Rogue Valley Regional: May 14-20
Trumpet
The District 20
www.ACBLD20.org
Bridge Across the District
Vol. 8, No. 3
By Christine Orchard
Summer flowers at the entrance to Ashland’s
Shakespeare Theatre welcome bridge players
looking for a nearby side trip.
Rogue Valley
Regional in
Medford OR
Red Lion Inn
May 14 – 20, 2012
By Marilyn Vilhauer
D20 Tournament Coordinator
I can’t wait for the relaxed atmosphere of the lovely Rogue Valley for
a sun-filled week of enjoyable bridge
with an active local committee eager
to make your week as sunny as the
weather. Lots of local hospitality
and don’t forget the 10:00 and 3:00
starting times leave you with plenty
of time to sneak off to Ashland for
a night at the theater … make your
reservations NOW!
May/June, 2012
Partners Lead a Club
For many years Eugene players had
two private bridge clubs to choose
from – Dave Butler’s Eugene Bridge
Club and Karol Crouse’s Kings and
Quacks. Then in 2006, Dave unexpectedly died and Unit 479 took over his
games.
The unit, however, was not overly
enthusiastic about running a bridge
club. Fortunately for Eugene, two
board members, Don Marsh and Jon
Neimand, shared a vision of creating a
thriving local bridge community. The
two guys joined forces late in 2007 to
become co-owners of a new bridge
club. They named it Emerald Bridge
Club.
Not too long afterwards Karol upped
and moved to Singapore and left her
club to also be run by Jon and Don.
The guys continued to run games at
both locations while they actively
sought one home for the
Eugene bridge community. It was in April
2009 when they found a
building in Springfield
suitable for a dedicated bridge club. It
was a felicitous decision. Before long,
games were added, table counts were
up, 299er games thrived and bridge
lessons were offered.
Because of the club’s rapid success
with a subsequent increase in players,
their new space quickly filled to capacity. As luck would have it, the adjacent
business space
became available just at that
time. Don and Jon
worked with the
landlord to plan
a major remodel
and expansion.
Using their own
funds along with
generous donations from local
bridge players,
their club space
has now almost
doubled in size.
I recently had
the opportunity
to visit and play
at the Emerald
Business partners Jon Neimand and Don Marsh have created an ideal
playing site for Eugene bridge players.
Bridge Club. It is
a beautifully organized and attractive site. There is a
lotion. As the club uses a dealing
generous-sized kitchen,
machine, players can just sit down and
a food and coffee servwait for the director – the guys share
ing area with plentiful
that responsibility – to deliver the
(Continued on Page 2)
offerings and real coffee
cups, a large table for
board members to use for meetings,
A new series of bridge
artwork on the walls, an extensive
articles
by McKenzie Myers
library of bridge books and journals,
begins on page 5. The
another library of non-bridge books,
lessons and advice are
ample parking, lots of natural light
and easy access from the highway.
aimed at the intermediate
The tables are permanently set up
player with 100 – 1000
to play along with bid boxes, Bridgepoints. Don’t miss it!
mates, side tables and hand-sanitizing
Director’s Report: News from the Memphis NABC
By Merlin Vilhauer
D20 District Director
I have just returned from the Memphis NABC. It was fun to be there to
celebrate the ACBL’s 75th Anniversary
and to revisit the ACBL Hall of Fame
Museum. You all must visit it if you’re
ever near Memphis; it’s well worth the
trip.
The Board and committee meetings
went smoothly – here are some of the
highlights:
1. ACBL membership is up about 1600
new members in 2012. This is an
increase for the first time in many
years; a trend we would like to
continue.
2. Junior Coupons for NABC events
will be available to juniors meeting
these qualifications:
a. Any junior under the age of 26
years who is a full time student
(must provide proof of eligibility)
will be entitled to coupons that
can be used for any event. These
coupons will have a value of
$10.00 per session.
b. Any junior under the age of 21
years will be entitled to coupons
that can be used for any event.
These coupons will have a value
of $10.00 per session.
3. Masterpoints by Strength of Field
was deferred to the Philadelphia
NABC with the following conditions:
a. A “shadow” testing period will
begin approximately May 1. The
results of this testing will be reviewed by both management and
the Masterpoint Committee.
b. The results of the initial testing
will be reported to the Board. The
monitoring will include, but not
be limited to, the following items:
• Masterpoint Inflation
• Effects on both regional and
sectional events
• Geographic and demographic
variations
I am relieved that we will be voting
on Strength of Field using actual hands
for the testing.
4. Discussion of Grand National
events resulted in a motion. The motion mainly dealt with how to determine a player’s eligibility based on
residence during the qualification
period. The rules are explained in
detail on the ACBL website in the
Conditions of Contest.
5. The Board of Governors submitted a motion to restrict the special
play used for online bridge. One of
the games played on Bridge Base
Online (BBO) is to play against
robots (computer software) with
the human player always given the
best hand. The human players are
competing against each other for
the best results. Some believe this is
not in the spirit of the law when one
player always knows s/he has the
best hand. The motion was discussed and finally tabled until the
next NABC.
ACBLscore
I have been asked and have accepted
the position of liaison between ACBL
management and the ACBL Board as
we begin the rewrite of ACBLscore. We
have selected an Atlanta-based company as the successful bidder for the contract. It is a huge and expensive task.
A few of the improvements that will
eventually be added to ACBLscore:
1. Game results will be available
online immediately following all
events
2. The new program will work on both
PCs and Macs
The ACBL hosted a small retirement party in Memphis to honor John
Ashton’s 30+ years of service. Patty
Holmes was the emcee and told many
great Ashton stories. John’s fellow
directors presented John and
Marie with tickets
to a World Series
Playoff game, a
great present for
the sports-loving
John. District 20
also provided
John with a nice
retirement gift of Director Patty Holmes
free plays at all
was emcee for the
D20 Regionals.
ACBL’s John Ashton
retirement party in
Thank you John
Memphis.
for your many
years of service to D20.
Don’t forget: if you are interested in
serving as a representative for D20
on the Board of Governors you must
submit your candidacy to the ACBL
by May 31. Details are available on the
ACBL website.
Remember to support our District 20
regionals and sectionals. I regret that
we have family obligations that will
keep us from attending the Seaside
Sectional this year but we’ll see you
all in Medford on May 14. Boise, have
a great Regional (also starting on May
14). We look forward to hosting your
future Regionals.
CU at the bridge table.
Page 2
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
D20 People • Board • Bridge
Partners Lead a Club
(Continued from Page 1)
ready-to-play cards. After the game,
results are quickly displayed on a
large computer monitor mounted on
a wall for easy viewing. Printed hand
records are available too after every
game and detailed results along with
the lead for each board are available
on the club’s website.
If you haven’t had the opportunity
to play at the Emerald Bridge Club, I
highly recommend you try it out – it’s a
great experience and truly impressive.
Having the one location used exclusively for bridge playing has allowed
Jon and Don to realize their long-time
vision of providing Eugene with a true
bridge community. “After all these
many years of wishing and hoping,
it feels like we have a real home for
bridge for the foreseeable future,” says
Don. “April 1 marked the beginning
of our third year in the new space, and
while it’s true that we know not what
the future holds, we know it will be
exciting and fun.”
So how did these two guys come to
bridge in the first place?
Jon Neimand
Jon says he has always loved games
and puzzles. “During my freshman
year, there was a bridge game at the
student union at Syracuse University
where I spent too much class-time and
subsequently dropped out.” Around
that time, Jon and his family moved to
Oregon. There Jon was away from the
bridge table, and he graduated from
OSU with a master’s degree in Industrial Arts Education. He spent the next
20 years teaching in the Central Linn
School District while his wife, Hahn,
taught as an elementary school teacher.
Then in the early 90’s, Hahn had a
co-worker who wanted out of playing bridge with her romantic interest.
Hahn offered up Jon as a partner and
the two began to play at Kings and
Quacks. Jon has been addicted to the
game ever since.
Early on, Jon and a few others studied Max Hardy’s 2/1 bidding system
and practiced playing together. “I still
In Memoriam …
Bruce Cook
Bruce Cook,
editor of the Daily
Bulletins at District 20 regionals
died on March 18,
2012. Sue Kroning who worked
with Bruce during her tenure as
Trumpet editor said, “He was one
of a kind – a diamond in the rough.
He was educated in the school of
hard knocks but the man really had
a superb intellect, a droll wit, and
a cheerful warmth and charm. He
loved bridge and his bulletins were
works of art.”
Jo Anne Murdock agrees, “I was
closest to Bruce when I was Secretary/Treasurer of D20 and he was
the Bulletin editor. He was always
upbeat, ready for suggestions,
friendly to everyone, and the best
part – a true professional. I also
had the pleasure of being an occasional partner at the bridge table
and shared a few meals with him.
I considered Bruce one of my best
D20 friends.”
Jon and Don sit next to a 1930’s bridge table that is also a randomized dealing machine – it still works!
have, and refer to, my dog-eared copy
of Max Hardy’s Yellow Book. It was
great having a core group to learn
with and perfect the 2/1 system.”
“In the beginning, bridge is all about
bidding and declarer play but I think
defense can be much more rewarding. Statistically you are on defense
half the time. If you can defend well,
you can enjoy 100% of the game. And
I love going to tournaments. Walking into a room with over 100 bridge
tables still brings chills.”
Jon and Hahn, a non-bridge player,
recently celebrated their 40th wedding
anniversary. Hahn says she understands Jon’s passion for bridge and the
time he spends with it; she meanwhile
is active with several non-profit organizations. Jon’s “retirement” running
a bridge club seems awfully close to a
full-time job; even getting away for a
three-day weekend isn’t easy.
People often ask Jon, ‘What’s this
bridge all about? You don’t play for
money, you don’t get a trophy … you
just get points?” He tells them he will
never be on the golf course competing
with Tiger Woods but in bridge he can
play against the game’s superstars.
Don Marsh
When Don was growing up in Iowa,
his family played 500, a game that
involves bidding, trumps and tricks.
Interestingly, his first exposure to
bridge was Charles Goren’s weekly
television commentary for a game
played by the top players and featuring a celebrity such as Chico Marx. To
Don, bridge seemed strange, exotic
and appealing but also only for those
of high intellect.
When he moved to Eugene in the
70’s, he and a friend took beginner
lessons from a wonderful teacher, and
his interest in bridge developed. But
in the mid 1980’s when his wife Sherri
took him to a duplicate game in the
basement of the Eugene Hotel, things
didn’t go well. “I think it was the
worst night of my life. I told Sherri I
never wanted to do that again.”
Well, one should never say never …
A few years later, Don and a friend
went to another duplicate game and
this time it was fun. There were still
bumps along the way. He once went
into a club as a single and was paired
New Life Masters
Donna Andrews,
Grants Pass OR
Nina Markos,
Honolulu HI
Not Pictured:
Lee Lerfald, Roseburg OR
Susan Kobayashi, Honolulu HI
Nancy Decker,
West Linn OR
Don Brockhaus,
Salem OR
up with a pro. “I told him I could
play any card he wanted to play. ‘Any
card’ for me consisted of Stayman and
Jacoby transfers.” The pro was not
impressed.
“I love teaching bridge at the intermediate level. I’m a mediocre player
at best but fortunately one doesn’t
have to be a great player to teach. And
I think I do a good job. I love sharing
my passion for the game. Nothing is
more rewarding for me than watching
folks who have taken my classes get
hooked on the game.”
A teaching highlight for both Don
and Jon is that they gave McKenzie
Myers, one of District 20’s top players
and now a full-time ACBL director, his
first bridge lesson.
McKenzie remembers those lessons.
“Back in 2001, I showed up at the
Eugene Bridge Club out of the blue,
and Don and Jon took me under their
wings – to the point of weekly lessons
at Don’s house. They worked very
hard, and I will be forever grateful for
their help.”
Don’s first tournament was a Eugene
Regional where he and his partner
won a 299er event. He didn’t even
know they had won. “All I knew was
lots of folks kept coming up to me and
saying, ‘Great game you and Bob had.
You got your first gold points.’ Oh really?? Once clueless, always clueless.”
Another time, Don was playing with
his teacher, Karol Crouse. She bid 5♣
meaning it as Exclusion Blackwood
– that is, “I’ve got a club void so tell
me about your aces other than clubs.”
Don looked at his hand and noted four
clubs, so he passed! Defenders ever so
slowly took every trick. At the end of
the debacle, Karol, ever the gracious
partner, said to Don “So sorry partner,
I should have made some other call.”
“I truly am grateful for having
duplicate bridge in my life. It is just
such a great game and describing it
that way really does not do it justice. I
also feel fortunate that my wife Sherri
plays. We can share our experiences
and sometimes a post-game analysis
– ‘Hey, that seven-club sacrifice for
minus 800 turned out to be a good
board.’”
The District 20 Trumpet
Vol. 8, No. 3 • May/June 2012
Official publication of
The American Contract Bridge League
District 20
6512 SW Midmar Place,
Portland OR 97223-7517
Phone: (503) 244-5733
Web site: www.ACBLD20.org
The District 20 Trumpet is published six
times a year in January, March, May, July,
September and November. It is distributed
free to members in Oregon and Northern
California, and small parts of Washington and
Idaho. All sectional announcements are free.
Editor: Christine Orchard, Yachats OR
Design/Production: Peggy Coquet, Camas WA
Printing: Oregon Lithoprint,
McMinnville OR
Deadlines: The deadline for the
July 2012 issue is Tuesday, June 5 for
free sectional ads and all articles except
unit reports. The deadline for unit reports is
Sunday, June 10. Please send to the editor,
Christine Orchard. Email trumpeteditor@
gmail.com; phone: (541) 547-5474, address:
P.O. Box 505, Yachats OR 97498
May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 3
NAP and GNT
North American Pairs and Grand National Teams
By Rich Carle
D20 NA Events Coordinator
North American Pairs (NAP)
The 2012 National NAP Finals
took place at the
Spring NABC in
Memphis. Two of
our representatives
in Flight A qualified for the final
two sessions: Jon
Bartlett and Hal Montgomery and Joel
Datloff and Roger McNay. Alas, neither placed in the overalls. In Flight B,
July Ratley and Bob Wierman qualified but did not place.
In Flight C, Douglas Jones and Mark
Bloom not only qualified but placed
11th overall in the competition. Well
done! Read their story below.
Thanks to all of the D20 NAP Finalists for carrying our banner forward.
Club qualifying for the 2012/2013
NAP starts in June and continues in
July and August. Dates for the 2012
District 20 Finals are October 27-28 at
split sites of Boise, Honolulu, Medford, and Vancouver/Portland. More
details will come in the next Trumpet.
time you read this, please check our
web site for details.
Flights A, B and C occur in conjunction with the Rogue Valley Regional
in Medford on Saturday and Sunday,
May 19-20. These events are conducted in the traditional face-to-face style.
Pre-registration is not required.
A report on these District Finals will
be in the next issue of the Trumpet.
Grand National Teams Details
Masterpoint limits
Championship Flight: Unlimited
Flight A: 2000-5000; Flight B: 500-2000; Flight C: 0-500 NLM
A Bridge Too Far:
District 20 Finals (at the Medford regional)
My Trip to the Memphis Nationals
Championship Flight May 12-13
Flight A May 19-20; Flight B May 20; Flight C May 19
National Finals
By Mark Bloom
Chico Unit President Doug Jones
and I picked a good day last October
to play well. We won the District 20
Flight C game giving us the right to
play in the North American Pairs at
the Memphis Nationals.
As we spent the entire day before
the tournament flying southeast, my
mind was full of questions. How
would we fare against the winners of
bigger, deeper districts? How would
my bridge be when I was playing in
the evening session that would run
past my bedtime? Could I come up
with enough puns and funny stories
for the Trumpet article the editor asked
me to do?
The President’s Cup competition was
scheduled for the last two days of the
tournament with qualifying sessions at
1:00 pm and 7:30 pm. We’d be at the tables until around 11:00 at night—yikes!
For an early to bed, early to rise kind of
guy, this was going to be tough. Doug
and I spent the first morning walking
around the downtown area and touring the Memphis Fire Museum. It has
many beautiful old pieces of equipment
– much like the Nationals. At a children’s birthday party being held there,
the kids were having way too much
fun. I looked at them wistfully, and
asked Doug if we couldn’t just stay and
play with the kids, but he insisted that
we head back to the Convention Center
to play bridge.
We arrived early to find our location
and get the answer to our all-important question: how would we get the
checks the ACBL had promised us for
winning our district’s competition?
The first two sessions would determine which 28 pairs out the 76
entered would advance to the finals.
I looked around the room and saw a
group on the young side for a tournament (meaning a lot of people under
70) and a whole bunch of twentysomethings, probably future hotshots
without enough points yet to get
out of the C ranks. The game started
promptly at 1:10 or as the ACBL calls
it, “1:00”. Doug and I felt pretty good
as we played through the first session.
We didn’t make any horrible mistakes and thought a couple of boards
would score really well. Being a realist
I began scanning the results for our
names from the bottom up. Up, up,
nope, up … we’re in fourth place!?!
Sweet!
Grand National Teams (GNT)
D20 GNT Finals take place in May
2012. The Championship Flight on
Saturday/Sunday May 12-13 is an online competition with National Director Rick Beye in charge. Participants
play at an approved venue where a
monitor will assure that the competition is conducted fairly and efficiently.
Since pre-registration is closed by the
Back for the
second session at
7:30, I was hoping
for another good
session and had
my secret weapon
in my pocket – one
of those five-hour
energy drinks to
imbibe mid-game. The hands passed
by, I stayed mostly awake, and around
11:15 the results went up with us in …
third?? What’s going on here? We’d
qualified easily and would get to play
in the finals.
Sunday morning I woke up feeling
pretty brain-dead after getting only
five hours of sleep and having played
52 tough hands the day before. Just to
make sure we hadn’t been dreaming,
we checked the results again. There
we were in the top 28 pairs moving
on – a big red line between us and the
rest of the field. Could we keep up the
good playing?
Well, the short answer is “not so
much.” My brain felt like it was stuck
in mud and with the field down to the
strongest pairs, nobody was handing
out gifts. We let a few people steal
contracts from us, and I took some
chances in bidding that bit us in the
rear end. We staggered in with a 46%
game. That dropped us to 16th place.
The top pairs were hitting their stride
and chewing people up so overall
standings had shifted considerably.
Doug and I retreated for lunch and
a chance to clear our heads and start
fresh.
The last session of the competition
started in the afternoon and I was
feeling awake and optimistic about
our chances for improving our standing. Halfway through we caught some
good boards, including a four diamonds doubled contract that I played
and made five for 910. All the pairs
were showing signs of fatigue in their
different ways: the older pairs were
making mistakes and looking tired,
and the younger ones were making
mistakes and fighting about it. There
were a zillion calls for the directors
who also were looking tired and taking their time getting to the tables.
Doug and I were playing extra-slowly
to not get ahead of our half-dead
brains. We finished the day playing
the best pair in the room, a couple
of young bridge geniuses, and just
(Continued on Page 7)
All Flights July 12-22 at the Philadelphia NABC
NAP District 20 Finals
Flight B and C: Saturday, October 27
Two session play-through at split sites (details to come)
NAP Flight B – Qualified players with less than 2000 MP
NAP Flight C – Non-Life Masters with fewer than 500 MP
Flight A: Sunday October 28
Two session play-through at split sites (details to come)
NAP Flight A – Open to any player that qualified
NAP National Finals
March 14-24, 2013 at the Spring NABC in St. Louis MO
Unit 481 • Sanction No. S1206076
Grants Pass Liberty
2012 Sectional
June 22, 23 & 24
Grants Pass Masonic Lodge
320 Northwest “E” Street
(between 4th & 5th streets, downtown Grants Pass)
Friday, June 22
Novice Pairs (0-200)*
Stratified Open Pairs
Stratified Open Pairs
Single Sessions
10:00am & 3:00pm
Sectional points10:00am
3:00pm
Saturday, June 23
Novice Pairs (0-200)*
Stratified Pairs
Single Sessions
Play Through
Sunday, June 24
Swiss Teams
Afternoon Session
Strats by avg. MPs10:30am
TBA
10:00am & 3:00pm
10:00am & 3:00pm**
(Team game format at Director’s discretion)
Player Fees: $9.00 for each session
($1.00 additional each session for non & unpaid ACBL members)
Stratification: (A) 1250+ (B) 500-1250 (C) 0-500
Free Coffee, Lemonade & Snacks
Sunday Buffet Lunch $6.00
Tournament Director:
Tournament Chair:
Partnership Chair:
Hospitality Chairs:
Steve Kaessner
Rajesh K Tandon 541-955-7223
Bernadine Lacy 541-301-4183
Connie Sloper 541-476-1400
Donna Andrews 541-955-8538
* Novice Games Depend on Availability of Players
** Regionally rated Silver Points, both sessions
Information: arenare@budget.net
Page 4
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
The Sectional Section
By Don Marsh
Eugene Sectional
June 1-3
Probably everyone thinks his or her
own Sectional is special. Well, Ours
Is!!! “Ours” is the annual Eugene
Sectional and it’s special because of
the …
 Hospitality. Some come for the
bridge, most come for the food.
