Arts & Entertainment

Retired Astronaut Recalls His Ordeal

In Lesher Center talk, Mark Kelly tells about the 2011 assassination attempt on his wife; follow link to Newsmaker schedule for 2012-13.

Retired astronaut Mark Kelly impressed many Walnut Creekers this week.

Kelly spoke Tuesday night at the Lesher Center for the Arts in the "Newsmaker" series.

Kelly told the story of how he remained focused in the ordeal of his wife's recovery from a head wound in a January 2011 assassination attempt, as described by Lou Fancher in the Contra Costa Times.

One person impressed by Kelly was Walnut Creek blogger Steve Lesher, who found a presence "many military people have: forceful and confident, but not pushy." Lesher, who oversees the "Newsmakers" series of speeches at the Lesher Center for the Arts, noticed that Kelly spoke without notes — the only other Newsmaker Lesher remembers going note-less was Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

Next up in the series is CNN political commentator David Gergen, speaking on Oct. 24 — two weeks before the election. The full Newsmaker schedule is here.


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