Here's wishing you grand slams aplenty in 2021! You deserve all good things, just for surviving this oh-so-challenging year. And hopefully, you will get to do your bidding face-to-face before many months have passed.
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Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact your District 4 board members.
PRESIDENT
Jeanne Gehret
jeannegehret@comcast.net
VICE PRESIDENT
Betsy Cutler
betsy2955@gmail.com
SECRETARY
Bill Bauer
william.baueriii@verizon.net
TREASURER
Pat Civale
pat@csa-accounting.com
DISTRICT DIRECTOR
Joann Glasson
joannglasson@msn.com
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Traditions – Old and New
Traditions are foundationally important in strengthening family and community, in reinforcing values, in celebrating life’s events, and in creating lasting memories. The routine of traditions results in a closeness that creates comfort and stability in our lives. During this challenging year, “pressing pause” on traditions of the past was difficult, and creating new traditions – maybe temporary or maybe permanent – became the norm. Now, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to begin new traditions, but the changes required in 2020 came at us like drinking water from a firehose! While I love some of my family holiday traditions – like playing cards and board games after a huge feast, there are two “new-in-2020” events I’d like to make permanent traditions. First, after 40 years of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I loved having it catered! And, second, the cookie exchange in my Condo building was loads of fun… with another bag or two of cookies arriving outside our door day after day.
I have recently also been reflecting on the traditions of bridge, whether at club games or tournaments. Bridge certainly has been a big part of the rhythm of my life, providing a sense of community and belonging. In 2020, our new tradition is virtual, online bridge. Over the past few weeks, the multitude of holiday wishes shared by both old and new friends in the virtual table chat warmed my heart and brought back memories of our club holiday parties of years past. Even if virtual bridge is temporary, I hope that you’re participating in it as a way to remain involved with your bridge family to keep the bridge community ties strong.
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And now the New Year is upon us. Vaccines are being manufactured and distributed - people are getting vaccinated. This is great news! Yes, at last there is reason for hope. I would ask that as you close the door on 2020 and look forward to a return to normal in 2021, please continue to be cautious and remain vigilant against this pandemic.
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My New Year’s wish for each of you is good health and safety, love and laughter, all mixed with a smattering of new traditions.
Let’s all toast to that!
I welcome your comments or suggestions (jeannegehret@comcast.net)
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From the District Director
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ACBL Committee Structure
As part of the reduction in size of the ACBL Board of Directors, non-core committees that had previously been part of the board responsibility have been moved into the hands of committees that are composed of members of our bridge community that are experts in the area. The Masterpoint Committee is one of those committees.
Two motions that came from the Masterpoint Committee were approved at the December special meeting of the ACBL Board.
Strength of Field:
In all tournament events for which the overall awards are calculated by formula, including Individuals, Pairs, Swiss Teams, Board-a-Match Teams, excluding STaCs and events with arbitrary first place awards, such as the Grand National Teams and excluding all events with a knockout phase, the masterpoint formula shall be modified to account for the strength of the field in that event by the method detailed below, and that such method be amended in the future to account for improvements in methods for estimation of players’ abilities and for other factors that have not yet been adequately accounted for.
This motion will likely take some time to be implemented as the technology is quite complicated but the effective date is listed as 1/1/21 or as early as it can be achieved.
Online Masterpoint Awards:
In all events conducted online in which ACBL gold, silver or red points are awarded, not including club games, all masterpoint awards shall be 80% of the amount that would be awarded in a face-to face game of the same structure, as calculated by the applicable formulas.
You will not see any change in the current masterpoint awards since this reduction is already in place in the events that are being played online.
The Competitions and Conventions Committee has introduced a new alert procedure system that will become effective January 1, 2021. Here is the full text of the new Alert Procedure. Changes include that instead of announcing "transfer," we will announce the suit shown, e.g. "hearts." Support doubles and redoubles are no longer alerted since they have become so commonly used.
With the arrival of new vaccines, I hope that we will soon once again be able to meet at the bridge table. I wish you all a healthy and fun-filled 2021!
Stay well.
joannglasson@msn.com
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Because of COVID-19 related uncertainties about when tournaments can safely resume, please check the ACBL calendar listings.
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The 4Spot features fantastic contributors, on a regular rotation:
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Larry's Learning Center by Larry Cohen:
January, April, July, October
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For Novices Only by Marti Ronemus:
February, May, August, November
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The ABC of Bridge by Dave Wachsman:
March, June, September, December
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An understanding of scoring is important to developing your bridge strategy. Larry Cohen reviews the basics that may help you determine when to double, when to bid on, when to sacrifice, whether you are playing with regular partners or with robots. Bridge scoring explained provides an overview in three easy lessons.
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Moderator: Nick Straguzzi
How do you explore for slam after partner's weak two opener -- or should you just settle for game? The decision may partially rest on how disciplined your partnership is with weak two bids in the first position, non vul against vul. After you choose your bid, see what the experts say!
