February 25, 2021
Volume 51 - No. 08
By Sam Lowe
“I come from Kensal, North Dakota, where the only thing stopping that cold Canadian wind was a single strand of barbed wire fence out north of town.”
Editor’s Note: Sam Lowe is a reporter, editor, feature writer and long-time daily newspaper columnist. A native of North Dakota, Sam worked as sports reporter, editor in Jamestown, N.D., later moving to Arizona and the Scottsdale Daily The Paper - 760.747.7119
website:www.thecommunitypaper.com
email: thepaper@cox.net
Progress and on to the Phoenix Gazette where he was a columnist.
For the past several years, Sam has worked as a feature writer, as well as publishing 14 books, primarily on Arizona subjects. Today, he has ventured into the territory of North San Diego County to share some of his journalistic encounters. •••• William “Captain Kirk” Shatner, and “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry, came to Arizona. For me, it was a long-anticipated interview. It was an experience where I
had not gone before.
My Day as a Trekkie
PHOENIX, Arizona – While going through the learning process required to become a reporter, then a columnist, I discovered that often, long-anticipated interviews would be exactly what I hoped they'd be. But sometimes, they turned out to be major disappointments. My dealings with the creator and crew of “Star Trek” were classic examples of both.
tA Writ er and his Friends See Page 2
On the plus side, Gene Roddenberry and Persis Khambatta were absolute delights. But William Shatner and Susan Oliver...well...not so much.
Remembering them in chronological order:
When offered the chance to meet and write about Persis Khambatta, I made no effort to conceal my eagerness. Nobody else in The Phoenix Gazette newsroom had any idea who she was, but I knew. She was not only a former Miss