Bridge group finds ‘accommodating’ place at library

Residents met Jan. 10 at Ritter Public Library, 5680 Liberty Ave., as they have done every week for the past four years, to play bridge.

“We’ve been at Ritter now for a couple of months,” said Dianne Mosley, of Vermilion. “We used to play at each other’s homes, but we have since moved on to other locations.”

Mosley said the group has really enjoyed playing at Ritter.

“They have been very accommodating,” she said. “We have this room (The Ritter Room) open to us once a week.

“They also have coffee for a dollar and hot chocolate. It has been great to find a quality place to meet and play.”

Judy Williams, a Vermilion resident, said the bridge games started when a group of people wanted to learn how to play the game.

“Dianne (Mosley) and Ron Hauch (of Vermilion), are really good at the game and had been playing for quite some time,” Williams said. “We wanted them to tutor us, and it has evolved into our own group that meets once a week.”

Williams said the game is great mental exercise.

“There is real strategy to it,” she said. “You also have to remember what cards have been played.

“There is more sophistication than people initially think, so we are constantly learning from how we played the last game. After each game, we talk to each other and tell the other what could have been done differently. It’s great camaraderie, and we all have a good time.”

Ruth Maurer, of Vermilion, said the group continues to come back to play bridge.

“We have a nice eightperson group that usually shows up for our gatherings,” Maurer said. “We really get a chance to sit here and learn more about the game we love.

“The library allows us to stay for awhile and play for a good period of time. We are here when it opens (9:30 a.m.), and we’re thankful for the nice room they allow us to use.”

Barbara Enfield, a Vermilion resident, said she has played bridge for decades.

“It gets really fun, and it challenges you to think things through,” Enfield said. “You can’t mindlessly play a game of bridge.

“If you play it passively, you might miss something and everyone at this table is good enough to challenge each other.”

ZACHARY SRNIS — THE MORNING JOURNAL Ruth Maurer, front left, Barbara Enfield, front right, Judy Williams, back left, Dianne Mosley, back right, all from Vermilion, play bridge weekly at Ritter Public Library in Vermilion.