Valdez, Alaska is kind of out there on the far end of things. Best known as the terminus of the Alaska pipeline (and the location of the infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill), Valdez is also a popular tourist destination, with some wondrous salmon and halibut fishing in Prince William Sound.
What’s not as well known is that Valdez is — or will be — the birthplace of a famous character in American television, that being Commander William T. Riker of “Star Trek, the Next Generation” fame. Now a group of Alaskans are seeking to have the freewheeling Commander Riker immortalized with a bronze statue in his hometown — or what will one day become his hometown.
To “Star Trek: The Next Generation” fans, the first officer aboard the Enterprise was a highlight of the show’s adventures in seeking out new life and new civilizations in space: the final frontier.
Now, a group of fans want…
