Anaheim
By Steve Sturm
Greetings to all Anaheim-Santa Ana players. On May 3, a combined unit awards game was held which attracted 14 tables. A lovely luncheon was catered by Cynthia Greer, who also prepared food for the April Anaheim unit game. Overall winners were Yas Takeda - Dr. Sankar Reddy (7l%), 2nd Mike Galante - Allen Golbert, 3rd Charlotte and Steve Sturm.
Winners of Ace of Clubs Awards: 0-5, Joye Ruth McLearn. 5-20, William Neal. 20-50, Carol Holmes. 50-100, Prentiss Robinson. 100-200, Art Linderman. 200-300, Steve Hirsch. 300-500, Marlys Haraden. 500-1000, Weidong Pei. 1000-2500, Stanley Snyder. 2500-5000, Joe Swain. 5000-7500, Ahmed Sorathia. 7500-10,000, John Wong. 10,000+, Charlotte Sturm.
Winners of Mini-McKenney Awards: 0-5, Dr. Sankar Reddy (lst in ACBL!). 5-20, Carl Brick. 20-50, Kathryn Luft. 50-100, Jane Dadant. 100-200, Art Linderman. 200-300, Eleth Fields. 300-500, Marlys Haraden. 500-1000, Weidong Pei (lst in ACBL!). 1,000-2500, Michael Ventri. 2500-5000, Joan Cubertson. 5,000-7,500 Ahmed Sorathia. 7,500-10,000, John Wong. 10,000+, Charlotte Sturm.
On April 22, a Pro-Am game attracted 13 tables. N/S winners were Jay Helekar - Renata Blocker; 2nd, Chris Larsen - Renee Alpert; 3rd, William Skupen - Joe Reno; 4th Rick Traylor - Elliot Marshall.
E/W lst, Joe Chaiken - Cynthia Greer; 2nd, Steve Sturm - Sharon Ray; 3rd, William Clark - Robert Barrett; 4th, Yas Takeda - Patricia Bailey.
The April unit game attracted 10 tables. Overall winners were Dr. Sankar Reddy - Subba Ravipudi; 2nd Clarke Fairbrother - Robert Walton; 3rd, Rai Osborne - Renee Alpert.
Alert! Please support the Anaheim and Santa Ana unit games held on the third and fourth Sunday of each month. Your attendance is vital to the success of both units.
Happy Slamming to all!
Bakersfield
By Mimi Stull
Our Spring Wildflower tournament was fun and successful. We had 107 players who earned 453 masterpoints at 124 tables. The top ten local winners were Wafik Abdou, Marty Hinds, Beverly Busacca, Marj Robertson, Bob Giragosian, Carreen Hinds, Maynard Denison, Sandy Denison, Gert Prejean, and Sharon Wilson.
Many out of town players attended. Among them was Bill Rudman, Castro Valley, who plays every sectional with his longtime college friend, Maynard Denison. Another visitor was Charlotte Blum, La Jolla, a former unit member.
Bracket I KOs were won by Marty and Carreen Hinds with Wafik Abdou - Warren Cederborg of Visalia. Bracket II KOs were won by Toni Poe - Sharon Cobb - Norman Maxwell - Janis Schaeffer.
Swiss Teams Flight A winners were Marty and Carreen Hinds with Wafik Abdou - Bob Giragosian. There was a tie for the A/X winners between the teams of Teri Atkinson - Jan Wickersham, Sierra Madre, - Karen Arase, La Canada, - Gitta Earll, Arcadia, and Gert Prejean - Joan Bruce - Sharon Wilson - Beverly Busacca. Winners of Flights B and C were Bob Erb - Sylvia Feiman - Harold and Carol Ann Underwood, Lancaster. The Flight D winners were Barbara Moore - Rita Hosler - Norman Maxwell - Janis Schaeffer.
It was a bittersweet month for Bob Woodrum, 85. He was among those honored by Congressman Kevin McCarthy at the Veterans Memorial downtown in a special ceremony where he received several medals for his service in WWII. His unit helped liberate the Ohrdruf, a sub-camp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. He and Kathleen had their picture in The Californian, and the story was on all three of the local TV stations. However, the very next week his wife Kathleen, 81, died suddenly. Kathleen loved cats and was always in good humor when she played with Bob - which was every Sunday afternoon.
We are further saddened by two other losses. While at the NABC tournament in Houston, Claire “Chrissy” Ridgley, 60, became ill. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and died in less than a month. Chrissy was from Tehachapi.
Also, the husband of Sandy Kiesel, Ogden “Corky” Kiesel, 68, a corporate CFO and pilot, died after battling a long illness.
Our condolences to all three families.
Club championship week will be June 1-7. This will include the first Friday Nite game. Extra points will be given. More people are encouraged to attend the Friday Nite game. Teri Atkinson continues to give lessons including “2/1 Game Force.” Check with Teri if you are interested.
Congratulations to Don and Dorothy Harrison on their son, Father Craig of Saint Francis Church. Father Craig has been elevated to Monsignor Harrison.
Many players are planning to attend the Ventura Regional from June 8-14. Teri Atkinson is tournament chairman and Shirley Eide is in charge of partnerships.
For further information check with Shirley Eide at 661 204-2439 or Tom Rauterkus at 661 663-7141 or log on to our web site at www.acblunit514.com
Balboa
By Phil Pearl
prp75@socal.rr.co
There were 19 tables in play at the April 5 unit game, and the event leaders were: Strat A: 1/2 tie, Diana Black - Jerry Schreider with Dick Alguire - Bill Hall. 3rd, Eileen Niesen - Mary Lou Hughes. 4th Marilyn Christy - Verna Baccus. 5/6 tie: Lowell Andrews - Judy Elbogen with Allen Golbert - Michael Galante). Strat B: 1/2 tie, Sofija Korff - Maryanne Roode with Michael and Pam Moreland. 3, Ian and Jill Wilson. 4, Eileen Small - Sydney Stephan. 5, E. Mroz - Penny Wentworth. 6, John Biggs and John Biggs. Strat C: 1, Mro z- Wentworth. 2, Alice and Ted Nicholas. 3, Carol Pangburn - Dorothy Handy.
Unit members learned that Huguette Saldinger’s husband, Morris, passed away in early April. The unit extends its condolences to Huguette and her family.
New Members: William Klein and Jan Purcell. Transfers into the Balboa Unit: Marilyn Goldberg and Al Mrofka.
Advanced in Rank: Regional Master (Lee Johnson). NABC Master (Fred Dyle and Mike Myers). Bronze LM (Shmuel Fisher).
When I first approached our lovely unit president, Diana Black, to be the subject of a brief bio for this column, she said she had an uninteresting life and wouldn’t be a very good subject. Later, she graciously accepted, so I will let our readers decide how interesting a life she has experienced.
