"The Mystery of Sherman Lenske, Galaxy Productions, and Trademark No.

73-588214."

As our story opens, Gerald Armstrong has recently been declared--setting up the ensuing several years of litigation with Armstrong, all leading toward likely public release of certain personal documents belonging to L. Ron Hubbard. Sherman Lenske, self-proclaimed attorney for L. Ron Hubbard, establishes a corporation called "Galaxy Productions, Inc." with Norman F. Starkey installed as President:

======================================================================== Friday, 26 March 1982
INCORPORATED:
Galaxy Productions, Inc.
6400 Canoga Avenue #315
Woodland Hills, California 91367
Norman F. Starkey, President
Incorporated 03/26/82 under number 1069394
California Secretary of State
======================================================================== Less than a month later, on Monday, 19 April 1982, the Supreme Court of the United States leaves intact the conviction of Mary Sue Hubbard.

And just a shade more than a month after *that*, on Friday, 28 May 1982, Lenske incorporates the corporation known as Church of Spiritual Technology (CST).

Dissolve to...

* * * * * * * * * Wednesday, 20 June 1984. Armstrong's case has been ruled on by Judge Breckenridge, and it seems that about 500 of L. Ron Hubbard's private documents are going to be made public. But on 25 June 1984, the California 2nd District Court of Appeal issues a stay preventing the release of the documents.

Within one week, Sherman Lenske has the corporation Galaxy Productions, Inc. suspended:

======================================================================== Monday, 2 July 1984
SUSPENDED:
Galaxy Productions, Inc.
6400 Canoga Avenue #315
Woodland Hills, California 91367
Norman F. Starkey, President
Suspended 07/02/84
California Secretary of State
======================================================================== But as odd little coincidences would have it--and only in little mystery stories like this one--come Tuesday, 25 September 1984, the U.S. Tax Court upholds the removal of tax-exempt status from the Church of Scientology of California (CSC), and just one week later--on Tuesday, 2 October 1984, Sherman Lenske breathes new life into the late, lamented Galaxy Productions:

======================================================================== Tuesday, 2 October 1984
REVIVED:
Galaxy Productions, Inc.
6400 Canoga Avenue #315
Woodland Hills, California 91367
Norman F. Starkey, President
Suspended 07/02/84, and Revived 10/02/84.
California Secretary of State
======================================================================== It is probably merely another mystery-story-coincidence that the "International Association of Scientologists" (IAS) is brought into being only a few days later--on Sunday, 7 October 1984. And we have no record of any productions produced by Galaxy Productions, Inc. over the next few years.

But it must have produced a bastard child that it didn't want: enter our strange little trademark, named 73-588214, registered as 1442039.

On 13 October 1987, Galaxy Productions, Inc.--whose President is Norman F. Starkey--transfers a mysterious, undescribed trademark--Serial No. 73-588214, Registration No. 1442039--to...

Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but it is transferred to Norman F. Starkey, in his alter-ego as "Executor of the Will of L. Ron Hubbard, d.b.a. L. R. Hubbard Library":

======================================================================== Tuesday, 13 October 1987 Reel/Frame: 0579/0470 TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT SIGNED Date Recorded: 1987-10-16 [see] Date Signed: 1987-10-13 Assignor(s): GALAXY PRODUCTIONS, INC.

C/O MICHAEL-JOHN BIBER 1416 NORTH KINGS ROAD LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA 90069 Assignee(s): STARKEY, NORMAN F. AS EXECUTOR OF THE WILL OF L.RON HUBBARD DBA L. R. HUBBARD LIBRARY SUITE 202 6515 SUNSET BLVD.

HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA 90028 Brief: ASSIGNS THE ENTIRE INTEREST AND THE GOODWILL Serial No. Reg. No. Mark ------------- ------------ ---------------------------------------- 73-588214 1442039 ..........

Correspondence Address: MICHAEL-JOHN BIBER 1416 NORTH KINGS RD. LOS ANGELES, CA 90069 SOURCE: United States Trademark Office records ======================================================================== Of course, Sherman Lenske is the attorney handling all the probate matters related to L. Ron Hubbard, so he must be working hand-in-glove with Norman Starkey.

