Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact your District 4 board members.
PRESIDENT
Jeanne Gehret
jeannegehret@comcast.net
VICE PRESIDENT
Betsy Cutler
betsy2955@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Bill Bauer
william.baueriii@verizon.net
TREASURER
Pat Civale
pat@csa-accounting.com
DISTRICT DIRECTOR
Joann Glasson
joannglasson@msn.com
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In the month of April, tournaments have been averaging about 50% attendance versus pre-pandemic table counts. Even the great Gatlinburg Regional wasn’t able to break 50%. In District 4, the Valley Forge Sectional – which was a “sold-out” event, reached 58% of pre-pandemic attendance (well done!).
Next up is the Rehoboth Beach Regional – this week (5/2-6). Walks on the beach, bridge all day, and fantastic local restaurants (where you can review the day’s bridge hands).
Then June brings us the Philadelphia Regional at Valley Forge – (6/27-7/3) - also in a new venue, the Valley Forge Casino & Resort. No walks on the beach, but you can play bridge all day and then table games or the one-armed bandits all night. Cha-ching!
Shifting gears, I want to update you about some changes to our District volunteer force.
- John Dickenson (U141) - is stepping away from the role of GNT/NAP Coordinator, which he has held for more than a few years. I appreciated John’s organization and independence in running D4 North American Pairs and Grand National Teams events. He successfully navigated the events from face-to-face play to online, taking all the challenges, twists, and turns in stride. His sense of humor in the face of adversity made working with John a real pleasure. John will continue to make great contributions to bridge as he has more time to focus on teaching newer players and supporting club management activities. Many thanks, John!
- Bharat Rao (U141) – is taking on the GNT/NAP Coordinator role. Bharat is looking forward to using his “business cred” (excellent business and leadership skills) for the betterment and promotion of bridge in D4. I know Bharat will look at his assignment through a fresh lens, and will work diligently to expand member awareness and inclusion in these competitions. Welcome, Bharat! It’s great to have you on board.
- Bill Herdle (U190) – is the newest member of our communication team, as publisher of D4’s monthly “Silver & Gold” email, which alerts members to upcoming Sectionals and Regionals. He admits the work is a little outside of his comfort zone, but after only a little bit of coaching is doing a great job (knew you could do it!) Thank you, Bill, for taking on this important new position.
If you appreciate our District Volunteers as much as I do, be sure to thank them next time you see them!
Until next month,
I welcome your comments or suggestions (jeannegehret@comcast.net)
Jeanne
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From the District Director |
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There were 6,204 tables in play at the Reno NABC. That number is 53.3% of the table count of the last Reno NABC in 2016 and 64.3% of the table count of the last Spring NABC which was held in Memphis in 2019.
Below are the highlights of the ACBL board meetings in Reno – A complete report of all the board actions is attached here.
Finance
As of 12/31/2021, net assets totaled $9.9M. The increase in net assets for the year was $2.65M. This included a COVID relief item from the federal government of $1.5M and $450K of non-operating income items. The gain from operations was approximately $700K.
Audit
The Audit Committee received the report of ACBL independent auditors Dixon, Hughes, Goodman (DHG). There were no significant issues reported in the audit.
Membership
As of March 31, 2022, ACBL membership was 139,108, a decline of 1.54% since December 31, 2021.
Strategic
The Board has established key goals and objectives for the organization that include support for a robust return to F2F club and tournament play.
INTRODUCING EDGAR
Methods of investigating and proving online cheating have not kept up with the times, and bridge organizations around the world have struggled to adapt. Edgar was introduced to the ACBL Board of Directors at the meeting in Reno. The project has been managed by AJ Stephani, Chair of the ACBL Appeals and Charges Committee, as part of a comprehensive transformation in the way cheating cases are handled.
Developed by chief architects Franco Baseggio and Brian Platnick, “EDGAR” (Electronic Data Gathering and Anti-cheating Radar) will allow bridge organizations to scan thousands of cases and look for telltale signs of cheating. EDGAR is currently being tested and refined. The name “EDGAR” pays homage to the great Edgar Kaplan, the father of modern bridge ethics. Franco and Brian are making EDGAR available to all bridge organizations at no cost. This project has been a labor of love and good will for the benefit of bridge.
