Aces Places and Faces February 2006

	ACES, PLACES, and FACES PUBLICATION OF THE FRESNO UNIT OF THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE
Volume LVIII No 2 February 2006 Special Events Calendar	EDITOR: RICHARD MEFFLEY bridgefresno@hotmail.com (please e-mail to get on e-mail list)

WINTER SECTIONAL FEBRUARY 23-26 Once again we are offering silver points at our Winter Sectional at the Unit Clubhouse for four straight days. We will have stratified games, strati-flighted games, Swiss teams, 199er games, 299er games, and a few other twists as well. Pick up a flyer for a full schedule, or check the calendar included this month for an abbreviated schedule. Mark Stern is chairman of the tournament, with Judy Nicholson leading the hospitality committee. Unit members are welcome to join the hospitality committee by bringing an appetizer or other food item to one of the sessions of the tournament. For those who play in the Swiss teams on Sunday, the hospitality committee will provide a free lunch. If you don't have your team for the Swiss teams, or a partner for the other events, Mun Takeda, our partnership chairman, may be able to help. Call her at 559-431-9215 or 284-3750 if you need a partner for one of the sessions. The sooner you call, the easier it is for her to help you.	UNIT UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR with tournament links California and nearby tournaments Bay Area Tournaments WINTER SECTIONAL UNIT NEWS The unit board of directors currently meets monthly, usually the third Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Members may attend - just contact a board member to let the board know you are coming. The new officers for 2006 are: President Richard Meffley Vice President Richard Betcher Treasurer John Renna Secretary Kay Chrisman The Building Fund now has a balance of $132,900.00. Although this is a significant amount, it is not yet enough to purchase or even make a down payment on a building. We have not had any significant fund raising events lately. We would like to consider ways to raise additional funds so that we will be able to move forward. Involvement of members who wish to help with any fund raising projects is welcome. Draft minutes of unit board meetings will be posted at the clubhouse and will be available on the unit website. Several issues were discussed at the January board meeting, but decisions were deferred to later meetings. The unit will no longer celebrate monthly birthdays on Sundays. Players are still allowed to sing Happy Birthday whenever a member is playing bridge on his or her birthday.
PLACES AND FACES Jean Moats Makes Life Master in Monterey! Jean Moats, with Mary Jo Davila, Ruth Christensen, and Donny Graham, placed in two Bracket 3 KO team events in Monterey - second and third - to win enough gold points to go over at the recent Monterey regional. Our congratulations to Jean! We left off Bill Glass and Bob Durbrow, second in the side game, and Vivian and Rick Betcher, flight B winners in the evening side game in last month's Reno winners. Vivian's other victories helped her make LM there. There were lots of other Fresno area winners at the Monterey regional. Overall winners included Carol Rodder and Sheila Smith, first in the side game and third in Flight B senior pairs. Howard Reed and Pat Simpson were fourth and fifth in the 299er pairs, plus fourth in Flight B in another 299er pairs. Former Fresnan Mary Peterson and Kathy Coit were sixth in the 299er pairs. Judy Dodd and Bev Daniels were fifth in the 299er pairs. Paul Messner was second in the 299er pairs. Rick & Vivian Betcher, Mostafa Elhag and Steve Sharp won Bracket 5 KO teams twice. Mike Molinari, Paul Boyd, Suzanne Graham and Judy Nicholson, were second in Swiss teams Flight B. Bert Rettner won the senior pairs. Jim Stefanich, Beverly Daniel, Bruce Smith and Judy Dodd were third in Bracket 2 KO teams. Richard Meffley was second in the Barometer Open pairs and third in the compact KO teams. Rose Boot was fourth in the evening Swiss teams Farid Assemi won the KO teams and the consolation compact KO. Plus came in fourth in the Swiss teams. John and Tina Renna were sixth in the 99er pairs. Paul Boyd and Mike Molinari were third in Flight C Side Series and fifth in Flight C open pairs. Jay Roll and Larry Cavanaugh won the senior teams. Former Fresnan Jim Slinger and Susan Bertken won Bracket 2 KO teams and were sixth in senior Swiss teams. Congratulations to all! At the Southern California Regional, Bill Glass was second in two side games and second in the bracket 2 knockout teams. Congratulations! Welcome to new Fresno Unit member Mark Edelman, who has transferred from San Diego. Norman Woo is back in Fresno teaching at CSUF this semester. We hope to see him many times at the bridge table when he gets time away from the classroom. We talked to Carman Wood, who was one of the top players in the unit until he and Anne moved away. He wishes all his friends in Fresno well. Speedy recovery wishes go to Mary Jo Davila. Our sympathy is extended to Martha Waller, whose mother recently passed away.	CLUB NEWS The Tuesday and Thursday 299er afternoon games are changed to 750 master point games. Players with under 750 master points are now welcome to play in those games. The stratifications may change some because the master point limits have changed. We have another Sunday Swiss team game on the schedule - on February 12. The game gives half red points at the same amount as sectionals. Get your team together soon. Mary Lou Da Costa recently had a stroke and has been in therapy. Laura Da Costa has been in charge of her club games while she is recovering,. We hope to see Mary Lou well and back to the bridge club soon. February is Junior Fund month. Games held for the Junior Fund are sectionally rated. Funds raised from these games helps our Junior players (under age 25 in international competition, and also go to help bridge programs for players in elementary schools and high schools. Several games are on the calendar for February. There will be no Wednesday evening game in Fresno on February 22, the day before the winter sectional. A reminder about calling the director. We have had many new players in the last few years. As they move from EasyBridge games to 99er games to nonLM games to open games, they encounter more and more experienced players who may know the rules of the game a bit better than they do. It is everyone's responsibility to make the bridge experience of everyone, especially the newcomers, a pleasant one. If any problem or irregularity occurs, the players must call the director, and not make their own ruling. There is no place for accusations of any kind. The proper thing to do is to say something like "We have a problem, let's call the director and let the director straighten it out." Then raise your hand and say "Director, please." The director's main job is not to fix the coffee or the refreshments, but to keep the game running properly. Be nice - don't solve any irregularities at the bridge table - let the director do it for you. The top master point winner in Madera for December was Denny Green, followed by Ruth Rowe. Denny Green was the top master point winner for 2005, beating Bob Mortimer by less than a point. Right behind were Gay and Larry Slates and Everett Bondeson. Wanda Cardella was the top master point winner at the Fresno Bridge Club in December. George Sturges was the top master point winner for 2005 with 126.30 master points. Verlee O'Neill, Monique Irion, and Wanda Cardella had over 100 master points. The 99er leader for December was Laura Da Costa, followed by Wordy and Sheila Price. The top 2005 99er master poin t winner was George Efthemon.
