By Martha B. Jacob – 

Alvin Wallace is one of the newest Ripley Village Council members who came on board in January this year.
Since being sworn in, Wallace has brought a new progressive attitude to the village council with ideas on making the river village all that it can be. He spoke briefly at a recent council meeting about some of his ideas to help the village grow. “Since I’ve been on council, I’ve worked hard to try and bring more foot traffic into our village,” Wallace said. “I hear repeatedly that we need to be chasing grants, get that free money.
“I was sitting in CLG, just like some of the rest of you and heard the representative from the state of Ohio say that when he gets a million dollars a year and he spends $900,000 of that million dollars on salaries and benefits and then he gives out the rest. Ten percent, that’s a crime, criminal. But that’s how the grant system works. Everybody puts their hand out for a share.”
Wallace went on to say that the Village of Ripley can not expect our government whether it’s state or federal to come out here and help Ripley.
He said he is coming up with ideas to help generate funds for the village. He mentioned the upcoming Street Party scheduled for June 2 from 6 p.m. to midnight.