http://chattarati.com communal narcissism for the scenic city Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:30:05 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Weekly review of political stories in Chattanooga and beyond. Gubernatorial freakonomics Several 2010 gubernatorial candidates released their fundraising totals this week. GOP contenders raised quite a bit of money, especially considering that we're still a year away from the primary. Here's a breakdown of the heavy-hitters as of June 30: Bill Haslam: $3.8 million Ron ... http://chattarati.com/2009/07/04/the-chattanooga-politico-july-4/ A blurry cell phone picture posted on Twitter by Kent Callison seems to corroborate what this writer saw in person tonight at around 9:45 p.m. Smoke was rising from the approximate location of the Blue Cross parking garage at the southern end of Cameron Hill, and flames could be seen. ... http://chattarati.com/2009/07/03/developing-fire-at-cameron-hill/ You may have noticed, we didn't organize a First Friday Five fundraiser today. Or in June. The local online giving project started out in January with great success, but has since lost steam. Now we're taking some time to "dream it all up again." The original concept was simple: soliciting $5 ... http://chattarati.com/2009/07/03/reinventing-first-friday-five/ Pictured below is Mayor Ron Littlefield, as seen in German publication Spiegel Online. Write a caption for the photo in the comments section, and you might win…the respect and admiration of your fellow Chattarati readers. The winner will be selected by Chattarati over the weekend, and announced on Monday. And by ... http://chattarati.com/2009/07/03/ron-littlefield-caption-contest/ A few highlights for this holiday weekend in Chattanooga... JJ Grey. Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/snflwrgddss23/ / CC BY 2.0 Nightfall: Tonight at Nightfall, catch JJ Grey & Mofro, with openers Blues Hammer. Lookouts and Fireworks: The Chattanooga Lookouts are at home tonight, with a 6:15 p.m. game against the Carolina Mudcats, with—naturally—fireworks following the ... http://chattarati.com/2009/07/03/weekendist-fireworks-fireworks-fireworks/ Two Hamilton County residents addressed the Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday with concerns about the city's plan to annex parts of the county. The residents live in the Stonewall Farms subdivision, near Hixson Pike. They were joined by supporting members of their neighborhood. Resident Gene Hay asked the Council who his ... http://chattarati.com/2009/07/01/county-residents-challenge-council-on-annexation/ The Department of Public Works begins the Brush on Demand service on Wednesday, July 1. The new service will replace scheduled monthly pickup of brush, debris, and leaves. Citizens wishing to have wood waste collected by the city will need to call 3-1-1 to report a pickup. Public Works crews ... http://chattarati.com/2009/06/30/city-begins-brush-on-demand-service-tomorrow/ 7.01.09 UPDATE: Yes She Can. Former TN-GOP Chair, Robin Smith, will make a "major announcement" on Wednesday, July 1, according to a media advisory issued today. She is expected to formally announce a run for the Republican nomination for the 3rd Congressional seat in Tennessee. The seat is currently occupied by ... http://chattarati.com/2009/06/30/robin-smith-to-make-major-announcement-tomorrow/ Friday morning, Bleu Hayes posted an email forward on Twitter about a customer's recent experience at Boathouse, a local seafood restaurant. The email thread begins with a complaint from customer Craig Johnson—who claims a restaurant employee was unhelpful and misinformed him about health code rules—and follows the exchanges between Mr. Johnson ... http://chattarati.com/2009/06/29/boathouse-restaurant-emails-spark-strong-reactions-on-social-networking-sites/ Full video of Mayor Ron Littlefield's 2009 State of the City Address. Read a transcript of the Chattarati liveblog after the jump. 8:36 p.m.   Daniel Ryan:   Anyone having trouble viewing the stream please email me dryan@dryan.com or DM me on Twitter @dryan 4:24 p.m.   David Morton:   still testing video quality 4:36 p.m.   David Morton:   Donald just made ... http://chattarati.com/2009/06/28/2009-state-of-the-city-video-liveblog/