REACH Speakers Bureau

This presentation will provide an overview of the events that occurred November 22, 1963, along with pertinent facts leading up to the assassination and following it. Ballistic, medical, and other documented evidence will be provided through a variety of sources and formats, including much gleaned through first-hand contact with an ARRB staff member, an FBI agent, eyewitnesses, and other researchers. The preponderance of events is indicative of a high-level conspiracy and cover-up.

RFK's campaign for the presidency was reaching its zenith when he was struck down after winning the California primary in June, 1968. The official account of his assassination is fraught with contradictions. What evidence exists to dispute the conclusion that Sirhan Sirhan was the assassin? Why have some of RFK's family asked for a reopening of the case? Forensic, medico-legal, eyewitness, and recently discovered acoustic evidence will be presented... some of which was never introduced at his trial.

John F. Kennedy's brief presidency represented a time of abiding hope and inspiration, despite the Cold War and its looming specter of thermonuclear exchange. His repeated references in so many speeches to "our children "and "future generations" illuminated President Kennedy's exceptional visionary approach to both domestic and national policies. The words, actions, and style of JFK provide a window into why he continues to be regarded as one of the most admired presidents of the modern era. We should not fail to recall a time when the spoken words and outward demeanor of a United States president portrayed so powerfully to the worldwide community the best that America had to offer. This presentation will focus on the intellect and humor of the 35th president, illustrating why his presidency came to hold such an exalted position throughout the world during his lifetime and beyond.

Enjoy the rewards of gardening at any stage of life! This session highlights innovative tools that make gardening easier for those with limited mobility, along with important safety tips to help prevent falls and injuries. We'll also explore how gardening supports physical and emotional well-being, serving as a natural antidepressant while offering countless health benefits.

Transform "dead"dirt into rich, living soil! In this session, you'll learn how composting reintroduces beneficial microorganisms that help your garden thrive. We'll explore different composting methods, tools, and supplies, as well as practical tips for working with local soil types-whether clay, sandy, or somewhere in between. Discover how to build healthier soil and a more vibrant garden, naturally.

Help bring monarch butterflies back! Monarch butterfly populations have declined by 90%, but you can help make a difference! In this hands-on session, learn how to raise Monarchs from eggs to newly emerged adults, including the supplies you'll need and the diseases to watch for. Discover how to grow the plants they depend on - from milkweed for caterpillars to pollinator-friendly flowers for adult butterflies - and play a vital role in supporting these iconic pollinators.

The 1960's were an explosive decade in art, fashion, politics and music. New sounds were being heard and new performers were gaining popularity every day. Styles such as Surf, R&B Soul, Bubblegum, British Invasion and Rock were populating the airwaves with these new sounds Take journey back to the 60's and enjoy the music of our generation

Before Elvis and Bill Haley were playing this new music called Rock and Roll, women were exploring and performing music that would become the roots of rock. However, these brave musical pioneers never received their due, as male performers received all the attention and fame. We will meet these female singers/songwriters and see the influence they had in the music world.

In the Winter of 1964, the Beatles came to America to bring their unique style of music, and in so doing, led the way for what was to later become the British Invasion. We will listen to and see the many other bands that followed, as part of the Invasion. Not to be outdone, many British female performers were part of this as well. We will hear the top song makers of the British invasion.

In 1965, NBC Television started broadcasting the Dean Martin show. From his roots in Steubenville, Ohio to Hollywood, California, we will follow both his TV and film career with clips from both. His music and humor made him one of Hollywood's entertainment icons.

Based on a book of the same name, this is a program featuring the great American Composers such as Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and many others.

We go back to the early days of television and look at the great Variety shows that dominated the airwaves...including the Andy Williams Show, Ed Sullivan Show, Judy Garland and many more.

A review of the Great Hollywood Musicals starting in the 1930's and moving through the decades up to the 60's.

Before there was Elvis and Bill Haley, there were pioneering performers playing their own brand of Early Rock - from Hillbilly to Rockabilly to Boogie-Woogie and Doo-Wop. These unsung heroes made a splash on the music scene and led the way for Rock as we know it today.

We will examine how the obscure Latin people of the city of Rome came to build an empire dominating the Mediterranean Sea and northwestern Europe for several hundred years. Along the way, Romans established a democratic republic, later taken over by absolutist monarchs. Even as the empire spread Christianity as a major religion, much of the Roman Empire fell to so-called barbarians.

From the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries, many Europeans worried about the phenomenon of witches, believed to be members of a new sect hostile to humanity. We will survey key ideas and events of this "Witch Craze," which tortured and killed thousands of people for threats that did not empirically exist.

In the early 20th Century, Adolf Hitler led the National Socialist German Workers' Party to transform Germany into the so-called Third Reich, which then tried to dominate Europe and even the world. We will scrutinize the Nazis and their horrific legacy.

Ideas become new inventions every day. We'll review some developments in new aircraft, home products, autonomous vehicles, building systems, civil engineering, architecture and more.

You've probably seen your share of Westerns featuring John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Randolph Scott, Walter Brennan, even Bob Hope! But Hollywood's version of the frontier often traded accuracy for adventure. In this lively session, we'll uncover what life was really like on the prairies and in the mountains of the 1800's. We'll peek at movie clips that came closest to getting it right, take a virtual stroll through a ghost town, and discover the true "Code of the West" and the Cowboy Ethics that still resonate today.

Hollywood musicals have delighted audiences for generations, but creating that joy on screen was no small feat. In this program, we'll explore how beloved classics like The Wizard of Oz (1939), Singin in the Rain (1952), and Seven Bride for Seven Brothers (1954) were made, then take a behind-the-scenes look at more recent favorites � Grease, Chicago, The Greatest Showman, and Mama Mia. Along the way, we'll uncover fascinating stories, technical challenges, and creative choices that helped turn song and dance into movie magic.