The legendary array of goodies
that Sharron Lyons and her crew
present each day is stunning –
a bountiful buffet beautiful to
behold.
 Playing site. We have a wonderful
playing site at the Morse Event
Center on the campus of Northwest Christian University. The
Center provides a clean, spacious
(very spacious) and well-lit playing area. It is easily accessed from
I-5.
 Locale. The area provides numerous options for dining within easy
walking distance. And the picturesque campuses of both NCU and
the UO are perfect for strolling.
 Parking. We are most fortunate to
have an abundance of convenient
on-site parking spaces directly adjacent to the Morse Event Center.
 Lodging. The Phoenix Inn is a
five-minute walk from the venue.
 Director. McKenzie Myers. Does it
get any better than this/him?
 Pre-duplicated boards
 Mini-lessons before Saturday’s
Salem
Summer
Sectional
sessions
 Guaranteed top boards and great
weather. Okay, maybe those are
not true. But the others all are!
Please consider putting The Eugene
Sectional on your calendar. We think
you will not be disappointed.
Flowers for
Hearts
Liberty Sectional June 22-24
By Raj Tandon
Joyce Wilcox with the magnificent
flower arrangement created by Mary
Holzapfel especially for the Heart of the
Valley Sectional.
July 6-8, 2012
Keizer/Salem Area
Senior Center
Unit
490
930 Plymouth Drive NE
Keizer, OR
Calling all bridge players! The chairs
of the Grants Pass Liberty Sectional
cordially invite you to enjoy three funfilled days at our 2012 tournament on
June 22 – 24. See our ad on page 3 for
all the details.
When we said, “Calling ALL bridge
players …” we meant it! We encourage novice pairs to attend. We plan
to schedule separate 99er games on
Friday and Saturday for novice pairs
with 0-100 master points.
Appetizers will be provided for Friday and Saturday sessions. A nominal
cost of $6.00 will be charged for those
participating in the Sunday buffet
lunch.
For information about tourism activities along the Rogue River or Hellgate
Canyon, contact Grants Pass Chamber
of Commerce 1-800-547-5927 www.
grantspasschamber.org or Rogue River
Chamber of Commerce 541-582-0242,
rogueriverchamber.com/.
We hope you will join us for a challenging weekend of bridge, great food,
warm hospitality, and a terrific visit to
the wonderful community of Grants
Pass.
Salem Summer Sectional
July 6-8
By Tom McGuire
Plan on having a rollicking good
time after the Fourth of July holiday
with a bang-up weekend of bridge
July 6-8 at the annual Salem Summer
Sectional hosted by Unit 490.
Free coffee and cookies await players
daily, and a $5 lunch between sessions
of Sunday’s Swiss Teams is available
for advance purchase.
It all takes place at the Keizer/Salem Area Senior Center in Keizer. For
more information, please see our ad
on this page.
Sectional Results
$8 per player per session • $9 unpaid or non-ACBL member
Friday, July 6
1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Stratied Open Pairs—Single Sessions
1:30 p.m.
299er Pairs*
Saturday, July 7
11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Stratied Open Pairs—Playthrough and Single Sessions
299er Pairs*—Single Sessions
Friday afternoon/Saturday strats: 0-750, 750-2000, 2000+
*3-table minimum; if no 299er Pairs, strats are 0-500, 500-1500, 1500+)
(New players with 0-5 masterpoints play for free)
Sunday, July 8
11 a.m. and TBA
Strati-Flighted Swiss Teams, two sessions
Flight A/X: unlimited—play separate—Victory Points (A 3000+, X 0-3000)
Strat B, C, D — B 1000-1500, C 500-1000, D 0-500; Win-Loss
(Strats based on average)
Director: John Gram
Tournament Contact: Tom McGuire, tgmcguire@comcast.net
Partnerships: Marge Laux, 503-588-7476
Salem Bridge Club: 503-463-7165, salembridgeclub.org
☛ Free coffee and cookies ☛
☛ Lunch available between sessions Sunday ☛
Chico-Paradise (125 tables)
1 16.51
Mohamed Shagrun, Chico CA
2 16.20
Suzanne Cook, McKinleyville CA
3 16.20
Albert Wilson, Jr, Brookings OR
4 15.64
Joe Farley, Sacramento CA
5 15.64
D Jones, Sacramento CA
6 14.05
Carol Huston, Chico CA
7 11.58
Garth Gregory, Chico CA
8 11.15
Ronald Jauch, Nevada City CA
9 11.15
Jamie Newman, Nevada City CA
10 8.94
Steven Adams, Chico CA
Ontario (111 Tables)
1 13.13
Riley Burton, Twin Falls ID
2 13.08
Jim Batchelor, Ontario OR
3 12.86
Kathy Dowen, Boise ID
4 11.90
Craig Jones, Boise ID
5 11.66
Lucien Stratton, Boise ID
6 11.37
R Ian Martindale, Boise ID
7 11.37
Charlene Martindale, Boise ID
8 10.79
Dolores Echanis, Ontario OR
9 9.74
Lorinda Pearson, Ontario OR
10 8.44
Winnie Henggeler, Fruitland ID
11 8.44
Glenora Wright, Fruitland ID
Heart of the Valley (192 tables)
1 24.19
Jeffrey Taylor, Eugene OR
2 21.30
G Gard Hays, Veradale WA
3 18.81
David Starratt, Yakima WA
4 16.44
Richard Garvin, Corvallis OR
5 16.44
Irva Neyhart, Corvallis OR
6 15.92
Laurie Rowe, Eugene OR
7 11.93
Michael Hansen, Vancouver WA
8 11.93
Kathy Hansen, Vancouver WA
9 11.45
David Finley, Albany OR
10 10.75
Teresa Ozias, Dallas OR
11 10.75
Shain Oleson, Salem OR
12 10.75
Kevin Kacmarynski, Monmouth OR
13 10.75
Dick McCluer, Vancouver WA
Vancouver Senior (89 tables)
1 10.19
Richard Garvin, Corvallis OR
2 10.19
Fred Dorr, Portland OR
3 6.93
Court Smith, Portland OR
4 6.80
Roger McNay, Beaverton OR
5 6.80
Merlin Vilhauer, Beaverton OR
6 6.80
Donald Tofte, Portland OR
7 6.80
Daniel Hoekstra, Portland OR
8 6.40
Joseph Habeich, Portland OR
9 6.40
Dorene Smyth, Portland OR
10 6.21
Richard Carle, Longview WA
11 6.21
Mark Smith, Milwaukie OR
Sundial Bridge (131 Tables)
1 23.83
Garth Gregory, Chico CA
2 16.66
July Ratley, Redding CA
3 16.66
Bob Wierman, Anderson CA
4 16.25
Steve Sellers, McKinleyville CA
5 13.22
Randall Paul, Klamath Falls OR
6 11.32
Jan Joiner, Redding CA
7 11.32
Carole Schmitz, Redding CA
8 10.75
Steven Adams, Chico CA
9 10.75
Sally Adams, Chico CA
Seaside (251 Tables)
1 40.26 (!!!) John Ashton, Portland OR
2 27.75
Dennis Metcalf, Portland OR
3 26.99
Judy Kay, Beaverton OR
4 20.52
Ann Stark, Portland OR
5 20.31
Rich Carle, Longview WA
6 20.31
Jeffrey Taylor, Eugene OR
7 14.80
Bill Hardy, Beaverton OR
8 14.77
Jon Bartlett, Portland OR
9 14.77
Hank Gagnon, Newberg OR
10 12.51
Marie Ashton, Portland OR
May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 5
Bridge with McKenzie: Part 1 of a series
Fundamentals of Bidding
By McKenzie Myers
The question I’m
most frequently
asked by up-andcoming players
is “what convention should I learn
next?” I feel this
is absolutely the
wrong approach to
the game.
I must admit that my favorite partner and
I have over 100 pages of system notes,
including many mainstream conventions
as well as dozens we’ve made up specifically to fit our system. The reason I feel
comfortable playing all of these ‘toys’ is
that we’ve both discussed and practiced
all of them extensively. But before we
discussed and practiced esoteric things
like the Reverse Ukrainian Two Notrump,
we spent countless hours getting all of our
basic agreements down pat. So before you
and your partner look for that next great
convention, please make sure you have
what you already play down cold.
In this series, I’ll highlight a few of those
things that “everyone” plays and hopefully
dig a little deeper into them than most casual partnerships have. Let’s start with the
one convention that the most pairs play:
Stayman.
We all know the basics of Stayman – 2♣
asks for a major, then 2♦ denies one and
2♥ or 2♠ shows one. But are you and your
partner on the same page when it comes to
rebids? Here’s the rebid/response structure
I suggest for you. (There are “better” structures out there, but they come at a memory
cost – I think this structure is the best balance of utility and ease of use.)
After 1N – 2♣ – 2♦ –:
2♥ = Bad hand, both majors. Opener is
expected to pass with better hearts, or bid
2♠ with better spades.
2♠ = Invitational to game with five spades
and four hearts. Opener can pass with a
minimum and three spades, bid 2N with a
minimum and two spades, or bid a game in
notrump or spades with a maximum.
2N = Invitational
3♣ or 3♦ = Natural and a game force (often a slam try). Every system needs a way
to show a slam invitation in a minor, and I
feel this is the easiest way to go about that.
This does not promise more than five of
the bid minor. You do not necessarily need
a four-card major to do this.
3♥ or 3♠ = Game-forcing with five of
the bid suit and four of the other major. (If
you switch these two meanings, bidding
the four-card suit, that’s Smolen.) Opener
should bid 3N without a fit or cuebid his
cheapest non-trump ace with a fit. Remember, responder is still unlimited – don’t
take up all of partner’s room for slam tries.
3N = To play
4♣ = Gerber
4♦ = 5-5 or better in the majors. Opener
is expected to bid his better major.
4♥ or 4♠ = To play
4N = Invitational to 6N
After 1N – 2♣ – 2♥ or 2♠ –:
2N = Invitational
3♣ or 3♦ = Natural and a game force
(often a slam try)
3 of partner’s major = Invitational
3 of other major = Artificial slam try in
partner’s major
3N = To play
4N = Invitational to 6N (not Blackwood –
to ask for aces, set the trump suit with the
Mid-Columbia Unit 492
President: Jim Heitkemper • Club Manager: Beverly Van Nice
Cherries Jubilee
Sectional
July 13, 14, 15, 2012
Best Western Hood River Inn
• Gorge Room • Hood River, Oregon • I-84, Exit 64 •
Friday, July 13
Saturday, July 14
Sunday, July 15
1:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Stratified Open Pairs - Single Session
299’er Pairs - Single Session
Stratified Open Pairs - Single Session
299’er Pairs - Single Session
1:00 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Stratified Pairs - 1st of two sessions (Sidegame)
299’er Pairs - Single Session
Stratified Pairs - 2nd of two sessions (Sidegame)
299’er Pairs - Single Session
10:30 a.m. & TBA
Stratiflighted Swiss Teams - Two session event
299’er Swiss - Single Session
Strata: A: 2000+, B: 500-2000, C: 0-500
Smoke-free Playing Site • Accessible outdoor smoking areas
$9.00 entry fees per session • $10.00 non and/or unpaid ACBL members
Fresh cherries all day every day
Fresh cherries for sale
No-host snack can be purchased between sessions on Sunday (if ordered before noon Saturday)
Tournament Committee:
Chairmen: Peyt Turner: (509) 493-3523; peyt@gorge.net; Elaine Rife: (541) 296-3602
Partnerships: Sam Asai: (541) 386-1974; samasai@gorge.net
Accommodations
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD! Hood River is a popular place in summer. Don’t miss
your share of the cherries because the inns are all full. An early reservation
can be cancelled, a late one may never be made. Call (541) 386-2200 (ask for
discount). Limited rooms held thru June 15, 2012
Bed & Breakfast Roomfinder: (541) 386-6767
Hood River Chamber of Commerce: (541) 386-2000 or (800) 366-3530
And twenty minutes down the road, The Dalles has several motels just off I-84.
The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors’ Bureau: (541) 296-2231 or (800) 255-3385
artificial slam try, then bid 4N).
Over the three of the other major artificial
slam try, 1N – 2♣ – 2♥ – 3♠ or 1N – 2♣ –
2♠ – 3♥, opener should show his cheapest
non-trump ace by cue bidding it. (With no
aces outside the trump suit, opener bids 3N
with a slam-positive hand and four of the
agreed-upon major with a slam-negative
hand. Remember, the weird 3Major bid set
the trump suit so 3N cannot be passed).
This can lead to some highly intelligent
slam-bidding auctions.
Partner opens 1N (15-17), and you hold
these hands. Plan your auctions.
1. ♠J9875 ♥T8643 ♦7 ♣92
2. ♠QJ53 ♥K87 ♦AJ5 ♣QT3
3. ♠K953 ♥AQ53 ♦7 ♣KQJ6
4. ♠J94 ♥KT72 ♦J8732 ♣5
5. ♠KJ6 ♥8 ♦AJT95 ♣K642
Suggested auctions:
1. You’re going down in 1N – you can be
sure of that. You could guess to transfer to
one of your majors and pass … but when
I do that I always guess wrong. Your best
chance is to bid Stayman. If partner shows
a major, you’re in the right spot. If he bids
2♦, you “crawl” to 2♥ and you’ll play in
whichever major partner is longer/stronger.
2. Bid 3N! We have significant strength
(28-30 HCP between the two hands) and
“stuff” everywhere. We’re sure that game
should make. The only reason game would
go down is because of an awful trump split
or unexpected ruffs – so don’t give the bad
guys that chance. Nine tricks should be
easy in notrump.
3. Bid Stayman. If partner has a major,
bid three of the other major to set trumps
and show a slam try. If opener can cuebid
clubs, we’re on our way! But if he doesn’t
cuebid either minor, say on the auction 1N
– 2♣ – 2♥ – 3♠ – 4♥, pass quickly! He has
something like ♠AQx ♥Kxxx ♦KQJ ♣xxx
and we’re off the first two tricks with a
possible trump loser. Don’t use Blackwood
to tell you what you already know.
4. Bid Stayman, and pass any response. If
partner bids 2♥, we’re in a great spot – but
if he bids 2♦ or 2♠, we’re probably better
off than if we’d passed 1N. Besides, the
more 4-3 fits you make partner play, the
better a declarer he’ll become!
5. Bid Stayman (yes, I see you don’t have
a four-card major).
Partner bids 2♦: Slam in a minor is in the
offing! You should know that there’s either
a double fit in the minors or a big fit in
one minor. Rebid 3♦ to start with – partner
should cuebid a major-suit ace if he likes
diamonds and 3N if he doesn’t. Over 3N,
you can bid a natural 4♣ and from there go
slamming in that suit.
Partner bids 2♥: Your hand just got
worse. You know that partner has length
and strength in your shortness – it’s time to
downgrade. Just bid 3N.
Partner bids 2♠: There are still four possible strains to play – bid a natural and
forcing 3♦ and see what happens. If partner
bids 3♠, he should have a five-card suit (or
a very chunky four-card suit), and spades
will be the right trump suit. If partner
rebids 3NT, that’s probably the best spot.
Other rebids by partner would warrant
slam tries in diamonds.
You don’t have to use these specific
agreements, but make sure you agree on
some way to show each hand type -- anything is better than no agreements.
McKenzie is a top District 20 player and
a full-time ACBL tournament director.
EUGENE SECTIONAL
Known for our Hospitality & Fabulous Food
June 1-3, 2012
Northwest Christian University
Morse Event Center
1075 Alder Street, Eugene
Friday, June 1
1:00 p.m. Stratified Pairs (single session)
7:00 p.m. Stratified Pairs (single session)
Stratified 199er Pairs (if warranted)
Saturday, June 2
11:00 a.m. Stratified Pairs (single session)
5:00 p.m. Stratified Pairs (single session)
Stratified 199er Pairs (if warranted)
Sunday, June 3
10:00 a.m. Stratified Swiss Teams (two sessions)
Win/Loss Second Session - TBA
Teams Stratified by Average
A = 1500+ B = 300-1500 C = 0-300
$8.00 per Player per Session ($9.00 Unpaid/non-ACBL member)
Partnerships: Tom McKenna, mckennat101@yahoo.com, 541-512-3268
Local Chair: Sherri Morgan, sherri_morgan@comcast.net, 541-868-5649
Hospitality: Sharron Lyons, 541-746-3406
Directions from I-5:
Take the I-105 exit west towards downtown Eugene. Go 1.2 miles. Take exit 2 on to Coburg Road
towards downtown Eugene. Go 0.1 miles. Keep left; take the ramp toward the city center. Stay on
Coburg Road for 1 mile. Merge on to Hwy 99 South (Franklin Blvd) toward the U of O. Go 0.5 miles.
Exit right 150° on to East 11th Avenue heading west. Go 0.1 mile. Turn right in to the Morse Event
Center parking lot. The parking lot is just past Kincaid Street. The Morse Event Center is on the NE
corner of East 11th Avenue and Alder Street. For a map, please see our website: http://www.acbld20.
org/unit479/
Page 6
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
The IN! Crowd
For Intermediate/Newcomer Players
299er or 199er?
By Christy Wiegel
D20 I/N Coordinator
We are considering changing the
stratification of
our newer player
daily events
at District 20
regionals from
300/100/50 to
200/100/50. Currently, any player
with fewer than 300 points is eligible
to play in 299er events. The proposed
change would limit the newer player
events to players with fewer than 200
points. District 19, which includes
most of Washington State and British
Columbia, already restricts newcomer
events to players with fewer than 200
points.
We would like to get your opinions
on the proposed change. But first,
some dialog is called for to address
why the change may be appropriate in
today’s tournament environment.
First and foremost, we’re seeing two
distinctly different types of non-life
master (NLM) players at our regionals. At the low end of the masterpoint
scale, we’re encountering REALLY
new players with little tournament experience. Their goals are to finish play
on time, not have a director call and
compete against players at their level.
At the higher end of the scale, we
have improving players who are motivated to attain Life Master status and
are driven to events that award gold
points. Those players are increasingly
entering Gold Point Pair events and
bracketed knockouts rather the 299er
events.
Here are a few of the changes we are
considering to meet the player’s needs
at both ends of the spectrum:
1. We are exploring offering 0-99
ONLY stratifications on the same
days as Gold Point Pairs. By
limiting the masterpoints, we may
attract more really new players
who aren’t comfortable playing
against more experienced pairs. If
a pair has more than 100 points,
they would play in the Gold Point
Pair event.
2. We are considering adding a third
day of Gold Point Pairs to further
meet the needs of strong novice
players who play at regionals to
earn gold points.
3. At all other new player events, the
upper masterpoint limit would be
reduced to 199.
4. We want to offer a Flight B bracketed Swiss event on a day when
the Gold Point Pairs is not offered.
The Flight B bracketed Swiss
event was extremely popular at
the Seattle NABC and gives newer
players the opportunity to play
May 25-27, 2012
Note Start Time!
PLAYING SITE
Kliever Armory
10000 NE 33rd Drive, Portland 97211
503-280-8160
OPEN STRATS: 0-750, 750-2000, 2000+
w Players (0-5
e
N
)
FRIDAY, May 25.............................7:00
Stratified Open Pairs
0-500 Pairs, Non-LM
0-50 Stratified Pairs - # of tables permitting
!
