UNIT GAME Sunday, July 16

Lunch at 1pm – Game at 1:30 pm

JULY UNIT GAME: Our unit game this month is on Sunday, July 16 at the normal 1:30 time with lunch preceding the game at 1 pm. Something new this game will be a lecture on bridge hands between 12:45 and 1:15 given by Frank Bartlett. Keep coming, we love the good turnout. We still wish more of the NLMs would attend and maybe we will see more of you this month.

MAY UNIT GAME RESULTS: There were fifteen tables of players who turned out for the Unit Game in May. The OA results: 1st, Bruce Horiguchi & Chiye Horiguchi, 2nd, John Yinger & Earl VanderVord, 3rd, Irwin Bender & John Killian, 4th, Ruth White & Diane Sachs, 5th, George Thompson & John Fox. The NLMs top three scoring pairs were: 1st, Ruth White & Diane Sachs, 2nd Tom Ludwig & Carol Murakoshi and 3rd, Dolores Backlund & Bob Goodman. Donna Wenberg was the “chef of the month” for this Unit game.

NEW STATUS & NEW MEMBERS: Renee Hoffman, Charles Messall, and Art Ziffer. We all welcome you to the unit. Elaine Dovgard and Richard Flaxman are the newest Junior Masters and Al Lum has become a Bronze Life Master this last reporting period through 6/1/06. Congratulations on your excellent bridge playing that moves you to the next step on that “status” ladder!

70+% GAMES: Tom Cotton & Diana Black, 78.97% AND a 71.25%; Cory Hand & Tom Skidmore – 78.75%; Steve Sulzby & Mark Tang – 71.99%; Bill Cornwell & Walter Rothstein - 71.30%; Dee & Jim Devey – 71.25%; Cathy Barnes & Janice Pierce, 71.14%; Peter Eddy & David Jones, 71%; Frank Bartlett & Cory Hand – 70.35%; Bruce Horiguchi & Chiye Horiguchi - 70.29%; Sy & Reva Alban - 70%. Does anyone notice a trend here or it just me? I can’t even begin to tell you how many 68%+ scores we had that didn’t quite reach the 70% mark but that’s darn good bridge.

THIS MONTH AT THE CLUB: The monthly Team Game is set for July 10 at 7pm. On Friday at the 4:15 game on July 14, there is the ACBL-Wide International Fund Game (fees will be $9). The Jackpot Game we spoke of in last month’s column was not won in May so we will know next month which lucky pair in a Saturday game wins the money. Surprising with all those 70% games we had that none of them occurred on a Saturday. Go figure!

NLM LESSONS: NLM lessons – a “gift” to the NLM’s from the Unit – are at noon on Tuesdays preceding the afternoon game.

THIS AND THAT: Gary Paugh and John Killian played in the World Wide Bridge Contest in Long Beach on June 3rd. They won first overall at the club and recorded 68% game in the WBF and placed 24th out of 5300 pairs with a total of 112,110 WBF Year points. Wow!! This reporter checked with Gary on the accuracy of the number of points and Gary confirmed they are rated differently. For a more complete explanation see the bulletin board at the club – it’s too long for this column.

John is our current Unit President and the President of ALACBU. Gary has been a member of the Unit for 27 years. We bet you didn’t know that he built the tables for the Long Beach Bridge Center. They are much better than flimsy card tables you sometimes see in clubs. Thank you Gary, we do appreciate them. And thank you to the club for providing these sturdy tables.

We are delighted to report that Tom Harris and Barbara Frischkorn – who met at the Bridge Club – got married the end of May. Best wishes and many happy years of bridge playing and marriage to you. Finding a life partner seems a little more important than becoming a Life Master.

Verna Baccus is new great-grandmother. Her granddaughter Karen (many of you know her from when she lived with Verna) had a BIG baby boy!

Fern Dunbar is officially retired and we will most likely see more of her at the club. Speaking of retirement, someone - we won’t mention by name - became eligible for Medicare. That brings us to my daughter who moved to Australia. (She’s doing great!) She got her permanent residency card and a Medicare card! When I told her she was too young for Medicare, she explained that the Australian national health program is called Medicare. So my 36 year old daughter became eligible for Medicare before me. Doesn’t seem fair!

CHRISTMAS IN JULY: We want to remind you again that we are celebrating “Christmas in July” to benefit our Unit Charity, the LB WomenShelter for battered women and children. Look for the donation box at the desk at the club and please “dig deep” and contribute for our worthy charity.

For any news items you would like in the column, my email is golfgal@charter.net and my phone number is 562-434-8993. Thanks again for all the reporters out there that give me bridge news.