Page 1 Unit 487 OUR BRIDGE TO YOU Volume 14, No. 4, August 2014 August Player Profile - Roger McNay I was raised in the country in Scholls, Oregon. Early on, I developed a strong work ethic when getting up to pick berries in the field at 6:00 in the morning, mowing lawns in the afternoon, and playing baseball at night. I attended Hillsboro High School and went to state in chess and wrestling. I wrestled in the 106 pound weight class during my junior year. (I might be just a skosh over that now.) During 6th grade, I tested high in math aptitude, so decided to major in Math when I headed off to college. (When I later told my wife I might be 10 percent savant, she said "Sounds about right. That would make you 90 percent idiot".) I joined a fraternity at Oregon State and thus my career as a bridge player began. Half the frat played bridge and, if there was a game, I was in it, skipping half of my classes in pursuit of my bridge degree. Somehow, Oregon State failed to give me a degree for this endeavor. Then real life started. I went to work for UPS in 1975. I was in management when I met Carolyn. We started dating and on one occasion, we took a trip to Reno in the winter. I took a corner at about 65 mph on black ice and we went sideways 90 degrees to the road for a few seconds. Her only comment after I got it back straight was, "Would you like a beer?" I knew at that moment she was the right one for me. I said yes to the beer, of course, and she said yes to marriage. Carolyn was a Teamster and I was her boss (That has flipped. Where did I go wrong?) but the rules at UPS prohibited me from being married to a Teamster when I was in management, so I became a driver for UPS in 1982. Having started my driving career on a tractor at age 7, a motorcycle at age 10, and being the main boat driver for skiers at age 13, I was well trained. I went 30 years without an open road accident during my career at UPS. We were now ready for a family. Collin was born in '83, Kaley in '85, and Conner in '87. My wife quit work to be a full time mom for 15 years, and we were lucky the kids were never in trouble. Taking after their mother who took 7th in the nation in Division 1 Volleyball, they were very athletic and became captains of their high school teams. During this same period of time, the family took up competitive water skiing so, as a family, we were competing in 16 seasons of sports per year. Following their mother's lead, thank God, all three finished college in 4 years or less, Kaley with her MBA. Collin is now married and buying a house, and the other 2 are in great relationships. All are doing well in their careers. Carolyn went back to work in the Beaverton School District and works with students with special needs, and when asked where she got the skills for the job, she tells people 'from raising her husband'. My nickname at home is Peter Pan, still a work in progress. I was lucky to have my parents live into their 90's. They gave me a great life. When my dad passed away, I quit work to help my sister take care of my mom. This was 3 years ago, and I have been playing a lot more bridge than I did when I was raising my family. My mom passed away a year after my dad, and not long after that, I started playing bridge full time. I have multiple top 10 national finishes helping me accumulate over 400 platinum points and about 8,000 total MPs. My favorite event was placing 5th through 8th in the Spingold in 2008 with an all Oregon team. We were not favored, being seeded 65th, and later became known as the Cinderella team. After winning the first day, we beat the #22, the #11, and the #6 seed over the next 3 days, all by over 20, for a total of over 90 IMPs. Two people from our team had to go home to take care of sick parents and, playing out of partnerships, we lost the quarterfinals by 2 mistakes. It required thousands of hours of work outside of just playing (making notes and knowing them, reading bridge, listening to other good players) to reach this level and this made it all worth it. Whatever the level of your goals, I hope you enjoy pursuing them as much as I did and still do.
