Did you notice that “Lorraine Rodich” is no longer the byline on this column? Lorraine deserves our thanks for a job well done. I’m pleased to follow in her footsteps, as she followed Paula Chernoff. A tradition continues, since Paula, Lorraine, and I are friends who discovered our mutual interest in bridge after meeting at work. As though we appellate research attorneys don’t write enough already at work. I’m fighting the urge to drop a footnote.

Where to begin? I hope, as you read this, you are enjoying the Santa Clara Regional. Put together your best team for the new Santa Clara Valley IMP league and sign up by September 10 with Mike Abrams at abrams_mike@hotmail.com or through our unit’s web site, http://www/cherrycreek.org/bridge/. Or you can leave a voice message for Mike with Lynn Yokel at (408)374-4669.

New players, note Lynn’s number and address at lyokel@sprynet.com. Tell her or Bob Elliott at (408)984-1146 how we can improve our club games. We want you to feel welcome.

Everyone, make plans to play in our Santa Clara Valley sectional, beginning Friday September 24 at the Radisson Inn in Sunnyvale at 1085 El Camino Real. For more details see our ad elsewhere in this paper. There will be door prizes for all players and trophies for victors in the under-200 games. Morris Jones will give a talk for newcomers on the rules of the game at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday the 25th.

What would be better than the return of Jeanne and Rita’s Thursday night team game? Dinner, too? Your wish is their command. The first dinner and game is on October 7 at 6:30 p.m. Sign up at the club.

Club members have been scoring in sectional tournaments. Among the first place finishers in their flights were: in Palo Alto, Jeff Hack, Jim Tseng, Elko Nakayasu, Bob Elliott, K. P. Cheng, Song Wang, Bin Dai, Melinda Foos, Christy Hartsell, and Kathy Maxfield; in Monterey, Stan Batiste and John Swindlehurst; in Oakland, Chin and Melody Chao (get used to seeing those names); in San Mateo, L. Lee, Neal Webb, and Ray Yuenger. At the San Antonio Nationals, Ed Barlow’s team knocked out the competition, the Chaos’ team was first in their Swiss flight, and Andrea Malone added a knockout win to her big year.

Are you swimming in names yet? More are coming, after congratulations to new Life Masters Annette Powers and Sidney Safir. Annette is a teammate of mine who inched over the Life Master threshold after a couple of valiant tries that fell just short in the last round. Bridge can be dramatic, and many of us have learned the hard way to be skeptical of the penultimate scores. You can’t keep a good player down, though.

New unit board members are recorder Jeanne Becht, treasurer Neal Webb, and yours truly as vice-president. (No, that doesn’t mean president of vice. I’ll leave that job to . . . your imaginations.) The irrepressible Dan Turkus continues as the board’s fearless leader.

Please excuse any oversights. I welcome corrections, comments, and news (particularly off-the-record) at (408)379-7717 and rayyuenger@earthlink.net.