Sharpen your pencils and get ready to put your brain into action!
The Morgan Hill Library Foundation Presents:
Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest: 2007-2012
What's an eight-letter word for feelings about having no more Silicon
Valley Puzzle Fest? Fondness? Memories? Whatnext? We're sad to
announce that after 6 wonderful years, Puzzle Fest is coming to an
end.
When we started Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest (then called Silicon Valley
Puzzle Day) nearly seven years ago, there were no crossword
tournaments on the West Coast, and no tournaments anywhere combining
both crosswords and sudoku. Seven years later, understanding that
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, we're flattered to have
been imitated in both respects. Seven years ago, the Morgan Hill
Library was housed in a building that was inadequate. Today, the
Morgan Hill Library just celebrated five years in a beautiful, large
facility that's beloved by the community. And while we were having fun
puzzling over sudoku and crossword puzzles, we raised money to support
the future of that important piece of our community.
During the years we've run Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest, we've had the
pleasure of meeting so many fantastic people -- puzzle fans, puzzle
experts, library lovers, dedicated volunteers. We're so proud that
some of the people who have attended our workshops have gone on to
write and have crosswords published, and we've all come out of the
events with new treasured friends. Meeting all of you has been the
best part of running Puzzle Fest and is the hardest part of announcing
our decision to end the event. We've arrived at this decision in an
effort to use our resources in the most effective way to benefit the
library. In Puzzle Fest's absence, we hope you'll enjoy the regional
tournaments that have started in the last couple of years, including
BACFill (formerly Bay Area Crossword Puzzle Tournament, coming up Sept
8!), Napa Valley Puzzle Challenge, and Crosswords LA.
And if you'd like to show your appreciation for the six years of
puzzling fun that Silicon Valley Puzzle Fest offered and support a
cause near and dear to our hearts, visit the Morgan Hill Library
Foundation's web site at http://mhlf.org/support.html.
Wishing you years of happy puzzling,
Emily and Lisa
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Join us on Facebook 2012 Winners
Adult Sudoku
Jordan Chodorow, Los Angeles, CA
Youth Sudoku
Eva Schoenholz, Walnut Creek, CA
Tara McLaughlin, Morgan Hill, CA
Adult Killer Sudoku Bonus Round
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco, CA
TomTom Bonus Round
Jordan Chodorow, Los Angeles, CA
Best Handwriting, Sudoku
Susie Groves, Santa Barbara, CA
Adult Crossword
Eric Maddy, Huntington Beach, CA
Youth Crossword and Word Puzzles
Eva Schoenholz, Walnut Creek, CA
Marina Bireley, Morgan Hill, CA
Adult Cryptic Crossword Bonus Round
Joshua Kosman, San Francisco, CA
Best Handwriting, Crosswords
Deborah Adams, Redwood City, CA
Overall Morgan Hill Puzzlers Award
Karrine & Kai Leong, Morgan Hill, CA
Award for person who traveled the furthest to attend
Phoebe McBee, New York, NY
Youngest Competitor
Antanish Rautela, Morgan Hill, CA
Here are the full results for Adult Sudoku, Killer Sudoku Bonus Round, TomTom Bonus Round, Adult Crossword, and Cryptic Crossword Bonus Round.
2011 Winners
Adult Sudoku
James Wilson, San Francisco, CA
Youth Sudoku
Weian Wang, San Jose, CA
Adult Killer Sudoku Bonus Round
Derek Kisman, Sunnyvale, CA (after a 3-way tie-breaker bonus bonus round)
Youth Killer Sudoku Bonus Round
Cameron Kim, Morgan Hill, CA
Best Handwriting, Sudoku
Eric Vo, San Jose, CA
Adult Crossword
Eric Maddy, Huntington Beach, CA
Youth Crossword and Word Puzzles
Alex Holmstrom, Morgan Hill, CA
Adult Cryptic Crossword Bonus Round
Derek Kisman, Sunnyvale, CA
Best Handwriting, Crosswords
Dave Holmstrom, Morgan Hill, CA
Overall Morgan Hill Adult Puzzler Award
Allan Lebovitz
Overall Morgan Hill Adult Puzzler Award
Cameron Kim
Award for person who traveled the furthest to attend
Jim Blakely, Boston, MA
Here are the full results for Adult Sudoku, Killer Sudoku Bonus Round, and Adult Crossword, and Cryptic Crossword Bonus Round.
Raffle winners: Marion Rubenstein (Grand Prize), Chad Whipke, Jim Bleakley
Check out some of the photos from 2011 here.
2010 Winners
Adult Sudoku
Brian Kulman, Los Gatos, CA
Youth Sudoku
Tara McLaughlin, Morgan Hill, CA
Adult Killer Sudoku Bonus Round
Joshua Zucker, Menlo Park, CA
Youth Killer Sudoku Bonus Round
Tara McLaughlin, Morgan Hill, CA
Best Handwriting, Sudoku
Tina Walia, Saratoga, CA
Adult Crossword
Eric Maddy, Huntington Beach, CA
Youth Crossword and Word Puzzles
Mark Holmstrom, Morgan Hill, CA
Adult Cryptic Crossword Bonus Round
Eric Maddy, Huntington Beach, CA (after a tie-breaker round)
Best Handwriting, Crosswords
Dave Holmstrom, Morgan Hill, CA
Overall Morgan Hill Puzzler Award
Cameron Kim, Morgan Hill, CA
Award for person who traveled the furthest to attend
Edward Zachary, Phoenix, AZ
Here are the full results for Adult Sudoku, Killer Sudoku Bonus Round, and Adult Crossword, and Cryptic Crossword Bonus Round.
While you're waiting for next year's event.... check out the new Morgan Hill Math "Game Nights", a monthly gathering of people who enjoy games of skill.