Here, Diana talks about her earlier years:
“I was born in Glendale, Calif., but attended schools in Eagle Rock. As a teenager I loved clothes, cars and cute guys. My parents gave me a new 1955 Chevrolet Bel Aire 2-door hardtop (black with a red interior and chrome hubcaps) for my senior year in high school. Following high school I was a fashion model for several years. That gave me the money to buy a new 1957 T-Bird. I got a number of speeding tickets, so my dad had to periodically lock my car in the garage. My friends used to taunt me with, 'and Daddy took her T-Bird away.' A guy I was dating did some work on the engine, and I was the only female driver that raced at the San Fernando Valley Drag Strip. (Columnist’s note: I haven’t heard anything uninteresting yet). I also attended Pasadena City College - majored in Merchandising, studying to be a buyer for women’s fashions. I soon got bored, and left school wanting to get out in the world to earn more money and buy new cars.
"Soon I fell in love, got married, and started a family (novel concept: those were the old days). For several years during the ‘60s my sports hobbies were water skiing and bowling. I bowled in ‘scratch’ and ‘handicap’ bowling leagues, plus a couple of city tournaments: my top scratch game was 251. Later, after getting divorced, I needed to find a career. I never liked the fashion industry once I got into it, and was desperate to support myself and two daughters. A friend referred me to Gibraltar Savings and Loan and I started as a bank teller. I moved up the ranks into management, and a very successful career.
"I lived in the Glendale area most of my life except for a brief 2-year stay in Las Vegas. I often vacationed in the Newport area, and moved to Newport Beach around 1985. I was then working for Home Savings of America and loved my job. In the later years when the banking world was evolving into something I no longer loved, I decided in 2001 that it was time to retire.
"My 48-year-old daughter owns a hair salon in San Diego, and my 41-year-old daughter manages a restaurant in Phoenix. My grandson, 13, is an absolute sports- nut, and plays baseball, basketball, and runs track. I love visiting my family, playing tennis, traveling, volunteer work, gardening, walking, and reading."
When I asked Diana about bridge, she said that she played a lot of tennis after retirement, but then her friend Nancy asked her if she would be interested in learning how to play bridge. Diana said she didn’t think so, but she bought and read the book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Bridge,” and in January 2003, she and Nancy De Ainza started playing together at Judy Elbogen’s Wednesday game, and the rest is history. Diana made Life Master in Sept., 2007. and Bronze in June, 2008. As for frequent partners, Diana had this to say; “I have played with Nancy De Ainza the longest; Lowell Andrews (he has to have patience playing with me); and Jerry Schreider (I have to have patience when playing with him).”
And finally, I just had to ask Diana what’s new in the world of cars and racing. “I’ve had many nice cars, including a Mustang and a Porsche, but about a year ago I decided to grow up and be a responsible citizen, so I bought a Lexus 400h Hybrid SUV (with chrome wheels). I generally never keep a car more than 3-3 ½ years, because I always want the latest model, but like I said, I’m trying to grow up!”
Well, readers, you be the judge: interesting life or not?
Bishop
By Lilla
Spring has moved in and everyone is more than willing to put away the cold weather clothes and enjoy the beauty around us. Our one sadness is seeing our old friend and player, Evelyn Steppler, going downhill rapidly. By the time this comes out, she will probably be with the Lord and no longer in pain.
Our winners for the month of April were: on the 1st, the 1st place went to Imboden - Hadeler, 2nd were Lohr - Sparks, and 3rd were Abbott - Farmer; the game on the 6th, 1st were Coleman and Hobbs, 2nd Abbott - Farmer, 3rd Reeder - Mizrahi. The 8th found Muth - Abbott in 1st, Reeder - Mizrahi in 2nd; the 13th winners were Abbott - Gilbert, 2nd Kittinger - Crunk, and 3rd Reeder - Mizrahi. The 15th winners were Kittinger - Coleman 1st, Farmer - Reeder 2nd, Imboden - Hadeler 3rd.
Sunday the 19th, our unit game saw Imboden and P. Bourne in 1st, Abbott - Higginbotham in 2nd, Kittinger - Taylor in 3rd and Hobbs - Greer in 4th. On April 20 1st went to Kittinger - Crunk, 2nd Lohr - Sheehan, 3rd Farmer - Reeder, and 4th Greer - Williams; the 22nd Abbott - Taylor were 1st, Knight and Hobbs 2nd, Reeder - Mizrahi 3rd, and Faint - Sheehan 4th; on the 26th we had our second unit game with a tie forfirst between Reeder - Mizrahi and Taylor - Abbott, while in 3rd were Sheehan - Lohr; the 27th winners were Abbott - Gilbert, 2nd Kittinger - Crunk, 3rd, Greer - Hadeler, and 4th Hobbs - Muth. The last game of the month on the 29th found an error and the winners turned out to be 1st, Imboden - Hadeler, 2nd Greer - Gilbert, and 3rd Reeder - Mizrahi.
The board has decided that there is not enough turnout to have two unit games each month, so they are going back to just one which will be held on the second Sunday of each month, unless there is a conflict with special days such as Easter and Mother’s Day, in which case the game will be held on the third Sunday.
Coronado
By Jean Seager
Carolyn Crabtree has had a memorable few weeks. In search of gold and silver points for her Life Master rank, she went to Houston for the national tournament. Playing with a friend from Connecticut, Carolyn placed third overall, first in B and first in C in an open Swiss Teams competition, scoring the gold points she needed. Not only that, her team was the only team to beat bridge superstar Jeff Meckstroth and his team (the Meckstroth team did place first overall). But Carolyn still needed silver points. So she proceeded to earn them by scoring a spectacular 70% game at the San Diego Sectional with her husband and bridge partner Howard. What a wonderful way to become a Life Master.
Marguerite Cook passed a bridge milestone, too. This loyal Coronado player (who brings the snacks to the Tuesday game) earned her 1000th masterpoint and joined the ranks of the Silver Life Masters.
Many Coronado and Chula Vista players did well at the San Diego Regional. Robert Shapley and Kathie Angione were unstoppable as they placed in three different team games, each time with different teammates. They finished second in a Knockout match with Elaine Chan and Jennifer Prairie; third/fourth in Knockouts with Tom Ciolli and Lynn Hull; and fourth in an A/X Swiss Teams competition with Tricia Lane and John Adams. Larry and Vicky Bamberger finished first in a Knockout match.
Carolyn and Howard Crabtree had a second place Knockout game, as did Marty Roth and Norma Lyerly.
Also at the regional, Betty Birmingham and Alice Dudley were second in Senior Pairs, and Jean and Bill Seager were second in B and C in a side game. To top it off, a first place finish in a Bracket II Knockout game earned Phil Akre, Alice Dudley, Betty Birmingham and Joe Fox a picture in Contract Bridge Forum.
