November 2021
Calling all Non-Life Masters (0-750) to the King of Prussia Bridge Club! Silver awards await at the NLM Sectional on December 4. Your safety first. KOPBC will provide masks, if needed, and hand sanitizer. And once again, STaC games at many local clubs will provide multiple opportunities to build your silver stash. Check out the announcement, below, for details.

If you are in the hunt for gold, the first face-to-face NABC is scheduled for Austin, TX, November 25-December 5.

Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!
District 4 Officers  
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 
President's Message
After a very long hiatus, tournaments are back! Sectionals were running in September, and a few Regionals took place in October. Attendance was less than 50% of “pre-pandemic” events, but attendees were appreciative to be back at a tournament (and mostly compliant with safety protocols). While some tournaments continue to be canceled, the bridge community is cautiously optimistic for both the solid return of tournaments and a rebound to higher levels of attendance. In the coming months you’ll be hearing more about District 4’s first post-pandemic Regional in Rehoboth Beach, May 2-6, 2022. Some pre-summer season time at the beach sounds lovely, doesn’t it!

Welcome, November! It’s my favorite month - my birthday month – fun. Thanksgiving is what makes November most special for me. It means lots of quality family time… none of the pressure of buying presents, and all of the joy of an amazing meal. Two traditions in my family are the pre-dinner routine of sharing what we are thankful for, and the post-dinner craft time. I’m truly looking forward to getting back together with family this year and enjoying our time together (after too much time apart).

In this important month, remember to vote. Remember to thank Veterans for their service in protecting our great country! And remember to find joy each and every day, and to always be aware of the many things we have to be thankful for.

Until next month,
I welcome your comments or suggestions (jeannegehret@comcast.net)
From the District Director 
One of my favorite parts of my job as District 4 Director is that I get to honor players from District 4 who have made outstanding contributions to our game and to their community by making annual appointments to the ACBL Goodwill Committee and the ACBL Charity Committee.

These are lifetime appointments and you can see a full list of District 4's Goodwill Committee members here and a full list of District 4's Charity Committee members here. The members of both committees have made major contributions to the game of bridge.
ACBL GOODWILL COMMITTEE - 2022 APPOINTMENTS
Patricia Civale - Chesterfield, NJ
An accomplished bridge player, Pat and her late husband, Vince, played bridge whenever they could while busy raising a family and running a successful accounting firm.

Pat has volunteered her time and expertise to serve as Treasurer of District 4 for the last 5 years. She diligently oversees all of the financial transactions of the District.

When the National Bridge Tournament was held in Philadelphia in 2018, Pat handled all the financial reports for the NABC as well as filling the role of Volunteer Coordinator.

Her endless energy and contributions to the game are greatly appreciated by all the bridge players in our district.
Lois Fuini - Schecksville, PA
Lois is a member of the Unit 133 Board of Directors and writes the monthly Unit 133 articles for the District 4Spot publication.

Lois manages the Lehigh Valley Active Life bridge club, which hosts all of the Unit 133 tournaments and special charity events.

She also chaired the Tournament and Hospitality Committees for the Sectional and NLM Tournaments.
Kim Holm - Millsboro, DE
Kim has always contributed to positive fellowship while playing. He brings special treats to games that players can enjoy and devotes his time and energy to making bridge an enjoyable experience for all.

Kim has served on the Delaware State Bridge Association Board and chaired both Sectional and State tournament events.

In 2022 Kim will be co-hosting with Caroline Hughes the first ever Regional event in southern Delaware at Rehoboth Beach. The tournament will be held at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center May 2-6, 2022.

Kim works closely with the southern Delaware club owners Anna DeLapo, Dorothy Hand, Clare O’Brien and Dini Romito to keep our game alive.
Nick Straguzzi - Mullica Hill, NJ
We all enjoy the terrific job that Nick does each month for us in his Master Solvers Column in the District 4Spot. Nick not only tabulates the results of all the contributors, but adds his own personal writing style to make this column a great part of our district publication.

Nick has also co-authored two humorous books on the game of bridge with Danny Kleinman - "Human Bridge Errors" and "The Principle of Restricted Talent." The books are available on Amazon. They are really a fun read.
ACBL CHARITY COMMITTEE - 2022 APPOINTMENTS
John Dickenson - North Wales, PA
John has done a great job of running both the NAP and the GNT events in District 4. The pandemic hasn't made that work any easier as he had to work out how to move both events online.

