Wednesday, November 22, 2006 Volume 79, Number 6 Honolulu, Hawaii 79th Fall North AmericanDaily Bridge Championships Bulletin Editors: Brent Manley and Dave Smith Meet Your TDs New ACBL President plans This is part of a series of profiles of emphasis on newcomers tournament directors Sharon Fairchild During her term as president, Fairchild plans to working at NABCs. remembers the first emphasize ways to assure that the new player When the ACBL time she left the experience is uniformly pleasant. asked Linda Mitchell newcomer game at “I want to help them get the maximum out of to work the 2006 Fall her bridge club near what we offer,” says Fairchild, a resident of the NABC in Honolulu, Toledo OH and Cleveland area who is finishing her third term as the she was only too entered the scary District 5 representative to the ACBL Board of happy to make the trip world of the “big” Directors. from her new home in game. Bridge has been a major part of Fairchild’s life Scottsdale AZ. After “My knees were for a long time. all, the big tournament would give her a chance to knocking,” she The native of Denver who spent the early part of reunite with a lot of good friends she made during recalls, “and I her life in Cincinnati was taught bridge by her her 36 years in Hawaii. thought I was going parents. “They taught both older kids to play so they She moved from Hawaii to Arizona less than a to have a heart would always have a foursome,” she says. year ago, shortly after retiring as a school teacher attack.” She earned a degree in languages at the last December. The decision to relocate came out of When she and her partner finished in the middle University of Dayton, marrying Stan Fairchild right the blue, pretty much the way she ended up in of the field, her confidence received a big boost, and out of college. She had played some bridge in Hawaii in 1969. she was ready for more. She recalls thinking, “I can college but wasn’t familiar with duplicate until she Originally from Providence RI, Mitchell do this.” and some friends in the Toledo area “got brave and attended Michigan State University in East Lansing, As she prepares to begin a 12-month stint as wandered off to the local club.” earning a teaching degree. She had been living in ACBL president, Fairchild is mindful that many That happened to be the Maumee Duplicate the Detroit area for about 15 years when she inexperienced players do not have such a positive Bridge Club. To this day, Fairchild remembers how decided to drop everything and move to Hawaii. start — through no fault of their own but because of “the players in that game were so supportive.” “I got tired of chipping the ice and snow off my a less-than-pleasant encounter with one or more Fairchild was occupied with rearing three car windshield,” she says. “It was pretty much of a “better” players. lark.” Continued on page 4 She and her husband at the time packed up their belongings and made the trip across the ocean to New Yorkers lead Senior KO in their new home, where Mitchell began a career teaching technology and language arts to gifted and Blue Ribbon Pairs semifinal round talented students. Winthrop Allegaert and Jaggy Shivdasani, both Teams captained by Hamish Bennett, Gene Bridge was also a big part of her life. Taught the of New York City, enter the second day of play in Freed, Mel Colchamiro and Amos Kaminski will game by her bridge-playing parents, Mitchell still the Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbons Pairs as the leaders. do battle today in the semifinal round of the remembers sitting on a stack of telephone books, Two semifinal sessions today will be followed by Senior Knockout Teams. filling in while her mother made coffee for her two final sessions on Thursday. The matchups are Bennett versus Freed and social bridge group. Allegaert and Shivdasani will start with a Colchamiro versus Kaminski. When she was 17, Mitchell’s father took her to carryover of 160. In second place, about 19 match- Bennett (Bruce Noda, Mike Shuman, Gene play at a bridge club in Dearborn MI. “We came in points behind them, are John Solodar of Palm Beach Simpson) advanced on Tuesday with a 157-130 first,” she says, “and I was hooked.” Gardens FL and R. Jay Becker of New York City. Continued on page 6 She played bridge through college. “I really shouldn’t have,” she says. “I should have been studying.” Japanese players lead Continued on page 4 international contingent Barth and Li lead The Honolulu NABC has an international flavor Mini-Blue Ribbon as players come from The California pair John Barth and Nongyu Li many countries besides have a narrow lead in the Mini-Blue Ribbon Pairs, the U.S. and