MINUTES OF THE JULY 1996 MEETING›   ================================›› The OL' HACKERS announces with  great› sadness  that  its  beloved president› ALEX PIGNATO suddenly died of a heart› attack on June 26, 1996.››       TRIBUTES TO ALEX PIGNATO›       ------------------------›› POSTED  ON  THE NEW NEST BBS BY SYSOP› JIM HARRIS››             ALEX PIGNATO›       PRESIDENT OF OL' HACKERSC›           DEVOTED 8-BITTER›› It is with profound sadness  that  we› learn of the passing of ALEX PIGNATO,› (Triala),   yesterday  evening.  ALAN› SHARKIS has posted the necessary info› in Base I (NEW NEST BBS). Please read› it.›› It is impossible for me to express my› own  sadness.  It is as if one of the› real "shining lights"  of  the  8-bit› world has just been extinguished...›› He  will  be  rembered  as one of the› steel pillars of the 8-bit unity.  He› was  not  afraid  to  stand  up for a› system  that  any  reasonable  person› would have  abandoned  long  ago.  He› insisted  on "pushing the edge of the› envelope", and he refused to let  the› 8-bit die.›› He  was a gruff old bear, and perhaps› difficult to work with, but this  was› the  measure  of  his  love  for  the› Atari,  that  he  would  never accept› anything less than the best.›› The  remaining  members  of  the  OL'› HACKERS will need  all  our  support,› prayers,  and  understanding   during› this time of great loss.›› Anyone  who  wishes  to  attend   our› meetings is more than welcome. (and I› would like to suggest it.)›› This Sysnews article will  be  posted› as  "Always  Read" for the next week,› as the NEW NEST BBS's Memorial  to  a› great man, ALEX PIGNATO.››   FROM BEN POEHLAND ON THE INTERNET›› I  am  stunned  by the news of Alex'S› sudden death. The man was practically› an  institution. It was Alex who held› the club together. He stood  with  me› shoulder  to  shoulder when we had to› deal with those impossible people  in› Ann  Arbor to produce the AC Software› Disk.   He  stood  like  a  rock,  he› supported me, he was an oak  tree  in› the  storm,  someone I could rely on.› With Alex'S passing we have lost  not› only  our  leader  and guiding light,› but more importantly we have  lost  a› major  physical  resource  that  Alex› provided to the group. ››       FROM TOM ANDREWS ON GENIE›› I am practically speechless, this was› so   unexpected.   The   Atari  8-bit› community   has   lost   one  of  its› staunchest enthusiasts and I've  lost› a  good  friend.  I  am going to miss› him. May he be where programs  always› work  the  first  time  and  hardware› never fails.›››  FROM LYLE EARL ON THE NEW NEST BBS›› All  the  members  of  SLCC had great› things to say  about  Alex.  We  will› post  his  passing  in our journal as› well as A.C. Classics  so  those  who› don't  visit  BBS's and may have know› him will also see the bad news ...›››     FROM TOM HUNT ON THE INTERNET›› He was a fine man. This  is  truly  a› sad  day.  But  then,  we  can   find› comfort  in  having  faith that he is› now at home with his creator.›››       FROM L.V.A.U.G. ON GENIE› I am truly shocked. He  was  a  GREAT› leader  in  the  Atari  Community and› will be deeply missed by all.›››  FROM W. BURGER OF ABBUC GERMANY ON› INTERNET›› Alex will be missed  not  only  as  a› great  figure  in  the  8-bit   Atari› world,  but  also  by those of us who› have known him personally.›››          FROM JAMES KING --›  comp.sys.atari.8bit through  AMERICA› ONLINE›› Geez...I  was just communicating with› him last week about joining OHAUG.  A› definite loss to the 8-bit community›››    FROM CURTIS VENDEL ON FIDO NET›› I heard about Alex and it hurt a lot.› I am truly sorry about it.›››  FROM JIM CUTLER, ENGLAND, INTERNET›› What a  sad  loss,  he'll  be  sorely› missed  indeed.  Have  written to the› family with condolences.›››     FROM DANE STEGMAN ON FIDO NET›› Alex  was  a  veteran  of  WW  II,  a› community leader in his home town  of› Oceanside N.Y. and a true luminary of› the 8-it world. He will be missed. My› condolences to his family.›››  FROM JOHN MORDOSKY ON THE NEW NEST› BBS›› Alex's    passion   for   the   Atari› Community was evident to all who knew› him.  In  many  ways  OHAUG  was  his› extended  family,  and  he  was   the› father who tried to keep it together.