In the club games this month, Coronado winners were Bill Kipperman and Sally Naumann, Dick Palmer and Alan Schuster, Cheryl Nielsen and Jim Andrews, Leila and Marty Bloomberg, Betty Birmingham and Alice Dudley, and Bill and Eleanor Kipperman.
At the Eastlake Bridge Club, there were an amazing three seventy percent games, two by John and Lily Yee and one by Robert Shapley and Archa Glass. Other winners were Robert Shapley and Jim Ciolli, Mike McGinity and Tom Turner, Robert Shapley and Elaine Chan, Kathleen Hennessy and Greg Wetz, and Robert Shapley and Doral Hunt.
Unit president Jan Erikson is pleased to report that the unit is tops in the district in new members with 23 in the past year, and tops in increased membership percentage with 12.24 percent. Thank you to Kathie Angione and her Eastlake Bridge Club for making this happen. And which unit is youngest in the district? Unit 519 with an average age of 66.82 years.
Dana Harbor
By Catherine Cram
Lots of Novice & Intermediate Games – last month I mentioned several I/N games at Dana Harbor Now, here are two more: a 299er game on Mondays and an NLM section on Saturdays (also a charity game). So, that’s one every day except Sunday.
Congratulations – two NLM Teams from DH are still in the running for the GNT trip to Washington, D.C. this summer to represent District 22. By the time we go to press, one team should have won at the Oceanside Sectional. A huge HOORAY for both teams: Mark Rehms - Janie Matlaf - Sharon Forslund - Eileen Garbutt were pitted in the finals against Bonnie Myers - Judy Alvord - Dae and Ron Leckie. Too bad only one team can win! [Editor’s Note: In an exciting come-from-behind victory, the Leckie-Alvord-Myers squad garnered the victory by a mere handful of IMPs.]
Classes by Susan Benon - on Thursday mornings at 9:30 running through May 28, Susan will address such topics as: New Minor Forcing, One Notrump Forcing, Reverses, Fourth Suit Forcing, Inverted Minors, and Splinter Bids.
Each class is $10; pre-arranged boards and handouts included.
Unit Game Winners – On April 19, winners were: N/S Andy DeLeon - Connee Brogan, Eugenia Corb - LaVern Fabrick, Eddie Rose - Y.M. Chu. For E/W it was Jane Dober - Bill Thorp, Susan and John Kissinger, and Debbie - Kris Subbarao (whom we haven’t seen in a long while).
Special fifth Sunday Unit Games – A special Pasta/Pot Luck unit game – a new thing on fifth Sundays – will occur on May 31. Big Games – four this month. See 70% column.
New Members and New Ranks – Welcome aboard to Anna Abrams, Lynn Hasney, Roni Litz, Barbara Queen-Bennett, Tom Snooks and Julie Janss. New ranks: Jr. Life Masters - Cathy Cohen and Carol Hood; Club Masters - Hal Ewing and Kathleen Friesen; Sectional Masters - Judy Alvord, Lee Mequet and Gregory Hanson; Regional Masters – Meg Casalaspi, Richard Mackaig and Mark Rehms; Bronze Life Master - Ruth White.
Out there playing - A little late due to publication dates, but a number of our club members placed first in events at the San Diego Regional: The Knockout team of Myrna Silverman, Meg Casalaspi, Leslie Levine and Kathy Braeunig won their bracket. Hal Binder, Susan Benon, John Winslow and Marian Stark won their Swiss Teams event; Susan and John Kissinger took first in an Open Pairs; John Winslow and Roger Alderson were 1st in B in Senior Pairs; Richard Hill and partner won 1st in B in 299er Pairs. In total points won, Kissingers won more than 40 each.
Dana Harbor Unit 538 (949 248-1268) is located near the ocean, marina and Doheny Beach. We have friendly games daily. Visit our web site for details at:
danaharborbridgecenter.org
La Jolla / Beach
By Alice Leicht
May is not just another month for this unit. May is our traditional Sectional month. We hope that those four days in May are a “good” memory, not just in points achieved, but in the spirit of a shared effort playing the game we can’t resist.
There are two new members to welcome this month, Irene Cooper and Kathy Foley. It’s nice to have you with us.
Marching upwards in masterpoint achievement are: Dale Phillips, Junior Master, Sharon Gabriel, Club Master, Tony Basson and Toby Burke, Sectional Masters, and Dee Swartz, Silver Life Master. Congratulations to all of you!
By the end of the San Diego Regional in April our unit had eight members listed in the top 100 winners. Diana Marquardt walked away with 67.31 MPs. Following Diana in order of achievement were Debbie Gailfus 50.78, Dayou Zhou 42.33, Mike Munson 38.31, Steve Johnson 35.02, Lynne O’Neill 28.83, Pat Chapman 27.88, and Richard Unger 25.39.
Cordial handshakes along with congratulations are in order for all of you.
Because of the Regional Swiss Teams event on the second Sunday in April we held just one unit game during that month. The overall winners in each flight were as follows. David Oakley with David Walter were first in the A flight. Bill Grant with Ed Layton were second. First place in Flight B were Robert Walters with Gary Mollenkopf while Alan Rowan with David Hunt took the second spot. Robert and Gary were first in C followed by Rich Custard with Carl Cull second. Applause and smiles to all of you.
June is the month that ushers in the time for our annual reports and elections. There are many talented and capable people in our unit whom we hope will be willing to “run” for the board. It is an opportunity to have a say-so in the governance of our activities and to gain a broader understanding of the operations of our tournaments. Just tell any current board member you are interested. It will be a rewarding experience.
Lompoc
By Don Kerr
Once again we had one player way ahead of the rest of us; Barbara Holt had four wins. She was followed by Jo Gowenlock with three. Then came John Arbogast, Rozella Armor, Barbara Gustitus, and Kay Roland with two. The rest of us had just one win: Malcolm Anderson, Trudy Bailin, Jan Brown, Marg Flack, Wolfgang Hallauer, Pat Hodges, Hope Howard, James Kelly, Don Kerr, Yvonne Mahoney, JoAnn Miculin, Nelson Owens, and Skook Porter. Then one of the players said it is good to lead a singleton, even if you don’t have one.
Palm Springs/ Coachella Valley
By Nancy Erickson
‘Tis the season to bid adieu to many of our snowbirds: thank heavens for e-mail and unlimited cell phone usage.
On a positive note there are only 223 days till the Palm Springs Regional, and this year many of our seasonal partners will be returning early for the Fall NABC to be held in San Diego in November beginning Thanksgiving Day.
May’s unit game hosted 122 players. Louise Rhea created a trifle that was superb, accompanied by out-of-this-world cookies! For the faint of heart the unit provided a healthy bill of fare also. After a hiatus of a couple of months the mini-lesson returned with club director Mick Riccio debuting an outstanding power point presentation on New Minor Force. Those in attendance were very complimentary and requested that the board continue offering such activities. Thanks to game director Woody McHarg and caddie Zainel Salieh for an enjoyable, competitive afternoon. Congratulations to John and Audrey Currie, playing N/S, who won the event. Irv and Shawnee Kostal placed first E/W in the open section. Overall 299er honors went to Kurt Wegner and Jo Raymond E/W, with Joan Conger and Carol Urdahl placing first N/S.
