in Northeast Ohio.

Since being in office, Pry has made some major, positive changes in the county. "We have been able to successfully manage our budget in such a way that we've been able to maintain high levels of service to the public," Pry shared.