Our fall Santa Clara Valley sectional was another success. Tania Moalem did a fine job in her maiden voyage as sectional coordinator. If you were wondering why there were snacks to eat and coffee and tea to drink, Tania organized the donations by other unit members. Dan Turkus set up the tables and chairs by himself. These things don’t appear by magic, though it may seem that way. Next time please do your share to guarantee our sectional’s success. Thanks to all who contributed.

Earning stratification tops in pair games were Judy Fisher & Bonnie Beardsley, Bill Bidermann, Gigi Spinazze & Lynn Yokel, Robert & Linda Caren, Erin Gove, Don Hayden & Ruthann Critchfield, Consorcia & Celso Ravelo, Frank Lowenthal, Marcia Dean, Gary Ratts & Frank Zoellner, Zbigniew Bieszke, Carol & Keith Burnett, Ivy Chueh & Cassandra Leung, Erma McCrory, Bob & Nancy Ward, and Robert Martin. Fran Dickman was first overall in the two-session open pairs game.

You’ll see a trend emerging, as Fran Dickman’s team also took first in the A/X Swiss. That team included Jyme Schmeider and Diane Shannon. Winning the B/C/D Swiss were Richard Sarsfield, Victor Rivkin, Boris Ginzburg, and Eugene Vodkin. In the under-300 Swiss Matt Moore’s team tied for first with Robert & Linda Caren and Gerry & Joan Piaget.

Earlier in the month at the Sacramento sectional, Keith McMahan had a strat top. Fran Dickman’s Swiss team took first.

15 tables turned out at a unit game to honor Ed Barlow becoming a Grand Life Master. Old friends attended, some from the East Coast, and two other Grand Life Masters. One of them, Evan Bailey took first overall with his partner Larry Wenrick. Other strat tops went to Gigi Spinazze & Shih-Ming Shih, Robert & Joan Rouse, and Judy Clark & Gabi Pani. Gigi also put out a fantastic spread of food and wine as sectional coordinator. It was a very tough time for those on a diet.

Upcoming in November on Sunday the 18th at noon is our senior appreciation unit game. Unit members over 80 years old play for free.

If you haven’t been to the San Jose Bridge Club recently, you may not know that the parking problems resulting from the construction are over. It’s a pleasure to be able to park near the club. There are even new spaces surrounding the building if you need to make a quick getaway after a bad game.

If I missed anything newsworthy, please contact me at (408)-379-7717 and rayyuenger@starband.net. Old columns appear under “old stuff” at www.sjbridge.org.