The Herbert L. Fisher Walking Track I Herbert Fisher at the Dedication Ceremony at Stadium Park, Canton OH

Dedication Ceremony for the Herbert L. Fisher Walking Track. Judy Schirack, President of the Canton City
Park Commission stands by as Herbert Fisher officially unveils the new track sign.

I like to feel I have helped the next generation have a better community — Herbert L. Fisher

Dedication Ceremony
	The path was dedicated in honor of Herbert Fisher by Judy Schirack, President of the Canton City Park Commission at a meeting of the Canton, Ohio City Council on May 21, 1996, six months after Mr. Fisher’s retirement from the Park Commission. Mayor Richard D. Watkins issued a formal citation thanking

Mr. Fisher for his “dedicated service” to the Park Commission and to the city. At that City Council meeting, other council members publicly thanked Mr. Fisher for his years of public service.

Judy Schirack said one of Mr. Fisher’s most outstanding contributions to the system was getting the city to hire two park patrolmen to rid the park of drugs and alcohol.

“I like to feel I have helped the next generation have a better community,” says Mr. Fisher,
a life-long Canton resident and native, and a graduate of Lehman High School and Ohio
State University.

Peel Coleman, a City Council member at the time, expressed his admiration of Mr. Fisher by noting that when the Fisher Family was busy with store expansion, Herb Fisher remained committed to the Park Commission, which was acutely in need of dedicated focus and direction.

Coleman said, “A lot of people who grow a store that big don't have time for the little people. Herb Fisher always did.” Coleman added that he often asked Fisher to employ youngsters who showed promise and needed a helping hand.

“Anything you'd call him to do, he did.” Coleman said.

Then Park President Judy Schirak said the Park Commission wanted to give him something special. “Someone said, ‘let’s plant a tree’, and I said, as much as we've worked for this track,
let’s name the track after him.”

“It's really something to walk on a track that will soon bear your name,” Mr. Fisher said before the sign was unveiled.

Park System director Doug Perry said out of the 60 parks in the system, only about seven have areas named after individuals.

“It's really quite remarkable,” said Mr. Fisher.

Mr. Fisher, who has always enjoyed nature and exercise, walks every morning and in the years following the opening of the track, walked the track at least once a week.

“I leave the longer distance walking to the younger generation now,” says Mr. Fisher.

Sources include The Akron Beacon Journal; Park Commission records; Park Commissioner Doug Perry.

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