Monday evening bridge previously held at the Joslyn Senior Center has moved to the Atria Palm Desert, 44-300 San Pascual, Palm Desert. Please contact club director Frank Jurkovich, 346-3287, for additional information.
Club director Mick Riccio will be teaching a Two Over One class in July followed by another Basics class in August. Both classes will be presented on the big screen by projection using PowerPoint programs that Mick has developed. Join his classes and escape the summer heat of the desert. Contact Mick at 760 668-5835 or by e-mail Mick@elegancedesigns.com
Federal law is clear that the unit may not publish private information about a person, such as name, address, telephone number or e-mail address, without their written consent. By completing the Players’ Directory form with your name, signature, telephone number and e-mail address, you will grant the unit the authority to publish your information in the Unit 533 Online Players’ Directory. Go to our web site:
www.coachellavalleybridge.com
Print out the form, complete it, sign it, and return it to Bev Hartin, Unit 533 Secretary, 29 Toscana Way East, Rancho Mirage CA 92270.
Congratulations to our new Silver Life Masters Tom Codey and Jane Zimmerman and Bronze Life Master Theresa Alvarez. A warm welcome to our members Linda J Conn, Marilyn M. Ginsberg, James P. Knight, Jay F. Koren, Irving J. Sachs and Roger B. Tallakson.
Area II Representatives Noel Hanford and Fran Foresta have selected Hidden Harvest in Coachella, Calif. to receive the $5,000 ACBL Charity Award for 2009. Hidden Harvest is a nonprofit organization that rescues produce from Coachella Valley fields and packing houses and then delivers the healthy produce free of charge to agencies that serve the hungry and needy.
In addition, the Ken Monzingo Charity has donated $1000 to the Golden Rainbow Senior Center in Palm Springs. The Center’s goal is to provide outreach services to the gay and lesbian senior citizens and to someday build them a retirement home. The Center also provides the elderly with social and recreational programs including bridge lessons and games.
Since March of this year, the bridge community has donated $7,000 to local worthy charities. We are a caring group of people.
Our deepest sympathy go out to Bob McConnell on the death of his lovely wife June. June was very special, a lady of class and one terrific bridge player. And never far from our thoughts are Ray Duncan and Alice Taylor, both truly missed at the bridge table.
Ridgecrest
By Tony Miller
Betty Doig is back, able to play bridge again after being quite ill for a couple of months. Mavis Royer had a cancerous growth removed from her tongue. She says she’ll play as soon as she can talk. We think they got it all. Sue Douglas is back to work after being on leave getting a knee replaced.
We missed the annual visit from Billie Wilkinson; she visits her sister here but the sister is not well this year.
Sarah Carter and Craig Stump won the unit game. Runners-up were Jody Skaggs and Sue, with Yvonne Chilina and Yasuko Mullen third. We were hoping to have an intracity game with Palmdale in May, but we failed to reserve the venue in a timely manner.
Sarah was the leading masterpoint leader for the TGiF Bridge Clubs. She was followed by Yasuko, Charlene Stephens, Esther Sires, myself, Margaret O’Neill, Sue, Nonie Adams, and Craig.
In the COM Bridge Club Jay and Mary Kay Bornfleth led the standings, followed by myself, Sarah, Yvonne, Esther, Greg Vernon, Esther Hart, and Mavis.
Saddleback
By Bob Destino
You need to act fast! There are two activities coming right up that are well worth considering. The first is a “Special Celebrity Charity Event” at the Laguna Woods Bridge Club featuring renowned bridge player, author and lecturer Mike Lawrence. He will present a 2-hour lecture on “Doubles,” followed by a catered lunch and supervised play of 10 hands. The fee of $60/person includes a $50 tax deductible contribution to selected local charities. The event will be held beginning at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, May 31, so you’ll need to act fast to reserve a seat. Please call Fran Schwartz at 949 855-4326.
The second is a new Beginning Bridge class on “Defense,” starting at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, May 28, at Laguna Woods Clubhouse 7. This is the third in the Beginning Bridge series and is open to continuing students and those wishing to sharpen their defensive skills. It will include a full review of bidding, play of the hand, opening leads, signals and defensive hold-up plays. The 10-lesson course will be taught by Ellie Warren; the total cost is $49.00.
Please contact Ellie at 949 454-9881.
Unit 525 welcomes new members Sue Field and Celina Yu, and congratulates the following members who have moved to new Master ratings: Elizabeth Carlisle, Armond Deane and Alfreda Dockery to Junior Master, and Lou Dubin to Silver Life Master.
We had a small turnout (15 tables) for our April unit game falling on Easter Sunday. Winners were Philip Pearl and Mary Lou Kiley, and Eddie Rose and Yung-Ming Chu. Upcoming unit games will be Sundays, June 14 and July 12; we’re expecting large turnouts for both!
Meanwhile, your unit board of directors is beginning to plan for our 2010 sectional tournament. Thanks to the efforts of Herb Schwartz and Gail Schneider, we will once again be holding this at the Laguna Woods Bridge Club. More details will follow as they are finalized.
San Diego
By Vicki Creamer
Unit 539’s first April open game was won by Fumie Graves - Joel Hoersch; in the #2 spot was Bert Waxler - Ed Kunkel; #3, Lena Jelusich - Alice Lane; #4, George and Kathee Bessinger; #5, Vicki Creamer - Jon Wright; and #6, Gerry Schimmel - Patrick Mahoney. Meanwhile, our 499er Strat continues to grow, with winners Harold Simon – Majid Aalom; #2, Francis Radford - David Neal; #3, Joan Maden - Carolyn Crabtree; #4, Patsy Jennings - Delores McGregor; #5, Vi Breckenridge - Kannan Dan; #6, Deborah Ives - Doris Philamalee.
Time out for taxes, then back to bridge on the 19th. Open winners were: #1, Jeff Holmes - Alain Schreiber; #2, Maritha Pottenger - Bill Grant; #3, Sally Naumann - Russ Novak; #4, Jean Hughes - Sally Ishihara; #5, Rex and Sheila Latus; and #6, The Davids, Oakley and Walters. NLM winners were: #1, Vicki Nardone - Matthew Stamen; #2, Karen Dempsey - Ashok Sethi; #3, Vi Breckenridge - Linda Gu; and #4, Jane Good - Rebecca Higgins. This was a special Open Pairs Trophy Game.
Look for Jeff and Alain’s names engraved as this year’s winners.
