Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries

FSL announces Spring Lecture Series

Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries (FSL) is excited to announce new spring lectures. All lectures are free for FSL members while non-members will pay $5 for certain speakers.

All lectures are in the MountainView Ballroom and start at 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

We start the new year on January 12 with Jack Lasseter who returns to tell the second half of the Apache story, the period after Cochise, when the southwest was aflame with the breakouts and raids of Geronimo, Victorio, Nana and Loco. We will hear the stories of Lozen the Apache warrior woman and the break between Geronimo and his lifelong friend Chatto who in the end helped General Crook hunt Geronimo down.

Jack Lasseter is a retired Tucson attorney. His love of history, especially Arizona history, is evident in his detailed research and the enthusiasm when speaking about our history.

This is our kick-off lecture for 2017 and there will be no fee for non FSL members.

On February 9 we will hear from Sharon Reed-Hendricks and Steve Hendricks. The Hendricks will tell their story of One Man’s Dream and One Woman’s Reality. This is the story of their six year journey half way around the world. Together they encountered a storm that nearly ended the trip as well as a pirate encounter off the coast of Colombia. They will describe the beautiful and enchanting islands and countries they visited and the incredible people they met along the way. We will hear about the five year preparation for the trip and the difficulty of leaving friends and family behind. They will share the experience of spending week upon week in a boat looking at the same person day and night.

There will be a $5 charge for non FSL members.

Our next lecture, March 16, features Mark Schwartz who will present The Samurai’s Peace. Mark will explore the issues surrounding the death of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Japan’s premier naval strategist. Mark will examine the question of why the American people so reviled this man to the point of assassinating him. This was a man who desperately wanted to avert war with America at any cost. Yamamoto was familiar with the United States and its people and greatly respected our national power. Yet, Japan’s leaders pursued conquest and empire that made war in the Pacific inevitable. Had he not died in an air intercept that specifically targeted him, could he have convinced his countrymen to negotiate a peace before the U.S. rained utter destruction on Japan?

Mark served in the Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He then moved to the private sector where he spent 30 years in the aerospace industry.

There will be a $5 charge for non FSL members.

The Spring Lecture Series will continue on April 20 with Carolyn Niethhammer who will discuss Native American women. On May 18 Mark Bahti will explore the history of fetishes and animal carvings. Stay tuned for more about these speakers and lectures planned for the fall.

Remember that one of the great benefits that come with FSL membership is never paying a fee for any of these lectures. FSL members also get advance email notices and reminders about these and other FSL activities.