aCES, PLACES,AND FACES

Volume LXXII No. 5  
FRESNO BRIDGE CENTER TO REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL MAY 7 OR LATER
We are waiting to find out when we can reopen our bridge clubs. Currently non-essential businesses are closed until May 7, but that likely will be longer. We may not be going back to the old normal. The Fresno Bridge Center has ordered masks, sanitizers, and gloves to keep us safe when we are able to reopen. We’ll likely require that masks be worn at the bridge center. We may change the food and drink that we provide to help keep you safe. We’ll continue to monitor the city, county, and state regulations to determine when it is advisable to reopen, and we’ll keep you informed.

PLACES AND FACES
Congratulations to new Silver Life Master Judy Jessick, new regional master Kathryn Miller, and new junior master Georgia Murach.
Also congratulations to our neighbor from Visalia, Warren Cederborg, who became a Grand Life Master in April while playing online on BBO.
Because of the pandemic, the Visalia sectional scheduled for this month has been canceled. This is one of our favorite tournaments. We are sorry that we will miss it this year. 

​ONLINE BRIDGE
BBO offers many daily bridge games to keep you active when the bridge club is closed. In addition to their many daily games, there are three daily pair games at $5 each and an all day individual game at $6. Proceeds from those games go to local bridge clubs.
Some bridge clubs have partnered with BBO to offer online pair games for their members only. The clubs determine the price. Most charge between $6 and $8. We are looking to see whether that is something for the Fresno Unit clubs. To make the games work, six tables are required. Please reply to let us know whether you are interested in playing in a game for our members online.

CALENDAR
May 19                                               1 day Sectional
                                                                750 afternoon
                                                                300 evening
 June 7                             11 am      Unit Board Meeting
                                             1 pm        Unit Championship
June 28                           Noon       Graduation Party
                                             1 pm        Pro-Am Pairs   

We will not publish a monthly calendar until we can reopen the bridge clubs. The above special events are subject to possible cancellation.  

     

SAD NEWS
Our condolences to Lowell Gist, whose wife Sharon recently passed away.
Our condolences to Jim McKoane, whose wife Lee passed away last week. Lee was a Life Master, but she hasn’t played at the club in several years.
Our condolences to the family of Bettie Bianchi. She was nearly a Life Master, but hasn’t played with us in about twenty years.

​GOLD POINT REGIONAL
ON BRIDGE BASE ONLINE
THIS WEEKEND
You may have received an e-mail from ACBL that a regional tournament is online on BBO this weekend. There are open pairs, Gold Rush pairs, and side games which offer a chance to win gold points on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Two sessions at $15 each are required to be eligible for gold points.

​TREASURER REPORT
Here is a great example of how accrual accounting works. Not a single game has been played in April, yet the books report about $1500 of income in April. That is because we recognize the money taken in during March on the April books. March was not a good month for us and of course April will be worse. While we won’t be taking in any money in April, we haven’t spent much either. Our credit card bill is normally around $500. In April it was $48. There are some recurring charges like Comcast and pest control. Rent was, as always, our biggest expense.
We have requested rent reduction from the landlord. It makes sense for them to let us pay half our normal rent. We are not using any significant utilities or even contributing to congestion in the parking lot. They want us to stay when all this is over. We have reserves that can see us through several months. Twice several if they let us pay half rent.
In other words, financially, we can wait it out if the shelter in place orders don’t last through the winter. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy. When we can play again, we need everyone to come back. To phrase it as was done in the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic; be patriotic and wear a mask.