Happy Birthday to Barb Holles and thanks for the special cakes she brought to the game. Remember, tell Marian Zeldin ahead of time and you may bring a cake to celebrate a birthday or any other event at our unit games.
Many of our 539 members scored big-time at the San Diego Regional. Congratulations to all. And a special thanks to members who helped at the hospitality desk, handing out stickers, answering questions.
Good job!
You should already have received your mailed May Unit 539 Newsletter, as well as the Official Ballot and backgrounds of this year’s candidates. Be sure you have your ballot returned no later than Saturday, June 6, either to the Ballot Box in the front section of Adventures in Bridge or to the P.O. Box on the ballot. Mark your calendars to attend our annual Membership Meeting & Election Party, June 7 at AIB.
This month your donated Bridge Bulletins were taken to Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa. Keep recycling your Bulletins (at the back table at AIB next to the refrigerator) and feel free to take one with a sticker on it to your favorite space for others to learn about our great game.
Milestones: Club Master: Ralph Jarzembowski. Sectional Masters: Patrick Curci, Gary Gelman, Stu Gruber. Regional Masters: Karen Dempsey, David Slagle, Robert Stalker. Life Master: Debra Sherman. Bronze Life Master: Edgwin Simpson.
San Diego North County Coastal
By Iris Allyn
Unit 531 has a lot to be proud of, but this last sectional was outstanding. Kudos to John McCaffrey for the organization of this game, Wootsie Stockton for the hospitality, Scott Campbell, and their respective committees, from Rosie and the board. Jon Wright was the top point winner with 29.80 points. 531 top player was Hanan Deeby (17.48), followed by Rosie Zakarian, Jim and Lyn Martin.
The Swiss Teams winners: Flight A: Mark Teaford, Steven Johnson, John and Bette Strauch. Flight X: went to David Walters, Mary and Ron Huffaker, and David Oakley. Flight B: Alain Schreiber, Jeffrey Holmes, Laura Chaffee, Sandra Schumsky.
Flight C/D Edgwin Simpson, Gail McBeth, Jane Petering, Julie Halliday.
Flight E: Kristine Katz, Pat Dolphin, Eileen Garbutt, Mark Rehms.
Our new members this month are: Barbara S. Nelson, Gerald E Nelson, Joan Weiner.
Transfers: Claudia M. Cole, Larry D. Flora, Betty Ann McGeehan, Howard Segal, Mary P. Stevens.
Monday Oceanside, Ida Burcham
We had two charity games this month. Dan Beck - Dennis Cleary won the first, and Millie Smith - Paul Svarcas won the second, both gaining about five masterpoints points for their efforts. Vera Mekay topped the list of winners in the two regular games we held this month. Vera plays with both Life Masters and Non-Life Masters, so her 2.63 points were well earned.
Tuesday Oceanside, Ida Burcham
We were having a pretty boring month until we held a charity game on the last Tuesday of the month, which drew 21 tables! That boosted our masterpoint distribution total to over 122. Walter Malen and Richard Fisher headed the list of Life Master point winners with 3.24 points. In contrast, two C strat players won the first overall place and took home 5.17 points.
David Fouts was one of the winners.
Thursday Encinitas, Ida Burcham
We had a total of 93 tables of bridge in April. In fact, we had more tables than we were able to give out masterpoints. There were three Life Masters at the top of the list. Charlie Gilman had 3.70; Keith Stinson had 3.11; and Dennis Cleary had 2.95. We get a vast variety of players at the Encinitas game.
One of these days one of our C strat players will be at the top of that list.
Tuesday Solana Beach, Donna Wood
Solana Beach’s Esplanade Bridge Club held three games in April. Leading masterpoint winners for the month were: Joan Lubowe, Marina Fomenkova, Scott Nelson, Sandy Kucha, Rosie Zakarian, Eileen Goldsmith, John Steen, Larry Erickson, Dick Thome, Ginger Calvert, John Meyer, Afick Sharar, Barry and Emily Berkov, Dan and MaryLou Denison, Janice Joerger, Marilyn Kalabsa, and Ron and Susie Anson. Congratulations to all!
Sunday Solana Beach, Donna Wood
During April, the North County Bridge by the Sea Bridge Club held two invitational games at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club. Leading masterpoint winners for April were Don Cooper, Carole Webb, Janice Joerger, Marilyn Kalabsa, Tony Lubowe, Donna Carr, Mary Fenton, Larry Eden, Pat Astier, George Berris, Patsy Goodsen, Tricia Kell, Mary Stetson, Wootsie Stockton, Dave Nicol, Jeanette Proctor, and John and Marcia Trombold. Reminder - if you wish to play at this game, you either need to be a member or get a member to sponsor you. Please e-mail Lee Erickson at lericks@adelphia.net if you need a sponsor.
Don’t forget to check the web page at:
acbldistrict22.com/531/Lomas/info.html
for dates and times of scheduled games.
Monday Cardiff, Harvey Goldstein
Games this month at Harvey ’s Bridge had some big winners. The biggest was a 70.49% game by Ruth Aronsohn and her partner Philippe Lamoise. Other first place finishers included Susie Anson - Meena Sethi, Ken Stover - Sophie Kelly, Ginny and Luther Dearborn, Richard Plattner - Wayne Holm, Gene Katz - Al Feldman, Wendi Friedman - Toby Cohen and Susie and Tom Boardman. One of our games this past month was run by Paul Foster and Donna Wood, who took time out from their own game and busy teaching schedule to pinch-hit for Harvey and Marilyn. The highlight of the game was the lesson on cue bidding given by Paul. We loved having them and so did the players.
The upcoming membership and club championship games are well anticipated by those that attend the Monday morning game. They are sure to attract more than the 20 tables the game averages. We will report on them shortly.
Thursday Fallbrook, Fran White
The leading masterpoint winner for April was Wicker Gamble. Close behind was Virginia Hoppe followed by Cari Reuter. Leading the B Flight was Charlie Hurd with the B & S team, Barbara Anderson and Sheila Reilly in second. Mo Anvari won the C flight with Audrey Dagne also scoring well.
Monday Fallbrook, Deb Cameron
Barbara Anderson and Sheila Reilly have taken the lead spot this month. They are followed by Pat Bearden and Scotty Couch. Wicker Gamble placed third with multiple partners. The duo of Charlie Hurd and Rami Mina were close behind. Marilyn Rumsey, also with multiple partners slides into the 7th spot. Sue Soder is next, shining for the Cs. David Horwitz lands the tenth spot. BTW: Dave and Allan Lasnover brought in a 71.38% game this month.
Well done and congratulations to all.
The Monday games have enjoyed record attendance this year. The competition and the hospitality has been superb. As always, thank you to a wonderful group of players, contributors and helpers who continue to make our Fallbrook game special.
