THANK YOU for coming to the FORT WAYNE FALL REGIONAL

Mark your calendars for next year!  SEPTEMBER 19—25, 2016

The hotels are offering an early-bird incentive (a great savings) if you make your reservation before November 30^th. To take advantage, just call and ask for the bridge rate!

See www.unit154.org for more information!

Hotel Information:
   The Hilton Fort Wayne: (260) 420-1100
   Courtyard by Marriott: (260) 490-3629

UPCOMING UNIT 154 SECTIONAL

Northwest Indiana Sectional in Highland -- October 16, 17 & 18

Lincoln Community Center -- 2450 Lincoln St., Highland IN

Tournament flyers: www.Unit154.org & the ACBL website

(You can pre-register for the Saturday CKO and save some money! Check the flyer for details!)

A NEW GAME AT THE SOUTH BEND BRIDGE CLUB

South Bend Bridge Club is adding a 399er game on Tuesdays, effective October 6, at 1 pm.

That makes 399er games on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.

The address is 2436 Miracle Lane, Mishawaka IN 46545, 574-255-6613, and website is www.sbbc.info. 

Please contact Tricia Killeen at 574-271-1345 if you have questions. 

70% + GAMES

Bob Hawley (Peru) & Judy Cotterman, Kokomo: 73.97% 7/28

Joan & Robert Butz, Kankakee, IL: 72.22% 8/4

John and Tricia Killeen Mishawaka: 70.14% 8/4

Elaine DeLaney, South Bend and Chris Habegger, Bristol: 74.07% 8/7

Matt Fultz & Jim Kart, Fort Wayne: 70.14% 8/20

Don and Rose Ferguson, Fort Wayne: 71.75% 8/25

Chuck Tomes & Tom Rea, Valparaiso: 77.78% 9/8

Elaine DeLaney, South Bend & Chris Habegger, Bristol: 73.81% 9/11

Sharon Snyder, Crown Point & Doug Jordan, Dyer (499er game): 72.87% 9/19

RISING IN THE RANKS

JUNIOR MASTER  -- Bernice Bell, Merrillville; Roger Chrastil, South Bend; Kathie Fritz, Michigan City; Ellie Parkerson, Long Beach; Daryl Penfold, La Porte; Lori Rea, Valparaiso; Tom Rea, Valparaiso; Marcy Tomes, Valparaiso; David Woods, Granger;Carl Zurcher, La Porte

CLUB MASTER  -- Naomi Goodman, Valparaiso; William Henry, Fort Wayne; John Lutz, Wolcottville; Larry Satek, Fremont; Stanley Shook, South Bend; Dr. Creighton Rawlings, Munster          

SECTIONAL MASTER  -- Sue Boericke, Fort Wayne; Philip Eyermann, Churubusco; Kay Lively, Highland; Tom Sherbondy, Fort Wayne     

REGIONAL MASTER  -- Leonard Yarsh, Hobart

NABC MASTER  -- Hilda Connor, Munster; Daryl Fraley, Crown Point; William Wendt, La Porte

Advanced NABC MASTER  -- Yuan Hsu, Hammond 

LIFE MASTER

Michael Heimann, Warsaw

"As a youngster, of five or six, I would sit close to the table and watch the grown-ups play euchre, pinochle or pidro. I was fascinated to hear the bidding and see the play strategy unfold before me. As I got a little older, I would sometimes fill in for a few hands when needed. As I entered my teens, cards were instilled in me. With my dad, Cletus, my mom, Dorothy, and my brother, Steve card playing had become a family tradition.

I was first introduced to rubber bridge during the lunch hour while working at Magnavox in the early 1980's. We played only for a couple of years and this marvelous game laid dormant for almost twenty years, until reintroduced to me at the June Stealy Monday night bridge game in Warsaw in 2002. In February 2005, Terry Witzky introduced me to Duplicate Bridge as we both played our inaugural game in Fort Wayne, earning a fraction of a black point.

