The Greenwood Phinney Wacktastic Light Show boundary has been extended west to 8th Avenue NW. Here’s a link to the map.

When we first wrote about this a month ago, the boundary was 3rd Avenue NW and several people here called out for it to be moved to what many consider the neighborhoods’ western boundary.

Organizers are hoping to start a holiday light tradition in the area. There’s even a contest and prizesfor the most wacktastic home. Contestants should keep their lights up for the entire month of December. Judging will take place Dec. 17, and on Dec. 21, you can join the judging ceremony party at the Greenwood Collective.

Update (10/23): Wacktastic organizers Beegee and Kelly say they were on the fence as to whether 8th Avenue was Greenwood or Ballard. They were also worried about the event getting too big, since it’s just the two of them working on it currently. But when they saw a “Welcome to Greenwood” sign at 8th Avenue and 85th, they knew they had to change it.

They say the response from area businesses has been so fantastic they’re expanding from first, second and third prize winners to a whole host of categories.

We originally said we’d have a first, second and third prize winners, but now we’re realizing that we need to have lots of winners. For example Prettiest, Most Classic, Most Fire-Hazard Worthy, Scariest, Sexiest, Funniest, Most Colorful, Cleverest, Trashiest, Most Natural, Most Wintery, Most Artsy-Fartsy, Most Political, Best Kid Made, Most Recession Proof (Thriftiest), Most “Greenwood”, Community Favorite, and of course, Most WACKTASTIC!). We just need the residents to be as psyched.

Also, I saw on your last posting of this that some Scrooges were grumbling about the electric bills. To which we say: you don’t need to enter! But if you do enter and win, you can regift your prizes for the holidays. So really, if you do a good job, you’ll be SAVING money!

Really, this is just one way we’re trying to bring the community of Greenwood Phinney together when the weather is less than spectacular. And spiff up the hood so other Seattlites will come visit and patronize our cool shops and restaurants.

Station 21 fire trucks lined the street Friday evening outside the Camelot Apartments, 515 North 50th St., after a report of smoke in the parking garage under the 80-year-old Italian Renaissance building. Lots of flashing lights on the street, but nothing serious inside and no injuries, firefighters said.

At 10:30 this morning, 17 members of the Seattle Mountaineers and their friends left the Magnolia Public Library on their 11.8-mile journey to seven libraries in one day. The hikers will walk at about 3 miles per hour and visit the libraries in Queen Anne, Fremont, Wallingford, Green Lake, Greenwood and Ballard by about 4 p.m. today. Here they are just before leaving Magnolia:

At the Magnolia branch, the hikers got a special tour of the renovated library and had their Library Passports stamped. The goal is to get their passports stamped at each city library. Today’s hikers range in age from 24 up into their 70s (an 80-year-old has been on previous library hikes).

Phinney Ridge resident Dru Druzianich isn’t a member of the Mountaineers or a regular user of the library, but decided to sign up for the hike – and plans to use the library system – after reading our original post on PhinneyWood. Here’s Dru in the bright yellow going over the route with hike leader Kathy Biever:

Hiker Louise Mihay (second from left in above photo) came all the way from Olympia with friends and has participated in all the hikes this fall. “This gives us a chance to see Seattle. By the end I’ll have seen most of the neighborhoods,” she told me this morning.

Hike leader Kathy Biever says each library is special. “They all have different personalities, and friendly staff. I have never met people more friendly and upbeat,” she says.

We’ll update their progress throughout the day, and have a photo from the Greenwood Library this afternoon.

Update 1 p.m.: The hikers reached the Queen Anne Library just after 11:30, then crossed the Fremont Bridge just before 12:30 before breaking for lunch. Next, they’ll be heading to Wallingford and Green Lake, before stopping by the Greenwood Library around 3 p.m. Here they are crossing the Fremont Bridge, in front of Waiting for the Interurban, and at the Troll:

Update 3:30 p.m.: The hikers arrived at the Greenwood Library at 3:15 p.m. and had their photo taken outside before heading inside to have their library passports stamped with our branch’s tree stamp:

They’re on their way to the Ballard Library now, and should arrive shortly after 4 p.m.

Update 4:30 p.m.: They made it! The library hikers arrived at the Ballard Library at 4:15 p.m., completing their 11.8-mile hike, which began at 10:30 this morning in Magnolia. Here they are crossing the street just in front of the library:

And exhausted but happy in front of the Ballard Library:

A suspected shoplifter who police say hit a Holman Road QFC store employee with his pickup truck while trying to get away, turned himself in. This after his vehicle was spotted in the 10300 block of Greenwood Avenue North and impounded, according to the Seattle Police Department’s blog.

The 42-year-old man was booked into jail Thursday for investigation of assault.

