The Los Altos City Council last week narrowly voted against an enrollment increase request of 20 students by two private schools located at Union Presbyterian Church.

The council voted 3-2 against a combined enrollment bump from 100 to 120 students by Heritage Academy, a K-6 elementary school, and University Child Development Center (UCDC), a preschool. Heritage Academy sought an increase of 14 students, and UCDC wanted a six-student bump. Mayor Jarrett Fishpaw and Councilwoman Jeannie Bruins cast the two votes in favor of the request.

In last week’s Central Coast Section Division I playoff opener, Michael Strem pitched the first perfect game in St. Francis High baseball history. Now he wants to help the Lancers accomplish something they haven’t done in recent history.

It’s been 12 years since St. Francis last won a section title.

The Dow Jones industrial average and the S&P 500 continued their run up the mountain, hitting record highs last week. The Dow closed at 15,354 Friday, with several analysts predicting it could reach 17,000 by year’s end.

When The Terraces at Los Altos opens its new memory-support facility, The Grove, in July, staff will embrace residents with dementia with a philosophy that emphasizes socialization and sensory-stimulating activities.

Pioneered by author and dementia-care expert David Troxel, the “Best Friends Approach” underscores the importance of creating an empathetic, activity-rich environment. The Terraces’ parent company, the nonprofit American Baptist Homes of the West, hired Troxel as a long-term consultant to train and advise staff at The Grove.

Broadway lights shine brightest during the holidays, and Jay Manley and Vance Martin plan a Thanksgiving to remember with their upcoming New York Theatre Tour.

The play’s the thing for those who sign up for the duo’s 33rd New York City theater trip, which will feature five new productions and an optional musical. From Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, theater-lovers will feast on a full menu of first-run plays. It’s the first time in 20 years that the tour will hit New York City on Thanksgiving.

It’s a given that no one likes traffic and noise. So it seems logical that a request by two schools at Union Presbyterian Church to expand enrollment by 20 students would increase traffic and noise around its location at 858 University Ave., right?

Not so fast. A traffic analysis conducted by Los Altos city staff reported virtually no difference in traffic if the schools’ enrollment were capped at 120 students rather than the current 100. In addition, several improvements have been made in the two years since the Los Altos City Council last denied the 120-limit request, including striping along University to help manage auto traffic and the schools’ commitment to carpooling and staggering their opening and closing times to reduce congestion.

Michelle Nelson and Jake Jefferies

Michelle Nelson and Jake Jefferies have announced their engagement to be married in November in Carmel.