In 2011, Dr. Geoff Hadlock and I became partners and we entered our first North American Bridge Championship in Louisville in 2011. What a sight to walk into a room and see two hundred card tables arranged neatly in rows. Geoff and I have had the opportunity to play in six NABC'S. Our best finishes were second in the National 199er in Atlanta and fifth in the North American Pairs President's Cup in Dallas. We play Precision Club with a 10 - 12 Weak No Trump, which allows us to open most hands. Geoff and I are known to travel to South Bend, Fort Wayne, Muncie, and Kalamazoo on a week night in search of a game, then returning to work the next morning at Zimmer Biomet.

My wife Carol and I have ten children (five girls and five boys) and nineteen grandchildren. From The Brady Bunch, we are sometimes referred to as 'The Brady's', (Mike and Carol). We enjoy Ballroom Dancing, our family, and most importantly giving praise to God for the talents and blessings He has bestowed upon us.
Thank you to the many partners and teammates who are a all a very important part of this milestone. Thanks also to the South Bend and Fort Wayne Bridge Clubs which we are members; and especially to KC Duplicate Bridge Club in Warsaw that opened its doors in 2007 and became sanctioned in June 2013. What a thrill to achieve Life Master at the NABC in Chicago!

LIFE & BRONZE LIFE MASTER

John Teshima, Trail Creek

John started to play duplicate bridge in the '70s. Stan Benson was a strong partner in New Jersey, where John is from. John played with Dennis (Doc) Frazier, formerly of LaPorte in the '80s. They accumulated many of their gold points together. Doc is now a Phoenix semi-retiree (still practicing).

John retired from bridge for 20 years. Business just got too difficult to hold down a professional career and play bridge, but he is now retired for three years.
Back to the present — Joe Chin, a longtime friend, has spent time helping John resuscitate his game. So much had gone over the "bridge" since back when they played. Joe has since taught him to be more aggressive, to "stick his nose in there, especially in lead-directing overcalls."
John's major happiness has been aiding Big John Chmielowiec — specifically, with his health issues. BJ had been in a nursing home (on his back 24/7 for 6 months) about 2½ years ago. Upon John's return to the game, just prior to BJ's setback, BJ had gone out of his way to explain to John how to best wiggle out of a 1NT doubled contract that was a disaster. He went out of his way to guide John after the session — in a soft way — most kind. That stuck with John.
Later when John learned that BJ was on his back in the rest home, he visited BJ and provided him bridge books and interesting articles. (Doc Frazier also provided books.)
Bottom line — when BJ returned to his home, he needed assistance to get into his house, as well as to and from future doctor visits and for a few housekeeping necessities. The first doctor visits were in the dead of winter. BJ was almost immobile. He is also very big. John's immediate challenge was to negotiate the three steps down from BJ's home to the truck — then to reverse the process on the way back. If BJ were to lose plumb, what with the temperatures, it would be life threatening, as John had not the strength to lift him back up quickly. Each time John prayed to the Lord for strength and for alertness.
John considers this to be his way of giving back to the game he loves.

Doc Frazier adds, "John has always been an intense student of the game. He spends many hours studying new concepts and systems to develop comfort when playing with elite partners such as Joe Chin and others. One interesting tidbit is his handling of time between sessions. Instead of a 'post mortem' discussion, he takes a nap! He can speak to whether it is to 'chill out' or from exhaustion of having to deal with my bids :-) Congrats, John!"

Joe Chin comments, "Most local bridge players do not know that John is a quarter Japanese in blood. Even less well-known is that he is a full HALF in hearts (as in the ‘heart’ suit). John volunteers for Meals-on-Wheels every Wednesday in the Michigan City area. He visits and helps friends such as Big John. He also has taken on the laborious task of trapping feral cats, neutering them, then setting them free. Many liberated felines stay for food and shelter indefinitely. The last quarter of him is the most important presently — master of bridge, now filled with LIFE."

BRONZE LIFE MASTER

Alan Yngve, Chesterton

Alan writes—I love our game of bridge — it offers so many challenges, so many options in bidding and play, and the important requirement of working with a partner — always trying to stay on the same page if you can! For those of us who have been ACBL members long enough to be grandfathered at the older 300 masterpoint Life Master level, the “Bronze Life Master” is a minor bridge milestone, but for those who have joined more recently, those 500 masterpoints to Life Master seem daunting. However, I feel that becoming a Life Master is more about the journey and the stories you will live than the final achievement. I made Life Master (300 mp) five years ago, right before we moved overseas. And yes, I can share my stories if you have the time! How about a 5:00 a.m. motel fire alarm right before an important NAP qualifying round?