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Attention Bridge Teachers
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Whether you are an established professional or new to teaching, check out the new Education and Bridge Lessons Tab on the District website. There are links to resources for teachers who want to start teaching online. Any teachers in the district who would like their contact information included, please send it to Joann Glasson at joannglasson@msn.com
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News from Around the Units
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Unit 112: Central New York
Betty Youmans
readsausten@yahoo.com
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Unit 112 Congratulates Its Advancing Players!
Junior Masters
Nancy Bircher, Rochester
Thomas Jerram, Elmira
Anna Komanecky, Rochester
Elizabeth Walton, Elmira
Club Masters
Maryann McCabe, Pittsford
Alan Winston, Elmira
Sectional Masters
Steven Gersz, Pittsford
Marsha Raines, Pittsford
Regional Masters
Mary Kay Adams, Pittsford
Linda Bouton, Oneonta
Jonathan Brown, Oneonta
Mary Gazak, Utica
NABC Masters
Ishwar Mathur, Pittsford
Janelle Tauer, Ithaca
Luke Valensa, Fairport
Denise Vernette, Pittsford
Advanced NABC Masters
Martha Gilchrist, Fairport
Gold Life Master
Courtenay Footman, Ithaca
Sapphire Life Master
Rosalind Kosoff, Rochester
Happy New Year!
Welcome 2021 – Stay healthy and safe.
Support your local Virtual Club games!
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Unit 120: Northeastern Pennsylvania
Doreese Torrey
doreeset@gmail.com
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Hello Unit 120!! Hoping everyone had a wonderful and safe holiday season. Now on to some recognition for December.
Our new Bronze Life Master is James A Seno of Starlight, PA. We also have a New Club Master, Antonette L Finelli of Lakeville, PA.
Please be sure to congratulate them both. Well done!
The Covid virus has made it impossible to be together so the best thing we can all do is play online. I trust you have all created your online cards and have at least sampled online play even if you do not engage regularly. It's easy and fun and allows us to socialize without any risks. Be sure to contact Fay Paciolli for information if you haven't done so already.
The ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year—though for them the year began not in January but in mid-March when the crops were planted. During a massive 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year’s resolutions. If the Babylonians kept to their word, their (pagan) gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor—a place no one wanted to be.
A similar practice occurred in ancient Rome after the reform-minded emperor Julius Caesar tinkered with the calendar and established January 1 as the beginning of the new year circa 46 B.C. Named for Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches, January had special significance for the Romans. Believing that Janus symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future, the Romans offered sacrifices to the deity and made promises of good conduct for the coming year.
For early Christians, the first day of the new year became the traditional occasion for thinking about one’s past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future. In 1740, the English clergyman John Wesley, founder of Methodism, created the Covenant Renewal Service, most commonly held on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Also known as watch night services, they included readings from Scriptures and hymn singing, and served as a spiritual alternative to the raucous celebrations normally held to celebrate the coming of the new year. Now popular within evangelical Protestant churches, especially African American denominations and congregations, watch night services held on New Year’s Eve are often spent praying and making resolutions for the coming year.
Despite the tradition’s religious roots, New Year’s resolutions today are a mostly secular practice. Instead of making promises to the gods, most people make resolutions only to themselves and focus purely on self-improvement (which may explain why such resolutions seem so hard to keep). According to recent research, while as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals. But that dismal record probably won’t stop people from making resolutions anytime soon—after all, we’ve had about 4,000 years of practice!
Here's to 2021 and praying you all stay safe so we can be together soon. Until then, see you at the virtual bridge tables.
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Unit 121: Berks Montgomery
Brian C Snyder
4spadesdoubled@gmail.com
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Check back next month for unit news. In the meantime, stay well!
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Unit 133: Lehigh Valley
Lois Fuini
lafuini@yahoo.com
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Happy New Year!
Even though your holiday celebrations may have looked a little different this year, we hope you all enjoyed them. We extend our best wishes for a safe, healthy, happy 2021. Unit 133 looks forward to serving our members with online virtual club games, until face-to-face games are safe for everyone.
For more information, please check the website for playing opportunities.
Congratulations!
New Rank Achievement
New Club Masters
Ken Haruta
New Bronze Life Master
Mike Kohler
New Silver Master
Karen Popkave
In Memoriam Game
Thank you to the many members who played on Sunday, December 6 to celebrate the lives and achievements of the members of Unit 133 who passed away last year, including Boris Heimbach, Lee Seckinger, Roger Brooks, Joseph Asber, Ruth Schaefer, and Barbara Dare. Two games of duplicate bridge were played in their honor. All proceeds benefit Lehigh Valley Active Life.
