
Olivia Hewang, Reporter
Olivia is a junior at Los Altos High School and serves as a general assignment reporter and graphic artist. She is a staff writer on the Los Altos High School Talon, where she previously covered the coronavirus and MVLA Board. Olivia is a founding member of the Post.

Foothills Park renamed Foothills Nature Preserve, city to implement annual passes
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG, PHOTO BY TOMOKI CHIEN The Palo Alto City Council tonight voted unanimously to rename Foothills Park to Foothills Nature Preserve, implement annual passes and set the attendance cap to 300 visitors at a time, although the city manager may increase the cap up to a maximum of 650 visitors. The council…
Continue reading ➞ Foothills Park renamed Foothills Nature Preserve, city to implement annual passes

Gluten-free bakery Sweet Diplomacy brings a community of food lovers often left out, together
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG AND MELODY XU, PHOTOS BY EMILY MCNALLY When Melody Hu happened to run out of regular flour while baking muffins at home one afternoon five years ago, she discovered gluten-free, mochiko rice flour to be a perfectly delicious substitute. The result of this accidental discovery is Sweet Diplomacy, a 100% gluten-free…

Antoine’s Cookie Shop serves up nostalgia by the dozen
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG AND ARI STROBER, PHOTO BY EMILY MCNALLY In Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” a single bite of the eponymous dish transports the sour-faced food critic, Anton Ego, to a memory of himself as a child, enjoying his mother’s cooking. Seeing a customer experience that involuntary sense of nostalgia is Antoine Tang’s favorite part of…
Continue reading ➞ Antoine’s Cookie Shop serves up nostalgia by the dozen

PAUSD to make optional in-person return in red tier
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG AND MELODY XU, PHOTO BY GIL RUBINSTEIN Grades 7–12 in the Palo Alto Unified School District will enter an optional in-person return once Santa Clara County falls to the red tier of coronavirus restrictions. As a continuation of the school board’s Nov. 10 vote to return to school in the spring…
Continue reading ➞ PAUSD to make optional in-person return in red tier

MVLA board approves in-person return in red tier
STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN, CARLY HELTZEL AND OLIVIA HEWANG, PHOTO BY ALLISON HUANG The Mountain View–Los Altos School District board tonight unanimously approved the plans and budget for an optional in-person return in the red tier of coronavirus restrictions, but did leave room for further amendment later this month. Tonight’s development serves as an addendum…
Continue reading ➞ MVLA board approves in-person return in red tier

Artist of the Month: Dasha Korepanova delights with her whimsical creatures
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG AND DANA HUCH, PHOTO BY TOMOKI CHIEN Dasha Korepanova used to sell her character designs in exchange for virtual currency in a video game. Now, the Los Altos junior is inundated with so many requests for commissions — paid in real money, not in-game “spuds” — that it’s become difficult for…
Continue reading ➞ Artist of the Month: Dasha Korepanova delights with her whimsical creatures

Palo Alto moves to implement $6 vehicle entry fee at Foothills Park
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG, PHOTO BY TOMOKI CHIEN In a 6–1 vote on Jan. 19, the Palo Alto City Council moved to implement a $6 vehicle entry fee at Foothills Park and lower the attendance cap to 400 visitors. The council will review the changes to the city’s municipal code at a second reading on…
Continue reading ➞ Palo Alto moves to implement $6 vehicle entry fee at Foothills Park

As attendance soars, Palo Alto closes entrance to Foothills Park during peak hours
STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN AND OLIVIA HEWANG, PHOTO BY TOMOKI CHIEN In an effort to stave off a high number of park goers, the City of Palo Alto announced today that the front gate to Foothills Park will be temporarily closed on weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting this Saturday, Jan.…

PAUSD students suggest changes to District Title IX processes
STORY BY OLIVIA HEWANG, PHOTO BY TOMOKI CHIEN A panel of Palo Alto high schoolers urged the Palo Alto Unified School District to amend its Title IX processes to better protect victims of sexual assault and harassment at the Board’s study session last night. Title IX is the federal civil rights law that bans sex…
Continue reading ➞ PAUSD students suggest changes to District Title IX processes
COVID-19 Updates
Tuesday, Feb. 23: San Mateo County falls to red tier, Santa Clara poised to follow suit San Mateo County has fallen to the red tier of coronavirus restrictions, effective tomorrow, Feb. 24. Santa Clara County — whose adjusted case rate, test positivity rate and health equity quartile qualify for the red tier — will make a…

Gunn, PALY to return in person along with PAUSD middle schools in January
STORY BY TOMOKI CHIEN AND OLIVIA HEWANG, PHOTO BY TOMOKI CHIEN Palo Alto middle and high schools will reopen next semester under a hybrid model, following the Palo Alto Unified School District Board’s unanimous vote last night to approve the plan; that plan is set to be tweaked before reopening day, with further input from…
Continue reading ➞ Gunn, PALY to return in person along with PAUSD middle schools in January