Instead of identifying single hands that look suspicious in a vacuum, EDGAR will be able to identify whether funny-looking bridge decisions are representative of a larger pattern or constitute a one-off aberration. Players can have confidence in EDGAR’s ability to identify cheaters.
District 4 Players who placed overall in NABC and NABC+ events in Reno
Baldwin North American Pairs: 3 – Michael Shuster, Kevin Fay
Silver Ribbon Pairs: 36 – Lou Glasthal, Rick Rowland
Rockwell Mixed Pairs: 53 – Bob and Joann Glasson
Silodor Open Pairs: 34 – Richard Popper
0-2,500 Pairs: 7 - David Dodgson, David Dresher
Golder North American Pairs – Flight B: 17 - Russell Poppleton, Benjamin Hawn
District 4 Players who placed in the top 10 in Regional Events in Reno
Educational Fund Swiss Teams: 4/6 – Martin de Bruin, David Hoffner; Jim Mc Keown
Saturday Bracketed Swiss Teams – Bracket B: 1 – Michael Shuster
Monday Bracketed Round Robin Teams – Bracket 1: 1 – Richard Popper
Monday Evening Zip Swiss Teams: 1 – Jim McKeown
Tuesday Bracketed Swiss Teams – Bracket 1: 1 – David Hoffner
Tuesday Evening Side Game: 7 – John Dickenson, Susan Morse
Wednesday Bracketed Round Robin – Bracket 1: 4 – Lisa Mita, Alison Shoemaker
2nd Thursday Gold Rush Pairs: 5 - Pamela Scalamandre, Becky Levinson
Friday Bracketed Round Robin Teams – Bracket 3: 4/5 - Lisa Mita, John Dickenson, Susan Morse
Friday Bracketed Round Robin Teams – Bracket 4: 3 - Alison Shoemaker
Saturday Bracketed Teams – Bracket 1: 1 - Alison Shoemaker
Sunday Fast Pairs: 1 - David Hoffner
Joann
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Sectionals
I/N: May 12
June 3-5
Regionals
May 2-6
STaCs
May 16-22
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The 4Spot features fantastic contributors, on a regular rotation: |
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Larry's Learning Center by Larry Cohen:
January, April, July, October
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For Novices Only by Marti Ronemus:
February, May, August, November
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The ABC of Bridge by Dave Wachsman:
March, June, September, December
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Too Late, says Marti...and don't say you weren't warned.
It's so exciting!! We are all getting back to tournaments. Beginners? Get out there!!
You are about to become utterly addicted to a strange new world. Life as you know it is over. You won’t notice the little changes at first. It’s probably already too late.
People, when you arrive, look around you. No, take a real, good, hard, objective look. See those people who seem to be passed out on the sofas and chairs everywhere in the lobby? Do they look normal to you? They don’t have Legionnaires’ disease…they’re just resting between games. Is that the way normal people look?
Have you listened to the conversation in the restaurants? Is that how normal people sound? No. They talk about movies, books, life, friends. But the Addicts? Those People in the restaurant, clutching their hand records and private score sheets. All they (and soon YOU) can talk about is whether or not Reverse Drury could have saved the bottom on Board 15.
True story: I was at an NABC traveling with a girlfriend, Tenna, who doesn’t play bridge. I invited her to dinner with a group of fellow directors who were all off-duty the same evening. Finally, I thought, Tenna will see how interesting and wonderful my world is.
The evening was fabulous, funny. We shared stories about strange rulings and even stranger players, we laughed about great hands misplayed. It was downright scintillating.
When we were back in our room, I asked my friend if she had a good time. “Good time? Are you kidding? That was the single most boring night of my life…and I was married to an engineer!”
So how did this happen? Very innocently. One game at a time. You go to a National. You take a couple bridge lessons and someone tells you there is a tournament about 20 miles away. Gosh, why not give it a try?
Wow. You're knocked over! Hundreds and hundreds of tables of bridge going all at the same time. Games just for players as clueless as you are. Wonderful speakers, right before the game. So, you play… Your first tournament has hooked you. You're done for. Your life as you knew it is over.
Recognize any of those feelings? See, it’s already too late. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
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Moderator: Nick Straguzzi
Nick's articles are not just good for my game; they go down easy. Read and enjoy.
