Aces Places and Faces March 2007

	ACES, PLACES, and FACES PUBLICATION OF THE FRESNO UNIT OF THE AMERICAN CONTRACT BRIDGE LEAGUE
Volume LIX No 3 March 2007 Special Events Calendar	EDITOR: RICHARD MEFFLEY bridgefresno@hotmail.com (please e-mail to get on e-mail list)

ATTENDANCE UP AT WINTER SECTIONAL GERARD LAQUERRIERE WINS PRESIDENT'S AWARD AL CRANE TOPS 99ER Gerard Laquerriere was second in two events, fourth in two events, and won the Swiss teams by one victory point over Della Schnell's team to win the President's Award for top master point winner at the winter sectional. Della was a close second. Al Crane finished in the overalls in four events with partner Wally Cucura to win the 99er Award. Congratulations! Attendance was up for the tournament, with the best Sunday attendance in several years. Swiss teams popularity is on the rise. Dora Gostanian did a great hospitality job - there was a free lunch every day. Many of our members contributed to the hospitality - a big thank you to all who helped. GRAND NATIONAL TEAMS Our new District 21 has allowed us to play in the D21 Grand National Teams in the open flight and in Flight B, under 2000 master points. The other two flights have already completed play. The open flight starts March 24: Flight B starts March 31. No qualifying is needed, but registration by March 4 with Jackie Ortiz is required. Because of the late notice, the deadline may be extended a few days. Players may instead play in District 22 this year (but not in both districts). Players must qualify at clubs. District finals for all flights are at the San Diego regional, starting on April 7. We still have qualifying games on Sunday March 25 and Saturday March 31.	UNIT UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR with tournament links California and nearby tournaments Bay Area Tournaments UNIT NEWS Bridge classes for beginners are scheduled to start at the bridge club on Wednesday mornings on April 11. Let your friends know - we'd like to get a lot of people to start playing bridge with us. The first few lessons will be free. Look for advertisements in the Senior Living section of the Fresno Bee. For more information, contact Byron Steinert, chairman of the Education Committee. By this time next month we will officially be part of District 21. President Richard Meffley attended the D21 board meeting at the Santa Clara regional. Each unit has two representatives on the board - usually the president and another unit member. We have not yet picked the representatives. News from the management of our building is that the property is in escrow and may be sold soon. Our building site committee is still reviewing various possibilities for moving, both buying and renting. It may soon be time to start pledge drives and other fund raising activities so that our Building Fund will be able to take us to a place we like. Look for Pro-Am teams on April 15 - we'll pick your team for you! Welcome to new board member Mary Jo Davila. Draft minutes of unit board meetings will be posted at the clubhouse and will be available on the unit website.
PLACES AND FACES At the Riverside regional, Richard Meffley and Warren Cederborg were third in the Swiss teams and Judy Zimmerer was third in the 299er pairs. At the Albuquerque regional, Deni Glenn Boeve was second in bracket 3 knockout teams and third in bracket 4 KO teams. Rose Boot won the side game at the Santa Clara regional. Farid Assemi was second in the KO teams and third with Ed Wojewoda. Jim Stefanich was third in bracket 3 KO teams. Susan Vildosola and Peter Weber were fourth in the 299er pairs. Judy Rosenthal, Paul Messner, Sandra Zovod, and Hugh Miller were fifth in flight C of the Swiss teams. Sandy and Hugh also won the bracket 4 KO teams and were second in flight C of the evening Swiss teams. John and