A reporter is coming to my house! *Updated with article in reply*

[Emilys3guppies]

I spoke, for 5 minutes, at our recent Municipal Council meeting on why the Municipality should amend their bylaws to allow backyard hens. A reporter from our local paper heard me and called me this morning! She said she heard me speak and was impressed with the story. She's coming by tomorrow morning, with a photographer, to do an interview.

I hope I do well! I will have my speech with me so I can make my points. Oooooo. It's so nervewracking! Wish me luck! If I can get more of the town behind me, it will only do good things for the cause.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

WTG ....You are wished more than good luck.

My Prayers will also be with you.

 

[horsejody]

 

[Chicken support]

Good luck I hope it goes great!

 

[chickens4me]

Good for You!

 

[alicefelldown]

Congrats!! Let us know if you need anything!

 

[Sillystunt]

OMG, how did it go? did they come? That is soooo eggciting

 

[canada-goose]

Good luck!

 

[Emilys3guppies]

Thanks! I'l update tomorrow with how it went...and on the weekend, when the article comes out, I'll post the online link to it.

YAY!

 

[Emilys3guppies]

The interview went fantastically.

The reporter was a woman similar to myself...mother of young children, 'going green', ect. She admitted that she also wanted a few chickens for her yard and that helped inspire a story on it. LOL! I'm pleased as punch to be able to help!

I touched on all the points I wanted to:
*we can't afford to eat organic or antibiotic/pesticide-free unless we grow it ourselves
*our bylaws already protect residents from undue noise, odor and unsightly yards
*we are a rural community that relys on local farmlands...why not allow chickens?

Well, I had a bunch more but I don't have to convince you folks. I talked about the financial side of it too...and also mentioned a number of ways that regulating chickens will HELP the municipality instead of creating more work.

The reporter told me that she sits in on all the council meetings and, IHO, she thinks this will pass. There are two farmers sitting on the council who love thier chickens. She also arranged with me to come back to do a follow-up story once the bylaw passes so they can get pics of my coop, chooks and collecting eggs.

Also, 4 of the 6 local councillors have gotten back to me. 3 were positive but one was concerned that I'll build an illegal coop. I wrote back that I have the utmost respect for the law, as demonstrated by my attention to changing the bylaws instead of just getting the illegal backyard chickens to begin with. If I wanted to break the law then I wouldn't have shone a spotlight on myself by attempting to amend the bylaws. I would have just done it. LOL. Honestly.