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54 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | OCTOBER 2020 Spotlight on Bernard Jacques Albanese While there are no Pickleball tournaments to report on, no Pickleball Clinics for us to attend, our courts have reopened and Four Seasons Pickleballers are back at it morning and evening. It seems like a good time to do a "Spotlight On" segment and get to know a relatively new player to pickleball. A random draw for this month fell on Bernard Jacques Albanese who we all know as Bernie, or "The Bern." Everyone moves from somewhere else to get to Four Seasons, each bringing our own story to tell. Bernie is no exception. Born in Bois Columbes, France, Bernie arrived on US soil via the ocean liner the Isle e France in 1949. With his family and then his wife Valerie, Bernie sampled many places before deciding to call Four Seasons his home in 2017: New York City, Houston, Arizona, and finally California. Bernie had never heard of Pickleball before deciding to give it a try, BUT he had played racquetball for 30 years which is why he might seem to have a slight edge in the sport. His advice to anyone new to the sport is "Come on out and try. The group is very welcoming of new players and help is available to those who want to learn." Since being sequestered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bernie has begun a new hobby, model building. He never built a model as a child but came to it as an adult, and making up for lost time turned his garage into a workshop. In the picture at right you can see just how much this accomplished gentleman has produced. Bernie also participates in competitive ping pong, mountain biking, motorcycle club, wine club, karaoke, and another favorite, line dancing. He even has line dance groupies who he helped coach prior to the pandemic and hopes to assist again. In fact, he credits Janine Rohrbacher and her husband Dave with being the life of the party here at FSB and he can't WAIT for pandemic to be over and get back to that party! For next month, I'd love to hear what hobby or activity you either managed to accomplish, OR not accomplish while confined by the pandemic… you can text me at (307) 413-1237, email me at juliestayner@gmail.com, or just give me a call. I'll turn it into the article for next month. Let's see what interesting things we have all either attempted OR completed during this unprecedented time… and in the meantime, stay safe and pickle on! ~ Julie Stayner, (307) 413-1237 Pickleball Check with your club contact to confirm meeting place, date, and time.