› The OL' HACKER'S was a driving  force› in  his  life.  Almost everyone knows› how he felt about it's existence.  He› will be sorely missed.››› *************************************››› SYLVIA  SMINKEY  informed us that our› dear member BILL SMINKEY died on June› 19, 1996.›› All  the  OL'  HACKERS  lost  a  dear› friend  in  BILL SMINKEY. We remember› BILL when we had a student member  in› Romania  who needed a printer. It was› BILL who obtained a printer and  bore› the  cost  of  mailing it to Romania.› BILL was always a good and kind man.›› We are certain that BILL will meet in› heaven  with  ALEX  to  discuss their› love for  the  8-bit  computer.  BILL› will  not  be  forgotten  by  the OL'› HACKERS. He was a  unique  individual› who contributed much to all.›› *************************************››› JACK  GEDALIUS assumed the presidency› of the club. He chaired the meeting.›› We started with a  minute  of  silent› prayer    for   our   dear   departed› president ALEX PIGNATO›› We had visiting  members  from  other› clubs:   PAT  MULVEY,  president   of› L.I.A.U.G  and  one  of  our   newest› members;    JONATHAN   MORDOSKY   and› JONATHAN MORDOSKY JR. from  P.A.  and› also  a  new  member of our club; JIM› HARRIS, an old and new member of  our› club;  ART  PAOLINI,   president   of› L.V.A.U.G.  also  from  PA.;   HARVEY› SHOEN,    newsletter    editor     of› L.I.A.U.G.  HARVEY,  as  a tribute to› ALEX, had a picture of him  on  their› newsletter's front cover.›› ALAN  SHARKIS  showed  us   all   the› condolence  messages  (see  summaries› above).  He  said  there will be many› more in a few days.›› ALAN SHARKIS said he would assume the› duties  of  NEWSLETTER  EDITOR.   RON› FETZER  said  he would handle all the› correspondence. We  realize  that  we› will  have  difficulties  in  our new› positions but with the  help  of  all› the  members  we  should  be  able to› manage it. RON FETZER distributed the› TREASURER'S   REPORT   to   all   the› members.›› ALAN SHARKIS invited us to his  house› on  July 20, 1996 for a demonstration› of how to use the MODEM, get  on  the› INTERNET  and  how  the  I.B.M.  is a› slave the the 8-bit, and how  to  get› disk  images  from  the I.B.M. on the› POOL DISK to the 8-bit.››› DEMOS:›› We received from our member ROBERT DE› LETTER  in  Belgiun  a  fantastic new› game. We are the exclusive  recipient› of  this  game in the U.S.A. The game› takes up a whole side of a  disk  and› is  on  the  back  of   last   months› NEWSLETTER.  The  game  has  over  70› levels  and  I could not even get out› of the first few levels. It is  fully› documented.  We  played  it  at   the› meeting. It is called DRAGON LORD. It› is a fantasy game for one player. The› object  is  to find the dragon in the› dungeon maze and slay it. We were not› successful  in slaying the dungeon at› the meeting.›› We also  viewed  some  of  the  other› programs  on the NEWSLETTER DISK. The› PEEKS AND POKES that get printed  out› on  the printer are very interesting.› They   come   from   T.W.A.U.G.    in› England.›› ART   PAOLINI,   the   president   of› L.V.A.U.G, brought a game along  that› he  had  just  finished  writing  the› night  before. It is a great computer› trivia   quiz  program.  Nine  of  us› joined in playing it.› A    sample    question    is    here› reproduced:› THE DATA GLOVE IS  A  VIRTUAL  REALTY› DEVICE  THAT  LETS THE USER INTERFACE› THE COMPUTER USING  HAND  MOTION.  IT› WAS  FIRST  INVENTED   TO:   1)DISECT› CADAVARS.  2)PLAY  AIR GUITAR. 3)WORK› WITH HAZARDOUS MATERIALS. The  answer› is.......  #2.  As  you can see these› questions are not easy. There were, I› think,  40  questions that you had to› choose   the  right  answer  to.  The› champion of the game was ALAN SHARKIS› with  23 right answers. It is a great› entertaining game for a large  group.› It  will  be  on  the L.V.A.U.G. CLUB› DISK #101. We will get a  copy  at  a› later date.›› We decided to explore the possibility› of creating an  ANNUAL  ALEX  PIGNATO› AWARD.  We  formed  a  committee   to› establish  the   criteria   for   the› award.›› Written by Ron Fetzer›› >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>END<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<››››