FORT WAYNE FALL REGIONAL

When the calendar shows that summer has become fall, how do bridge players spell fun? FORT WAYNE REGIONAL!!!

With 460 players coming from Hawaii, Texas, Florida, Ontario, Canada, and many places in between, the 2016 Fort Wayne Fall Regional held in the Grand Wayne Convention Center was seven days of good bridge, great restaurants, and friendly people.

Tournament Chair Kim Grant was very pleased with 19.4% increase in table count, with the positive comments about the schedule from the participants, and with the precision-like game administration orchestrated by the Director-in-Charge, Rick Beye.

The 2017 Fort Wayne Regional (October 2-8) will be more of the same including more Gold Rush pair games and more A/B/C pair games. The famous Hoosier hospitality will be evidenced with the free coffee throughout the day, the daily fruit bowl that greets the players in the morning, and with the end-of-the-day hospitality room where the day’s hands are thoroughly dissected in a companionable atmosphere.

The friendly folks in Fort Wayne look forward to seeing the smiling face of you and all their bridge friends in 2017.

GOODWILL RECIPIENT CHOSEN

Tricia Killeen (right in photo) from South Bend was presented with the District 8 Northern Indiana Unit 154 Goodwill Pin on Sunday, August 28, at the South Bend Sectional.

Tricia is a long time resident of Northern Indiana, a very accomplished bridge player (gold life master), a bridge teacher, an organizer, extremely active in bridge club leadership and very importantly, a grandparent! She is known throughout the unit for doing things the right way!

The President of the unit, Kim Grant (left), is allowed to choose one person from the unit who is helpful, thoughtful, shows good manners at the table and someone who takes an active role in promoting bridge. Tricia does that and so much more by exhibiting a positive experience for everyone!

Congratulations Tricia!
 

FORT WAYNE RECEIVES RECOGNITION AWARD

Dr. Matt Farber, organizer of the Longest Day charity activities and the Fort Wayne Bridge Club received a recognition award plaque on Wednesday, September 29 for being the 5^th largest donor in the state for the Longest Day!

Presenting the plaque is Abby Geha, who is with the Indiana Alzheimer’s Association

Fort Wayne raised $4,300. Congratulations to Matt for all his hard work in orchestrating the event and thanks to all the bridge players who made it happen!
 

PRO-AM SWISS EVENT IN SOUTH BEND

Congratulations to the winners of the Pro-Am Swiss Team Event, held September 15th.

The champions were “Pros” Jim and Jody Praklet and “Ams” Ivye Benson and Julie Nelson.

There were 11 teams in attendance enjoying hot dogs cooked by our chef, Bill Searcy, potato salad, baked beans, and ice cream provided by Joan Tobler and her committee.

Thanks to all who made this event a success.
 

70% + GAMES

Fred & Liz Osborn, Kokomo:  72.92%  6/2

Jim & Char Davis, Kokomo:  77.00%  7/14

Gary Chaney, Woodburn & Paul Knepper, Fort Wayne:  70.50% 7 /28

Judy Nelson & Jack Spring, Fort Wayne:  71.00%  8/2

Jody Praklet Heiner, South Bend, & Bill Searcy, Elkhart:  70.14%  8/2

Suzanne Watson & Jimmy Cordas, South Bend:  70.60%  8/4

Sara Marcus, Granger & Joan Tobler, Niles, MI:  70.64%  8/8

Charlotte & Jim Davis, Kokomo:  75.00 %  8/11 

Rich Will, Valparaiso & Jim Carson, Valparaiso:  74.31%  8/16

Jane Shultz, Fort Wayne & Steve Harvey, Decatur:  70.42%  9/3

Jim O'Connell, Valparaiso & Barbara Graegin, Schererville:  70.24%  9/10

Wayne Carpenter, Chesterton & Laverne Niksch, Portage:  71.43%  9/20

Jimmy Cordas & Suzanne Watson, South Bend:  70.37%  9/29

Rich Mao, Mishawaka & Bud Hinckley, South Bend:  70.51%  9/30

RISING IN THE RANKS

Junior Master
   Terry Bauer, Portage; James (Jim) Kilbourne, Granger; Kathleen Peterson, South Bend; Michael Sylvester, Fort Wayne

Club Master
   Judith Black, Crown Point

Sectional Master
   Ahnee Conner, Fort Wayne; Sally Frame, South Bend; Janet Jones, Porter; Gloria McMahon, Long Beach; Dr. Creighton Rawlings, Munster

Regional Master
   Clarke Dippell, Granger

NABC Master
   Sue Boericke, Fort Wayne; James McDonald, Delphi

Advanced NABC Master
   William Wendt, La Porte

LIFE MASTER

Bob Knoblock, South Bend

Bob started playing party bridge while in the Air Force back in 1957 playing noon-hour bridge (where dummy deals the next hand to allow as many hands and rubbers as possible in the one hour allowed for lunch).

