Excerpt from the Chronicle Tribune

As attendees of the Gas City Area Chamber of Commerce chatted and munched on chicken and lemon squares Tuesday evening, Mayor Larry Leach, Councilman Larry Terwillegar and Marion Mayor Wayne Seybold prepared for their stage debut.

A replica of the starship Enterpriseset the mood for a trip into the future, as the three men patted their mouths following the meal and secretly departed backstage, only to emerge moments later following an introduction by Mark Fauser, executive director of the Community School of the Arts, who fell into a William Shatner character.

"I feel that negative forces are trying to keep us from working together," said Seybold, playing Captain Kirk, told Terwillegar, adorned in a blue Star Trek-themed sweatshirt and pointy Vulcan ears for his role as Mr. Spock. The two discussed ways to work together to better the new frontier - as opposed to beating each other down.

As the audience roared, Leach emerged dressed as Scotty in a plaid kilt and black knee socks.