Community

Town Crier File Photo

A student in the Community School of Music and Arts’ Artistic Intelligence program exercises her creativity through the use of clay. Approximately 100 students annually attend the special classes at CSMA’s Mountain View campus.

• Mission: The Community School of Music and Arts ensures that the arts are accessible to all, including special-needs participants of its Artistic Intelligence program, which has existed for about a decade.

• 2018 update: Approximately 100 youths and adults from Abilities United of Palo Alto and the Morgan Autism Center of San Jose take dance, music and art classes at CSMA three days a week between September and May.

Photo courtesy of Nobuko Saito Cleary
Japan Society gala guests included, above, from left, Japan Society President Larry Greenwood and Los Altos Hills residents Jim and Becky Morgan and Gary and Nobuko Saito Cleary. 

The Japan Society of Northern California hosted its 32nd Award of Honor Gala Oct. 20 at the Marriott Marquis in San Francisco. Nobuko Saito Cleary of Los Altos Hills served as co-chairwoman of the event.

A capacity crowd of 300 attended the gala, which honored former Los Altos Hills resident William J. Perry, past U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Hiroaki Nakanishi, executive chairman of Hitachi Ltd.

Hidden Villa has scheduled a free access day Nov. 23, with trails and picnic areas open to all for a post-Thanksgiving outing.

Visitors to the organic farm and nature preserve can participate in a photo contest by snapping shots of their favorite Hidden Villa moments.

Friday

Holiday Stroll, sponsored by the Los Altos Village Association, 5-9 p.m. in downtown Los Altos. Information: downtownlosaltos.org.

Nov. 25

Los Altos Festival of Lights Parade, 6 p.m. in downtown Los Altos. Information: losaltosparade.org.

The following free events are scheduled at the Los Altos main library, 13 S. San Antonio Road. Events are held in the Orchard Room unless otherwise noted. For more information, call 948-7683 or visit sccl.org/losaltos.

• 7 p.m. Nov. 27: A book discussion for adults will center on the best-selling historical novel “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles.

Local resident hosts ALS fundraiser

Los Altos businessman Robert Hammer is serving as event chairman for “Champions for a Care and a Cure,” a fundraiser for the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The event, featuring a gourmet dinner, entertainment, wine tasting and an auction, is scheduled 6 p.m. Friday at the Hyatt Regency, 5 Embarcadero Center, San Francisco.