Justice Comes to Springfield...

Several days late, but who knows how many dollars short, we would like to share with you some photographs from last Tuesday's opening to the 75th annual Springfield Public Forum.  The series is the last fully free to the public lecture in the country or so its directors claim.  Famous names and faces from politics to the arts have spoken at the forum, which began after donations from various people and companies in New York decided that such voices should be made available to other parts of the country.  This year, the series kicked off with Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.  Breyer, who was appointed by President Clinton in 1994, served as a judge on the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston as well as on the US Sentencing Commission.  Before that he taught at Harvard Law and was a prosecutor for the Watergate committee.  Sadly, technical difficulties prevents too many photos from coming out, but here's what we've got!

Later speakers this year include Steven Squyres, lead scientist on the Mars Exploration Rover; Kavita Ramdas, Senior Advisor and Former CEO/President of the Global Fund for Women; Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark, NJ; and finally Mark Shield and David Brooks, liberal and conservative columnists respectively.

No, we cannot resist a Campanile Shot!

From Court Street, Symphony Hall

Before the Show Began

From Symphony Hall Steps

Probably the only good picture taken while he was on stage.

Justice Breyer was on hand to take questions and later sign copies of his book.

Picture taken with Bay Path College Students

Lighting in this picture is kind of off, but it shows how majestic Symphony Hall really is!