|
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact your District 4 board members.
PRESIDENT
Betsy Cutler
betsy2955@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT
Ala Hamilton-Day
alabridge@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Bill Bauer
william.baueriii@verizon.net
TREASURER
Pat Civale
patcivale@gmail.com
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
Joann Glasson
joannglasson@msn.com
| |
|
Will the groundhog see his shadow or not? Either way we have six more weeks of winter, but being from Pennsylvania we look to Phil for weather guidance. It always amazes me how many people flock to Punxsutawney, dressed in black tie and tails to watch a small animal poke his head out of a hole in the ground.
On a more bridge-related topic, I am thrilled to announce the recipients of the ACBL Goodwill Committee and Charitable Recognition Award for 2025. Each has made exceptional contributions to bridge and the bridge community.
The Goodwill Committee recognizes people from the district who exemplify the Goodwill creed, "Always disclose, never abuse, don’t intimidate, and practice active ethics" at the bridge club and table.
The Charitable Recognition award recognizes those who promote participation in the ACBL charity program in the unit and sanctioned club games within their district, as well as taking an active role in ACBL-wide charity events such as The Longest Day.
Congratulations to our newest honorees:
Goodwill Committee – Mike Kohler and Donna Heckscher
Charitable Recognition Award – Mike Vogel
Click here to learn more about these fabulous people and what they have done to promote bridge.
February is a slower month for district-wide tournaments. We end January and begin February with a STaC from January 27-February 2 - earn silver points in your local club. On February 7 Camp Hill is offering a 0-750 NLM sectional, and February 21-23 Wilmington, DE will host an open sectional.
| |
|
Remember to sign your team up for the four flights of Grand National Teams competitions. All events will be in Allentown, PA and if your team fails to qualify for day two of the event there will be a two-session Swiss Team event to play in as a consolation. These Sunday add-on team games will have the same upper masterpoint limits as the previous day’s events unless attendance makes it better to combine the two groups. Flyers with registration instructions are on the District 4 website.
It saddens me to share that the District-wide monthly online games are not doing as well as hoped. The goal was to raise some extra money to be used for our GNT and NAP winner's stipends, but as of now the games are losing money. These games are being canceled due to low participation.
| |
|
Betsy
betsy2955@gmail.com
| |
From the Regional Director | |
|
ACBL Clubhouse
As of January of 2025, the only place where you can get red, silver and gold points online is by playing in the ACBL Clubhouse. The ACBL Clubhouse is a new site that provides games for every level of play and unlike the ACBL World Games that are owned by BBO, the ACBL Clubhouse awards black points in every game.
During every week of special online games, the ACBL Clubhouse awards “glitter” points. When you sign in on BBO, you can find the Clubhouse Games just under ACBL World:
| |
|
The next time that you are planning on playing online, check out the schedule of games available in the ACBL Clubhouse. By playing in these games you will support your local face-to-face clubs and local e-games.
ACBL will distribute $2.82 of each Clubhouse player’s $6 entry fee to each player’s affiliated club. Affiliated clubs are:
- Face-to-face clubs where the player has participated within the past year.
- Small Affinity e-Clubs where you have played in the last three months.
All revenue will be shared among these clubs on a prorated basis, with face-to-face clubs guaranteed at least 50% of the distribution.
Support your local club by playing in the ACBL Clubhouse. Keeping our local clubs alive and active is important to the future of our game.
Joann
| |
|
Regionals
Rehoboth Beach, DE
April 28-May 2
Rochester, NY
June 9-14
Sectionals
D4/U135 STaC
January 27-February 2
Camp Hill, PA I/N
February 7
Wilmington, DE
February 21-23
Hagerstown, MD
March 25-26
Philadelphia, PA
April 4-6
Rochester, NY
April 5-6
Fairport, NY I/N
April 25-26
Allentown, PA
April 25-27
D4 STaC
May 5-11
Camp Hill, PA
May 16-18
Oswego, NY I/N
May 17
Boalsburg, PA
May 30-June 1
Rochester, NY
July 19-20
GNT Finals
A and C: March 1 & 2
Open and B: March 8 & 9
For the complete 2025 D4 calendar, click here.
| |
The 4Spot features fantastic contributors on a regular rotation: | |
January, April, July, October:
Larry's Learning Center by Larry Cohen
| |
|
February, May, August, November:
For Novices Only
| |
March, June, September, December:
Schwaidelson's Fractured Four-Hand Tales
| |
In case you missed it on BBO, here is a good article by Robert Todd on opening preempts.
| |
Arghh, what to do... see what the solvers and panel came up with here. | |
Visit the MSC website to read next month's problem and submit your answers online here. | |
Get Ready for Philly - Summer 2025 NABC News | |
|
Do Like Sue!
Yo, D4: are you wondering what YOU can do to keep bridge alive so you can continue pursuing your passion? District 4's Sue Manning is ACBL's Volunteer of the Year, and our own personal Inspiration du Jour. Check out this article from the January Bulletin about how Sue uses her diverse talents to keep our delightful game thriving. Then take your own deep dive - meaning have a think about how to Do Like Sue. How, for example, can you pitch in at Philly Nationals this summer? Plenty to do, and you too (like Sue!) may get a reward for your effort. Contact volunteer coordinator extraordinaire Cathy Strauss: cathy.strauss@gmail.com. She's on call to help you find your calling. Snooze or lose!
