Minnesota Bridge

Two for You!

 

How do the days zip by so rapidly?!  We are nearing the end of summer, celebrating first with Labor Day and the Labor Day Sectional at the Twin City Bridge Center.  The flyer and schedule for this tournament, starting on August 30th and ending on September 2nd, can be found here.

 

 

Soon thereafter, as fall begins, head Up North to compete in the Paul Bunyan Bridge Tournament.  This Carleton Sectional starts September 5th and concludes on the 7th.  The schedule and details are here.

Two great opportunities to enjoy our game and score some masterpoints!  A fine way to celebrate Labor Day and herald in autumn!

Twin City Bridge Center - Go Fund Me Fundraiser

 

Barb Zipoy would like you to support Community Gem Needs Polishing by making a donation and spreading the word.

 

The Bridge Center has been a fixture in Minneapolis since 1960. There have been very few updates or improvements since it opened.  

The bridge center is in desperate need of an update & some cheerful renovation. The outside of the building is an eyesore and with some minor repairs and a fresh coat of paint it would be much more welcoming not only for bridge players but also for the community as a whole.

The structure is damp, windows are broken, the parking lot needs resurfacing, walls need paint, carpet is old & stained, ceilings leak, bathrooms need updating, chairs are torn, broken & don’t match, windows & doors are rotting, the office is in disarray, appliances are ancient & storage areas are messy & cramped.
 
With rising taxes, the cost of utilities, basic upkeep and efforts to keep the cost of playing bridge and using the center low for seniors, new retirees and students there is not enough money for upgrades.

Teri Blu and her husband own and run the Bridge Center and are there every day. Their daughter also fills in when she can.  It is a place not only for those who play bridge but also for anyone who wants a place to meet, talk or get away.  The bridge center offers a unique and valued service for bridge players and the city as a whole. 
 
 A Bridge Center, may not seem like a worthy cause, however, it an important place & worthy of a makeover.

  Volunteers spend countless hours working with people who come to the center & also taking care of the building.  The Center & those who use it are an important part of the community.  

The Bridge Center is the only place of its kind in Minneapolis.  It would be a shame if the 300 plus people who use it weekly would not have a place to go.

The refrigerator is always stocked & coffee is on.  If you need a place to go, all are welcome. There is always someone there with a smile and a kind work. 

Teri works tirelessly.  She goes to garage sales in search of items for the Center, coffee cups, pencils, furniture, etc. Teri takes time to make sure everyone has a bridge partner.  She is a fabulous bridge player but plays with beginners if they need a partner. 

All the faithful volunteers run tournaments, potlucks, daily games, birthday parties, gives lessons etc.  They call or send cards if you are sick. Various groups of worshippers use the Center on Sunday mornings for their services and Teri has even played the piano for them. She never says no to anyone.

The bridge community would love to recruit younger people and recent retirees to play bridge.  The bridge center would attract more players if it were more up to date.

For the senior and about to retire community the Bridge Center is a wonderful place to spend time.  It provides socialization, interaction, and caring. 

It is open 7 days a week.  Many lifelong friendships have been made.  There are games and events throughout the year to raise money for Alzheimer’s and many other charitable organizations.

Thanks in advance for contributing! 

Here is the link to the TCBC Go Fund Me Fundraiser 

 

Collegiate Competitors in Las Vegas 2019

 

A delight to see our fine collegiate competitors doing so well in Las Vegas - and - having a great time, too!

ACBL has posted many photos of winners and an event for collegiate players while there.  A super time had by all - and - we hope for today's juniors, that many will be the super stars and experts in years to come!

 

Collegiate Bridge - Las Vegas 2019

 

Our thanks to Eric Hendrickson for sending this excellent shot of our University of Minnesota collegiate competitors in Las Vegas.  We are most proud of our students from U of MN and Carleton College - and happy to present overall finishes in their challenging events.

