Bridge Blog 1122: A dangerous game

Airport Bridge Club manager Bill Finkelstein, who showed great foresight and got out ahead of the curve when he announced he was closing his game last Thursday, March 12, has passed along this alarming news story from Colorado Springs, Colo.:

Dozens in high-risk age group possibly exposed to coronavirus at Colorado Springs card tournament

LIZ HENDERSON liz.henderson@gazette.com

Mar 14, 2020 Updated Mar 15, 2020

The state's first coronavirus death — an 83-year-old woman who died Friday at a Colorado Springs hospital — may have exposed dozens of the most vulnerable to the flu-like disease at a west-side card tournament nearly two weeks ago.

The Colorado Springs Bridge Center, one of the city's largest and oldest bridge clubs, posted on its website Saturday that the woman was one of its members.

That other card players were exposed was confirmed with the announcement Saturday that a man who had played bridge with the woman at the club had tested positive for coronavirus, the third presumptive case in El Paso County. The first reported coronavirus case in El Paso County, a man in his 40s who had returned from travel abroad, has fully recovered, a public health official said Saturday.

“We’re extremely concerned about possible transmission both at the tournament and in communities after they went home,” said Kimberly Pattison with El Paso County Public Health. “Many attendees were older people who might be especially vulnerable to severe illness from COVID-19.

At a news conference Saturday at the regional emergency management building, officials said the public health department is attempting to contact all those who had contact with the woman.

"Several of the individuals we know had contact with the woman have tests that are pending for COVID-19 and are currently under medical evaluation," Dr. Robin Johnson with county public health said.

Johnson said the woman may have come into contact with someone who had recently traveled, but she couldn't say when or where.

"My understanding is that she was unaware at the time that she was playing bridge that she had symptoms that she would have been concerned about," Johnson added.

The woman most recently played on March 3, when nearly 70 other players attended, said club director John Dukellis.

News of the woman's death spread fear among members of the bridge club, which has been shut down at least through the end of the month, he said.

Her bridge partner self-isolated Saturday, telling Dukellis that the woman had looked "flush" and "not herself" the day of the March 3 tournament, he said.

Most of the club's members, according to Dukellis, are over 60, the age group most at risk of having severe cases of coronavirus, along with those with diabetes and heart or lung disease.

"Everyone at our club would be at high risk," he said.

       The woman also was at a Feb. 29 tournament where about 85 people from around the state — including Colorado Springs, Denver, Pueblo and Buena Vista — played in morning and afternoon sessions, Dukellis said. He was unsure if she had symptoms at the time.

The club hosts tournaments and afternoon card games every day except Sunday at 901 N. 17th Street. Dukellis said Westside Community church holds services in the building Sunday and Wednesday nights.

       County public health officials said in a news release that those who attended games at the Bridge Center on Feb. 27-29, March 1 or March 3, and are experiencing symptoms, should call their health care provider.

Public health officials were given the roster from the woman's last several tournaments, Dukellis said.

El Paso County Public Health officials have not released the woman's name, but said Friday that she died at UCHealth Memorial Central Hospital.

The hospital received confirmation that the woman tested positive for COVID-19 after she died, a UCHealth statement said.

Cary Vogrin, a hospital spokeswoman, said Friday privacy laws prevent her from saying when the woman was admitted to the hospital, if she was thought to have coronavirus at the time and if medical staff and others in the hospital are being contacted or tested for the disease.

Gov. Jared Polis, who held a news conference Friday in Colorado Springs at which the death was announced, said the woman lived by herself and had not been in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Bridge Blog 1121: Plague season

       

           

      Coronavirus struck home Thursday, March 12. In club manager Bill Finkelstein’s remarks before play started, he announced that, because all the players are in their 70s and 80s and are most at risk from the disease, the Airport Bridge Club will be closed until Monday, March 30.

       That prospect hung over the game like a shroud of doom, a shadow that darkened further as me and my last-minute substitute partner, Bill Boardman, slogged to a 38% finish. It dashed my hopes that my fortunes were brightening after a couple 50+ games broke that succession of games in the 40s last week.  

What happened to my regular Thursday mate, Marietta Kalman? I missed her phone message, I learned when I just called her. She canceled – afraid of the virus. Same with my Saturday partner, Sharon Chang, who turned down my invitation to play this week at the Bridge Center of Buffalo.

So what’s a gamer to do? So far, the Bridge Center is open. The club in St. Catharines seems to be running, too. I’ll find out more Friday afternoon when I go play there with Selina Volpatti.

