Rounding up rubbish
Photo
Photo by Dan Lassiter
Janesville's Jordan Kohl is a student at iQ Academy, a Waukesha School District-based virtual school. As part of a community-service graduation requirement, Kohl spent the past month collecting trash in his east-side neighborhood. By the time he’d finished, Kohl had filled eight garbage bags with rubbish he'd collected.
JANESVILLE — We pass it every day, on our way to work or shopping.
It's strewn along the terraces and in the gutters.
It's our trash.
For all the emphasis on environmentalism and Keep America Beautiful campaigns, we're still a messy lot.
Jordan Kohl knows that first hand. He spent the last month collecting trash in his east-side neighborhood. He collected eight garbage bags, filled mostly with fast-foot castoffs.
"I can easy collect four grocery bags of trash in less than one hour each night, which is astonishing," Kohl said.
Kohl collected trash as part of a community-service graduation requirement for his high school, iQ Academy, a Waukesha School District-based virtual school.
Kohl walked on different routes in about an eight-block radius of his home on South Huron Drive. He said trash-rich areas included Pontiac Drive and the fence line behind Marshall Middle School, where the wind conveniently deposits lots of trash.
Kohl said he found mostly bottles and fast-food containers, along with tobacco-product packaging and beer cans.
"It's stuff that can be easily recycled," he said. "I don't know why it gets thrown on the ground."
People did seem able to hang onto their valuables. Kohl said he found only a nickel and a few pennies in his trash-busting forays.
Jordan, 17, is the son of Judi and David Kohl. He expects to graduate from iQ next spring.
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By GAZETTE STAFF 02/08/12
Dec 24, 2008 at 3:16 p.m.
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You don't have to worry about the Jotter any more.
Dec 24, 2008 at 2:52 p.m.
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I gotta ask... what is a fast foot castoff? :-)
Nov 8, 2008 at 7:32 p.m.
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i am sorry to say but most kids do not get a good education at school is because it is all a social experience for them. Some parents these days do not care that kids learn at school, they only care if their kids are popular. I am going to home school my children to make sure they actually learn something.
And, Great job Jordan!!! It is great to see that there are some children out there that care about our environment!
Nov 5, 2008 at 7:47 p.m.
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It would be nice if the newspaper stopped throwing the Junk Jotter papers all over. I get at least two a week. They are always blowing all over yard.
The home school kids I know are exceptional girls. Polite, smart, and have social skills through horse shows and 4h. As I'm sure he has his hobbies and ave's of interaction.
Nov 5, 2008 at 9:52 a.m.
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Kudos to you Jordan!
Nov 5, 2008 at 9:27 a.m.
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One person can make a difference. Thank you, Jordan.
Nov 5, 2008 at 9:22 a.m.
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The more I read, the more I see that colleges are going out of their way to recruit home schooled kids because of their academic marks and better social skills. Maybe today's traditional schools are an environment for clicks and sports talent pecking order ?
Nov 4, 2008 at 3:14 p.m.
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The young man attends a virtual school with a community service requirement. Isn't there a local group or school that is doing the same thing here ? If not, I want to check out iQ Academy for my kids, the school sounds like it has promise.
Nov 4, 2008 at 2:38 p.m.
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Well done Jordan: Seems we are a nation of throw away instead of recycling. I see people every day on my drive home from work throwing their trash out of their car. Especially their smoked cigarettes. I cannot tell you how angry that makes me. It's your trash, don't make it everyone elses.
Nov 4, 2008 at 2:30 p.m.
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Good Job. I feel more people should pick up tradh with they see it in their yard or on their street or where ever. I do it. I dont want my street looking like some trash dumpster
Nov 4, 2008 at 2:23 p.m.
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Great job Jordan
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