Pair Fare
News from Northwestern Illinois Unit 239
Editor: Roger Dieringer, 5 Lockman Circle, Elgin IL 60123 mrdier@wideopenwest.com
News from Northwestern Illinois Unit 239 Editor: Roger Dieringer, 5 Lockman Circle, Elgin IL 60123 mrdier@wideopenwest.com
|
Congratulations to Jim Hudson and Mike Abarbanel who took first place at the Springfield Grand National Teams. They, along with their two other team members, will proceed to play in Las Vegas this summer. Also, a special recognition to John Kinst for earning 7500 points to become a Diamond Life Master.
Karen said she inherited her love of cards from her father well growing up in
the Akron, Ohio area. At a very young age, her father taught her euchre, and
from this point on in her early life, Karen learned to enjoy the challenge of
many a card game. Karen stayed in her local area earning a degree in Biology at
the University of Akron. After graduation Karen married her, to be, life long
partner Joe, and they moved to the Chicago area. Karen now has two sons and five
grandchildren.
Karen related a funny story of how the “card gene” was evidenced in her son. The youngest son learned how to count by using a deck of cards. His preschool teacher phoned Karen and Joe and asked if they played a lot of cards. Asking why, the teacher explained that upon testing Brian, he started counting 1,2,3, etc., and ending with the jack, queen, king, and ace. This story proved to be is a very interesting method in the learning of ones number.
Karen and Joe life has involved many career moves, with Karen working as a Medical Technologist. In layman terms, Karen is a “blood expert” which would seem appropriate, since that is the way Karen approaches the game of bridge. Karen attributes Joe as her first mentor in that he encouraged her to take bridge lessons as a couple. They earned 60 master points together, before Joe’s tragic death in April of 2006. The loss of Karen’s love and life long partner, led Karen to a quest.
As Dick Gierat, said, in one of my previous interviews, that the playing of bridge can be therapeutic. Karen used bridge to get help her get over her loss of her husband and as a way of expand her circle of friends. Her quest was to become a Life Master by January of 2008. This goal was accomplished by playing with yours truly, at the Palatine Silver Unit Game on December 8th, where we earned 4.08 silver points by placing first over-all in a stratified game. I got a call that evening with Karen’s happy news.
Karen wants to thank her partners for all their help because “bridge is not a solo sport.” They are Pat Horn of Rolling Meadows, Diane Treslo of Palatine, Bob Volsted of Elgin, Roger Dieringer of Elgin, Mary Walters of Oak Park, Dee Witte of Roscoe, and Barb Worden of Rockford. Renee Nc Nitt of Roscoe, Don Malone of Sharon, WI, and Mary Jo Sergent of Rockford. She relates, “Many thanks to the people who have teamed up to help my partners and me win the needed to achieve the goal of Life Master.” Karen would also like to thank Pat Harverty of Woodstock for her first gold points at Lake Geneva. As witnessed here, becoming a life master usually involves the friendships of many people.
Karen’s advice to other bridge player is to take serious structured lessons with a partner if you expect to do well. Congratulations to you on reaching your goal.
Both Ann and Karen achieve their Life Masters in an unusual way. Both of them had earned all of their gold points before they earned their required other points. Most Life Masters find the stumbling block to this achievement is in earning the 25 gold points, which are awarded only at district tournaments. Ann needed .05 black points for a frustrating two weeks before she scratched at the Darien Bridge Center to become a Life Master.
Ann grew up in La Grange, Illinois and has lived in the Chicago Suburbs all her life. After high school, Ann earned an Elementary Teaching degree from Illinois State University, and a Masters Degree in Special Education from National Lewis University. At present Ann is a retired 2nd grade teacher from the Romeo-Bolingbrook School District. In addition to her career, Ann has a husband, who is a neurosurgeon, and a son and a daughter.
Ann’s interest in bridge goes back a long time to when she a third grade student. Her father was an ardent bridge player and when Ann came down with a severe case of the measles, he taught her the basics of Goren Bridge. After college, Ann once again, picked up the game and played in many social bridge games. The problem was, once Ann was introduced to duplicate bridge she said she basically had to relearn the game. Ann credits Gerald Szymski and Jackie Addis as her mentors in the ins and outs of duplicate bridge. Her words of wisdom are “if I can make Life Master anyone can”. After being somewhat surprise by her opinion, upon further conversation, it became evident that she had great respected for those individuals who are able to earn thousands of points, “those are people who really have accomplished something.”
Ann and her husband do a lot of traveling and she related this story. Well traveling to the Gallegos Islands, she was reading an ACBL bridge magazine. A fellow traveler noticed her reading this magazine, and being a social bridge player, asked if he could look at the periodical. After reading a coupled of articles he has all sorts of questions about the “unorthodox” methods of bidding. Ann said this led to many questions about duplicate bridge and invoked interest in becoming an ACBL member. We’ll be looking forward to seeing Ann at the June Rockford Tournament.
Mary Jo is a trump card of the Rockford Club. She is the director of the Monday and Wednesday afternoon games, as well as, serving as a member on both the Unit 239 and Rockford Club Boards. I have found Mary Jo to be catalysis in creating a friendly and enjoyable atmosphere at the games she directs. At the May annual meeting in DeKalb, Illinois, Mary Jo was presented with the “Good Will Award” for all the positive things she has done for our Unit.
Mary Jo was born and raised in Rockford. She and her husband Mike, who have been married for 25 years, have a blended family of five children, ten grand children, and two more grand children on the way. Mike claims that Mary Jo’s hobby has become an occupation.
Her parents were bridge player but never taught, Mary Jo how to play. Mary Jo began to pick up the game in her earlier college years, but left the game for thirty-some years. After going back to school and graduating at age 52 from Rockford College with a Degree in Accounting, Mary Jo rekindled her interest in bridge. Mary Jo credits Dennis Ryan and Becky Chance as her mentors in helping to fine-tuning her game. Needing only .02 silver points to become a Life Master, Mary Jo earned this final fraction of a point at the Elgin Regional in March of this year. Mary Jo would like to thank all of her bridge partners who helped her earned required points to reach this goal.
Mary Jo related one story about the first time she was going to teach a bridge class. She was very nervous, and what made it worst, the date 9/11/01. Her advice is to enjoy and keep playing the game. When Mary Jo is not directing or playing a game, her time is usually divided between hobby of gardening and her golden retriever, Lucky.
New Junior Masters: Patricia Tangorra, Rockford; Barbara Nuckles, Machesney Park.
New Club Masters: Raymond Paul, Rockford; Jo Marie Paul, Rockford.
New Sectional Masters: Karen Anderson, Batavia; Judy Feltes, Aurora; Marilyn Croft, St Charles; Patricia Olafson, Rockford.
New Regional Masters: Katherine Freeman, Beloit, WI; Amnon Harel, Batavia: Gordon Leibert, Elgin; Liz Leibert, Elgin; George Wallace, Dixon.
New NABC Master: Merylyn Rein, Belvidere.
Life Master: Karen Pickelsimer, Oak Hills; Mary Jo Sergent, Rockford; Ann Witt, Aurora.
New Bronze Life Master: Alice Robinson, Roscoe; Micah Fogel, Aurora.
New Diamond Life Master: John Kinst, Batavia.
June 16-22 -- Rockin’ Rockford Regional -- Rockford IL
July 7-13 -- Summerfest -- Elmhurst IL
August 1-2 -- Elgin 299ers Sectional -- Elgin IL
August 4-10 -- CCBA Summer Sectional at the Clubs -- Various Clubs
December 26-30 -- Wisconsin Holiday Regional Lake Geneva WI