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ACBL Unit 533
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Pages viewed in 2026
Welcome New Members

 

Caprice Leinonen
Jack Mowreader

 

Rank Changes

 

Ruby Life Master
(1,500)
Cornelia Gould

Silver Life Master
(1,000)
Ann Carter

NABC Master
(200)
John Howarth
Michael Torpey

Junior Master
(5)

Robert Charlebois
Anne Clover
Robert Gronski

________

Congratulations, Everyone!

 




     Karen and granddaughter Emily

Karen Michael, 88,  passed away on June 22.  Born in Nebraska and raised on a farm, Karen spent most of her life in California - first in the LA area where she worked in Marketing and then in the Bay Area where she was VP of Human Resources for an electronics company.  Thirty years ago and post-retirement, she and her husband Bill moved to Palm Springs.  Karen was an excellent bridge player who earned 2700 masterpoints - a Gold Life Master!  She also served as President of our Unit 533.  During her term, Ray and Jan Duncan gathered a group of 16 to explore their idea that a foundation be formed to build a Bridge Center.  Under Karen's leadership, the Unit held open board meetings (often attended by 20+ people) as a means of addressing the issues and concerns that arose between the proposed foundation group and the other clubs in the valley.  She started a monthly newsletter that still exists today and her board ran the first November Sectional that is still a mainstay!   In addition to bridge, Karen loved  attending Bill's softball games, studying political issues, and discussing movies and shows, etc.  We send our sympathies to Bill, her son Jeff, her granddaughter Emily and to all others who held her close. 


Sadly, we mourn the death of Bob Rodriguez who died of failing health on May 22, 2026 at the age of 82.   Bob was born in New York City to a Cuban mother and a Puerto Rican father, a heritage of which he was very proud.  He moved to Los Angeles when he was 13 and remained a Southern California resident for the rest of his life.   After a number of years as an Arthur Murray dance instructor and work in the banking sector and the Small Business Administration, Bob changed careers and worked as a realtor for fifty-plus years!    Bob enjoyed all games and started to play bridge in 2011.  Since 2019, he has been the co-owner and club manager for the Mission Hills Duplicate Bridge Club, helping to facilitate games at the Joslyn Center (pre-COVID) and then at the Cathedral City Senior Center and at the Mizell Senior Center in Palm Springs.   Bob is survived by his husband, David Goetz, three children and four grandchildren and many other family members and friends.  Bob was considerate, kind, humble, and generous to everyone he met and will be missed by all. 

Unit 533's Annual Awards


Unit 533 presents its Annual Awards in the Spring of each year. To see the complete list of current winners, click on the "Awards and Races" tab on the upper left side of our home page.  You'll find the winners of the Mini-McKenney Award, Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs Award, and our Volunteer of the Year, along with a description of the basis for each award.
 

Welcome to ACBL Unit 533
Palm Springs Unit 533 of the ACBL
Palm Springs Unit 533 of the ACBL

WELCOME VISITORS

Our website has all the information you need about the duplicate bridge community across all nine cities in the Coachella Valley.  Please use the page links on the left side of our home page to navigate the website.

Unit Games in Clubs Winners June 17th


Congratulations
to Our June 17th
Unit Games in Clubs
Winners!

 

Duncan Bridge Center

Open

1st Overall - Valerie Aron & Marilyn Loesberg, N/S
1st E/W -
Ellie Pynes & Cliff Goodrich

0-750

1st Overall - Arlene Goldstein & Denyse Raskin, E/W
1st N/S -
Paula Winters & Carrie Margolin

MBC/ICC

1st Overall - Margaret Cleveland & Rob Martin, N/S
1st E/W -
Frank Beard & John Cleveland

 

CVBF Honors Nancy Erickson


Nancy and Ron Erickson

On May 18th, at Duncan Bridge Center, in celebration of the support and leadership Nancy Erickson has provided to the Coachella Valley Bridge Foundation and our entire bridge community for over 20 years, CVBF recognized her contributions by naming the Intermediate/Newcomer section of the Duncan Bridge Center in her honor.   A Chinese-style lunch was served, followed by words of praise and gratitude from CVBF board members, friends, and Nancy herself.  Everyone enjoyed a game of bridge afterwards, in Open and 0-750 sections.  Thank you, Nancy!


The CVBF Board pictured (l-r):  Dewey Green, Lou Arevalo, Nancy Erickson, Ross Grabel, Hugh Meeks, Guy Bracket (President), Sean Lui (Executive Director-DBC), and David Peim.
 

Unit 533 Annual Awards

 

Barb Wegener was selected as the Unit’s Volunteer of the Year for 2025!  Barb, a graduate of UCLA, spent her career in education with a focus on special needs students and physical education.   She herself was a talented tennis player and golfer.  Married to Bill, they have six children from their blended marriage. Barb served as a member of the Unit Board for three years and has continued as the Unit Championship Game coordinator.  She also has volunteered several times as the decorator in Mick Riccio’s annual Halloween Extravaganza, was the food purchase coordinator for DBC one year, and worked hard to keep the bidding boxes at DBC in good form!   Thank you Barb!