WINNERS CIRCLE December 15, 2005 - January 15, 2006 UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP 1A Gerard Laquerriere - Lowell Gist 2A Della Schnell - John Schnell 3A1B Verlee O'Neill - Marcella Miller 2B Skip Miller - Byron Steinert 3B1C Ron Licata - Sharon Peterson 2C Jim Stefanich - Nancy Oliveira 1A Wanda Cardella - Anita Penny 2A1B Curt Reeves - Mark Stern 3A Monique Irion - Margaret Mahaffey 2B Dora Gostanian - Mary Jo Davila UNIT GAME Rose Boot - Ray April Jim McKoane - Lee McKoane UNIT BIRTHDAY PARTY Sheila Price - Wordy Price James Sweet - Jean Kesler CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Jackie Noblat - Laura NeVille 2 Marion Krohn - Kent Billeter 3 Rick Betcher - Steve Sharp CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 1A George Sturges - Wanda Cardella 2A1B Charlotte Maschke - Kay Seabury 3A2B1C Jim Stefanich - Beverly Daniels 3B Laura Da Costa - Jim McKoane 2C Harlan Ellis - Charles Small MADERA CHAMPIONSHIP 1 Rose Wheeler - Richard Meffley 2 Morgan Johnson - Denslow Green PARTY 299ER Paul Messner - Steve Sharp Gay Berry - Dolores Beebe Alan Button - George Efthemon(B) Sue Gearhart - Don Winton(C) BAROMETER Richard Meffley - Jim Stefanich David Shuster - Mark Stern(B) Rick Betcher - Vivian Betcher(C)	SPECIAL Rick Betcher - Jim McKoane Larry Cavanaugh - J. Jay Roll Kim Morris - Kay Chrisman Verlee O'Neill - Marcella Miller Mary Lou Da Costa - Muriel Trantham Wanda Cardella - Ray April George Sturges - Bert Rettner Larry Cavanaugh - J. Jay Roll George Sturges - Wanda Cardella Wanda Cardella - Margaret Mahaffey Della Schnell - Kim Morris Rose Boot - Ray April Fred Hamilton - Rose Boot Belva Quattrin - Monique Irion Carol Miller - Judy Shuster(B) Barbara Thacker - Doris Frazer(B) Michael Molinari - Laura Da Costa(B) Kay Seabury - Alma Griffin(B) Ray April - Rose Boot(B) Barbara Thacker - Laura Da Costa(B) Yvonne Jeffrey - Larry Miller(B) Laura NeVille - Jane McCoy(B) Ray April - Rose Boot(B) Barbara Thacker - Hugh Miller(B) Michael Molinari - Paul Boyd(C) Dolores Parada - Joanne Parada(C) Martha Waller - Ruth Christensen(C) Diana Papazian - Wilma Long(C) Martha Waller - Jean Moats(C) 750 SPECIAL Paul Boyd - Sandy Richardson Sue Gearhart - Don Winton Marlene Robinson - Marlene Frazier(C) RESTRICTED SPECIAL Beverly Daniels - Jim Stefanich Judy Nicholson - Dora Gostanian 99ER PAIRS Peter Fashing - Linda Sims Patrick Carroll - John J. McGregor OAKHURST WINNERS Pearl McGinnes-Wally Cucura Morgan Johnson- Bob Mortimer Wally Cucura- Paul Mertens Jim Honeywell- Everett Bondeson Emy Ashcraft- Jim Luther Aileen & Byron Davis Ira Estin- Hal Mendoza Glen Ford- Ira Estin Mike Molinari- Don McCartin Burke Zane- Don McCartin Wally Cucura- Paul Mertens (2) Claire Molnar- Wally Cucura Mike Molinari- Don McCartin
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