Bridge Blog 1120: February's Short Shrift

Sure, February was a day longer than usual, but for me at the bridge table, it was a week shorter. The first 22 days were stellar – I had visions of a 25-point month – but the final week was an almost total bust.

Nevertheless, those early days were highly rewarding. I picked up 20.36 points in club play and 20.66 overall, thanks to a fractional return from Friday at the St. Catharines Sectional. My totals for the year so far – 31.47 Ace of Clubs, 36.02 overall. So let’s look at the big picture:

Ace of Clubs (Club play only). Unit 116 (Buffalo only). Gold Life Masters (2,500 to 3,500 master points). 
Still second behind Allen Beroza. Only nine players in the Top 10:

Allen Beroza, 33.58 (sixth overall in Unit 116); moi, 31.47 (eighth overall); Mike Silverman, 29.43 (#12); Fred Yellen, 25.99 (#18); Ken Meier, 18.19 (#28); John Sinclair, 13.29 (#43); Art Morth, 12.22 (#52); Bill Rushmore, 6.84 (#92); Pat Rasmus, 2.79 (#164).

If I were still a Ruby Life Master (1,500 to 2,500 points), I’d be fourth, impossibly behind leader Nancy Wolstoncroft (57.60, #2 in the unit); and nestled behind Martha and John Welte (tied for second at 33.98, tied for #4 in the unit) and ahead of last year's champ, Linda Burroughsford (30.19, #11 in the unit).  

Ace of Clubs. Unit 116. All players. 
Once again it’s Alan Greer and Nancy Wolstoncroft.

Alan Greer, 80.70, after a 50.05 point month; Nancy Wolstoncroft, 57.60, after a mere 32.77 point month; Mike Ryan, 39.70; Martha and John Welte, tied at 33.98; Allen Beroza, 33.58; John Ziemer, 31.89; moi, 31.47; Larry Abate, 30.88; and Sharon Benz, 30.60.

Bubbling under: Linda Burroughsford, 30.19; Mike Silverman, 29.43; Joyce Greenspan, 28.88; Barbara Libby, 27.21; Ten-Pao Lee, 26.82; Davis Heussler, 26.31; Ed Morgan, 26.08; Fred Yellen, 25.99; Bud Seidenberg, 25.39; and Jay Levy, 24.16. Any one of them could be in the Top 10 next month.

Mini-McKenney (All points earned everywhere). Unit 116. Gold Life Masters.

John Sinclair’s big month in January keeps him on top, but because it was only a 6.69 point month for him he dropped from second to ninth overall in Unit 116. Here’s the list:

John Sinclair, 51.90 (ninth overall); Fred Yellen, 41.39 (#14 overall, down from #13); Allen Beroza, 39.75 (#17, up from #21); moi, 36.02 (#20, up from #29); Mike Silverman, 34.59 (#22, up from #44); Ken Meier, 20.84 (#38, up from #72); Art Morth, 17.52 (#47, down from #32); Bill Rushmore, 12.68 (#66, down from #51); Pat Rasmus, 2.79 (#172, not on the list in January); and Chongmin Zhang, 0.78 (#216, down from #182).  

Mini-McKenney. Unit 116. All players. 
Big shake-up here. Last month’s leader, David Colligan, picked up only 2.52 points in February and fell to sixth place. Saleh Fetouh, on the other hand, earned 85.05 and vaulted to the top from #11. Here are the leaders:

Saleh Fetouh, 110.97; Alan Greer, 80.70; Martha and John Welte, tied with 61.16; Nancy Wolstoncroft, 58.24; David Colligan, 57.86; David Heussler, 57 even; Linda Burroughsford, 56.19; John Sinclair, 51.90; and Mike Ryan, 50.36.

Bubbling under: Bud Seidenberg, 47.53; John Ziemer, 46.38; Chris Urbanek, 45.80; Fred Yellen, 41.39; Christy Kellogg, 40.28; Bert Hargeshimer, 39.86; Allen Beroza, 39.75; Larry Abate, 38.92; Sharon Benz, 37.83; moi, 36.02; and Ten-Pao Lee, 35.73.
(Continuing on a different laptop, hence the different font style.)

Ace of Clubs. District 5 (Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh). Gold Life Masters.

