SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A $1
million improvement project at Springfield's
historic Symphony Hall will be mostly completed
in time for the Sept. 11 Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.
The ceremony
is usually held at the Hall of Fame, which can
accommodate about 1,200 people. With this year's
high-profile class that includes Michael Jordan,
David Robinson and John Stockton, the event was
moved to 97-year-old Symphony Hall, which seats more
than 2,600.
Hall director
of marketing Tina D'Agostino told The Republican of
Springfield that lighting work has been completed,
stairwells and ceilings have been repainted, the
stage have been restained and the hydraulic lift in
the orchestra pit has been repaired.
This year's
inductees include coaches Jerry Sloan and C. Vivian
Stringer.
Also, the Hall
of Fame announced Monday it will dedicate a new
"Tyler's Court" at William N. DeBerry Elementary
School in Springfield on Sept. 10 as part of the
enshrinement events. It will be the fourth court
made possible by the Tyler Ugolyn Foundation, named
for the Springfield native and Columbia basketball
player who was killed in the terrorist attacks on
the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
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