Trekies trek to Riverside

Thousands of “Star Trek” fans from around the globe will “beam down” to atiny eastern Iowa community today. Riverside claims it’s the futurebirthplace of James Kirk, captain of the T-V show’s starship Enterprise.Events marking the character’s future birthday include a parade at 10 a-mand a costume contest.Bill Poch (poke) is president of the 15th annual Trekfest. He says all sortsof Star Trek stuff will be on sale — from key chains and t-shirts tostick-on Spock ears — and even tiny vials of dirt.Those vials are selling for $4.95. Poch says the event is expected to drawbetween four-and-seven-thousand people to the town with a population of 800.For more information on the festival, log on to www.trekfest.com.