San Diego North County Inland
By Liz Nixon
Unit 549 had a very busy month in April! We held the final GNT qualifier on April 4 at North County Bridge Center, Escondido. Top qualifying teams in the Open strat were Zelda Ettore, Marion McDonald, Lorraine Gordon and Jean Jantz. Second went to Nikki Gilberg, Tom Nolan, Noe Mallari and Sumiko Imigaki. In the NLM section the top team was David and Elaine Gifford and Trisha Kell and Pat Goodson, followed by Carol Turner, Carol Reinhart, Jeanne Griffin and Minnie Williams.
Overall there were eight open qualifying teams and 10 NLM qualifying teams. Good luck to all teams at the next level.
Up-coming events in Unit 549 are unit games on May 22, and June 26 at North County Bridge Center in Escondido. Unit 549’s Summer Sectional is scheduled for July 17-19. The location will be the First Presbyterian Church in Oceanside.
Mark the dates now!
Members reaching new levels of achievement in Unit 549 are: Kathy Balog, and Mark Crispino, Club Masters: Jeanne Griffin and Bill Sperry, Bronze Life Master; Sunny Forbes, Silver Life Master.
Congratulations to all!
New members welcomed to Unit 549 are JoAnn Dilling, Lyn Johnston, Nancy Scott, Rebecca Brawner, and Leman Derrington. Unit 549 welcomes you to our clubs and unit events.
Unit 549 held its monthly unit game at North County Bridge Center on April 25. We had 11 tables in the open game and six full tables in the 299er game. The big winners in the open game were Tim Flaherty - Gail Whitely, followed by Ruth Wilner - Doris Cashman, Jan Gallagher - Carolyn Moran, Zelda Ettore - Jan Sperla, Lynne Pyka - Marion McDonald, and Ian Collins - Lorraine Gordon.
Flight C winners were Dan Howard - Linda Iredale, followed by Al and Connie Etheridge, Hannah Step - Barbara Farfel, Jaycey and Bonnie Humes.
Congratulations to the overall winners.
All unit games are on the fourth Saturday of the month at North County Bridge Center.
Go to www.sdbridge.com for unit events.
Top Achievers at North County Bridge Center for March in the following categories are: Open - Tim Flaherty; 0-1500; Tom Nolan; 0-750; Gail Whitely; 0-300; Betty Brekke; 0-100; Angela Jaraicie; Future Master; Ayoub Jaracie. Congratulations to the players of the month.
Check with Cathy or Lee at the NCBC for more details. Find out more about the NCBC’s schedule at the club or by contacting Cathy or Lee @ 760 747-6092.
Over at Lake San Marcos Senior Center, the LSMDBC’s Charity games supported the ACBL Junior Fund and the San Marcos Senior Center.
A Halloween & Charity Bridge Cruise with Director Jean Holt is planned for the fall. Join Jean Holt, director on the Radiance of the Seas, Oct. 29-Nov. 2 for a 4-day cruise to Cabo San Lucas. This mini-bridge camp will focus on defense! We will have lessons and sanctioned bridge on the days at sea and a fun day in Cabo San Lucas. The cruise will support the Boys & Girls Club of San Marcos and charity points will be awarded.
Call Liz Nixon for a flyer, 760 510-8291 or e-mail cruzqueen@sbcglobal.net
Top five MP winners for March were Rima Sharron, John Sharron, John McCaffrey, Judy McCaffrey, and Jean Holt. Way to go Top Five!
The Lake San Marcos DBC hosts open games on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday at 12:30 p.m., and Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Remember to call Jean at 760 734-4518 or Nina at 760 736-9386 to reserve a spot at the table (especially on Tuesday nights nice turnouts!).
BobMar Bridge Center’s had some good scores in April. Highest were: Jo Smith and Toshi Yasutake, Rima and John Sharron, Eva Dawson and Margarite Carioba, Herb Schaffer and Magdalene Krish, Joja and Ted Applegate and Lowell and Pam Klosky. Please call Marcia at 760 918-2424 to reserve a spot at the new Saturday game at 1:00 p.m. Or the Sunday games at 1:00 p.m. All games are at the Grandon Senior Center in San Marcos.
Did you know that you can get all of the latest Unit 549 news at www.sdbridge.com including the Unit 549 Calendar of Events, Unit Newsletter and game results?
San Luis Obispo
By Lynn Crawford
New sessions to announce in our area are: First Saturday of the month in San Luis (hopefully ready by June) will be a championship game. New short lesson at 9:15 with a mentored game from 9:30-11:30 a.m. suitable for beginners or those new to duplicate at the Arroyo Grande Community Center (Call Torre 543-8255).
Beginning and intermediate lessons at 5:30 p.m. with a game at 6:00 p.m. starting in May at the Paso Robles Senior Center.
Now there is no excuse for you rubber bridge players not to take up duplicate!
We are sorry to announce the passing of Jan Davison recently. We extend our good wishes to her family. Also in our thoughts are those who have either been recovering from accidents, surgeries, or illnesses - namely, Sue Furchtenicht, Torre Houlgate- West and Fred Strong, two of which are back at the bridge table already.
Congratulations to Jim Merzon and Pete Schulkin who were the big winners in the Morro Bay anniversary game. Also, we understand that our own George Sheffield and Anne Harrington did very well at the San Diego Regional. Winners of the Santa Maria Section from our area include: George Sheffield and Bud Zeuschner 1st in B and 2nd in A for both Friday afternoon and evening games. David Brown and Pete Schulkin took 1st in C, 2nd in B and 3rd in A for Friday afternoon, while Bill Allen and Joe Boucher took first in C in the evening. Robert Faust and Jean Allen-Faust took a first in A in the evening game. On Saturday morning Charlie Unger and Bob Lindquist took first in A and B.
During the Swiss Teams on Sunday the team of Richard Ristine, Arthur Scheithauer, Peggy Johnson and Bill Allen took 2nd in C, 3rd in B, and 5th in C.
This was a great sectional and was enjoyed by all.
Santa Ana
By Marcella Lane
Happy May to everyone.
April was a very busy month for the bridge club. The IMP League came to a conclusion after a rigorous schedule of games. Although Joe Chaikin’s team was almost eliminated in the penultimate round, they came fighting back with a fury in the last one, soundly beating the team of Sheila Wolff, Mike Ventri, Bill Skupen, Bill Clark, Marcella Lane and Jay Helekar. Congratulations to Joe, Rae Osborne, Hemant Bahtia, Phil Hiestand, and Alan Golbert for a great finish. This is the third year for the IMP League competition, and it is one of the most exciting and challenging events of the bridge year.
To all who competed, you did a fantastic job and all of you deserve a round of applause for staying with it and never giving up until the end. It really takes stamina and focus to compete in such an event.
Our thanks to everyone who attended the Santa Ana Sectional. It was a very successful event and a great deal of fun. We received many compliments from the various players, especially about the food and the general convivial atmosphere of the games. Thanks so much to all the participants and to those people who made it all happen: Sheila Wolff, the tournament chairman, Audry Weeks, in charge of partnerships, Ann Wynsen along with Gladys Kirschner and Lori Barrett who provided the food.
