Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 26, 1993 TAG: 9310260174
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Ian Spelling
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
What is the meaning of I.D.I.C.?
To what address should I send my letter to Patrick Stewart?
For the answers to these and other Trek-related questions, many fans turn to the "Star Trek" Welcommittee (STW).
For 21 years STW volunteers have answered countless queries from Trekkers across the country and around the globe.
"People write us with all sorts of questions and we do our best to answer every one of them," Shirley Maiewski, chairwoman of STW, says by phone from her home in Hatfield, Mass.
"We have about 65 volunteers scattered all over America and others in Australia, Japan, Canada, Brazil, France and England. After all, `Star Trek' is an international phenomenon."
In addition to answering basic questions, the STW can provide information on a variety of Trek-related subjects including how to start a fan club, promote a convention or publish a fan magazine.
"We have a member who's a collectibles consultant," says Maiewski, who at 73 is known to fans as "Grandma Trek."
"We have a trivia expert, a pen-pal department, a personal-computer consultant and so on. All of the volunteers are `Trek' fans. We do it because we enjoy it."
The STW was formed in 1972 by Jacqueline Lichtenberg, a die-hard fan, then run by two ensuing chairmen before Maiewski took over in March of 1977.
Maiewski, a mother of three and grandmother of six, says she was a science-fiction fan long before "Star Trek" hit the airwaves.
When Gene Roddenberry's now-legendary creation debuted in 1966, she was immediately hooked.
" `Star Trek' presents a hope for a better future," says Maiewski, who retired from her job as a book coordinator in the textbook annex at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1989.
"People are getting along with one another. `Trek' also shows that just because someone is different, it doesn't mean they're evil."
And what does Maiewski's family think of her devotion to "Trek"?
"The grandchildren get a kick out of grandma," she says, laughing. "My husband, Philip, isn't really a fan, but he enjoys my enjoyment of it."
To help defray its operating costs, the non-profit STW sells 10 different "Trek" patches licensed by Paramount (about $2 each), charges a nominal fee for its publications and requires fans to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) if they want a reply to questions.
For a flyer with more details, send a SASE to Star Trek Welcommittee, P.O. Box 12, Saranac, Mich. 48881.
TREK SPECS
Patrick Stewart plays Loomis, the head bad guy, in "Gunmen," which will be released Nov. 19 by Miramax Films. Stewart's character hires Dennis Leary's character to hunt down a Bulgarian smuggler (Christopher Lambert) and a New York hood (Mario Van Peebles) who have teamed up to search for a $400 million treasure in the Amazon. . . . Starlog magazine asked its readers to name the best "Next Generation" episodes. The top five, in ascending order, are "I, Borg," "Best of Both Worlds, Part II," "Best of Both Worlds, Part I," "The Inner Light" and "Yesterday's Enterprise." . . . On Nov. 10, Paramount Home Video will introduce a new Trek gift set. Called the "Starfleet Collection," it will feature the six "Trek"-classic movies in the wide-screen format, a "Star Trek" watch, six Skybox trading cards, a certificate of authenticity and a futuristic collector's case that can be unlocked only with a special card key. The "Starfleet Collection" will sell for $199.95 in the United States and $224.95 in Canada. Only 5,000 sets have been produced. All will be sold in video stores.
CON CALENDAR
NOV. 6-7
Creation at the Park Plaza in New Haven, Conn., featuring Marina Sirtis. (Call 818-409-0960.)
Creation at the Holiday Inn East in Jacksonville, Fla., featuring Jonathan Frakes. (818-409-0960)
TREK ALERT
If you have Trek news or trivia to share - or if you have questions relating to "Star Trek" - write to Ian Spelling, care of features department, Roanoke Times & World-News, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, Va. 24010-2491.
by CNB