Saturday, June 2, 1:00 PM, Jamie will direct the Worldwide Bridge Contest.  It is with gratitude to Unit 533 that this game can be offered at usual card fees of $7.00!  Without its generous support, the extra sanction fees would have increased entries to $11.00!

This a Major game with BIG POINTS and booklets. Don’t miss out on this fabulous competition and win a place among international players.

 

Unit Game, Sunday, June 3, 1:00 PM. Make resos to mick@dynamickbridge.com
Coffee and desserts will be served.

 

The CHANGING FACE OF THE Coachella Valley Bridge Foundation (CVBF) BOARD
—a message from Judy McClintic

At the April 2012 Annual Meeting of the CVBF Board, the two longest serving board members (Noel Hanford and I) have indicated we will not seek re-election for another term. Ray Duncan asked me to be Vice President when he formed the foundation in 2008, and I held the position through 2009. In 2010 I became Board President. Noel Hanford, a board member since 2009, has served as Vice President since 2010. Noel has done a magnificent job, almost single handedly raising the necessary funds to help start the Duncan Bridge Center, and her enthusiasm smoothed the way for its success. She is a major reason why we were able to achieve a dedicated center in such a short period of time. She will continue her fund-raising role as a volunteer for the CVBF after she leaves the board.

With Ray’s death in mid-2009 there were necessary changes in board structure, and I am personally deeply grateful to Andrea Rachlin, CVBF Secretary, and Matt Lund, CVBF Treasurer, who accepted Board roles to keep the foundation moving forward in a positive way. Both Matt and Andrea give many hours of volunteer labor, mostly behind the scenes; but more importantly to me, they make sound decisions and give wise counsel. They are the even keel which keeps the ship afloat no matter what the issue.

In 2010 Bev Hartin approached the CVBF Board with a business plan for a bridge center. After consideration, the board approved the plan, and it was implemented with the opening of the Duncan Bridge Center on October 18, 2010. Bev and her team have performed miracles, making DBC such a huge success that we had to enlarge our space less than two months after the doors opened. Bev has deservedly become the face of the Duncan Bridge Center, and has literally donated thousands of hours to make sure it is a success. Bev has served a dual-role as a CVBF Board Member and Club Manager since 2011.

I give a special recognition and thank you to the CVBF board for your dedication to making the Foundation flourish. I know Ray Duncan would be proud of what you have achieved in such a short time. I have total confidence that Andrea, Bev and Matt will recruit the right members to fill the upcoming vacancies, and continue the Foundation’s mission: to promote duplicate bridge in the Coachella Valley.

To our game directors, teachers, and the many volunteers who have helped in a multitude of ways, I extend my thanks to all of you for your loyalty and support. As a mainly “volunteer” organization your help is crucial to make the Duncan Bridge Center work.

To the future of bridge and player development, I thank Rhoda Walsh for sharing her lesson materials and her free Sunday morning Q&A sessions. Also, thank you Rita Greenwood for the establishment of the “Lew Greenwood Award at the Duncan Bridge Center” for the 299’r players which adds competition and motivation to our developing players.

To all of our donors—thank you for your financial backing. Without your contributions, both large and small, we could not have opened the doors, nor kept moving forward with our mission.

To our players—as Sally Field might say: “Thank you for liking us, for really, really liking us.” Your support by playing often at DBC is crucial to our being able to provide the Coachella Valley with a first-class bridge center into the future.

On a personal note, I thank Lloyd Hanford for his wise counsel and assistance on lease negotiation. Also, my personal thanks to Jan Duncan for her generous friendship. And finally, I thank my regular bridge partners for their patience while my mind has more often been on DBC issues than my current bridge hand. I value each of you, and hope my play will improve shortly.

I look forward to seeing all of you at DBC often. Judy McClintic

• The City of Palm Desert approved DBC expansion on December 21.  Thank you to all who attended and to all who wrote in support.
• The coffee bar and restrooms need a few finishing touches, but the contractor can work “around” our games; carpet for the new space will be installed on Tuesday.
• Cancellations this week:  all morning games/classes and Wednesday evening DBC Open Pairs will be canceled so contractors can work.
• Correction:  Please contact Carole Sobel for partnership between 8:30 AM and 10:30 AM the day of the game philouie2@yahoo.com or 760 321 0789 – See our new Partnership page online at www.duncanbridgecenter.com – click on “Partnership” in the tab bar at the top of the screen.  Call 760 550 9066 FOR ALL OTHER INQUIRIES, Thank you!
• Continue to make your reservations for games at www.duncanbridgecenter.com – click on “Reservations” in the tab bar at the top of the screen.
• Remember to park north of the fire hydrant and tell Nick at Cook’s Liquor we sent you for a discount!  Unlimited parking at the Hampton Inn

To read an article in the Desert Sun about the approval, click here.

Center will be CLOSED 12/25 and 12/26.
May you have the happiest of Holiday Seasons and a Merry Christmas

During the last two weeks the Duncan Team has been busy preparing the Center for expansion and improved restroom facilities. The Center will reopen with its usual schedule of games on Monday, December 27 .

The following is the schedule for Monday-Friday 12/21 to 12/24:

ALL OPEN PAIRS 1:00 PM Games, Tom McCormick Directing
Homewood Suites Hotel, 36999 Cook Street, Palm Desert
Please continue to make your reservations by either calling Tom at 760-832-2705 or emailing tom@duncanbridgecenter.com. You may also book games online at www.duncanbridgecenter.com click on “Reservations” at the top of the menu screen.