And not to put too fine a point on it, CST--of which Sherman Lenske is a founder, sole incorporator, AND Special Director--is ALSO "doing business as" the "L. Ron Hubbard Library" at this very same time. But we have to have lots of interesting little confusing tidbits like this in a mystery story.

Let's, though, now concentrate our attention on the new player in this tale, the odd little bastard trademark whose parents keep giving away to themselves.

We do not hear of Trademark #73-588214 again for several years.

Then, on Tuesday, 3 January 1989, Norman F. Starkey, as Executor of the Will of L. Ron Hubbard, arranges--through the Superior Court of San Luis Obispo--for the dearly departed L. Ron Hubbard to transfer the myterious trademark to...

Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but it is transferred to Norman F. Starkey, in yet ANOTHER of Starkey's astounding, chameleon-like alter-egos: "Trustee of L. Ron Hubbard's Family Trust-B"--which was created by none other than Sherman Lenske:

======================================================================== Tuesday, 3 January 1989 Reel/Frame: 0655/0711 TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT SIGNED Date Recorded: 1989-06-20 [see] Date Signed: 1989-01-03 Assignor(s): L. RON HUBBARD, DECEASED SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY CALIFORNIA Assignee(s): STARKEY, NORMAN F., TRUSTEE OF L. RON HUBBARD'S FAMILY TRUST-B Brief: JUDGMENT OF FINAL DISTRIBUTION BY THE SUPERIOR COURT OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY JAN. 3, 1989 Serial No. Reg. No. Mark ------------- ----------- --------------------------------------- 73-588214 1442039 ..........

Correspondence Address: BAKER & MCKENZIE 725 SOUTH FIGUEROA STREET LOS ANGELES, CA 90017 SOURCE: United States Trademark Office records ======================================================================== And there, dear reader, might our story end, except it doesn't. The orphaned little trademark--born into Sherman Lenske's mysterious Galaxy Productions, Inc., seemingly kicked around like some waif from a Dickens tale (but always under the squinty watchful eye and tight-fisted control of Sherman Lenske and Norman F. Starkey)--finally finds a home and happiness at last on Monday, 29 November 1993.

This might be a familiar date to readers of a.r.s., because it is shortly after IRS has granted tax-exemption in a secret back-room deal with Sherman Lenske's friends. And it is the very same date on which Norman F. Starkey transfers over 7,000 of L. Ron Hubbard's copyrights to the corporation known as "Church of Spiritual Technology" (CST), doing business as "L. Ron Hubbard Library."

Well, those copyrights aren't all that Norman F. Starkey transfers to the control of Sherman Lenske and company at CST that day. He also transfers, wrapped in swaddling clothes, the cute little bastard trademark we have all come to know and love:

======================================================================== Monday, 29 November 1993 Reel/Frame: 1096/0470 TRADEMARK ASSIGNMENT SIGNED Date Recorded: 1994-01-28 [see] Date Signed: 1993-11-29 Assignor(s): STARKEY, NORMAN F. INDIVIDUAL Assignee(s): CHURCH OF SPIRITUAL TECHNOLOGY 419 LARCHMONT, #162 LOS ANGELES, CA 90004 CORPORATION CALIFORNIA Brief: ASSIGNS THE ENTIRE INTEREST AND THE GOODWILL Serial No. Reg. No. Mark -------------- ------------ --------------------------------------- 73-588214 1442039 ..........

Correspondence Address: SMALL LARKIN & KIDDE THOMAS M. SMALL 10940 WILSHIRE BLVD. 18TH FLOOR LOS ANGELES, CA 90024 SOURCE: United States Trademark Office records ===================================================================== And that, dear reader, is the end of our little tale as we know it.

And the mystery is: What IS this bastard trademark? Why its odd nativity and checkered childhood? And why does the Church of Spiritual Technology own it now?

There are certainly enough clues herein for some ambitious and tenacious a.r.s. sleuth to solve, for us all, the mystery of #73-588214.

Till then, it is one more enigma in the massive fraud that is CST, and in the twisted, writhing, inseperable wad of snakes that inhabit it.

THE END

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