So we formed a group and started holding Town Hall meetings. Our meeting on Mon. Aug 28, attended by 40 people, followed on the heels of a meeting sponsored by Calvary Chattanooga the evening prior, which was attended by hundreds. Both gatherings covered the growing concern around the Chattanooga Climate Action Plan (CAP). Guess which meeting appears 7 days later, Sept 4th, as an article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press? The article was written by Ben Sessoms, a reporter for the Free Press. He’d shown up unannounced on the 28th displaying no “Press” credentials sat in the back and took copious notes. On the following Thursday Mr. Sessoms reached out through email and announced that he’d attended the meeting and what were our last names and could he have Rick’s PowerPoint presentation as he had a deadline to meet. Our email response thanked him for attending and that we hoped to see him at our next meeting on Sept 11. After the article went to press, I drafted a response and submitted it to the Free Press at Mr. Sessoms email address as well as TheChattanoogan. TheChattanoogan posted it almost immediately. As of this time the Free Press has not responded. At our 9/11 meeting Mr. Sessoms once again appeared, this time properly badged. I introduced myself and asked if he'd seen my response. He said he saw my email but had been too busy to read it. He then requested our phone numbers so he could call and ask us some questions. I declined and said we would field his queries if they were submitted by email to contact@savechattanooga.com I am pleased to report that our meeting attendance was up and the engagement level was high. Few attendees left early. Mr.Sessoms even stuck it out for an hour. Our meetings, if you are interested in viewing, are posted on our YouTube channel. To be continued.....
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