Mini-McKenney and Ace of Clubs Winners present at the Awards Program


(l. to r.) Lou Goldsmith, Briget Dugan, Chip Graves, Patti Hartley, Marty Blain, Valerie Aron, Ellie Pynes, David Kane, Kathy Rodeman, Rob Lucas, Sid Galton, Lynn Castoldi, Harriet Rossetti, Mark Borovitz, Doug Cairns, Denyse Raskin, Vickie Graves

For a complete list of the Mini-McKenney Award winners and the Helen Shanbrom Ace of Clubs Award winners, click on Awards and Races at the upper left of this home page.

The winner of the Barbara Sonsini Award in recognition of our top I/N player at the 2025 Palm Springs Regional is Kathy Rodeman

 

Your 2026 Bridge Bucket List
Your 2026 Bridge Bucket List

 


2026

 

 

__________

 

Summer 2026
NABC

North American Bridge Championships

Minneapolis, Minnessota

July 8 - 19

Minneapolis Convention Center
 

Click here for Complete Tournament Information


_______

 

Orange County Regional

September 7 - 13

Irvine Marriott Hotel

Click here for the Flyer

________


Ventura Halloween Regional

October 26 - November 1

Ventura, California

Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel

Click here for the Flyer

Results
Duncan Open 9:25 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 9:25 AM
Director: Cookie Ostrow
Duncan 0-2500 9:30 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 9:30 AM
Director: Cookie Ostrow
Duncan Open 12:30 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 12:30 PM
Director: Liz Erling
Duncan O-1500 12:50 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 12:50 PM
Director: Liz Erling
DBC Open & 0-750 FTF
(Duncan BC)
Duncan Center 1:00 PM
Director: Sean Lui
Duncan O-3000 6:25 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 6:25 PM
Director: Liz Erling
Duncan Open 9:25 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 9:25 AM
Director: Cookie Ostrow
Duncan 0-2500 9:30 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 9:30 AM
Director: Cookie Ostrow
Duncan O-1500 12:50 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 12:50 PM
Director: Liz Erling
Duncan Open 12:30 PST
(Duncan BC)
BBO 12:30 PM
Director: Liz Erling
Calendar
Wed Aug 19, 2026
Unit Games in Clubs
Big Point Unit Championship Games in Clubs are happening in 2026 at Face-to-Face Clubs in the Valley! Wednesday, August 19, at 1:00 p.m. at participating Clubs in our Unit.
MHDBC at Cathedral Center


Mission Hills Duplicate Bridge Club

MHDBC offers Face-to-Face games

Mizell Senior Center
480 S. Sunrise Way
Palm Springs

Weekly "face-to-face" duplicate games at Mizell Senior Center are SUSPENDED for the season - Regular games will resume in the Fall.

Saturdays and Mondays at 1:00 PM

Click here for the MHDBC website

Duncan Offering Face-to-Face and BBO Games


Duncan Bridge Center
Offers Face-to-Face Play:

Open games Monday thru Saturday at 1:00 PM
0-750 games Monday thru Friday at 1:00 PM 

34202 Cook Street
Palm Desert

DBC continues its schedule of online games on BBO:

 Open Game - Every day at 9:25 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
0-2500 Game - Every day at 9:30 a.m.
0-3000 Game Every day at 12:25 p.m. and 6:25 p.m. 
0-1500 Game - Every day at 12:50 p.m.

Classes being Offered
Bridge Fundamentals, taught by Randy Bissett
Intermediate/Advanced Class, taught by Mick Riccio

For more details Click here  for the Duncan website

 

70% Honor Roll
            Face-to-Face Club Games    
74.81%   Toni Ackermann & Jim Gray DBC Jun 19
73.25%   Margaret Cleveland & Rob Martin MBCICC Jun 17
70.24%   Maida Hastings & Albert Yort MBCICC May 29
74.87%   Frank Beard & Agnes O'Neill MBCICC May 8
74.21%   John Howarth & Frank Beard MBCICC May 1
70.83%   Margaret Cleveland & Rob Martin MBCICC Apr 29
75.56%   Nancy Engbloom & Frances McDonald MBCICC Mar 27
72.62%   Arthur Rebell & Margaret Wilfrey Mick's Mar 17
72.92%   John Mortola & Laurie Adams DBC Mar 13
71.47%   Larry Siegel & David Gibson DBC Mar 6
72.22%   John Howarth & Frank Beard MBCICC Mar 6
71.73%   Susan Solomon & Carole Gane TRL Feb 19
74.60%   Jerry Meek & Doug Wylie MHDBC Feb 9
70.00%   Patricia Dant & Marcia Pade TRL Feb 5
71.18%   Bruce Korter & Patricia Dant MBCICC Jan 28
71.01%   David Lodge & Laurie Rowe DBC Jan 28
74.64%   Paul Kirk & Bradley Oliver MBCICC Jan 9
79.38%   Peggy Jacobs & David Goetz TRL Jan 8
74.16%   John Howarth & Frank Beard MBCICC Jan 2
         
  AS REPORTED BY CLUB DIRECTORS