DISTRICT 24 NEWS     ... Alvin Levy         March 31, 1999
following VANCOUVER, BC 1999 spring NABC

In This Issue                   (click on the  * )
VANCOUVER, BC, one of the best NABCs ever *
District 24 Players finish high in NABC+ Events *
Abe Schoenfeld 1918 - 1999 *
Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at San Antonio NABC *
Bridge an Olympic Sport *
Women’s International Team Trials *
Board of Director’s Actions *
Other League Bridge Business *
Internet Activities *
District News *

VANCOUVER, BC site of one of the best NABCs ever

Vancouver had it all. As a city there were magnificent views to see, interesting places to visit, and excellent restaurants to frequent. As a tournament sight the Pan Pacific was a wonderful host hotel, with spacious playing conditions, meeting rooms, and first rate amenities - and even a food court. Add to all this relatively inexpensive costs and you have the makings of a very successful tournament.

To help guarantee a good experience for the players, the local organizers worked very hard - with giveaways, door prizes, evening entertainment, and very friendly volunteers helping everywhere. Much credit goes to co-tournament chair, Phil Wood. Wood, known as ‘Mr. Bridge’ in the Pacific Northwest, was honored at the Goodwill reception.

The festivities in Vancouver started with a special opening ceremony at which the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, in the name of Queen Elizabeth II, welcomed the players, and ended with a total table count of 13,180 - more than 25% higher than expected.

Everyone I spoke to from our District said it was the best ever! The bulk of the credit for a successful tournament - or the blame for an unsuccessful tournament-goes to ABCL management. It’s their responsibility to ‘run the show,’ arranging everything from site selection, and planning of playing and meeting space, to coordinating the volunteer help. Great job by Nancy Foy and staff!

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District 24 Players finish high in NABC+ Events

District 24 players had their share of success in NABC+ events. Adam Wildavsky and Chris Willenken placed 3rd the North American Open Pairs Flight A. Adam followed this up with a 7th place finish in the Open Pairs I. Claire Torney placed 4th in the Women's Pairs.

A big win in the premiere event, the Vanderbilt Teams, by Alan Sontag. Alan was playing with his new partner, Peter Weichsel. Finishing 5/8th and playing on different teams, were: Zia; David Berkowitz - Larry Cohen; Sam Lev - Michael Polowan - Jaggy Shivdasani.

Another big win for our players, this time in the Open Swiss Teams. Congratulations to Sam Lev - Brian Glubok - Michael Polowan. Other high finishers were: David Berkowitz - Larry Cohen, 3rd; Brad Moss, 5th; Winthrop Allegaert, 6th; and Adam Wildavsky, 7th.

Finishing high in the Women’s Swiss Teams were: Jill Levin, 4th; Susan Wexler - Margie Gwozdzinsky, 5th; Laurie Vogel - Jacqui Mitchell - - Gail Greenberg - Karen Allison, 8th; Dorothy Truscott - Lisa Berkowitz - Susan Picus, 9th; and Judi Radin - Sylvia Moss, 10th.

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Abe Schoenfeld 1918 - 1999

LI bridge personality, Abe Shoenfeld, passed away at the age of 80. I first played against Abe in the old LI Industrial League in 1966. Abe's passion for the game was always evident.  His beloved wife, Ruth, was always supportive of his bridge activities, even though she didn't play.  An excerpt from a Remembrance, written by his close friend Richard Cobin, follows.

Abe grew up in the Bronx playing bridge with the likes of Doc Apfel amd S. Garton Churchill. After WW2 he got a job with Sperry where he worked in logistics into the early 1980s when he retired on disability due to a heart attack (which eventually felled him March 1). During his years at Sperry he was pretty much of a one-man gang acting as both president and tournament director of the Long Island Industrial Bridge League for over 25 years. His team won the National Commercial Teams Championship at Montreal in 1967 (with Richard Schwartz) and at Boston in 1970. Abe was such a bridge zealot that he enlisted his beloved wife Ruth to preside at the prize desk and his (they can do no wrong) kids Barbara & Lee to serve as caddies even though none of them knew the game.

