District 17 BRIDGE BUZZ
MARCH 2020
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The Buzz is delivered to you the months the ScoreCard is not published. This online newsletter focuses on upcoming District 17 tournaments, events and breaking news and provides you with links to access the details.
Contact
Cindy Shoemaker
, editor, cndyshoemaker@yahoo.com
with feedback and content suggestions.
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2019 D17 Mini-McKenney winners
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The Mini-McKenney masterpoint contests recognize the ACBL members who win the most points in their respective categories.
A player is in a category based on his/her masterpoints at the beginning of the year.
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The Mini-McKenney award is named after William E. McKenney. His originality, drive and organizational ability did much to establish the ACBL. McKenney was the ACBL’s first executive secretary and remained at the helm until 1947.
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2019 D17 Ace of Clubs winners
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The Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs masterpoint contest is based on points earned at local sanctioned clubs.
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Black points are counted and not points earned in STaCs and other special games paying pigmented points.
In 2011, The Ace of Clubs award was named after Helen Shanbrom, the most successful club player in ACBL history. Helen passed in 2013 at the age of 94.
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Robert Reierson, Unit 356, Green Valley, AZ demonstrates that age is just a number when it comes to reaching milestones. After all, Bob just became a life master at 95 years young.
Introduced to bridge while returning home from the Philippines in July of 1945, Bob played infrequently until Doris Kuzmak opened Saguaro Duplicate Bridge Club, Green Valley, AZ in 2007.
Last fall, Bob needed a mere 2.50 silver MPs to become a life master. His son, Ron, came down from Kansas City to play with Bob during the Tucson Fall Sectional. Ron has about 30 MPs and says he just plays for fun, but fun turned into serious business when they picked up 2.25 silver. Bob earned the remaining .25 silver with Denis Nathan also from Green Valley while playing in the Tucson Winter Sectional, January 2020. He had achieved life master status.
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Robert Reierson (left) and Denis Nathan, Tucson Winter Sectional, January 2020.
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Robert Reierson standing next to a Douglas A-20 Havoc, 1945.
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Bob enjoys the competitive nature of bridge, its social aspects and still finds it fun. He is always learning.
Bob resigned from the Army Air Force in March of 1946. He flew 52 combat missions in New Guinea and the Philippines between 1945 and 1946. He then returned to the University of Wisconsin graduating in 1948.
Bob worked for the US Department of Agriculture, Central Intelligence Agency, University of Wisconsin, Saga Corp., Monfort of Colorado and Foxley Corp.
We look forward to seeing Bob at the bridge table in Tucson.
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UPCOMING DISTRICT 17 REGIONALS
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Denver's Rocky Mountain Regional
May 19 - 25
Denver, Colorado
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By Wayne Eckerling
Tournament Chair
Don’t miss Denver's Rocky Mountain Regional May 19-25 (Memorial Day) at the Renaissance Hotel by Marriott. The Renaissance Hotel is conveniently located between Denver International Airport and downtown Denver in the redeveloped Stapleton area. The bridge rate of $120 is
good through April 27.
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The regional kicks off with a Pro/Am pairs event Tuesday at 1 pm. NLMs with five to 299 masterpoints who wish to play with a more advanced player may sign up via email to
ProAm@DenverBridge.org
. Experienced players (1,500+ MPs) interested in participating as a pro may sign up via email to ProChair@DenverBridge.org. Pro/am sign up deadline is May 8. Overall winners will receive prizes. A single-session, limited charity pairs game will be held in the afternoon for players with less than 1,000 MPs. Tuesday evening games will begin at 7 pm and include charity games and a KO, round one of four. Free coffee and homemade desserts will be provided.
Game times for Wednesday - Sunday have returned to 10 am, 3 pm and 7:30 pm. On Monday, there will be two-session team events that begin at 9:30 am.
We are honored to once again host the D17 Grand National Teams for flights A through C to be held Saturday, Sunday and (if necessary) on Monday.
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The tournament includes four KOs (two Soloway and one compact), Swiss teams, bracketed teams, Board-A-Match teams, open pairs, fast pairs and side pairs. A barometer pairs game has been added to Friday night.
Two-session Gold Rush pairs will be held Wednesday through Sunday at 10 am and 3 pm with the exception of Friday when a two-session Gold Rush Swiss will be held. To play Gold Rush pairs, you must have less than 750 MPs. Tops in each section and overall winners will earn gold.
299'er single-session pairs will be held Wednesday through Sunday at 10 am and 3 pm.
