BRIDGE NEWS              SEPTEMBER, 2008

 

 

                                     UNIT 561 -- SAN FERNANDO VALLEY

                                                         www.sfvbridgeacademy.com

                                                                  by Jimmie Swan

 

 

UNIT HOLIDAY PARTY:  Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 7, when we will be having our annual holiday party,

 dinner and two sessions of bridge.  We chose a date that hopefully will not interfere with any other events or holidays. 

I know it is 3 months away, but, time is fleeting and we’re hoping you will reserve that evening for our party!

 

UNIT ANNUAL SECTIONAL:  Although I realize the Unit’s annual Sectional is still several months away, April 24-26, 2009,

the Board is excited about the additional events we’re planning this time and wanted to share them with you.  Again, we

 tried to choose a date that would not interfere with any other bridge events or holidays, and we do hope you’ll be able to join us.       

 

We’re adding 2 session Compact Knockouts this time, 10a.m. and 3p.m. on Friday and again on Saturday, by popular request.

 We will bracket this event, provided attendance is large enough to qualify for a Sectional event. 

 

Some time during this event we are also planning a novice game as well, again, provided attendance is sufficient to qualify

for a sectional event.  And of course, we will have pairs and Swiss Team games as well.  We’ll keep you posted on the details

as time draws closer.

 

BRIDGE ACADEMY EVENTS: 

 

A memorial game, in honor of Howard Kaufman, will be held Sunday, September 14, at noon, at the Bridge Academy. 

This will be an opportunity, for those who are interested, to share your thoughts about Howard, especially since so many were

not able to attend, or were unaware of, his memorial.  It seemed to happen so quickly, despite his long battle with cancer. 

On Friday he was playing bridge at the club and Tuesday morning he was gone. I want to thank Larry Gordon and

Sheila Bozin for their thoughts about Howard, which appear at the end of this column.  There will be lots of food available,

so bring your appetites!  The cost for the game and the food will be $7, if you bring a dish of something good to eat, or, $10 if

you come empty handed. 

 

Two charity games for Multiple Sclerosis [M.S.] will be held on October 3, Friday, at 7:15p.m., and October 7, Tuesday,

at 11:00a.m., at the Bridge Academy.  Triple points will be awarded!  The fee will be $11.50/game, $1.50 of which will be donated

to the M.S. charity. 

 

We hope you will join us for all these events.  Please sign the appropriate reservation forms posted in the Bridge Academy if

 you know in advance you are planning to attend.

 

LOS ANGELES REGIONAL:  Shelley and Lenny Popowitz had some great successes at this Regional.  They were first in two

 different side games, once in A and once in B, and also showed in yet another side game.  Well done!  Jim Fu and Mira Rowe

placed in a side game as well.  Good job!

 

The top three masterpoint winners from our Unit at this Regional were Ellen Anten winning 26.53 points, Steve Gross

winning 25.67 points, and Andy Vinock winning 20.31 points.

 

LAS VEGAS NATIONAL:  The knock out team of Larry Gordon and Allan Palansky, with Tammy and Noel Purkin, won a

three-day knock out event at this National.  They all went on to earn additional points as well in other events in which

 they participated.  Congratulations!

 

Patty and Al Smith won a 299er side game with a 63.47% game, and were 5th overall, out of hundreds of players, for the day. 

Al and Herb Van Brink finished first in C in an open side game.  And, Al, Herb and Judy and Steve Wachtel also did well in

a knockout event and a Swiss Team 299er game, and then all but Al, whose spot was filled with a pick-up partner, came in

 2nd in yet another Swiss Team event.  A busy group who did a good job on their visit to the National.  Congratulations to all of you!