John has also served on the Committee that worked to make the ACBL Board of Governors more relevant and functional. An avid player and teacher, John is a real asset to District 4 and we are grateful for all the work he does.
Doreese Torrey - Nanticoke, PA
Doreese started playing bridge on a whim. Her mother needed a steady partner. Doreese said she would be that partner How hard can it be to pick up, right?! Little did she know. That was about 25 years ago. She went to lessons, played with skilled players, studied and finally became a life master...on her mother's birthday!

Doreese served as secretary for Unit 120 and became a Unit 120 Board Member and assisted the hospitality committee for tournaments and special events. She has been submitting monthly articles and news from Unit 120 to the 4Spot publications for several years.
AUSTIN NABC
The ACBL will be running the first NABC in two years in Austin, Texas from November 25 to December 5, 2021. Proof of vaccination will be required to play, with no exceptions granted, and all staff and participants will wear masks at all times.

BRIDGE MUSICAL
In the works is a musical about the game of bridge. Here's the preview link:

Stay well and please contact me anytime with any questions or concerns: joannglasson@msn.com
District 4 Schedule
Phased reopening of tournaments is starting to happen, including f-2-f North American Bridge Championships. First up is Austin, November 25-December 5.
Sectionals
December 4 (I/N)

December 10-12

Regionals
none scheduled until May 2022

GNT/NAP
Flight B Nov. 6

STaCs

For a full year D4 calendar, click here.
For the D4 virtual club calendar, click here
For a 2021online event schedule, click here
District 4 STaC
November 15-21, 2021  
Another face-to-face STaC (Sectional Tournament at Clubs) is coming! On November 15-21 you'll have another chance to compete for silver points (lots of silver points!) at your friendly local club while catching up with members you may not have seen for many months. Check with your local clubs to see which ones are participating in the STaC, and when each will be running games. We hope that everyone who is comfortable with returning to face-to-face bridge will come out to play and keep the local clubs alive.
 
Be aware that you will be expected to comply with all Covid-related procedures that your club has implemented (which may include pre-registration for all games), as well as all governmental and municipal Covid regulations. If you have questions or difficulty finding a participating club, please email the STaC coordinator at elaineweintraub@verizon.net.
Our Monthly Feature
The 4Spot features fantastic contributors, on a regular rotation:
Larry's Learning Center by Larry Cohen:
January, April, July, October
For Novices Only by Marti Ronemus:
February, May, August, November
The ABC of Bridge by Dave Wachsman:
March, June, September, December
A note to Marti on her regular (wonderful) November column: This may be for novices only, but not really! 4Spot invites players at all levels to enjoy, and perhaps learn something, from the following:
FOR NOVICES ONLY by Marti Ronemus
My recent blog entry about bidding in the minors brought this email from a Faithful Reader. To follow our “discussion,” I’ve inserted my comments throughout his letter. We’ll call him Tommy to protect his reputation.
Hi Marti. Your lesson today reminded me of a duplicate board that I shuffled on a cruise get-together from a few years ago. I had a 20-point hand that included AKQJ.

...Hey there, Tommy! First, I’m dazzled by your memory. I can’t remember yesterday’s hand! BUT!! I must add I am always suspicious when someone deals themselves a 20 pt hand! Hmmm.

RHO opened 1. I bid 2. LHO bid 2♠. Partner passed. RHO bid 3♠. I bid 4, and all passed. Partner had 10xxx exactly 6 points (an A and Q), and I made the contract exactly, rather easily. I had planned on opening 2, strong, but didn’t get to do that.

...With 26 pts, you darn right SHOULD have made that contract! No applause here.

I do remember of the 5 tables, all the contracts were different. Two or 3 went down (one at NT, the others at suits), and 1 or 2 made at the 2-level. Do you agree that I bid right, or did I just get lucky? Should partner have raised to 3 diamonds? And lastly, how unusual is it to get a different contract at every table in duplicate??!!!

...Well, Tommy, I’d much rather be lucky than good. You did tap into your Luck Bank for this one. Here is a fundamental “rule” (if there is such a thing in bridge!): An Overcall promises between 7-17 pts. You had 20. Tommy, you cannot bid the same thing with 20 pts that you would with 7.

...With a BIG hand like that, you begin with a Double. Pard will think you’ve got a plain old TakeOut Double, but when you make your next bid, you will show him you’ve got the Monster when you jump, or change suits, or do something else dramatic.

