733 tables, up from 707 at this point last year, a 3.7% increase. Danke to all attendees!

A bit of McBruce weirdness...

Several winners today from Walla Walla WA today reminded me of an interesting discovery I made a few months ago. It was late January 1948, and newspapers in Seattle and everywhere were shocked at the assassination of Gandhi in India. Also in Seattle papers was a note that composer-pianist Percy Grainger was giving a Sunday night concert on February 1st. Grainger was an Australian who lived in Britain before World War One and participated in the transcription of folk songs that had been honed for centuries, something that many composers of the day did with the first recording devices. They would travel to small towns and ask local singers to sing the old songs into the machine, then transcribe them into music, and often make arrangements of them for piano, band, or orchestra. Occasionally a theme from one of these folk songs would turn up in a symphony, or a discovered tune would become a major hit. Grainger's orchestral setting of "An Irish Tune from County Derry" became quite popular and eventually someone added lyrics and the tune became "Danny Boy."

One of the stories I recall from my days in music history classes concerns Grainger, who moved to America when war broke out in Europe and established himself as a concert pianist while continuing to compose and arrange folk songs and his own original tunes. It seems that Grainger, on one of his tours of the West Coast, checked into a hotel on Friday evening for a Sunday concert, and left the room early Saturday morning, arriving back in Seattle just before the concert. Several newspaper reporters, hoping to interview the composer of "Country Gardens" and many other well-known tunes, had turned up at the hotel but nobody knew where Grainger had gone. After the Sunday night concert, Grainger explained that he had taken a bus to Walla Walla on Saturday morning and another back on Sunday. Why Walla Walla? "I just wanted to be able to tell my friends at home that I had been there," explained Grainger. "It seemed an Australian sort of name for a city, so I thought I would rather not miss it."

When I heard the story in the early 1980s in music school, there was no detail about when exactly this had happened. Today, surprisingly, it is easy to check out. Type "Percy Grainger Walla Walla WA" into a Google search engine and you find a copy of a Walla Walla Union-Bulletin from February 3, 1948. Buried in the fine print, beside the articles about Gandhi's death and the repercussions that may follow, in a piece about visitors to the city is the note that "George Chalker, instructor of band and orchestra at Upper Columbia Academy, visited friends here over the weekend and attended the concert given by Percy Grainger at Columbia Auditorium." Other issues make it crystal clear: Grainger did not simply visit Walla Walla; he arranged to give a concert there!

Masterpoints!

One unfinished event where masterpoints earned so far have not yet been officially counted: the Friday-Saturday Bracketed Knockout Teams.

Overall Leaders thru Friday

1	Rebecca Clough, Culver City CA	57.87
1	Roger Clough, Culver City CA	57.87
3	John Hurdle, Richmond BC	55.42
3	Trudy Hurdle, Richmond BC	55.42
5	Debbie Mineault, Victoria BC	54.17
5	Duncan Smith, Victoria BC	54.17
7	Eric Pan, Burnaby BC	43.55
7	Jack Lee, Richmond BC	43.55
9	David Huang, Burnaby BC	38.29
10	William Ge, Burnaby BC	36.25
11	Ray Miller, Seattle WA	36.02
12	Sidney Yang, Richmond BC	35.18
13	David Hu, Richmond BC	35.07
14	Ken Christiansen, Bothell WA	33.61
14	Stanley Roberts, Kirkland WA	33.61
14	Sun-O Ho, Redmond WA	33.61
17	Dudley Brown, Grandview WA	30.46
18	Evelyn Holtz, Santa Rosa CA	29.61
18	Nick Wiebe, Oakland CA	29.61
18	Sara Rothmuller, Occidental CA	29.61
18	Sigrid Price, Napa CA	29.61
22	Marv Norden, Peachland BC	29.48
22	Ralph Wilhelmi, Olympia WA	29.48
24	Carl Wilson, Tacoma WA	28.87
25	Amy DeShaw, Seattle WA	26.83
26	Barbara Nist, Seatac WA	26.66
26	Patti Hartley, Kenmore WA	26.66
28	Edith DeShaw, Seattle WA	25.04
29	Jeanie Wolff, Spokane WA	23.82
29	Lea Rogers, Spokane WA	23.82
31	Jerry McVay, Lacey WA	23.39
32	Judy Harris, Salmon Arm BC	23.35
32	Peter Herold, Namaimo BC	23.35
34	Dennis Heller, Clinton WA	22.54
35	Dave Westfall, Spokane WA	22.45
35	John Moffat, Bellingham WA	22.45
37	John Emmerson, Federal Way WA	22.41
37	Melinda Westgate, Mercer Island WA	22.41
39	Gene Fomin, Glacier WA	22.27
39	Sandra Robson, New Westminster BC	22.27
41	Douglas Johnson, Gig Harbor WA	21.63
41	Paul Bartron, Tacoma WA	21.63
43	Ann Romeo, Seattle WA	21.18
43	Bonnie Broders, Port Townsend WA	21.18
45	Connie Heller, Clinton WA	20.93
46	Paul Martin, Duvall WA	20.56
46	William O'Brien, Mountlake Ter WA	20.56
48	Jennifer Ballantyne, Vancouver BC	19.77
49	Gregory Trautman, Olympia WA	19.70
49	Regenia Butler, Lacey WA	19.70