Buffalo breaks Pennsylvania’s grip on the upper reaches of this division. Instead of two of us in the Top 10, there are four and we claim three of the four uppermost positions, including the lead. Here it is:

Allen Beroza, 33.58 (up from sixth among the Golds and #14 overall in the district, up from #35); last month’s leader Marcella Retetagos of Pittsburgh, 31.49 (#16, up from #22 overall); moi, 31.47 (up from tenth among the Golds and #17 overall, up from #58); and Mike Silverman, 29.43 (#24 overall).

The rest: Brenda Merkich of Cortland, Ohio, 28.52 (up from seventh and #28 overall, up from #37); Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., 26.85 (down from third and #35 overall, down from #28); Ronald Sain of Indiana, Pa., 26.44 (down from fifth and #39 overall, up from #43); Leroy Hackenberg of Pittsburgh, 26.15 (up from eighth and #42 overall, up from #47); Fred Yellen, 25.99 (#44 overall); and last month’s No. 2 guy, Kenneth Eichler of Murrysville, Pa., 25.73 (#45 overall, down from #23).

If I were still a Ruby Life Master, I’d be fifth in the district, behind Nancy Wolstoncroft, W. Tordella of Bemus Point and the Weltes. 

Ace of Clubs. District 5. All players.

Here we Buffalonians have five of the top 12, plus there's that guy from Chautauqua County.

Alan Greer continues on top with 80.70. Nancy Wolstoncroft advances from fourth to second with 57.60. W. (William) Tordella of Bemus Point slips to third with 52.80. Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh moves up from fifth to fourth with 48.73. And Barbara Belardi of Pittsburgh also climbs a notch to fifth with 47.34.

Sixth is Buffalo’s Mike Ryan with 39.70. Then its Gladys Martin of Hudson, Ohio, 39.12; D. Pierce of Parkersburg, W. Va. (third last month), with 36.65; Arlene Port of Pittsburgh, 35.64; and Bruce Cahoon of Akron, Ohio, 35.46. Tied for #11 are Martha and John Welte with 33.98.

Five other Buffalonians show up in the second tier. Allen Beroza is #14 with 33.58. John Ziemer is #15 with 31.89. I’m #17 with 31.47. Larry Abate is #19 with 30.88. And Sharon Benz is #20 with 30.60. Next are Linda Burroughsford, 30.19, at #21; and Mike Silverman, 29.43, at #24.

Mini-McKenney. District 5. Gold Life Masters.

Here Unit 116 holds five of the Top 10 places, but not the lead. It goes like this:

New leader is Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., with 105.17 after a 62.98 point month. He’s fourth among all players in the district, up from #20 in January.

Runner-up is last month’s leader, Buffalo’s John Sinclair with 51.90. He’s #30 overall, down from #13.

Then it’s Barry Boyd of Wheeling, W. Va., with 51.07 (#31 overall, up from #93); Gary Sikon of Cleveland, 45.56 (#47 overall, down from #23); Fred Yellen, 41.39 (#57); Allen Beroza, 39.75 (#63, up from #104); Peter Merker of Mentor, Ohio, 37.31 (#67, down from #30); moi, 36.02 (#69, up from #136); Mike Silverman, 34.59 (#76); and Leroy Hackenberg of Pittsburgh, 33.40 (#83, up from #90).

Mini-McKenney. District 5. All players.

Reanette Frobouck of Pittsburgh, who wasn’t on the leaderboard a month ago, pole vaults to the top with 176.27. She passes perennial district champ Sue Lan Ma of Kirtland Hills, Ohio, who is second, up from sixth, with 169.87 after a 94.57 point month.

Third is Buffalo’s Saleh Fetouh with 110.97, followed by Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., 105.17; Phillip Becker of Beachwood, Ohio, 101 even; and January’s leader, Robert Flynn of McDonald, Pa., 98.78.

Then come Fleur Howard of Gates Mills, Ohio, 98.16; Richard Katz of North Versailles, Pa., 88.32; and Don and Kathleen Sulgrove of Twinsburg, Ohio, both with 83.87. Buffalo’s Alan Greer is #12 with his 80.70. The Weltes are tied at #20. Nancy Wolstoncroft is #23. David Colligan is #24. Davis Heussler is #26. Linda Burroughsfold is #27. Did I mention that I’m #69?

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

Russ Pearly stays on top with 86.66 after a 40.28 point month. David Schapira of Delray Beach, Fla., climbs to second from fourth with 85.58, thanks to a 47.45 point effort in February.