About 20 members of the Seattle Mountaineers Club will complete an urban hike Friday between seven branches of the Seattle Public Library, including Greenwood. The “27 Lively Libraries” hikers will begin at the Magnolia library at 10 a.m., then hike 11.8 miles to the libraries in Queen Anne (estimated arrival 11:30 a.m.), Fremont (12:15 p.m.), Wallingford (1:30 p.m.), Green Lake (2:15 p.m.), Greenwood (3 p.m.) and Ballard (4 p.m.).

The goal is to get their Library Passports stamped at each library. Completed passports are then turned in for a special drawing. So far on their journey, each library has done something special for the group, including tours of each library and its art collection, snacks and drinks, or a special display on hiking books.

Hike leader Kathy Biever volunteers at the Central Library, and told me it was a natural to combine her love of books and love of hiking. They’ve hiked to 15 libraries so far. Friday’s hike, number four in the 27 Lively Libraries schedule, is their longest.

PhinneyWood will be covering the day-long hike with updates from each library (and hopefully a few photos) as they go. If you see the hikers on the road or at the libraries, give ‘em a thumbs up for bringing attention to both urban hiking and public libraries! 

A couple weeks ago, we had a post about a man who jumped from the Aurora Bridge and died. Now there’s word that the police officers’ actions would be subject to an inquest, in part because they tried to handcuff him to keep him from falling. 

There’s a photo hereof police talking to Derek Loso, 48, as he clung to the side of the bridge. Loso, who worked at KIRO TV, was married and had a young son. More details here.

On a more positive note, another Seattle Police officer on his way home from work was recognized (but not named, oddly enough) for his role in saving a suicidal woman on the same bridge just three days after Loso’s death.

We’ve seen a flurry of recent crime reports in the Greenwood area, including confirmed stuff like a QFC store employee being hit by a shoplifter’s truck, to graffiti on the bathroom at Greenwood Park, 602 N 87th St.:

And we’ve seen unconfirmed stuff like a mugging at 101st and Greenwood on Monday night, along with the burglary of a nearby barber shop and an attempted car break-in on 84th a week ago (courtesy the Greenwood Discussion Group). How are things in your immediate neighborhood?

Phinney Animal Hospital on Greenwood Avenue has had an escapee. Please keep your eyes open for an orange cat with a blue e-collar (those plastic cones they get after a procedure). Her name is Elsa. She was last seen on 83rd St. between Greenwood and 1st around 11 a.m. today. Needless to say, the owner is distraught.

Update: From MyBallard - Thanks for your concern, the cat has been recovered! Just a correction on the circumstances, the cat did not “escape” from the animal hospital, she escaped her carrier on the way to her car, but the staff did spend the day helping to find her. Thanks, pioggia, for spotting the update on MyB.

Seen on the south wall of Pete’s Eggnest:

As far as the folks at Pete’s know, it’s graffiti and they’ll ask the building owner to paint it out. Thanks, Loretta, for spotting it and letting us know about it. Any idea what it means?

Greenwood Mail & Dispatch/Sip & Ship at 8560 Greenwood Ave. N. is hosting a benefit concert for the Greenwood Food Bank Friday night at 7 p.m.

Seattle indie band Ivan and Alyosha will play. And that night only, all Greenwood apparel is 20 percent off.

Store Manager Chris Grafmiller says the store can hold up to about 150 people. “It’s surprisingly big,” he says. “That wouldn’t be super comfy, but you could do it, and it’s community.”

Just bring one can of food or any cash donation for the food bank. ”The main point is to get some awareness,” Grafmiller says. “We really wanted to do something to support the Greenwood community, and we thought the Greenwood Food Bank was a good way to do that.”

They’ll also have some fun door prizes, including a spa day from Greenwood Academy and free coffee cards from Nepture, plus a few others.

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Who says Christmas lights can only go on trees? Some folks from the Phinney Neighborhood Center want to gussy up the old air raid tower for the holidays.

The informal PNA Holiday Lighting Committee, consisting of PNA people Ed Medeiros, Bill Fenimore and Mary Lee Newman; local artist Anna McKee; Metropolis owner Terry Heimen; and Mike Veitenhans of MV Home Inspection; are taking the “Wacktastic” challenge we wrote about last month.

Here’s their plan:

We’re going to outline the platform and two guardrail rungs of the air raid tower in the park with multi-colored LED lights, illuminate the yellow generator/siren in the center of the platform with small LED spot/flood lights and outline the roof and cupola of the Blue Building with the same multi-colored LED lights used on the tower. Cost of this “very green and enlightened” (go ahead and groan, but the combined power demand of all the LED lights is only 150 watts) is around $800.

Greenwood True Value is selling them 60 strings of the large C9 LED lights at cost, and several businesses and people have already contributed $450, but they need another $350 from the community to pull it off. And they’re looking for volunteers to help install all those lights the weekend after Thanksgiving.

They plan to have a lighting ceremony at the end of the first day of the PNA’s Winter Festival, at 5 p.m. Sat., Dec. 6.

Anyone who wants to help with the project can email Mike Veitenhans at mike@mvhomeinspection.com or call him at 206-930-8374.