PL A
!
E
Y FRE
SATURDAY, May 26 ........12:00 & 5:30
Stratified Open Pairs (Playthrough)
Single Session Pairs Welcome
0-50 Stratified Pairs - # of tables permitting
0-300 Stratified Pairs
SUNDAY, May 27 ....................... 10:30
Second session TBA
Stratiflighted Swiss Teams (AX, BCD)
Flight AX (plays separately) - VPs, A=3000+, X=0-3000
Strat BCD: B 750-1500, C 300-750, D 0-300 —VPs
10:30 Single Session Swiss (0-300) — Win/Loss
fer silver points for all events) would
continue to be stratified as 299er.
Please feel free to voice your opinions and perhaps offer a fresh perspective. In the meantime, if you
are within that 200-300 master point
range, we will try to contact you
personally. Email Christy Wiegel at
cwiegel@pcez.com.
Education …
Do You Want to be a Bridge
Teacher or a Club Director?
By Mary Alice Seville
D20 Education Coordinator
At the Oregon Coast Regional,
September 17 to 23, District 20 will
present training courses for teachers
and directors.
Teacher Training Seminar
The Better
Bridge method
of teaching will
be presented
by Karol Monroe on Monday
9/17 from 9am
to 5pm with a
demonstration
The Teacher
class* on Tuesday
Accreditation Seminar
9/18 from 11:00
will be given by Karol
to 12:30 in the
Monroe
River­view Room
of the Convention Center. The cost of
the seminar is $75 for District 20 members and $125 for others.
This seminar is an ACBL-approved
Teacher Accreditation Program. The
techniques you learn from Karol can
be applied to any teaching materials you want to use. Register for the
seminar directly with Karol Monroe at
monroes@pinerystreet.com or by calling
541-264-5708.
*The Tuesday demonstration class is
free for I/N players. Look for signs at
the tournament telling players what
the topic will be.
Club Director Course
This course
will be taught
by Guy Monroe
with assistance
from Bob Peery.
It will be held
in the Riverview Room of
the ConvenGuy Monroe will lead
tion Center
the Club Director
mornings 8am
Course
to noon on
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,
9/19-21. The ACBL Director’s test
will be administered Friday morning.
The cost for the Course is $100. The
fee includes the Laws of Duplicate
Bridge, the Club Director Handbook
and the fee for taking the test. Register
for the seminar with Guy Monroe at
monroes@pinerystreet.com or by calling
541-264-5708.
New District 20 ACBL Members
FRIDAY, May 25.............................1:00
Stratified Open Pairs
0-500 Pairs, Non-LM
in non-knockout team events and
play only against other teams in
their own stratification.
The proposed stratification change
would only affect events at District 20
regional tournaments; namely, Seaside, Medford, Eugene, Vancouver,
Boise and Reno (through 2014). Unit
sectional tournaments (which only of-
FREE FFEE
CO
& SNACKS
Light Meal between Sessions on Sunday
Get your SILVER sectional points!
Head Director: Brian Russell
Tournament Manager: Alan Johnson 503-771-3316 (apeace01@comcast.net)
Partnership: Ralph Jones 503-645-6581 (rajon9985@gmail.com)
$8.00 per session, $9 for unpaid and non-ACBL members
Adele Crooks, Honolulu HI
Amy Lowes, Portland OR
Angela Tilaro, Chico CA
Beulah Gray, Ontario OR
Bill Jones, Grass Valley CA
Bonnie Doyle, Portland OR
Brad Hayrs, Portland OR
Carol Lilley, Albany OR
Carolyn Townsend, Eugene OR
Catherine Light, Bend OR
Christy Ekroth, Vancouver WA
Colleen Hamilton, Lake Waikoloa HI
Darrel Mooney, Boise ID
David Bolender, Portland OR
Debra Platt, Portland OR
Diane Johnson, Hilo HI
Gale Elkins, Portland OR
Hank Weston, Penn Valley CA
James Unterpan, Ortland OR
Jane Beach, Manzanita OR
Janet Hume, Honolulu HI
Janet Kelly, Portland OR
Janice Marquis, Lake Oswego OR
Jeri Newton, Shingletown CA
Jerrold Hughes, Springfield OR
John Polus, Eagle Point OR
Jon Gassaway, Beaverton OR
Judith Kennedy, Lahaina HI
Judith Reid, Boise ID
Kandy Weston, Penn Valley CA
Kathy Ellis, Beaverton OR
Kim Speer, Redding CA
Linda Simmons, Ontario OR
Madelyn Koontz, Albany OR
Marianne Klekacz, Eddyville OR
Marilyn Urness, The Dalles OR
Mark Neidengard, Beaverton OR
Mary Francis, Lake Oswego OR
Mary Lou Humphrey, Medford OR
Mary McCormick, Albany OR
Mary Peot, Beaverton OR
Michael Rohm, Meridian ID
Myra Friedman, Portland OR
Patt Elison-Bowers, Boise ID
Patty Wightman, Portland OR
R Brantley Dettmer, Lake Oswego OR
Rick Gardner, Arch Cape OR
Sarah Robinson, Kahuku HI
Sharon Wada, Ontario OR
Shelley Smith, Ocean View HI
Shirley Stefano, Gridley CA
Steven Dennis, Boise ID
T Paul Adams, Blodgett OR
Vicky Howard, Albany OR
May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 7
Around the District: People
Behind the Scenes:
Peggy Coquet
The Trumpet editor gathers the material and pictures that will go into the
newspaper, edits and writes articles,
and decides where the material will
go. She then hands everything over to
Peggy Coquet, District 20’s very capable page designer. Her job requires
technological expertise and artistic
creativity. Peggy has those both in
spades.
Originally from Tampa, Peggy
moved to the northwest with her husband Steve in 1968. If you listen carefully, you’ll still detect her soft southern accent. According to Peggy, a boss
once asked her about the status of a
job she was assigned. She was distracted and, slipping back to Tampa-talk,
replied, “I’s fixin’ to do that.” The boss
looked at her rather incredulously and
they both laughed.
Peggy now works for Fedex Office
(ex-Kinko’s). There she is a Technology Specialist, responsible for fixing
computers, software, and peripheral
equipment. She loves her job.
Peggy’s fascination with building
computers and graphic design goes
back almost 30 years. Prior to her
current job, she had her own design
business; she still creates newsletters
for many groups including ParentChild Preschools and the Tri-County
Farm Fresh Guide. It was through her
work for the Oregon Episcopal Church
News that Sue Kroning, the previous
editor, recognized Peggy’s talent and
recruited her to work for the Trumpet.
Charity Game Benefits
Lane County Families
At the Emerald Bridge Club’s April 10 Charity Game, members were asked to bring
food to be donated to Food for Lane County. Eugene’s Jeff Taylor sponsored the game
and is seen here with the bountiful contributions.
A Bridge Too Far:
My Trip to the Memphis Nationals
(Continued from Page 3)
waxed them for a couple of near-tops.
Now we just had to wait for the final
results and we could call it a tournament.
The printer started and the usual
cattle stampede to the wall began. It’s
amazing how quickly some of the notso-svelte players can move when they
want to. We finally muscled in and
saw we’d moved up to eleventh place
with a 58% game — not bad for a long
slog against a hard field.
Given the travel fatigue and the
marathon nature of the competition,
I’m proud of how Doug and I did. I’ve
never played so many hands in two
days. I admire players who can go to
the big tournaments and play for days
on end; it’s a mental and physical
skill that takes practice to master. I’m
happy we got the chance to compete
and think we represented D20 pretty
well at the Nationals.
Behind the Scenes:
PDI Supplies
Lynda Cole and Christina Jordan are familiar faces behind the book stands at local regionals
If you are a player who attends District 18, 19 or 20 regionals, you can’t
help but be familiar with the extensive
selection of bridge books and other
bridge-related items for sale at those
events. And if you have taken the
opportunity to browse the books, you
may have had the pleasant experience
of talking to one of PDI Supplies’ owners or assistants.
The books, though, are only one part
of their large responsibilities. PDI Supplies, as the name implies, supplies
and sets up the bridge tables, boards,
bidding boxes, scoring sheets and pencils and provides all the transportation
for the equipment.
The owners are Larry Chow and Lynda and Ralph Cole. I asked Linda what
PDI stands for. It’s not something you
could guess: Pacific Delectable Inc.
One’s mind quickly races trying to figure out the Delectable aspect of bridge
and comes up blank. So here’s the
explanation … Ralph is a long-time
commercial fisherman. Lynda, trying
to figure out a way to make money
herself, came upon the idea of smoking some of the salmon Ralph caught.
That’s when she created the name.
A few years later, District 19 put
out bids for someone to carry their
equipment between regionals. Larry
approached Lynda and the two joined
forces. They decided to use Lynda’s
current business name and added
Supplies.
Now, they have decided to retire and
District 20 is looking for their successor. Meanwhile, Lynda has an appeal
to all bridge players: “Please leave
those long pencils behind!”
District 20 Rank Changes
New Junior Masters
Jo Alvin, Albany OR
Kathryn Archie, Portland OR
Stan Blascow, Philomath OR
Kathy Burns, Tillamook OR
David Chalker, Florence OR
Maryellen Coutu, Portland OR
Marcia Fabian, Eugene OR
Lloyd Goodrich, Battle Ground WA
Maruth Gruver, Vancouver WA
Denise Holman, Manzanita OR
Travis Johnson, Portland OR
Bill Jones, Grass Valley CA
Leeann Jones, Portland OR
Jacqueline Joseph, Portland OR
Carolyn Knepper, Princeville HI
Frederick Lam, Kamuela HI
Jody Larson, Medford OR
Beatrice Maeda, Honolulu HI
Caitlin Moreno, Corvallis OR
Priscilla Pavao, Honolulu HI
Nancy Remple, Portland OR
Jo Jean Schieve, Haleiwa HI
Robert Schieve, Haleiwa HI
Ron Smith, Harbor OR
Phyllis Sutter, Lake Oswego OR
Dale Taylor, Klamath Falls OR
Thomas Warren, Longview WA
Kenneth Waskom, Bend OR
Karen Wright, Grass Valley CA
New Club Masters
Eleanor Carlson, Corvallis OR
Hendrik Grootendorst, Lake Oswego OR
Necia Hasbrook, Salem OR
Jerrold, Hughes, Springfield OR
Roger Hutchings, Medford OR
Beverly MacDougall, Florence OR
Ed Mout, Springfield OR
Lynn Nakkim, Pepeekeo HI
William Nielsen, Grass Valley CA
Georgia Ostenson, Corvallis OR
Jan Petroski, Woodburn OR
Donna Roberge, Camas WA
Shelley Stowers, Depoe Bay OR
Hazel Van Evera, Chico CA
Meredith Aldrich, Eureka CA
Donovan Carlson, Redding CA
Sue Green, Honolulu HI
Philip Israel, Lakeview OR
Bill Jones, Grass Valley CA
Edie Leo, Wilsonville OR
Sharon Raife, Seaside OR
Jana Schaffeld, Vale OR
William Schrader, Lakeview OR
James Scovil, Vancouver WA
Sharon Truax, Weiser ID
Pat Werlich, Medford OR
New Sectional Masters
Jeff Anhaltzer, Lake Oswego OR
Barbara Ball, Portland OR
Patricia Bauman, Captain Cook HI
Lawrence Crain, Medford OR
William Fry, Portland OR
June Green, West Linn OR
Kenneth Hamilton, Mililani HI
James Keefe, Honolulu HI
Kathy Lees, Eugene OR
Victor Meyers, Kailua HI
Ralph Robinson, Eugene OR
Carol Stocking, Grants Pass OR
Donald Stocking, Grants Pass OR
Donald Tull, Medford OR
Joann Brown, Grass Valley CA
Leslie Conley, Bend OR
Judith Hoppe, Boring OR
Donald Robinson, Boise ID
Ken Wood, Longview WA
Thomas Wostenberg, Montague CA
New Regional Masters
Rita Bomber, Beaverton OR
David Dodson, Pahoa HI
Roy Grice, Boise ID
Ralph Jones, Portland OR
Elizabeth Joste, Portland OR
William Phillips, Vancouver WA
Richard Root, Portland OR
William Seaton, Pukalani HI
Alan Stewart, Vancouver WA
Paul Berglund, Medford OR
Susan Brown, Captain Cook HI
Suzanne Wallace, Kailua HI
New NABC Masters
Daniel Grossbard, Grants Pass OR
Linda Hann, Roseburg OR
Patrick Howard, Beaverton OR
Deborah Lackey, Washougal WA
Virginia Sinclair-Brooks, Portland OR
Judith Smith, Anahola HI
Shirley Staggs, Vancouver WA
Marian Weiss, Florence OR
Carol Zajac, Kailua HI
Jonathan Bean, Portland OR
Ben Bomber, Vancouver WA
Douglas Jones, Paradise CA
David Lavrinets, Yachats OR
Craig Schauermann, Vancouver WA
New Bronze Life Masters
Don Brockhaus, Salem OR
Kenneth Dunbar, Portland OR
Jim Hickenbottom, Redding CA
Laura Huss, Gresham OR
Steve Larsen, la Pine OR
Lee Lerfald, Roseburg OR
Mike Mills, Portland OR
Richard Rodeman, Washougal WA
Audrey Swygard, Corvallis OR
Rita Fontaine, Longview WA
Judith Mason, Honolulu HI
Leo Williams, Honolulu HI
New Silver Life Masters
Jenni Boles, Chico CA
Karla Claybaugh, Kaneohe HI
Jim Johnsen, Meridian ID
William Reeves, Ashland OR
James Sanner, Salem OR
Jerold Wershba, Portland OR
Susan Kobayashi, Honolulu HI
Randall Paul, Klamath Falls OR
Lucille Sorenson, North Bend OR
New Gold Life Master
Donald Tofte, Portland OR
New Diamond Life Master
Laverne Kittilson, Portland OR
Page 8
By Rose McGuire
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
Around the District: People
The Gordian Knot
The woman,
president of the
Salem Bridge
Club (SBC), sat
at the card table.
It was a Monday
evening of a long
day, and her
eyes stung out of
tiredness. But the
2012 Winter Educational Bridge Program was beginning, marking the third year of focusing on growth through education for
Salem Bridge Club and, by extension,
Salem Unit 490. Armed with a white
board and a blue dry-erase marker, the
petite master-bridge teacher began her
lesson.
As the honors and x’s were penned
on the white board, one of the students tossed out a question that hung
heavy on her brain. What was the
rationale for using the 2/1 system?
The teacher’s eyes projected the joy
of a natural opportunity to explain its
value.
For the next hour and a half, the
lesson proceeded with more back and
forth of naturally generated questions
meeting enlightening answers. Boards
prepared with hands supporting the
lesson were opened and bid, letting
the students develop more ease with
the concept taught.
The teacher looked up at the clock.
Thirty more minutes to go. As she
replaced the used boards with a fresh
set, she alerted her students about the
next lesson they would be encountering. That lesson would take place
on Wednesday, and it would require
the students to bring their scorecard
from last Wednesday’s day game. She
explained that upon scoring the hands
from last Wednesday, she had noticed
a large discrepancy between bids.
Such discrepancies alerted her teaching instincts that her students’ scores
signaled that a lesson was needed.
She had gleaned this information by
comparing the bids on the travelers – paper score sheets – with the
bids from the dealing machine hand
records.
The SBC president pricked up her
ears. Having been a teacher and a
principal, something clicked inside her
brain. She had been spending much of
the last 48 hours working on a Gordian Knot of a puzzle. The puzzle was
the disconnect between an effective
bridge teacher and a new technology
system mandated by the SBC Board
of Directors. The storm of words that
had been offered by both sides had
pushed those two sides into a corner
that had little space for compromise.
Besides, the storm of words had been
missing the focus on the big question
of “why?”
Instead, other words had been peptraveler, the BridgeMate, is the gatepering the air over the problem. One
way to both immediate feedback and
side tried the words that connoted
connection to the dealing machine and
respect and history and the hard work
the website.
of a teacher. The
So, thought
other side offered
the
woman, we
… the two sides need the
the words that
could be near to
freedom to use what will
were associated
the compromise.
with the concept
The teacher needs
promote growth.
of compliance to
flexibility for her
the board’s directive. Neither side had
students’ growth. The Board needs
yet used words that could answer the
technology for the club’s growth.
real “why” pertaining to their sides’
Can’t both happen at the same time?
rationale.
Could South fill out a paper traveler
Now, here in this Monday evening’s
while North fills out the electronic
lesson was an answer regarding the
traveler?
rationale on the teaching side of the
Do we need this disconnect? Can we
puzzle. No student’s learning needs
move towards the freedom of each
are exactly the same. Therefore, a
side to do what is needed since the
teacher must be free to use whatever
target is the same: growth? Whether
tools will work.
it’s growth in the classroom, growth at
Meanwhile, a board of directors has
the bridge table, or growth in membersix objectives to perform that center
ship, the two sides need the freedom
around the promotion of the game.
to use what will promote growth.
Therefore, the board needs the tools
The woman looked up and saw that
for the club to promote in this techthe class was preparing to go home.
nological age where prospective new
In the spirit of camaraderie the class
members can be reached and estabalong with their teacher put bidding
lished members can find information
boxes away and helped each other get
about games and other duplicate sersafely to their cars.
vices locally – namely, a club website.
That’s only one tool. Members deserve
Rose McGuire, a retired teacher/elemena tool that helps them get answers
tary school principal, is president of the
to the hands they just played so they
Salem Bridge Club Board of Directors
can grow their game – the dealing
and Education Liaison to ACBL for Salem
machine’s printout. The electronic
Unit 490.
Bridge Camp: Libby’s Legacy
By Sue Kroning
She’s not as spry
as she used to be
but Portland’s
Libby Fewel is
still, after more
than twenty
years, sponsoring
and organizing
Bridge Camp by
the Sea. It started
in a small way in
Gearhart, where Libby and several of
her childhood pals have beach homes.
First it was a woman hired to teach
them calligraphy. Then someone suggested hiring a bridge teacher for the
next year. This was so successful that
it became a yearly event and Bridge
Camp was born.
When Sally Mannex first introduced
Libby Fewel keeps her finger on the pulse at
Bridge Camp, while wearing one of the many
bridge-themed sweatshirts she has designed and
given as gifts to participants.
me to Libby as a potential new teacher,
I thought it was something to do with
small boys in tents. How interesting to
discover that it was actually a weeklong bridge program for about two
dozen ladies, all invited by Libby.
I’ve taught at Bridge Camp for
fourteen years, and it grew to having
sixty women in August. Then the men
wanted in, so Bridge Camp in May
was added for ladies and couples.
Four of these camps took place on
cruises; we went to Mexico, the Caribbean, through the Panama Canal, and
around the Mediterranean.
Then the daughters wanted in, so
Junior Bridge Camp began eight years
ago and now hosts another sixty
younger women in June. All camps are
held at the Episcopalian Church Hall
in Seaside, transformed by colorful
table cloths, wall posters and various
gifts, one of which is always a sweatshirt or a T-shirt.
As the hired teacher, I develop a
program according to a theme. Once
the theme was “The Power of Two”
and the morning lessons included
“The wonderful strong 2♣ opening
bid,” “The weak and wild 2♦, 2♥ and
2♠ opening bids” and “The remarkable
messages of the two spot card.” All the
lessons are workshops with hands to
play.
Libby insists that when players arrive
they draw a card for their table, so
friends are split up. This great system
prevents cliques, and usually the more
experienced player at the table will
guide the discussion.
In the afternoons, bridge is more
casual – supervised play or a pairs or
team game. But the best action of the
week is in the evenings at the parties.
These are legendary and take place in
gorgeous beach homes or occasionally
the country club.
Bridge camp teacher Sue Kroning (center) and sponsor Libby Fewel (to her right) with the June 2011
Bridge Camp contingent in Seaside.
It has been a privilege to have been
involved in Bridge Camp for so long.
