August 2003 Column
San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif. Unit
Remember August 10th and September 14th. Both are Unit Game dates. Socialize at 5:15 PM. Dine at 5:30. Play at 6:15.
Hansi Torczyner is well and back at the tables playing well. Her many friends are overjoyed. Kate Talbot was saddened by another birthday’s arrival. But the club was gladdened by the spread she put out to commemorate it. Our condolences to Norbert Konigsberg’s family. His partners swore by his bridge ability even at age ninety. Norbert escaped from the Nazi Holocaust to Haiti then immigrated to the US some fifty years ago to carve out a career as a respected accountant. He was fluent in at least four languages; French, Spanish, Yiddish and English. Welcome to Unit 498. New are Roger Hall and Cheryl Sprague. Transfers are Barbara Goheen and George Kucera. We apologize for overlooking the return of Carol and Sheldon Fein from a misspent five years in Phoenix/Sun City and San Diego. Per Carol, "Old Sheldon and Young Carol are thrilled to be back." Welcome and much enjoyment. Bon voyage to Fred Schiro who is transferring out to the Las Vegas area. Fred has been a fixture here. He’s played lots of good bridge but occasionally played a wild assortment of conventions with mixed success...
ACBL reported upgrades to Sectional Master of Elizabeth Tromovitch and to Bronze Life Master of Nersi Nazari. Congratulations!
Fran Ball and Gretchen Schmeeckle enjoyed fifteen minutes of glory in leading the Friday World Wide Bridge Contest until disaster struck in the final round. Overall winners were A: Don Laycock & Len Vishnevsky; Art Quey & Bob Jones; and tied for third, Ernie Fong & Elizabeth Marcus and Fran Ball & Gretchen Schmeeckle. B: Gisela & Herb Block; Sara Rae Miller & Loretta Baines. On Saturday winners were A: Bud Kalafian & Dimitri Sgolombis; Mildred Engelman & Fred Schiro; Ted Richmond & Greg House. B: Robert Wood & Joan Weiss; Syril Atherton & Betty Blumlein; Charles Tepper & David Straus. C: David Silber & Dan Raider; Ann Heller & Susan Ramsey. Tops in the club for points earned in June with 17.18 was Zakir Mohammed followed by Daisy Straus, Ted Richmond, Kate Talbot and Fred Schiro. Many members and friends of 498 excelled at the Sacramento Regionals. Alumnus Will Watson was top scorer with 49.52 Gold for winning one event, the 4–Session Premier Swiss Teams. On his heels, were Hanan Deeby and Bernard Figueiredo with 48.13 for placing second in that Swiss with Jody and Rich Williams for 37.14 and winning a Compact KO with Joan Baker and Dariush Youssefi for another 10.99. Pat Galligan’s team was 1st in the AX Swiss Teams for 28.39. Paul Cornelius and Gary Porter were third in the Premier Swiss for 27.86. Tops in the pairs’ games were Ed Barlow and Dee Sauer with 45.61 gold. They were first in both the Wednesday and Thursday Open Pairs. Other firsts were garnered by the teams of Kim Fanady, Steve Kipperman, James Caray & Denis Shaloo; Ted Richmond & William Riester; Don Doolittle, Dan Stowell & Antoni Baranski; Carol Gerlach; Hamish Bennett; Christine Hevener; Nancy Pappas; and Dean Wangsvick & Joan Allen.
If you’re running late, need a partner or want to reserve a table call the club at (650) 344–4919. For other club information, see Andrew Binstock’s web site (www.meckwell.com/unit498). E–mail, fax or drop off material for this column in the club suggestion box. Please include your name and phone number in case I have any questions.
—Paul Levine pblevine@juno.com, Fax: (650) 593-2572