Transcript
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Unit 487
OUR BRIDGE TO YOU Volume 14, No. 4, August 2014
August Player Profile - Roger McNay
I was raised in the country in Scholls, Oregon. Early on, I developed a strong work ethic when getting up to pick berries in the field at 6:00 in the morning, mowing lawns in the afternoon, and playing baseball at night. I attended Hillsboro High School and went to state in chess and wrestling. I wrestled in the 106 pound weight class during my junior year. (I might be just a skosh over that now.) During 6th grade, I tested high in math aptitude, so decided to major in Math when I headed off to college. (When I later told my wife I might be 10 percent savant, she said "Sounds about right. That would make you 90 percent idiot".) I joined a fraternity at Oregon State and thus my career as a bridge player began. Half the frat played bridge and, if there was a game, I was in it, skipping half of my classes in pursuit of my bridge degree. Somehow, Oregon State failed to give me a degree for this endeavor. Then real life started. I went to work for UPS in 1975. I was in management when I met Carolyn. We started dating and on one occasion, we took a trip to Reno in the winter. I took a corner at about 65 mph on black ice and we went sideways 90 degrees to the road for a few seconds. Her only comment after I got it back straight was, "Would you like a beer?" I knew at that moment she was the right one for me. I said yes to the beer, of course, and she said yes to marriage. Carolyn was a Teamster and I was her boss (That has flipped. Where did I go wrong?) but the rules at UPS prohibited me from being married to a Teamster when I was in management, so I became a driver for UPS in 1982. Having started my driving career on a tractor at age 7, a motorcycle at age 10, and being the main boat driver for skiers at age 13, I was well trained. I went 30 years without an open road accident during my career at UPS. We were now ready for a family. Collin was born in '83, Kaley in '85, and Conner in '87. My wife quit work to be a full time mom for 15 years, and we were lucky the kids were never in trouble. Taking after their mother who took 7th in the nation in Division 1 Volleyball, they were very athletic and became captains of their high school teams. During this same period of time, the family took up competitive water skiing so, as a family, we were competing in 16 seasons of sports per year. Following their mother's lead, thank God, all three finished college in 4 years or less, Kaley with her MBA. Collin is now married and buying a house, and the other 2 are in great relationships. All are doing well in their careers. Carolyn went back to work in the Beaverton School District and works with students with special needs, and when asked where she got the skills for the job, she tells people 'from raising her husband'. My nickname at home is Peter Pan, still a work in progress. I was lucky to have my parents live into their 90's. They gave me a great life. When my dad passed away, I quit work to help my sister take care of my mom. This was 3 years ago, and I have been playing a lot more bridge than I did when I was raising my family. My mom passed away a year after my dad, and not long after that, I started playing bridge full time. I have multiple top 10 national finishes helping me accumulate over 400 platinum points and about 8,000 total MPs. My favorite event was placing 5th through 8th in the Spingold in 2008 with an all Oregon team. We were not favored, being seeded 65th, and later became known as the Cinderella team. After winning the first day, we beat the #22, the #11, and the #6 seed over the next 3 days, all by over 20, for a total of over 90 IMPs. Two people from our team had to go home to take care of sick parents and, playing out of partnerships, we lost the quarterfinals by 2 mistakes. It required thousands of hours of work outside of just playing (making notes and knowing them, reading bridge, listening to other good players) to reach this level and this made it all worth it. Whatever the level of your goals, I hope you enjoy pursuing them as much as I did and still do.
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Publishing Schedule
OBTY is published on the first of August, October, December, February, April, and June. Submissions should be received by the 20th of the previous month.
CONTACT INFORMATION Ace of Clubs Staci Christian 503-646-8252 [email protected] Portland Bridge Center Paul O'Brien 503-252-1318 [email protected] Vancouver Bridge Club Rich Carle 360-737-3772 [email protected] Unit President Nancy Jonske 503-203-1153 [email protected] OBTY Editor Judy Kay 503-502-9503 [email protected] Unit Tournament Director Alan Johnson 503-771-3316 [email protected] District 20 Website www.ACBLD20.org Unit 487 Website http://acbld20.org/unit487 webmaster: Bill Hardy 503-277-3661 [email protected]
Notes from the unit board
It’s been a long-standing practice for many folks attending our sectionals to bring various snacks. The reward is a free play. Everyone appreciates the nice spread that we offer as well as the free coffee. Together with our low entry fee, it really enhances the experience. Sometimes, however, some of us have lost the spirit of the offering. The free plays are worth eight dollars. We expect that the value of the refreshments should reflect this. There is unfortunately a trend among some not to honor this expectation. Accordingly, beginning with the next sectional in September, free plays will be given only when the hospitality chairpersons deem it appropriate. We hope we will not have occasion to cause embarrassment should he or she withhold a free play. We also think it fair to limit free plays to one per day per person.