My husband Robert has added lots
of fun touches. I’ve made wonderful
friends, especially Charlotte Faries,
who makes the most divine cookies for
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every camp, and Libby, a remarkable
woman who has uniquely nurtured
her friendships through bridge and
taught or inspired hundreds of younger women to take up bridge. She is the
Queen of Hearts. ♥
Carolyn Murphy of Portland discusses an interesting bridge concept at a morning
lesson at Bridge Camp.
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May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 9
2012 First Quarter Masterpoint Races
(through March 31)
Ace of Clubs Top 5
0 to 5 Masterpoints
1. Bill Jones, Grass Valley CA
2. Stan Blascow, Philomath OR
3. Larry Chase, Boise ID
4. William Neely, Boise ID
5. Debbie Cole, Bend OR
6. Ron Smith, Harbor OR
7. Priscilla Pavao, Honolulu HI
19
8
7
7
5
5
5
5 to 20 Masterpoints
1. Jerrold Hughes, Springfield OR
2. Sharon Raife, Seaside OR
3. William Nielsen, Grass Valley CA
4. Bruce Kirkland, Newport OR
5. Edie Leo, Wilsonville OR
11
10
8
8
7
20 to 50 Masterpoints
1. Gerald Clark, Anderson CA
19
2. Susan Crawford, Portland OR
18
3. Maryjane Swynenburg, Cannon Beach OR15
4. James Keefe, Honolulu HI
15
5. Beatrice Millar, Grass Valley CA
14
50 to 100 Masterpoints
1. Larry Simmonds, Nevada City CA
2. Maria Martin, Chico CA
3. Susan Brown, Captain Cook HI
4. Christine Rider, Wailuku HI
5. Ronald Mathis, Grass Valley CA
100 to 200 Masterpoints
1. Mark Bloom, Chico CA
2. Karen Mason, Florence OR
3. Donna Espeseth, Eugene OR
4. David McKee, Ashland OR
5. Jeanne Schmidt, Eugene OR
200 to 300 Masterpoints
1. Mike Kitzmiller, Salem OR
2. Wilhelmina White, Redding CA
3. Pauline Fackrell, Winston OR
4. Linda Hann, Roseburg OR
5. Donna Jackson, Bend OR
300 to 500 Masterpoints
1. Ray Lowe, Astoria OR
12
12
12
11
11
24
21
21
18
18
26
25
22
21
20
30
2.
3.
4.
5.
Beth Aronoff, Corvallis OR
Donald Crozier, Bend OR
Richard Rodeman, Washougal WA
Leighton Wells, Springfield OR
• Celebrity Speakers
• I/N Party
I/N Coordinator: Christy
Wiegel, cwiegel@pcez.com,
(503) 680-0334.
30
29
29
28
0 to 5 Masterpoints
1. Bill Jones, Grass Valley CA
2. Stan Blascow, Philomath OR
3. Larry Chase, Boise ID
4. Carrie Niemiec, Forest Grove OR
5. Debra Vanover, Lebanon OR
19
16
15
10
9
13
11
10
8
8
8
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Beth Aronoff, Corvallis OR
Gregory Smith, Corvallis OR
Douglas Jones, Paradise CA
Katie Fagan, Kailua HI
Thomas Fagan, Kailua HI
Robert Liu, Honolulu HI
48
44
39
39
39
39
500 to 1000 Masterpoints
1. Jim Johnsen, Meridian ID
2. Jack Patnode, Kula HI
3. Lynda Hirst, Vancouver WA
4. Joy McKenzie-Smith, Portland OR
5. David Finley, Albany OR
111
105
65
64
55
500 to 1000 Masterpoints
1. Jim Johnsen, Meridian ID
2. John Gregory, Corvallis OR
3. Lois Hopkins, Grass Valley CA
4. Cathy Mleko, Grass Valley CA
5. Marilyn Avey, Redding CA
6. David Finley, Albany OR
60
37
36
33
33
33
1000 to 2500 Masterpoints
1. Allyn Washington, Penn Valley CA
2. Lillian Johannessen, Honolulu HI
3. Irva Neyhart, Corvallis OR
4. Marvin Grudem, Redding CA
5. James Gallaher, Nevada City CA
5 to 20 Masterpoints
1. Jerrold Hughes, Springfield OR
2. Fran Allen, Portland OR
3. Sharon Raife, Seaside OR
4. William Nielsen, Grass Valley CA
5. Denise McElney, Gold Hill OR
6. Bruce Kirkland, Newport OR
52
44
42
38
36
2500 to 5000 Masterpoints
1. Helen Henning, Penn Valley CA
2. Mohamed Shagrun, Chico CA
3. Marge Roe, Grass Valley CA
4. Barbee Bellows, Nevada City CA
5. Nancy Sommerville, Grass Valley CA
20 to 50 Masterpoints
1. James Keefe, Honolulu HI
24
2. Maryjane Swynenburg, Cannon Beach OR24
3. Genevieve Leary, Bayside CA
24
4. Susan Crawford, Portland OR
23
5. Michael Green, Yamhill OR
22
1000 to 2500 Masterpoints
1. Lillian Johannessen, Honolulu HI
2. Richard Garvin, Corvallis OR
3. Ernest Inada, Honolulu HI
4. Irva Neyhart, Corvallis OR
5. Suzanne Cook, McKinleyville CA
107
102
98
96
91
59
48
47
44
42
5000 to 7500 Masterpoints
1. John Mayfield, Junction City OR
2. Janie Pearcy, Vancouver WA
3. Richard Carle, Longview WA
4. Roger McNay, Beaverton OR
5. Birger Holmquist, Kaneohe HI
50 to 100 Masterpoints
1. Christine Lynn, Lyle WA
2. Alan Stewart, Vancouver WA
3. Susan Brown, Captain Cook HI
4. Randy Naef, McMinnville OR
5. William Phillips, Vancouver WA
27
24
23
22
20
2500 to 5000 Masterpoints
1. Yasuko Shrenzel, Honolulu HI
2. Daniel Hoekstra, Portland OR
3. Hal Montgomery III, Portland OR
4. Suzanne St Thomas, Salem OR
5. Jon Bartlett, Portland OR
138
133
125
119
96
39
28
24
22
22
7500 to 10,000 Masterpoints
1. M Duane Meador, Vancouver WA
2. Iku Donnelly, Honolulu HI
3. Thomas Lum, Honolulu HI
4. Jeffrey Taylor, Eugene OR
5. Ethel Birnbach, Portland OR
100 to 200 Masterpoints
1. Ben Bomber, Vancouver WA
2. Karen Mason, Florence OR
3. Mark Bloom, Chico CA
4. Jonathan Bean, Portland OR
5. Eileen Milligan, Corvallis OR
59
39
36
32
31
5000 to 7500 Masterpoints
1. John Lusky, Portland OR
2. Roger McNay, Beaverton OR
3. Birger Holmquist, Kaneohe HI
4. Richard Carle, Longview WA
5. Merlin Vilhauer, Beaverton OR
201
137
127
111
101
29
24
20
11
9
Over 10,000 Masterpoints
1. Godfrey Chang, Honolulu HI
2. Ross Rainwater, Vancouver WA
3. Betty Rossmann, Portland OR
49
42
41
38
38
38
7500 to 10,000 Masterpoints
1. Jeffrey Taylor, Eugene OR
2. Ed Ulman, Portland OR
3. Thomas Lum, Honolulu HI
4. Iku Donnelly, Honolulu HI
5. Everett Fukushima, Aiea HI
163
108
90
69
63
23
9
4
200 to 300 Masterpoints
1. Cece Knowles, Lake Oswego OR
2. Mike Kitzmiller, Salem OR
3. Wilhelmina White, Redding CA
4. Linda Hann, Roseburg OR
5. Robert Smith, Anahola HI
6. Judith Smith, Anahola HI
300 to 500 Masterpoints
1. Joe Rottmann, Vancouver WA
2. Richard Rodeman, Washougal WA
95
52
Over 10,000 Masterpoints
1. Godfrey Chang, Honolulu HI
2. Ross Rainwater, Vancouver WA
3. Betty Rossmann, Portland OR
125
110
100
RED LION HOTEL
299er PROGRAM
Mini-McKenney Top 5
200 North Riverplace, Medford OR
97501. Book at 1-800-REDLION
or (541) 779-5811 or online at
D20 web site link. Room Rates:
Single or double $73.95, triple
$83.95, quad $93.95. Group code:
AMER2012. Rates available until
April 11, or until room block is
sold out.
• Free airport shuttle
• Microwaves & refrigerators
• Pets accepted
• Free in-room wireless access.
Two
Gold Rush Pairs
Events!
Schedule allows plenty of
time to visit the world-­
famous theaters in Ashland.
Eligibilty for flighted events based
on top player’s mps. Thereafter,
strats determined by average of
pair or team.
Stratified Events: A=1500+;
B=750-1500; C=0-750 (Single session entries welcome)
299er Events:
0-50; 50-100; 100-300
ACBL Mid-Chart allowed in: 1)
All stand alone Flight AX events.
2) Top bracket of Open Bracketed
KO’s (not Senior or Single Bracket).
Entries: $11 per session for dues
paying ACBL members, $2 extra
for others.
Director in Charge: Matt Smith
Tournament Manager: Marilyn Vilhauer, (503) 533-9096;
D20Bridge@live.com.
Local Chair: Don Walker, (541) 601-9257. waldonker@hotmail.com.
Partnership Chair: Gee Gee Walker, (541) 772-3285. ggwalker@
gmail.com.
D20 Web Site:
Hospitality Chair: Rebecca Ostom.
www.ACBLD20.org
THE
THE ROGUE
ROGUE VALLEY
VALLEY
REGIONAL
REGIONAL
Four KO Events!
Friday Night Party
Red Lion Hotel
Medford Oregon
MAY 14-20, 2012
EVENT
MON TUE WED THU
FRISATSUN
Wecome to Medford Knockout Teams
10:00
3:00
*7:007:30
Rogue Valley KOs
7:30
7:30
7:30
Weekday Bracketed KOs
10:00 10:00
3:00 3:00
Weekend Compact KOs
10:00
3:00
Charity Stratified Open Pairs (1 session)
*7:00
Stratified Open Pairs (2 sessions)
10 & 3 10 & 3
10 & 3
A/B Stratified Pairs (Open/2500) (2 sessions)
10 & 3
10 & 3
Gold Rush Pairs (750/300/100) (2 sessions)
10 & 310 & 3
Daytime Side Games Series I
10:00 10:00 10:00
3:003:00
Daytime Side Game Series II
3:00 10:00 10:00
3:00
3:00
Evening Side Games Series
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
7:30
Stratified Swiss Teams (1 session )
3:00
3:00
Klamath Falls Swiss Teams (2 sessions)
7:307:30
Strati-Flighted Swiss Teams (2 sessions)
10:30
(A/X: Open/3000) & (B/C/D: 750/300/100)
&TBA
♥ 299ers
1-session 299er Charity Stratified Pairs
*7:00
1-session 299er Stratified Pairs
10:00
3:00
10:00
10:00
3:00 3:00
GNT DISTRICT FINALS: Saturday May 19 Flights A & C, Sunday May 20 Flight B.
* Note early start time.
Page 10
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
What’s Up? Reports from the Units
Albany/
Corvallis
♠♦♥♣
By Anne Ong
www.albanycorvallisbridgeclub.org
It was Sunday morning, March 8th, clear
after days of rain. The
highway north was dry
allowing the wheels to
cover the ground like
angry stones gathering
no moss. Battle flags
Eva Bodyfelt and the
snapped in the wind;
battle flag
the WWE’s “Flight of
the Valkyries” screamed from sound systems. The
Albany-Corvallis Defenders were on their way to
Salem to defend the Peery-Pitzer Plaque!
Yeah … it didn’t exactly go that way. We
gathered, we defended, we lost the Plaque by
two points, 1538 to 1536. Typically, the home
team wins, which is how Albany came to have
the Plaque. We were hoping to break that pattern. It was not to be. Now, we’re hoping that
that pattern holds when Salem comes to us in
August.
The ride home was subdued … “Tomorrow,”
from the musical “Annie,” playing in the background rather than Ravel’s triumphant processional “Bolero.” Or, because the drive is short, Pink
Martini’s version of “Bolero.” Our ”tomorrow” is
now three months away. Watch this space.
Thank you, Salem, for your warm hospitality and the lovely lunch.
Thank you and a big hug to Eva Bodyfelt for
going along with a nutty idea, and for designing the best battle flag a bridge club ever had!
Heart of the Valley Report
Remember the Big Snow of March 21st? It’s
probably a vague image in your mind, now
that it’s May and we … maybe … perhaps …
have sun. Anyway, luckily for Unit 477 we
hosted the Heart of the Valley Sectional the
weekend before the snow. Whew, dodged
something there!
With our usual director, John Gram, away
having fun in Memphis, we welcomed Steve
Kaessner from Sacramento. Steve was assisted
on Friday by our own Bob Peery. On Saturday
and Sunday Mike Weber came down from
Portland to assist. We appreciate the knowledge, unlimited energy, and abundant people
skills needed to direct a tournament. Thank
you, Steve, Bob, and Mike, for keeping us on
track and on time.
Two written reports chronicle the contributions made to the success of the Heart of the
Valley. She wrote that he and many named
others made the sectional successful. He wrote
that she and the same named others did all of
the work. Both of them agree that tournament
coordinator, Sandy Allen, was the indispensible ingredient for success. The “she” is Joyce
Willcox, Unit President; the “he” is Albany’s
Director, Bob Peery. Their blended reports
read this way:
Roger Barker and his volunteers spent two
hours before and after the tournament setting
up and taking down all the tables and chairs.
This biggest, hardest job of the tournament
was efficiently completed by the work of Dan
and Sue Remily, George and Jan Boger, Pat
Moore, Bob Peery, Maureen Gosda and her
grandsons David and Patrick, Jonathan Alexander, and Dale Hall. Dale was kind enough
to fill his vehicle with tables and bidding
boxes and deliver them to Albany’s regular
game location. Barbara Livernois helped
with the garbage bag detail and rounded up
the bidding boxes. Joyce and Mitch Willcox
came in early on Sunday and spent two hours
organizing the clean-up that saved two hours
of hard work at the end of the day.
Mary Holzapfel donated the lovely floral
arrangements that drew lots of admiring attention. George Boger got the Allan Brother’s
coffee that, along with food, is the key to any
successful Bridge event. Eva Bodyfelt and
Myrna Evans donated the coffee pots. Sue
Remily managed the food donations, keeping
the table full of delectable snacks the entire
weekend.
On Friday evening, coffee-making duties were handed over to 14-year-old David
Gosda, grandson of John and Maureen Gosda.
With a bit of mentoring by Pat Moore and
Joyce Willcox, David handled the coffee with
panache for the rest of the weekend.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, Bob
Peery stayed behind after everyone left to
make sure that all was in order for the next
day … and that involved considerably more
than surveying the room and making a few
adjustments.
Our Sunday Swiss caddies were first-timers
Patrick Gosda, age 10 (also a grandson of John
and Maureen), and Jonathan Alexander, age
12, son of Gayanne Alexander.
I apologize that I forgot my reporter duties
during the tournament and neglected to get
pictures of these three wonderful young
gentlemen.
Karen McCuaig sat at the Welcome Desk
before each session and between sessions to
take sandwich orders for Sunday’s Swiss.
Not a person passed her without being
asked, “Have you ordered your sandwich
for Sunday?” Karla Stewart’s idea to attach
name labels to each sandwich made the lunch
process flow easily on Sunday.
As Partnership coordinator, Bob Peery met
every request for a partner, including the one
that came in on Saturday for Swiss partners
on Sunday. Wanda Knight, Tom Stratton, Eileen Boal, and Jay Schriner filled in as needed.
Thank you, Everyone, for your contribution
to the Heart of the Valley Tournament. Any
omission is the fault of this reporter.
Albany in Vancouver
An
abundance
of Seekers
from Unit
477 made
their way to
the Vancouver Regional
Audrey Swygard (front) with
in search
her teammates Eileen Milligan,
of precious
Mary Alice Seville and Mary
gems of
Vance
Gold and
“Ruby” Red. We celebrate all of their successes, but particularly two: Audrey Swygard
and Steve Larsen, former unit member and
now of La Pine, each achieved Life Master
and Bronze Life Master in a sweep of gem
gathering. When I spoke to Audrey about her
achievement, she expressed her thanks to all
who shared her wins and losses through the
years, especially to those who played tournaments with her. Audrey’s Knockout partners
were Mary Alice Seville, Eileen Milligan, and
Mary Vance. Steve partnered with Irva Kaye
Neyhart, Joyce Dickerson, and Terry Hill.
Gem Seekers: Joyce Lilleberg, Karen Nelson, Mitchell Willcox, Joyce Willcox, Carol
Harms, Dennis Harms, Renee Senior, Phil
Watson, Sheila Lidwill, Jeannine George,
Barbara Livernois, Greg Smith, Eileen Milligan, Mary Vance, Allison Evans, Gayanne
Alexander, Robert Peterkort, Bill Grady, Bob
Peery, Mary Alice Seville, Becky McKenzie,
Rick Garvin, Beth Aronoff, Roger Barker, Dan
Rogers, Gil Lawrence, Pat Moore. Congratulations, All!
Bend/
Redmond
♠♦♥♣
By Jan Hart
www.bendbridge.org
What else is anticipated when heading to
the bridge club besides playing bridge? Of
course … all those great snacks and goodies to
munch on!
Donna Jackson
Meet the Hospitality
Chair of the Cascade
Bridge Club, Donna
Jackson. Donna grew
up in San Diego.
She and her husband moved to Lake
Oswego in 1970. They
lived there for 35
years before retiring
Donna Jackson
to Bend eight years
ago. She played party bridge at first and then
was introduced to duplicate about five years
ago by a friend, Linda Johnson. As with most
of us who advance to duplicate, play of party
bridge diminishes. One of her fondest bridge
memories took place at a recent Pro-Am game
she played with Frank Murphy as a partner.
Their 70+% game was very exciting! Donna
has especially enjoyed all the wonderful new
friends she has made while playing bridge.
Donna says that shopping for snacks is the
most fun part of her job. She also sets up,
makes the coffee and cleans up after bridge.
Another responsibility is to send out cards to
members. Donna, as hospitality chair, is a very
busy person.
Club News
Speaking of hospitality, the Cascade Club
and Redmond Club have initiated a short
hospitality break about halfway through each
scheduled game. So many of us never get
a chance to visit as we either arrive close to
when the game starts, or we need to go over
a card with a new partner. It’s great having a
short time to interact with our fellow players
and enjoy more of those tasty snacks.
Another new addition that began in midApril is that the 199er group in Bend will have
a game on Mondays playing alongside the
regular game. This hopefully will encourage
the newer players to come and join the fun!
We welcome our newest members Catherine
Light and Jerry and Susan Nordstrom. We
wish Janet Woodward the best as she leaves
our unit
Congratulations go to our newest Junior
Masters: Katherine Anger, Carolyn Barry, Debbie Cole and Adrienne Nickel. Congratulation
goes, as well, to our new Life and Bronze Life
Master Steve Larsen.
Results
Frank Murphy took the honors of highest
masterpoint winner for the Redmond Club
in February. Second place winners were Bea
Harder and Kitty Thompson. Third place
went to Karen Davis and Donna Jackson. In
March, top masterpoint place winners were
1st Donna Jackson, 2nd Karen Davis and 3rd
Dee Cockfield and Rosemary Segall.
February Unit Championship winners in
Redmond were 1st Patricia Black and Julie
Johnson place, 2nd Don Crozier and Jan Hart
and 3rd Karen Davis and Donna Jackson. In
March, 1st place went to Larry and Laura
Smith, 2nd place winners were Jean Finch and
Aloha Kendall, and 3rd place went to Duke
Cockfield and Judy Davidson.
Top masterpoint winner at the Cascade Club
for February was Don Crozier. Second place
went to Pat Massler and third went to Frank
Murphy. In March, the top masterpoint winner was Laura Smith, 2nd was Richard Wilson
and 3rd was Verna Bellus.
In February, Cascade Club Unit Championship 1st place winners were Ruth White and
Jack Wolff, 2nd Larry and Laura Smith and
3rd Roz Black and Joyce Newell. In March,
Unit Championship winners were 1st John
Ducich and Shirley Weissenfluh, 2nd Verna
Bellus and Pat Massler and 3rd were Douglas
and Janet Tucker.
