Several Los Altos-area residents, including Nobuko Saito Cleary and Margaret Abe, figured prominently in the Japan Society of Northern California’s “Centennial Award of Honor Gala: Celebrating the Past, Envisioning the Future,” held Oct. 29 at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame.

Award presentations were given to Tatsuro Toyoda, senior adviser of Toyota Motor Corp. and chairman of the Toyota Foundation, and Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit Inc. Saito Cleary was gala committee co-chairwoman along with Kathleen Kimura.

Foothill College Celebrity Forum founder and moderator Richard Henning served as event emcee.

The Japan Society of Northern California, founded in 1905, aims to strengthen relations between the United States and Japan through participation by high-level corporate members and sponsors. The organization sponsors financial and health-care forums, offers corporate language classes and schedules small-group discussions to promote relationships among local leaders and visiting dignitaries.

Val Carpenter said her vote count for the Nov. 8 Los Altos City Council race was the highest in city history. The new councilmember, who was sworn in last week, received 6,369 votes in the 2005 election, which she said tops the previous highest count held by Bob Gray. He received 5,221 votes in the 1993 city council election.

“I am sure that the statewide special election and the Los Altos School Board of Trustees election both resulted in high voter turnout for this election, but regardless, a new record has been set for Los Altos City Council,” Carpenter said in a statement.