10/09/2026
We had another wonderful meeting at our Atomic Windbags Toastmasters meeting!
Trever Ehrlich led our meeting as Toastmaster today and shared with us a very interesting and informative speech about, “Chattanooga in Steel, Wood, and Memory.” It was a physical record of a city becoming itself. He shared with us some interesting information about our recently re-opened Walnut Street Bridge. It was built in 1891 and it was the 1st non military bridge on the Tennessee River.
It first carried horse-drawn wagons and pedestrians, and later automobiles. In 1978 it was closed to vehicles for safety concerns. It was reopened in 1993 as a pedestrian bridge. The bridge stretches almost a half mile long.
Sue Wickstrom recognized three new members to our group: Clayton Whitfield, Staci Tomlinson, Spencer Wakefield, as well as, Sofia Rudakevych, who has re-joined our group! Welcome everyone!
Blair Brown highlighted our Atomic Windbags Trivia Night at White Duck Taco! Our group had a great time and took first place!
Sandy Vecchi shared her inspiring speech, “What’s Your Cartwheel?” She recalled wanting to be a cheerleader as a teenager but struggling to do a cartwheel. Through determination, she tried other opportunities, eventually becoming editor-in-chief of her high school yearbook.
Fifty years later, at age 68, Sandy is pursuing her dreams of public speaking and podcasting. After researching and finally hitting the record button, her podcast reached 13,000 views! Her message: Don’t let fear or obstacles stop you. Try, fail, and try again. If one path doesn’t work, find another. She challenged everyone to ask themselves: “what’s your cartwheel? What’s keeping you from doing what you want to do?
Spencer Wakefield delivered his first Icebreaker Speech, sharing his journey from growing up on a small farm outside Buffalo, NY. He shared with us his personal story of being a successful entrepreneur and of how his journey brought him and his family to Chattanooga. Spencer enjoys hiking, biking, exploring local restaurants, and attending city events. His motto is “Too blessed to be stressed!” He especially loves spending time with his family and discovering all that our beautiful city has to offer. Welcome to Chattanooga, Spencer! Wonderful job on your first Icebreaker Speech!
Lanny Wingrove led our Table Topics portion with the theme of The Season of Fall. Savannah won our Table Topics award today! Nice job Savannah! Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm about going to fall festivals and events!
Atomic Windbags is a supportive and positive group of people committed to personal and professional growth.
Our next meeting is Thursday, October 22, at 11:45 a.m. at Kenco Logistics off Amnicola Highway. We would love to have you join us!
