Okay, ready or not, the new year has been launched. Due to numerous local tournaments in February, including a regional, our unit found only one available day for a unit game. Fortunately, there is an extra day this year, Leap Day, Sunday February 29. We are having our popular pro-am game at 12:30 p.m. at the San Jose Bridge Center. Then, just one week later, our mini-McKenney/Ace of Clubs unit game is on March 7.

The object of the pro-am is for more experienced players to share the hard-won knowledge they wish someone had told them when they were eager-to-learn newcomers to bridge. It has worked well lately to have partnerships formed by random drawings. Established partnerships need not apply. There will be signup sheets at the Bridge Center to indicate who wants to play, but the turnout that day will determine who qualifies as a pro. For more information contact Gigi Spinazze at gigiws@verizon.net or (408) 354-8323.

December was a slow month in terms of local tournaments. We did have STAC week, culminated by our unit’s potluck holiday party. 27 tables of players turned out for fine food and fun bridge. Thanks to Panette Talia and Dan Turkus for preparing the turkeys and Art Fonda for the ham.

Among those who had the most fun were Gigi & Wayne Stuart, who were celebrating before they finished first. First in the other direction were Dan Turkus & Kenneth Kenfield. Birthday girl Lynn Yokel was second in her direction, playing with Don Nemiro. First in flight B were Vandana Vidwans & Rajeev Gupta. (Hmm, that’s three non-unit members scooping up the masterpoints. The board may want to discuss that before the next party.) First in flight C were Sherry Waki & Eileen Edwards. Winning the limited game were Dick Pitzer & Bill Garfield.

Among the pairs qualifying for extra STAC points on other nights were Raja Smadi & Fung Bao, Michael Migdol & Michael Abrams, John Oswalt & Cindy Gilbert, Dave Gambelin & Helen Mitchell, and Ray & Maxine Lubow.

At the Palm Springs regional Rose Meltzer’s team won three knockouts. At the Reno regional, a team that won two knockouts included Kit Humphrey, Henri Fahri, and Bill Langlois. Other knockout winners were Eric Yang and Faye Parsons.

In the NAP District final, Gabi Pani & Judith Clark won the C flight. Winning in flight B were T.-C. Yang & Fang Wu, with Steve Chen & Stephen Tu in second.

The dedicated reader will see no promises by me in this column. I was chided for not sending the holiday greeting cards I’d mentioned in my last column. Well, it’s gratifying to know someone read this column and used to believe me.

If you want to read more news or gossip here, you need to let me know what it is at (408)-379-7717 and rayyuenger@starband.net.