It is always difficult to see valuable members of the Board leave. We bid a sad farewell to Cornel Ferat (resignation due to illness) and to Paul Nickerson (chosen not to run for reelection). Cornel was a great help to Betty Price on the Newsletter, as well as filling in as Membership Chair after Richard Lighton's death. We will miss him. Paul chaired the Annual Dinner committee for several years, after serving as President, Tournament Chair, Conduct & Ethics Chair and handling other jobs along the way. Paul will continue to be an honorary member of the Board, so hopefully he will not be very far away.
I would like to welcome Rebecca Schwartz, who is filling out the unexpired term of Cornel, and Marilyn Marion, elected to the vacant slot. It is always good to have new people aboard and we hope that their time on the Board will be a rewarding experience for them.
We are already planning a full year for all you bridge players. Do not forget that the Rye Regional will be coming up this month and our first Sectional will be at Guardian Angel in February. Please check the ads in this Newsletter for the details of both events, or go to the Web Page for all up to the minute information "http://www.bridge-njba.org"
We are still looking for ways to stimulate growth and to develop new players. Jean Mazoaut's special Novice game at the November Sectional brought in seven tables of novices for Saturday morning. She worked extremely hard to pull this together.
We think we hit on a real winner with the Sunday Swiss Teams event in November. I would like to thank Abby Brawer and her helpers for the wonderful food, and to compliment them on the presentation. We have had nothing but positive feedback.
Looking forward to seeing all of you at the tables in the new year.
Glenda Calkins
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Winners at Local Clubs
Maywood
CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS: Elaine & Shelly Berger, Joan Hausmann/Barbara Rahuba,
Susan Leaf/Harriet Stein, Bill Alexander/Arnie Bergen, Sheila Calfayan/Al
Brenkert, Dan Albizati/Marty Panek, Joan Hausmann/Barbara Rahuba
CHARITY: Joyce Landau/Marty Steinberg, Ethel Fischell/Larry Dropkin, Bill
Alexander/Arnie Bergen, Jim Jensen/Ken Jeffery
PRO-AM: Dave Ryan/Harris Schenker
SUPER CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP: Elaine & Shelly Berger
Rockland
Sue and Chuck Goldfarb, Ira Birnbaum - H Fuld, Kathy Benjamin - Lynn Mackell,
Stefano Coppola - Natalie Cohen,
Nicholas France - Beverly Tuck-Sherman, Irwin Stein - David Stein, Dick Avazian
- David Herold,
Sidney Wilson - Michael Smalline.
he winners for November were
Jules Shapiro - Eva Scatassa, Ann Shor - Rebecca Schwartz, Jules
Shapiro-Florence Silver, Nicholas France-Andy Muenz,
Helen Hausmann-Werner Hausmann
Non Smokers
Winners for non-smokers are : Sept. Open Pairs - Cornel Ferat & Paul
Haberman, Club Appreciation Prs.- Saeko Hisayama & Paul Haberman
Wyckoff
OPEN PAIRS - Sue Handley, Mary Caldwell
Sparta
Charity - Lou and Mindy Stern, Open
Joan Stanchek and Crystal Hamilton, Elson Blunt and Syd Gordon
Bergen
Leonard Karp - Lenore Server, Steven Barry - Rick Carson, Joe Adamo - Barbara Deutsch,
Sandy Burns - Rhoda Paul, Rosalind Elk - Sarah Wiener, Leonard Karp - Lenore Server,
Sandy Burns - Joe Adamo, Charlotte Davidson - Richard Rosner,
James Wolff - Henry Haberfeld, Leonard Helfgott - Denis Thompson,
Geoff Manis - Mel Baranoff
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November Novice Game
Jean Mazpuat
HOW NICE!
The Novice Promotion at the November sectional brought in 29 people to be introduced to Duplicate Bridge - HOW NICE! I also had a half dozen calls asking about the local clubs, and a week later they are still calling. This shows the value of the printed ad. People will cut it out and call when they are ready. I gave out copies of our Newsletter showing them the information about our clubs and encouraged them to call or drop in. Don't be surprised to see a dozen or more coming around.
More NICE - my helpers. I couldn't have done it without you!
A big THANKS, Andy Lohan, Al Pagan and Martha Troxell. I'll be glad to return the favor when you need some hands.
