News Archive

• Quick Wit • Neat Handwriting • Engaging Smile Bill began his cooperative career as an apprentice lineman in 1985. While still in high school, his drafting teacher at Rantoul High School, saw a talent in Bill and encouraged him to use his drafting skills. Bill’s first job was working for the Village of Rantoul at the power plant. A close family friend worked for Illini Electric and encouraged Bill to join the cooperative. For 33 years he’s been serving members and providing his expertise to assist in the delivery and management of safe, reliable electricity. Bill is one of two remaining Illini Electric employees who were part of the 1987 merger that joined together Eastern Illinois Power and Illini Electric. Bill’s coworkers really like working with him. They describe him as knowledgeable and dedicated. They enjoy his great sense of humor and they are a bit envious of his creativity. If you need a document completed with neat handwriting, take it to Bill. Handwriting is more than just a form of communication. For Bill, it is part of his identity along with his quick wit and engaging smile. In his current role, Bill is an engineering technician/serviceman. On most days, he’s busy meeting with electrical or building contractors to make sure new builds, upgrades and renovations are completed to specifications. Bill has a great deal of interaction with members daily. They have come to rely on Bill for accurate, complete and insightful answers to their questions. His job often involves talking to township road commissioners and community leaders throughout the Eastern Illini territory. Implementing the annual EIEC work plan for pole rebuilds involves Bill staking out all the lines, so crews can do installation and upgrades. Bill’s favorite part of his job is talking to members. He likes meeting new people and building business relationships. He’s found out over the years that asking the right questions and engaging in dialogue works best and builds long lasting rapport. The most challenging part of his position is having to have hard conversations explaining and justifying policies and procedures. Safety is a top priority with Bill and his decision making begins with making sure members and employees are always safe. Bill wants members to be aware of the power lines around their homes and property. He’s seen farming equipment become more expansive over the years and it is so important to stay safe around electrical poles and lines. Bill feels blessed to work at Eastern Illini. He is truly appreciative that the board of directors and senior leadership are committed to safety and to providing the tools, equipment and training needed to work effectively and efficiently. Bill was fortunate enough to be able to help with the cleanup after Hurricane Katrina. He was dispatched with a crew that provided assistance in Picayune, MS. Bill worked long hours cleaning up downed trees and restoring power. The people of Picayune were extremely appreciative. Even though devastation was widespread, their spirit and attitude remained positive. Bill had the opportunity to assist Sonny and Elaine Smith while in Picayune and Elaine prepared some delicious home cooked meals that were enjoyed by the linemen. To this day, Eastern Illini still receives a Christmas card from Sonny and Elaine. Each year around Thanksgiving, Bill and his wife Renee, make their annual trek to Gatlinburg, TN where they enjoy the scenic views, majestic mountains and tranquil log cabin accommodations. They relax, listen to blue grass music and enjoy all that the Great Smokey Mountains have to offer. In his spare time, Bill keeps busy farming his in-laws farmground and helping out neighbors during harvest time. He is a member of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gifford where he currently serves as a trustee and is the 2018 Chairman of the Church Council. Bill and his wife Renee, have three daughters: Jennifer, Holly and Hope and five grandchildren. He also has a big old Bloodhound named Red who weighs over 100 lbs. and keeps him company.

  Jenn Garrett has a big heart for animals and an immense passion for rescuing them from neglect, abuse and disaster. She also has a scenic rural setting, just west of Hoopeston, to showcase her animal menagerie. Paws & Claws Animal Sanctuary is a member of Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative and in fact, Jenn and her husband, LT, provided the animal petting area at the 2018 EIEC annual meeting. Both Jenn and LT are animal lovers who want to make a difference by saving the lives of stray, no longer wanted and endangered animals. They own and operate Paws & Claws, located at 8891 Route 9 in Hoopeston. Jenn, a native of Ontario, Canada, got her start rescuing animals with a pocket monkey. It has grown from there and now she has Petunia, a potbelly pig, Vincent Van Goat, Katie and Perry Peacock, and Swiper, a fox. She has both wild and domesticated animals and the number and variety of residents varies from day to day. Her sanctuary animals come from as far as Tupelo, Mississippi and Buffalo, New York and as nearby as someone in the next town who purchased a bunny as an Easter present and no longer wants the responsibility now that the rabbit is full grown. It’s a family affair at Paws & Claws. Jenn’s grandson Mark, age 6, can be found riding his miniature pony, Princess, around the property. Michael, age 4, is very comfortable around all the animals and his liveliness and enthusiasm doesn’t phase the horses grazing in the pasture. Those who work at the sanctuary describe Paws & Claws as a peaceful, healing space for people as well as animals. Jenn is excited that she recently received USDA approval for the animal sanctuary to be open to the public. That approval took many hours of preparation and planning. Paws & Claws enhanced their enclosures and added some additional safety measures to ensure that the animals as well as the public remain safe at all times. As a result of the USDA certification, Paws & Claws will now be open for visitors to come and see the sanctuary animals and learn more about them. The general public can stop by on weekends, and for $10 per person, have an up close and personal encounter with an alpaca while meandering through Hooterville Junction, home to wolf dogs, roosters, raccoons, donkeys and many unique and unusual inhabitants. Guided tours are available for $20 and provide more in depth information about the animals. Jenn has a vision for the future that involves movie nights, school groups and educational activities all related to learning more about the care and feeding of animals. She hopes to expand Paws & Claws to be able to handle more animals who need to be rescued, whatever the reason – neglect, abuse or living situations that are dangerous. Because of her years of experience in rescuing animals, she has some expert advice to share – please leave wild animals in the wild and in their natural habitat. What seems cute and cuddly now eventually grows up. Jenn is willing to relocate animals in need to her facility. She has a friend that’s a pilot who can assist in animal transportation. Jenn feels blessed to do the work she does and believes that these animals deserve to live in a loving and safe environment where they can receive the best quality of care. Paws & Claws is just that place. She’s currently receiving offers to take in animals from other rescues due to over crowding or lack of cages. The sanctuary has room, but needs to build enclosures large enough to house them comfortably. Operating an animal sanctuary takes time, patience, money, love and commitment. It is physically and mentally demanding. It also takes a great deal of planning, a significant amount of funding, land, sturdy and secure buildings and fencing, substantial food sourcing, unwavering devotion and steadfast perseverance. Paws & Claws is a tax-exempt non-profit, and tax deductible donations are always accepted and appreciated. Check out the Facebook page for Paws & Claws. It highlights Jenn’s work and features many of the animals that are cared for at the sanctuary. Volunteers are always needed and appreciated. If you are willing to help out with animal care and feeding, grounds maintenance or even enclosure construction and have time and talent to donate, contact Jenn at 217-772-3050 or simply stop by Paws & Claws sometime.