Do you have a
good story to tell?
Contact the editor
with your idea:
trumpeteditor@gmail.com
Boise
♠♦♥♣
By Ian Martindale
An enthusiastic group of beginning and
party bridge players gathers once a week to
learn about the duplicate game and to practice
playing. Candy Bonawitz has generated a
great deal of interest among these players
by presenting lessons and then setting up a
simple duplicate movement so the learners
can play a limited number of boards. Sue
Uranga, herself a recent addition to ACBL,
provides valuable assistance and support in
making the new players feel comfortable with
this new style of bridge. Candy reports that
new attendees who have just heard of the
game keep appearing.
Once a month Candy arranges a mentor
game and has experienced players partnering
the newer ones, helping them become familiar
with the duplicate game. She has also invited
speakers to explain some of the more puzzling
aspects of playing, from the point of view of
the new player: What is the role of the director? The ACBL? Clubs and Units?
The players have welcomed these lessons
and speakers and are eager to play with mentors. We expect many of them to become part
of the Boise duplicate scene and of the ACBL.
Thank you Candy and Sue for your good
work.
On a sad note we report the untimely death
of Mike Wilson.
Boise will host the Great Potato Regional in
May at the former Holiday Inn, now titled the
Boise Hotel and Conference Center. The playing areas are freshly painted and carpeted,
and new comfortable chairs enhance the playing experience. We have held several successful sectionals there. The chef and kitchen have
produced tasty and well-presented buffets for
Sunday lunches between Swiss Teams sessions so we are confident that all participants
will enjoy the experience of playing at our
Regional.
Tournament chair Judy Staufer has all her
volunteers working hard to add to Boise’s
welcome for all players. The dates are May
14-20.
Carla Hentze
A memorial celebration was held on
March 25 in Coos Bay for a wonderful
courageous lady and long time bridge
competitor, Carla Hentze. Carla died
of cancer on January 12. At her memorial, an auction was held to benefit
Cancer Research and over $600 was
raised. Carla was a much loved lady
with a wonderful sense of humor –
this was particularly evident with her
humorous gloating if she was ahead
of you in the game. —Mike Ash
Chico/
Paradise
♠♦♥♣
By Mark Bloom
Starting the Day Right
The first couple of club games after our
annual sectional are always loose and a little
goofy after the pressure of the tournament. At
the start of the Tuesday game, we were chatting about hands from the previous day. My
May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 11
What’s Up? Reports from the Units
Overheard
partner growled, “Come on, let’s get started
already!” I picked up my cards and was looking at a square 18-count with four spades. My
partner opened a diamond, I bid a spade, and
he jumped to 2 NT, showing a balanced 18 or
19. I took a minute to think about my options.
I was looking at three aces and 2 kings. I could
ask for the missing top honors, or I could have
a little fun. I decided that fun was the way to
go, so I said, “Okay partner, you want us to
speed up, here you go!” and banged down
all the bidding cards with a 7NT bid. Everybody’s eyes popped open. My partner got the
opening lead, played a couple of rounds, and
claimed: 7NT bid and made. One of the opponents asked me what I would have done if the
missing four points had been an Ace. I replied,
“Get on my knees and beg forgiveness!”
Club expert Doug Jacobs is known for
his quick wit, and proved it again with this
exchange. Playing with Jack Woodard, they
were going over their card before a game.
Jack asked, “If you open 1NT and there’s an
overcall and I bid, that’s forcing, right — you
won’t pass that?” Without missing a beat,
Doug answered “Of course not, Jack — that
would mean you were playing the hand!” I
almost fell out of my chair laughing and even
Jack had to smile.
Member News
New Club Master – Hazel Van Evera and
new Silver Master – Jenni Boles. Congratulations, Hazel. Jenni, we demand a recount!
Elsewhere in this issue you can read my
account of our Nationals experience, but on a
local note, thank you to all the club members
who wished us well and to Mohamed Shagrun and John Stonebraker for tutoring us in
our practice session. Your help was valuable
and much appreciated. Also, big thanks to
Redding friends Bob Wierman and July Ratley
who were in Memphis for the B flight for their
on-the-scene counsel: “It’s all about the ‘q’!”
It was great to have a couple of friendly faces
there.
Results
Jr. Fund Game, Friday, February 17: 1A:
Doug Jacobs-Garth Gregory, 2A: Doug JonesMohamed Shagrun, 3A: Jack Woodard-Shirlee
Shaw, 4A/1B: Fay Frazier-Mark Bloom.
Unit Game, Sunday, February 19: 1A: Garth
Gregory-John Stonebraker, 2A/1B: Jack
Woodard-Steve Adams, 3/4A: Carol MyersCarol Huston, 3/4A/2B: Larry & Peggy Skinner, 3B/1C: Toni Reid-Mark Bloom, 2C: Sandi
Hutchinson-Dorothy Cliff.
Jr. Fund Game, Monday, February 20: 1A:
Carol Huston-Mohamed Shagrun, 2A/1B/1C:
Doug Jones-Mark Bloom, 3A/2B/2C: Toni
Reid-Maria Martin, 4A/3B: Gloria ShagrunDennis Deromedi.
Jr. Fund Game, Tuesday, February 21: 1A:
Chuck & Carolyn Hodel, 2A: Doug JacobsGarth Gregory, 3A: Carolyn BergholdtMohamed Shagrun, 4A/1B: Fay Frazier-Toni
Reid, 2B: Mary King-Lorraine Schufeldt.
Jr. Fund Game, Monday, February 27:
1A/1B/1C: Ted Smithers-Walter Luff,
2/3A: Doug Jacobs-Garth Gregory, Gloria
Shagrun-Carol Myers, 4A: Carolyn BergholdtMohamed Shagrun, 2B: Diane Campbell-Mel
Marble.
Unit Game, Sunday, March 18: 1A: Carol
Myers-Sally Adams, 2A: Chuck Hodel-Mohamed Shagrun, 3A/1B: Gloria Shagrun-Jenni
Boles, 2/3B: Pete & Doris Roth, Walter LuffLibby Bryson.
Membership Game, Tuesday, March 20: 1A:
Kathy Vogt-Steve Kaessner, 2/3A/1B: Fay
Frazier-Toni Reid, 2/3A: Carolyn BergholdtMohamed Shagrun, 4A/2B: Diane CampbellKaren Bohlander.
Chico Sectional Report
Our local sectional was held the first weekend of March, and as usual many people contributed mightily to its success. The food was
especially strong this year, with tasty items
brought by too many people to mention individually. The Women’s Club made a generous
Two guys playing together for the
first time were discussing their cards.
One of them asked the other how he
bids over an opponent’s 1NT opening. The second guy, a newer player,
replied “I usually pass.”
donation and arranged for about a million
breakfast pieces to be offered at the Sunday
teams game—thanks, Sandi and Sue. The
room itself has never looked better, thanks to
the oversized playing cards on the walls and
the flower arrangements. My personal thanks
as Partnership czar to all the nice people who
agreed to play with out-of-towners, especially
Pete and Doris Roth, who in the space of half
an hour went from on, to off, to on again with
two different Sunday teams. As Al Pacino
said, “Every time I think I’m out, they pull me
back in again!”…
Highlights from tournament play: Chico
started the weekend on a strong note with
the formidable Precision team of Jan Keller
and Jenni Boles taking 1st overall in the Friday
morning session, with Garth Gregory and
John Stonebraker placing second and Carol
Myers and Mohamed Shagrun 4th. Steve and
Sally Adams were 3rd in B’s and Persis Sturges
and Madeline Caton 1st in C’s, with Ted Smithers and Walter Luff 3rd. The afternoon found
Mohmed Shagrun in 1st, this time with Carol
Huston, Doug Jones and Mark Bloom 2nd in
C’s, and Bob and Sharon McNutt 3rd.
The Saturday single-session side game was
good to Doug Jones and Dale Doerr, who
came in 1st in both A’s and B’s, followed by a
three-way tie for second from Diane Campbell
& Karen Bohlander, Ted Smithers & Walter
Luff, and Sandi Hutchinson & Genevive
Leary, an out of town guest.
The double-session game, with a fierce
16-table field, was a real slugfest, with many
top teams finishing the first morning half in
the mid-40’s. When the smoke cleared Carol
Huston and Mohamed Shagrun had staged a
great comeback to finish second overall.
The Sunday Swiss Teams event was another
bruising match, with the strong team of Steve
& Sally Adams, Jack Woodard and Gloria
Shagrun finishing 1st in the B division.
Many Chico folks placed high in the overall
points standings, with Mohamed Shagrun in
first place for the tournament. Congratulations!
Eugene/
Springfield
♠♦♥♣
By John Wolf
www.emeraldbridgeclub.net
Planning is well underway for the Eugene
sectional that will take place June 1 – 3. It
will be held at the Morse Event Center on
the Northwest Christian University campus.
As usual, we will have fabulous food and a
friendly atmosphere.
Janet Walsh has been conducting classes for
new players. She currently has 16 people taking her class. The feedback from those taking
the class is that it is extremely helpful and
informative. Thank you, Janet.
Emerald Bridge Club has now been in existence for three years. EBC celebrated on April
15 by hosting a third annual anniversary party
that featured free bridge for all followed by
an excellent meal afterwards – not to mention
some good wine and champagne. Congratulations to Jon Neimand and Don Marsh for
doing such a great job and providing Eugene
with our wonderful bridge-playing experience.
The April unit game held April 1 was well
attended with 15 full tables. Section winners
were Jeff Taylor and Paul Craviotto with a
68.5% game and Tom McKenna and Ron
McMullin with a 65.99% game. Second place
finishers were Lori Rowe and Oyvind Tafjord
and Brian Breckenridge and Chris Poulos.
Eureka
♠♦♥♣
By Frederica Aalto
http://www.acbld20.org/unit458/
Dear Fellow Bridge Fans:
We had a rainy patch recently, so what could
be a better way to deal with it than to play
bridge? Ken and I have been away a lot, so we
have missed most of the fun, but the rest of
you have carried on in great style!
The leaders in the 2012 Ace of Clubs race
are as follows: in the 5-20 point bracket, Nick
Frank accrued .57 points. Genevieve Leary
was first in the 20-50 point bracket with 3.82
points, followed by Bob King with 3.48 and
Louise Campbell with .51. Phillip Frankel
dominates the 50-100 bracket with 9.36 points,
with Barbara Lundeen second (1.21) and Chris
Copple third (.86). In the 100-200 bracket,
Sandra Brown has a handsome lead with 8.23
points , followed by Judy McCrone with 3.62
and Samuel Linderman with 2.63. Bob Hines
is out in front in the 200-300 bracket, leading
Percy Tanner 4.06 to 2.05. The Bowes, Ginger
and Michael, top the 300-500 bracket (11.63
points), leaving the Aaltos, Ken and Frederica
(1.9 points) in the dust. Mark Nichols is first
in the 500-1,000 bracket with 11.60 points,
followed by Lonnie Songy (4.72) and David
Simms (3.10). The race in the 1,000-2,000
bracket is fairly close, with Mark Phelps
(13.99), David Wilmington (11.14) and Sharon
Hebert (9.85) within striking distance of each
other. Bob Lorensen is all alone in the 2,5005,000 bracket with 9.24 points.
When away-points are combined with clubpoints in the Mini-McKenney race, there are
some changes in the leaders in certain brackets. Nick Frank still heads the 5-20 bracket,
and Genevieve Leary the 20-50 bracket, but
Genevieve has increased her holdings to a
whopping 23.59 points! Bob King and Louise
Campbell remain second and third in that
bracket. Phillip Frankel is still first in the 50100 bracket, but Chris Copple increases his
points to 2.35 points, moving up to second
place, dropping Barbara Lundeen to third.
The leaders in the 200-300 and the 300-500
brackets remain the same, but the Bowes
increase their points to 19.57. The 500-1,000
bracket stays steady, but there is a dramatic
change in the 1,000-2,500 bracket. Suzanne
Cook, our peripatetic warrior, returns from
her travels with oodles of booty: 91.28 points!
The elusive Sylvia Riewerts appears second
with 18.55 points. These gals are fighting the
good fight out there and burnishing the shield
of our club! Mark Phelps got knocked to third
in this bracket, but he is in good company!
Bob Lorensen remains the lonely occupant of
the 2,500-5,000 bracket.
As to the Unit Game race, after five Unit
Games (starting in December of 2011) David
Wilmington is ahead with 7.21 points, followed by Suzanne Cook with 5.93 points.
Sandra Brown and Phillip Frankel are hard on
their heels with 5.68 points. There are seven
more Unit Games to go, so there is plenty of
time for some of you “also-rans” to surge to
the front. Good luck to you!
Grants
Pass
♠♦♥♣
By Peg Meyer
Our June Sectional is the next big event at
our Club. This year the Sectional starting
June 22 will be at a new location and have
different times. We will be meeting at our local Grange which is on E St. between 4th and
5th, thus easy to fine. Our times on Friday
and Saturday will be 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.,
allowing plenty of time to explore our lovely
kitchen store and get a light lunch and some
wine at one of our newest restaurants, The
Twisted Cork.
Bring a non-playing friend or spouse and
send them to the horse races or come early
or stay later and take a dinner or lunch trip
down the river. As usual you will find small
town hospitality and good food.
Raj Tandon
This Sectional is
under the chairmanship this year of Raj
Tandon. An interesting and involved
member of our club,
Raj was born in India
and came to the US
at the age of 21 having received a Ford
Fellowship to attend
Raj Tandon
MIT for an advanced
degree in mechanical engineering.
Within a short time of arriving on the East
Coast, Raj received a better offer from North
Carolina State College and eagerly transferred to the preferred warmer climate. After
receiving his degree, Raj worked in NJ and
then back in the Boston area where he and
his wife Rosemary raised a family of three
sons.
Upon retirement, with the youngest son
at home and two sons on the West Coast,
they looked for a small town atmosphere
and settled in Grants Pass with one son at
that time in Utah (now in San Diego) and
one in Silicon Valley. With their son at home,
they quickly became involved in Special
Olympics. They continue to donate time and
resources to this organization.
With his wife involved in hobbies including quilting, gardening and books, Raj was
persuaded by a friend to learn bridge. And
with this friend as a partner, Raj read a book,
began playing in a novice group and is now a
steady and constantly improving player. He
and his non-playing wife are generous with
their time, skills and hospitality.
The role of Grandpa is by far the favorite
role for Raj who has all kinds of enticements
at home such as a soda-making machine for
their enjoyment. He intends to avoid “empty
grandchild syndrome” by installing a tennis
court when they become teenagers!!
The February Portland Regional resulted
in triumphant play by a knockout team of
Donna Andrews, Connie Sloper, Doug Merritt, and Daniel Grossbard. Donna Andrews
attained life master as a result. A novice partnership of Sharon Warren & Denise McElney
gained two 1sts in 299er pairs, and they no
longer have novice status with us!
Results
Quick statistics for the month of March
include the following: Top scorer: Bob Harkey. 3/6 Club Champ. game Sheila Daniel.
3/7 Unit game Connie Sloper & Peg Meyer,
Daniel Grossbard & Doug Merritt. 3/16 Club
Champ. game Mike Coster & Connie Sloper.
3/19 Unit Game Arn Williams & Nancy Ausland, Mary Anne Kightlinger & Mike Coster.
While watching golf recently, I wondered
why the sport of bridge could not have the
same reputation for courtesy and mannerly
conduct as does golf. Of course, comparisons
are difficult since golf is an individual game
and only occasionally a partnership contest.
However there are a few things that we
might borrow. It would be nice to have a
caddy to help propose a line of play as you
start, but most of all I want directors to hold
up a silence placard at the start of each round.
This might help at our club with the noise
factor.
But mostly, wouldn’t it be nice if we could
treat partners and opponents with courtesy,
even if we don’t shake hands after every
round? Play on and be kind!!!
(Continued on Page 12)
Page 12
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
What’s Up? Reports from the Units
(Continued from Page 11)
Jackson
County
♠♦♥♣
By Jim Flint
www.acblunit484.org
Bruce Cook
Jackson County lost another bridge icon
when Bruce Cook died of complications from
a tumor in California on March 17. Cook, a
member of the International Bridge Press Association, was a long-time editor of the Daily
Bulletin at area regionals. His talents were
also showcased at national tournaments, most
recently at the Reno NABC in 2010 where
he helped organize a limerick contest and
emceed the prize ceremonies.
Bruce played bridge with several local
partners after moving to Medford in 2009. He
encouraged players and mentored them. He
conducted free teaching sessions for newer
players. Cook was born in Canada but later
moved to Los Angeles where he took up the
game of bridge. In a profile of Cook on her
website www.stateofjeffersonbridgegazette.
com, Bernadine Lacy wrote about his early
days in southern California: “He was particularly fortunate because there was a bunch of
really good players – including Mike Shuman,
Richard Henderson and Bob Kerr – who were
regulars. It was fertile ground for an emerging
player and Bruce did not waste the opportunity. “He reminisced that in the old days, when
there were few team games and more open
field pair games, the thrill was you had an opportunity to sit at the table with and compete
against the greats in the game,” Lacy wrote.
His favorite wins, Lacy said, were a third
overall in the Palm Springs Regional (because
he got his name in the bulletin), and the time
when his team beat the Dallas Aces.
One of Cook’s frequent local partners,
Shirley Stoneberger, said she really enjoyed
playing with him. “He accepted me for who I
am,” Stoneberger said. And she felt her game
improved over time due to his mentoring.
“Bruce’s advice to new players was, ‘Play in
the toughest event you can find,’” said Lacy.
He believed it was the best way for a player to
improve her game.
Still tough at 100
Art Birnbaum of Ashland is the Rogue
Valley’s own Energizer bunny. He just keeps
going and going. And winning and winning.
At his 100th birthday party at the Rogue
Bridge Club on Feb. 20, he partnered with
Don Provence and the two charted a blistering
68.56 per cent game to top the field of 26 pairs.
He and his partner won at his 99th birthday
party last year. But it’s not just an annual
thing with Birnbaum. He plays several times
a month at the Rogue, Ashland, and Jackson
County Bridge Clubs and often finds himself
and his partner of the day on the leader board.
Club News
Winning bridge is nothing new to Scott
Foster and John Retzlaff. They play with a
number of different partners and often win or
scratch. But when the two sat down together
at the Rogue Bridge Club on March 19, they
decimated the field with a scorching 73.61 per
cent game.
A new website for Unit 484 will debut soon,
thanks to Gee Gee Walker and Maynard Vitalis, who are in charge of the redesign. Board
members have been provided a first look at
the work in progress and have been asked for
feedback.
The unit’s new site will feature an updated
modern design with interactive features, a
calendar of games and events, archives of
Unit 484 clubs’ game results, minutes of board
meetings, news, and links to other sites of
interest to bridge players in the Rogue Valley.
The 299er game on Thursdays at the Dan
Voorhies Bridge Center has been changed to a
non-Life Master game. Players with more than
300 points but who have not achieved Life
Master status may join the game. The game,
directed by Bob Fox, has continued to attract
newcomers and intermediates to duplicate
bridge. What started as a very small game
with three to five tables now draws eight to
twelve tables weekly.
“We’re starting to see many of these players
in the open games at other times of the week,”
said Leah McKechnie, who runs clubs at the
center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
As the newer players become more confident,
they decide to stretch themselves against more
experienced players. It’s a winning program
in many ways. At the last Medford sectional,
there was a large intermediate section of
tables, thanks in large part to players who got
their start at the Thursday game.
Both Fox and Jerry Kenefick conduct classes
for beginners and intermediates, and the
Thursday game is a perfect launching pad for
newcomers to duplicate.
Klamath
Falls
♠♦♥♣
By Bobby Thompson
www.acblunit482.org
Laila Griffith and Doug Higgs have been
dominant in our local bridge club the past two
months. Griffith won 10 consecutive times in
February – March while Higgs has won all
four of the 2012 once-a-month Sunday games
thru April including a 73.21 percent game
with Griffith (March) and a 71.73 (April) with
Bobby Thompson.
