Valdez, Alaska wants to put up a statue of Captain Riker who'll be born there in the future

Valdez, Alaska has a population of around 4,000, but in the year 2335, another citizen will arrive who will not only journey into space but become one of the most beloved commanders and captains in all of Starfleet. Fast forward to the future, and William T. Riker was born in Valdez on August 19, 2335, and the town's citizens think that's something to celebrate. We can't say we disagree with them.

According to Gizmodo, Alaskan Trekkies Cameron Harrison, Patrick Campaign, and Jessie Desmond are leading the charge to have a statue of Riker erected in the small town, and not just any statue, but one with the Riker Maneuver. That's right. This statue would have Captain Riker swinging his leg over a memorial bench just like we've seen him do countless times aboard the Enterprise.

Harrison told The Register that the director of Valdez Parks and Recreation, Ken Wilson, is interested and "feels like it will be an easy sell." One more thing in the town's favor is that Paramount has already given the thumbs-up to the project. Should the statue be given the go-ahead, Paramount will talk to Jonathan Frakes and work with him to use his likeness.

With Captain James T. Kirk having a statue in Riverside, Iowa and Captain Kathryn Janeway having one in Bloomington, Indiana, it probably won't come as a surprise if Valdez officials do move forward with this project. Hopefully, it's only a matter of time before other cities welcome the captains and first officers with statues of their own. We're looking at you, New Orleans for Captain Sisko! And La Barre, Haute-Saône, France for Admiral Picard. Of course, things might be a bit more difficult for those Starfleet officers who were born off-planet, but there's always a workaround! That's the Star Trek way.