 

Fran Cohen went to her first National with Eva Seri and had some successes and a very good time.  Also earning some points

at this National were Margy and Dave Sievers, Carol and Norm Blooomfield, Gloria and Ron Malkin, Janet and Barry Cooper,

Terry and Bill Morton, Bobbi LeFeuvre, Dave Posley, Sherry and Mike Newman, Andy Vinock, Marta Peltz, Marty Blain,

Helene Fierman, Don Crum, Freddi Straus, Dick Lum, Alene Friedman, Dawn Kowalski, Paul Mostman, Arif Shah, Mimi Baker,

 and many others.  

 

The top masterpoint winners from our Unit at this National were:  Samantha MacDouglas, winning 81.80 points, Brian Reynolds

a very close second with 80.48 points, Bud Bates, Alex Kolesnik, Gil Stinebaugh, Rob Perisweig, Thompson Jin, Ellen Anten,

 Noel Purkin, Tammy Purkin and Mike Fierman.  Good job everyone!

 

BRIDGE ACADEMY 70% GAMES:  Congratulations to Mike Fierman and Freddi Straus on their 72% game and Eddie Gruber and

 Les Rawitt on their 73.38% game, the past 30 days. 

 

RANK CHANGES:  Congratulations to Mark Peters, now a Silver Life Master!  Congratulations as well to Moheb Mansour,

now a Club Master!    

 

BRIDGE ACADEMY 299ER MASTERPOINT RACE FOR JULY:  Curt Darden led with 5.94 points, followed by Marilyn Gaims,

 Ruth Fleisher, Joan Farrar, Doug Odney, Joe Friscia, Paul Fuson, Renee Dorret, Bob Glasser, and Janet Cooper.

Good job everyone!

 

BRIDGE ACADEMY OPEN MASTERPOINT RACE FOR JULY:  Gary Frans led with 25.46 points, followed by Leda Danzig,

Sy Zemlyn, Tom Wylie, Armand Szulc, Les Rawitt, Joan Rubin, Gil Stinebaugh, Arne Lier, and Andy Vinock.  Good job everyone!

 

UNIT MEMBERS:  We’re very glad to see Evelyn Schaffer back across the table.  The earthquake was more than enough fright

without Evelyn having a heart attack!

 

And we just got Esther Kain back with us and now she is in the hospital again.  And when is Myra Gurian going to join us

after breaking her arm?  We hope to see you both back with us really soon--we miss you!   

 

We did welcome back Eric Heilman and Jerry Cohen recently.  It is good to have you both back across the table. 

 

The past 30 days have been difficult to say the least.  First Janet Kordakis died suddenly, and then Howard Kaufman died

after a battle with cancer.  Our sympathies go out to all of their loved ones. 

 

I didn’t know Janet very well but I’m told she was a great friend and person, and had done a great deal for the Unit.  I know all

 of her friends, at the Bridge Academy, miss her very much.

 

I just don’t know what to say right now about Howard but that I miss him very much.  He was such a nice man and a friend to all,

and what a great sense of humor!  I’ve asked some of you for your thoughts on Howard, and here are two I’d like to share

with everyone.  Perhaps others will share their thoughts at Howard’s memorial game.

 

“Howard Kaufman, a long time director, player and teacher, has passed away.  Howard lived his life the way he wanted to live it,

without making any excuses.  He was a very funny guy who loved life, bridge and the ponies, probably in that order, or maybe not. 

 He will be missed by all.”  [Larry Gordon]

 

“On Tuesday, August 5th, 2008, the Bridge World lost a dear friend.  Howard Kaufman, after battling Pancreatic Cancer for almost a

year, passed away.  Howard had served as director and teacher at the Bridge Academy for many years.  He approached life with

a sense of humor that was unequaled and lived his life exactly the way he wanted to.  If anyone epitomized the words to the song,

"My Way," it was Howard.  I would watch people approach Howard continuously with questions about how to bid a hand, how to

 play a hand and what to lead.  He took the time to answer every one of them.  He was one of a kind, and he will be sorely missed

by numerous people, too many to count.  Wherever you are, Howard, I hope you will be betting on an exacta, or playing a

7 No Trump hand.”  [Sheila Bozin]

 

Carpe diem!