Winners
0-750 Limited Pairs
1st-Lois Fuini and Rita Keiper
2nd-Jane and Bob Davenport
Open Pairs
N/S 1st- Naim Rzik and Mary Jo Stofflet
2nd- Dave Kresge and Tom Kriz
E/W 1st- Paul Irvine and Robot
2nd- Arup and Bagisa Mukherjee
Thank You!
The Board of Directors and members of Unit 133 would like to sincerely thank the following retiring board members for their generous gift of time, talent, and treasure. These volunteers have helped our unit grow and achieve many goals and successes needed to move our unit forward.
Retired Board Members:
Arup Mukherjee
Pat Saeger
“Souper” Bowl Sunday
“Souper” Bowl Sunday Charity Game
WHERE: BBO Online
WHEN: February 7, 2021 at 1 PM
WHO: 0-150-Limited, 0-750 Limited, and Open Games
WHY: Enjoy a game of bridge to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank. All cash donations and proceeds from the games will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. In lieu of donating cans of soup, cash donations may be mailed to Paul Irvine, 5431 Truth Place, Allentown PA 18106, Please make checks payable to LVBA. Thank you!
COST: $6 per person
Winter Wonderland
Thank you to everyone who supported our last regionally rated tournament, December 17-20. We appreciate your support of all the efforts ACBL is making to keep our game strong while providing opportunities for us to continue advancing our ranks.
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Unit 141: Philadelphia
Howard Kahlenberg
howard.kahlenberg@gmail.com
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Happy New Year to All! Not to damn with faint praise, but I hope that everyone has a better 2021 than they did 2020. It looks like we are on pace to be able to see each other in person in 2021, and hopefully even have face-to-face bridge. There will probably even be a Nationals or two.
I am saddened to report the passing of long-time Unit 141 Board Member Joan Weinrott in December. She was instrumental in the running of Unit 141 tournaments for a long time. I can certainly attest to the fact that that’s a thankless job. Joan didn’t play in tournaments the last few years, but there are still plenty of folks who are going to miss her.
It was a slow work day today, so I had the vugraph of the inaugural event of the World Bridge Tour event on in the background. (They don’t call me King of the Vugraph for nothing.) The event was an invitational event with 16 top pairs from around the world. There were actually more than 16 pairs, technically, since Bob Hamman would up playing with Peter Weichsel for one day and Bart Bramley for two. Hindered by this, Mr. Hamman, a mere lad of 82, only won the event by 42 some-odd IMP’S, with a score almost twice as high as the second place pair. While of course none of is Bob Hamman, the fact that he can continue to win should be an inspiration to us all.
There are no new Life Masters this month, but there are people with other masterpoint achievements.
New Diamond Life Master (5,000 points) – Frances Abramson
New Ruby Life Master (1,500 points) – Daniel Jacobson
New Silver Life Masters (1,000 point) - Joan Bernstein, Frank Feng, Ellen Kelley, Margot Lebovitz and T E Molnar
New Bronze Life Master (750 points) – Dianne Meyer
New NABC Masters (200 points) - Maureen Luke, Bill Schwarzman, and Harriet Stuart
New Regional Master (100 points) – Leslie Wildstein
New Sectional Masters (50 points) – Deborah Barberio, David Endy, Lori Flynn, Richard Greenberg, John Neefe, Sharon Neill, and Shelley Schwartz
New Club Masters (20 points) – Stephen Hughes, Maude Kent, Paul Lotke, Anne McAlaine, Mark Nath, and Phyllis Suckow
New Junior Masters (5 points) – Mary Beth Bright, Ann Higgins, and Virginia Pappas
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Unit 168: Central Pennsylvania
Jeanne Gehret
jeannegehret@comcast.net
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Check back next month for news about Unit 168. In the meantime, stay healthy!
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Unit 190: Delaware
Ala Hamilton-Day
alabridge@gmail.com
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GETTING THE GANG BACK TOGETHER
With the bridge community facing a long wait before the return to face-to-face bridge, Unit 190 has decided to help those players who have not yet made the jump to BBO. In the South, there is a team headed by Trina S. Williams, along with the friendly assistance of Dini Romito, Peter Harris, Paula Varrassi and Kim Holm. (Check out the Shuffles game on Thursdays on BBO at 9:30.) In the North, Carole Everitt is assisting and guiding those players who are not yet playing online. For further details, please see the November issue of The Dummy.
RECENT PLAYER ADVANCEMENTS
BRONZE LIFE MASTER: Mary K. Reilly
SILVER LIFE MASTER: Colin C. Mackay
SAPPHIRE LIFE MASTER: Anne C. Taylor
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To read about the Winter Delaware State Championship Tournament, or how the Delaware Unit is working to get the old gang together, or to learn other news while you are staying home, check out the Unit 190 website and click on the link below to the November Dummy:
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Unit 217: Susquehanna
Jim McKeown
jcm@psu.edu
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Optimistically I will invite you to the sectional we hope to hold on June 4-6, 2021 in Boalsburg.
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