In the fall of 2005 he decided that he wanted to learn duplicate and took his first lesson from Elaine DeLaney. Following that first step, he began playing regularly (once or twice a month) at the Clearwater Bridge Club in Florida during the winter, and here in South Bend in the summer. He really got hooked on the game when he earned his first points in a Pairs Game in 2007. Now that he’s moved to South Bend year round, he is enjoying playing full time with some great partners.

In March of 2015, Bob became a certified Director at our club and a welcome director he was. As busy as this chore can be, Bob found time to participate at bridge games at the club level, sectionals and regionals. He amassed enough points where he needed only 3.57 gold to become a Life Master and won more than enough at the Fort Wayne Regional this past month. We salute him for his achievement and we’re so glad he won his life mastership at our Unit Regional

BRONZE LIFE MASTERS

Joseph Kohne, Fort Wayne

Leslie Garvey, South Bend

The South Bend Club had the pleasure of welcoming Leslie their club in late 2012 and then celebrating her life mastership in the spring of 2013 (announced in the December 2012 SBBC newsletter issue).

Well, she did it again! She is now their latest Bronze Life Master. When asked about her life since that time she responded “Life is good! I did take up golf and play in two leagues. I continue to travel and have fun with kids and grandkids. Of course, I enjoy playing bridge at the Bridge Center with good fun people.”

Leslie is still doing some nursing but welcomes peaceful times as well. Activities include ushering at DeBartolo which enables her to see many shows, especially the operas in HD. Unit 154 is delighted to have her with us and send her our CONGRATULATIONS! 
 

SILVER LIFE MASTER

Laverne Niksch, Portage has reached the 1000-point plateau on his bridge journey and is now a Silver Life Master. Here is his commentary on this auspicious occasion —

I can remember when 1st place at a club game was 0.25 match points, and to win 0.01 point was a good night. Yes, most games were at night only, and you always left with a headache and smelling of smoke. Back in those days you got slips of paper with your awards, and you had to mail them in and be an ACBL member to get credit for them. I cannot remember a special game where masterpoints were increased like now.

Times have changed. I learned bridge at the Indiana University campus in Gary in the 70s in the lounge. My cousin, Wayne Carpenter, was also going to I.U. and got interested in the game, as well. I never thought I could ever get 300 points to become a Life Master. 

When I retired from Inland Steel, I went to work as an Instrument Engineer Contractor and worked for another 10 years. While working part time I could select a day off and I selected Tuesday. I played with Wayne at the Portage Beach Club, where I met Dave Bigler and Chuck Briggs. The four of us would play in Swiss Teams at tournaments, and we did quite well. It was there that I learned about pigmented points and was able to win a few.

After having reached this 1000-point mark, I cannot imagine getting to 1500 or 2500 points but who knows — not me for sure.
 

RUBY LIFE MASTER

Kimberly Grant, Fort Wayne        

SAPPHIRE LIFE MASTER

Sara Marcus, Granger        

When Sara became a gold Life Master she felt it was a major achievement for any bridge player, but to her it meant not just being a better player but having experienced a wonderful connection with all the members of the South Bend Bridge Club, especially her partners through the years. All of us look forward to seeing her smile as she walks through the door.

Our Sara was born and raised, along with her sister, Sharon, in South Bend. She received a degree from Purdue University where she met her husband, Abe, in her freshman year. They were married in 1964 and have three children, R-Jay, Eric and Sharna.

Sara's bridge playing started when her childhood girlfriend’s mother taught the two ten-year-olds how to play the game. When she was older, she found duplicate bridge and, like so many of us, was hooked. Sara was delightfully surprised when she found that she had achieved the title of Sapphire Life Master. This rank was just recently instituted by the ACBL and she has certainly earned this status by playing often and well with partners that she enjoys like June Glazer, Jim Feinstein, and Joan Tobler, to name a few. The opponents have found her to be a tough adversary to be treated with great respect. We send our heartiest congratulations to Sara for her achievement!