John Dickenson and Ala Hamilton-Day
| |
News from Around the Units | |
|
Unit 112 members are keeping warming by playing bridge and waiting for our next tournament, the Rochester Spring Sectional on April 5-6. For the winter months, our Saturday club game in Perinton is every week.
Unit 112 Congratulates its Advancing Players
Club Master
Frank Farmer
NABC Master
Sue Cordier
Annmarie Kinnan
Gregory Liebner
Life Master
Morton Isaacs
Bronze Life Master
Morton Isaacs
Silver Life Master
Lewis Rothberg
David Simpson
Gold Life Master
Stephen Pope
| |
|
Unit 120: Northeastern Pennsylvania
Doreese Torrey
doreeset@gmail.com
| |
Check back next month for Unit 120 news. | |
|
Greetings from Berks-Montgomery Unit 121. WOW! The holidays have come and gone. Looks like it’s time for some face-to-face bridge with our friends. But we should finish out 2024 news:
Our annual meeting was held in early November. The new slate of officers and Board were elected. Officers elected are:
President William Buskirk
Vice President Raquel Yiengst
Secretary Larry Yoder
Treasurer Robert Matthews
Others serving on the Board are Al Bingaman, Beth Jasinski, Faith DeLallo, Trish Richards, and Philip Presley. Sue Wessner is our Tournament Coordinator and Education Liaison. Brian Snyder is the Webmaster. We welcome any others willing to serve for the good of our game.
Mid-December the Unit held our annual Christmas luncheon. We feasted on turkey BBQ and all its fixings which included deviled eggs, all kinds of salads and a luscious fruit tray, ending with Sweet Treats desserts. While we let that all settle, we enjoyed a great game of bridge. Thanks to the generosity of our players and the club we were able to present a sizable gift to the church. Winners were:
N-S Larry Yoder and Carl Ziegler
E-W Al Crump and Travis Crump
Now it is time to move on to 2025. We opened the year with a “Left Over Fruit Cake” Club Championship. I am not sure who had the honor of eating that stale delicacy, but most of us enjoyed the leftover goodies Club members brought to share.
Club champions were:
N-S Al Bingaman and Doug Chaney
E-W Al Crump and Travis Crump.
Looking forward to February Valentine’s Day Club Championship. Come early, bring your lunch, and have dessert with your friends. The game will be at 12:15 on February 11th. Snow date February 13th. Cost of the game will be $8.
Unit 121 offers face-to-face games every Tuesday and Thursday at 12:15 at Good Shepherd UCC Church in Tuckerton (Reading). The Club is blessed to have this great place to play our favorite game. They welcome us with open arms into a facility that is bright, cheery, and welcoming.
If you need a partner, call Sue Wessner at 610-972-5327. She will do her best to find you a partner at your level of play.
| |
Unit 133: Lehigh Valley
Lois Fuini
lafuini@yahoo.com
| |
|
Happy Valentine’s Day
Congratulations! New Rank Achievements!
Junior Master
Douglas Dykhouse
Ruby Life Master
Beth Dimler
“Souper” Bowl Sunday Charity Game
WHERE: Lehigh Valley Active Life
WHEN: February 9, 2025 at 12:30 PM
WHO: 0-750, and Open Games
WHY: Enjoy a game of bridge to benefit a worthy cause: All cash
donations and proceeds from the games will be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank. Please bring a can of soup or other non-perishable food item for the food bank and your favorite snack to share at our tailgating party.
Cash donations may be mailed to Nelson Rabenold, 1837 Belleview Circle,
Whitehall PA 18052. Please make checks payable to LVBA. Thank you!
COST: $9 per person.
Junior Fund Game
A Special Junior Fund Team Game, Friday, January 17 was held at Lehigh Valley Active Life to raise funds for junior bridge initiatives. This game awarded double black points. Thanks to everyone who supported ACBL in this fundraising effort.
Evening Open Games
Open games will be held Wednesday evenings at 7pm. The games will run the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month and rotate between the Cutler home in Allentown and the Mukherjee home in Bethlehem. We will play eighteen boards and the cost will be $5! Partners are guaranteed.
For more information, please contact Betsy Cutler: betsy2955@gmail.com.
Coming in April 2025:
Unit 133 Spring Sectional - April 25-April 27
Please join us for our Spring Sectional in Allentown at Lehigh Valley Active Life for an opportunity to earn Silver Masterpoints. Enjoy a pleasant atmosphere, friendly people, delicious bagged lunches, bagged snacks, and great bridge.
WHEN:
Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26: 10am and 2:30pm - Open and 0-750 pairs. (Games may be combined due to attendance.)
Saturday, April 26 includes a special 0-20 free game with a postmortem.
