I’m glad most of us made it through another year. Happy new year! By the time this column appears, we may know who is the next president of the United States. Have you resolved to be a better bridge partner or to have a better partner? Maybe if you are a better partner, you’ll have a better partner.

Write these dates on your calendar in pencil, not pen. A unit game is coming on Sunday, January 14, as a memorial for Donna Munday. A pro-am unit game is contemplated on Sunday, February 4. Look for more details to be posted at the San Jose Bridge Club.

Congratulations to Richard Jacobs & Alex Tampilang for a first place in the District 21 North American 49er Pairs.

With my home computer repaired, I can catch up in reporting on local sectionals. Earning strat tops in Diablo Valley pair games were George Pledger & Mindy Foos, Gigi Spinazze & Shih-Ming Shih, Eileen Edwards & Sherry Waki, Vandana Vidwans, and Richard Jacobs & Alex Tampilang. First in their respective brackets were a team including Bin Dai, T.C. Yang, & Fang Wu; another team including Ray Yuenger & Lynn Yokel; and another team including Steve Chen, Gigi Spinazze & Shih-Ming Shih.

Topping their stratifications at the Oakland sectional were Gary & Jan Soules and Steve Conway. Diane Shannon’s Swiss team was first in flight A. First in flight X were Jeffrey Hu, Kou-Ping Cheng & Daren Kuo. The first team in flight B included Neal Webb & Alan Gengenbach.

Santa Cruz sectional strat tops went to Gary Soules, Richard Jacobs & Alex Tampilang, Annette Powers, Melinda Foos & George Pledger, William & Joyce Keckler, Robert & Joan Rouse, Shih-Ming Shih & Gigi Spinazze. Vandana Vidwan’s team won their knockout bracket. A Swiss team including Richard & Jyme Schmieder and Rose Meltzer-Johnson prevailed. Tied for first in a different flight were Vandana Vidwan’s team and the team of William & Joyce Keckler, Melinda Foos & George Pledger.

Hey, Shih-Ming, how are you going to overtake Gigi on the national club master mini-McKenney list if you always play together?

Not surprisingly, few unit members made it to Yountville by 10 a.m. on a Saturday for the Napa Valley sectional. It was nice to see Dave Pankratz there. He got a first place finish with a pickup partner. This dastardly strategy of disabling me with an early out-of-town start worked, as I gave them two tops in an early round.

If you know someone interested in learning bridge in a fun, low-key atmosphere, tell them about the Easybridge! game Faye Parsons is beginning on Sunday, January 5. For more information, contact Faye at (408)378-4719.

Corrections, comments and news are welcome at (408)379-7717 and rayyuenger@earthlink.net.