Non-Life Master Leaders thru Friday

1	Douglas Johnson, Gig Harbor WA	21.63
2	Shael Smith, Richmond BC	18.52
3	Janet Woolgar, Parksville BC	18.00
3	Lorna Veitch, Qualicum Beach BC	18.00
5	Wayne Stann, Kelowna BC	15.16
6	David Peeples, Moses Lake WA	14.95
7	Michael Clayton, Salmon Arm BC	14.03
7	Stephen Raffel, Salmon Arm BC	14.03
9	Alan Whitman, Okanagan Falls BC	13.78
10	Sharon Riddle, Kirkland WA	13.12
11	Chuck Reppas, Leavenworth WA	11.12
11	Kit Morse, San Mateo CA	11.12
13	Glynn Sisson, Windsor CO	10.84
13	Priscilla Sisson, Windsor CO	10.84
15	Catherine Goetz, Clarkston WA	10.60
16	Ronald McMullen, Shoreline WA	10.49
17	Margaret Skinner, Victoria BC	10.36
18	Keith Carter, Sandpoint ID	10.34
19	Brian Sims, Cultus Lake BC	10.19
19	Lynda Lipe, Bellevue WA	10.19
19	Ralph Lipe, Bellevue WA	10.19
22	Jo Anne Georgi, Stayton OR	9.85
22	William Georgi, Stayton OR	9.85
24	Joyce Roberts, Los Alamitos CA	9.66
24	Timothy Cole, Long Beach CA	9.66

Check the masterpoints page for complete results so far, and everyone's breakdown of red and gold points, updated every night.

Friday Open Pairs

Wire-to-wire win for Edith and Amy DeShaw!

Ahead by a board and a half at the break, event winners Edith and Amy DeShaw held onto their lead with a strong second session, keeping their board-and-a-half margin over their nearest rivals. B winners Bill O'Brien and Paul Martin had the best evening score to settle into second overall. C winners Charlene Pepin and Karen Morton also poured it on in the final session, coming close to cracking the A overalls.

MPts	Score	A	B	C	Friday Open Pairs	(12, 12 tables)
20.13	62.14%	1			Edith DeShaw - Amy DeShaw, Seattle WA
15.10	59.70%	2	1		Bill O'Brien, Mountlake Ter WA; Paul Martin, Duvall WA
11.32	59.66%	3			Dudley Brown, Grandview WA; Jerry McVay, Lacey WA
8.49	58.43%	4			Steve Bruno, Oceanside CA; Carl Wilson, Tacoma WA
6.71	57.98%	5			Debbie Mineault - Duncan Smith, Victoria BC
5.75	55.62%	6	2		Kelly Meenagh, Kelowna BC; Don Bell, Vernon BC
4.25	54.42%		3	1	Charlene Pepin - Karen Morton, Walla Walla WA
3.19	48.89%		4		Bruce Yoder, Port Orchard WA; Robert Dutton, Bremerton WA
2.56	42.32%			2	Joyce Muzzall - Janice Rolfe, Walla Walla WA

Friday Gold Rush 0-750 Pairs

The Gong Show! Wire-to-wire win for Arthur and Rui Gong!

Event winners Arthur and Rui Gong led by almost three full boards at halftime, and survived a furious run by Susan Servais and Sharon Riddle in the evening session to win the event by more than a board, and the under-300 strat by over two full boards. Robert Horn Jr and Thomas Conlon were the runaway winners of the under-100 strat, with two nearly identical sessions of more than 58% which would be good enough to win the event on many days.

