Painting to play
As part of its Sights, Sounds & Tastes Campaign, the Redwood City Improvement Association is debuting a piano for the community to enjoy. The new baby grand piano will be unveiled on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 11 a.m.-noon, in the new county building located at 500 County Center.
The piano, the second of three that the association intends to unveil, has been painted by artist Christine Ong-Dijcks. Titled “Living the Life,” her design “aims to evoke the beauty of nature amid the dynamic transformations of Redwood City,” according to a release.
“The piano stands as a testament to the local parks and community gatherings where music and laughter flourish, symbolizing the rich experiences that make life fulfilling in Redwood City,” the release reads.
Student speaker awards
Several student students at Peninsula-area high schools were among this year’s winners of the national Speaking and Service Award from the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA).
From more than 100,000 student members of the NSDA, these students were recognized for their service in the National Speech and Debate Honor Society for the 2024-25 school year. The NSDA Honor Society recognizes students for participation in speech and debate activities. Winners of the Speaking and Service Award earned 200 service points in the Honor Society last year, the maximum number possible per year.
Student winners from Los Altos High School include Allyson Lingo, Aditya Rajesh, Alek Ding, Edwin Mu, Zahra Mottaghian and Mira Sumant. Mountain View High School is represented by Adeline Shen, Ethan Louie, Yhali Matot, Vivaan Beri, Natalie Chen and Kapil Kamran. Palo Alto High School students who earned recognition are Zisen (Samantha) Fan, William Tu, Samarth Sethi, Julian Hong, Mihika Sridhar, Aaron Shone and Tessa Berney.