DISTRICT 17 BRIDGE BUZZ
MARCH 2022
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The District 17 Bridge Buzz focuses on district and national news and provides you with the links to access the details. Catch the next Buzz in May.
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By Elizabeth Hamilton
415-994-3527
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“People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for."
The quote above is from “To Kill A Mockingbird” written by Harper Lee in 1961. At the moment, this quote holds a lot of meaning for me because I keep hearing and seeing a particular word and I really want it to be true. The word is endemic.
Can this be true? Can we get all of our players back to face-to-face bridge? That is absolutely what I am looking for and I know many of you are too. Many bridge clubs are struggling to increase table count and some are still closed. Some are balancing online and face-to-face schedules to meet the needs of membership and to remain viable. There is no one-size fits all option. I understand that. Let’s just keep playing!
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The time has come to rebuild and grow our bridge community. If you are considering your options for playing face-to-face, please take a few moments to visit the District 17 website at: www.d17acbl.org. There you will find its Tournament Calendar with the latest information about Regionals and Sectionals. In addition, you will find a Club list, a Teachers’ list and special events information too. There are lots of opportunities to get back to the table to play and socialize with bridge friends.
At the end of January, District 17 achieved an important milestone by holding its first dedicated STaC event. This means that all the Silver points awarded went to our members! Many clubs participated and we hope this number will grow in 2022. A big thank you to all who work behind the scenes to make this event run smoothly and congratulations to all who earned Silver MPs. See this issue of the Buzz for information on future District STaCs and a special Royal STaC where some Gold can be earned.
The District 17 Board will hold a meeting during Denver's Rocky Mountain Regional -- home of the D17 GNT finals. I hope many of you will qualify for the GNTs and compete in the prestigious grassroots event. Please make sure you introduce yourself to us if you make it to Denver.
Stay safe and healthy everyone and hopefully our paths will cross at the bridge table.
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DENVER'S ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL
MAY 24-30, 2022
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By Don Boyarsky and Wayne Eckerling
Tournament Co-chairs
Don’t miss Denver's Rocky Mountain Regional May 24-30 (Memorial Day) at the Renaissance Denver Central Park Hotel by Marriott. The Renaissance Hotel is conveniently located between Denver International Airport and downtown Denver in the redeveloped Stapleton area. The bridge rate of $120 is good through May 2. The first 25 reservations will be entered into a drawing for a free weekend room at a Marriott hotel and will receive a complimentary box of Enstrom’s chocolates.
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PLAY IN THE PRO/AM PAIRS EVENT
The regional kicks off with a Pro/Am pairs event Tuesday, May 24 at 1 pm - THE LARGEST IN THE COUNTRY! Ams with five to 299 MPs who wish to play with an advanced player defined as a pro with 1,500+ MPs may participate. Pros play for free. The Pro/Am pairs signup deadline is May 14.
Overall winners will receive prizes. The event will be followed by a reception and by the presentation of the Jan Janitschke award, recognizing an individual displaying outstanding teaching or mentoring contributions to the membership of Denver Bridge Unit 361.
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HOME OF THE D17 GRAND NATIONAL TEAMS FINALS
We are honored to once again host the finals for the D17 Grand National Teams. Games for all flights (A, B, C and Championship) will be held Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29. Winning teams receive $2,000 in travel expenses to play at the National GNTs to be held in Providence beginning July 13. Second-place teams also are eligible to compete in the nationals.
TOURNAMENT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
District 17, Denver Unit 361 and the Renaissance Hotel will take many precautions to ensure a safe playing environment for all attendees. The Regional will comply with ACBL Safety Protocols and the City of Denver requirements. Check the Unit 361 website on or before May 1 for specific information.
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ACBL has extended the deadline for D17 GNT Club Qualifying Games to March 31 for both face-to-face and online games.
If you have not yet qualified, ask your club owners to hold a qualifying game or contact Sharon Smith at sharondrsmith@me.com for online opportunities.
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PHOENIX NLM GOLD RUSH REGIONAL
APRIL 22-24, 2022
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By JoAnne Lowe
Tournament Chair
Looking for GOLD? Join us for the 5th Annual Phoenix NLM Gold Rush Regional April 22 – 24. Compete only against other Non-Life Masters with fewer than 750 points.
There are two days of 2-session Gold Rush Pairs that pay Gold points. Sunday is the Gold Rush Swiss Teams.
Gold Rush Pairs or teams that finish in the overalls (Stratification A) will be awarded 33 percent gold and 67 percent Red masterpoints!
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There are free patches for participants and prizes for section top and overall winners.
Don’t miss free lectures by local experts Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sunday's lecture will focus on team strategies.
Enjoy complimentary coffee, tea and chocolates daily.
In Tempo Bridge Center is located at 8250 E. Rose Lane in Scottsdale, AZ. Ample free parking provided.
The Silver Sun Sectional is running concurrently with the NLM Regional so you can travel with more experienced bridge friends who can participate in their own events at the same time.