MPts	Score	7	3	1	Friday Gold Rush 0-750 Pairs	(18, 18 tables)
6.43	62.57%	1	1		Arthur Gong - Rui Gong, Sammamish WA
4.82	60.28%	2			Susan Servais, Bellevue WA; Sharon Riddle, Kirkland WA
3.62	58.40%	3	2	1	Robert Horn Jr, Woodinville WA; Thomas Conlon, Redmond WA
2.71	57.64%	4	3	2	Jerri Calverley - Shirley Polk, Oliver BC
2.14	55.69%	5			Marjorie Mandery - Roger Mandery, Mount Vernon WA
1.84	54.44%	6			Rebecca Brown - Sharon Carpenter, Bellingham WA
1.61	53.82%	7			Larry Holdren - Myrtis Holdren, Bellevue WA
1.83	52.85%	8	4		William Georgi - Jo Anne Georgi, Stayton OR
1.29	52.78%	9			Carl Ostertag, Coupeville WA; Royal Larson, Freeland WA
2.14	52.43%		5		Leona Ashcroft, Trail BC; Joseph Stewart, Kamloops BC
1.45	52.22%		6		Chuck Reppas, Leavenworth WA; Kit Morse, San Mateo CA

Friday Evening Swiss Teams

Winners: Pan (A), Montroy (B), Balof (C)

The Pan team was undefeated and needed only 12 VP in the final round to clinch first place; 17-3 was probably a victory lap for Kirkwood leader Jack Lee. Also undefeated were B winners Montroy, with a tie and three wins, including an important one in the finale against a tough opponent. One disappointing aspect of having to do Bulletins from home is that I don't get to see people I seldom see, like the C winners, team Balof, Walla Walla's best bridge-playing family!

MPts	VPs	A	B	C	Friday Evening Swiss Teams	(13 teams)
4.29	68	1			Eric Pan - David Huang - William Ge, Burnaby BC; Jack Lee - Sidney Yang, Richmond BC
3.22	58	2			Trudy Hurdle - John Hurdle, Richmond BC; Rebecca Clough - Roger Clough, Culver City CA
2.41	48	3			Ray Miller - Eric Sieg - Bryan Delfs, Seattle WA; Jeff Jacob, Vancouver WA
2.38	47	4	1		Scott Montroy - Jay Byrne - Lea Rogers - Jeanie Wolff, Spokane WA
1.36	44	5			Terry Foster, Victoria BC; David Binney - Dave Walker, Seattle WA; Charles Hulse, Vancouver WA
1.84	39		2	1	Daniel Balof - Mary Eliza Balof - Claire Valente - Barry Balof, Walla Walla WA
1.38	38		3	2	Wayne Stann, Kelowna BC; Stephen Raffel - Michael Clayton, Salmon Arm BC; Karen Rise, Leavenworth WA

Friday-Saturday Alphorn Knockout Teams, Bracket One Bracket One has 12 teams and a masterpoint average of 5454 per player. ACBL Live link to brackets
Opening Round Friday Afternoon 3.54 red	Quarterfinals Friday Evening 14.17 gold	Semifinals Saturday Afternoon 24.80 gold	Final Saturday Evening 35.43 gold
3-way: K. Bye vs Duterme vs Bates 3-way: McCune vs Glad vs Carmichael 3-way: Wiebe vs Pan vs Sache 3-way: Clough vs Epley vs Nist	K. Bye vs Epley Bates vs Nist McCune vs Sache Glad vs Weibe	K. Bye vs Nist McCune vs Wiebe	??? vs ???
		Hideous Hog (In Training)'s Prediction: Wiebe over Nist in the final
Semifinalist Team Rosters: Kathy Bye, Burnaby BC; John Keech, Victoria BC; Sandra Robson, New Westminster BC; Gene Fomin, Glacier WA vs Barbara Nist, Seatac WA; Patti Hartley, Kenmore WA; Ken Scholes - Sandra Scholes, Bellevue WA Marty McCune - Mary McCune - David Taylor, Seattle WA; Paul Schwaighart, Normandy Park WA vs Nick Wiebe, Oakland CA; Sigrid Price, Napa CA; Evelyn Holtz, Santa Rosa CA; Sara Rothmuller, Occidental CA