...One other important point. You play Strong 2 Openers, rather than the more common Weak Twos. That’s perfectly okay, but if you’re gonna play something, you gotta play it right. 2 is ONLY strong (in your system) if it is the FIRST BID ON THE TABLE or a jump over 1♠. Bidding 2as your first bid does NOT make it strong!!

...Now, as to Pard’s pass. He did the right thing. Opposite your piddly little Overcall, he had absolutely NO reason to bid. You couldn’t (according to your actual, not intended, bid) have had more than 17-ish pts (remember, an overcall is 7-17), and add that to his 6, you only get 23 pts. You could have had a heck of a lot less!!

...As to your question about whether it is common to see a different result at every table. I ran a bridge club for 18 years and directed over 3000 games. It is VERY common for that to happen. When I would review the scores, I would be on the lookout for those hands, since they always had a nugget of interest and confusion that would make a good lesson for the next day’s warmup.

...Now, while I don’t applaud your actual bidding sequence, I DO applaud your fascination with our game, that a hand would remain in your mind all this time. And I DO applaud your eagerness to expand your knowledge in our wonderful game.

...Meantime, please stay in touch as I LOVE to hear from Faithful Readers. Marti Ronemus mronemus@comcast.net
Master Solvers Club
This month Nick explores two familiar themes: when to start with a takeout double rather than a simple overcall with a strong hand and how much leeway to give partner after a forcing bid. How would you handle this problem? Then see what our experts have to say.
Then visit the MSC website to read next month's problem and submit your answers online: http://d4msc.straguzzi.org
News from Around the Units 
Unit 112: Central New York
Betty Youmans
readsausten@yahoo.com
Unit 112 has just over 1000 members, a decrease from a year ago. Sadly, 37% of our players have not won a masterpoint in 2021, presumably because they are not playing either virtually or in person.  Only half of our clubs are playing face-to-face. Those playing face-to-face have significantly fewer tables than in pre-pandemic days.

Beginner bridge lessons continue at a reduced rate. The Bridge Club in Ithaca has resumed beginners’ classes with a half dozen instructors. They expect to teach about 25 students/year. Mary Miller in Canandaigua is a prolific on-line teacher. She is currently teaching around 50 beginners and intermediates in the Finger Lakes and Rochester areas.

Unit 112 Congratulates Its Advancing Players!
Junior Master
Martha King, Elmira
Club Master
Richard Feldman, Rochester
Sectional Master
Sara Liebschutz, Pittsford
Cindy Poole, Canandaigua
Regional Master
Betsy Hartnett, Fayetteville
Barbara Hull, Horseheads
Lori Vanderlinde, Fairport
Advanced NABC Master
Marilyn Smith, Syracuse
Bronze Life Master
Dave Valvo, Henriett
Silver Life Master
James Patton, Pittsford
Ruby Life Master
Lawrence Waful, Liverpool
Sapphire Life Master
Jerry Manioci, Rochester
Unit 120: Northeastern Pennsylvania 
Doreese Torrey
doreeset@gmail.com
Hello Unit 120!! Well, November is here. The frenzy of fall has subsided. You've carved pumpkins, planted fall flowers, and pulled out your cozy sweaters. You've probably eaten the last of your leftover Halloween candy and now you get to take a deep breath of crisp air as we start November. Soon the snow will fall and the brisk winds will chill our noses. But for now, I hope you are all enjoying the final few weeks of the beautiful colors of fall we're having.

Along with all the other face-to-face games, there's a new game hosted and directed by Chris Stephens. It's at a new location, the Abington Community Library, 1200 W Grove Street in Clarks Summit, Pa 18411. Game time
is 12:30 pm and a partner is guaranteed.
There is nothing to report for achievements, so I'd like to take the time to recognize each and every one of you for your participation in both the virtual and face-to-face games. Without you, there would not be games! Way to go!!!!

Wishing you and your families all a very Happy Blessed Thanksgiving.
Stay well and see you at the virtual and/or face-to-face bridge tables.
Unit 121: Berks Montgomery 
Brian C Snyder 
4spadesdoubled@gmail.com
Unit 121 continues f2f bridge every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:15pm at Good Shepherd UCC church. For updates, partnerships or questions contact Sue Wessner. 
bridgebysue@gmail.com610-562-1333
Unit 133: Lehigh Valley 
Lois Fuini
lafuini@yahoo.com
As we rake our leaves and clean-up our gardens, we look forward to the Thanksgiving celebrations we are planning with family and friends. And, we think of the many things we are thankful for. Unit 133 thanks you for your participation at our face-2-face games, online games, and special events. We are grateful for everything you do for our unit and for one another, especially during these unusual times. Happy Thanksgiving!                        