If you have questions or concerns, please talk with one of your board members.
Playing site for our sectionals From time to time, unit members ask if we can find another site. This is difficult, and many boards have tackled it over the years. Our requirements are:
- At least 5,000 square feet. This would be very crowded, so more is definitely desirable
- Adequate parking, preferably free - Willingness of the site to guarantee our dates
two years in advance Kliever offers the following characteristics:
- 10,000 square feet - Free parking - Ability to guarantee our dates - Allows us to provide free coffee and treats - Low cost: $1,800 for our three day sectionals.
An increase to $3,000 would require us to raise the cost of our sectional by $1.00
Past efforts have not identified sites which will both meet our minimum requirements and a reasonable cost. The board is ready to support anyone who would be interested in leading an effort to find a new site. Please contact our president, Nancy Jonske at [email protected] if you wish to work on this.
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Hood River Cherries Jubilee Sectional July 11-13, 2014
Friday Aft Open Pairs 2 Marta Cannell, David Brower 3 Robert Law, David Castles
Friday Aft 299er Pairs
1 Larry Henderson, Nancy Remple 2 Barbara Ball, Judith Wilkinson
Friday Eve Open Pairs
1 Marta Cannell, Jeff Jacob 2 Lisa Fishman, Connie Coquillette 3 John Gram, Samuel Asai
Friday Eve 299er Pairs 2/3 Willy Suriano, Patricia Dant
Saturday Open Pairs 2 Bonnie Fortune, W Ronald Frazier
Saturday Aft 299er Pairs 1 Thomas Chambers, Ricardo Berdichevsay 3 Marta Cannell, Hendrik Sharples
Sunday AX Swiss Teams
2 M Duane Meador, Janie Pearcy, David Castles, Robert Law 3 Nicholas Flores, Jack Marsh, Jon Bartlett, Hank Gagnon
Sunday BCD Swiss Teams 1 Ronald Mundt, Judy Mundt, Joan Borberg, Norma Desmarais
2 Brad Johnson, Judy Iams 3 Gary Johnson, Carol Johnson, Gregory Smith, Marilee Smith
Flight X Swiss 1 Cynthia Sinn, Betty Apalategui, Nancy Crawford, George Crawford 2 Edward Lee, Charles Swart, Ray Robert, Michael Eyer 3 Ian Kirk, Margi Redden, Joe Rottmann, Mona Hubble
Top Local Masterpoint Winners 3 15.96 Marta Cannell, Hood River OR 6 12.58 Robert Law, Tigard OR 9 11.35 David Castles, Portland OR 10 9.24 Christopher Gibson, Beaverton OR 13 8.71 Richard Soohoo, Vancouver WA 14 8.71 Oris Mowry, Phoenix AZ 17 8.60 David Brower, Portland OR 18 8.56 Bonnie Fortune, Newberg OR 19 7.88 M Duane Meador, Vancouver WA 20 7.88 Janie Pearcy, Vancouver WA 21 7.53 Margaret Evenson, Portland OR 22 7.53 Betsy McCormick, Portland OR 23 7.13 W Ronald Frazier, Clackamas OR 24 6.50 Jake Olsen, Portland OR 25 6.35 Richard Carle, Longview WA 26 5.91 Nicholas Flores, Portland OR 27 5.91 Jon Bartlett, Portland OR 28 5.91 Jack Marsh, Portland OR 29 5.91 Hank Gagnon, Newberg OR 31 5.34 Hendrik Sharples, Brush Prairie WA 32 5.29 Michael Hansen, Vancouver WA 33 5.29 Kathy Hansen, Vancouver WA 34 5.19 Samuel Asai, Hood River OR 35 5.17 Jeff Jacob, Vancouver WA 36 5.11 Lisa Fishman, Beaverton OR 37 5.11 Connie Coquillette, Vancouver WA