Sunday, April 27: 10am two-session Swiss Team play through with lunch break. Open and 0-750 teams
WHERE:
Lehigh Valley Active Life
1633 West Elm Street
Allentown PA 18102
COST: $12 per player per session (does not include lunch) payable at the door using a credit card. Lunch: $10. Prepay by mailing check payable to LVBA with sandwich choice (Italian, Turkey, Roast Beef, Roasted Veggies or Cheese Subs) to Lois Fuini, 3944 Shirley Drive, Schencksville PA 18078.
QUESTIONS: Please contact Tournament Chairperson, Lois Fuini at
lafuini@yahoo.com
| |
|
This month marks a transition in Unit leadership. John Dickenson has been President for two years and has reached the limit of his term. John contributes selflessly to the bridge community as a volunteer, teacher, mentor, and friend. He works tirelessly behind the scenes to make our bridge community better. Thank you, John.
Under John’s leadership the Unit emerged from COVID and quickly got back to high levels of participation. In 2024 we held three open sectionals, two I/N sectionals, a session of Learn Bridge in a Day and reached out to members regularly. Thanks as well to the board members who made that all happen.
Our new officers: Cathy Strauss, President, Jay Apfelbaum, Vice President, Jeff Rohrbeck, Secretary, Ellen Berkowitz, Treasurer.
Face-to-face bridge drives the growth of our community. We have many wonderful clubs in the Unit and I encourage you to support them. You can find a list of them on the Unit website, or click here.
Our first sectional of the year was held at Bala Golf Club on January 3-5 and was a great success, with a table count far exceeding expectations (136 Friday and Saturday, and 38 teams on Sunday!). Lots of silver points, great food, and a chance to reconnect with friends were the highlights. Congratulations to our many members who won silver. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our next Sectional, April 4-6, at Bala Golf Club.
There’s still one more day this month to earn silver points in clubs; the STaC ends February 2.
A warm welcome to our newest PCBA members!
Janice Hutt
Thomas Prim
Robin Schoonmaker
Matthew Waldron
Congratulations to our members who achieved a new rank!
Junior Masters
Cindy K Harris
Jennifer M Peters
Tilda M Rizzo
Joseph M Vargo
Club Masters
Elizabeth C Bailey
Paul Balbresky
Patty Bartolomeo
Ronald Campbell
Sharla Feldscher
Lynn Kupchik
Villabhdas J Patel
Philip Pearlstein
Leslie Stiles
Nan Ward
Sectional Masters
Yaacov Garini
Deborah Kahn
Rumen I Lazarov
Radu Vasilescu
Regional Masters
Lorna R Bearn
Mikaela G Georgieva
Loretta Meier
Devin Murphy
NABC Masters
Devika Chakraborty
Richard R Eynon
Mark E Luchette
Linda Schelke
Carol J Eastwood
Advanced NABC Master
Anola Vance
Silver Life Masters
Don Baker
Sharon Goldman
Gold Life Masters
Glenn E Fuhrman
Carol Reiss
Amy Ross
Sapphire Life Masters
James Rachel
Judy R Robbins
Diamond Life Masters
Steven M Gewirtzman
Edward Leach
| |
|
Unit 168: Central Pennsylvania
Ben Hawn
bwhawn@bellsouth.net
| |
|
Red against white, what do you do with this unbalanced fourteen-count in third seat after two passes?
I’m an unimaginative sort so I would open a pedestrian 1♠️. At my club the other day, that was not a popular choice. 1♠️ was the selection at only two of seven tables. 4♠️ was opened twice, as was 2♠️. My partner had the hand, and he chose 3♠️, which is either the worst or best bid in recent memory.
Anyway, 3♠️ down one was a good result with six of either minor cold for NS. Can South bid 4NT over my partner’s 3♠️? Or 4♣️ perhaps? Unclear. My recommended boring auction is:
1♠️ 2NT 3♠️ 5♦️
all pass
If all you want to do is to confuse everyone, the lesson here is to always preempt with a full opener.
Congratulations to the following Unit 168 players as they move up the ACBL’s ranking ladder:
Junior Masters:
Benjamin Lezu
Sharon Paxton
Club Master:
Constance Kuntz
Sectional Master:
Janet Glazewski
Regional Master:
Mary Weston
NABC Masters:
Rebecca Bergey
Patricia Bettger
Life Masters:
William Even
Monica Knopf
Raymond Rizzo
Ben Hawn
| |
|
Delaware Clubs
The Bridge Studio of Delaware, Wilmington
Harold Jordon
302-479-5431
club@bridge-studio.org
MOT, Middletown
Cheryl Shields
302-602-1638
c.shields@mehrs.com
Monday Morning Bridge Club
Friday Nooners
Dover
Clare O’Brien
410-310-0549
Clare758@outlook.com
Shore Bridge
Lewes
Anna DeLapo
302-236-0346
Anna7nt@gmail.com
Shuffles2
Ocean View Presbyterian Church
Thursday @ 12:30
215-817-2465
Shuffles2023@gmail.com
| |
Please keep our sectional in Boalsburg May 30 to June 1 in mind. | |
|
Join Our Mailing List!
It's fast and easy to join our mailing list. And we use SafeUnsubscribe, so it's just one click if you change your mind later.
| | | | |