Friday-Saturday Alphorn Knockout Teams, Bracket Two Bracket Two has 10 teams and a masterpoint average of 1390 per player. ACBL Live link to brackets
Opening Round Friday Afternoon 1.66 red	Quarterfinals Friday Evening 6.62 gold	Semifinals Saturday Afternoon 11.59 gold	Final Saturday Evening 16.56 gold
3-way: Kuehne vs Emmerson vs Montroy 3-way: Silvas vs Arevalo vs Creech Cannon vs Link Yan vs Milligan	3-way: Kuehne vs Arevalo vs Yan 3-way: Emmerson vs Link vs Creech	Kuehne vs Creech Emmerson vs Arevalo	??? vs ???
		Hideous Hog (In Training)'s Prediction: Emmerson over Kuehne in the final
Semifinalist Team Rosters: Thomas Kuehne, Bermerton WA; James Vandergriff, Belfair WA; Katherine Enos, Bremerton WA; Betsy Brezel, Union WA vs Leeanne Creech, Snoqualmie WA; Marilyn Helbig, Bellevue WA; Ann Romeo, Seattle WA; Bonnie Broders, Port Townsend WA John Emmerson, Federal Way WA; Melinda Westgate, Mercer Island WA; Valerie Lycette, Issaquah WA; Christine McKenna, Edmonds WA> vs Lou Arevalo - William McVaugh, Spokane WA; David Lyons - Edward Carlson, Coeur D Alene ID

Friday-Saturday Alphorn Knockout Teams, Bracket Three Bracket Three has 11 teams and a masterpoint average of 525 per player. ACBL Live link to brackets
Opening Round Friday Afternoon 1.10 red	Quarterfinals Friday Evening 4.40 gold	Semifinals Saturday Afternoon 7.70 gold	Final Saturday Evening 11.00 gold
3-way: Ball vs Lipe vs Mori Weber vs Garton Hanset vs Renner Currier vs Sumi Hatten vs Whitman	3-way: Ball vs Garton vs Sumi 3-way: Lipe vs Hatten vs Hanset	Ball vs Hatten Lipe vs Sumi	??? vs ???
		Hideous Hog (In Training)'s Prediction: Ball over Lipe in the final
Semifinalist Team Rosters: Susie Ball, Yakima WA; James Dukelow Jr, Benton City WA; Leanne Zaring, Richland WA; Marilyn Steele, Kennewick WA vs Mark Hatten - Marlene Manion, Bonners Ferry ID; William Fry, Fairview OR; John Dunn, Vashon WA Ralph Lipe - Lynda Lipe, Bellevue WA; D Glassford, Chilliwack BC; Brian Sims, Cultus Lake BC vs Marlene Sumi, Burnaby BC; Debbie Martignago, Coquitlam BC; Marjorie Sinel - Gale Gropp, Bellingham WA

Morning Side Game Series

Game 4 of 5: Friday Morning Side Game

Your Side Game series overall score is the sum of your best two percentage scores, even if played with different partners. The leaders at the end of the series will win series overall awards in gold points which will replace the red points won in the individual games.

Looks like the Friday-Saturday Morning Swiss was a no-go, benefitting the morning Side Game...

MPts	Score	A	B	C	Friday Morning Side Game	(15 tables)
4.74	69.70%	1			Eric Pan, Burnaby BC; Jack Lee, Richmond BC
3.56	62.31%	2	1		Joy Pearson, Oak Harbor WA; Terry Foster, Victoria BC
2.67	57.58%	3			Ralph Wilhelmi, Olympia WA; Marv Norden, Peachland BC
2.04	56.44%	4			David Huang, Burnaby BC; David Hu, Richmond BC
1.50	55.30%	5			Bruce Brownfield - Susan Ohman, Graham WA
1.46	54.55%	6			Ian Kirk - Deanna Birch, Portland OR
2.63	53.41%		2	1	Susan Servais, Bellevue WA; Sharon Riddle, Kirkland WA
1.97	52.27%		3	2	Katheryn McMullen - Gene Gousie, Seattle WA
1.48	51.14%		4	3	Patricia Desbrisay, Penticton BC; Audrey Hancock, Kaleden BC
1.11	50.95%		5	4	Keith Carter, Sandpoint ID; Bill Drayton, Naples ID
0.83	50.19%		6		Lou Arevalo, Spokane WA; Edward Carlson, Coeur D Alene ID
0.83	49.81%			5	Sharon Gecse, Osoyoos BC; Janet Mori, Penticton BC

Afternoon Side Game Series

Game 4 of 5: Friday Afternoon Side Game

MPts	Score	A	B	C	Friday Afternoon Side Game	(13½ tables)
4.55	60.91%	1			Thomas Loveday, Sequim WA; Maude Gunn, Wenatchee WA
3.41	60.43%	2	1		Terry Foster, Victoria BC; Charles Hulse, Vancouver WA
2.56	60.35%	3	2		Karen Rise, Leavenworth WA; David Peeples, Moses Lake WA
1.92	60.27%	4	3		Helen Miller, Lacey WA; John Penney, Tumwater WA
1.44	58.92%	5			Ian Kirk - Deanna Birch, Portland OR
2.04	58.79%	6	4	1	Janet Meister - Karen Trenner, Bellevue WA
1.58	55.45%		5		Whilma Robards, Wenatchee WA; Mary Babcock, East Wenatchee WA
1.53	53.55%			2	Dale Strawn, Seattle WA; John Wendt, Lake Forest Pk WA
1.15	49.95%			3	Karen Eveland, Lewiston ID; Catherine Goetz, Clarkston WA

