Aces, Places, & Faces

Volume LXXI  Number 1

STARTING THE NEW YEAR WITH LESSONS
Once again we are starting bridge lessons with the new year. Free lessons for new players start on Saturday January 12 at 9 a.m. The second series for those who know bridge or have finished the first series also starts at 9 a.m. on January 12. Clovis Adult School also offers beginning lessons at the Bridge Center on Tuesday nights starting January 8, 2019. If you enjoy playing bridge, tell your friends and neighbors how much fun you have, and encourage them to try the  lessons. The best bridge clubs are those with fairly new members, enjoying the company of others and learning more and more as they go along.
It is not always easy to get new members. We must show them how much we enjoy the friendship and competition that we have. When I started playing bridge, it was easier because thousands of people already knew how to play. Now we must show them the way. Fifty years ago my teacher said, “All the other nuns are playing bridge, teach me.” Twenty-five years ago, people said, “Oh bridge, my grandparents used to play that.” Now they say, “Bridge, what’s that?” We want people to say “Bridge, I need to learn to play.”

PLACES AND FACES
We had lots of winners in Palm Springs. Steve Johnson and June Oeser were fifth in Flight B, then first in Flight B twice in the 299er pairs.  Deb Petersen, Cynthia Tingey, Renee Laquerriere, and Rhonda Hampton were fourth in Bracket 18 in theCompact KO teams. Cynthia Tingey and Deb Petersen were 26th in the Gold Rush pairs. Gerard
Laquerriere was second in Bracket 3 of the KO teams, third in Bracket 2, third in Bracket 4 of the Compact KO teams, third in the Swiss teams, and first in the side game. Former Fresnans Jim Tritt and Steve McConnell won the IMP pairs and were sixth in the Open Pairs. Congratulations!

Maggie Mahaffey is now at Hinds Hospice. You can write to her at:
Margaret Mahaffey
Hinds Hospice
474 W. Twain
Fresno, Ca 93711

OAKHURST NEWS
As we begin the new year we want to thank all the helpers and volunteers throughout the year for your generous support. Your gift of wonderful snacks, sweet bakery goods along with your dishwashing and cleanup help will allow us to maintain our low card fee in 2019!

OAKHURST NEWS
As we begin the new year we want to thank all the helpers and volunteers throughout the year for your generous support. Your gift of wonderful snacks, sweet bakery goods along with your dishwashing and cleanup help will allow us to maintain our low card fee in 2019!

FRESNO WINTER SECTIONAL
Don’t forget the winter sectional, February 15 -18, 2019. You can get a flyer online or at the Bridge Center. Ask your favorite partner to play.

WINNERS
UNIT CHAMPIONSHIP
1          Rosalie Jorgensen - Jim Mckoane
2          Don Austin - Marion Austin
 
 1         Laura Neville - Al Crane
2          Patrick Carroll - Richard Meffley
 
1A       Belva Quattrin - Bob Cross
2          Howard Arquette - Ray April
3A1B   Laura Neville - Rosalie Jorgensen
2B        Paul Messner - Jane Bragg
 
UNIT THANKSGIVING CHAMPIONSHIP
1A       Ray April - Laura Da Costa
2A1B   Dick Powell - Anthony Toto
3A       Robert Durbrow - Richard Meffley


2B        William Glass - Jeff Nevins
3B1C   Steve Johnson - Gary Nelson
2C        Robert Cherry - Tay Cherry
 
UNIT CHRISTMAS CHAMPIONSHIP
1A       Ray April - Laura Da Costa
2A       Robert Durbrow - Rose Boot
3A1B   Patrick Carroll - William Glass
2B        Judy Zimmerer - Irene Whelchel
3B        Skip Miller - Cynthia Tingey
1C        Don Austin - Marion Austin
2C        Jason Mcalexander - Debbie Kemp
3C        Barbara Wiedel - Kathryn Miller
 
UNIT 99ER CHAMPIONSHIP
1          Fred Schellack - Margot Cegielski
2/3       Clint Hudson - Walt Kelso
2/3       Ann Keag - Cheryl Ryder

UNIT 99ER THANKSGIVING CHAMPIONSHIP
1          Walt Kelso - Alvin Fred Schellack
2          Tom Callahan - Julia Kendall

UNIT 99ER CHAMPIONSHIP
1              Alvin Fred Schellack - Margot Cegielski
2              Barbara Gaudin - Sandra White
 
STAC GAMES
Numbers in brackets are Overall places
Donny Graham - Nancy Holley {79A,42B }
Gerard Laquerriere - Mun Takeda {1A Aux}
William Glass - Rose Boot {2A Aux}
Anthony Toto - Mark Stern {3A}
Jim Mckoane - Judy Dodd {10A 5B}
Laura Neville - Delia Green
Richard Meffley - Bob Cross {1 Aux}
Belva Quattrin - Dick Powell {3A Aux}
Mary Lou Pease - Jane Bragg [B] {3C Aux }
Ray April - Jason Mcalexander [B]
Al Crane - Laura Neville [B] {4A 2B}
James Bushman - Debbie Kemp [B]
Wilson Wallace - Rev. Jim H. Luther [B](2){ 6B 3C }
Jackie Finn - George Efthemon [C]
Steve Johnson - Debbie Kemp [C] {2A 1BC)

750 STAC
Mark Smith - M. Steve Johnson {2A 1BC}
Denny Tweed - Cathleen Burden {19A 14B} 
Kathleen Coit - Dick Powell {12]
Marilyn J. Kendall - JoAnn Huebner {9B}
Lois High - Doris Myers {8A 7B}
Pamela Pigg - Ann Keag {2C}
Mary Ann Clark - Beverly Little[B]
Marge Field - Joan Fritz [C]
Nalini Jeyapalan - Jei Jeyapalan [C]
 