The regional will conclude on Monday with A/X/Y Swiss Teams and a bracketed Gold Teams for players with fewer than 3,000 MPs. The top three or four teams in each bracket receive gold!
All players are encouraged to attend bridge lectures by top experts Wednesday through Sunday at 2:15 pm.
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Phoenix NLM Gold Rush Regional
April 24-26
Scottsdale, AZ
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Get ready for The Phoenix NLM Gold Rush Regional, exclusively for non-life masters with less than 750 masterpoints. With convenient start times of 10 am and 3 pm, this upbeat regional features two-session gold rush pairs and single-session NLM stratified pairs on Friday and Saturday. Sunday includes a double-session stratified Gold Rush Swiss teams and single-session 0-199 Swiss team games. Lunch options available.
Gold rush pairs finishing in the overalls (Stratification A) will be awarded 33 percent gold and 67 percent red masterpoints! NLM gold rush Sunday Swiss also pays 33 percent gold to overalls.
NLMs will receive a free tournament patch and prizes will be awarded to section tops and overall winners.
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The Phoenix NLM Gold Rush Regional and the Silver Sun Sectional will be held at the same time and at the same location, however, they are two separate tournaments. The Phoenix NLM Gold Rush Regional offers gold and red points and the Silver Sun Sectional offers silver points.
Don’t miss free lectures by top local experts Friday and Saturday at 2:15 pm and Sunday’s lecture focusing on team strategies. Handouts provided.
Enjoy complimentary coffee, iced tea, chocolates and goodies daily. Onsite food trucks will offer lunch Friday and Saturday for a nominal fee.
In Tempo Bridge Cl
ub,
8250 E. Rose Lane, Scottsdale, AZ
is centrally located. Ample free parking provided.
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UPCOMING DISTRICT 17 SECTIONALS
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MAY
JUNE
CLICK THE
****
TO VIEW SECTIONAL FLYERS
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YOUR TEAM COULD WIN THE GNTS!
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There is still time to qualify to play in the Flight A, B or C D17 Grand National Teams finals as clubs have through April 30 to hold qualifier games. Check your clubs for details!
The D17 Flight A, B and C GNT finals will be played during Denver's Rocky Mountain Regional Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 with play on Monday, May 25 (Flight A, if necessary.)
Registration for the GNT
CHAMPIONSHIP
Flight finals ended February 15 and is now closed. The D17
CHAMPIONSHIP
Flight finals wil be played March 6 during the Tucson Winter Regional.
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The District will provide distance-based travel subsidies to those who play in the district finals.
Winning teams of each flight category of the District finals are eligible to compete in the National GNT finals held during the Summer NABC Montreal, July 15-19, 2020.
District 17 provides $2,000 per first place team in each of the four flights to assist with expenses. If a second team is chosen for either Flight B or C, that team may receive a $1,500 subsidy from the district. District 17 will pay all entry fees at the national finals unless paid by the ACBL.
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D17 has $5,000 in grants available in 2020. Any D17 unit who has not hosted a regional in the past three years is eligible. The maximum funding award to any unit is $1,000 per year.
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D17 GRANTS FUEL
UNIT INITIATIVES
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Grants can be used to meet a multitude of needs. In addition to unit-sponsored beginning bridge education and membership building initiatives, funds have been allocated for technology and facility upgrades.
For a grant application or questions regarding D17 grants, contact Steve Nordberg, D17 grant chairperson:
texminn@sbcglobal.net
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GOOD LUCK TO ALL DISTRICT 17 PLAYERS COMPETING IN THE NAP FINALS-- 2020 SPRING NABC COLUMBUS!
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SPRING NABC
COLUMBUS, OHIO
MARCH 19-29, 2020
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Join the thousands of bridge enthusiasts from around the world in an event like no other. The NABC is full of games, workshops and excitement, whether you are just beginning to play bridge or looking for prime competition.
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Visit intriguing attractions like the nation's top science center, Legoland and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum.
The Columbus food scene is on the rise. Be sure to checkout the German Village for authentic restaurants, breweries and cafes.
There are two host hotels to choose from and both are connected to the convention center: Hilton Columbus Downtown, 401 N. High Street and the Hyatt Regency Columbus, 350 N. High Street.
There is something for everyone at the NABC COLUMBUS!
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The Western Conference
SPRING FLING STAC XXI
MAY 4-10, 2020
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THE
player source to earning silver in clubs
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For more information on District 17 activities go to
d17acbl.org
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