Third is a newcomer to the Top 10 – Larry Anfinson of Sun Lakes, Ariz. He has 65.32. Then it’s Dolores Aquino of Houston, 64.33; Misuzu McManus of Ormond Beach, Fla., 61.69; David Woods of Sarnia, Ont., dropping from third to sixth with 61.20, Ricky Dashefsky of Delray Beach, Fla., 60.55; last month’s No. 2 guy, Mason Barge of Atlanta, now eighth with 59.98; Alvars Lapins of San Luis Obispo, Calif. 58.41; and Paul Hassett of The Villages, Fla., down from sixth to tenth with 57.19.

Allen Beroza’s 33.58 places him at #118. He’s way up from #315. After not making this list in January, I’m #152 with 31.47. Mike Silverman is #201 with 29.43. Fred Yellen is tied for #314 with 25.99. The list cuts off at 21.96.

Ace of Clubs. Nationwide. All players.

Not a big month for Neil Silverman of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. – just 48.24 points – but he maintains his national lead with 130.37. Moving up to second place from seventh is Robert Epstein of Atlanta. A 52.57 point month brings his total to 109.59.

Then it’s Philip Benner of The Villages, Fla., new to the Top 10 with 107.21. Also new is Marla Chalkin of Savannah, Ga., with 105.21. Second in January, Bill Kulbersh of Atlanta is fifth with 104.67, after a mere 43.08 point month.

Rounding out the Top 10 are Bella Ionis-Sorren of Fort Lauderdale, 103.68; Bill Osborn of Frisco, Texas, 100.18; Sheila Gabay of Newton, Mass., 96.54; Sanford Gibbons of Pompano Beach, Fla., 94.56; and Terri Verret and Pierre Daigneault, both of Montreal, tied for tenth with 92.71. Sitting at #11 is last month’s fifth-place guy, David Hudson of The Villages, Fla., with 92.26.

Gold Life Master leader Russ Pearly is tied for #16 with 86.66. Unit 116 and District 5 frontrunner Alan Greer is #27 with his 80.70. Nancy Wolstoncroft is #127 with her 57.60. If Buffalo’s Mike Ryan, with 39.70, had just one more point, he would have made the list. It stops at 40.68.

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. Gold Life Masters.

Kevin Rosenberg of Sunnyvale, Calif., wasn’t in the Top 10 a month ago. Now he’s on top with 148.25. He displaced Ann Buchholz of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., who has 146.11 after a 49.93 point month. It turns out she’s the only member of the Top 10 who was there a month ago.

Alex Khrakovsky leaps on board in third place with 143 even, followed Mark Henderson of Wilmington, Del., with 133.85, and David Woods of Sarnia, Ont., with 122.26.

Then come Mason Barge of Atlanta, 121.06; Anne LaCour of Georgetown, Texas, 117.91; Dolores Aquino of Houston, 115.47; Russ Pearly of The Villages, Fla., 109.89; and Jim Liu of Saratoga, Calif., 109.15.

District 5 leader Philip Goulding of Wexford, Pa., is #13 with 105.17. Unit 116 pacesetter John Sinclair is #194 with 51.90. Fred Yellen is #359 with his 41.39. Allen Beroza is #396 with his 39.75. And OMG, there I am, tied for #496 with Ann Taylor of Port St. Lucie, Fla., with 36.02. The list stops at 35.66.

Mini-McKenney. Nationwide. All players.

Trading places at the top. January’s runner-up, Jacob Morgan of Madison, Wis., is now No. 1. Last month’s leader, Robert McClendon of Ponte Vedra, sits at No. 2.

Morgan had a 260.18 point month to reach 537.40. McClendon accumulated 141.74 and has 487.61.

Then we have Kevin Bathurst of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla, 444.65; the legendary Jeff Meckstroth of Clearwater Beach, Fla., 441.41; Alex Hudson of Raleigh, N.C., 416.58; James Melville of Springfield, Ill., 406.72; a pair of New York City residents, Joe Grue and John Hurd, with 396.74 and 396.65, respectively; David Grainger of Etobicoke, Ont., 388.25; and Greg Hinze of San Antonio, 385.09.

Last year’s national champ, Mark Itabashi of Murrieta, Calif., is #11 with 382.38.

Former Buffalonian Joel Wooldridge, who now hangs his hat in Jackson Heights, Queens, is #94, down from #40 after a 24.16 point month, with 185.07.

District 5 pacesetter Reanette Frobouck is #106 with 176.27. D-5 runner-up Sue Lan Ma is #118 with 169.87. Gold Life Master leader Kevin Rosenberg is #157 with his 148.25. Unit 116’s Saleh Fetouh is #311 with his 110.97. Is Alan Greer here? Nope. Cut-off is at 90.20.