Around Town: let the eat cake; and the winner is…

In this week’s Around Town column, learn about an extravagant cake presented at Monday’s City Council meeting and Golden Globe winners with Palo Alto connections.

LET THEM EAT CAKE … “After tonight, you can have a piece of your favorite council member,” outgoing Mayor Greg Scharff proclaimed at the Jan. 8 meeting, shortly before he passed the mayoral title to Liz Kniss. Scharff wasn’t endorsing cannibalism or quartering, but making a reference to the real star of Monday’s show: an extravagant cake that was unveiled before the reorganizational meeting and consumed immediately after. The cake was created by Noemi Lazetera, a San Jose-based baker, at the request of Irma Mora, an administrative associate at the Office of City Clerk and Lazetera’s sister (Palo Alto Chief Financial Officer Lalo Perez is their brother). The cake faithfully represents the earthy tones and patterns of the Council Chambers carpet, the council dais and all nine council members, wearing their familiar outfits and sitting in their assigned seats, as identified by tiny nameplates. At the center of the carpet, spelled out in creamy cursive, were the words “Thanks for a great 2017.”

AND THE WINNER IS … The 75th Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 7 was a memorable night for two men with Palo Alto connections who were recognized for their work in TV and film. Stanford University graduate Sterling K. Brown made history as the first black recipient of best actor in a drama television series for his role as Randall Pearson in NBC’s “This is Us.” After thanking his wife, children and his fellow cast mates, he showed gratitude for the show’s creator, Dan Folgeman. “You wrote a role for a black man that could only be played by a black man. And so what I appreciate so much about this thing is that I’ve been seen for who I am and being appreciated for who I am. And it makes it that much more difficult to dismiss me, or dismiss anybody who looks like me.” The ceremony was also bittersweet for Palo Alto native James Franco , who became the latest winner of best actor in a musical or comedy film for “The Disaster Artist,” based off a book with the same title on the making of the 2003 film “The Room,” directed by Tommy Wiseau. Franco shared the stage with his younger brother, Dave (who also starred in the film), and Wiseau, who he briefly impersonated on stage before getting personal. “This was billed as making the best worst movie ever made but in fact it’s a story of friendship,” James Franco said. The older Franco also shared how he also wanted a Coen brother, in reference to filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, but realized he already had a “Coen brother” in Dave. “I thank my mother for giving him to me.” Franco is the latest high-profile actor accused of sexual misconduct by five women that surfaced on social media this week. He said the allegations were “not accurate” during his Jan. 9 appearance on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” “If I have done something wrong I will fix it — I have to, ” Franco said.