Della Schnell were eighth in the IMP pairs. Rick and Vivian Betcher were second in bracket 3 compact KO team consolation and third with Judy Rosenthal and Paul Messner in the bracket 4 KO teams. Richard Meffley was third in the KO teams and first in the evening Swiss teams. Jay Roll and Larry Cavanaugh were third in the compact KO teams and second in the senior Swiss teams. Avis Morse, Allyson Farrell, Patricia Delamontanya and Mun Takeda were second in bracket 2 KO teams at the Los Angeles regional, first in flight B of the Swiss teams, and third in the bracket 3 compact KO teams. Bill and Jill Wood were sixth in Flight C open pairs at the Livermore sectional. Kim Morris and Avis Morse were second in the open pairs at the Arroyo Grande sectional. Congratulations to all our winners! Welcome to new members Jack Stitt of Oakhurst and Edna and Harold Parichan. Our sympathy goes to Jane McCoy, whose husband Jess recently passed away. Jess and Jane were a formidable partnership until Jess retired from playing bridge at our club many years ago. We tried on occasion to get him to come out of retirement, but he wouldn't budge. He continued to play social duplicate bridge and read about bridge. He was one player who always had a good time at the club and made others have a good time with him. Long ago when we had parties at the club, he was often the bartender and made sure everyone enjoyed the party. We miss Jess.	CLUB NEWS This month and April are the last months ever for Grand National Swiss Team qualifying games. Our new home, District 21, does not hold qualifying games. Get your team together and plan to win red points on Sunday March 25 at 1 pm and Saturday March 31 at noon The games are sectionally rated. Last time we had five teams and all teams won 1.41 master points or more. That doesn't usually happen, but it could happen again! The Madera Bridge Club will be on vacation the first two weeks of March. Try playing in Fresno or on-line! We will start another six game series on Sunday, with games on March 11 and March 18. Tentative schedule for the remainder of the series is April 22 and 29, May 27, and a finale in June. The players with the top scores in four of the six games will win extra master points. Top Oakhurst players for February were Paul Mertens, Wally Cucura, Al Crane, Emy Ashcraft, Bob Mortimer, Morgan Johnson, Mary-Gene Kreighoff, Corey Cole, Bette Mertens, and Ty Moser. Top Madera point winners for January were Everett Bondeson and Bob Mortimer followed by Judy Hecht and Virginia Hailey. Top Fresno Bridge Club players for January were Babs Thacker, followed by Doris Frazer, Steve Sharp, and Suzanne Graham. Top 99er was Syd Bluestone, followed by Roberta Beam. PUZZLE You hold: Spades VOID Hearts A654 Diamonds A87 Clubs A96532 Your right hand opponent opens 7 Spades and everyone passes. What is your opening lead? The correct answer will be given next month. Only the correct lead will defeat the contract. If you don't get it, there will be a clue here in a week or so. CLUE #1 What hand would you have if you opened 7 Spades without an outside Ace? Last March we had a lesson in AP&F and we haven't had one since. If you'd like to write a lesson, or if you'd like one written, please write to the editor.