While Minnesota teams did well in the Collegiate Bridge Bowl event, they did come up against some formidable and very experienced opposition.  Here are the results of the qualifying game that selected 4 teams for the semi-final matches.

Two Minnesota pairs, both from Carleton, placed in the overalls of the stratified pairs.  Congratulations to Sarah Emmons and Jackson Wahl, who finished 5th in Flight B.  And same to Jeffrey Boitnott and Sophia Maymudes, placing 4th in Flight C.  All results from the stratified pairs are here.

In the Collegiate Bridge Bowl Champion Pairs, we are proud of these pairs who finished overall!

Sean McNally and Morgan Johnstone were 6th in Flight A.

Zhongqi Zhao and Zeren Shui finished 5th in Flight B and 2nd in Flight C.

Sarah Emmons and Jackson Wahl finished 7th in Flight B.

Allie Clark and Sophia Maymudes were 5th in Flight C.

Final results for this pair event are here.

Given that many of the other players have both had much more experience than some of our Minnesota competitors and very in depth expert training, we are especially proud to see our players doing so well in the Collegiate events. Congratulations to all!  And thanks again to Eric, who continued to send out proud updates about our players.

And - an apology from your webmaster. As some of you know, I became ill just before the NABC began and was unable to attend. Unfortunately, not only was I thus unable to take any photos, I've been somewhat impaired and thus not able to do a good job of reporting this tournament.

I truly do hope that any and all Minnesota competitors at the 2019 Summer NABC will forward to me results, hands and any other items of interest from their experiences in Las Vegas.  My pleasure to share them with everyone and let people know how you did!

I do hope to be "up to snuff" in the near future!  Thank you for your understanding.

 

 

Las Vegas NABC Starts Wednesday!

 

The Summer NABC starts tomorrow; Wednesday July 17th. First major event on the agenda is GNT.

We wish all four flights of District 14 GNT winners the best as they try to best all other Districts!

Looking forward to seeing loads of Minnesotans in Las Vegas - doing well and having loads of fun, too!

 

GNT Open Flight

Bob Balderson Jr - Cynthia Balderson -  Carole Miner - Paul Meerschaert 

 

GNT Flight A

Erick Hendrickson - Andy Caranicas - Richard Lawson - Paul Gutterman

 

GNT Flight B

Justin Graver - Matthew Campbell - Jamie Radcliff - Jeff Buckwalter

 

GNT Flight C

Connie Nelson - James Schnepf - Susan Knauss - Roger Knauss

Aquatennial Sectional 2019 Results

 

Loads of players headed to the Twin City Bridge Center this past week to enjoy many sessions of great bridge - and escape some our steamy weather!  Over 1000 masterpoints were earned - and - the most were earned by Dave Collins!  Dave's total came to almost 32.  Other fine masterpoint winnings were accomplished by Paul Meerschaert with almost 30, Gary Knippenberg with 27.71, Harry Sapienza at 27.75 and Brian Crossley with 26.67.  The full list of those who earned masterpoints is here.  And the overall finishes in each event is here.

 

 

Thanks to Kim Hayward for her ever wise directing skills and happy smiles - to Teri and Chip Blu for the TCBC and hospitality - and OF COURSE to all of you for being our great competitors!  Whether decade long experts or newbies - we welcome you all!

 

 

A special "shout out" too to two of our college stars - Sarah Emmons and Jackson Wahl from Carleton College. Not only did Sarah and Jackson place 1st or 2nd in FOUR different 49er games .... they are headed to the Summer NABC Collegiate Pairs competition in Las Vegas after having won a trip to compete there!  So - applause to them and to all of our other superb college kids who are learning and succeeding.  (And sorry for any for whom I missed grabbing a photo; too busy week for your webmaster.)

 

 

One more shot of True Love at the Bridge Table, with Paul Meerschaert and Sandy Fisher - then a bunch of our other competitors below the line!  Thank you for coming and having a great time, everyone!