In Memoriam
We are saddened to report the passing of three of our members. They will be missed by all the people who knew and cared for them.

Albert Fracas (1930 -2021)
Albert J. Fracas, Sr., passed away Saturday, October 9, 2021 under hospice care at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He was the husband of Theresa A. Fracas. They would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary later this month. Albert was a US Navy veteran in the Korean War. After retiring from the service, he was a Technical Consultant with AT&T. Mr. Fracas was very involved with his church, St. Thomas More, Allentown. Albert was an avid duplicate bridge player and will be missed by his partners.

Donald Olson (1929 - 2021)
Donald Edwin Olson, 92, passed away peacefully in his home September 27, 2021. Don was the husband of Nancy Olson and recently celebrated 68 years of marriage. He received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rutgers University and a commission as 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Following his military service, Don worked for Bethlehem Steel for 42 years.

Don and his wife were both bridge Silver Life Masters. Don was a member at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, West Shore Free Church in Mechanicsburg, and Grace Church in Bethlehem. He will be truly missed by family and friends.

Alberta J. Baggest (1942 - 2021)
Alberta J. Baggest, 79, of Bethlehem died Sunday, October 24, 2021 at her home. She and her husband, James R. Baggest, were married just one month shy of 60 years. She was born in Bethlehem and owned Alberta’s Hair Fashions in Bethlehem for 49 years. She loved travel, playing duplicate bridge, yoga, movies, and spending time with her 3 grandchildren. Alberta also enjoyed mentoring at William Penn Elementary School and was a member of Kid’s Peace Auxiliary. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Congratulations!
New Rank Achievements 
New Junior Master
Trudy Fretz
New Club Master
Margaret Barilla
New Advanced NABC Master
 Michael Dopera
Annual Meeting and Holiday Party
Sunday, November 14, 2021
WHERE: Brookside Country Club
901 Willow Lane, Macungie PA
WHEN: Sunday, November 14, 2021
12:00 PM Social and Cash Bar
12:30 PM Dinner and Meeting
2:00 PM Bridge Games (Open and NLM)
FEE: $15(1-time Covid-19 price)per person
How do I make a reservation?
Mail checks (payable to LVBA) to 
Mimi Lengel, 
1460 Fox Ridge
Easton, PA 18040
Pay by cash or check (payable to LVBA) at club games. Vaccination required, masks optional.
If you have questions please email: Mimi Lengel at richmimi@rcn.com

In Memoriam Games
Sunday, December 5, 2021
The In Memoriam Game is scheduled for December 5 at Lehigh Valley Active Life at 1pm. Please join us to recognize the members of Unit 133 who have passed away in the last year. We will celebrate their lives and achievements by playing 2 charity games of duplicate bridge in their honor. Proceeds from the games will benefit active older adults at Lehigh Valley Active Life. You may join either the 0-500 NLM or the Open game.

November, 2021 STaC Games
WHERE:
Lehigh Valley Active Life, 1633 W Elm Street, Allentown
WHEN:
Monday, November 15 - 12:30pm
Thursday, November 18 - 12:30pm
Friday, November 19 - 12:30pm
WHO: All games will follow current formats:
Monday - 0-750 game
Thursday - 0-750 game
Friday - Open game
WHY: STaC games provide players the opportunity to earn silver points at the club level. Increase your silver point count in a comfortable atmosphere with no additional travel time or expense.
COST: $8 per person
REFRESHMENTS: Free bagged snacks and water/soda will be provided.
MORE INFORMATION: If you have additional questions, please email: 
Betsy Cutler at betsy2955@gmail.com or Lois Fuini at lafuini@yahoo.com.

Mentor/Mentee SwissTeams 
The Mentor/Mentee SwissTeams game was held online, October 2. Eight Mentees played with their Mentors as part of the 2021 Mentor/ Mentee program.
Winning Team:
Bryan Snapp, Mike Kohler, Chuck Campbell, and Beth Stelts
Unit 141: Philadelphia 
Howard Kahlenberg
howard.kahlenberg@gmail.com
As I am writing this, I don’t know who has won the District Finals for the Flight A and Flight C North American Pairs, but by the time you are reading they will have taken place. Congratulations to everyone who qualified, especially those from Unit 141. I know there will be a lot of the latter. (C’mon folks – don’t have made a liar out of me.) You can still play in the flight B’s on Saturday, November 6; if you are not sure if you qualified, the list is here. (Note: The sorting is by Unit, then by last name).