We will miss Abe.

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Hall of Fame Induction Dinner at San Antonio NABC

The Hall of Fame banquet will take place at the start of the Summer NABC in San Antonio, on Wednesday, July 21, at the Marriott Rivercenter. The current yearly selection process starts with nominations from the Hall of Fame committee. There are two nomination categories, living and deceased players. Living nominees must be at least 60 years old. Ballots go to the top masterpoint holders, journalists, and administrators. The top vote getter in each category is elected. Others elected, with a maximum of two in the living category, must be named on at least 50% of the ballots cast. The nominating committee also selects two Hall of Fame inductees - the recipients of the von Zedtwitz and Blackwood awards.

The selections for the von Zedtwitz and Blackwood awards were announced last November, and are Michael Gottlieb and Kathie Wei-Sender, respectively.

The living members elected this year are Bob Hamman and Bobby Goldman, both in their first year of eligibility. Three deceased members were also elected and they are Theodore Lightner, Alexander Sobel and Margaret Wagar.

District 24 is proud that three of its past long time members, Theodore Lightner, Michael T. Gottlieb, and Al Sobel, are now Hall-of-Famers. Lightner was a world champion and one of the leading figures (Life Master #7) in the early days of bridge. Gottlieb was another early star (Life Master #9), winning the first official world bridge title. Sobel, who ran tournaments in every US State and most Canadian provinces, was famous as ACBL’s head director, and a noted bridge writer and quizmaster.

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Bridge an Olympic Sport

The WBF is making a major effort to make bridge part of the Winter Olympics. There is support from the International Olympics Committee (IOC) to include bridge in the Olympics as early as 2006, after being a demonstration sport at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002. The IOC will host a second Olympic Grand Prix bridge tournament at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, this September, one year after its first bridge tournament. There will two events – an open team event between six teams selected from around the world and a women’s event in which four North American pairs will play against four European pairs.

The six invited teams will be from North America, Brazil, China, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. The North American representatives will be the winning Vanderbilt team. The four pairs of women will come from the San Antonio NABC winners of the Women’s KO Teams and the highest women's pair in the Life Masters Pairs.

The ACBL will provide suitable uniforms and monetary subsidies. The event organizers will provide lodging and meals, and there will be prize money for the top finishers.

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Women’s International Team Trials

The WITT are scheduled for June 24 - July 1 at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas. Two teams will be selected to represent the USA for the Venice Cup. The Bermuda Bowl and Venice Cup will be contested January 8 - 22, 2000 in Southhampton, Bermuda. For information on qualifications for the WITT call Rena Hetzer at ACBL headquarters, 901-332-5586 x307, or speak to Gail Greenberg, a member of the WITT committee.

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Board of Director’s Actions

Instant Matchpoint Games June 4th & 5th
Two instant Matchpoint Games will be held on Friday evening June 4 and Saturday afternoon June 5, 1999 to replace the World-Wide Pair games that were canceled. Sanction fees for these sectionally rated games will be $10/table, with $4/table going to the Educational Foundation.

Continent-Wide & International Fund Weeks
A full week will be designated for both of the Continent-Wide Charity Games and both of the International Fund Games. One session during the week will be designated as a hand-record-with-analysis session, the date to determined by ACBL management. Each sanctioned club will be allowed to hold one such game during each of these weeks. On the hand-record day, the donation to the Charity Foundation or to the International Fund will be $1.50 per person. On all other days the donation will be $1.

Tournament Director Standards
A code for service and conduct standards for tournament Directors will be established. A mechanism for reporting violations will be developed. Effective as of the ‘99 Summer NABC.

Dress-Up Night at NABCs
The first Saturday night of each NABC shall be declared dress-up night. Players are encouraged to participate. Effective at the 1999 Summer NABC.

ACBL Vice-President to be elected
The ACBL will elect a Vice-President annually.