WINNERS CIRCLE WINTER SECTIONAL OVERALL WINNERS WINTER SECTIONAL RECAP SHEETS January 15 - February 15, 2007 UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Laura NeVille - Ginger Zumwalt 2A Anita Penny - Wanda Cardella 3A Verlee O'Neill - Kay Link 2B Barbara Taniguchi - Kim Morris GRAND NATIONAL SWISS TEAM D Frazer - B Thacker - H Miller - S Zovod CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Bill Wood - Jill Wood 2AB Martha Waller - Laura NeVille 3AB1C Sally Eatherly - Marcella Miller 2C Delia Green - Mary Jo Davila 3C Marion Krohn - Sophia Iwatsubo 750 CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Steve Sharp - Suzanne Graham 2A Sydney Bluestone - William McCormick, Jr. 3A2B Juanita Mason - Roberta Beam 3B George Efthemon - Alan Button 1C Linda Sims - Angelina Heisdorf 2C Viola Berg - Janet Winter CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Anthony Toto - Victor Greener 2A Jay Roll - Gerard Laquerriere 3A Skip Miller - Byron Steinert 2B Mun Takeda - Vivian Betcher 3B Sandra Zovod - D Zody 1/2A1B Carolyn Lofton - Robert Endara 1/2A Skip Miller - Byron Steinert 3A Jay Roll - Gerard Laquerriere 2B Lowell Gist - D Zody 3B Victor Greener - Verlee O'Neill 1C Peter Fashing - David Brandl 2C Sandra Zovod - Anthony Toto 1A Kim Morris - Wanda Cardella 2A M Mahaffey - Vivian Betcher 3A Anita Penny - Bert Rettner 1/2BC Mary Lloyd - Frank Goeddel 1/2BC Judy Dodd - William McCormick, 3B Jane McCoy - Della Schnell CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Bill Wood - Jill Wood 2AB Martha Waller - Laura NeVille 3AB1C Sally Eatherly - Marcella Miller 2C Delia Green - Mary Jo Davila 3C Marion Krohn - Sophia Iwatsubo 750 CHARITY CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Steve Sharp - Suzanne Graham 2A Sydney Bluestone - William McCormick, Jr. 3A2B Juanita Mason - Roberta Beam 3B George Efthemon - Alan Button 1C Linda Sims - Angelina Heisdorf 2C Viola Berg - Janet Winter CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP 1AB Anthony Toto - Victor Greener 2A Jay Roll - Gerard Laquerriere 3A Skip Miller - Byron Steinert 2B Mun Takeda - Vivian Betcher 3B Sandra Zovod - D Zody 1/2A1B Carolyn Lofton - Robert Endara 1/2A Skip Miller - Byron Steinert 3A Jay Roll - Gerard Laquerriere 2B Lowell Gist - D Zody 3B Victor Greener - Verlee O'Neill 1C Peter Fashing - David Brandl 2C Sandra Zovod - Anthony Toto 1A Kim Morris - Wanda Cardella 2A M Mahaffey - Vivian Betcher 3A Anita Penny - Bert Rettner 1/2BC Mary Lloyd - Frank Goeddel 1/2BC Judy Dodd - William McCormick, 3B Jane McCoy - Della Schnell	299ER CHAMPIONSHIP 1 John McGregor - Patrick Carroll 2/3 Sandy Richardson - John Barrere 2/3 John Renna - Tina Renna ½ John Barrere - John McGregor ½ Mary Ann Clark - Beverly Little 3 John Renna - Tina Renna OAKHURST WINNERS Morgan Johnson- Bob Mortimer(3) Wally Cucura- Paul Mertens(2) Mary-Gene Krieghoff- Ty Moser(2) Emy Ashcraft- Al Ellis Bobbie Schlagel- Wally Cucura Pearl McGinnis- Maryann Wiker Aileen and Byron Davis Gary and Judy Smith Emy Ashcraft- Thelma McDonald RESTRICTED SPECIAL Jackie Noblat - Sheila Smith Kim Morris - Kay Chrisman 750 GUESS YOUR SCORE! John Oakshott - Peggy Oakshott Pat Simpson - Annie Chiljian 750 SPECIAL David Zealear - Diane Zealear Sue Gearhart - Dolores Beebe[B] Marlene Robinson - Viola Berg[C] Lou VanCoevorden - Paul Boyd Susan Vildosola - Steve Sharp[B] John Peckler - Bill Frampton[C] Ron Vieira - Sandy Richardson Marlene McCready - Elaine J. Smith[C] Sydney Bluestone - William McCormick, Jr. Howard Masters - Pauline Willmirth[B] Pamela Marihart - Joan Weeks[C] SPECIAL Linda Lambie - Anita Penny Jean Kesler - Paul Messner Alan Hakes - Jim McKoane Jean Kesler - Margaret Mahaffey John Schnell - Della Schnell Rose Boot - Corey Cole Robert Endara - Carolyn Lofton Gerard Laquerriere - Curtis Reeves Margaret Mahaffey - Cor Yssels Martha Waller - Donny Graham[B] Julie Boucher - Lorraine Elia[B] Linda Lambie - Ruth Christensen[B] Margaret Seibert - Muriel Trantham[B] Sandra Zovod - Vivian Betcher[B] Marion Krohn - Kent Billeter[B] Paul Boyd - Suzanne Graham[C] Judy Nicholson - Mary Jo Davila[C] George Akel - Carolyn Smith[C] VALENTINE'S SPECIAL Monique Irion - Kazue Iwatsubo Margaret Mahaffey - Wanda Cardella David Zealear - Diane Zealear[B] BAROMETER John Schnell - Della Schnell Sandra Zovod - Vivian Betcher[B]
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