By Rebecca Goldfine,Staff Writer

PARIS – The town has a new deputy clerk and its first full-time code enforcement officer.

The office overall has a fresh feel because so many employees there have been hired this past year, including the town manager and a second deputy town clerk.

Jeanette Ouellette of Canton took Joan Bean’s position as deputy town clerk and started her job Thursday. She was beaming behind the counter as people walked through the door.

Town Manager Sharon Jackson said she received 46 applications for the position, which is 15 more than she got when she was seeking a second deputy town clerk a few months ago.

Ouellette, who grew up as a Navy child and has lived in many locations, has bachelor’s degrees in political science and business administration from the University of Utah.

“I’d like to get into municipal government eventually,” she said, because she values “being in service to the public and helping a community grow.”

Prior to this position, she and her husband worked for their construction business.

The new code enforcement officer, Claude Rounds, begins Nov. 7. Rounds was the code enforcement officer for Pittsfield but left the position for Paris because he wanted to be closer to his Readfield home, according to Pittsfield’s Web site.

Elizabeth Knox started as the other deputy town clerk June 2. She previously worked at the Oxford town office but wanted a job nearer her home in Buckfield, she said.

Another relatively new person in an administrative position is Lori Ventresca, who started part time more than a year ago to help Elizabeth Larson, who has been town clerk for 31 years.