Sunday game winners for February were
Higgs and Thompson followed by Griffith
and Carol McClure. Strata B leaders were
Keith Thorp and Dick Halousek while
Rosemary Myers and Millie Miller topped
Strata C. Thompson, Higgs and Griffith went
one-two-three in the point parade with Myers, Winnie Duncan and Miller leading the
intermediate group. Following Griffith and
Higgs in the March Sunday game were Thorp
and Halousek who also won Strata B with
Patti Collom and Shirley Horton high in Strata
C. Sunday’s best in April were Higgs and
Thompson while Griffith and McClure were
second. Strata B winners were Thorp and
Halousek with Doug Farnam and son Dustin
first in Strata C.
The quarterly club championship event in
April was won by Higgs and Thompson with
Ruth Porterfield and Ted Gessner second in
Strata A and first in B. Strata C winners were
Doug and Deb Farnam.
In the second Pro - Am game of 2012, the
winners were Teddie Romtvedt - Dale Taylor
and Griffith with Doug Farnam. Griffith
parlayed her 10 wins in March plus a 70.50
game with Mrs. McClure to an easy win in
the point leadership followed by Thorp and
Doug Farnam who also led the intermediates.
Following Farnam were his wife Debbie and
Taylor. Speaking of Dale Taylor he, along with
Rhoda Bennett, Dwight Bacon, Don Ballew
and Duane Weiss, are some of our newest
players and with our “snow birds” coming
home for the warmer months in the basin, we
should see our games back up to nine plus
tables on a regular basis.
It isn’t bridge but I must mention that in
March the Oregon Tech men’s basketball team
won the NAIA Division II National Championship in Point Lookout, Missouri by defeating #1 Northwood of Florida 63-46. It was the
third championship in the last nine seasons
for the Hustlin’ Owls as they finished with a
34-4 record.
I hope that you are having fun at the Rogue
Valley Regional as I believe the timing for
this edition of Trumpet should be delivered
about now. If I don’t see you at the Red Lion
it’s because I’m broadcasting the “defending
National Champions” Oregon Tech ladies
fast-pitch games in Gulf Shores, Alabama
(May 17-23). Remember “offense wins games,
defense wins championships” so make sure
you defend well at the table.
Finally, upcoming sectionals in our end of
the state include Grants Pass (June 22-24) and
our Klamath Falls tourney (July 27-29) plus
our Redmond-Bend buddies (August 17-19).
MidColumbia
♠♦♥♣
By Peyt Turner
Darlene Kemper has re-returned to Hood
River and purchased a home near the Columbia River. Both units are happy to have her
back; she is a seasoned player always finding
willing partners.
The snowbirds are starting to trickle back
from southern places and grace the clubs with
more competition. Having more tables is a
great trade off for a sluggish spring with little
winter. Marilyn Carmichael however is the
exception; she goes to Alaska to spend winters
with her kids and play lots of bridge. Jan
Holcomb is back from San Diego, Dick Miller
from California. Snowbirds from Sam’s club
still not back yet.
Warm but Bridge-Deprived
I left for La Paz Mexico to stay warm, which
happened. It astounds me that in a city of
300,000 that there isn’t duplicate. Party bridge
happens at a restaurant at Marina de La Paz
on Sea of Cortez, home to cruisers, snowbirds
– who come in twice a week to play bridge
– and about six people that live there year
round.
Party bridge is not my idea of bridge but,
being desperate for bridge, I go. It’s a bit like
when I learned bridge from parents; few systems or cue bids. With 14-18 irregulars from
the north, it’s more challenging getting to the
right contract. Additional challenges are that
you sit wherever there is a an empty chair, so
there are some long Saturdays as a few players don’t even play Stayman! Some are willing
to learn, so I remain hopeful.
The most difficult parts are playing in the
wrong contract and keeping food off the
cards. The gathering is from Florida, Michigan, Colorado, Canada, with the majority
from CA, OR and WA. We lost the best player
from Spain to cancer. She had played duplicate all over the world and it was like a grand
slam when you got her for a partner! The few
year-round gringo residents are thrilled with
the new bodies at the tables. We don’t stop
playing while eating excellent Axteca soup,
outrageous nachos, enchiladas, divine real
chicken taco salads etc. or walking mariachi
bands. Most Saturdays play is up to six hours,
and cocktail hour can extend that. The waiters
think we’re nuts. It took me a full season there
to finally get a table of great competition that
played a few systems and was good to get
back to some ruthless bridge. Players include
the engineer who developed the bar code, a
photographer from Alaska, a riverboat captain, a professor on medical ethics, a woman
who lived in Argentina for years, a financial
adviser, realtor, boat surveyor, a doctor, some
teachers, sailors, the woman and hubby who
put in the first marina in Mexico, now having
lived there for over 40 years and the bridge
players that visit us. The great fun is having
known them and their families for years, being warm and with 13 cards in your hand and
good food.
We have some health issues updates. Helen
Kochel spends time with her family from
Christmas onward and may not be back as
soon as we had hoped. Evelyn Russell has
had struggles and may not be back this week.
Colleen Fredrickson is about to get a new hip
and Fay Lemuel a new knee. Bev Van Nice’s
son has had struggles after heart surgery;
things are looking better now. Bessie Asai has
returned to her home and is improving. Cards
could be mailed to her at 945 Alameda Rd.
Hood River OR 97031.
Nampa/
Caldwell
♠♦♥♣
By Marilyn Tripple
On Monday, April 2 at the regular unit game
in Caldwell, Vince Johnson celebrated his 90th
birthday, with not one, but TWO CAKES! A
rousing “happy birthday” was sung to Vince,
a long-time duplicate bridge player, and
everyone remarked how young he looked
for his numeric age. Vince thanked everyone
for the cake and the singing and urged all
the North-South players to go easy on him
that day. And, wouldn’t you know it, he and
his partner came in 1st East-West. Way to go
Vince! Many more happy 7 no trump biddings
to you!!!
An Inter Club Championship game was held
on Wednesday, April 4 at the Boise Bridge
Club, where there were10 tables in play. Marjorie Ellmaker from the Nampa/Caldwell unit
and partner Sue Nicholson from the Boise unit
had a 62.04% game and came in 1st in all three
categories: A, B, and C. They understood there
were 274 clubs playing in this same game and
were thrilled when it was reported they had
come in 12th in A, 7th in B, and 3rd in C. These
two ladies play as partners on a regular basis
in the Nampa/Caldwell game on Mondays
at the Caldwell Elk’s Club, and Marjorie is a
member of the Board of Directors. We were
happy to announce these results on Monday,
April 9 during our regular play and kudos to
these two winners were echoed by all! Way
to go!
Nevada
County
♠♦♥♣
By Jim Dyer
www.bridgescore.com/nevcnty/
The past month or two has been very busy;
well, as busy as Nevada County gets for the
members of Unit 461. Besides getting a little
rain (I have a well so rain is important to me)
the following note worthy events occurred.
Congratulations to Harvey Biddle, Gold
Life Master, Zelna Morrow, Silver Life Master,
Jeanette Dockery, Sectional Master, and John
Archer, Junior Master
Those members who came in first in the
games played in March are: Marilyn and Stan
Ausman, Barbie Bellows, Harvey Biddle,
Nancy Bosch, Leo Carney, Waring Carrington,
Bev Decker (2 times), Dorothy Esheim, Nancy
Eubanks, James Gallagher, Helen Henning (3
times), Linda Jardine, Bill Jones, Helen Kirch(3
times), Larry MacCaughey, Robert Maloney,
Cathleen Mieko, Rene Morand, Marge Roe(3
times), Nancy Summerville(2 times), and Al
Washington(3 times).
Results
Several members travelled to Sectional and
Regional Tournaments and earned Master
Points.
At the February Santa Clara Regional Carolyn Lashbrook and Marti Black earned 2.31
points. In March at the Chico Sectional the
following results were posted: Ronald Jauch
and Jamie Newman 11.15 points, Marge Roe
and Barbie Bellows 6.77 points, Jeanine and E.
B. Mc Gowan 5.51 points and Ward and Diane
Thompson 1.66 points.
The races for the Ace of Clubs Award and
the Mini-McKenney Award are still going on.
Standings in the Ace of Clubs Award are as
follows: 0-5 bracket Bill Jones 19.09, Karen
Wright 3.09; 5-20 bracket William Nielsen
8.41, Aline Moran 4.53; 20-50 bracket Beatrice
Millar 14.00, Joann Brown 7.7; 50-100 bracket
Larry Simmonds 11.99, Ronald Mathis 10.83;
May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 13
What’s Up? Reports from the Units
100-200 bracket Ward Thompson 6.87. W. G.
Vasey 6.53; 200-300 bracket Craig Dean 12.65,
John Byrne 12.41; 300-500 bracket John Dickson 16.92, Dale Jensen 16.34; 500-1000 bracket
Lois Hopkins 36.46, Cathy Mieko 33.43;
1000-2500 bracket Allyn Washington 52.50,
James Gallaher 35.72; 2500-5000 bracket Helen
Henning 58.55, Marge Roe 47.48.
The standings for the Mini-McKenney
Award are: 0-5 bracket Bill Jones 19.09, Karen
Wright 3.09; 5-20 bracket William Nielsen 8.41,
Thomas Straus 4.53; 20-50 bracket Beatrice
Millar 14.00, Joann Brown 7.71; 50-100 bracket
Larry Simmonds 11.99, Ronald Mathis 10.83;
100-200 bracket Ward Thompson 8.47, Barbara
Grist 8.12; 200-300 bracket Craig Dean 12.66,
John Byrne 12.41; 300-500 bracket Ralph Tater
17.38, John Dickson 16.02; 500-1000 bracket
Zelna Morrow 39.56, Lois Hopkins 39.46;
1000-2500 bracket Allyn Washington 54.33,
Harvey Biddle 36.55; 2500-5000 bracket Helen
Henning 60.49, Marge Roe 54.25.
Our Games
Our Sectional this year on September 27-30
will have a new venue. It will be held at the
Memorial Building in Grass Valley. The location is close to scenic downtown Grass Valley
and located near lodging and some good
restaurants. Place put this on your calendars
and experience a taste of the Gold Country
together with bridge.
If you are going to visit Nevada County and
would like to join us for bridge visit our website at www.bridge score.com/nevcnty/ for details
as to time and location.
Ontario
♠♦♥♣
By Margie Scott
Our Sectional was a big success again this
year. Thanks to everyone.
I am one who doesn’t like changes, but the
changes we made this year were very successful. Jeff Jacob was our director and he did an
excellent job. A big thanks to Kris Roberts and
Judy Seward who chaired the food committee
along with Cheryl McNutt.
If you drop in on our Monday afternoon
session, you will see a lot of new faces. Our
club is pleased that Sally Baker, Beulah Grey,
Linda Simmons, Sharon Wada and Nedra
Fletcher have joined us. Already they are very
competitive.
Placing in the top players for 2011 was
Dolores Echanis in the Ace of Clubs awards
and Lorinda Pearson in the Mini-McKenney
awards. Nice going gals.
Although she is no longer able to play with
us, we would like to wish Mae Gehrke a
Happy 100th Birthday on June 25.
We will all be going to Boise’s Regional May
14-20th. Hope to see you there.
Portland
♠♦♥♣
By Peggy Johnson
Where I Have and Have Not Been
I have been in many places, but I’ve never been
in Cahoots. Apparently, you can’t go there alone.
You have to be in Cahoots with someone. I’ve also
never been in Cognito. I hear no one recognizes
you there. I have, however, been in Sane. They
don’t have an airport; you have to be driven there. I
have made several trips there, thanks to my friends,
family and work. I would like to go to Conclusions,
but you have to jump, and I’m not too much on
physical activity anymore.
If you were at the Ace of Clubs on March 11,
you already know the Election Party was a
huge success. Sixty new partnerships showed
up for the first session and had a great time.
Note for next year: TWO non-playing directors will be hired. Outgoing President Judy
Kay was honored with a donation to the
Oregon Food Bank. Everyone also thanked
Mary Cornelius for her three years of service
on the board. Mini McKenney medallions and
Ace of Clubs certificates were passed out and
the two new Board members were announced
– Nancy Jonke and Bill Fry. Delicious pork
tenderloins were prepared by Donna Braniff
and scrumptious side dishes and desserts
were provided by the members. Thanks to all
the staff at the Ace for hosting a great event.
The second session had record-breaking attendance with twenty full tables. The Election
Party is the Board’s way of saying “thank
you” to our members, and we were thrilled
with excellent turnout.
New officers are: Ralph Jones, President;
Marie Pinch, Vice-President; Barbara Pyles,
Caddy Master & Partnerships; Brian Thomas,
Secretary; Chris Gibson, Treasurer; Nancy
Jonske & Bill Fry, Education; Marie Pinch,
Hospitality chair; Ralph Jones & Chris Gibson,
Hospitality.
Unit 487’s outreach to Catlin Gabel Middle
School was intense and exciting. A four-day
immersion into Duplicate Bridge for 5 middle
school students, the Head of the Middle
School, two parents, and three leaders was an
adventure. The middle school students were
amazing in their ability to process the game
from a mathematical point of view.
The program was classroom time: everything from learning to shuffle to using bid
boxes, and to playing practice hands. The
students learned some basic conventions and
how to formulate a plan for successful play
of the hand. The group also had a field trip to
visit the Ace of Clubs and a final day minitournament for three tables.
Irene Pickett
Irene Pickett is the featured player, teacher
and director of the day. She plays several
times a week, the only diversion being when
she’s giving bridge lessons, taking piano
lessons or cooking a gourmet meal. Irene
got interested in bridge 35 years ago when
she and her sister-in-law, Bonni, read a book
“Learning to Play Bridge in 8 Lessons.” After
seven lessons, they set out to play duplicate.
Irene set her goal to become a Life Master in
three years – which she did.
Irene and husband Randy have traveled all
over Europe, India, and Turkey. The highlight
of her bridge career was playing in the Third
European Open Bridge Championship in
Antalya, Turkey in 2007 where she played on
the Turkish team, and also played Women’s
Pairs with her good friend, Tuba Unlu. “We
needed an interpreter” but had a good time.
Another highlight of the Pickett’s travels
was going to Rotterdam and Warsaw for the
premier showing of their son Jeff’s movie,
“The Highjacker,” a story about the infamous
D. B. Cooper.
If you ask Irene what could be more satisfying than playing bridge, she’ll reply, “teaching
bridge.” “I love my Wednesday class”, she
said. “I call my students ‘my chicks’. I guess
that makes me the mother hen. “
Greta Gonzales
The Eastside Club lost a great friend and
ambassador with the passing of Greta Gonzales. Although Greta was often in a great deal
of discomfort, she was always pleasant at the
table and willing to play with anyone. Her
regular partner Dennis Williams said it best.
“As Greta’s condition continued to get worse,
she stayed the same outwardly, i.e., warm,
open, friendly, positive, and combative. She
would want us to be well, take care of others,
and to appreciate our lives.” The Eastside
Bridge Club will hold an annual memorial for
Greta Gonzales. Current plans are that it will
be a pair game held as closely as possible to
her birthday.
Eastside Players of the month (March) – Carl
Berggren, Jon Bean (nlm) and Avi Tayar (rookie); (February) – Bob Law, Dorothy Guimont
(nlm) and Nancy Hogarth (rookie).
Thirty-five people attended the March 25th
Sunday workshop on “Red light, green light”
bids. The workshop included a lesson, lunch,
and game. Peggy Brom and Barbara Pyles
placed first East-West, and Dorothy Guimont
and Lloyd Kendrick won with the NorthSouth cards. The next workshop is June 3 and
will be on bidding more slams (while staying
out of bad ones, of course).
On April 16, the Eastside Club is bringing
back the Monday Evening game, with a new
twist: it is a Fast Pairs game. Players will have
5 minutes a deal, with that limit strictly enforced! The game will begin at 7:00, and, this
time of year at least, be finished before dark!
At the Ace of Clubs on April 3, Judy Kay
and Kathy Hansen finished first with a 56.95%
game. Second were Peter Hepokoski and
Atanas Todorov with 56.93%. This difference
of 0.02% may be the smallest ever recorded!
February masterpoint leaders were Brian
Thomas and nlm David Tufts; March: Diane
Cullen and nlm Frank O’Connor. 6:30pm is
the new starting time for the Ace’s Monday
night game.
STaC week returns May 7th through 13th.
The Ace will hold STaC games every advertised session day but Wednesday AM
and Sunday’s 49er. Come earn your SILVER
POINTS and compete with nine different
districts.
Schedule Highlights
Friday, May 11 is the Ace’s 35th birthday
party. The game begins at 7:00pm with the
potluck at 6:00pm. Bring your favorite side
dish.
We will be closed Friday, May 25th through
Sunday, May 27th for the Portland Sectional.
We hope to see you all there!
Monday, May 30 is Memorial Day. Join us
for a potluck prior to the game which begins
at 1:00pm. Please bring your favorite dish to
share.
The Ace is offering continuing and beginning classes. Please call the club for more
information. 503 646 8252.
Results of the Oscar Wallace Trophy Game:
Winners were Patty & Tom Sands; 2nd: Sam
Asai – Alex Lo; 3rd: Irene Pickett – John
Ashton.
Ray Robert – Michael Eyer won the St. Patrick’s Day game; 2nd: Marcia Heitkemper –
Amit Garg; 3rd: Betty Rossmann – Ed Ulman.
Top masterpoint winners at the Ace for the
month of January: Cynthia Sinn, Laverne Kittilson and Bill Hardy.
Here are the big Portland winners from
the Oregon Trail Regional in February: Hal
Montgomery, Roger McNay, Jon Bartlett, John
Lusky, Dennis Metcalf, Randy Pickett, Eric
Stoltz, Merlin Vilhauer, Don Tofte, and Ron
Frazier. Jonathan Bean and Jake Olson were
tops from the Portland area at the Heart of the
Valley Tournament recently held in Albany.
The Stop Card
(This following is a test.) STOP! What does
that red card mean? It is a reminder that you
must be ethical in your tempo of bidding.
When your right-hand opponent makes
a jump bid, don’t bid, double, or pass too
quickly when you don’t have a problem. You
should pause to consider your hand whether
you have 5, 15, or 25 HCP. Sometimes your
call is really tough, but ideally, you would
take the same amount of time regardless of
your hand. The ACBL recommends that you
consider your call for 10 seconds. Note that
this is a matter of ethics. Drumming your
fingers and counting to 10 out loud obviously
indicates you don’t have a problem and is
strictly a no-no. Furthermore, the STOP card is
only a reminder. The ethical pause is required
even if the card is not used.
We are properly appreciative of our new
Unit 487 members: Marie-Jose and Martyn
Corden, Louise Lauman, Georgia Spencer,
Deanne Takasumi, Tom Albano, Marilyn
Arentz, Gretchen Bolender, David Chvatal,
Kathleen Dowdall, Joan Richey, Lisa Schaller,
Mary Lou Schrade, J P Voilleque, Linda
Zmrhal, Brantley Dettmer, Bonnie Doyle, Gale
Elkins, Kathy Ellis, Jon Gassaway, Janet Kelly,
Amy Lowes, Janice Marquis, Mark Neidengard, Mary Peop, Debra Platt, David Bolender,
Mary Francis, Kyra Friedman, Brad Hayrs,
James Unterpan and Patty Wightman. Transfers into our unit: Elizabeth Hopkins, Ronald
Nurss, Robert Ankeney, Don Herring, Mary
Ann Foertsch, Jeffrey Foote, June Hensala, Patricia Laflin, Valerie May, and Mitchell Rubin.
Redding
♠♦♥♣
By Joan Sullens
http://www.bridgescore.com/redding/
By the time you read this our Spring
Sectional will be a happy memory! Redding
Club members really get behind our Sectionals. Great food throughout plus a very nice
lunch on Sunday. Most all of it is donated by
our wonderful cooks and bakers. It takes a
lot of effort to ensure these events come off
smoothly. Many thanks to all who worked so
hard.
Sadly we lost two long time bridge players.
Aggie Morgan played until the very end of
her amazing life. Always willing and wanting
to play with any and all players, Aggie was
a real class act. We were privileged to have
known her!