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I ♥️ Hilton Head
Don't miss this article in May's Bridge Bulletin by Yours Truly. And don't miss Hilton Head if you can help it. |
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News from Around the Units
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Unit 112: Central New York
Betty Youmans
readsausten@yahoo.com
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An email was sent to each Unit 112 member to provide a report of bridge in our area. Information provided included the current status for all area duplicate games, both F2F and virtual, as well as dates of upcoming Sectionals and our Regional tournament. A link to the Unit’s website was provided. As there is a need for local bridge directors, members are encouraged to take the 3-day ACBL on-line course and will be reimbursed the cost of the training upon certification.
Unit 112 Congratulates Its Advancing Players!
Junior Master
Marjorie Mellor, Fayetteville
Mary Perrott, Horseheads
Club Master
Shirley Negus, Massena
NABC Master
Loring Hannah, Alpine
Martha Hannah, Alpine
Advanced NABC Master
Diana Kurty, Pittsford
Stephen Snell, Rochester
Life Master
Nancy Koch, Pittsford
Bronze Life Master
Nancy Koch, Pittsford
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Unit 120: Northeastern Pennsylvania
Doreese Torrey
doreeset@gmail.com
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Hello Unit 120!! Check back next month for news. |
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Unit 121: Berks Montgomery
Carl Ziegler
crzig@hometownu.com
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Check back next month for unit news. |
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Unit 133: Lehigh Valley
Lois Fuini
lafuini@yahoo.com
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Happy Spring!
In Memoriam
We are saddened to report the passing of two of our longtime members, Janet Imdorf and Nancy Kressley.
Nancy, 89, of Emmaus, formerly of Allentown, passed away March 31, 2022 at home surrounded by family. She was married to her loving husband Vernon for 65 years. She was a longtime volunteer and very active in the community, including Sacred Heart Hospital Gift Shop, Good Shepherd Golf Classic, Parkland School District, and the Allentown YMCA and YWCA.
Nancy and Vern were avid bridge players for many years. Nancy will be remembered as a loyal friend, devoted wife, mother and nanny to her six grandchildren.
Janet, 88, of Allentown, passed away on Friday April 8, 2022 in Lehigh Valley Hospital, surrounded by her loving family. She was a resident of Luthier Crest for the last six years with her husband of 76 years, Art.
Janet was a member of First Presbyterian Church and the P.E.O. Sisterhood. She volunteered at the Luther Crest gift shop and played duplicate bridge in the Lehigh Valley Bridge Association. She will be remembered as a great Mom and Nana.
New Rank Advancements Congratulations!
New Club Masters
Victoria Grochocinski
New NABC Master
Rita Keiper
New Gold Life Master
Ronnie Freedberg
Grand National Teams
District 4 hosted the Flight B GNT Finals online. A team mostly composed of players from the Lehigh Valley tied for third place. Congratulations to Betsy Cutler, Gil DeLeeuw, Phil Geisel, Mike Kohler, Tom Kriz, and Frank Morgan who competed for 2 days, but came up just short of making the finals.
Unit 133 Spring NLM Tournament - May 12
Please join us for our fourth annual Spring 0-100 and 0-500 NLM tournament on May 12th at Lehigh Valley Active Life in Allentown. Games are scheduled for 10:00am and 2:00pm with an hour break for a FREE lunch. Pre-Registration forms are available on our website for you and your partner. For more information or help finding a partner, please contact Lois Fuini at the lafuini@yahoo.com.
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Unit 141: Philadelphia
Jay Apfelbaum
japfel1@comcast.net
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Our Sectional tournament at the King of Prussia Bridge Club was a huge success! The club could accommodate 23 tables, and there were 23 tables in play just about the entire weekend. Mark Cohen and his volunteers did a fabulous job. The Unit will definitely return to KoP!
I provided some web pages last month to several of the clubs in Unit 141. I inadvertently left off a terrific club in Cape May New Jersey. Here is the web site for the club:
Thank you, Karen, for letting me know. If any of our members are planning a trip to Cape May, please include a stop to meet her and play at her game.