I want to send a special thanks to Jody Pedri and Hans Giroux for bringing the refreshments. And to the “unsung hero” of the event - Scott Campbell, who never lost his patience and found a way to solve any issue that arose! We thank you all.
Also another important event held in April was the Chris Larsen Pro/Am tournament, which was also great fun. In fact, Chris made a very brief speech to which the audience responded with loud applause and appreciation for his many contributions to bridge (and perhaps to the brevity of his speech). But seriously, Chris has come to be regarded as the Prime Mover of all the good things that have happened to promote bridge in our area. And we all owe him a real debt of gratitude.
By the way, Joe Chaikin and his partner, Cynthia Greer, came in first overall in that game. Jay Helekar and Renata Blocker were first N/S.
Speaking of Jay and Joe - their team including Rae Osborne and Alan Golbert represented our area in the GNT playoff at Dana Point last month, and earned the right to play in the District 22 finals in Ventura June 13. If successful there, they will go to the Nationals in Washington, D.C. this summer. Again our congratulations to all.
Joe Chaikin will return next month. Until then, keep counting.
Santa Barbara
By Norma Zuchowicz & Ron Morris
With great sadness we say goodbye to Cissy Costner who, after heroic struggles, has died. Her rushing in with her cookies and excited demeanor has been a part of our club for many years and will be greatly missed. We send heartfelt condolences to her friends and family.
Vaya con Dios!
Several members traveled to the Thousand Oaks tournament with noteworthy results. In the Swiss Teams with 23 tables, Santa Barbarans took seven places out of a possible 11. Mark Bartusek, Rick Panter, Jack Yeasley and Jeffrey Goldsmith were 2nd in A; Brian Berglund, Norma Zuchoqicz, Ann Staten & Mollie Love were 4th in A and 1st in B; Mickey Rosenzweig, Norma-Jean Shaw, John Whittlesey and Debbie Bolduc were 5th in A and 2nd in B; Rand Franklin, Barbara Olsen, Joanell Scala and Ginny Trautwein were 7th in A, 3rd in B and 1st in C; Owen Roth, Helena McGahagan, Ralph Mocker and Carl Michelet were 5th in B; Jim and Judy Edmondson, Ron Morris and Phil Kaiser were also 5th in B; Carole Leiff, Mike Gritz, Kathy & Richard Ford were 2nd in C.
Top point winners were Mark Bartusek - 13.81, Jack Yeasley - 11.06, Rick Panter - 8.94, Debbie Bolduc - 6.82, Norma Jean Shaw and John Whittlesey - 6.34 each. In the Saturday 99ers, Nick and Sara Jane Woolf were 1st in D, E & F; Bobbie Dohan and Nancy Hoffbauer were 2nd in D; Mike Gritz and Michael Gerson were 3rd in D and 2nd in E.
We were well represented at the Santa Maria Sectional: Paul Murphy and Bob Murr were 1st in A on Friday afternoon. In the Swiss Teams, Mark Bartusek, Rick Panter, Stan Spink and Jack Yeasley were 2nd in A; Steve Welton, Jeffrey Rawlings, Owen Roth and Helena McGahagan were 4th in A and 2nd in B; Felicia Linder, Betsy Northrop, Judy Piper and Kathy Drake were 3rd in C.
At home in the Thursday 299er games, Leota Daniel and Marilyn Tucker tied with Sally Lucey and Bobbi Davis for 1st place. The previous week, Ralph Edebo and Edward Loper were 1st with a 70.83% game.
In the Monday 99er game, Debby Steffen and Paul Mershon were 1st with a 72.92% game.
A big thank you to our two new Thursday 299er game directors, Jennifer Larkin and Jim Edmondson and also to Ann Staten and Tom Ciacio who are now directing the Monday 99er game.
Our active new players are increasing and venturing out to more venues with notable success. Hang in there! We recognize the courage to withstand the (dare we say?) occasional humiliation of learning and relearning this game.
Santa Maria
By Joe Cohan
By the time you read this, you’ll know Judy English has returned home and played with me in our Jo Boyd Sectional and we came in first overall with an amazing 92.34% game. The people were wonderful, most everybody pitched in (especially me, in the food line) and it was another great tournament.
(Okay, so one true sentence out of two isn’t bad!)
Sad news, but not bad, bad, sad. Criscza Goodrich left us for Atlanta, Georgia and she will really be missed. At least she’ll find a lot more games available.
This month’s over all winners were led by Vi D’Alessandro (4)! Robert Faust, Diane Bouquet, (3) Diana Jackson, Jean Allen-Faust, John Arbogast, David Hickey, Me and (C’s) Criscza Goodrich, Sue Barrett, Peggy Johnsen (2) Dan Davis, Barbara Basila, Bonnie Hales, Marilyn Bullock, Janet Pettis, Margaret Arbogast, Al Goldwyn and (Cs) Art Scheithauer, William Torpey, Gerit Fenenga (1).
Other high scoring C games were: Geret Fenenga - William Torpey, Karen Bogard, Ervin Poteat, Bill Allen, Sue Barrett, James Kelly, Judy and Art Scheithauer.
Last, but certainly not least, were Robert and Jean Allen Faust scoring 73.61%, and Diane Bouquet - David Hickey 73.51%.
Southern Gold Coast
By Sue Munday
Last call! If you haven’t yet booked your Ventura Regional game dates, you have officially waited till the last minute. Almost. The tournament kicks off Monday evening June 8 with a Knockout Teams event and a Charity Pairs game. Plan to play three sessions of bridge a day (10:00 a.m., 3:00 and 7:30 p.m.) Tuesday through Saturday. The tournament closes Sunday, the 14th with a two-session, Fast Open Pairs game as well as the traditional, Stratiflighted Swiss Teams event.
Card fees are a reasonable $11 per person, per session ($13 for non-ACBL members), for which you can expect excellent hospitality, complimentary morning coffee and results posted daily online.
As a special bonus for newcomers, players holding 0-5 masterpoints play free on Tuesday and Thursday.
Parking costs $5, so buddy-up and carpool if you can. It isn’t every day we have a regional in our own backyard: let’s give it our full support. Bridge on the Boardwalk in Ventura - shouldn’t be too painful, now should it?
The advent of June also hails the opening of North American Pairs (NAP) hunting season. This exciting event entails qualifying at the local level, then at the unit level and then at the district level in order to earn a some - expenses - paid trip to the 2010 Reno North American Bridge Championship next spring. Gene has scheduled NAOP qualifying games for the mornings of Monday, June 1, Wednesday, June 3, Wednesday, June 17 and Tuesday, June 30.
Look for more qualifying opportunities - including evening games - throughout July and August.