Canada. which will be decided today. In second place are Japanese players lead the Phyllis and Bill Harlan of Oklahoma City OK, way with nearly 200 closely followed by Joe Houde and Divakar players. Most noticeable Bhargava. is that about 80% of them There will be 104 pairs in play today out of are women. the 172 pairs who began play yesterday. The event “In Japan the men is restricted to qualifiers with fewer than 5000 work long hours and masterpoints. don’t take time off for bridge,” said Reiko Goodwill Message Umylny, the Japanese I’m delighted to report that “Caddy, please” is Publicity Chair. “That Four Japanese bridge players attending the NABC are pictured with becoming a common call, indicating that we means more of the bridge Hawaii resident Reiko Umylny (second from right): Tadashi Teramoto, players realize how important our caddies are!!! players are women,” she Ruri Ohte, Kyoko Shimamura, and Tadashi Yoshida. Caddymaster Jackie explained. Tournament Director Candy Kuschner. “The teams Matthews says “We all answer to Of the 31 teams entered In the Marsha May from Japan pushed our number up.” ‘Caddy,’ but we prefer to answer Sternberg Women’s Board-a-Match Teams, seven of Hawaii is relatively close to Japan and is a to our last name: Please.” them were Japanese. Three qualified for Monday’s popular vacation spot. “It feels comfortable to come here,” said Kyoko Aileen Osofsky, Chairman final. National Goodwill Committee “We had more teams than we expected,” said Continued on page 5 Page 2 Daily Bulletin SPECIAL EVENTS MEETINGS / SEMINARS / RECEPTIONS Wednesday, Nov. 22 Location: Honolulu Suites 10 a.m. – Noon International Team Trials meeting. Location: Nautilus 2. 6 - 11:30 p.m. Vugraph of Reisinger Teams. Location: Honolulu Sunday, Nov. 26 Suites 11 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Vugraph of Reisinger Teams. CELEBRITY SPEAKER PROGRAM Be sure to go to these free expert lectures. They can be heard in the South Friday, Nov. 24 Pacific Ballroom. 12:45 p.m. Lowell Andrews What might go wrong Wednesday, Nov. 22 7:15 p.m. Dennis Scott The things that you have to know 12:45 p.m. Matt Smith Director, Please! 7:15 p.m. Michael Huston Overcalls Saturday, Nov. 25 12:45 p.m. Jade Barrett The learning curve Thursday, Nov. 23 7:15 p.m. Jeff Roman So you’ve filled out a convention 12:45 p.m. Shannon Cappelletti Slam bidding card 7:15 P.m. Ellen Wallace The value of game tries: To go or not to go? DAILY ENTERTAINMENT - CORAL LOUNGE Pa’ahana - Today at 5:00 p.m. education and performances. Pa’ahana is one of the Island’s most talented Hawaiian trios. They perform at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. De Shannon Higa Jazz Quintet - Friday at 11:15 p.m. Dancing to their music is Debbie Nakanelua Richards, a noted Island hula Starting at the age of nine, DeShannon Higa quickly exhibited a talent for artist and former Miss Hawaii. She also performs at the Halekulani Hotel. the trumpet. From the sixth grade all the way through college he sat in the first This combination makes them the “Rolls-Royce” of Hawaiian music. chair, a position coveted by all other trumpet players. While still in junior high Food @ 11 p.m. Guava, Coconut and Pineapple Upsidedown cakes. school, he won a Blue/Gold medal, the highest honor, for his performance of the technically challenging “Carnival of Venice.” He played his first professional Thursday - Food @ 11 p.m. Mini-Orange-Cranberry Cheesecake. gig at the age of 15, the musical production of Peter Pan. DeShannon’s credits include playing with Al Jarreau, Diana Krall, Wayne Na Leo Lani Chorus - Friday at 5:00 p.m. Newton, the Temptations, Donny & Marie Osmond, Johnny Mathis, the Na Leo Lani, meaning “heavenly voices” was founded in 1975. Currently Drifters, Wynton Marsalis, Burt Bacharach, Arturo Sandoval, Dionne Warwick, the chorus is comprised of nearly 35 women of varying ages, ethnicities, the original Elvis Presley band. He performed with Herlin Riley at the Lincoln occupations and backgrounds. Their repertoire includes traditional barbershop Center. selections, as well as ballads, hymns, patriotic songs, contemporary tunes, jazz Food @ 11 p.m. No host bar, Pizza and Beer. and Hawaiian music. Na Leo Lani Chorus is Hawaii’s only chapter of Sweet Adelines The Honolulu Boy Choir - Saturday at 7:00 p.m. International, a worldwide organization of more than 30,000 women singers They are called the Young Ambassadors of music and culture committed to advancing the musical art form of barbershop harmony through Food @ 11 p.m. Mini-Turkey sandwich. PLANNED GROUP ACTIVITIES The Hospitality Committee has planned a number of group tours: Friday, Nov.