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Mid Valley News
Webb’s Rule PLAYING BRIDGE by Eugene R. Webb
With 13 Points or more, open the bid; Usually you’ll be glad you did. Now pick the suit that is stronger; Bid one with five cards or longer. With a four card major, one club is best; Knowing the rules, you won’t have to guess. With sixteen to eighteen points, one no trump is ok; With twenty-two points, two is what you say. Now the opponent opens, which means trouble; If my partner has an open bid, then he’ll double. But if he doesn’t and has cards that are mixed; Then he must pass with less points than six. But if my partner’s count is six points to ten; Then he can bid once but never again. Now if he has eleven to twelve points, that’s nice; For now he can bid not only once but
twice. If my partner has thirteen points, he’ll make game; We must remember there’s no two hands the same. Keep in mind it’s game that you’re going for; With a major (heart or spade) the count is four. Sometimes it’s good to keep the bidding alive;For a minor (club or diamonds) the count is five. But no trump (highest) is heavenly; And you only need to bid to three. Also note that the bidders are winners, so they say; But I can tell you I haven’t always found it that way.
“Working Overtime”
“ Back in the Day When A Car Was A Car!” When I graduated from Mark Keppel H.S. back in the 50’s my parents bought me a 1947 Plymouth Convertible and boy did I think I was hot stuff. I had been accepted into the Pasadena Playhouse School of the Arts, and I was starting to get parts in T.V. and I was doing voice overs while performing on stage at the Playhouse. Driving around in that Plymouth Convertible was it for me. Some of you are old enough to remember the cars back then were solid, during the War they hadn’t change much on the design but by 1947 all the major car companies were coming out with new, sleeker models and my convertible was a real eye catcher. I finally blew the engine driving cross country somewhere in Pennsylvania on my way to New York City but I had fun all the way. I had many cars over the years, good ones, a Chrysler Imperial, a Cadillac, a Lincoln but it was that 47 Plymouth that was my favorite . I was thinking about that car when I read Chuck Hoffman’s story about the 1911 Ford at the El Monte Historical Society’s Museum in the latest issue of their newsletter, The Landmark. Chuck, who is the Vice President of the Historical Society, wrote that within a week of graduating high school he started working for El Monte Motors, which at the time
was the Ford dealership in El Monte over on Garvey. The dealership was owned by Dick James by El Monte Hoyt Curtis whose father, William G. Curtis was a rancher in El Monte back in 1920 and was the Mayor from 1922-24. Hoyt had a run-down 1911 ModelT Ford Touring car: he would pull it out of the warehouse, dust it off, and then drive it in the El Monte Pioneer Day Parade. This same Model-T is displayed now in the Museum, in the Frontier Room. In these days of smaller, look-alike hybrids it’s fun to remember those old, solid cars of the past. Of course at gas being $4.39 a gallon I don’t miss them entirely. <NOTE: To read Chuck Hoffman’s complete article in the Landmark you can stop by the El Monte Historical Society Museum which is located 3150 Tyler Ave. in El Monte. For more information about the Museum call 1(626) 580-2232
May 01, 2019
“Cracker Barrel” “Around Town and a Couple of Perks” by: Mike McClure, Staff Writer El Monte
…so the other day I had a chance to go to the Durfee School’s “World Leaders of Tomorrow” event. Principal Munoz and his staff did a great job showcasing some of the many activities that the students participate in and they conducted interesting tours of several classrooms which were in session giving the parents a chance to ask questions of the teachers and students. Of course, as one of the “Perks of the Elite Media” I get invited to events like this all the time. Here in the El Monte area we are blessed with outstanding schools - the El Monte City School District, the Mt. View S.D. & the Valle Lindo S.D. constantly rank high with the other districts throughout the state, many which are in more affluent communities which have more resources available. I am sorry that I don’t have more time to get out to all of the events, but this column and the Mid Valley News do our best to support them and write about the great things they are doing.
…At Durfee I had the chance to sit with one of the parents who was there to support their children. Wendy Peralta is the mother of three girls, Zoey who is in the 5th grade, Alyssa who is in the 1st grade and little Aliyah who is in Head Start. Both Zoey and Alyssa performed in a short scene from Durfee School’s upcoming presentation of “Mary Poppins” (all of the El Monte City Schools are doing stage shows this month and if what I saw that morning is any indication of the quality of the other productions you are all in for a treat and I would suggest you check your local school for times and dates of their shows). Zoey came back later and sang in the Choir’s presentation of the Durfee Alma Mater to close the morning’s event. The kids were great, Wendy Peralta told me of the many hours they had to rehearse each day to get the dance steps perfected and memorize all the songs for the production, but her main concern was that it did not affect their studies. Cracker Barrel continued on page 13
“Connie’s Comments” Growing up in El Monte in the 50s was amazing for a kid with an imagination and I had that in spades. We had a large lot with a huge backyard on Adelia Street. Half the back lot closest to the house was grass and fruit trees. The rest of the lot was dedicated to livestock. During the summer months, if we were hungry, we picked fruit off the trees. We didn’t worry about insecticides or if the nectarines, plums or peaches were washed. We drank water from the garden hose if we were thirsty. by Connie Keenan El Monte The only toys we received were at Christmas time and by the time go through,’ I thought. summer rolled around, most of those Not considering the consequences. were broken or lost. That’s when I went into the house and grabbed imagination rolled around full tilt. the plastic table cloth off the dinner One very hot summer, I decided to table. make a swimming pool for me and It fit the hole perfectly! I filled my sisters. I dug a square hole about the hole. Voila! It worked. Yeah, the four feet wide on all sides and about water got muddy when I plopped but six inches deep. I was a success. I sat there, proudly “What are you doing?” sister Bersurveying my little kingdom. It nadette asked. dawned on me no one was there to “I’m making a swimming pool,” I share my victory. said. “Hey Bernadette!” I yelled. “Come “Huh,” she said as she sat down see the pool! I fixed it.” and watched me dig. Bernadette sauntered around the “There,” I said. “Now let’s fill it corner. “You know Mama’s going to up.” beat you when she sees her tableI filled the hole with water. Turned cloth,” she said. off the hose and sat down in the “Come on,” I said. “Get in!” water. She walked to the edge of my “It’s kinda muddy,” said Bernapool. dette. “There’s not enough room,” she “Yeah, but it’s cool,” I said sitting said. “Besides the water’s dirty.” there while the water receded into “There’s enough room if we both the ground. just sit,” I said scooting as I talked. “What a stupid idea Connie. Now I was waiting for her to say somethe back of your shorts are really thing nice, like, ‘You’re so smart,’ or dirty.” ‘How great.’ She just walked away. Not one to give up easily, I pon“What on earth are you doing, dered the problem, sitting in the cool Connie?” said Helen, our next door mud. Connie’s Comments continued on page 11 ‘I need something the water won’t