299er 1:00 PM Games, Jana McCormick (Mon, Wed, Fri) and Jamie Alperin (Tue, Thur)
Hmpton Inn next to the Center, 74900 Gerald Ford Drive, Palm Desert
Please continue to make your reservations by either calling Jana at 760- 832-2704 or emailing jana@duncanbridgecenter.com. Jamie can be reached at 760-898-0322 or jamie@duncanbridgecenter.com.
Jana’s 299er game will be held alongside the Open Pairs Game at the Homewood Suites Hotel on Friday, December 24th (see address above). There will be NO CHANGE for Jana’s 12:30 PM game on Wednesday 12/22 at La Quinta Senior Center.

ALL MORNING AND EVENING CLASSES AND GAMES WILL BE POSTPONED FROM 12/20 THRU 12/26, including Jamie’s Monday night “Moonlight Bridge.”

The Winter Class Schedule will be released soon. Please watch for new additions and opportunities to learn and play.

If you’re looking for a partner please contact Carole Sobel NO LATER than two and a half hours prior to game time!  Calls after 10:30 AM for the 1:00 PM game can not be accommodated.   Carole can be reached at philouie2@yahoo.com or by calling 760 321 0789.  Watch for our guranteed partner program coming early next month!

Bev Grushkin is collecting recyclables and donating the redemption amount to Duncan Bridge Center. Please keep this in mind before you toss your bottles and cans. Be sure that no trash is placed in our recycle bin to make it easier on Bev in her effort.

I hope you have enjoyed the Palm Springs Regional at the Westin this week. By all accounts, it has been a tremendous success. Nice job and kudos to Roberta Grubb Tournament Chair, her team and District 22!

Duncan Bridge Center will be CLOSED Christmas Day 12/25 and 12/26. I wish you all the happiest of Holiday Seasons and a Merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it.

As many of you know, during this week the Duncan Team has been busy preparing the Center for expansion and improved restroom facilities. We had hoped to reopen the Center on Monday 12/20; however, the workers will need a few more days. We hope to display our improvements to you and resume 1:00 PM games on 12/24. We will send additional notice before then confirming the Friday game location, if work is not completed. Thank you for you letters and e/mails of support, but mostly for your understanding and patience.

The following is the schedule of games for Monday-Thursday 12/21 to 12/23:

ALL OPEN PAIRS 1:00 PM Games, please continue to make your reservations by either calling or emailing Tom, Jana or Jamie. You may also book games online at www.duncanbridgecenter.com click on “Reservations” at the top of the menu screen. The OPEN PAIRS games will be held at the Homewood Suites Hotel, 36999 Cook Street, Palm Desert. The Homewood can accommodate 36 tables of duplicate bridge for us on 12/20, 12/21, 12/22 and 12/23.

299er 1:00 PM Games will continue to be held at the Hampton Inn next to the Center on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 12/20, 12/21 and 12/23. The address is 74900 Gerald Ford Drive, Palm Desert. There will be NO CHANGE for Jana’s 12:30 PM game on Wednesday 12/22 at La Quinta Senior Center.

ALL MORNING AND EVENING CLASSES AND GAMES WILL BE POSTPONED FROM 12/20 THRU 12/26, including Jamie’s Monday night “Moonlight Bridge.”

It is with pleasure that the Coachella Valley Bridge Foundation announces and welcomes its newest board member and District 22 Goodwill Award Recipient, Beverly Hartin.

The Winter Class Schedule will be released soon. Please watch for new additions to the opportunities to learn and play.

If you’re looking for a partner please contact Carole Sobel NO LATER than an hour and a half before the game! Carole can be reached at philouie2@yahoo.com or by calling 760 321 0789.

Bev Grushkin is collecting recyclables and donating the redemption amount to Duncan Bridge Center. Please keep this in mind before you toss your bottles and cans. Be sure that no trash is placed in our recycle bin to make it easier on Bev in her effort.

Best wishes,
Judy McClintic, President CVBF

DBC as been able to secure the Palm Desert Hampton Inn for Jamie’s 299er duplicate bridge games and/or an extra section if the games are combined to allow three sections, if needed.   This additional capacity should help fill the need of Coachella Valley duplicate bridge players.

We have a 39 table capacity on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. On Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday reservations are strongly urged. Please click on the “Reservation” tab in our menu.

The Duncan Team met with the City of Palm Desert on Tuesday, November 30, to determine its requirements for addtional space in the adjoining suite–an expansion we have planned since our first few weeks of operation. We anticipate being able to resolve all issues with the City to our mutual satisfaction. We believe that this is what you, the players, want and we will respond by improving our premiere playing facility in the Coachella Valley. The additional space will give us extra rest room facilities and a coffee bar with sink.

Sadly, due to numerous and daily complaints by some in the community who are not so pleased with our success, we must limit the main room to a maximum of 100 people until the city’s processes are complete. When completed, Duncan hopes to provide you with as many as 50 tables as early as the 22nd of December. As you know, all clubs will be closed during the week of the regional tournament from 12/13 thru 12/19–when we plan on doing the majority of the construction.

The good news is, we have secured additional space at the Hampton Inn which has a lovely conference room and can accommodate at least 14 tables for our Monday and Friday duplicate bridge games–our busiest days. By adding the 14 tables to our existing space at DBC, we will be able to accommodate a total of 39 duplicate bridge tables on these days. To assure your space, please make your reservations ahead of time at www.duncanbridgecenter.com; click on the “Reservation” tab at the top of the home screen.

I encourage you to please let the City of Palm Desert know how much you value the Duncan Bridge Center at http://www.cityofpalmdesert.org/index.aspx?recordid=25&page=14. Your voices need to be heard too ; right now the City is only hearing the negative ones.

Please arrive early at DBC to process your entries so we can finish the game early. Remember, in the front of the building, you must park north of the fire hydrant. Hampton Inn has given us unlimited parking too.

As always, I am available to answer your questions openly and honestly. I apologize for this temporary inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Bev Hartin
760 318 4266 home
818 652 8629 cell