Both managing and directing bridge clubs has proven to be more time-consuming than I had initially anticipated. Just how do you make your club welcoming enough so that everyone will always want to come and play? Without good club attendance one’s fixed overhead costs can become a burden, and the game is less fun for everyone who plays, too! But I want to always be a bridge player first. In Minnesota I usually played 2.5 to 3 times per week plus occasional tournaments, and I played weekly with my more regular partners, even when I was directing one game per week. With the club games to run here in NW Indiana I only have time for slightly more than one scheduled game per week and tournaments are difficult because of my Saturday (Community Bridge Club) game. I’m still looking for a truly regular partner, but I am enjoying the games and teaching that I have been able to do.

Many club members have expressed their appreciation for all that Alan has done to strengthen the Community Bridge Club and to improve their bridge skills.

"Alan has always taken time to explain options for every playing problem I have encountered — including bidding, play and ethics. As a director he runs an organized and ethical game, while allowing a little fun!"

"I am thankful for all of the marvelous times that we had together. With such a pleasant, gentle partner, I always had fun while winning a few points. Alan's warm smile and patient guidance took away some of my fears since I began to play this game so late in life."

"Playing with the odd member on any given night, Alan has played with many, many members of our club. He immediately identifies his partner's bidding and defensive tendencies, then adjusts his playing style to optimize his partnership's results. No bad partner bid, bad partner play, or even crazy trump split will ever get a negative word or expression from Alan. He is simply a player who will always bring out the best in his partner."

"Alan is very knowledgeable in all aspects of bridge. He has a calm persona. He makes you feel that he is really interested in you learning the game of bridge. He is never impatient and he never makes you feel that you asked a stupid question. I will be a student of Alan as long as he continues to teach."

"Alan's collaborative nature and calming demeanor makes it a pleasure to play with him."

SILVER LIFE MASTER

Richard Bredemeyer, Fort Wayne

I have played cards ever since I can remember. My grandma played poker with me at about 6 years old. Then another grandma, my sister and I played "dirty clubs" whenever there was just 3 of us (3 handed euchre). My family played all the typical family card games and I was always first in line. Around l990 I started playing bridge, here and there. In 2006 I went to the Fort Wayne Duplicate Bridge Club and started playing the best card game – EVER! I was really rough around the edges and didn't know proper bidding, etc. but I took home results of all games (and still do), analyzed the hands and learned from that. Joe Shull asked me to play and taught me Precision. He has been the most helpful, and biggest influence in my bridge journey. His skill, integrity, and loyalty are an inspiration to all. I've played very little outside of our unit but would like to play in more regionals, and maybe a national. I continue to encourage people to come to the bridge center so they can enjoy duplicate as much as I do.

I have 3 grandsons under 8 and Sandy has a few nieces and nephews that we want to introduce to bridge. If they start young, they can have many wonderful years of duplicate….and probably teach us, if we, senior citizens can remember.

SILVER LIFE MASTER

Chris Habegger, South Bend

South Bend’s newest Silver Life Master, Chris Habegger, was born in Chicago but moved with his family to several states. He attended Bluffton University, majoring in Chemistry and Music. While at school he met and married Patricia Nietz and after graduation they moved to Elkhart where he worked in the electronics and chemistry field. He’s been at at Gaska Tape since 1980, the last 25 years as their Technical Director. Trish and Chris have two married children, Stephen and Beth, along with two grandchildren.

Chris enjoyed playing various card games while growing up, and one summer read “Five Weeks to Winning Bridge” which piqued his interest enough that he later looked up bridge clubs in this area. His initial partnerships were with Dave McNitt, John Vargas, and Dean Duncan (not a bad trio to start with). Dean connected Chris with another young bridge player, Tom Dodd, which resulted in winning regional events as well as being Grand National Pairs Finalists. They also set records in the The Bridge World magazines Challenge the Champs bidding challenges.