COMING EVENTS
Aug 4-10 Rogue Valley Regional, Medford Sept 12-14 Portland Fall Sectional, Kliever Armory Sept 22-28 Seaside Regional, Seaside Oct 11-12 D20 NAP Finals, On-Line, Flights A, B & C Oct 18-19 Fall NLM (0-500) Sectional, Vancouver Oct 23-26 Central Oregon Coast Sectional, Newport Nov 8-9 Fall Senior Sectional, Vancouver Nov 15-16 West Willamette Sectional, Ace of Clubs Nov 15-16 East Willamette Sectional, Portland Bridge Center
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Salem Summer Sectional June 27-29, 2014
Friday AM Open Pairs
1 Richard Soohoo, Oris Mowry 2 Michael Levy, John Ashton 3 Roger McNay, Ethel Birnbach
299er Friday AM Pairs 1 Janet Clemmons, Joan Peres
Friday Aft Open Pairs 1 Roger McNay, Ethel Birnbach 2 Ann Stark, W Ronald Frazier 3 Oris Mowry, Richard Soohoo
Saturday Morn 299er 3 Janice Smith, Lisa Korick
Saturday Open Pairs 1 Christopher Gibson, Chris Wiegand 2 Jeffrey Taylor, Michael Levy 3 Oris Mowry, Richard Soohoo
Sat Aft 299er Pairs 2 George Oleary, Craig Cooley
A/X Swiss Teams 1 John Ashton, Dennis Metcalf, Jeffrey Taylor, Michael Levy 2 Nicholas Flores, Jack Marsh, David Castles, Robert Law 3 Donald Tofte, Chris Wiegand, Christopher Gibson, Mark Smith
BCD Swiss Teams 2 Francis Walton, Mary Ann Walton, Rita Docken, Jim Nolan
Top Local Masterpoint Winners 3 15.19 Richard Soohoo, Vancouver WA 4 15.19 Oris Mowry, Phoenix AZ 5 14.70 Christopher Gibson, Beaverton OR 6 14.70 Chris Wiegand, Portland OR 7 14.46 John Ashton, Portland OR 8 9.80 Roger McNay, Beaverton OR 9 9.58 Dennis Metcalf, Portland OR 10 9.53 Robert Law, Tigard OR 13 8.16 Ethel Birnbach, Portland OR
16 7.50 Ann Stark, Portland OR 19 6.94 Nicholas Flores, Portland OR 20 6.94 Jack Marsh, Portland OR 21 6.94 David Castles, Portland OR 29 5.65 Don Lowry, Wilsonville OR 30 5.65 Daniel Hoekstra, Portland OR 31 5.20 Mark Smith, Milwaukie OR 32 5.20 Donald Tofte, Portland OR
Eugene Sectional May 30-June 1, 2014
Friday Aft Open Pairs 2 Judy Kay, Laverne Kittilson
Saturday Aft Open Pairs 3 Kathy Hansen, Michael Hansen
Saturday Aft 0-200 Pairs 1/2 Michael Stoner, Judy Stoner
Sunday Swiss Teams 1 Bill Lawrence, Sandra Lawrence, Michael Hansen. Kathy Hansen 2 John Ashton, Michael Levy, Jeffrey Taylor, Merlin Vilhauer 3 Connie Marfell, W Ronald Frazier, Don Lowry, Daniel Hoekstra
Top Local Masterpoint Winners
1 13.16 Michael Hansen 2 13.16 Kathy Hansen 8 9.50 Sandra Lawrence 9 9.50 Bill Lawrence 12 9.20 John Ashton 13 9.17 Merlin Vilhauer 27 6.68 Judy Kay 30 6.01 Laverne Kittilson
Lucrative Position Available
Maybe not in money - but it is a great return in satisfaction and relationships. Editor needed for OBTY. Talk to Judy Kay or e-mail her at [email protected].
