Would you like to serve on the Unit Board?

If you live in one of the counties below, this is the year to elect your representative to the Unit 208 Board of Directors:

Area #1:  Peoria & Tazewell Counties. (Incumbent: Bernie Riley)

Area #4:  Cass, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Sangamon & Scott Counties. (Incumbent: Liz Zalar)

Area #7:  Champaign, Ford, Piatt & Vermilion Counties. (Incumbent: Dennis Fitton)

The Area Representative meets with the Board three times a year at our Unit sectionals. Anyone from these areas who would like to run for a seat on the Board should send name and ACBL number to the Unit Secretary, Marilyn Stickel by April 1. Elections will be held in May and June. You can contact Marilyn by mail at 204 North Fulton Street, Lacon IL 61540.

Illini Champaign Regional -- May 19-25, 2009

It's not too early to make plans for our Unit's annual regional, coming up Memorial Day week at the Hilton Garden Inn and Conference Center in Champaign. You can check out the new schedule in the March Bridge Bulletin and on the tournament web site.

Bridge rate at the Hilton is $95 double, available by phone (217-352-9970) or through the tournament's online booking page. Please reserve early, especially if you need a room with two beds.

Mini--McKenney & Ace of Clubs updates

Visit the ACBL Unit Awards page to view lists of the top ten Unit players in each category (type 208 into the box that asks for your Unit number). Results will not be official until mid-February. Year-end  results for our Central Illinois Unit will be published in the April issue of this newsletter.

Coming up on the Club Calendar

  ACBLwide Senior Pairs -- Monday afternoon, February 23

This annual event, open to ages 55+, offers extra masterpoints, pre-dealt hands and hand-analysis booklets. The same hands are being played at clubs around the nation and will offer District-wide and nationwide awards. The sanction fee is low; expect to pay 75 cents more than your club's regular entry fee. Central Illinois clubs that will be hosting this game are:

    Champaign:  Bridge at Ginger Creek (12:30 pm) -- Karen Walker (217-359-0042)   kwalker2@comcast.net

    Bloomington:  Gayl West Duplicate (11:45 am) -- Stephen Hawthorne  (309-827-7581)

    Springfield:  Bridge Club of Springfield (12:30 pm) -- Janice Franz (217-546-0597)    jfranz5201@comcast.net

  2009-10 North American Pairs -- Club qualifying games in June, July & August

There's no limit on the number of these special games your club can hold. The 2010 national finals will be held in March in Reno NV.

Cheer on our Unit winners:  The 2008-09 North American Pairs concludes in March when District winners play in the national championship in Houston TX. Six pairs from our Unit will be representing District 8 in the national finals :

    Flight A:  Karen Walker, Champaign & Tom Kniest, St. Louis
                      Colby Vernay, Lacon & Will Engel, Freeport

    Flight B:  Claire Krukenberg, Charleston & Richard Brummer, Effingham
                     Fei Dong & Pat Moos, Peoria

    Flight C:  Shirley Logan, Springfield & Carol Sue McNaught, Auburn
                     Dennis Moll & Ann Schuyler, Bloomington

You can check on their results in the online Daily Bulletins from Detroit. Flight A plays on March 10-11. The Flight B & C events are on March 21-22.

In Memory

Central Illinois players were saddened by the recent deaths of three of our active members:

       Kay Jackson of Ridge Farm died on January 1. Kay was a Life Master with almost 2000 career masterpoints and a regular player at bridge clubs in Paris IL and Terre Haute IN.

Dennis Knoll, 57, of Catlin died on January 4. Originally from Iowa, Dennis owned and managed truck stops, restaurants and real estate in the Oakwood IL area. He was also active in his church and was a past member of the Catlin School Board. Dennis' many friends at the Danville and Champaign clubs send their condolences to his wife June, their four sons and Dennis' 13 siblings.

Bill Folts, 82, of Champaign died on January 11. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Bill was a retired Lieutenant Commander with the Navy Seabees and served on active duty during World War II and the Korean War. He and his wife Jeanne visited 39 countries and five continents after he retired in 1993 from a career as a civil engineer at the University of Illinois.

Movin' Up 

   Congratulations to these Unit members who recently advanced in rank: