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“Honestly, I wanted to take over his business and his management spot,” said Headlee. However, the Defender ultimately decided upon the Air Force and Security Forces.

“I was thinking more about something that would benefit me, and develop me — and also, I knew would get a lot of cool experiences along with the benefits,” said Headlee. “To this day, I still believe the Air Force is one of the best options anybody can do, honestly. The Air Force has so much to offer. Take it from me: At 19 years old, I had been to England, Cypress, France, Poland, Germany — traveling the world. Also, I’m a person who best functions with structure. When I have set tasks given to me by leadership, or by my supervisor, that I have to accomplish — I have greater success.”

Helping him make the decision to join the Air Force, were students and friends he went to high school with in Ohio.

“There were four of us, one from my class and two from the class who graduated before me,” said Headlee. “I did a lot of research on my own, but I had others who had already joined who I could ask questions about their initial experience. And here I am, and I absolutely love it — and so does my wife.”

Headlee’s wife is also in Security Forces, currently stationed at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea. Kunsan AB is one of two major USAF installations operated by the U.S. Forces Korea.

When asked how the Air Force has changed him for the better, the Schriever SFB Defender had a lot to say.
“The military has instilled a ton of discipline in me,” said Headlee. “When I was younger, I wasn't the most obedient kid. I remember having a sit-down conversation with my parents about what I want do with my life and what I want to accomplish in my twenties and into my later years, and — believe it or not — I said would like to get some discipline. I’ve learned a lot about myself and how I work.”

Senior Airman Evelyn Gorder, 50th Security Forces Squadron, BDOC controller — is Headlee’s supervisor, and had this to say about him as an Airman and person:

“Senior Airman Headlee is an extremely important part of our mission as a BDOC controller,” said Gorder. “His responsibility is command and control over all posts and patrols that protect our Space Force assets here at Schriever. With his knowledge, attention to detail and incredible work ethic, Senior Airman Headlee is more than qualified to perform such an important duty for the U.S. Space Force. I appreciate all the work he does — not only as an Airman, but as a person. He truly is a wingman. Everyone knows that if they need anything work-related or outside of work, Headlee is the one to call. He has always shown a passion for helping others and truly cares about the people around him.”

The work Headlee and fellow Defenders from the 50th SFS perform is vital to the garrison, USAF and USSF missions. In order to maintain motivation and resilience, the Defender has a phrase he reminds himself of daily.

“A quote that inspires me is simple yet meaningful: ‘Win the day,’” said Headlee.
“This quote was, and still is, said by my father who is my biggest role model and motivator. For me, ‘win the day’ means the small tasks you complete to make your day successful or the kind word that made someone smile, the positive motivation you give to others or the positive mindset you place within yourself, the actions you take to pull yourself out of a negative mindset or how you respond to various situations. ‘Win the day’ means taking the actions that I need to take to be the best Airman that I can — every day."

Additionally, the Schriever SFB Defender believes in perseverance.

“Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it, honestly,” said Headlee. “Anyone can do anything that they want, as long as they have the motivation and dedication.”

The new website is less complicated than CCDJFS’s previous website so that visitors can locate the services and information they need faster – including OhioMeansJobs workforce services, financial and health assistance, child support, and family and children services, including adult protective services.

The website also features CCDJFS news, posts from the agency’s Facebook page, CCDJFS job opportunities, and links to email addresses for submitting applications and paperwork for services – to help those who prefer the convenience of online access.

Cox adds that the website also offers easy access to Champaign County’s Prevention, Retention and Contingency (PRC) plan and program application. PRC provides a wide range of temporary assistance to help qualified low-income families gain self-sufficiency.

Also on the website, CCDJFS is debuting a new logo. The logo reflects the scope of the agency’s services and the people it serves, Cox says. While the agency’s previous logo featured a stylized family – father, mother and children – the new, abstract logo symbolizes the agency’s broader reach, which includes single-parent families, senior citizens, children, as well as businesses and their employees through workforce development services.

Cox adds that the logo borrows from the colors CCDJFS uses in its annual awareness campaigns – blue, for child abuse prevention; purple, for elder abuse awareness; and green, for child support and fraud prevention.

“The logo interweaves the different programs and the different people we serve – not just families,” Cox said.

Solar addition considered

In the meeting’s next segment, the council welcomed Brent Boyd, the Chief Operating Officer of Solar Power & Light, LLC. In 2010, Solar Polar & Light installed the solar panels for St. Paris’s water treatment plant, and Boyd pitched the council the possibility of expanding the village’s amount of solar panels.
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“Thank you for trusting us in helping you be more sustainable,” Boyd said in reference to the longstanding partnership between St. Paris and Solar Power & Light.