Grand National Teams awards toward POTY
The Grand National Teams Flight A masterpoints won at the NABC, for teams reaching the semifinals, will count toward the Player of the Year race. They will also be included in the Fishbein Trophy awarded to the player winning the most masterpoints at the Summer NABC.

Increase in Membership Dues and Fees
Membership dues and fees will be increased as of July 1, 1999, by $2 per in most categories. Club table fees will increase from $0.50 to $0.60.

Recorder now Management Responsibility
Management will assume the function of National Recorder and Appeals Administrator (in charge of editing and publishing Appeals Books).

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Other League Bridge Business

World Junior Bridge Championship
The 1999 World Junior Bridge Championship will be held in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in August. The ACBL, representing Zone 2 of the WBF, is granted 3 teams. The ACBL will allocate one team to Canada and one team to the US.  The third team will be the winner of a head-to-head match, to be held Sunday, April 4th, between a US team (already selected) and Canadian team (to be selected from a trials ending Saturday, April 3rd).  The US will also get an additional team because they are the host country.

New Unit Responsibilities & Incentives
The ACBL has implemented a cooperative marketing program meant to help initiate and retain membership. Units will be required to perform certain tasks to receive their Unit rebate, and will have a chance to increase their rebates based on the future change in their membership. These tasks include welcoming new members and contacting members who did not renew their membership.

New Fees for Unpaid Life Masters
Starting with the San Antonio summer 1999 NABC entry fees for all non-members and unpaid LMs will be increased. The increase, per player per session, above that for ACBL members and LMs who have paid their service fees, will be $1.00 at Regionals and $0.50 at Sectionals. Charity events and events limited to players with less than 20 mps are exempt.
For all Sectionals and Regionals beginning after July 1999, the sponsoring organization is urged to charge at least the above mentioned increased fees at Regionals and Sectionals. The sponsoring organization can keep the added entry fees without paying an increased sanction fee, but if they do not charge these fees they must remit $0.50 for each session played by a non-member or unpaid LM.

Co-op Funds for Advertising
Bridge entrepreneurs - get money to help pay for your advertising! Funds, limited to 50% of the cost up to $250, are available to Units, clubs, bridge teachers, etc., for advertising. Eligible media are radio, TV, newspapers, magazines, direct mail, and flyers. Advertisements must meet certain specifications. Check with ACBL’s Jean Patterson at 901-332-5586, x-295

Experimental Appeals Process at NABCs
On an experimental basis, Tournament Directors handled all appeals from all events except NABC+ events at the Vancouver NABC, and will do the same at the Summer NABC in San Antonio. After the Summer NABC this process will be reviewed.

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Internet Activities

Masterpoints on the Internet
Check your masterpoint totals online. Go to the "Members" option on the ACBL Home Page at www.acbl.org

Internet Bridge
Suggested reading...  In the April issue of the Bridge Bulletin, Paul Linxwiler writes an editorial on Internet play, along with an excellent article that describes the current state of Internet bridge play.

OKbridge Promotions
OKbridge is running the first online world championships.  About 175 teams from around the world will compete.  regional winners will compete in the round of 8, with monitors.  The final match will be held at this Fall's Boston NABC.

OKbridge is sponsoring the upcoming San Diego Regional, March 29-April 4, 1999, and will hold the finals of a KO event on computer terminals.

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District News

Vancouver Goodwill meeting
At the Vancouver spring NABC’s Goodwill meeting, Aileen Osofsky introduced three of our new Goodwill appointments - Joan Dziekanski, John Solodar, and Adam Wildavsky. Jim Schneider, the fourth new Goodwill member, was not in attendance.

Ace of Clubs and Mini-McKenney Unit awards
See if you’re one of the top finishers in the GNYBA and NSBA Unit Ace of Clubs and Mini-McKenney races. There are twelve divisions in each race. Results are on the District 24 Web Page, http://members.aol.com/allevy/poty98.html


Any comments or suggestions? Let me know!
Alvin Levy
22 Hamlet Drive
Commack, NY 11725

516-858-9225

write to at  allevy@aol.com

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