Evening Side Game Series

Game 5 of 6: Friday Evening Side Game

MPts	Score	A	B	C	Friday Evening Side Game	(5 tables)
2.84	69.00%	1	1		Helen Miller - Valerie McVay, Lacey WA
2.13	64.50%	2			Beth Cookson, Nanaimo BC; Barbara Schultz, Shawnigan Lake BC
1.99	56.50%	3/4	2		David Peeples, Moses Lake WA; Maude Gunn, Wenatchee WA
1.40	56.50%	3/4			Marla Patterson, Arlington WA; Theresa Barthels, Cheney WA
2.28	52.50%		3	1	Whilma Robards, Wenatchee WA; Mary Babcock, East Wenatchee WA
1.71	52.00%			2	Darrel Davis, Covington WA; Miriam Goldberg, Seattle WA

Side Game Series Leaders

One session left to make the lists!

Sum Of Best Two	Rank	Morning Side Game Series Leaders	(86 players so far)
117.23%	1/2	Ron Beall- Jennifer Beall, Bellingham WA
116.13%	3/4	Ralph Wilhelmi, Olympia WA; Marv Norden, Peachland BC
114.80%	5/6	Catherine Goetz, Clarkston WA; Karen Eveland, Lewiston ID
112.62%	7/8	Susan Ohman - Bruce Brownfield, Graham WA
Sum Of Best Two	Rank	Afternoon Side Game Series Leaders	(110 players so far)
129.37%	1/2	Neville Sankey - Vicki Scatliff, Qualicum Beach BC
128.30%	3	Helen Miller, Lacey WA
121.65%	4	John Penney, Tumwater WA
121.30%	5	Debra Wilhelmi, Olympia WA
120.09%	6	Theresa Barthels, Cheney WA
116.75%	7/8	Douglas West, Long Beach WA; Lucy Thorstensen, Seaside OR
116.63%	9	Thomas Loveday, Sequim WA
116.15%	10	Jerry McVay, Lacey WA
115.98%	11/12	Ron Beall - Jennifer Beall, Bellingham WA
Sum Of Best Two	Rank	Evening Side Game Series Leaders	(182 players so far)
133.52%	1/2	Barbara Nist, Seatac WA; Patti Hartley, Kenmore WA
131.82%	3	Valerie McVay, Lacey WA
131.20%	4	Helen Miller, Lacey WA
125.02%	5	Jerry McVay, Lacey WA
122.39%	6/7	Edith DeShaw, Seattle WA; Elaine DeShaw, Federal Way WA
119.81%	8/9	Beth Cookson, Nanaimo BC; Barbara Schultz, Shawnigan Lake BC
117.61%	10/11	Theresa Barthels, Cheney WA; Marla Patterson, Arlington WA
113.64%	12	David Peeples, Moses Lake WA
113.27%	13	Maude Gunn, Wenatchee WA
111.77%	14/15	Darrel Davis, Covington WA; Miriam Goldberg, Seattle WA
107.69%	16	Terry Foster, Victoria BC
107.07%	17	Barbara Kinney, Wenatchee WA
104.04%	18	Louise Lombard, Apache Junction AZ

The 2018 Leavenworth Regional: Friday, November 2

Hier kommt das Wochenende!

Attendance So Far:

A bit of McBruce weirdness...

Masterpoints!

Overall Leaders thru Friday

Non-Life Master Leaders thru Friday

Friday Open Pairs

Wire-to-wire win for Edith and Amy DeShaw!

Friday Gold Rush 0-750 Pairs

The Gong Show! Wire-to-wire win for Arthur and Rui Gong!

Friday Evening Swiss Teams

Winners: Pan (A), Montroy (B), Balof (C)

Friday-Saturday Alphorn Knockout Teams, Bracket One

Semifinalist Team Rosters:

Friday-Saturday Alphorn Knockout Teams, Bracket Two

Semifinalist Team Rosters:

Friday-Saturday Alphorn Knockout Teams, Bracket Three

Semifinalist Team Rosters:

Morning Side Game Series

Game 4 of 5: Friday Morning Side Game

Afternoon Side Game Series

Game 4 of 5: Friday Afternoon Side Game

Evening Side Game Series

Game 5 of 6: Friday Evening Side Game

Side Game Series Leaders

One session left to make the lists!