This Saturday is the annual Phinney Neighborhood Preschool Coop Fall Kids Sale from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Phinney Neighborhood Center’s Community Hall. There’s a huge selection of gently used clothing from 0-10 years, maternity clothes, toys, games, books, strollers and tons of general baby/kid gear. They’ve even hung all the clothing by size to make it seem like a “real” store. So, if you still need some back-to-school clothes for your kids, this is the place.

They’ll also accept tax-deductible donations of gently used baby/kids clothes and gear. All proceeds go to the preschool. Any questions, email the PNPC.

A panel of “kick-ass poetry curators” is coming together for a combined reading and public forum about their passion for presenting, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

It’s the first event of the fall for Untitled [Intersection].

The panel includes Jennifer Borge Foster from the Seattle Poetry Festival, Brian McGuigan from Cheap Wine and Poetry at Hugo House, Jed Myers from the NorthEndForum/Bai Pai, Michael Schein from LitFuse/Tietonand Robert Tomlinson of Gallery One in Ellensburg.

Why do they do it, how do they find talent, where is the money, how do  they build audience and does it curb or invigorate their own writing practice? Hmmm. This discussion hopes to attract poetry curators and
their adoring fans, other kinds of events curators and all around poetry lovers.

Greenwood Avenue North safety and mobility improvements are on the agenda at Tuesday’s Seattle City Council Transportation Committee meeting.

The committee will consider giving the city’s Director of Transportation authority to acquire property through negotiation and condemnation for widening the roadway from four lanes to five, with parallel parking on both sides, along with curb, gutter, sidewalks and street landscaping along Greenwood Avenue North from North 105th to North 112th.

The committee meets at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, Sept. 30 in the City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave. See the full agenda here.

The Seattle Public Library’s Greenwood Branch is celebrating 80 years of service with a party from 1-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27. The event at at 8016 Greenwood Ave. N. is free and open to the public. There will be birthday cake and juice, Wii gaming and special party prizes. Staff members will dress up in outfits from the 1920s and a band will play 1920s music.

Area organizations will have information tables and local author Ted Pedersen will sign copies of his book, “Seattle’s Greenwood/Phinney Neighborhood,” in which you’ll discover the original location of the branch was 7020 Greenwood Ave. N. where A-1 Piano Sales and Rentals now resides.

The library moved to its current location in 1954. The building was replaced with a completely new, 15,000-square-foot structure in 2005. 

Saturday’s program is presented in partnership with Santoro’s Books. For more information, call the branch at (206) 684-4086.

Having a stressful time at work? Put a little zen in your day by vegging out in front of your computer screen to watch the Woodland Park Zoo’s two grizzly bear brothers, Keema and Denali, on the live web cam, courtesy of KING 5. The 800-pound 14-year-olds spend their days frolicking in the water and snoozing under the rocky ledge. Ahh.

After stopping by Greenwood Park, it’s pretty clear the promised repair of the Supernova to get it spinning quickly again did not work. Etta commented in our last post that it was still “in the same sluggish shape” after the Seattle Parks Department tried to fix it.

Loretta has again contacted the Seattle Parks Department and they’re saying they’re contacting the manufacturer for help.

All this picture needs is an unhappy kid in it to show how lame it’s become.

All 56 Bartell’s Drugs stores, including ours at 120 N. 85th St., are now recycling compact fluorescent light bulbs for free. 

Bartell’s is working with Total Reclaim, Seattle-based recycling firm. CFL bulbs contain small amounts of potentially harmful mercury and safe disposal of the bulbs keeps mercury out of landfills. Bartell’s will accept mini-twists, flood, globe, 3-way bulbs and other CFL bulbs.

 Fluorescent tube lights are not accepted at this time, but here’s a list of other locations around the area that will accept them, including Greenwood True Value Hardware at 7201 Greenwood Ave. N.

It looks like someone took it upon themselves to clean up the graffiti on the former McDondald’s at 8533 Greenwood Ave. N.

According to a comment posted yesterday by Shiny on our earlier post:

I live a few doors down from this former McDonald’s. The tags were still up this afternoon, almost three weeks later!

So… I walked across the street to Bartell’s, purchased five razor blades for $0.99, and spent exactly one hour removing the graffiti.

Thanks, Shiny! Next step, find someone to occupy the building. If you’re that business, the sign in the window says to call John Chelico at (425) 455-0500.

Carkeek Park Friends of Piper’s Orchard in Carkeek Park are holding their 2nd Annual Harvest Festival from 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the park’s LEED certified Environmental Learning Center, 950 NW Carkeek Park Road.

The Harvest Festival will include a kids corner, a pie baking contest, fresh pressed cider, games, a naturalist walk and information about non-toxic pest control methods, as well as selection and care of fruit trees.

For the pie baking contest: Bring a home baked pie made of local or organic apples to enter in the contest. Judges will be tasting at noon. For detailed schedule information, please visit their Web site.

Just two months after the city paid for specialists to restore the zoo mural underneath the N. 57th St. bridge, which had mistakenly been painted over, it’s been tagged again. Here’s the graffiti on the north wall:

And here it is on the south wall:

The graffiti has been reported to the city’s Graffiti Prevention & Removal tipline, so we’ll have to see what happens next.

Two sites in Greenwood are part of International Park(ing) Day, where people take over parking spots and remake them into parks for a day. This one with the trees, seating area and zen garden area is in front of the Pig ‘n Whistle on Greenwood and 85th:

That’s Mike Oxman in the orange vest. He and his wife, Shelley Retchless, operate Huckleberry Gardens out of their Greenwood home. This great chair made out of old skateboards is from Greenwood Community Council President Kate Martin’s home:

The Park(ing) Day spot in front of the Greenwood Library on Greenwood and 81st is more simple but very practical, as volunteer Ann demonstrates by setting up for the day with her paperwork, cell phone and cup of coffee. She’ll even help you register to vote!:

Both sites will be up until 6 p.m. today.

We just added Phinney Ridge and Greenwood restaurants here on PhinneyWood.  If you have a moment, please take a look and add your own ratings and/or reviews, because the best feedback always comes from neighbors.  We’re missing a few restaurants here and there, so please drop us a comment if you’d like to see another one added. Thanks for your help!