Service to the Bellefontaine community has never been about a pat on the back or plaque for Ed Wallace.
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Ed Wallace, center, raises a U.S. flag up a flag pole set in his honor at the Hoffman Municipal Pool. With him, from left, are his son, Nick; grandson, Nate; and Fraternal Order of Police Treasurer Greg VanBuskirk. (EXAMINER PHOTO | JOEL E. MAST) |
“It’s about love for the community and the people who live here,” he said Tuesday as three organizations and his family members gathered to recognize him and return a little bit of love for a man who has volunteered and served for years.
“You do it because the community has given you so much. You don’t do it for the recognition,” he said.
A 30-foot flag pole at Hoffman Municipal Pool was recently set by the Bellefontaine Street Department.
At its base is a plaque that reads “Dedicated in honor of Edward L. Wallace for his service to the community June 2016.”
The Fraternal Order of Police Hi Point Lodge 60, the Logan County Chamber of Commerce and members of the Bellefontaine Joint Recreation District Board of Trustees provided the funding for the pole and the flag while the Bellefontaine Police Department covered costs of the plaque.
Mr. Wallace, who has battled cancer for several years, is a long-time member of the parks board, served as the president of the chamber and is a graduate of the police department’s citizens academy.