Chris gave up both bridge and most other sports while attending his children’s interests. He kept reading the bridge columns and a few years ago jumped at chance to play again. He has had a regular partnership with Elaine Delaney on Fridays and has fit in other games as his work schedule has allowed. In the past two years, he has finished first overall in seven sectionals with 5 different partners along with a recent regional team win. He is looking forward to more tournament play in the future and, while retirement is still a few years away, bridge figures to be a big part of that time. Congratulations Chris!

SILVER LIFE MASTER

LaVerne Petersen, Fort Wayne

My interest in bridge began in the late 70’s when I was dating my husband (Dick Petersen). It was an interest of his and since I have always enjoyed games, I thought I would give it a try. I took a class at IPFW with Ruth and Norm Stephan as instructors. I learned the basics and enjoyed it. Dick and I began playing occasionally with friends and then joined the St. Francis couples bridge group. I also played in a group of 8 ladies, first in the YWCA on Wells street and then in homes every Friday.
We then decided to try duplicate bridge. Our first experience was on Tuesday night. At that time it was a limited game. We found that we enjoyed it and soon were attending every Tuesday. Our first tournament was the Ft. Wayne Regional. We played pairs in the limited game and even won a trophy! We have since attended most of the local Regional and Sectional Tournaments.
Next we used our vacations traveling to National Tournaments. At the New Orleans tournament we took the Director Training and test. At the Orlando Tournament we took the course on teaching Bridge. We both are qualified to direct and teach bridge.
We now run the Tuesday night bridge game in Fort Wayne. We also play in 2 or 3 other games a week.

FRIENDS WHO WILL BE MISSED

IN MEMORIAM:

Alan Geller of Munster passed away on August 14 at the age of 68 after having been diagnosed with cancer 3½ years ago. He fought a good fight and won the battle with the cancer — his cancer was dormant — but his kidneys and liver failed, having been destroyed by the chemo. For the past year, he had probably been in the hospital more than out of the hospital.

Alan was a most accomplished bowler — he had ten 300 games. He has a roomful of awards and then some. At one point he was the Northwest Indiana Bowler of the Year with a bowling average of 221. He was in a semi-professional bowling league. He was quite competitive in sports.

He really did enjoy bridge and loved the people in the club. He was a great player and had a real card sense. He also loved music.

He was an only child. His parents had passed away, and Alan was basically on his own from the age of 18 or 19. His only family left was his aunt and uncle from Maryland, who were in some respects his surrogate parents, and some cousins.

He will be missed for his dry sense of humor and his willingness to be accommodating.

*************************************************

Marlin K. Smith of Michigan City was born on December 3, 1940 and passed away on August 13, 2015 of congestive heart failure and emphysema. He was 74 years young.

He lived in Michigan City, IN for many years with his life partner, Darryl Cable. Also sharing the home were their beloved rescue pets.

Marlin had a love of traveling — all over the world. His favorite destination was Bangkok, Thailand. He loved to rescue animals, but even more, he rescued people in need of guidance and purpose. He helped so many over the years as a counselor working in the field of addiction. He served as a long-term board member at Moraine House in Valparaiso IN.

Marlin was an avid bridge player, playing twice a week for many years. He was an ACBL Life Master. He was a lover of the written word and had acquired many books over the years. He was a member of the Trinity Episcopal Church in Michigan City.

Marlin graduated from the University of Iowa with a major in Home Economics. 

Marlin was a volunteer for the American Red Cross and was deployed to national disasters in various capacities. His deployments were:

           • Hurricane Katrina in Texas, 2005

           • Flooding in New Jersey, 2007

           • Western Oregon for flooding, 2007

           • Hurricane Ike in Texas, 2008

           • Hurricane Irene in New York, 2011

           • Hurricane Sandy, 2012

           • Tropical Storm Isaac in Alabama, 2012

           • Most recent deployment — Super Storm Sandy in New Jersey

There are so many positions to serve when one is deployed. For example, after Marlin got to the disaster area on one job, he was in charge of lining up all the rental cars for the volunteers. Another was assigning the volunteers their jobs as they arrived at the disaster area. A third was lining up housing for the volunteers.

Marci Meyers used to tease Marlin — "I want to be your sister so I could borrow your beautiful turquoise jewelry."

We say "Goodbye" to a friend who was always an amiable optimist.