For I/N’s who are looking for a game, there will be one day Sectional held at the Valley Forge Bridge Club (see October Issue). There are two sessions- one at 10 AM, and the other at 2 PM. You must play in both sessions; lunch will be provided. More information can be found here.
Information about pre-registration, which is required, can be found here:

One of my loyal readers asked me for my thoughts about the new ACBL logo, which has finally been rolled out to printed material and web sites near you. (Yes, loyal readers, plural. I have 2 folks who send me comments regularly after the 4spot comes out, and neither of them lives in the Unit. I am not endorsing this behavior, merely reporting on it.) My primary comment is that it is a far cry better than the Bridge Base “B”. (See the March, 2021 issue.) Other than that, I think it’s meh. I do think it was a mistake removing a suit symbol from the logo, but maybe that’s just my being change-resistant.

Congratulations to the new Life Master this month – Andy Antipin of Philadelphia.

Other Masterpoint achievements:
New Gold Life Masters (2,500 points) – Lisa Mita and Judy Robbins
New Ruby Life Master (1,500 points) – Mark Hedson
New Bronze Life Masters (750 points) – Andy Antipin (Zoom!) and Mary Vitray
Advanced NABC Master (300 points) – Mindy Goldberg
NABC Master (200 points) - Tay Adams, Madhu Goyal, and Tedd Stickel
New Regional Masters (100 points) – Alicia Brown, Susan Diederich, Margaret Jennings, David Laskin, Emily Losciuto, Mary McGready, Karen Meehan, and Mike Natan
New Sectional Masters (50 points) – Ken Beckelman, Jeanne Burd, Stuart Burd, Don Carroll, David Heron Jr., Stephen Hughes, Timothy Lurowist, Elizabeth Mita, Mary Anne Santangelo, Emmy Subers, Catherine Wester, Alan Whitman, Rachel Whitman, and Shelia Wood
New Club Masters (20 points) - Jane Bonenberger, Roseann Clark, and Donald Root
New Junior Masters (5 points) – Vellore Ramakrishnan and Karen White
Unit 168: Central Pennsylvania 
VACANCY
Unit 168 is looking for a volunteer to report Unit news in 4Spot. If interested, contact Jeanne Gehret at jeannegehret@comcast.net.
Unit 190: Delaware 
Ala Hamilton-Day 
alabridge@gmail.com
 “Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name and they're always glad you came.” Come and sing the Cheers theme song with me, as we return to face-to-face bridge. 
 
FACE-TO-FACE REHOBOTH BEACH TOURNEY
Flight X Winners Kelley Wilson, Barbara Rhoades, Kurt Engelman and Anne Taylor
Thursday Flight A Winners Jane Myers and Nancy Steele
Tourney Chair Extraordinaire Kim Holm
Flight A and X Winners Kurt Engelman, Kelley Wilson, Anne Taylor, Barbara Rhoades, Harold Jordan and Soley Kristjansdottir (missing Peter and Marie Filandro)
The BRIDGE AT THE BEACH Sectional, where the players partied and celebrated, was a great success!  For more pictures and results, check out the November 2021 Dummy by clicking on the link at the bottom of this article.  
THE DAVE TREADWELL SECTIONAL
WE’RE GETTING THE GANG TOGETHER AGAIN!
 
Come and see your friends at the Dave Treadwell tournament and catch up with them about what is happening in their lives. 
December 10 -12 
New Earlier Date!
At the “NEW” Bridge Studio 
Suite 203 in Building 1403 of Foulkstone Plaza in Wilmington Delaware
 
Proof of Covid-19 Vaccination Required
Face masks Required
Current Covid-19 precautions will be in effect
Due to Covid-19 precautions we will not be able to serve lunch
Check our website www.unit190.org for updates 
PLAYER ADVANCEMENTS
REGIONAL MASTERTom Bason
SILVER LIFE MASTER: Tina C. Brinsfield
RUBY LIFE MASTER: Janelle L. Gmitter
We’re doing it! To read about how the Delaware Unit is working to get the old gang back together and playing face-to-face bridge at tournaments and at clubs, check out the Unit 190 website and click on the links below:
For news and results from around Unit 190, check out the Unit 190 website and click on the links below:

Unit 217: Susquehanna 
Jim McKeown
jcm@psu.edu
Please check back next month for Unit 217 news. Happy Thanksgiving!
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4Spot | November 2021 | Editor: Janet Johnson | janet.johnson210@gmail.com