When Solar Power & Light opened their business as a financial and billing institution in 2010, St. Paris signed on as one of their first customers. Now, Solar Power & Light has grown into a full-service energy company, noting it is capitalizing on the stable cost of solar power compared to the volatility of fuel prices.

Boyd suggested that the council consider adding an extension to their renewable energy contract—an additional 100 kilowatts on top of the 70 kilowatt system that is already operating. St. Paris regularly consumes more energy today, as compared to 10 years ago, due to the new water treatment plant, which creates an opportunity to expand St. Paris’s solar usage.

Boyd’s statistics project that the new 100 kilowatt system could save St. Paris between $30,000 and $50,000 in energy bills over the next 25 years, based on regularly increasing rates with the regional utility AES.

An additional money saver would be for St. Paris to purchase the new solar-powered system from Solar Power & Light through the ownership program. The energy company would initially own the $100,000 system as the village rented its services, but at the 6-year mark, the village could purchase the system at a pro-rated amount between $80,000 and $90,000 and utilize the system’s services through its 25 warrantied years. Boyd emphasized his company’s desire to complete a contract expansion before the year’s end.

As the council discussed whether the solar expansion is viable, members raised questions about maintenance, upkeep and the costs-savings comparison over time.
Village Administrator Spencer Mitchell weighed in, saying, “I don’t see a lot of risk in this. The long-term plan is to save the taxpayers of St. Paris money by investing in solar energy. I think this is something to consider.”

The council called for a detailed breakdown of numbers, which Mitchell pledged to provide in future meetings.

Demolition of old junior high

Moving forward to another topic, Mitchell then shared aerial photographs of the demolition activity at the old junior high at 370 East Main Street.

The demolition crew began work on October 20. The building has been fully levelled, and the gym and basement have already been backfilled. During the next week, workers will be separating materials—wood, brick, concrete, and iron—to begin the transport process.

Mitchell reported there are fewer materials to transport than anticipated, so the service will be cheaper. Once sorting is complete, St. Paris will set aside a quantity of bricks for the community members to claim, as a keepsake reminding them of the school.

Mitchell encouraged anyone desiring a brick to call the municipal building and give their name to reserve one. He also stressed the importance that citizens stay away from the demolition site until the village announces that it is safe to approach.

Later in the meeting, Fiscal Officer Marc McGuire explained the payment schedule for the loan on the demolition. Resolution 1341 states that up to $65,000 could be borrowed for the project with a 3% interest rate over five years; McGuire estimates that interest accrued to total about $5,000, making the overall loan amount about $70,000. Semi-annual payments will begin in 2022, likely in March or April. Board member Terry Ervin made a motion to approve the financials, which was seconded by board member Steve Lett and unanimously passed.

Committee topics

Following the mayor’s notes, the council entered into committee discussions. Ervin stated that the next Johnson-St. Paris (JSP) Fire Board meeting would be held on November 9 at 7 p.m. at the firehouse. He also reported that assistant chief Ben Pence, Sr. has been appointed interim chief due to former Chief Scott Massie’s retirement last month. The board is in the process of hiring a new chief, and Ervin will update the council on the process.

Randy Smith, member of the Street Committee, reported new projects upcoming in 2022, pending the finalization of financials. Additionally, Mitchell mentioned that the Champaign County Engineer’s Office will be working on the west side of the county in 2022 and offering tar and chip services to repair streets. Mitchell and the street committee are working with the engineer’s office to identify possible roads in the village that could benefit from this temporary fix until an overall repaving can be officially scheduled.

“Even if we’re not able to completely reconstruct some streets, this may help us save money in the long run,” Mitchell said. “The tar and chip is cost-efficient, and it helps preserve what we have until we can get what we really want to have done.”
Mayor Cook then progressed to old business. She conducted the second reading of Ordinance 906, which is a supplement to the Zoning Ordinance of the Village of St. Paris and concerns the Vacant Building Maintenance Enforcement Program. As no council member voiced opposition, the ordinance will be read a third time at the next meeting and put to a vote. If passed, the ordinance will go into effect 30 days after its passage.

Board member Susan Prince then noted another item of old business: November 1 marked the six-month anniversary and end of the probationary period for Chief Eric Smith of the St. Paris Police Department. At this time, the mayor and Safety Committee must evaluate the chief’s performance and recommend him for either permanent appointment or dismissal.

Prince motioned to hire Smith as an official full-time police chief and the council approved her motion at the predetermined salary of $47,500 annually with a canine care allowance of $6,235.32.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the village council is November 15.