District
Director's Report
July 2006 (
Rich DeMartino)
Chicago NABC
The Chicago NABC was held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in a lovely part of the city, very near Lake Michigan and the Magnificent Mile, with all of its well known stores and architecture. Attendance was 13,373 tables, slightly lower than the pre-tournament projection of 13,500 tables. The playing space was first rate for the NABC events and adequate for the Regional events. All of the playing space was on two adjacent floors of the Hyatt, which is ideal.
Never having been in Chicago previously except in the airport, I was very impressed with how lovely this part of the city is. There are numerous outstanding places to eat, either a short walk from the playing site or a relatively inexpensive cab ride away. The only serious complaint I heard is that several players had difficulty obtaining rooms at the main hotel and either had to pay higher room rates and/or travel further than desirable.
The biggest news at this NABC is that eight District 25 players won National Championships, six for the first time. The Flight B GNT was won by Allan Wolf, Russell Friedman, Frances Schneider, and Bernard Schneider from Connecticut. Geof Brod, Steve Earl, Jay Stiefel, and Rich DeMartino won the Senior Swiss Teams (first NABC win for Geoff and Steve). New England players dominated this event, with 13 players finishing in the top seven overall, a magnificent performance.
Finally, Dick Budd and Doug Doub won enough masterpoints to become New England's eighth and ninth Grand Life Masters. Congratulations to all of the above players. Well done.
Top Ten Finishers in NABC Events from District 25
Allan Wolf, Ridgefield CT |
1st |
Russell Friedman, Wilton CT | |
Frances Schneider, Riverside CT | |
Bernard Schneider, Riverside CT |
GNT - Flight C
Michael Ring, Cambridge MA |
5th/8th |
Victor K. K. King, Cambridge MA | |
Lorraine Cable, Dorchester MA | |
Ann Bergschulte, Lexington MA |
Bruce LM - 5000 Pairs
Natalie Bassil, Boston MA |
10th |
Roger Johnson, Waltham MA |
Senior Swiss Teams
Geof Brod, Avon CT |
1st |
Steve Earl, Avon CT | |
John Stiefel, Wethersfield CT | |
Rich DeMartino, Riverside CT |
Steve Becker, Old Greenwich CT |
3rd |
Larry Bausher, Hamden CT |
Simon Kantor, Agawam MA |
4th |
Richard Budd, Portland ME | |
Pat McDevitt, Brookline MA |
Walter Fontaine, North Providence RI |
6th |
Tony Petronella, North Kingston RI |
Frances Schneider, Riverside CT |
7th |
Bernard Schneider, Riverside CT |
NABC+ Fast Pairs
Doug Doub, West Hartford CT |
2nd |
John McLaughlin, Melrose MA |
6th |
Lloyd Arvedon, Bedford MA |
Open Swiss Teams
John McLaughlin, Melrose MA |
6th |
Lloyd Arvedon, Bedford MA | |
Steve Gladyszak, Chelsea MA | |
Richard Budd, Portland ME |
HIGHLIGHTS OF ACBL BOARD MEETING
Financial Status
As reported previously, the budget for the 2006 calendar year is a net profit of $63,000.
For the first four months, income exceeded expenses by $110,000, a favorable result. To
address the problems which surfaced late last year, Management has assured the Finance
Committee and the BOD that they have implemented several actions to improve their
performance in budgeting and forecasting.
Directors and Officers Insurance Coverage (D&O)
On July 10, the BOD voted to purchase D&O Insurance from the Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance
Company that covers all ACBL Units and Districts as well as the ACBL. Previously, Districts
and Units had the opportunity to purchase D&O coverage on an individual basis but few had
done so (to the best of my knowledge neither the District nor any Unit in Disrict 25 had
purchased this insurance). The insurance covers Unit/District officials as well as committee
members for actions taken in that capacity.
To qualify for coverage, the District President and Unit Presidents must sign a waiver form. My opinion is that each Unit should sign this form and send it in as quickly as possible. Our lawyers have raised a couple of concerns that are documented in the materials sent to you. If you need further clarification of the issues, please call the insurance agent or me. Whatever each Unit does is up to the Unit but I urge all Unit Presidents to take care of this matter as quickly as possible. In order to receive coverage retroactive to July 11, the target date for submitting the form is July 26.