Participants in the sectional can play a 2- session team or a single session pair game on Friday. There are pair games on Saturday and team games on Sunday. Regardless of your skill level, there are events for you to play in. Please mark your calendar and join us in April.
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D17 WINTER WONDERLAND STaC RESULTS |
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District 17 has launched a STaC program independent of other Districts. The Winter Wonderland STaC took place January 31 - February 6, 2022. It was the first in a series of STaCs to be held by our District each year.
Thank you to the club owners and players who participated!
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THE FALL PHOENIX NABC
NOVEMBER 24-DECEMBER 4, 2022
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By Ken Titow
NABC Tournament Chair
Come one, come all to the 2022 Phoenix NABC to be held at the Phoenix Convention Center Thursday, November 24 through Sunday, December 4, 2022. This fantastic playing site is located directly across the street from the Hyatt and within one block of the other two host hotels – the Sheraton and the Renaissance.
CONVENIENT START TIMES!
In response to players’ expressed preferences, all major events, for all levels of players, will be at the NEW STARTING TIMES of 10 am and 3 pm. This will allow everyone to take advantage of the myriad of dining opportunities within walking distance of the convention center, and elsewhere in the Phoenix and Scottsdale areas. We will have an extensive list of eating establishments available both online and in printed form. For our “hard core” players there will be one and multiple session games in the evenings starting at 7 pm or 7:30 pm.
Phoenix has hosted this event numerous times in the past and it is historically one of the BEST ATTENDED NABC’s! While Covid has certainly hampered our preparation efforts, with your help, I am confident we can host another successful NABC.
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Please volunteer to work ahead of time and onsite during the tournament. Most volunteers will be able to play on the days they are volunteering.
TWO crucial positions need to be filled immediately and are part of the leadership team responsible for the NABC:
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Information Chair
There will be forms to fill out at our local clubs. In the interim, please contact one of the Tournament Chairs below, depending on what area you wish to support.
Publicity - Joyce Keane
Registration - Sharon Neff
I/N Program - Stephanie Haddy
Fundraising - Susan Kraght
Partnerships - Phebe Packer
Prizes - Suzette McPhail
If you are not sure which area you wish to support or you are interested in one of the two CHAIR positions, please email Ken Titow, ken.titow@icloud.com, or call 480.628.1429.
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NAME A GAME AT THE PHOENIX NABC |
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By Susan Kraght
Fundraising Chair
Phoenix NABC
Want to name a game after your mentor, partner or all-around great person from your local club? Now you can by purchasing the right to name a Phoenix NABC event in their honor! It will be exciting to see a familiar name in the event schedule. The Daily Bulletin will include biographical information and a photo of the individual you name!
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Name a Game pricing is as follows:
- Name a Day: $1,000. These are special opportunities as an individual or group of individuals can name every game for a specific day, excluding National events.
- Name a four-session event: $175
- Name a two-session event: $100.
- Name a one-session event: $50.
The money received from Name a Game will ensure a robust and exciting I/N program and upgrade the local and out-of-town player experience during the NABC.
Please email Susan Kraght, slkraght@gmail.com or call 480.433.7724 for more information on Name a Game.
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2021 D17 ACE OF CLUB WINNERS |
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Created in 1984, The Ace of Clubs Races recognize the ACBL members who earn the most MPs during club sanctioned events (excluding NAP/GNT qualifiers and STaCs) during a calendar year. Only black points are counted. |
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There are 15 race categories ranging from 0-5 MPs to 10,000+. Players are placed in a category based on his/her MP totals at the beginning of a given year.
In 2011, The Ace of Clubs award was named after Helen Shanbrom, the most successful club player in ACBL history.
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2021 D17 MINI-MCKINNEY WINNERS |
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There are 15 race categories ranging from 0-5 MPs to 10,000+. A player is placed in a category based on his/her MP totals at the beginning of a given year.
This race is named after William E. McKenney. His originality, drive and organizational ability did much to establish the ACBL. McKenney was the ACBL’s first executive secretary and remained at the helm until 1947.
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The Mini – McKenney Masterpoint Races recognize the ACBL members who earn the most MPs in sanctioned tournaments and clubs (excluding NAP/GNT qualifiers and STaCs) within a calendar year. |
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ACBL members receive masterpoints for winning and placing in club games and tournaments as they strive to advance through the ranks. There are 16 ranks, from Junior Master (5 MPs) to Grand Life Master (10,000 MPs plus a victory in an eligible North American Bridge Championship). |
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NEWLY MINTED LIFE MASTERS |
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GIANLUCA BACCHIN
UNIT 374, ALBUQUERQUE, NM
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LARAINE BROKAW
UNIT 356, TUCSON, AZ
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MJ MUCKLO
UNIT 356, TUCSON, AZ
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JULIE SHELTON
UNIT 356, TUCSON, AZ
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MORGAN PATRICK
(Not pictured)
UNIT 360, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO
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CHECK OUT THE DISTRICT 17 WEBSITE
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