ATM Re: Reprints GRANTED!

[Atmj1@aol.com]

The ATMA gets rights to TM!

For a very long time, some ATMs have maligned Kalmbach Publishing because they
would not waste and money by reprinting TM magazine or to give the rights to
someone else. Even though, Kalmbach has operated under simple intelligent
business principles, reading some of the posts would have indicated that they
somehow had an obligation to provide something for nothing to our little rag-
tag group of glass pushers. 

All the table jumping, fist pounding, and name-calling did not work and I, for
one, have always thought that such behavior was a shame on our group.

As some of you know, I have been working behind the scenes to open up an
avenue to accomplish the same task. While hoping to be able to see a time when
TM could be reproduced, I have NEVER felt that it was some sort of magic
elixir essential to our survival. This feeling is shared by Richard Berry
(creator of TM) and will be the feeling I hold when the time comes for ATM
Journal to pass into history. Nevertheless, as a servant of the ATMA (read,
us), I took the goal of getting those rights as my own. 

To all of you who have supported me in my "steady-as-you-go-and-treat- your-
neighbor-as-your-mother-taught-you" philosophy…Congratulations!!
This morning, I spoke with David Eicher who, after a lengthy meeting with
Astronomy Editor, Bonnie Gordon, and Publisher, Russ Larson, was pleased to
report that:

ATM JOURNAL, THROUGH THE WORK OF THE ATMA, WOULD BE GIVEN THE RIGHTS TO
REPRINT ARTICLES FROM TELESCOPE MAKING MAGAZINE. 

We have been authorized to reprint one article per issue. This may not be the
beat-all-end-all for those who want nothing less than a complete reprinted
library of TM. But I think it should be noted that those of us who DEMANDED
nothing have inherited everything. I hope there is a lesson to be learned in
this. In speaking to Dave, I can assure you that getting the rights to reprint
TM came our way despite the letters and actions of our more militant ATMs and
not because of it!

Now the real work begins. I need:

1) A panel to form and set up a means by which ATMA members can vote on which
40 articles out of TM's 46 issues are most needed in the ATM community.
2) Those 40 articles rated with regard to importance to see which are the
first to go into print.

The door has been opened to you. Now it is your chance to make your wishes
known again.

I would like to have the RANKED list of 40 ARTICLES by March 1. Good luck.

Kindest Regards,

Bill Cook,
editor / publisher, Amateur Telescope Making Journal