<**><**>¢ PRESIDENTS MESSAGE¢ by ALEX PIGNATO¢¢ A storm has been brewing over the¢ bounced checks issued by UNICORN¢ PUBLISHING, for the unused¢ subscriptions of the old deceased¢ ATARI CLASSIC magazine. It seems that¢ approximately 20 to 30 people received¢ rubber checks from UNICORN, the¢ publisher of A.C. BEN POEHLAND,¢ resigned his position as Managing¢ Editor, after making all arrangements¢ with UNICORN to make sure that¢ subscribers would get refunds for the¢ unused portion of their subscription.¢ I know for a fact that BEN did¢ evertrhing above board for the benefit¢ of the subscribers, and yet some¢ people, instead of being grateful for¢ ALL OF BEN's EFFORTS, in bringing¢ forth the magazine, and in giving¢ UNICORN a complete list of subscribers¢ that were entitled to refunds, is¢ getting hate mail. Now, I personnally¢ know that a couple of OHAUG members¢ had their checks bounce, and were also¢ hit with extra charges. Some had¢ redeposited the checks, and again the¢ checks bounced, with resultant bank¢ charges. ALAN SHARKIS called or wrote¢ to UNICORN, insisting that they¢ reimburse him, and he was sucessfull,¢ but I don't know if the others have¢ gotten their money by the time you¢ read this. ¢¢ Its a shame that the 8 BIT¢ community should have to go through¢ this kind of uneeded problems. I¢ understand that some people sent their¢ refund checks to JIM HOOD who is¢ trying to put out another A.C.¢ magazine. I understand that JIM is now¢ has some checks that have not cleared¢ either. This sure doesn't do the new¢ A.C. any good. It only reinforces¢ those people who have constantly stood¢ on the sidelines, saying "See, I knew¢ the 8 BIT community wouldn't back an 8¢ BIT magazine, thats why I didn't send¢ in my subscription to the first A.C.¢¢ Well, I have news for those sorry¢ people, it is because of the likes of¢ you that this mess has come about. If¢ the 500 subscriber base had been¢ maintained by the first A.C., we would¢ still have what was slowly becoming a¢ first rate magazine. True, as some¢ have said, there were some flighty¢ articles, but there were also many¢ interesting, informative and¢ educational articles for us dedicated¢ 8 BIT'ers.¢¢ My hat is off to BEN and to his¢ volunteer staff who did what no one¢ thought was possible. They brought¢ forth a great magazine with only¢ volunteer staff members. ¢¢ BEN, I and a few others, know¢ what you have personnally gone¢ through, what with loosing your job,¢ having your mother so ill in ARIZONA,¢ and your other problems. All I have to¢ say is I am proud to consider myself¢ your friend even though we have never¢ met. I know that ALL OL' HACKERS agree¢ with me. I dare you to make your¢ threat of attending a meeting come¢ true some day soon. We welcome you¢ with open arms.¢¢ Time to get off the soap box, but¢ I just had to get it off my chest. Let¢ me leave you with one thought. Stick¢ with the OL' HACKERS and hopefully, we¢ will be around when hell freezes over.¢ ** end **¢¢