 

Jean Leighton - 1926 - 2019

 

 

This week, Minnesota lost a very long time bridge player - and one who gave deeply to our community:  Jean Leighton. Jean peacefully passed away on July 9th in Detroit Lakes at her family cabin.

Jean lived in various areas of our state, and for many years in St. Cloud. Two of her good friends, Kathy Beckman and Kory Solarz, have been kind enough to share memories and tales of a wonderful woman who began playing our game at 10 (!!) - and competed in last year's St. Cloud Sectional at age 92.

 

Jean did so much for bridge!  She was a great volunteer and a classy lady.  2019 was the first time in many years that Jean was unable to attend the St. Cloud sectional - but several tables had Leighton family members competing.

She and her family were all generous givers and volunteers.  For many years, Jean's family hosted and paid for the Sunday dinner at the St. Cloud tournament for everyone.  And her son is doing a fine job of promoting bridge in the Grafton, ND area.

Jean always had a smile....

        Kathy Beckman

 

This week, our St. Cloud Bridge Club lost a wonderful long time player and an ardent supporter of our club. 

Jean Leighton's competitive spirit was always accompanied by the highest ethical standards and concern for her partner's and her opponents' enjoyment of the game.

Jean - we will all miss you!

Jean's wake will be from 4PM to 8PM on July 17 and services are scheduled for 11AM on July 18th. Both will be at St. Augustines Church.

        Kory Solarz

 

A most beautiful obituary about Jean - her life, her travels, her family - and of course - bridge - can be found here.

Our deep condolences to Jean's many family members and friends.

Aquatennial Silver Point Sectional - July 10 - July 15

 

Summer's Aquatennial Silver Point Sectional begins today!  Enjoy stratified open pairs and stratified 499er pairs throughout the week, with Charity Pairs (paying extra points) on Sunday.

Head on over to the Twin City Bridge Center with it's convenient daytime schedule and have a blast!  The full schedule with more details is below.  See you there!

Unit 178 - July 11th Board Meeting Agenda

Our thanks to Barb Zipoy for providing us with Unit 178's upcoming Board agenda.  And thanks to all the other board members and volunteers for their fine efforts!

Agenda posted below.

Happy 4th of July - Happy Almost Forever Schedule of Bridge Events

 

Hope all Minnesotans are enjoying their Fourth of July Holiday!  

And - to make your holiday even more special - an updated Almost Forever Schedule of Events from our superb Maker of Bridge Calendar Events - Steve Gaynor.

The calendar is below. Hope your summer and your bridge is beyond special!

The Bridge Center of St. Paul Celebrates The Longest Day

 

BIG thanks to Larry Huiras and all the others who made The Longest Day in St. Paul a HUGE success!

 

 

The Bridge Center of St. Paul celebrated the Longest Day on June 21st.  Funds were raised by our players to support the efforts of the Alzheimer's Association.  These monies will help to support research and raise awareness of the challenges that face those with Alzheimers and their caregivers.

Our Bridge Center hosted 3 games on the Longest Day!  Food and a pot luck were available between each session.  Gary Mulcahy generously donated and prepared yummy hamburgers for all between the morning and afternoon sessions. Dee Dee Lorentzen grilled great hot dogs for folks between afternoon and evening sessions.

 

Huge thanks to all our volunteers and to the many players who attended and contributed!  Overall, the three games had 47 tables of players - and raised $3,307.00 for the Alzheimer's Association!

 

 

A great day for celebrating and enjoying our great game - and doing great good, too!  Thank you!

 

 

Unit 178 Board Minutes - May 9, 2019

Many thanks to all the board members of Unit 178 and other volunteers who work hard to make bridge great in Minneapolis and surrounding areas!

Below are the board minutes from their most recent May meeting.

Unit 103 June 14th Minutes

Our thanks to Unit 103 Secretary Patti Huiras for sharing the unit's most recent Board minutes from June.

Please note that these minutes (posted below) have not yet been approved. This shall occur at Unit 103's next meeting in September.

Thanks to all board members for their efforts to make bridge great in Minnesota!