Senior KO Teams
As reported in my last report, a recommendation was made that beginning in 2007 the Senior Knockout Teams at the Fall NABC would start on Friday instead of Sunday. This recommendation was accepted by the Conditions of Contest Committee and approved by the BOD. In my view, starting two days earlier will have two benefits: (i) the finals will be completed no later than the day before Thanksgiving; and (ii) there will be no conflict with the 6 session Reisinger BAM or Open Swiss Team events which start on the last Friday. I know that all the District 25 players who frequently play in this event favor the earlier start date.Senior Events - Age
As I reported at the last New England Delegates Meeting, a motion was again made that the minimum age for playing in ACBL Senior Events shall be 60 years of age. If accepted, this motion would have been phased in over 5 years. Although there is clearly some merit in changing the age, there are many reasons it is best to leave well enough alone, especially in our District. Fortunately, the motion failed 17-8.NABC Appeals
The following motion was made: ACBL Tournament Directors shall hear and rule upon all appeals filed at North American Bridge Championships. All NABC+ appeals shall be heard by Tournament Director Panels in a manner similar to regional appeal hearings. All conduct and ethics matters shall be referred to and heard by the NABC Tournament Committee or their assignees.Prior to the Board meeting, several top players familiar with the appeals process commented, with about 2/3 in favor of keeping the current system. There are certainly valid arguments on both sides. My belief is that unlike baseball, where good eyesight and a knowledge of the rules is all that is necessary for an umpire to do a good job, in some bridge decisions, expert knowledge of the game is required, which many of our directors simply do not have. The motion failed 13-12.
As usual, full minutes of the meeting including how each Board Member voted will be posted pn the ACBL website within the next few days.
TOP 25 MASTERPOINT WINNERS – Chicago NABC
Name |
Total Points |
Points Won in NABC Events | ||
1. |
Geoffrey Brod, Avon CT |
147.91 |
147.50 | |
Stephen Earl, Avon CT |
147.50 |
147.50 | ||
3. |
Richard Budd, Portland ME |
144.27 |
89.89 | |
4. |
Douglas Doub, West Hartford CT |
134.33 |
126.92 | |
5. |
Lloyd Arvedon, Bedford MA |
127.44 |
95.39 | |
6. |
John Stiefel, Wethersfield CT |
124.85 |
116.97 | |
7. |
Rich DeMartino, Riverside CT |
117.35 |
110.20 | |
8. |
John McLaughlin, Melrose MA |
94.49 |
94.49 | |
9. |
Frances Schneider, Riverside CT |
93.33 |
33.33 | |
Bernard Schneider, Riverside CT |
93.33 |
33.33 | ||
11. |
Pat McDevitt, Brookline MA |
78.75 |
51.16 | |
12. |
William Braucher, Billerica MA |
70.97 |
34.86 | |
13. |
Simon Kantor, Agawam MA |
69.99 |
59.00 | |
14. |
Stephen Gladyszak, Chelsea MA |
69.80 |
67.76 | |
15. |
Melvin Marcus, Waltham MA |
66.62 |
36.40 | |
16. |
Victor King, Hartford CT |
64.98 |
42.91 | |
17. |
Larry Bausher, Hamden CT |
63.72 |
56.25 | |
18. |
Steve Becker, Old Greenwich CT |
61.20 |
56.25 | |
19. |
Russell Friedman, Wilton CT |
60.58 |
||
Allan Wolf, Ridgefield CT |
60.58 |
|||
21. |
Sheila Gabay, Newton MA |
60.43 |
34.08 | |
22. |
Daniel Colatosti, Waltham MA |
59.20 |
15.87 | |
John Malley, Pascoag RI |
59.20 |
15.87 | ||
24. |
Dave McClintock, Lexington MA |
54.60 |
1.68 | |
25. |
Jason Rotenberg, Fairfield CT |
53.13 |
1.77 |
The Fall NABC will be held from November 16 through November 26 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa in Honolulu, Hawaii. This is the first NABC in Hawaii in over 20 years. Room rates at the main site range from $150 to $250 but I understand that the $150 and $250 rooms are already sold out. For those willing to take the 12 hour plane ride, this promises to be a great site for an NABC.
Rich DeMartino
District Director