99 STAC
Walt Kelso - Clint Hudson [2] {2A 2B 1C} & {1}
Fred Schellack - Margot Cegielski {2}
John Cadwalader - Carol Fiorentino [C]

UNIT NEWS  -  Our 75th ANNIVERSARY
We’re celebrating the Fresno Unit’s 75th Anniversary this year. We’ll have some activities for the anniversary. We’ve been around a long time, and hope to stay for many more years.
We had great attendance for our annual meeting and Christmas party – easily enough for a quorum. Thanks go to retiring board members Gay Berry and Sally Stern. Gay was our Sunshine chairman and also took minutes for all board meetings. Sally was Membership chairman. Other incumbents were re-elected. Our new board member is Steve Johnson, an enthusiastic newcomer who quickly went over 100 master points and is now playing regularly in Open and 750 games. Welcome,Steve.
            Don Austin was our distinguished Service Award winner for his work as Treasurer in securing a new lease for the bridge center.
            We had a great time on Poker Night last year. Look for another Poker Night in March.

CLUB NEWS
Madera December winners are Steve Johnson, followed by Barbara Diebert, Jackie Reichard,  and Jan Armbruster. Gay and Larry Slates were the top winners for 2018, followed by Barbara Diebert and Carol Kaufman.
Ray April topped the Fresno Bridge Center for November, followed by Skip Miller, Bill Glass, and Laura Da Costa. Mark Stern leads for 2018, followed by Bob Durbrow, Ray April, and Lowell Gist. Clint Hudson was the top 99er for November, followed by Fred Schellack, Margot Cegielski, and Walt Kelso. Pam Pigg leads for 2018, followed by Mary Claire Ewing and Jonel Mueller.

TREASURER’S REPORT 
As I announced at the full club meeting in early December, we are still losing money, but not as much as in previous years. Year end books won’t be published until after the next board meeting in January. There is a path to solvency, but it depends on members. Play an extra game each month and attend the fund raisers. Poker nights are just a fun party, even if you don’t play poker. And Mun’s lessons are outstanding. Do these not just to help  cover our losses, but to up your game and to make the bridge club a bigger part of our social lives.
There are things happening that could impact the financial stability of the club. If you have joined the majority of people and cut your cable TV cord to use the modern digital over the air broadcasting, you will see 30 second Public Service Announcements (PSA) running for our bridge
center on some Ventura-TV channels. Those are channels 13-1 to 13-8. If you watch MeTV, watch it on one of those channels. We will try to get on other channels. If you are reading this on-line, here is a link to the spot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1z_sZGma6k If not, search Fresno Bridge on YouTube and you will find it.
I will leave it to the education committee to report, but I have heard there has been an increase in inquiries about lessons. If we get more beginning players thereby growing our membership, and current members get more involved, we might find a path to solvency.  

 
 
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1AB        Skip Miller – Joann E. EvanS
2A           Robert Durbrow - Belva Quattrin
3A2B1C  Sheila Smith - Gerry Jones
3B2C       Dave Haberstich - Gloria Fitzgerald
  
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1A           Ray April - Howard Arquette
2A           Jim Mckoane - William Glass
3A1BC    Debbie Kemp - Steve Johnson
2BC         Mary Lou Pease - Judy Zimmerer
  
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP
1A           Mark Stern - Sally Anne Stern
2A1BC    Don Austin - Marion Austin
3A2BC    Mary Lou Pease - Angelina Heisdorf
 
750 CHAMPIONSHIP
1AB        Lois High - Barbara Wiedel
2AS         Mary Ann Clark - Gay Berry
3AB1C    Kathryn Miller - M. Steve Johnson
2C           Joan De Yager - Marsha Infausto
3C           John Hempel - Jerry F. Noga
  
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIP
1                 Bob Cross
 2/3          Marion Austin
 2/3          William Glass
 
INDIVIDUAL
 1/3A1/2B               George Dalition
 1/3A                       William Glass
 1/3A1/2B1C           Don Austin
3B2C                       Marion Austin
 
OAKHURST WINNERS
Pearl McGinnis and Al Ellis 2
T. Srinivasan and Ken Doig
Wally Wallace and Dana Brown 2
Karen McCartin and Claire Molnar
Burke Zane and T. Srinivasan
Bill Carroll and Jimmy Moore
Clem Bingham and Jim Luther
 
SPECIAL
William Glass - Robert Durbrow
Barbara Diebert - Virginia Hailey
Steve Johnson - Richard Meffley
Cynthia Tingey - Skip Miller
Dave Haberstich - William Glass
Mark Stern - William Glass
Rose Boot - Robert Durbrow
Peter Weber - Dick Powell [B]
Skip Miller - Cynthia Tingey [B]
Mary Lou Pease - James Sweet [B]
Avis Morse - Dick Powell [B]
Paul Messner - Delia Green [C]
Robert Cherry - Tay Cherry [C]
Bob Cross - Larry Miller [C]
Laura Da Costa - Paul Messner [C]
  
750 SPECIAL
Joan De Yager - Marsha Infausto
Kathryn Miller - Barbara Wiedel
Marge Field - Ann Keag [B]
Mary Claire Ewing - Marva White [C]
 
 99 SPECIAL
Tom Callahan - Julia Kendall
Barbara Gaudin - Clint Hudson
 
99
Clint Hudson - Barbara Gaudin
Fred Schellack - Walt Kelso
Fred Schellack - Margot Cegielski
Julia Kendall - Tom Callahan (B)