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Annual Dinner Meeting with Pizzazz
Paul Nickerson
The 2000 NJBA Annual Dinner on Dec. 3rd proved to be a welcome meeting place for our group and the Unit offered a special presentation. The NJBA presented Leonard Karp with a Special Award in recognition for his success in Unit 106 as a bridge player winning local and national championships, as a club owner, and as a friendly competitor continuously for the past 50 years. Tod Thorgersen announced the presentation.
Glenda Calkins was reelected President by the unit's Board of Directors. She praised the board for a peaceful and successful year in events run by the organization and with activities such as novice promotion, the newsletter and the unit's web page.
She awarded the Alex Gruder Service Award to Arnold Bergen, who directs the unit's and the district's web pages. The Mark Skinner Award for promoting bridge in the clubs went to Cheryl Garofalo, and the Charlie Karp Award for good sportsmanship was given to Harold Bernstein. The William Joseph Trophy for Player-of-the Year went toTod Thorgersen. In the Master, Intermediate and Novice categories the Player-of-the Year winners were Miyoko Boswell, Lee Ohliger and Sue Steckler.
New Life Masters in 2000 were recognized and presented with gold pens by the unit for their achievements. The unit also, for the first time, recognized players who passed other levels of achievement in 2000 as Silver, Gold and Diamond Life Masters.
Harris Schenker and David Ryan won the Jan Page Trophies for winning the Pro-Am tournament held in the clubs in October. Editor Betty Price named former newsletter editor Wayne Roelke recipient of the Richard Lighton Literary Award for several articles written in the past few years. The team of Charlie Friedman, Tod Thorgersen, Carole Wardell, Frank Mirchin, Julian Schulman and Dave Kuenzler was announced as winners of the 2000 Nelson Reitman Double Knock-Out event. The Bob Johnke Team of Four plaque went to the team of Mel Baranoff, Tod Thorgersen, Joe Adamo, Geoff Manis, Eva Scatassa and Sandy Burns for coming in first overall in the springtime event, after they won the playoff match.
Following dinner, Ike Eskenazi and Sonja Spieker won the bridge game for the Nat Seiden Bowl. Leonard Karp afterwards thanked the group for honoring him and said he was to win the Nat Seiden trophy, but he fell just short of victory with a bad score the last round on Board 21.
North
S K65
H J92
D 1096
C K432
West East
S 1073 S QJ94
H A8765 H KQ104
D AK D 5
C A87 C 10965
South
S A82
H 3
D QJ87432
C QJ
Sitting North, Karp naturally led a diamond after his partner preempted before East-West landed in Four Hearts. There is no reason for North to lead a club. Still, South can make life difficult, and perhaps defeat West, when declarer draws trumps and leads a spade off dummy. Without blinking, South must hop Ace and lead the queen of clubs to try for two club tricks when partner gets in with the spade king.
It is natural for declarer to duck the first club lead, but that would cost her the contract when South continues the suit. When South rises with the spade ace and plop down the club queen, South should envision the black suit layout. South would play the spade king if she held ace-king, and the king of clubs from king-queen. With both black kings surely in the North hand, West can only hope to block the suit by playing his ace on South's queen of clubs. North can get in with his spade king, but not collect both the club jack and king.