Jack Rhatigan - Memorial and Celebration of Life

 

On Saturday, June 15th, family, friends and a host of bridge players congregated at the Twin City Bridge Center to remember Jack Rhatigan.  Jack's family provided food for all to enjoy.  Teri and Chip Blu were warm hosts, as they have been for decades to our area's players.

 

 

Shannon Rhatigan, Jack's daughter, had a smile on her face as she interacted with all of us. It has been Shannon who kept Facebook followers updated on Jack's condition. And Shannon who decided that, given Jack's love of our game, a gathering at the TCBC would be most meaningful for all - including Jack.

 

 

Shannon was so right. No formal speeches were given. Nevertheless, throughout the memorial, people shared their stories about Jack and expressed sentiments about our friend.  As always, Teri was helpful to all the guests.

 

 

Very long time friends and partners of Jack, like Evan Sachs, had wonderful memories of Jack.  Laced with stories about Jack's superb abilities at the table, his amazing talents at remaining cool and calm throughout - and always being an excellent partner - brought a combination of joy and wistful sadness that Jack will no longer be at the table.

 

 

Shannon shared how much bridge meant to her dad throughout his life.  And added that when Jack could no longer come to the TCBC and compete with his great partners and see friends, fighting his illness became tougher. Yet, seeing the many people who mattered in Jack's life, together, remembering our class act of family member, friend and top notch player, was a comfort to us all.

 

 

We are so grateful that Jack's family, love of his life wife Marilyn, children Shawn and Shannon, grandson Jared, other family members, friends and a host of bridge players attended Saturday to honor Jack.

In so many ways, Jack highlighted what was best about our game - and our bridge players. A tough competitor, a great partner, an honorable man who was respected and appreciated by all...  We will miss Jack... and yet our special memories of him shall last forever.

More photos below.  Apologies that I wasn't able to grab shots of everyone who attended!  You were all greatly appreciated, to be sure.

St. Cloud Granite City Sectional Results

 

With summer in full form now, the Granite City Sectional enjoyed a fine turnout!  Players from throughout Minnesota - and even several states beyond - came, competed and conquered!

Results can be found here. Currently, masterpoint winners are not listed. But if they do appear, I will share them with you.

Of particular note was the success of Carleton College students Jackson Wahl and Sarah Emmons.  After a most successful Gopher Regional, Jackson and Sarah followed up in St. Cloud with two wins, a second place and another overall position!  Their first event, they managed to score over 64%; quite impressive!  We are delighted to see that younger people can fall in love with our great game - and succeed big time at it, too!

  Jackson and Sarah are two of our college students who won a trip to Las Vegas this summer in the ACBL collegiate competition.  Please join me in wishing them well!

Our thanks to tournament & partnership chair Kory Solarz and tournament director Kim Hayward for their fine efforts.  And we thank all our competitors for attending Granite City and enjoying an excellent sectional! 

Unit 103 Board of Directors Meeting Agenda - St. Cloud - 6-14-2019

Patti  Huiras, Secretary for Unit 103, has alerted us to her unit's Board of Directors Meeting tomorrow in St. Cloud.

Our thanks to the Unit 103 Board for all their diligent efforts!  And good luck to all at the St. Cloud sectional, too!

The agenda is below.

Celebration of Life for Jack Rhatigan - Saturday June 15th

 

A reminder that this Saturday Jack Rhatigan's family is honoring and remembering Jack with a celebration of his life.  An open house is scheduled from 4:30 to 7:30 at the Twin City Bridge Center.

Jack spent countless hours at the TCBC enjoying our game and all our friends - as did we so appreciate Jack.  We hope that you can join Jack's family in recounting all our great times with this fine player and wonderful man.

More details can be found here (see below the line)

Granite City Sectional - June 13-15

 

The Granite City Sectional in St. Cloud will soon be upon us!  Thursday, June 13th is the start date. 

Get your favorite partner and teammates and join in the competition!

The sectional flyer is below.