Barbara Moon died after a long illness. She
hadn’t been able to play the past few years,
unfortunately. She, too, will be missed.
Lessons have been coming along quite well.
It’s hoped that they will stay on to play Duplicate when this series of lessons concludes.
Special Games
1st Quarter Tournament, Redding Monday
Club: OA’s: 1A: F. Hungerford - N. Ekelund,
2A: G. Lonnberg - C. Nelson, 2A: P. Lonnberg
- J. Norton. 1B: J. & F. Hickenbottom, 2B: B.
Hamilton - C. Schmitz, 3B/1C: J. Thielemann
- C. Penka, 2C: W. Enders - J. Rader, 3C: D. & I
Bessermin. Novice: N/S: 1st: K. &. J. Sorensen,
2nd: B. Hester - J. Green, E/W: 1st: R. & R.
Mendence, 2nd: P. Boehm - D. Klasson.
Red Bluff Club Championship Game: OA’s:
1A: M. Grudem - M. Avey, 2A/1B: D. & I.
Bessermin, 3A/2B: J. & F. Hickenbottom, 3B:
G. Wolfe - N. Hagey.
Unit Game February: N/S: 1A: B. Hamilton
- J. Carpenter, 2A: F. Hungerford - D. Mackey,
3A: P. Lonnberg - M. Avey, 1B: W. White - M.
Lamoreaux. E/W: 1A: M. Grudem - J. Weilbrenner, 2A: P. J. Gans - N. Ekelund, 3A: C.
Nelson - J. Sullens, 1B: G. Lenz - S. Armstrong.
Interclub Game Redding Thursday Club:
N/S: 1A: F. Hungerford - H. Prince, 2A/1B:
N. Gundy - J. Clark, 3A: S. McKown - D.
Richerson, 2B: V. Dawson - M. Avey, 3B/1C:
M. Lamoreaux - K. Shoffner, 2C: P. Denniston
- K. Desautelle. E/W: 1A/1B: W. White - C.
Schmitz, 2A: G. Lonnberg - B. Hamilton, 3A:
J. Ratley - B. Wierman, 2B: C. Sandberg J.
Maloon, 3B/1C: K. Hart - J. Speer, 2C: B. & A.
Street.
Senior Pairs Game, Redding Club: OA’s: 1A:
J. Hotchkin - F. Hungerford, 2A: D. Prettyman
- J. Weilbrenner, 3A/1B/1C: M. Lamoreaux - J.
Thielemann, 2B: G. Clark - G. Clarke, 3B/2C:
H. & L. Muns, 3C: D. & I. Bessermin. Novice:
1st: R. & R. Mendence, 2nd: K. & J. Sorensen,
3rd: C. Gundy - C. Thomas.
Awards Day Game: AM Session: N/S: 1A: F.
Hungerford - J. Hotchkin, 2A/1B: T. Marconi
- L. Carrigan, 3A/2B/1C: M. Avey - T. Dell
2C: J. Maloon - W. Hawes. E/W: 1A/1B: J.
Ratley - B. Wierman, 2A/2B: J. & D. Norton, 3A3B/1C: J. Joiner - C. Schmitz, 2C: W.
White - M. Lamoreaux. PM Session: 1A/1B: B.
Wierman - J. Ratley, 2A: J. Hotchkin - F. Hungerford, 3A/2B: J. & D. Norton, 1C: J. Joiner
- C. Schmitz, 2C: J. Thielemann - N. Hagey.
Novice: 1D: V. Pugh - P. Boehm, 2D: G. Barrett
(Continued on Page 14)
Page 14
The District 20 Trumpet
May/June, 2012
What’s Up? Reports from the Units
(Continued from Page 13)
- E. Zoll, 3D: R. & R. Mendence.
1st Quarter Tournament, Redding Thursday
Club: OA’s: 1A: B. Wierman - J. Ratley, 2A/2B:
T. Drennan - N. Coughlin, 3A: J. Hotchkin - F.
Hungerford, 1B: B. Hamilton - M. Lamoreaux,
3B: J. Speer - S. McKown, 1C: W. Enders - J.
Perkins, 2C: J. Rader - S. Armstrong, 3C: G.
Wolfe - A. Cannan.
ACBL Education Fund Game, Redding
Club: N/S: 1A/1B: V. Dawson - B. Hamilton,
2A/2B: M. Avey - T. Dell, 3A: F. Hungerford
- J. Hotchkin, 3B/1C: D. & I. Bessermin, 2C: J.
Pedersen - B. Freeman, E/W: 1A/1B: D. Hoots
- D. Norton, 2A/2B: G. Clark - G. Clarke, 3A:
H. Prince - M. Grudem, 3B: J. & F. Hickenbottom, 1C: S. & C. Cook, 2C: J. Rader - D. Carlson. Novice: N/S: B. Hester - J. Green, E/W:
R. Harvick - J. Newton.
Salem
♠♦♥♣
By Tom McGuire
http://salembridgeclub.org
Imagine my shock and dismay when I saw
our yarn in the March/April edition of The
Trumpet was the same as the in previous
issue. I had submitted the wrong file from
my computer, raising some quizzical looks
and inquiries from Unit 490 readers. “I liked
it so much the first time, I decided to run it
again,” I told ‘em. “That’s my story and I’m
sticking to it.”
Meanwhile, there’s a lot of catching up to
do — four month’s worth, so bear with me as
we cover ground ranging from the biannual
Inter-Unit Championship Contest with Unit
477 (Albany-Corvallis) and our annual Christmas Party way back in December and some
noteworthy bridge milestones.
Home field advantage continues to hold
sway in the fifth meeting between us and
them, and the Albany-Corvallis players ever
so graciously handed over the Inter-Unit
Championship plaque after the Salem-area
contingent ground out a 2.5-point masterpoint
win in the March 4 contest. Whew!
And it wasn’t for lack of trying by AlbanyCorvallis as Harry Kunz and George Boger
(1A) nudged teammates Irva Neyhart and Terrance Hill (2A/1B) for overall honors by four
100ths of a matchpoint, 198.25 to 198.21, in the
16.5-table event. Twenty-one pairs from Unit
490 and 12 from Unit 477 participated.
Other top finishers for the visitors were 5A
Chuck Baker – Cherie Baker and 3B/1C Mary
Fell – Sandra Krantz. Leading the way for the
victors were 3A/2B Shain Oleson – Mo Smith,
4A Rick Dellenback – Kevin Kacmarynski,
4B/2C Richard Howard – Shirley Scofield and
3C Martha Farmer – Jack Farmer.
The rematch takes place August 4 in Albany.
Christmas Party
Our dinner was magnificent, as always,
and we gathered in the main room of the
Keizer Elks Lodge for our annual meeting and
Christmas Party Unit Game on Dec. 11.
Before we began play, our Board of Directors
for 2012 was elected and awards were handed
out, including a special presentation by Rick
Dellenback for the Salem Bridge Club.
The Jack Lathrop Sportsmanship Award was
created by the SBC to honor Jack Lathrop, the
Salem area’s reigning gentleman of the bridge
tables and a player who exemplifies the spirit
and goodwill we all aspire to have and enjoy.
The winner was Betty Dixon, a longtime
Unit member whose sunny disposition and
gentle nature are much admired. She is richly
deserving of the award.
Other awards handed out at the party were
certificates of achievement for our MiniMcKenney and Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs
winners (see below).
Junior Masters Mark Bechel,
Re-elected to positions on
Nancy Sullivan, Loren Meythe board of directors were
er and Susan Braden; new
Vice President Dennis Craig
Club Masters Susan Bradand Directors Clo Barbour
ford, Michael Green, Necia
and Peggy Swindling. CarHasbrook, Jerry Bauman and
ryover members of the board
Jan Petroski; and new NABC
include President Tom McMaster Jack Farmer.
Guire, Secretary Carol SanHere are the final Unit 490
ner, Treasurer Ray Barbour
Ruth Tyler honors Dick Pitzer for his
and Director Rose McGuire. contributions as a teacher and director point leaders in the Helen
for a weekly 199er game at the Salem Shanbrom Ace of Clubs
We welcome to Unit
Bridge Club Pro-Am on Feb. 16.
and Mini-McKenney races
490 Jean McKinney, who
(Photo by Jean Southworth)
through all of 2011:
transferred in from Seaside
Ace of Clubs — 0-5, Michael Green, 20.48;
and Wesley Brasher of Dundee who has
5-20, Miriam Steketee, 9.64; 20-50, Richard
transferred in from North Carolina. We say
Howard, 60.02; 50-100, Allen Carter, 42.86;
goodbye and hurry back to Lance Ball, now
100-200, Mike Kitzmiller, 50.83; 200-300, Tom
with the Vancouver unit.
McGuire, 85.95; 300-500, Don Brockhaus,
Sadly, four of our members have passed
45.86; 500-1000, Susan Palmer, 78.49; 1000away in the first quarter of the year: Fern
2500, David Astle, 81.42; 2500-5000, Gayle
Dickinson, Judith Thompson, Jan Fitzhugh,
Goodman-Wilkins, 45.01.
and Mary Wright.
Mini-McKenney — 0-5, Susan Bradford,
Salem Bridge Club Pro-Am
32.16; 5-20, Kathryn Kindred, 30.36; 20-50,
Salem Bridge Club’s 199er players celebratRichard Howard, 87.56; 50-100, Dennis Craig,
ed the one-year anniversary of their weekly
55.15; 100-200, Mike Kitzmiller, 82.20; 200Thursday evening game by learning the ins
300, Tom McGuire, 112.25; 300-500, Jeanette
and outs of Swiss Team play. The Amateurs
Brandt, 108.00; 500-1000, Susan Palmer, 123.91;
were teamed with the bridge veterans (Pros)
1000-2500, David Astle, 135.47; 2500-5000,
who volunteered to play in the Feb. 16 event.
Suzanne St Thomas, 373.77.
Altogether, 20 Pros and 14 Amateurs particiRichard Howard, by the way, topped all
pated, providing seven 4-player teams and
20-50 MP players in the District 20 Helen
one 6-player squad.
Shanbrom Ace of Clubs standings for 2011
“We want to thank Dick Pitzer tonight for
with his 60.02 points won.
making it possible for this novice bridge
Carol Brown and Zina Galaka opened the
group to exist,” said beginning player Ruth
new year with a monster game at our Second
Tyler in a special presentation before the
Sunday Unit Game in January (we normally
game. Director-Teacher Pitzer conducts a halfhave a monthly First Sunday Unit Game, but
hour lesson before each 199er game.
with Jan. 1 falling on a Sunday, well, you get
“We choose him as our 2012 Teacher of the
the idea …). They rode in with a 75.56 percent
Year,’” Ruth intoned as she presented him
score — one that will be tough to beat the rest
with a gift of a bridge book and a cookie. She
of the year.
also acknowledged the contributions made to
Dec. 11 Christmas Party (16 tables)—1A/1B:
the weekly game by Dick’s wife, Ellie (HallZina Galaka – Norma Frechin. 2A/2B: Shain
Pitzer), Unit 490 Education Coordinator Rose
Oleson – Kevin Kacmarynski. 3/4A: Shirley
McGuire and game director Allen Carter.
Boehmer – Bob Peery. 3/4A (3B): Judy Kleen –
On the tournament trail
Anita Walker.
Kevin Kacmarynski was the Unit’s top point
Dec. 21 Third Wednesday (6 tables): 1A: Rick
collector in the annual Salem Winter Sectional
Dellenback – Henri Jansen. 2A: Zina Galaka
with 9.23—the bulk of the points coming from
– Richard Pitzer. 3A: Chris Sawyer – Randall
a first-place finish in the A/X Swiss Teams
Jordan.
with partner Shain Oleson and teammates
Jan. 8 Second Sunday (10.5 tables)—1A: Zina
Teresa Ozias and Dick McCluer. Kevin’s name
Galaka – Carol Brown (75.56% game!). 2A/1B:
will be inscribed on the Florence Burris MeFrank Taussig – Marge Laux. 3/4A: David
morial Award plaque.
Astle – James Sanner. 3/4A (2B/1C): Clo and
Other Unit players collecting first-place
Ray Barbour.
finishes in the tournament were David Canoy
Jan. 18 Third Wednesday (6 tables)—1A:
and Darlene Clark in the Friday Afternoon
Rick Dellenback – Henri Jansen. 2A: Randall
Open Pairs and Clo and Ray Barbour in the
Jordan – Gayle Goodman-Wilkins. 3A/1B:
Friday Afternoon 299er Pairs. John Calder and
Rachael Anderson – Scott Anderson.
Richard Dow won the Saturday Afternoon
Feb. 5 First Sunday (9 tables)—1A/1B:
299er Pairs. Jerry Bauman and Jan Petroski
Jackie Mishler – Claudine Lake. 2A: Zina
were first in the D strat of the Swiss Teams
Galaka – Carol Brown. 3A/2B/1C: Harry and
with teammates Charles Goldspink and Vicky
Sharon Oliver.
Bowers. Altogether, 53 Unit players earned
Feb. 15 Third Wednesday—1A/1B: Randall
masterpoints at the sectional.
Jordan – Mo Smith. 2A: Chris Sawyer – Janet
Four players had first-place finishes at
Suggs. 3A: Henri Jansen – Rick Dellenback.
the Oregon Trail Regional. Randy Naef and
March 21 Third Wednesday Unit Game (3
Michael Green collected two overall C strat
tables)—1A: Rachel Anderson – Scott Anderwins and two C section tops in four different
son. 2A: Stan Page – Randall Jordan.
299er pairs events. Shari Jerand teamed with
April 1 First Sunday—1A: Rick Dellenback
Norma Bueno, Bruce Peterson, and Bill Moore
– Kevin Kacmarynski. 2A/3A: Zina Galaka –
to win the Weekend KO Bracket 4. Suzanne
Carol Brown and David Astle – Kathy Astle.
St Thomas claimed a tie for first overall in the
4A/1B/1C: Allen Carter – Cathy Urben.
Afternoon Side Series.
The final standings in the race for the
The aforementioned foursome of Kevin
Katheryn Lewis Memorial Award for the most
Kacmarynski, Shain Oleson, Teresa Ozias
masterpoints earned in unit games during
and Dick McCluer were the overall winners
2011 saw Shain Oleson take the top spot with
of the Swiss Teams at the Heart of the Valley
26.62, followed by Kevin Kacmarynski at
Sectional in Albany. Chris Gates and Richard
26.24, Zina Galaka 22.64, Tom McGuire 20.64
Howard were first in the C strat in the Friday
and Jackie Mishler 15.67.
Afternoon Open Pairs.
New Life Master
We have one new Life Maser (and Bronze
Master) in Don Brockhaus who claimed the
honor at the Oregon Trail Regional. He also
♠♦♥♣
surpassed 500 masterpoints to become a
By Ned Malcolm
Bronze Life Master.
www.seasidebridge.org
We have two new Silver Masters with Susan
Palmer and James Sanner collecting their
1,000th point (and more) and a new Gold Life
The Ugly Yarborough
Master (2,500) in Steve Drew.
Did you know … A hand without any
Other recent rank changes include new
honors (10 and above) is known as a Yarbor-
Seaside/
Astoria/Ilwaco
ough? (Of course you do.) But did you know
the odds of holding a Yarborough is 1827
to one? Knowing the high improbability of
holding such a monstrosity, the 2nd Earl of
Yarborough of England had a standing wager
of 1000 to one guineas that a player would be
dealt such a hand with nothing above a nine
spot! Think about it. A hand without even a
ten! Wow, I think I’ve seen a few.
Cool the Table Talk
Geri has said to me more than once after
playing a hand, “We’ll talk about it later.“
With that in mind, I hope you all read Brent
Manley’s column in the March 2012 Bridge
Bulletin. He wrote, in part, “The correct play
does not always produce the best result. It
took me a long time to figure out that the
more I kept my mouth shut – except to offer a
compliment – the better my partners played.“
Sue Kroning’s Sunday intermediate bridge
lessons at the Astoria Country Club have
proven quite successful for Unit players –
especially those of us who think they know
it all! But do not despair, fellow players, Sue
says a new series of four lessons will be held
in June. Be on the lookout for more details
later.
New Home!
The deal has been signed sealed and delivered! After years of sharing space with a pool
hall at the Astoria Senior Center, The Astoria
Bridge Club has found a new home at 10 Pier
One, Suite 209 at the Port of Astoria. With the
new clubroom comes an ambitious schedule
of bridge games. “We will have games every
Tuesday and Thursday afternoon at 12:30
and at 6:00 on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the
month,” announced Astoria Club President
Ann Marie Gramson. Directions for getting
to the new venue are available at any of the
Unit bridge game sites. Playing fee is $4.00
for all Astoria games. Bridge lessons are also
planned as part of the Astoria Club turnaround. “If you’re new to bridge or want to
brush up on your game, we have just the class
for you,” announced Sandra Baker, who along
with Ann Marie will begin classes for novice
bridge players in June. Check with either
Sandra or Ann Marie for time and date.
For all levels of players … you can round
out your bridge week every Saturday at the
Seaside Senior Center at 10:00 ‘til about 1:30
with a lesson beginning at 9:30.
It ran on January 27, 2012, on Astoria radio
station KMUN (91.9 FM) but now, if you
haven’t already heard it, go to the Unit web
page and listen to Astorian Coast Weekend
Editor Katherine Streccker’s interview with
Sue Kroning! You may learn things about your
bridge club and also about Sue you didn’t
know!
Welcome Aboard One and All
We have fourteen new players on our roster
and one of them, Larry Marshall of Cannon
Beach is our newest ACBL member. Sue Kroning has a list so be sure to see their names and
welcome each and every one!
No Sectional News… Sorry, but scheduling
dates prevent the Trumpet from covering this
popular Seaside Sectional. Wait for the next
issue, please.
And until the next time…
May your troubles be less
May your blessings be more
And may nothing but happiness
Come through your door
Sutter
Buttes
♠♦♥♣
By Carol Nelson
Our two new players, Shirley Stefano and
Barbara Bacarella, have joined ACBL. We
sincerely welcome both of you to our club, to
ACBL and to the sometimes wacky world of
duplicate bridge.
We extend our wishes to Bruce Boley for a
May/June, 2012
The District 20 Trumpet
Page 15
What’s Up? Reports from the Units
quick recovery and good outcome from his
recent surgery. Pete and Doris Roth are on
another cruise. We miss them but hope they
have a wonderful time.
Pat Zieger and Johnnie Houser conducted
the annual Unit Awards Banquet on April
9. Among the winners in their respective
categories were Nancy Cook, Audrey Kelley,
John Berg, Patty Damron, Lucille Daniel, Toni
Reid, Pete Roth, Pat Pommerenck, Pat Zieger,
and Steve Kaessner. Steve’s name was added
to our perpetual trophy in recognition of his
having earned the most masterpoints in the
unit last year. Congratulations all.
Many congratulations
also to Agnes Hislop, who
recently celebrated her 95th
birthday. One of her regular
partners, Diane Nagler,
composed the following
poem which sums up Agnes
and her playing style so
Agnes Hislop
very well:
My Favorite Partner
I love the way she bids her hands
She figures out their worth
And then she bumps it just a bit
Incurring partner’s mirth
Opponents think they’ve got it made
But she mostly makes her bid
And brings her partner with her
With opponents on the skids
Perhaps it’s Danish heritage
Or competitive strong urge
She was a high school BB star
That with bowling later merged
We’re grateful that she came out west
And met a handsome man
And had a bunch of children
Who all became her fans
Artist, cook, and athlete
‘Bout school she was a nag
She sewed for all her children
And made them love the flag
And when they all had left the nest
Bridge became her skill
And I, for one, am grateful
‘Cause she does go for the kill
Results
February 13 Membership Game: 1A: Steve
Kaessner – Danny O’Broclyn, 2A/1B: David
Chinn—Terri Okimoto, 3A/2B: Doris Doll –
Marion Johnson, 4A/3B: Lyn Clark – Jo Anne
Murdock. March 5 Senior Game: 1A: Steve
Kaessner – Terri Okimoto, 2A/1B: Betty Fisk
– Mary Mayfield, 3A/2B: Dale Doerr – Dick
Lohmann, 4A: Dave Robison – Pat Wesley.