Results for the evening - 62 Pairs
1 Isaac Eskenazi, Sonja Spieker
2 Barbara & Art Sternberg
3 Lee Ohliger, Sanford Johnson
4 Elizabeth & Robert King
5 Andrew Lohan, Suzanne De Puyt
6 Michael Camp, Phyllis Wachsman
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Maywood 11 tables North-South 65.48 % Harris Schenker and David Ryan. 60.12 % Elaine Berger and Mary Eldridge 53.27 % Kathy Stockhammer and Sheldon Berger East West 64.58 % Ma Bel Yunis and Franklin Grunebaum 55.65 % Kara Beck and Bernice Klose 54.76 % Michael Gellar and George Mann Jr Rockland 11 tables North South 54.46 % Natalie Cohen and Robert Weiss 53.87 % Rosemarie Whitmore and Al Greenberg 52.98 % Stanley Fink and Jeanne Gray East West 57.74 % Agnes Ereki and R Barkley Calkins 55.36 % H Fuld and Harriet Fuld 55.02 % Renee Blank and Helen Pertes Wyckoff 6 tables North South 62.88 % Andy Muenz and Alfred Delio 57.63 % Sue Handley and Nicky Prell East West 56.00 % Betty Price and Frances Carl 53.63 % James Michaelis and Linda Fishman Bergen 11 tables North South 65.45 % Irma Cohen and Les Tropin 60.68 % Charlotte Davidson and Bonita Tropin 59.77 % Mary Davidson and Shula Klein East West 62.95 % Joseph Adamo and Frank Condon 59.32 % Marty Bock and Fran Katz 54.77 % H Leer and Jeanne GollupBack to newsletter index
Rank MPs Team
1 12.00(O) Charles Friedman - Frank Mirchin - Tod Thorgersen
Carole Wardell - Julian Schulman - David Kuenzler
2 9.00(0) Mel Baranoff - Joe Adamo - Sandy Burns
Geoff Manis - Neil Nathanson
3 6.60(O) Andy Lohan - Sheldon Berger - Fred Weidmann
Frank Grunebaum - Don Margolin
4/5 4.80(O) Rosalind Elk - Steven Ehrenworth - Nick Hartung
Billy Rosenbaum - Gene Prosnitz - Ira Ewen
4/5 4.80(0) Paul Nickerson - Joan Gerard - Gerald Goodman
John Hogan - Sarah Wiener
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S 6 3 2 H 10 8 D 8 6 5 4 C 9 7 3 2LHO began with one diamond and pard bid two diamonds. RHO bid three diamonds (Whew). However I wasn't off the hook, after two passes, partner persisted with four diamonds. Dutifully I bid four spades and partner proudly tabled:
S A K Q 9 4
H A K J 6 2
D A
C K Q
LHO led Ace and another club. After taking the K of clubs, I played A, K of spades and RHO dropped the Jack and then a club. Now there are options. I could try A K and ruff a heart but that does not seem too likely to succeed since LHO would have to have exactly 4-3-4-2 distribution. It would also work if LHO held a doubleton Queen of hearts because I could ruff the third heart that would be over ruffed but the dummy would now be high. I finally decided that it was more likely that RHO held the Queen of hearts, so I led a low heart towards that magnificent ten of hearts. RHO played low quickly. At this point I almost played the eight hoping to force the Queen to create an entry with the ten, but I finally decided to play "third hand high" as LHO dropped his singleton 9. Now it was a simple matter to finesse the nine of spades and cash the A K of hearts for ten tricks. I suggested to RHO that he might rise with the Queen of hearts and give his partner a ruff but he correctly pointed out that then the dummy would be high.
At the other table the declarer played the A K of hearts, LHO ruffed and put the lead back in the dummy. RHO was left with Q, 7, 5 of hearts over the J, 6, 2 in dummy. The result was two down. To all you folks who complain about holding bad cards, count your blessings. Sometimes the glass is half full.
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Education - Humbug Frank Grunebaum
I respect the works of Lawrence, Kanter, Stewart & other brilliant bridge minds. However, why do I remember the wrong advice?
Sitting west I possessed the following hand:
S x x x
H J 10 9 6 3
D K J 4
C x x
The bidding:
South West North East
1 NT P 2C* P
2 H P 2NT P
P P
Stayman
In his infinite wisdom an author stated that when you plan to lead a suit bid by the declarer, it is best to lead your 4th highest card. This is to avoid trapping your honor along with that of your partners. I followed the author's advice. I want my money back!
North
S Q J x x
H 8
D Q x x
C K x x x x
West East
S x x x S K x x
H J 10 9 6 3 H x x x
D K J x D A x x x
C x x South C A 10 x
S A 10 x
H A K Q 2
D 10 9 8
C Q J 9
Opening Lead: 6 of hearts, followed by the Queen of spades. When the dust cleared the declarer had 9 tricks - 4 spades, 3 hearts and 2 clubs. At the other tables they apparently didn't read the same book as seven tricks was the usual result.
That night while others dreamed of health, wealth, religion, politics and sex, I had a nightmare about a red 8.