As far as I know (and I could be wrong), our next unit game is scheduled for Sunday, June 30. Bring a salad or dessert for the communal lunch, which starts at noon; game time is 12:30 p.m.
Congratulations to San Diego Regional participants Bill Hall and Jim Munday, who scored up an Open Pairs second, and to Dawn Kowalski, who posted a second-place finish in Bracket III of the Special Knockout Teams.
Many of you brought home wins from the Ventura Sectional: Avinash Bahadur, Mary Reyna, John Clark and Marty Blain (Friday Knockout), Jim Munday (Saturday Knockout), Steve Gross and Larry Brasler (Sunday Swiss), Michael Zieper and James McKay (Friday Flight C), Robert Liyanage - Bhojo Shahani (Friday 99ers), John and Diane Gunther, (Saturday Flights A/B), and Robert and Susan Livingstone (Saturday 99ers).
Wait, there’s more! First-place finishes in the Canoga Park Sectional: Ann Dupont (Friday Flight C), Beverly Barr and Rosemary Cruser (Friday Flights E/F), John Clark, Marta Peltz, Andy Vinock and Marty Blain (Friday Knockout Teams), Jim Munday and Steve Gross (Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon Flight A), Bill Hall and Jim Munday (Sunday Swiss).
Jim has posted a new column online with eight tips for improving your duplicate game. I, for one, am hoping my opponents don’t read it. This article, along with calendars, tournament results and club game recaps, can be found at:
www.acbldistrict22.com/532
A special note: the Bridge Academy II in Thousand Oaks will remain open during the Ventura Regional.
See you on the Boardwalk!
Ventura
By Helen Elardo
Our annual major production known as the Ventura Sectional was another
big success; attendance was up, the 99 tourney games hugely popular, and
the hospitality & food superb as always. It took a lot of hard work and
the crew deserves a large “THANKS.” First, the director of the event, Mary
Anita Hill, had to dodge her doctors to show up every day, and at 6:00
a.m. Judy and Mark Kupperman set up the tables and bid boxes that Dennis
Charles, Mike Gaddes and Bob Gruber carted to the tourney (and afterwards
carted home).
Whew!
Paula Reach handled the food signups. Everyone was generous but most notably Marvel Dickason who, unable to play, sent two to three dozen wonderful stuffed eggs every day of the event. Kitchen help included Eleanor Crawshaw, Maurine Moore, Gwen Wagner, Susan Lang, Nina Orloff, Anita Roll and Sally Sittel (of Bar-B-Q meatball fame).
The lovely flower arrangements were done by our in-house pro, Carlyn Koroknay, and she still found time to arrive early every morning with breakfast snacks. After hours shopping was done by Molly Maurette and Ellie Hood, not easy after a day of tourney bridge.
Special mention goes to Joan Glenn and Louise Shaffer, who guaranteed they would partner any single that showed up. They went the “full monty” when they paired off with feuding partners in a 99er game!
And for the finish, June Shafer volunteered to launder all the table cloths and linens used in the tourney.
Masterpoint leader from our unit 547 with 10.5 masterpoints was Alex Kolesnik. An instructor at Ventura Community College in the math department, Mr. Kolesnik was awarded the Bill Lansing Trophy, the first to receive that honor.
Runnersup in the masterpoint race were Dr. Kenneth Kidd with 8.81, Ken Ellenberger and partner Elinor Hood with 7.35, Dick Zizic 7.17, The Grubers, Bob and Linda with 5.36.
Others scoring well at the tourney included: John Leming, Annabelle Hurless, Christy Kadin, Harold Simon, Lucille Dunlap, Gwen Wagner, Nancy Wood, Nancy Stowell, Mike Gaddis and partner Arline Benzien, Julie Elliot, Richard Wagner, Jay Fuller, Bernard Novatt, Nancy Kavin, Sally Sittel, Gary Comer, Carolyn Koroknay, Joseph Garynor, James Austen (he opened a 9-point hand and gave me a cold bottom board), Joann Bowen, Judy Kupperman, Bob Bradish, Nina Orloff, Joan Glenn, Sharon Gaiser, Alan Greenberg, Buki Burke (congrats, her first tourney) Tom Ellis, Judith Murphy, Irene Petroff, Anita McDermott, Barbara Clifford, Molly Maurette, Una Gast, Thomas Ciacio, Helen Fiedler, Susan Lang, Larry Golding, Carol Hayhurst, Dennis Charles, Richard Fox, Carolyn Berenson, and Frederick Howell. If I have forgotten anyone, catch me in the parking lot.
Doing a little survey while trying to play bridge, I heard everywhere how lovely the tourney and how appreciated and amazed they were by the complimentary lunches.
Our thanks to all those who made it possible.
Visalia
By Robbie Rouch
After setting the stage with 45+ points at the San Diego Regional, Warren Cederborg went roaring past the 5000 point mark at the Bakersfield Sectional, where he was runner-up to Wafik, though just barely ahead of his wife. Suzi, also with 40+ in San Diego, was the wind beneath his wings at both tournaments, including a 71% game in Bakersfield.
Avis Morse and Villa Vejvoda also finished in the money down in San Diego, and at least 13 of our members brought silver back from the beautifully hosted Bakersfield Sectional.
A long list of winners (extended by two ties) follows from the 13 unit contests through May 5. Look for Bill and Shirley Martin’s names on the Forum front page, as their 72.92% effort was tops in quality for the month.
Maudmarie Calhoun and Warren C. led the field in quantity with four wins each, while Allyson Farrell, Suzi Cederborg, and Villa Vejvoda were triple winners. Yours truly made the list of double victors with Alice Pickens, Avis Morse, Bill Martin, Gerry Tipton, Larry Cavanaugh, and Pat DelaMontanya.
Joining the crowded winners circle were Alan Holmes, Bob Havard, Bob Farrell, Bob Loudermilk, Diane Bernard, Esther Perrotta, Gerard Laquerriere, Helen Davidson, Howard Arquette, Janice Crossland, John Colbert, John Morrison, Kay Blair, Lois Parman, Paul Schommer, Shirley Martin, Vincent Cheng, Virginia Ruth, and Donny Graham.
Speaking of Donny, he has cast a whole new light on the term “double dummy.”
Holding zero points, he hears partner open 1§ and RHO make a takeout double. LHO bids a major, and he breathes an inward sigh of relief.
However, consternation arises when partner finds a 1NT call, and turns to a sense of doom when RHO doubles.
But a thin ray of hope creeps in as LHO tanks, and tanks. Finally, utter joy when a 2© bid hits the table. After the lead, while laying out the dummy, RHO rudely points out, “The double was for penalties.” Donnie acknowledges with, “I knew that,” and tables his hand as evidence of his acute perception. It wasn’t until defender called for a card from her “dummy” that realization set it. We didn’t bother to ask the director for a ruling on 13 exposed cards.