March 19 Unit Game: 1A: Pat Zieger – Tom
Frye, 2A: Don Johnson – Richard Hayes,
3A/1B: Chiyo Nakagawa – David Chinn,
4A/2B: Bruce Boley – Johnnie Houser.
March 22 Charity Game in Oroville: 1A/1B:
Karen Bohlander – Dale Doerr, 2A/2B: Pete
and Doris Roth, 3A/3B: Melvina Marble –
Doug Jones, 4A/5A (tie): Jack Woodard – C.
Myers, 4A/5A (tie): Diane Campbell -- Barbara Baker.
March 23 1A: Steve Kaessner – Jo Anne
Murdock, 2A/1B: Fred Till – Lyn Clark, 3A:
Tom Frye – Pat Zieger, 4A/2B: Norma Hayes
– David Chinn.
April 9 Awards Luncheon: 1A: Don Johnson
– Pat Pommerenck, 2A: Steve Kaessner –
Danny O’Broclyn, 3A/1B: Jo Anne Murdock
– Richard Hayes, 4A/2B: Fred Till – Dick
Lohmann.
Tri-City
Bridge Club
♠♦♥♣
By Dottie Ellis
Greetings to all. With any luck I might get
this column finished before midnight. My
computer has been sassing me back for two
days and hopefully it will cooperate long
enough for me to finish this article.
We had a wonderful Seniors Pair game
March 5. It was a lot of fun even if it was only
four tables. Our club is small and we’ve had
quite a few players taking trips to tournaments and visiting with families for Easter
vacation. We were happy to welcome George
Kuppler who is moving to our area from Portland. George played in the Seniors game and
came in first overall. He is a very nice player
and will be back as soon as he and his wife
get settled from the move. We were pleased to
see Charles & Winnie Duncan from Klamath
Falls. They were in town for only a few days
and it was so nice of them to take the time
to play while they were here. Charles has a
twin brother Ken and they would always play
in tournaments together. I met them quite a
few years ago and what a lot of fun they had
with everyone they played against. I always
referred to them as my two favorite bookends
… Always a fun time. Nice to see Pat & Susan
O’Neil from northern California at the tables
once again. Pat had been ill and they were just
unable to come to their condominium for a
few months. Hope to see you back again real
soon. Linda Wyner who always played with
her mother, Verna Calabrese (deceased ) came
in to play with Ron Smith who partnered with
Verna also. So happy to see her back at the
tables again. Nice to see Dan & Joyce Rackstraw, Crescent City, CA also. Norma Blancher
is back from a long illness.
Our club has certainly had its share of sickness and member losses. Some of us shared
in the memorial for Dorothy Nixon in March.
Dorothy was a wonderful person who loved
everyone and also loved to play bridge. She
and her husband David always included their
children and grandchildren in their travels of
the continents and safaris and celebrated their
anniversary of fifty years by reciting their
marriage vows in Hawaii where she was born.
Dorothy was accomplished in both swimming
and ballet and was involved in many civic
organizations as well. She will be missed by
all who knew her.
Earning the most points for February &
March were Claudia Kemper, Ruby Bryson,
Betty Gildea Kirk Roberts, Ray Shipman and
Ned Flaxington. Great games were had by
Joyce Stockwell & Kirk Roberts (75%) Claudia
& Ned (72.5%, 68% and a 67.59%) Betty &
Ruby (69.32%) Kirk & Ray (67.5%) and 67.5%
games by Jean Whitman, Dottie Ellis &
George Kuppler. The members were certainly
blessed these past two months. Kudos to all of
you. Good going.
Kirk Roberts went to the Sarasota Regional
in Florida and amassed 16.17 gold points with
some red to boot. He played with his brother
Al and a couple they had teamed up with two
years ago from Canada. We all call Kirk the
player who actually can smell a slam before
he takes the cards out of the board. Now that’s
a gift! Al Wilson gave a few lessons of bridge
and then he and Genevieve Leary took two
weeks off to go to the Santa Rosa and the Las
Vegas Sectionals, on to Provo to visit friends
and then to Philadelphia to visit with family.
They ended with Al introducing Genevieve to
Philadelphia cheese steaks and soft pretzels.
Jean Whitman is in Hawaii for a couple of
weeks and should be back by the 17th of this
month.
Unit game Feb. 13: 1st: Kirk Roberts - Ray
Shipman: 2nd/3rd: Claudia, Ned Flaxington,
Dottie and Ron Smith
Unit Game March 19: 1st Fran Payne - Sally
Davis: 2nd.Joyce Stockwell - Kirk Roberts
Senior Pairs March 5: 1st Dottie - George
Kuppler; 2nd Betty Gildea - Ruby Bryson; 3rd
Kirk - Ray Shipman
The Board of Directors met and approved
Ray Shipman to the board (replacing Dorothy
Nixon). Members of the board are President
Kirk Roberts, Vice-President Ned Flaxington,
Secretary/Treasurer Claudia Kemper, Ron
Smith and Ray Shipman.
That just about covers the happenings at the
Tri City Bridge Club. Until next issue … be
good to yourself and others and may all your
days be Grand Slams.
Vancouver/
Longview
♠♦♥♣
By Charlotte Enberg
Spring finally seems to want to stay, even
if most of it is rain. We will still be having
children and grandchildren at school through
part of June so club attendance should be up
since vacation time has not yet begun.
On March 27, Shirley Titone and Kathy
Mather played an ICC game, had a 70.13%
game and came first in the whole country. I
am sure their name will appear in a future
Bridge Bulletin so be sure to look for it. Congratulations from us all!
Rich Rodeman and Lyle Burnet played a
72.2% game on Feb 2, Rich Carle and Mark
Smith had a 73.6% game on Feb 8, and Cliff
Allen and Jerry Brown had a 70% game on
Thursday, March 1. Congratulations to you
all!
We have a new member, Christy Ekroth, to
welcome into our club. Joanne Bowen and
Arlene Bradford, Maryellen Coutu, and Lloyd
Goodrich advanced to Junior Master. Mark
Giovannozzi, Claudio Perissinotto, Marilyn
Smith and Donna Roberge advanced to Club
Master, Bill Phillips and Alan Stewart to
Regional Master and Deborah Lackey and
Shirley Staggs to NABC Master. Joe Rottmann
and Rich Rodeman both became Bronze Life
Masters. Congratulations to all of you. We
wish you many more advances.
Ben Bomber was listed as number 24 under
the 2011 Masterpoint winners in the Youth
Category April Bridge Bulletin. If you have
ever played with him you know he has the
energy and enthusiasm of youth as well as being polite and easy to get along with. We wish
you a long and successful bridge career and
are very proud of you.
New Saturday Game
The VBC Board of Directors approved a
new game on Saturday at noon and are now
calling it the 499er game to include more
people. This game, directed by Rich Rodeman,
has been attracting four and five tables. Here
some of our newer players may find a comfort
zone. Besides Rich, one of its enthusiastic supporters is Steve Tubbs. There is still a regular
Open Game alongside this one, so that these
are actually two separate games. If you do not
have a partner, call or just come anyway, and
you will be supplied with one. We have great
hopes for this Saturday event.
Eight is enough, played one Sunday a
month, is becoming popular and well attended. On April 1 there were eight teams,
snacks still provided from a previous donation, and lots of fun. Winners were 1st Steve
Tubbs, Craig Schauermann, Ed Canton and
Michael Eyer; 2nd were Barbara Charlton,
Debra Lackey, Richard Miller and Cliff Allen.
Scoring 3rd were Janie Pearcy, Barbara Pyles,
Alan Stewart and Ken Van Husen. All are
looking forward to the May game.
The Tuesday night game has a new Director.
ACBL Tournament Director Jeff Jacob began
as the new permanent director of the Tuesday
evening game on April 10. If you have not
already tried this it begins at 7:00.
Getting Seated
The “Buy A Chair” campaign headed by
Sharon Nordmark is on the move. We are buying chairs as we get money. One was bought
by a group in memory of teacher Roger Hallum. These chairs are bought wholesale at a
furniture office supply and are very comfortable and heavy duty with back support. Last
Thursday after bridge, the club put together
ten chairs that were completed in an hour. You
can do a lot with volunteers. It is such a treat
to be comfortable while playing especially
since we have a lot of senior members who
David & Mary Flippin, Kathy Vasks and
Reinhard Bohme were the 1st place winners of
the Sunday BCD Swiss Teams at the Oregon
Trail Regional in February.
have various aches and pains.
Lessons with Fred Sutherland will begin
again as our snowbird will be with us once
more. He will teach a four-week class on
Tuesday evenings. The dates are May 8, 15, 22
and 29. The topics are No Trump, Preempts,
Strong Hands and Competitive Auctions. The
course is $40 or $10 per individual session. If
you want to know more about this, Fred’s cell
phone is 360 980 2673.
Marie Germuska will be teaching “Bridge In
The 21st Century” beginning Saturday from
9:30 to 12:30. This will occur for 8 weeks.
We have certainly noticed that the Faleys
are back after several months in Yuma. The
yummy treats are there on Friday nights once
more so we know Dawn has been busy with
us in mind. We are very appreciative of all
you so kindly do to attract us to the Friday
game even more.
We also had a party for one of our newer
members, Deborah Lackey, who was facing
a hospital stay. We had wonderful food and
even balloons to cheer her on her way and by
this reading we hope she is feeling well once
more.
Although our Oregon Trail Regional was in
February here are some winners: In the 299ers,
firsts were earned by Hatsumi Whitehead
and Sharon Michel; Steve Tubbs and Craig
Schauermann, Charles Hulse and Gene Hval
were first in C. So were Elizabeth Fullerton
and Jo-Anne Bowen as well as Kelly Hayes
and Jim Carr.
James Windus and Renee Senior were first
in a side game, as well as first in B in Swiss
Teams along with Jerold and Felicia Wershba.
Barbara Pyles and William Phillips were first
in C in a side game. The team of Winston
Falls, Garland Wilson, Jay and Louise Kurzet
were first in bracket 2 of knockouts while
Shirley Staggs was a member of a team first
in bracket 4. In Thursday Evening Swiss, the
team of Jeanie Bettis, Robert Wheeler, Kathleen Vasks and Jack Wolf placed first in C. The
team of Kathy and Doug Hanson and Bill and
Sandra Lawrence were first in Friday evening
Swiss Teams. Sandee Canton and Linda Tubbs
were first in C in open pairs. Mona Hubble
and Joe Habeich were first in B in a side game.
The team of Carol and Lloyd Goodrich and
Judy and Alan Stuart won first in the 299er
Swiss Teams. The team of David and Mary
Flippin and Kathleen Vasks and Reinhard
Bohme were first in B.
The Masterpoint winners were Richard
Carle 38.90, Ross Rainwater 35.28, Lynda Hirst
33.07, Kathleen Vasks 27.03, Mike and Kathy
Hansen 23.80 each, James Windus 22.03, Louise Kurzet 19.77, Winston Falls 19.35, Garland
Wilson 19.35, Renee Senior 19.04, Joe Habeich
19.03, Kathleen Mather 18.49, Mary Lou Mansfield 17.89, Charles Burns 16.78, Reinhard
Bohme16.77, Tom Young 16.51, Paul Gabalis
16.18, Mary and David Flippin15.65 each,
James Wheeler 15.58 and Shirley Staggs 15.51.
There were many more winners in this well
attended Tournament. Congratulations to
everyone since many of you won points.
Last Report
This will be my last article. I’d like to thank
all of you for the help and cooperation you
have afforded me ever since I took the job on
for a second time several years ago. I do feel
it is time for a younger person to take over
writing these articles which I have enjoyed
doing, but health issues and travel needs are
necessitating this.
Page 16
The District 20 Trumpet
Ask
John
Tournament Schedule
Bridge-A-Plenty In D20!
National Director John
Ashton answers your
questions on bidding,
play or directing.
N: ♠T8753 ♥9 ♦3 ♣AKT643
E: ♠AK962 ♥KQT3 ♦K52 ♣8
S: ♠ - ♥J542 ♦QJ9764 ♣J72
W: ♠QJ4 ♥A876 ♦AT8 ♣Q95
N/S vulnerable, dealer N
The bidding:
1♠
Pass
3♦Pass
4♣
Pass
Pass
Pass
Is North’s opening with 7HCP legal?
Befuddled
Dear Elmer,
North’s opening bid is completely legal.
However, if the partnership has an agreement to open these hands regularly the
ACBL regulations state that “Systems
based on very light openings or other
highly aggressive methods or pre-empts”
require a pre-alert that must be given
before the hands are removed from the
first board at the beginning of each round.
EW were certainly “fixed,” although East
might have saved the day with an eccentric 1NT overcall, an approach that often
performs badly with such spade length.
The normal diamond lead from South
against 3NT would result in EW +690 with
the correct guess in hearts.
♦♥♠♣♦♥♠♣♦♥♠♣
My partner opens 2NT. I hold:
♠T97
♥JT8752
♦972
♣7
Is the club shortness enough extra for me
to transfer to hearts at the 4-level?
Half-full/Half-empty
Dear Glass,
A wise man once told me that when deciding between a bold action and a normal
bid counting HCP is an effective, and
often accurate, tool to employ. On this
hand, I count one. It is always important
to remember that plus scores are inherently good. While there may be hands that
produce 4♥, many will have wasted values
opposite the club shortness, making nine
tricks a challenge. Remember that partner,
with a maximum and a fit, could jump to
4♥ on his own after your three-level transfer to hearts. I would be both hopeful as I
put dummy down in that circumstance and
relieved that partner will have to explain
any minus score.
♦♥♠♣♦♥♠♣♦♥♠♣
W: ♠Q3 ♥AJ5 ♦KQJ85 ♣874
E: ♠AT4 ♥Q ♦A9 ♣AKJT532
The bidding (opponents pass throughout):
1♦ 2♣ (GF)
2♥ 3NT
The hand makes 7NT, 7♦ East, 7♣, 6♦
West
What is a better sequence for us? Does
partner’s jump to 3NT show extra values?
Frustrated
Dear Rush Hour Driver,
I am not enamored with West’s 2♥ which,
I think, shows four. I would prefer telling
partner that we have a fit with 3♣ or, better yet, describing a balanced hand with
stuff in the majors via 2NT. I understand
that, on occasion, the opponents can run
five spade tricks, but bridge, particularly
matchpoints, is not for pessimists. That
being said, East’s approach on this hand
seems Milquetoastian to a fault. If the four
of spades was the four of hearts, some
(many?) would consider the hand worthy
of an opening 2NT. With a bonanza of
tricks, making no move toward slam is, in
my mind, unforgivable.
♦♥♠♣♦♥♠♣♦♥♠♣
Send your questions to “Ask John” via
the editor at trumpeteditor@gmail.com.
May/June, 2012
DISTRICT 20 REGIONALS & Sectionals
May 2012
7 – 13
Great Western STaC
♥May 14 – 20 ROGUE VALLEY REGIONAL
25 – 27
Portland Spring Sectional
JUNE 2012
1–3
Eugene Sectional
22 – 24
Liberty Sectional
July 2012
6 – 8
Salem Summer Sectional
13 – 15
Cherries Jubilee Sectional
20 – 22
Sutter Buttes Sectional 27 – 29
Klamath Falls Sectional
AUGUST 2012
10 – 12
Vancouver USA Sectional 17 – 19
High Desert Sectional SEPTEMBER 2012
7 – 9
Eureka Sectional
♥Sept 17 – 23SEASIDE REGIONAL
27 – 30
Gold Country Sectional
OCTOBER 2012
6 – 7
Vancouver NLM Sectional
5 – 7
Rogue Valley Fall Sectional
10 – 14
Harvest Sectional
12 – 14
Portland Fall Sectional
18 – 21
Central Oregon Coast Sectional
NOVEMBER 2012
2 – 4
Sundial Bridge Fall Sectional
2 – 4
Nampa/Caldwell Sectional
10 – 11
Vancouver Senior Sectional
DECEMBER 2012
3 – 9
Great Western STaC
♥ Dec 26 – 31
RENO HOLIDAY REGIONAL
January 2013
12 – 13
Vancouver NLM Sectional
18 – 20
Salem Winter Sectional
25 – 27
Portland Winter KO
FEBRUARY 2013
8 – 10
Boise Sweetheart Sectional
♥ Feb 18 – 24
OREGON TRAIL REGIONAL
MARCH 2013
15 – 17
Heart of the Valley Sectional
April 2013
6 – 8
Sundial Bridge Spring Sectional
13 – 14
Vancouver Senior NLM Sectional
19 – 21
Seaside Sectional
Local Clubs
RED LION INN, MEDFORD OR
Kliever Armory, Portland OR
NCU Morse Event Center, Eugene OR
Masonic Lodge, Grants Pass OR
Senior Center, Keizer OR
Best Western, Hood River OR
Whitaker Hall, Yuba City CA
Hope Community Center, Klamath Falls OR
Fairway Village Clubhouse, Vancouver WA
Deschutes Expo Center, Redmond OR
Humboldt Grange, Eureka CA
CONVENTION CENTER, SEASIDE OR
Veterans Memorial Building, Grass Valley CA
Vancouver Bridge Club, Vancouver WA
Dan Voorhies Bridge Center, Phoenix OR
Conference Center, Boise ID
Kliever Armory, Portland OR
Shilo Inn, Newport OR
Anderson City Hall, Anderson CA
Canyon Creek Restaurant, Nampa ID
Vancouver Bridge Club, Vancouver WA
Local Clubs
RENO HILTON, RENO NV
Vancouver Bridge Club, Vancouver WA
Senior Center, Keizer OR
Kliever Armory, Portland OR
Boise Hotel and Conference Center
VANCOUVER HILTON, VANCOUVER, WA
Linn County Fair & Expo, Albany OR
Anderson City Hall, Anderson CA
Vancouver Bridge Club, Vancouver WA
Seaside Convention Center, Seaside OR
TOURNAMENTS IN NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS
DISTRICT 17: www.d17acbl.org
May 18-20
Silver Sun Sectional
May 18-20
Leonard Helman Sectional
May 22-28
Rocky Mountain Regional
June 8-10
Four Corners Sectional
June 15-17
Roadrunner Sectional
June 18-24
Las Vegas Regional
July 5-8
Prescott Summer Sectional
DISTRICT 18: www.wasumi.org
May 14-20
Great Potato Regional
May 25-28
Glacier Knockout Sectional
May 25-27
Edmonton Spring Sectional
June 1-3
Unit 386 Summer Sectional
June 8-10
Pocatello Summer Sectional
DISTRICT 19: www.d19.org
May 10-13
Unit 430 Spring Sectional
May 18-20
South Okanagan Sectional
May 25-28
Knock Out Sectional
June 11-17
Penticton Regional
June 19-24
Midnight Sun Regional
DISTRICT 21: www.d21acbl.com
May 18-20
Lone Cypress Sectional
May 18-20
Diablo Valley Spring Sectional
May 28-June 3
Capital Regional
June 9-10
San Francisco Sectional
June 15-17
East Bay Summer Sectional
June 27-July 1
Firecracker Sectional
Elks Lodge, Phoenix AZ
SF Community College, Santa Fe NM
Renaissance Hotel, Denver CO
Senior Center, Durango CO
Duke City Bridge Center, Albuquerque NM
Riviera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas NV
Community Center, Prescott AZ
Hotel & Conference Center, Boise ID
Armory Building, Whitefish MT
Bridge Center, Edmonton AB
Senior Center, Salt Lake City UT
Senior Citizens Center, Pocatello ID
Engineers’ Hall, Burnaby BC
Summerland Arena, Summerland BC
Shoreline Community College, Shoreline WA
Convention Centre, Penticton BC
Anchorage Bridge Center, Anchorage AK
Bridge Center, Monterey CA
Elks Lodge, Walnut Creek CA
Doubletree Hotel, Sacramento CA
Janet Pomeroy Center, San Francisco CA
Holy Redeemer Center, Oakland CA
Convention Center, Santa Clara CA
NORTH AMERICAN BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
July 12 - 22Summer 2012
Nov 22 - Dec 2
Winter 2012
March 20 - 30Spring 2013
Marriott, Philadelphia PA
Marriott, San Francisco CA
Renaissance, St. Louis MO