Here I am a student of the game Hoping to learn from people of fame I follow their advice but it is so uncanny More times then not I fall on my fanny.Back to newsletter index
New Members Transfers
Arlene Eiseman Carmela Keeley Gloria Berkowitz
Laurel Glazier Carmen McHugh Marty Bock
Tara Goldman Jonathan Ohliger Nita Cohn
Warren Goldman Lew Jerchower Thelma Fishman
Ruth Hochman Rhoda Makadon William Irwin
Erich Hoernle Sondra Rock George Mann III
Henry Hoernle Glenn Schachte George Mann Jr.
Henry Horowitz Diana Scott Helen Rosenthal
Thelma Horowitz Leo Wiener Barbara Smalline
Lew Jerchower Beatrice Zimmerman Sally Sonne
Stacy Widman
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I am sad to report that Jane Johnson, after a short bout with cancer died on the Thursday of our Board meeting. All who knew her loved Jane. She was in charge of the Club and Membership Department at the ACBL The Board of Directors immediately named her Honorary Member of the Year along with Norman Kay. They started an Employee of the Year Award in Jane's honor naming her the first to receive this very special award. Jane was a person who will be missed and impossible to replace.
Highlights of particular interest from the Board meetings:
Real progress is visible in membership. This is the first time in 32 months that membership has been above the previous year. The improvements are coming in the form of increased new member gains and reduced member losses. On the more depressing side, the best guess estimate for where we will end up financially at the end of 2000 is a loss of $325,000 (we were budgeted to lose about $200,000). The Board voted to have a break-even budget for 2001 and as a result there are many programs that have been cut for next year. I believed that the Board of Directors should have eliminated their meetings in 2001 and met by video conferencing once or twice if necessary which would have almost balanced the budget. This would eliminate the need to cut programs which are absolutely necessary to our current and potential members. I therefore voted "no" for approval of the 2001 Budget.
A Club Appreciation Team Game was approved. Each club will be entitled to run a team game per year which will be a sectional rated game and 5% of all Map's awarded will be Gold. This is great for the clubs and the players. You may wonder why I voted against this motion; I believe that Gold points are for Regional and that there are many other things that we can do for the clubs… like not raise their per table fee to the ACBL which we did at these meetings.
A great new NABC event is planned for the summer NBC's starting in Toronto it is temporarily called the "Mini Spangled KO's", it is an event for 0-5000 and 0-1500 Map's held at the same time as the Spangled. It should be a great event for those who are eligible.
At the NABC in Birmingham and, my congratulations to Irina Levitina who finished 5th in the Women's National Pairs and to Stasha Cohen who finished 3rd in the Women's National Board A Match Teams.
Why not start the New Year by making plans to be with us at the Rye Town Hilton. Earn your first gold points of the year with District 3 in morning Senior games, 4 KO's including a Compact KO on Martin Luther King Day. I hope you'll all be with us. It's just around the corner for you. Ron and I wish you a Happy and healthy New Year. May your MP's be the color that you need and as many of them as you want!
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Top 100 in 2000 Arnie Bergen
RANK RANK NAME POINTS
