Sustainability efforts in Janesville has long been a subject I wanted to address on Discover Janesville. Grassroots efforts in general have always been important to me, and sustainability has provided an excellent platform for many in our community in becoming more politically active.
The first interview I would like to share with you is my conversation with Allison Rollette. Desire to become more self-reliant as well as more economical in her expenditures, led Allison to do research on chickens in private residences. Her efforts coincided with efforts by another Janesville resident who at first generated substantially more publicity for his interest in this subject than Allison. Yet it was Ms. Rollette who put together a 30-page report outlining the benefits of this idea, which she presented to the city council, and consistently responded to criticisms of those opposed to allowing chickens (or rather hens) in private residences, on the Gazette's website and in other venues. Allison also showed a great deal of organizing skill in bringing together a group of citizens who supported the idea of allowing residents to have up to 4 hens within the city limits, an ordinance similar to the one passed by the Madison City Council. The Janesville City Council ultimately voted down the idea but I was impressed with Allison's tenacity in her desire to improve the lives of others and to change a government regulation her common sense told her made no sense.
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