Minnesota Bridge

We Want YOU!

We want YOU to consider running to be on the Unit 178 Board of Directors!

The 178 Board of Directors is primarily responsible for running sectional and regional tournaments, organizing special events, and for promoting bridge and ACBL membership overall.

Board meetings are on Saturday mornings, usually about 9 times each year.

Are you interested in working toward making bridge as excellent as it can be for our unit activities?  Would you like to contribute your own special talents to the unit, and "give back" to bridge?

If so - then please contact Sue Jackson for more information!  [email protected]

 

 

Winter Silver Point Sectional - TOMORROW!

Sunshine or not - tomorrow is a happy day!  Friday brings the start of the Winter Silver Point Sectional.  Head on over to The Bridge Center of St. Paul for a weekend of fun competition, hospitality and friends!

The details are here; see you there!

The Bridge World

A number of Minnesotans are familiar with Bridgewinners.  I describe it as "Facebook for Bridge Players."  Members can post all sorts of items related to bridge; others can comment on the posts.  From bridge hands to bidding questions, discussions about ethical considerations and so forth and so on, it is a fine site.  

You need not be an expert to belong and become involved, either.  Here is an intermediate section, for instance, for those more in the earlier learning stages.

A few days ago, your webmaster put up a post about the world's best bridge magazine, The Bridge World.  As of this moment, 208 comments!  If you are interested, read through and share your own thoughts!  

If you are not familiar with the magazine, you might consider subscribing.  It really has the best event reporting, bridge problems, bidding discussion, humor articles and much more.  

After posting this story, another reader shared with me that she had a collection of older Bridge Worlds that she no longer wishes to keep.  She estimates that there are 70 to 80 issues, ranging from the 1950's all the way through to the 2000's.

She is not looking to sell the magazines.  For the price of shipping, she will pack them and send them to you, if you are interested.  Contact me, Peg Kaplan, at [email protected] and I can submit your inquiry to her.

Bridgewinners - The Bridge World.  It's all good!

Helen Tew - 1918-2016

Helen Tew has not been able to play bridge for some time.  Nevertheless, Helen was an important part of our bridge community for many years - and old timers will remember her fondly.

Helen passed away a little over a week ago.  Larry Oakey shares some remembrances of a partner, friend, and lovely lady.

Longtime Twin City bridge player Helen Tew died January 17^th.  She was 98.

When I started at the old Bridge Center at 2430 Nicollet (1966-1972), I met a pair of two pleasant women:  Helen Tew and Sally Neff.  Since Sally worked, I frequently played with Helen in morning games.  Sally and I partnered one another occasionally in tournaments.

Regrettably, Sally contracted cancer and passed away.  Now, Helen was without a partner. 

Soon however, she found Doris McCalla.  They formed a formidable partnership for twenty years; always 12 N/S at the Twin City Bridge Center!

In the 1990’s, Helen’s health began to fail and she had to stop playing.  Nevertheless, Helen amassed about 2500 masterpoints, along with a record of always smiling, making new players feel comfortable and welcome – and of being a good partner.

If you look in an encyclopedia under the category of “Nice Person” – you will find a picture of Helen Tew along with a glowing description.

                  Larry Oakey

Helen's obituary can be found here.  Our sympathies to her family and friends.

Dallas Wishes

Steve Gaynor and partner recently traveled to Big D to compete in a sectional.  Many fine players in that part of the country - and Steve had the chance to play against two of the best.

What happened?  Steve will let you know below!

From Here to Eternity

A new year - 2016.  A new schedule from Steve Gaynor.  As usual, it runs almost through the end of eternity!

Lots of great bridge!  Check it out!

 

Unit 178 Board Meeting - January 2016

Unit 178's January board meeting will be held this Saturday, January 23rd.  The site shall be the newly renovated lower level of the Twin City Bridge Center.

For those interested in this month's agenda - it is posted below.

Hiawatha Bridge Sectional

So we're about to have the coldest weekend of the season. Windchills could hover around minus 45!  

And MN Bridge is posting spring daffodils?

Yes!

Just a few short months from now, daffodils will pop into view - and the Hiawatha Bridge Sectional will be held!  No April fooling here; from Friday, April 1 to Sunday the 3rd, enjoy bridge and Rochester hospitality at the Rochester International Event Center.  You can check out the schedule and details here.

In the meantime, this weekend, stay home and stay warm!  If you must venture out, however, stay safe.

Lots of great bridge in 2016.  We want you to enjoy it all!

Winter Silver Point Sectional

 

The Winter Silver Point Sectional, scheduled January 29-31 at the Bridge Center of St. Paul, is just a few weeks away.  With winter really here, having a fun sectional in the midst of it is a treat!

Keith Thompson has shared with me some of the details about just how good this tournament is going to be.  When you read through this, I'm sure that everyone will want to attend!

• To accommodate a 10AM start time on Friday and Saturday, free lunch will be served.  No one need brave the outside temps; stay, munch and play!
• All games on Friday and Saturday will be pair/team games. Win extra points at no extra charge!  Same deal for I/N games, too!
• Saturday evening will be a "warm-up" for the Sunday Swiss with a single session stratified Swiss event.
• Sunday games will have two separate sessions. Sleep in late or leave early, if one session is your preference.  Note, though, that both sessions will be regionally rated with more masterpoints available!  Do play both if you can - and all players in both Sunday sessions will receive a free lunch.
• If at least 5 I/N teams enter, a separate I/N section will be offered.
  
  

Lots of bridge, food and friends to enjoy!  Don't miss this tourney!