2000 1999 2000 1999 Increase
1 1 Kerri Sanborn 18545 18234 310.05
2 2 Mark Cohen 7123 7123 0
3 3 Rosalind Elk 7005 6636 368.84
4 4 Leonard Karp 6691 6614 76.72
5 5 Stasha Cohen 6210 5999 211.36
6 6 Lenore Server 4578 4516 61.8
7 7 Paul Silver 4528 4367 160.86
8 8 Sam Aldenderfer 4509 4333 176.25
9 9 Jean Elkin 4463 4278 185.33
10 10 Florence Silver 4311 4199 111.85
11 11 Tod Thorgersen 4225 3968 257.65
12 12 Eva Scatassa 4026 3852 174.36
13 13 Robert Garofalo 3939 3849 89.38
14 14 Joseph Adamo 3896 3671 224.93
15 15 Rena Harris 3421 3261 159.69
16 16 Julian Katz 3268 3106 162.3
17 22 Irina Levitina 3235 2738 497.44
18 18 Jules Shapiro 3102 2941 161.41
19 19 Rosemarie Whitmore 3078 2940 138.07
20 17 Irene Poonarian 3059 2979 80
21 20 Sandy Burns 3045 2873 172.05
22 26 Cheryl Angel 2885 2568 316.69
23 27 Sarah Wiener 2876 2554 322.03
24 21 Sheldon Berger 2862 2741 120.8
25 23 Charles Friedman 2824 2715 108.67
26 31 Fred Paul 2700 2378 322.1
27 24 Joyce Landau 2676 2620 56.34
28 25 Kurt Zendig 2662 2619 42.97
29 28 Burrell Humphre 2648 2487 160.98
30 33 Jesse Reisman 2632 2359 272.58
31 32 Andrew Lohan 2525 2372 153.19
32 35 Sandra Weil 2467 2330 136.97
33 38 Robert Heitzman 2440 2205 235.07
34 30 Art Sternberg 2436 2384 52.56
35 29 Edward Landau 2428 2425 3.09
36 34 Carol Cohen 2408 2338 70.09
37 37 Fred Weidmann 2357 2244 113.49
38 36 Neil Nathanson 2323 2305 17.68
39 39 Enid Steinmark 2191 2147 44.12
40 42 Elizabeth King 2173 2002 171.04
41 Joseph Portale 2122
42 40 Harvey Mandel 2080 2075 5.12
43 45 Franklin Gruneb 2068 1930 138.23
44 41 M Berger 2049 2049 0
45 46 Elaine Berger 2043 1929 114.75
46 49 Frances Cohen 2028 1855 173.33
47 44 Robert Heitner 1988 1988 0
48 48 Robert Schaefer 1913 1886 27.21
49 54 Charlotte David 1910 1767 143.2
50 52 David Daly 1904 1824 80.16
51 47 Wayne Carr 1904 1904 0
52 56 Richard Rosner 1883 1738 145.43
53 53 Kurt Lang 1878 1773 104.97
54 51 Arleene Roth 1868 1844 24.31
55 50 Thomas Abbott 1855 1855 0
56 55 William Alexander 1850 1756 94.62
57 62 Arnold Federman 1832 1682 150.49
58 65 John Kuharetz 1827 1655 171.95
59 59 Rena Pigula 1767 1706 61.32
60 58 James Wolff 1743 1707 35.45
61 70 Gerald Goodman 1741 1598 142.18
62 57 Joan Haussmann 1718 1708 9.83
63 60 Anita Andrews 1709 1686 23.45
64 72 Tina Gordon 1703 1596 107.28
65 63 Alice Miller 1702 1678 24.08
66 61 Margaret Leise 1701 1683 17.72
67 71 Joy Humphreys 1700 1598 102.32
68 64 David Kuenzler 1693 1669 24.02
69 68 Werner Hausmann 1684 1624 60.08
70 75 Steven Ehrenworth 1682 1582 100.3
71 74 David Herold 1664 1586 77.45
72 77 Barbara Deutsch 1661 1572 88.6
73 Marty Bock 1659
74 79 Rhoda Paul 1657 1567 90.67
75 73 Harold Bernstein 1644 1594 50.38
76 86 Faith Eckberg 1633 1510 122.63
77 90 Barbara Rahuba 1619 1451 168.18
78 92 Roger Nortman 1617 1438 178.66
79 78 Carole Wardell 1604 1570 33.71
80 80 Faye Bloch 1600 1562 38.08
81 89 Blair Seidler 1590 1457 133.65
82 81 Ruth Bernstein 1587 1551 36.82
83 76 Litzi Wolf 1580 1580
84 84 Irene Schwartz 1579 1515 64.37
85 97 Micki Lassiter 1571 1428 143.5
86 85 Kathy Benjamin 1562 1515 47.35
87 110 Arnold Bergen 1552 1329 222.91
88 96 Geoffrey Manis 1544 1431 112.74
89 87 Gruna Selby 1542 1500 42.2
90 88 Lillian Estevez 1538 1465 73.21
91 82 Gloria Swanson 1537 1520 16.27
92 83 Norman Swanson 1534 1518 15.88
93 113 Harris Schenker 1514 1308 206.25
94 98 Steven Wheeler 1494 1403 90.82
95 94 Stephen Cooper 1490 1434 55.49
96 91 Julian Schulman 1467 1443 24.02
97 111 Natalie Cohen 1463 1318 145.29
98 93 Alan Messer 1462 1434 27.6
99 Dan Goldstein 1461
100 103 Glenda Calkins 1452 1361 91.28