Let us all congratulate those Unit 141 members who attained a new rank:
*** New Junior Masters ***
Noah Apteker
Vasantha Naryanan
*** New Club Masters ***
Gerry Conte
Matthew Kuhls
*** New Sectional Masters ***
Kristen Fireman
Leslie Marshall
Jean Stevens
*** New Regional Masters ***
Michael Gibson
Diane Luedtke
*** New NABC Masters ***
Rene McMenamin
Belle Miller
*** New Bronze Life Master ***
Myra Rosenberg
*** New Silver Life Master ***
John Waters
*** New Diamond Life Masters ***
Lynn Condon
Ellie Goldman
And now, please welcome the new ACBL members who have joined Unit 141:
Rita Guidry
Ellen Knight
Lisa Lipson
Eric Neily
Vallabhdas Patel
Nancy Romito
Eli Shuster
Mary Ann Sommers
Finally, please welcome home those ACBL members who have transferred to Unit 141:
Penny Jones
Connie Kay
Amelia Marcolina
Burton Mass
Paul Pierson
Jean-Marc Reiffel
Joan Sall
Judie Shapiro
Janice Shengold
Shirley Shevlin
Irene Skiles
Don Smolen
Sandy Soss
Barbara Spivak
Susan Tavelman
Sydney Tinkelman
Patricia Turberg
Alan Weintraub
Marilyn Weintraub
Paul Weintraub
Leslie Zackey
Eileen Zakuto
Frank Zintl
Martha Zintl
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Unit 168: Central Pennsylvania
Russell Poppleton
rpoppleton@comcast.net
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Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Mexican victory against French forces led by Emperor Napoleon III in the Battle of Puebla, which took place on 5 May 1862, not Mexico’s Independence Day (Sep 16). This is significant to the US for several reasons. Although the French eventually prevailed against the Mexican forces, this battle significantly delayed the French. Had the French prevailed, many historians believe they would have sided with the Confederate forces and could have affected the outcome of the US Civil War. Another reason is beer. Beer sales in the US on Cinco de Mayo outpace St Patrick’s Day and the Super Bowl.
Congratulations to the following for progressing up the ACBL ladder:
*** NEW CLUB MASTER ***
Jim Edwards
*** NEW SECTIONAL MASTER ***
Mary A Decarlo
*** NEW REGIONAL MASTER ***
Cliff Lynd
*** NEW NABC MASTERS ***
Ivan Hileman
Susan G Hunter
*** NEW BRONZE LIFE MASTER ***
Ian Cohen
South Central PA continues to host virtual games; see the website bridgeboardroom.com for a complete virtual schedule. Also on this site is the complete schedule for upcoming Bridge Boot Camps being held in Vermont and West Virginia. Special virtual games in May include Grass Roots weekend May14-15. Don't forget F2F STaC week, May 16-22; your chance to rack up some silver points at your local Club.
The publication of the 2021 Barry Crane 500 included seven (7) members of Unit 168. Buddy and Joann Hano, John and Selena Swanson, Ben Hawn, Mel Lubart and Mike Zeller. That speaks well for those folks and for Unit 168.
Point to ponder:
Against silent opponents you have the following auction: 1NT - 2D (hearts) - 2H - 4C. What is 4C? Is it a second suit, Gerber, key card Gerber, a splinter? Make sure you and your partner are in agreement.
I complained to my wife about having athlete's foot. Her sympathetic response, "You having athlete's foot, is like a coal miner having sun stroke."
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Unit 190: Delaware
Tammy Holm and Paula Varrassi
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IT’S HERE AND YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS IT:
REHOBOTH BEACH REGIONAL MAY 2-6, 2022
CHANGES IN RANK
SECTIONAL MASTER: Larry Stetson
REGIONAL MASTER: Brian Hudson
BRONZE LIFE MASTER: Debbie Schenkel
SILVER LIFE MASTER: Bonnie Elgar
GOLD LIFE MASTER: Herbert Chalek
DIAMOND LIFE MASTER: Bernard Rehberg
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Unit 217: Susquehanna
Jim McKeown
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Congratulations to Rich Hoover on advancing to Junior Master.
Please join us for our next Sectional, June 3-5, 2022 at the Boalsburg Fire Co 113 Pine Street in Boalsburg, PA:
Friday, June 3
GRASS ROOTS SPECIAL ! ! 40% MORE POINTS ! ! (11:00 AM ONLY)
Stratified Open Pairs 11:00 a.m.
Stratified Open Paris 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 4
GRASS ROOTS SPECIAL ! ! 40% MORE POINTS ! ! (11:00 AM ONLY)
Stratified Open Pairs 11:00 a.m.
Stratified Open Paris 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 5
Stratified Swiss Teams 11:00 a.m. Two-session play-through
Team Entry of $80 Team Average Stratification
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